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INTRODUCTION TO REC.PETS.DOGS.* Table of Contents * History of rec.pets.dogs.* * Current Groups And Charters * Acknowledgements * History of the FAQ's _________________________________________________________________ @START@History of rec.pets.dogs.* History of rec.pets.dogs.* Prior to the summer of 1991, there was a single newsgroup for discussing issues of interest to pet owners. This was rec.pets, and this group still exists for those pets that don't have their own newsgroups. Rec.pets.dogs (and rec.pets.cats) was formed in the summer of 1991. Joe DiBenedetto proposed the split and collected the votes, which proved more than enough for its official creation. In the late summer of 1994, another discussion on splitting rec.pets.dogs itself started up, due to the hundreds of daily messages on the group. This split was proposed by Cindy Tittle Moore, and Ronald Dippold collected the overwhelmingly positive vote. The new splinter groups were created on November 9th, and rec.pets.dogs removed two months later. ORIGINAL CHARTER FOR RPD Rec.pets.dogs is a newsgroup devoted to domestic canine issues. This group can be friendly and helpful. Flamewars are generally limited to several topics: crating dogs, training by the Koheler method, docking and cropping, animal rights activism, wolf hybrids and pit-bull (or other breed) dog bans. New readers are advised against starting these topics up on the newsgroup as long, protracted, and inflammatory discussions often ensue. The facts pertaining to these controversial topics are covered in the FAQ's. This is not to say that these topics are forbidden from discussion on rec.pets.dogs, but that regular readers would greatly appreciate it if you checked out what the FAQ had to say on them to make sure you have something new to contribute. _________________________________________________________________ Current Groups And Charters QUICK SUMMARY rec.pets.dogs.activities Dog events: showing, obed, agility, etc. rec.pets.dogs.behavior Behaviors and problems: housetraining, chewing, etc. rec.pets.dogs.breeds Breed specific -- breed traits, finding breeders, etc. rec.pets.dogs.health Info about health problems & how to care for dogs rec.pets.dogs.info General information and FAQs posted here. (Moderated) rec.pets.dogs.misc All other topics, chat, humor, etc. rec.pets.dogs.rescue Information about breed rescue, placing and adopting The groups were created on 11/9/94. CHARTERS FOR REC.PETS.DOGS.* rec.pets.dogs.activities This group is for the discussion of activities involving dogs. Examples include but are not limited to conformation, obedience, field trials, herding trials, frisbee/disc competition, flyball, hunting, sledding, backpacking/camping and hiking. Other appropriate topics include discussion of training for the particular activity, physical conditioning, how to hook up with activities available in your area, etc. Sportsmanlike conduct is expected; in particular, derogatory comments about activities you don't care for are frowned upon. Use of keywords in the subject line to clearly identify your activity is encouraged. rec.pets.dogs.behavior This group is for the discussion of typical behavioral problems with dogs. Examples include but are not limited to: digging, barking, aggressive behavior, housetraining, crate training, etc. Also appropriate is discussion of "why" dogs behave as they do and how to work with that to eliminate some behaviors and reinforce others. rec.pets.dogs.breeds This group is for extensive breed specific discussion. Topics may include breed specific health problems, locating breeders of particular breeds, discussing breed specific abilities and characteristics, asking about what breeds make appropriate pets under what circumstances. Clearly identifying the breed you are discussing in the subject line is encouraged. rec.pets.dogs.health This group is for health and medical questions related to dogs. This includes, but certainly is not limited to, questions on hip dysplasia, epilepsy, eye problems, diabetes, bloat, allergies and skin problems, etc. Hereditary and acquired diseases may be discussed, as well as traumatic disorders. Questions about nutrition and feeding are also appropriate here. This newsgroup is not intended to replace veterinary care in any way, but is to help inform the dog owner about canine health. rec.pets.dogs.info, moderated This is a moderated group and only posts faqs and informational files relevant to rec.pets.dogs.*. The moderator is Cindy Tittle Moore (rpd-info@netcom.com, rpd-info-request@netcom.com) Appropriate faqs that are already cleared for posting to news.answers are automatically eligible to be posted here. Others that are regularly posted (and listed in "Complete List of RPD.* FAQ's") are also eligible for posting here. No discussion is permitted on this group. This group is intended to make the faqs and artictles with useful information for RPD more visible and easier to find, especially for newcomers. rec.pets.dogs.misc This group is for miscellaneous questions that are not more appropriate for one of the other groups. This includes chat, humor, anything pertaining to canines not explicitly covered elsewhere. This group replaces the original rec.pets.dogs group. rec.pets.dogs.rescue This unmoderated newsgroup proposed as rec.pets.dogs.rescue will be used for the discussion of all aspects of dog rescue. Topics appropriate to this newsgroup will include, but are not limited to: + General questions and answers on dog rescue. + General announcements relative to various rescue groups. + General discussion of methods to use in helping a rescue dog adjust to its new home. + Idiosyncrasies found in rescue dogs, i.e., fears, aggression, etc., and how to handle same. + Training or re-training the rescue dog. + Breed specific rescue group information. _________________________________________________________________ History of the FAQ's Michael Mahler attempted a FAQ in 1991 that consisted of compiled but unedited articles saved from the net. Due to time constraints, he gave up the project, and I received copies of the articles that he had saved and incorporated much of them in here from other readers. I have heard of other attempts at FAQ's well, but no real details. The current suite of RPD FAQ's started out as eight articles, patterned largely after the RPC FAQ's the author had just completed. These were put out publicly in the summer of 1992, and have since grown to over 20 FAQs and some 30 breed specific FAQ's. Many of the breed FAQ's are written by volunteers familiar with or researching the breed. _________________________________________________________________ Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank the posters of RPD.* over the years. Many of them contributed substantial material for this FAQ. A good number have pointed out errors and corrections, keeping the FAQ's wonderfully up-to-date. Some contributed unknowingly, as I lifted their posts directly from the newsgroup, obtained them from summaries kept by other people, or lifted them out of mailing lists. Without this body of knowledge and contribution, these FAQ's would not exist. To thank every contributor has proven increasingly impossible over the years as the numbers have swelled beyond counting or listing. But a few I would like to thank in particular are: Marla Belzowski (for her initial encouragement and Collie FAQ), Stephen R. Lee (for the Mushing section and Mal/Sib FAQ's), Liza Miller (for her extensive contributions to the Puppy FAQ and the Lab FAQ), Lily Mummert (for her extensive comments on herding), Michael Sierchio (overall comments, feedback), Charlie Sorsby (information on hunting tests), and Rusty Wright (for much of the original material on Guide Dogs). I'd like to thank Michael Buening for the creation of the Rescue FAQ and Janice Ritter for its current maintenance. Charlene Douglass wrote the Pet Loss FAQ, Ian Hogg the Flyball FAQ. Jeff Parke has commented on different sections in the Medical Info FAQs. Finally, I'd especially like to thank all the authors of the Breed FAQ's who contributed their time and expertise to write the documents. _________________________________________________________________ Introduction to rec.pets.dogs.* Cindy Tittle Moore, tittle@netcom.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article is Copyright (c) 1994 by Cindy Tittle Moore. It may be freely distributed in its entirety provided that this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for profit nor incorporated in commercial documents without the author's written permission. This article is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty. Explicit permission is hereby granted to all humane shelters, animal shelters, city pounds and rescue organizations placing animals to redistribute the material under the conditions above. Cindy Tittle Moore Internet: tittle@netcom.com USmail: PO BOX 4188, Irvine CA 92716 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- @START@Medical Information - Part I - TOC CANINE MEDICAL INFORMATION, PART I Table of Contents * Prologue * Anal Sacs * Anesthetics + Why is anesthesia used for OFA X-rays? + How dangerous is anesthesia? + What can I do to improve the odds? * Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA) * Breathing Disorders * Bloody Stools * Brucellosis * Canine Parvovirus (CPV) * Chrondrodysplasia (CHD or Chd). * Distemper * Epilepsy * Eye Problems + CEA + PRA + GPRA + Glaucoma + Cataracts + Dealing with Blindness * Gastric Dilation and Bloat * Giardia * Heartworms _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Prologue Prologue Much of the information found in this article is summarized from Carlson & Giffin. I would like to thank them for their informative and accessible information. Any mistakes made in the summaries are my responsibility and not Carlson & Giffin's. I believe that I am within copyright laws by using summarizations (no direct quoting, except for the toxic plants section), my own organization of the material, and precise acknowledgement where relevant. -Cindy Tittle Moore An excellent resource that details all aspects of health issues for dogs, and one that every conscientious dog owner should have is: Carlson, Delbert G., DVM, and James M. Giffin, MD. Dog Owners's Home Veterinary Handbook (Revised and Expanded). Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing Company, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA (1992, 2nd ed). ISBN: 0-87605-537-4 (hardcover). This comprehensive book is a complete guide to health care of dogs. It lets you know when you can treat the dog, or when you need to take it to the vet post-haste. It lists symptoms so that you may inform your vet of relevant information about its condition. The arrangement of the material facilitates rapid reference. Illustration of key procedures (pilling, taking pulse/temperature, etc). Lists poisonous substances, including houseplants. A must have home veterinarian handbook. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Anal Sacs Anal Sacs (summarized from Carlson & Giffin) Normally, anal sacs are emptied when the dog defecates. Some dogs with overactive anal glands may require occasional help. Your vet can demonstrate the procedure. A common indication of trouble with anal sacs is "scooting" (dragging the rear on the ground). Impaction: occurs when the anal sacs fail to empty properly. This is more common in smaller breeds. Squeezing the sacs yourself as needed will control the problem. Infection: complicates impaction. There is blood or pus in the secretions, and the dog may scoot (drag its rear on the ground). It may be painful. Check with your vet for an antibiotic you can apply after you empty the sacs. Abscess: Signs of anal infection, with a swelling at the site of the gland. It goes from initially red to a deep purple. You will have to have it lanced and cleaned by the vet. Dogs whose anal sacs become repeatedly infected and/or abscessed will need to have the glands removed. Surgery is uncomplicated, although the dog will have poor bowel control for the next few days after surgery. Try putting a pair of small boy's underpants, with the dog's tail through the third opening, on the dog to contain accidents. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Anesthetics Anesthetics Remember that this is not intended as complete information by any means. Your best source for that is from your veterinarian. Don't be afraid to ask questions. WHY IS ANESTHESIA USED FOR OFA X-RAYS? Most Xrays can be taken without any sort of sedation, but OFA Hip X-Rays require an abnormal amount of stretching and twisting of the legs to get the hips into a proper position. Most dogs will struggle from the pain, and the resulting X-rays can end up blurred. While for many cases this would be OK, OFA requires very sharp images. It is possible (as has been mentioned here often) to get acceptable X-rays without sedation, but it requires a lot of work and experience. If your vet does not feel comfortable doing X-rays without sedation or anesthesia you are probably better off getting an experienced vet to do it. HOW DANGEROUS IS ANESTHESIA? While anesthesia is not without risks, it is most certainly not guaranteed death for your dog. Your vet anesthetizes dozens of animals a week without losing them, and your pet should be no exception. There are a number of different anesthetics available, each with their own benifits and risks. Halothane is probably the most commonly used. It is a good general purpose anesthesia which is simple to control. A drawback is that it takes animals up to an hour to completely wake up from it and they usually behave sedated for up to another 12 hours. Metophane is less common. It allows very deep levels of sedation for painful surgeries such as bone surgery or for very large dogs. It also has a long recovery time. If your vet uses either of these anesthetics it is a good idea to schedule the procedure early in the day so that your dog can be kept under observation for a longer period of time. (Most vets do this anyway if at all possible). Finally there is Isofluorane. This is a quick acting anesthetic which makes it a little more difficult to monitor, but also causes the least trauma. It is also much more expensive, and may not be offered by every vet. It is best used for shorter or nonintrusive procedures such as X-rays, teeth cleanings and tattoos. WHAT CAN I DO TO IMPROVE THE ODDS? The greatest danger from anesthetics is improper processing of the drug by the dogs metabolism. All these anesthetics are eliminated from the blood stream through the liver and kidneys. Older dogs in particular can have defects in these organs that can cause complications under anesthesia. If you are concerned about this your vet can do a preliminary blood panel to detect potential problems. If your pet has a heart murmur or a respiratory problem make sure your vet is aware of it. These are not neccessary problems during anesthesia, but will allow your vet to make an informed decision should a problem arise. You should also ask your vet if sie knows of any problems peculiar to your breed. Sighthounds in particular are more sensitive to anesthetic and require lower levels to achieve the same effect. Make sure that you keep a complete medical history of your dog and that you take a copy of it with you whenever you change vets. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA) Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA) This disease is only partially understood at this time. Symptoms include: * pale gums, possibly yellow in severe cases * yellow feces (from bile pigments) * red or orange-brown urine (but may look normal) Procedures to reverse this condition include various chemotherapies, steroids, cyclosporin, and blood transfusions. However, the only "tried and tested" treatment is corticosteroid therapy. Other cytotoxic drugs, like cyclosporin, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine and danazol are recommended by various people, generally because somebody else recommended them somewhere else. Their actual benefit seems uncertain. The general consensus is that cyclophosphamide is the best of these drugs to use. Blood transfusions are the topic of much controversy. One school of thought is that the animal is likely to hemolyse the transfusion, so blood should be tranfused only in lifethreatening situations. The other school argues that transfusions have never been proven to be dangerous in this disease (and goes on to assume that they are therefore safe). There are two types of AHA: primary, where the system destroys its own red blood cells for no apparent reason, and secondary, where the red cell membrane is changed (perhaps by a virus or parasite) and is then destroyed as abnormal. Prognosis for secondary AHA is much better and depends on how well the underlying cause can be treated. The prognosis for primary AHA is much worse, with only 50% of the animals living beyond 12 months. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Breathing Disorders Breathing Disorders Dogs that breath noisily may have a serious health problem. For example, some animals have an elongated palate, which prevents them from breathing properly. The animal can also have a hard time drinking and eating. This also can affect the heart since it has to work extra hard to breath. If your dog has this problem check with your vet. There is an operation that can correct the problem of elongated palates. In any case, dogs should not be constantly panting and breathing noisily, so a vet check is in order. In general, breathing anomalies should be investigated: noisiness, wheezing, excessive panting, excessive coughing. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Bloody Stools Bloody Stools Blood in the stool can appear in several ways, each indicating a different problem. Black stools mean bleeding high up in the digestive tract, most likely a bleeding stomach ulcer. Reddish stools indicate blood further down the pipe, after the digestive juices have been neutralized somewhat. This can be anything from ulcers in the small intestine to ulcerative colitis. Red blotches/streaks on the surface of the stools (with normal color otherwise) indicate bleeding in the last segment of the large intestine or rectum, after the stool has begun to solidify (the function of the large intestine is to neutralize digestive juices and absorb liquid). This can be ulcerative colitis (or some other inflammatory bowel disease) or bleeding hemorrhoids. Each of these problems can be very serious, and in some cases life-threatening (with the exception of hemorrhoids). Coloring (natural or artificial) in food can also directly color the stool so you can't be sure of anything without a chemical analysis. A sudden diet change/addition can also affect stool color. Get a sample to the vet. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Brucellosis Brucellosis Brucellosis is one of the few venereal diseases among dogs. It is associated with testicular atrophy. It causes sterilization (sometime obvious, sometimes not) in the male, embryonic reabsorption, abortion, weak pups that die soon after birth and eventual sterility in females. Males are contagious for months through their semen, females are contagious for several weeks after the failed pregnancy. *Brucellosis may be passed to humans.* It can cause suppressed immune systems and sterility in humans. Diagnosis can be quickly made, although animals tested less than three weeks after exposure will show negative. False positives are possible; followup diagnosis with more reliable methods should follow any initial positives. Treatment for brucellosis is not generally very successful and often very expensive. Extensive antibiotic therapy, evaluation and additional testing will add up quickly, with no guarantee of success. No vaccine is available. Any animal with brucellosis should not be bred, and should be eliminated from the kennel or other breeding stock before infecting the entire colony. Animals entering the breeding area, male and female, should be tested for brucellosis PRIOR TO breeding. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Canine Parvovirus (CPV) Canine Parvovirus (CPV) This is a recent disease, first noted in the late seventies. It is highly contagious and puppies have the highest mortality. There is a vaccine available, and you should make sure your dog is up on its shots. In some areas where parvo is prevalent, you may need booster shots every six months instead of every year. Parvovirus comes in several forms: (summarized from Carlson & Giffin) * Diarrhea syndrome: Severe depression, loss of appetite, vomiting. Extreme pain. High fever follows with profuse diarrhea. No other disease comes close to matching the amount of diarrhea induced by CPV. * Cardiac syndrome: Affects the muscles of the heart, especially in puppies. Puppies stop nursing, cry and gasp for breath. Death can occur suddenly or after several days. Puppies that recover often develop chronic congestive heart failure that may kill them several months later. Dogs may have either or both syndromes. Treatment is difficult, requiring hospitalization; those who recover are immune. The quarters of an infected dog should be thoroughly sterilized; a solution of 1:30 bleach and water is recommended. As with any use of bleach, make sure you do not mix it with ammonia, which results in mustard gas and can kill you and your dog. Be sure to rinse the bleach off thoroughly after application. In the US, there is a current upswing in Parvo infections. Make sure your dog is up-to-date on its vaccinations. Don't let a too-young puppy roam where possibly infected dogs have been (for example, in the park). Contact with feces or un-vaccinated dogs is the primary source of transmission. Some breeds seem to be especially sensitive to parvo, such as Rottweilers. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Chrondrodysplasia Chrondrodysplasia Chrondrodysplaysia was discovered around 1930-1940s. This disease is neither "dwarfism" as it is commonly referred to nor is it dysplaysia (in the true sense of the word). This debilitating disease is actually a birth defect causing the dog's upper foreleg to become overly massive, short, and twisted and appears in Malamute and related breeds. Malamute breeders were appalled by this condition when it appeared and immediately set out to eradicate it. Steps were taken to locate these recessive genes. By breeding an unknown dog to a known CHD, the pups were then rebred to CHD dogs and percentages were calculated. Most Malamutes today have been CHD rated. The percentage is the actual likelihood of CHD showing up in a breeding. Malamute breeders tend to agree that 6.25% (one great-great-great grandparent is a carrier) is the upper limit of acceptablity in a CHD rating. Puppies are CHD rated now by taking the CHD factors of both parents and averaging them together. Example: Dog 1.75% Bitch 2.01% --------------- (1.75 + 2.01)/2 = puppies 1.88% Needless to say, an non-CHD certified Mal or a Mal that is certified above a 6.25% should not be bred, in order to contain the disease. Non-CHD certified dogs can be CHD certified, but it is a very expensive procedure. CHD may be diagnosed with various tests that include blood tests and x-rays. The Complete Alaskan Malamute by Riddle and Seely covers this disease fairly well. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Distemper Distemper (summarized From Carlson & Giffin) Distemper is the leading cause of infectious disease death in dogs, most commonly in unvaccinated puppies 3-8 months of age. Among infected dogs: half show little in the way of illness; many show mild symptoms; and in a few the illness is severe or fatal. Malnourished and ill-kept dogs tend to show more acute forms of the disease. Secondary infections and complications with distemper are common. Prognosis depends on how quickly the dog is diagnosed and treated, and which form of the disease the dog has. There are two stages. Symptoms in the first stage include fever, loss of appetite, listlessness, and a watery discharge from the eyes and nose. It may appear like a cold -- but dogs do not get colds the way people do; a "cold" is therefore much more serious in a dog than in a person. Within a few days the discharge will thicken: a primary indication of distemper. Dry cough, pus blisters on the stomach, diarrhea (and associated dehydration) may follow. At this point, the dog may recover, or proceed on to the second stage which involves the brain. Dogs with brain involvement do not usually survive. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Epilepsy Epilepsy (from a post by Stu Farhnam) Canine epilepsy is remarkably similar in both presentation and treatment to epilepsy in humans. However, it is much more common among dogs, with an approximate 10% rate (compared with 1% for humans). Epilepsy may be due to a number of causes: injury, toxicity, disease, heredity, etc. In cases where no apparent cause can be found, the diagnosis is "idiopathic epilepsy", which essentially means "seizures of unknown origin". Epilepsy is fairly common in dogs. Idiopathic epilepsy is believed to have a genetic component which is not well understood. If the epilepsy has a specific determinable cause, it can often be treated by removing the source. For example, a dog may have epilepsic siezures when exposed to a specific toxin; eliminating that toxin will remove the epilepsy. For idiopathic epilepsy and permanent epilepsy (eg due to a head-injury), treatment consists of one or more anticonvulsant drugs. Dosage and combination are usually arrived at empirically. That is, you and your vet will experiment with different drugs at different doses in an attempt to find the best treatment for your dog. Common anticonvulsants include primadone, phenobarbitol, valium, and others. The vast majority of cases of canine epilepsy yield to treatment. While most of the drugs have long term side effects (e.g. liver toxicity), they allow epileptic dogs to live near normal lives. Siezures can appear in many forms, from undistractible "spaciness" to the more commonly thought of spasmodic movements, loss of bladder and bowel control, etc. Seizures pose little direct threat to the dog when they occur singly and are of short duration (seconds - a few minutes). The most common problem associated with a seizure is that the dog injures itself during the period of loss of motor control. Sometimes, however, the seizures occur in groups (clusters) or do not end quickly (so-called "status epilepticus"). In these cases the physical stress on the dog can be enormous and lead to secondary problems. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Eye Problems Eye Problems CEA CEA (Collie Eye Anomaly) is the most common form of eye problem found in the collie, both rough and smooth variety. It is also found in the border collie, shetland sheepdog, and bearded collie. It is believed to by controlled by a genetic cluster, or large group of genes, and thus, it is hard to control by breeding, and ranges in severity. PRA PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) is common in MANY breeds of dogs (including mixed breeds), and is not isolated to the collie like the CEA tends to be. Generalized PRA affects the entire retina. Most dogs with GPRA become night blind at three and are usually totally blind by five. Generalized PRA has been detected as early as six weeks in puppies, and these puppies are usually blind by six to eight months. An electroretinography can be used to detect the early signs of PRA. Animals to be tested in this manner are anesthetized while lenses are placed on the eyes to record the retina's reaction to light. (Like wearing contacts.) ALL dogs affected with PRA eventually go blind. GPRA GPRA is believed to be transmitted by a simple autosomal recessive gene. Studies have shown that both parents must be carriers for any offspring to be affected. Breeding PRA affected animals to PRA NON-affected animals results in 100% carriers for the PRA gene. The most common form of PRA in the collie is generalized PRA and it is detectable at an early age (6wks and over). The other form, Central PRA, is uncommon and usually occurs between three and five years old, but has been detected as early as three weeks. The mode of transmission is not known. Animals with CPRA can usually see moving objects because the peripheral vision is retained longer, but often will collide with stationary objects. An electroretinogram is not able to detect the CPRA. NOTE: In October 1945 the Kennel Club of England added PRA to the list of disqualifications from winning any award in the show ring. For more information on Canine Eye disease contact: CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) South Campus Courts C Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47906 Information on CEA, PRA and GPRA was compiled with the wealth of information located in: * Rubin, Lionel F. Inherited Eye Diseases in Purebred Dogs. * Vanderlip, Sharon Lynn, DVM. The Collie: A Veterinary Reference for the Professional Breeder. * CERF pamphlets. Please consult these books and others for more breed specific information. GLAUCOMA This is a condition where the pressure of the fluid in the eye increases until the sight is gone in that eye. If it strikes one eye, the other eye is likely also to be affected. Once the retina is damaged and the sight is gone the options are as follows: * Inject the eye with a fluid which kills the fluid producing cells in the eye, hence no further increase in pressure and no pain. This is not a guaranteed solution. * Remove the eye and sew the lids shut. Probably the most practical. * Remove the eye and replace it with a prosthetic (i.e., glass eye). There are potential problems with infection of the eye socket. CATARACTS Cataracts are fairly common in older dogs and sometimes is a complication of another condition (such as diabetes). Treatment can involve removing the clouded portion of the lense. This usually renders the dog unable to focus, but since sight is not a primary sense for the dog, the procedure appears to give them usable vision. [Need more info] _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Dealing with Blindness Dealing with Blindness Dogs that become blind rarely have all that much trouble with it. Unlike humans, sight is not a primary sense; dogs would be much more upset at losing their sense of smell. Most people with a blind dog find that dealing with blindness is not difficult nor traumatic for the dog. To avoid confusion, do not move your furniture around (except for any piece that the dog does keep bumping into. Be sure the dog knows when you are near so it is not startled. When you go out on walks, establish habitual trails. Your dog will adjust quickly. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Gastric Dilation and Bloat Gastric Dilation and Bloat A condition more commonly seen in larger breeds. Gas in the stomach causes it to swell. In some cases, the stomach rotates on its axis, closing off both ends of it. Digestive processes continue unabated and the stomach swells up. The cause of bloat is unknown. Some forms of bloat are fatal untreated; survival depends on understanding what is happening and getting the dog to the vet, the earlier the better. Terminology: * The stomach is full of gas and begins to swell: gastric dilation. * The stomach partially rotates on its axis: torsion. * The stomach rotates 180 or more degrees: volvolus. Some facts (from Carlson & Giffin): * Dogs who bloat are almost always at least 2 years old. * Two-thirds are male. * Larger, deeper chested breeds are affected. * They eat large amounts of dry kibble. * They exercise vigorously after eating and tend to drink water in large amounts after meals. * They may have a history of digestive upsets. * There may be a familial association with other dogs who bloat. According to Carlson & Giffin, the symptoms are: excessive salivation and drooling, extreme restlessness, attempts to vomit and defecate, evidence of abdominal pain and abdominal distension. Abdominal fullness, whining, pacing, getting up and lying down, stretching, looking at the abdomen, anxiety. History is important: in nearly all cases, there is a history of overeating, eating fermented foods, drinking excessively after eating, or taking vigorous exercise after a meal (within two or three hours). If your dog is able to belch or vomit, it is more likely a gastric upset. If it cannot, rush it to the vet or emergency care *now* for emergency surgery. If your dog is at risk for gastric bloat, you should discuss it with your vet before a possible episode. Your vet may recommend (and demonstrate) some things you can try to do as life-saving measures while getting it to the vet. Measures thought to reduce the risk of gastric torsion ("bloat") [From the Bloat Panel, sponsored by the Morris Animal Foundations, published in the August 1992 Irish Setter Club of America's Memo To Members.] * Feed two or three times daily. Be sure someone is around to observe after-feeding behavior for possible symptoms. * Water should be available at all times except immediately after feeding, especially if the dog seems to over-drink. Or mixing dry kibble and water before eating to prevent later swelling up in the abdomen. * Vigorous exercise, excitement and stress should be avoided one hour before and two hours after meals. Walking is alright and may help stimulate normal gastrointestinal function. * Any dietary changes should be introduced gradually over several days. There is another article about bloat in the Spring '92 issue of Today's Breeder (published by Purina dog foods) (pp 8,9,15). _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Giardia Giardia (prepared by Dr. James Coggins) If your dog has been diagnosed with Giardia, it is infected with the one-celled protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia. These flagellate parasites are usually contracted by drinking contaminated water or sometimes by eating contaminated feces. Giardiasis, the disease caused by Giardia, can range from asymptomatic (no visible signs of distress) to extremely acute where the dog is severely ill. Canine giardiasis should be treated since it is potentially transmissible to humans and other animals. Giardiasis is a malabsorptive syndrome. The parasites adhere to the lining of the small intestine where they interfere with absorption of nutrients. Light cases of Giardia often go undetected and many dogs "self cure" by expelling and developing an immunity to the parasite. In heavier infections, Giardia can interfere with absorption of certain types of nutrients, especially fats and certain vitamins. Fats are not absorbed and result in excess mucus in the stools which are very pungent and diarrhetic. The parasites interfere with normal metabolism by forming a physical barrier between the lumen of the intestine and the absorptive cells. Excess mucus results from malabsorption of fats while excess water results in the diarrhea. The intestinal lining is not usually injured so stools should not contain blood. The parasites feed on partially digested food in the lumen of the intestine. They do not compete directly with the host for food. Their metabolism is primarily anaerobic, meaning that they do not utilize oxygen in their respiration. They lack cellular organelles concerned with aerobic respiration such as mitochondria. The active stage within the host is the trophozoite (feeding body); this is the only pathological form. The transfer stage of the parasite is the termed the cyst. Giardia forms cysts by extruding cellular food particles and other vacuoles and secreting a resistant cyst membrane around the cell. This highly resistant cyst is then passed from the host in the feces. Trophozoites may be passed but quickly die. Cysts that are passed into water can survive for an extended time, up to 1-2 months under proper conditions. Survival times on land are somewhat less. A new host becomes infected by drinking fecally contaminated water or eating the feces of an infected animal. While food-borne transmission is rare, it has been documented for humans. Dogs may become infected by drinking out of streams, lakes or ponds containing Giardia cysts. Other sources of infection are wild animals that visit the kennel area and deposit infected feces in an area accessible to the dog. Scats of other dogs or wild animals are potential sources of infection for domestic dogs. Giardia is potentially transmissible to humans so caution is warranted. Giardia can be difficult to detect even for professionals. It is too small to be seen by the unaided eye. A high quality microscope is needed for proper diagnosis; phase contrast microscopy is helpful. A definitive negative diagnosis should include stools collected on multiple days since cyst production tends to be cyclic with millions produced one day and few the following day. The cyst is the diagnostic stage of Giardia. Cysts tend to be approximately 9-15 micrometers in length and 4-5 um in width. Cysts are identified by size, the presence of four nuclei, axostyles and claw-hammer shaped median bodies. The current drug of choice is metronidazole, known by the trade name FLAGYL. Although highly effective it is a known carcinogen and mutagen in mice. Quinacrine (ATABRINE) can also be used but is not as effective. Treatment is usually one tablet per day for 7-10 days, depending on the weight of the dog. Recovery is usually uneventful but a dog may become reinfected after treatment. Thus, it is important to try to isolate and eliminate the source of infection. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Heartworms Heartworms Indications may not appear until a full year has passed since infection. Because of this, the disease is often mistaken for another problem. The most persistant sign is a soft, deep cough. After exercise, the cough may be so severe that that the dog faints. Weight loss, discharge of bloody sputum, listlessness, and weakness are also common (from Carlson & Giffin). The rest of the information on heartworms was adapted from a very informative post by Kristin Thommes who posted it March 5, 1994. THE HEARTWORM LIFECYCLE Start with an infected dog. This dog has adult heartworms living in its pulmonary arteries (they crawl into the heart after the dog dies). Female worms mate with male worms and produce microfilaria (first stage larva, L1, or a "baby" heartworm). The microfilaria enter the circulation of the dog. When this infected dog with circulating microfilaria is bitten by a mosquito, the mosquito will ingest 1 or 2 microfilariae. If the mosquito ingests more larvae than this, it will die! In the mosquito, the microfilariae (L1) will molt twice, to the L2 and then the L3 stage. At the L3 stage, the larvae migrate to the mosquito's mouthparts. Then when the mosquito bites a dog, the larvae are deposited ON the dog's skin and then crawl into the bite wound left by the feeding mosquito. If a mosquito with the L1 or L2 larval forms bites a dog, they will NOT be transmitting heartworms to the dog. Likewise, if the L1 forms are not removed from the dog's circulation by a biting mosquito, they will die off. The L1 stage does NOT "mature" into adult worms in the dog. So, the L3 larvae that crawl into a dog bitten by a mosquito will develop in the dog's subcutaneous tissues to L4 and finally L5 life stages. These then enter the venous system and enter the heart. They travel to the pulmonary arteries and become full-fledged adult worms, ready to reproduce. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF HEARTWORM TESTING: When a dog is tested for heartworms, a sample of blood is drawn. The blood cells are lysed and the remaining sample is examined microscopically for the presence of microfilariae. (This is the Knott's test or Filter test, depending on how it's done). So, if no microfilariae are seen, the dog is diagnosed as being heartworm negative and you can restart medication. Because of the development that the larvae must go through prior to becoming adult worms and reproducing, it takes, on average, 6 MONTHS from the time a healthy dog is bitten and infected until the dog has circulating microfilariae. This means that a heartworm test done less than 6 months since a dog was bitten and infected will be *negative.* Dogs that have been taking Heartgard present another problem in the detection of heartworms. Heartgard will cause adult female worms already present in the dog to become sterile, so the females will not produce any microfilaria. Heartgard will not kill any adult worms. The adult worms cause heart problems with dogs who have heartworms, NOT the microfilariae. It is the adult worms that we are really attempting to protect the dog from when we use preventative medication. So if a dog is on Heartgard and is tested for heartworms using the Knott's test, chances are the dog will test negative even if there are adult worms present. There is a different, more expensive test for dogs who may have sterile worms. It uses a blood sample to test for antigens produced by the adult heartworms. If the dog has heartworm antigen, it has a greater than 99% chance of having heartworms. This test should be used on any dogs that are on Heartgard since they will not have microfilariae in their bloodstream. Likewise, if there are only low numbers of circulating microfilariae, the Antigen test will give a positive result where the direct Knotts (Filter) test may be negative. Just like the standard Knotts test, the Antigen test will be negative if the dog was infected less than 6 months ago. It is therefore very important for those dogs on the monthly medication to be tested with the Antigen test rather than the Knotts! QUESTIONS Can another dog can get heartworm by coming in contact with an infected dog's blood? (transfusion, bite) No. If a dog was infected and had circulating microfilaria, and these microfilariae were transplanted into a healthy dog via a transfusion, the healthy dog would NOT get adult heartworms because the lifecycle could not be completed within the body of the dog. A mosquito is needed for development from the L1 to the L3 stage. Could a pregnant bitch with heartworms give them to her own puppies? No, for the same reason as above, you need the mosquito for the intermediate stages between microfilarae and adult worms. While the placental barrier will keep the microfilarae out, even if this barrier broke down (which can happen), the pups will not be infested. How do those medications work anyway? There are basically 2 types of medication available that will help to prevent adult heartworm formation in dogs that are negative. One type is the daily medication Diethlycarbamazine (DEC). It works by killing any larvae that have crawled into the dog from the mosquito within approximately the past 36 hours. DEC kills L3 larvae. Once they molt into L4's, DEC will not kill them and these larvae may develop into adult worms. PREVENTIVE MEDICATIONS The monthly medications are Heartgard and Interceptor. Heartgard is Ivermectin and Interceptor is Milbemycin Oxime. These medications work by killing any larvae that have entered the dog up to 45 days ago. They kill L3s, 4s, and 5s. These drugs are given monthly (30 days) for the convenience of giving on the same day each month and also to give you a safety margin. If you forget to give your dog his/her heartworm medication, you have about 15 days to remember to give it and the dog will still be protected. With the daily medication, forgetting for more than a day may result in your dog becoming infected. Most common ways that a dog will contract heartworms while on medication include not being given medication on a regular basis (e.g. completely missed dosages); traveling from a winter environment to a summer environment like Florida without giving the dog heartworm medication; not WEIGHING the dog while on the medication: the dog outgrows its dosage; and the dog vomiting or having severe diarrhea after being given its medication. What should you do if you forget your dog's medication? *IF* the dog is on daily medication, give the dog a monthly tablet within 45 days of the missed dose. Depending on what you feel comfortable with, you can then restart the dog on the daily medication, or continue giving the medication once a month. *IF* your dog is on monthly medication, give the medication anytime you remember, even if more than 45 days has passed. Giving heartgard to a dog with heartworms will not hurt the dog, and until 6 months has passed the dog will appear to be negative anyway. However, you should NEVER give daily medication to dogs who may have circulating microfilariae. The daily medication can cause an anaphylactic reaction if given to a dog with microfilariae present. Giving monthly medication will prevent the dog from acquiring a heavy worm load by being bitten by multiple infected mosquitoes. Just be certain to have the dog tested 6 months after the missed dose to be sure that the dog did not acquire heartworms. TREATMENT OF HEARTWORM DISEASE Treatment for heartworms is difficult on the dog and prevention is easy. If your dog tests positive for heartworms and you decide to treat it, here is what will happen: Your vet will want to take a blood sample to begin with to check the dog's liver function. The treatment that kills the adult worms uses a drug called Caparsalate. This drug is given twice a day for 2 days while the dog is in the hospital. The dog must be kept quiet (caged) for 4 weeks after the adult worms have been killed. It takes 7 to 17 days from the time of treatment for the adult worms to die. Within this time, dead worms will fragment and travel to the dog's lungs. If dead worms are numerous, some of the blood vessels to the lungs will become blocked, and this is inevitable. However, if the dog is kept quiet and only allowed to move around enough to go outside, the blockage of pulmonary vessels may remain subclinical. If the dog is allowed to run around, the heart rate increases and many dead worm fragments will travel to the lungs at the same time. This is what you want to avoid. About 4 weeks after Caparsalate has been given, the dog will be given a high dose of ivermectin to kill the remaining microfilaria that are circulating. Although this is a high dose of ivermectin, it is below the lowest dose known to cause mild, self-limiting toxic side effects in Collies. Obviously, after being treated, dogs should be kept on heartworm preventative! SUMMARY OF MEDICATION Heartworm preventives include * Interceptor + Prevents hookworm infestations as well as heartworms. + Safe for Collies. Monthly. * Ivermectin + Excellent control of hookworms and roundworms as well as heartworms. + Has caused seizures in higher doses to Collies. Monthly. * Filarbits Plus + Contraindicated if microfilariae are already present in blood. + Controls hook, round, and whip worms to some extent. Can be used in puppies 8 weeks or older. Daily. _________________________________________________________________ Canine Medical Information, Part I FAQ Cindy Tittle Moore, rpd-info@netcom.com @START@Medical Information - Part II - TOC CANINE MEDICAL INFORMATION, PART II Table of Contents * Prologue * Hip Dysplasia (HD, or C(anine)HD) + In general + Development + Breeding + Clinical symptoms + Environmental Influences + Diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia + Life for dogs with Hip Dysplasia + Treatment of Hip Dysplasia + Prevention of Hip Dysplasia * Infectious Canine Hepatitis * Kennel Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis) * Kidney Failure * Leptospirosis * Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) * Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD) * Panosteitis (puppy limp) * Patellar Subluxation * Poisons + Local Poison Control Centers + National Animal Poison Control Center + Foods + Poisonous houseplants + Poisonous outdoor plants + Poisonous household items + Poisonous animals * Rabies * Ringworm * Thyroid Disorders * Ununited Anconeal Process * von Willebrand's Disease _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Prologue Prologue Much of the information found in this article is summarized from Carlson & Giffin. I would like to thank them for their informative and accessible information. Any mistakes made in the summaries are my responsibility and not Carlson & Giffin's. I believe that I am within copyright laws by using summarizations (no direct quoting, except for the toxic plants section), my own organization of the material, and precise acknowledgement where relevant. -Cindy Tittle Moore An excellent resource that details all aspects of health issues for dogs, and one that every conscientious dog owner should have is: Carlson, Delbert G., DVM, and James M. Giffin, MD. Dog Owners's Home Veterinary Handbook (Revised and Expanded). Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing Company, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA (1992, 2nd ed). ISBN: 0-87605-537-4 (hardcover). This comprehensive book is a complete guide to health care of dogs. It lets you know when you can treat the dog, or when you need to take it to the vet post-haste. It lists symptoms so that you may inform your vet of relevant information about its condition. The arrangement of the material facilitates rapid reference. Illustration of key procedures (pilling, taking pulse/temperature, etc). Lists poisonous substances, including houseplants. A must have home veterinarian handbook. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Hip Dysplasia (HD, or C(anine)HD) Hip Dysplasia (HD, or C(anine)HD) An excellent source of information on hip dysplasia is: Hip Dysplasia A Guide for Dog Breeders and Owners 2nd Edition 1989 By E.A. Corley and G.G. Keller A single copy is available for a donation and multiple copies are $3.00 each at Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Inc, 2300 Nifong Blvd, Columbia, MO 65201, 314-442-0418. It is informative, and highly recommended. The work is copyrighted and permission to reproduce the work was not given since the costs of production are still being recouped, so only highlights from the monograph are presented here. I do encourage you to get your own copy. Another good source of information on Hip Dysplasia may be found in the chapter "Hip Dysplasia" in Genetics of the Dog by Malcolm B. Willis (Howell Book House). Information from this chapter is also presented below. An online presentation of Hip Displasia can be found at http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/project/www/ncsu/cvm/teach/cases/hd.html. IN GENERAL Hip dysplasia ("bad development") appears in people and many species of animals. In some breeds of dogs, it is the most common cause of osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. Extensive research on hip dysplasia suggests that CHD is a more complex disease than was first thought. There are no simple answers or solutions to the problem. The complexity of CHD results in research findings that appear to be contradictory. However, many aspects of the disease have been repeatedly and independently documented and are generally accepted by the scientific community. Three important ones are: * Canine hip dysplasia is caused by the presence of many genes (polygenic). While no environmental cause has been found, many environmental factors contribute to its expression in a particular dog (phenotype). * The only current means for reducing the occurrence of CHD is by selectively breeding for normal hips. * Radiography is the accepted means for evaluating the hip status. DEVELOPMENT Regardless of what the initiating factor or factors may be, abnormal looseness of the hip joint after 2 weeks of age seems to be the event most commonly reported to result in hip dysplasia. However, there are exceptions to this, and dogs with tight hips have developed hip dysplasia. The early changes are not easily detected. Severe cases may be diagnosed as early as 7 weeks of age; others may not show up in radiographs until over 2 years of age. This is why OFA only certifies dogs over two years of age. BREEDING Most inherited traits in animals are polygenic. These traits do not follow patterns based on dominant/recessive pairs because polygenic traits are affected by many genes. Only some puppies will have the same combination of genes for a trait as the parents. Some will have a more desirable combination while others will have a less desirable pattern. As the number of involved genes increase, the possible outcomes also increase. In addition, remember that it is also possible for different genes to have a different level of influence on the trait, complicating the outcomes considerably. Predictions of a specific outcome from a particular mating involving polygenic traits is currently impossible. In Corley and Keller's opinion, a dog with excellent hips but with more than 25% of its brothers and sisters affected with hip dysplasia is a poorer breeding prospect than a dog with fair hips and less than 25% of its brothers and sisters exhibiting dysplasia. CLINICAL SYMPTOMS (from Corley & Keller) "...[T]he signs [of hip dysplasia] vary from decreased exercise tolerance to severe crippling. They include: a reluctance or inability to go up or down stairs, difficulty in rising from a sitting or prone position, bunny-hopping gait when running, stiffness early in the morning that improves as the dog warms up, change in disposition due to pain, lameness after exercise, wobbly gait, a clicking sound when walking, and many others. Many dogs will shift their center of gravity forward in an effort to relieve weight and pressure on the hips. These dogs generally present a front end that appears well-developed relative to the rear end. "In dysplastic dogs, the hip joint is a weakened structure that is more subject to being injured by normal activity such as jumping off a couch, or rough housing with a playmate. Frequently, this results in an acute lameness that in the mind of the owner was caused by the injury, whereas the underlying dysplasia actually made the joint more susceptible to injury. Obviously, the normal hip can be injured, but the radiographic examination can usually distinguish between a hip problem due to dysplasia and one due to other causes. "CHD can not be diagnosed by observing how the dog moves, acts, lies down, etc. The clinical signs may be caused by other problems; therefore, a complete orthopedic and radiographic examination is required before arriving at the conclusion that the signs are caused by CHD." ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES Environmental factors such as type of food and exercise in puppyhood have been shown to affect the displayed symptoms within the same litter. However, subsequent generations from both groups showed the same rates of dysplasia meaning that while the phenotype may be affected, the genotype is what determines whether a dog has the potential for being affected with HD. In general, low protien diets and low activity levels through puppyhood reduced the symptoms of HD markedly. However, the degree of diet reduction and no activity may or may not be practical for the average dog-owner to attempt. (See Willis.) It's best to keep your puppy from any kind of jumping for the first year or so in life. It's also best to keep from sustained exercise until at least a year old. Sustained exercise includes: jogging with owner, pulling weights, mushing, running with owner on bike, etc. Even for dogs not at risk from HD, it's wise not to exercise too strongly too early as such exercise may interfere with proper growth of joints, leading to similar problems such as arthritis on the joint or OCD. DIAGNOSIS OF HIP DYSPLASIA Any diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia must be made via expert radiographic diagnosis. This involves taking xrays of the joint and typically sending the film to organizations that will evaluate, register, and certify the dog. Veterinarians will often "diagnose" the film themselves but if the question is critical its best to have them properly evaluated (unless, of course, your vet is experienced with radiographic evaluation -- not all are). You cannot, repeat, cannot make a reliable diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia on the basis of external symptoms such as lameness or gait. OFA The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is the most well known registry in the United States. It grades all joints, most commonly hips, as severe, moderate, fair, good, and excellent. It will certify all passing grades givent to dogs over 2 years of age. PennHip PennHip is a new evaluation technique that flexes the limbs differently to produce the xray pictures. There are only a handful of vets around the country that have been certified to take xrays using the PennHip method. Write to ?? for more information. Genetic Disease Control, UC Davis There is a program here for radiographic evaluation of dogs. Wind Morgan is the most well known of these programs, offered to Labrador Retrievers. There are similar programs for Rottweilers and a few other breeds. Wind Morgan will certify at one year of age or older and requires xrays of hips, elbows, and hocks. They will hold clinics around the country to help hold costs down. Genetic Disease Control is actually a larger effort to collect data on all kinds of genetic diseases, of which Hip Dysplasia is only one. They have registries and information on a wide array of diseases. All their registries are open, in an effort to make more information available to breeders in making informed choices about their breeding stock. For more information, write to GDC PO Box 222 Davis, CA 95617 916-756-6773 LIFE FOR DOGS WITH HIP DYSPLASIA First of all, be sure that your dog has been accurately diagnosed with HD. Many vets do not have the expertise in reading the x-rays, so you need to be sure that an experienced radiologist reads them. If you're not familiar with the competencies of the vets in your area, your best bet is to have the x-rays sent in to OFA for evaluation. You CANNOT definitively diagnose HD on the basis of external appearance or palpitation of the joint or anything like that. Many things can cause limping, some of which are correctible, so it pays to be certain you have the correct diagnosis. Diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia is not an automatic death sentence for your dog! Because it is a polygenetic trait, the variability of expression is actually quite wide. Some dogs may experience little or no discomfort and you may never know they have HD unless you test for it. Other dogs may experience more pain, but it may be easily controlled with proper exercise and judicious use of aspirin under the direction of a vet. Only a small percentage of cases are so crippled by HD that they must be put down. You should immediately neuter any dog that has HD. The only known means of eliminating this disease lie in well-managed breeding programs, so do your part by eliminating the possibility of your dog contributing to the overall problem. Discuss with your vet appropriate strategies for dealing with HD. In most cases, the general advice is to keep the dog from doing any kind of jumping or causing other sudden stress to the joints. However, as solid muscle buildup around the joint helps to ease the pressure on the joint, regular exercise is generally recommended, with swimming topping the list as gaining the most benefit with the least stress to the joints. TREATMENT OF HIP DYSPLASIA In many cases, simple restriction of exercise and perhaps aspirin as directed by the vet is all that the dog needs to remain comfortable. However, there are several options for the more severely affected dogs: Non-traditional treatments (not validated by controlled trials): * acupuncture * chiropractic * vitamin therapy (generally Vitamins C & E & selenium) * superoxide dismutase Medical therapy (aimed at reducing pain/inflammation from arthritic changes): * aspirin * bute * adequan therapy "Adequan is a polysulfated glycosaminoglycan which is used primarily for treatment of degenerative joint disease in horses. In fact, it is not actually approved in the U.S. for dogs. However, I have seen remarkable results in many of my older patients with chronic DJD. In theory, it stimulates increased production of joint fluid and the joint moves more freely and with less pain. It does not always work, but when it does, it is usually dramatic." -Ralph M. Askren, DVM Surgical intervention * Triple pelvic osteotomy Surgical procedure of choice in younger dogs without arthritic changes-- the pelvis is cut in three places and repositioned so that there is a better fit between hip socket & femoral head--can't be done once arthritis is present * "Hip removal" surgery Sometimes the head of the femur can be simply removed and the muscles around the site compensate for the missing joints [more typically done in smaller dogs]. The dog is pain free afterwards and learns to walk again, but running and jumping are not done normally again. * Hip replacement surgery Traditional treatment removes the dog's existing hips and cements artificial hips into place. * Uncemented hip prosthesis (subcategory of hip replacement surgery) Dr. David J. DeYoung of NCSU, professor of orthopedic surgery in the College of Veterinary Medicine, helped develop the prosthesis based on a human version that is held in place without cement. The prosthesis features a beaded surface into which bone and fibrous tissue can grow and secure the components. More than 100 of the new prostheses have been implanted in dogs over a five-year period without loosening or infection, two of the main concerns with cemented total hip replacements, * BOP shelf arthroplasty (don't remember anything about this one other than it is experimental) When the dog's pain cannot be controlled or alleviated * Euthanasia PREVENTION OF HIP DYSPLASIA There is no known method of preventing hip dysplasia except for a thoughtful and carefully executed breeding program with regular radiographic analysis of all stock before breeding. It is possible to reduce symptoms entirely to the point where the dog will radiograph much less severely [1], however followup studies show that these dog's offspring have the same risk for HD as they would have whether the parents had been so treated [2]. The implication is that it is unethical to use as breeding stock dogs that were treated to prevent their symptoms from disappearing. On the other hand, pet owners with no intention of breeding their dogs might consider reading [1]. [1] Kealy, et al. "Effects of limited food consumption on the incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs." JAVMA, v201, n6 Sept 15 1992. [2] Willis, Malcom, Genetics of the Dog. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Infectious Canine Hepatitis Infectious Canine Hepatitis (summarized From Carlson & Giffin) This disease should NOT be confused with human hepatitis. This is a highly contagious disease transmissible only to dogs. It affects the liver, kidneys and lining of the blood vessels. It can sometimes be hard to distinguish from distemper as there are a variety of signs and symptoms that range from mild to fatal. Exposed dogs rapidly become contagious and remain contagious throughout convalescence. Fatal form: the dog becomes ill, develops bloody diarrhea, collapses and dies. Puppies may die without symptoms. Acute form: High fever, bloody diarrhea, possibly bloody vomit. Refusal to eat and painful movements. The dog can become light-sensitive. Mild form: Lethargy, possible loss of appetite. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Kennel Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis) Kennel Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis) This is characterized by a harsh, convulsive cough. It is persistent, contagious, and often develops into secondary complications, such as chronic bronchitis. This disease can eventually be fatal. If your dog is exposed to many other dogs, or will be boarded at a kennel, it should be vaccinated against this. It is so-called, because it spreads rapidly under "kennel" conditions -- many dogs kept relatively close together. "Kennel Cough" is a generic name for a set of symptoms caused by a number of organisms. These include parainfluenza as well as bordatella, as well as many others. Dogs vaccinated with the bordatella vaccine can still get "kennel cough" because of all the bugs involved, but it tends to be much less severe. Bordatella vaccine is squirted into each nostril of the dog and should be repeated semi-annually. Parainfluenza vaccine should be a normal part of your dog's regular shots. The vaccination is not effective for the first 24 hours, so if you are getting your dog vaccinated because you will be boarding it, get it done at least several days in advance! _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Kidney Failure Kidney Failure Acute kidney failure, or kidney failure, is sudden and extreme and requires urgent care. Usually the dog recovers completely if it survives at all. Chronic kidney failure, or kidney disease, is common in old dogs. The kidneys slowly wear out over a long time. It can be diagnosed by a blood test or urinalysis. Early signs include drinking and urinating more, since the kidneys need extra water, and foamy urine is sometimes seen. Treatment is mostly dietary. They need a very low protein diet that is also low in certain minerals. The kidneys are stressed by too much protein and will wear out more slowly on a low protein diet. Dogs with sick kidneys should be given all the water they will drink. The best known kidney diet is Hills K/D, but there is also Hi-Tor Neodiet, Neura Kidney Diet, and others. Some "senior dog food" is low in protein as well, but not as low as the kidney foods. If you have any reason to suspect it, have the dog checked by a vet. Many old-dog kidney cases live happily for years with no special care other than the food. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Leptospirosis Leptospirosis (summarized From Carlson & Giffin) In most cases the disease is mild. Primary symptoms are fever, listlessness, loss of appetite and depression. Other symptoms involve the kidneys: a "hunched up" look due to kidney pain, ulcers on the mucus membranes of the mouth and tongue, thick brown coating on the tongue, bleeding from the mouth or bloody stools, severe thirst with increased urination. The whites of the eyes may turn yellow. Persistent vomiting and diarrhea are common. This disease is more prevalent in some areas than others. Many dogs seem to be allergic to the leptospirosis vaccination. If your dog is vaccination against lepto for the first time, keep a close eye on it for a few hours afterwards. If the dog goes into anaphylitic shock, get him back to the vet immediately. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Summarized from a set of articles posted by Jim Jaskie, jim_jaskie@tempeqm.sps.mot.com EXCESSIVE LICKING: Retrievers that lick their paws excessively, horses that "stump suck", Dobermans that "flank suck" share the same disorder. The disorder is generally mild and most people never notice it, but sometimes it can go too far and become a hindrance to normal functioning. Dr. Judith Rapaport (head of the Child Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health and author of "The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing") explored this area thoroughly, because of similarities with a human malady called "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)." This is a disorder that induces unusual behavior such as an irresistible desire to wash your hands, over and over, even when they are not dirty. The experiments at NIMH showed that this behavior is caused by a lack of Seratonin. This lack can be caused by a genetic predisposition and also by stress. Proper medication was shown to relieve similar problems in dogs, horses and people! Some of the reported results were on Labradors that literally licked the hair off of their paws, dropping the habit completely after medication. This research is also a landmark in the understanding of the effect of some of the neural transmitters and has led to a whole new family of some wonderful new medicines. This work has already saved dogs, horses and people from one of nature's less pleasant maladies, and promises to shed light on other problems such as epilepsy. The medication that Dr. Judith Rapoport found to work for dogs with acralick dermatitis as well as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is Clomipramine (brand name is Anafranil). However, Fluoxetine (brand name is Prozac) is now being used very successfully for OCD and has fewer side effects. You should discuss this with your vet, who will be able to prescribe these medications for your dog if it has OCD. Some old-ish but very informative articles that describe this problem are "Chemistry of Compulsion" by Robert Trotter in the June 1990 issue of Discover magazine and the very thorough but easy to read article, "The Biology of Obsessions and Compulsions" by Dr. Rapoport in the March 1989 issue of Scientific American. Only the first article specifically mentions Rapoport's work with dogs, but if you want to understand what is really going on, read both articles. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD) Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD) Osteochondrosis dissecans affects dogs of the large rapidly growing breeds between the ages of four and twelve months. It usually is found in the shoulder joints, but rarely it can affect the hocks or stifles. It is due to a defect in the cartilage overlying the head of one of the long bones. A puppy who jumps down stairs might sustain such an injury. The tendency for cartilage to be easily damaged may be hereditary. Repeated stress to the joint perpetrates the condition. The signs are gradual lameness in a young dog of one of the larger breeds. Pain is present on flexing the joint. X-rays may show fragmentation of the joint cartilage, or a loose piece of cartilage in the joint. Treatment: The condition can be treated by confinement, or by surgical removal of the damaged cartilage. Pain pills are not recommended, as they are in most traumatic joint conditions, because they encourage the dog to exercise which only further damages the joint. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Panosteitis (puppy limp) Panosteitis (puppy limp) Also called pano, this is an inflammation of the membrane covering the bone and is relatively common. Rest, quiet, and sometimes a vet-approved painkiller are generally recommended for the puppy. Some vets recommend a reduced protien (usually an adult mixture) diet. This can strike anytime between 6-18 months of age and rarely lasts past two years of age. If the limping goes from leg to leg (i.e., one day the dog limps on the right rear leg and the next it limps on the left front), it is very likely pano. Pano can also be diagnosed via x-rays. Fortunately, lasting effects are uncommon, and most puppies outgrow it. It is not known what causes pano, the belief is that there is either a hereditary link, perhaps just a predisposition toward, causing pano. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Patellar Subluxation Patellar Subluxation Thanks to Edwin Barkdoll for this summary, and to Jeff Parke for comments: There are many types and degrees of patellar luxation. The patella (kneecap) can luxate (dislocate) medially (towards the body midline) or laterally (away from the midline) and can be traumatic or congenital in origin. Small or toy breeds are much more likely to have this problem than larger breeds and they tend towards medial luxations; larger breeds tend to have lateral luxations if they develop this problem. A system has been devised for grading patellar luxations: Type I - luxation seen only with leg in extension and when pressure is applied to the patella directly say during a physical exam by the vet, luxation resolves spontaneously when pressure is removed. Type II - patella is usually in normal position, but luxates with pressure or during flexion of the limb. The patella does not spontaneously return to normal but can be returned to normal manually or by the dog itself. Type III - patella is luxated most of the time but can be temporarily returned to normal position manually. Type IV - patella is always luxated and cannot be returned to normal position manually. Surgical correction is not usually considered necessary unless the dog shows symptoms - pain, gait abnormalities - but you should talk with your vet about your options and get a second opinion if necessary. Regarding surgical success, apparently about 50% of surgically treated cases demonstrate recurrent patellar luxation after 1-7 years although the severity of the patellar luxation at followup was reduced and about 90% (!) showed no signs of lameness. For the curious, the (incomplete) reference for these data is Willauer and Vasseur (1987) in Veterinary Surgery. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Poisons Poisons If you need to induce vomiting, first make sure that it's appropriate to do so. Don't induce vomiting * more than two hours after ingesting problematic substance * when the substance is an acid, alkali, solvent, or petroleum product, as it will do as much damage on the way up as it did the way down * when dog is comatose or very depressed To induce vomiting: * 1 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide per 30lbs body weight; give once, repeat after ten minutes; don't administer more than three times; some dogs will drool and look miserable before vomiting * 1 teaspoon syrup of Ipecac per 10lbs body weight; works quickly * 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt placed far back on the tongue or dissolved in 1 oz water; do not repeat dosage; dry mustard powder (s ame instructions) may be substituted LOCAL POISON CONTROL CENTERS Check the emergency room of the local hospital and ask for the number of the local Poison Control Center. You should have this number up on the refrigerator alongside the vet's number and the emergency care number. NATIONAL ANIMAL POISON CONTROL CENTER The National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) provides a 24-hour emergency hotline that every dog owner should keep in plain sight. The hotline numbers are (800)548-2423 and (900)680-0000. The 800 number requires a credit card number and charges a flat $30; the 900 number is $2.95 per minute for a maximum of $30. The NAPCC is a non-profit service of the University of Illinois and is the first animal-oriented poison center in the United States. Since 1978, it has provided advice to animal owners and conferred with veterinarians about poisoning exposures. The NAPCC's phones are answered by licensed veterinarians and board-certified veterinary toxicologists. They have specialized information that lets the experienced NAPCC staff make specific recommendations for your animals; plus over 250,000 records are in their database. When you call, be ready to provide: * Your name, address, and phone number; * If calling the 800 number, your credit card number; * The species, breed, age, sex, weight, and number of animals involved; * The poison your animals have been exposed to, if known; * Information concerning the poisoning (the amount of poison, the time since exposure, etc.); and * The problems your animals are experiencing. Household products and plants are the most common culprits in poisoning cases. In the case of poisoning from household products, many companies cover the costs the pet owners incur when it has been determined that their product is responsible for the reaction. For further information, write to: The American Humane Association, 63 Inverness Drive East, Englewood, CO 80112-5117, or call (303) 792-9900. FOODS Chocolate, tea, coffee, cola: It is not chocolate itself that is poisonous to dogs, it is the theobromine, a naturally occuring compound found in chocolate. Theobromine causes different reactions to different dogs: dogs with health problems, especially epilepsy, are more affected by theobromine than healthy dogs. Theobromine can trigger epileptic seizures in dogs prone to or at risk of epilepsy. The size of the dog will also be a major factor: the smaller the dog, the more affected it is by the same amount than a larger dog. Therefore, toxicity is described on a mg/Kg basis. Furthermore, theobromine can cause cardiac irregularity, especially if the dog becomes excited. Cardiac arythmia can precipitate a myocardial infarct which can kill the dog. Theobromine also irritates the GI tract and in some dogs can cause internal bleeding which in some cases kills them a day or so later. Theobromine is also present in differing amounts in different kinds of chocolate. milk chocolate has 44-66 mg/oz, dark chocolate 450 mg/oz and baking/bitter chocolate or cocoa powder varies as much as 150-600 mg/oz. How much chocolate a dog can survive depends on its weight (and other unknown circumstances). Under 200 mg theobromine per kg body weight no deaths have been observed. Theobromine will stay in the bloodstream between 14 and 20 hours. It goes back into the bloodstream through the stomach lining and takes a long time for the body to filter out. Because theobromine is eliminated through the liver rather than through the kidneys, it takes a long time to eliminate it. Within two hours of ingestion, try inducing vomiting unless your dog is markedly stimulated, comatose, or has lost the gag reflex. If your dog has eaten a considerable amount of chocolate, or displays any of the above symptoms, take it to the vet without delay. In the absence of major symptoms, administer activated charcoal. The unabsorbed theobromine will chemically bond to this and be eliminated in the feces. In pinch, burnt (as in thoroughly burnt, crumbling in hand) toast will do. Nuts: Walnuts are poisonous to dogs and should be avoided. Many nuts are not good for dogs in general, their high phosporous content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones. Misc: Onions, especially raw onions, have been shown to trigger hemolytic anemia in dogs. Potato poisonings among people and dogs have occurred. Solanum alkaloids can be found in in green sprouts and green potato skins, which occurs when the tubers are exposed to sunlight during growth or after harvest. The relatively rare occurrence of actual poisoning is due to several factors: solanine is poorly absorbed; it is mostly hydrolyzed into less toxic solanidinel; and the metabolites are quickly eliminated. Note that cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for dogs, actually quite nutritious and digestible. Turkey skin is currently thought to cause acute pancreatis in dogs. POISONOUS HOUSEPLANTS In assessing the risk to your dog from these plants, you need to consider both the age of your dog and it's propensity to chew on plants. Many of the below toxic plants rarely cause problems because most dogs don't chew them -- the exceptions being, of course, young puppies who are inclined to explore the world with their mouths, teething dogs who may chew on everything, and older dogs that are simply fond of chewing. Oleander, for example, is rather toxic, but most cases of poisoning involve 1) cattle, other grazing livestock 2) puppies and 3) human babies/toddlers. Dumb cane is probably the one plant that should always be kept out of reach, since it takes only one nibble to have a potentially fatal situation. (from Carlson & Giffin.) * That give rash after contact with the skin or mouth: (mums might produce dermatitis) chrysanthemum poinsettia creeping fig weeping fig spider mum pot mum * Irritating (toxic oxalates), especially the mouth gets swollen; tongue pain; sore lips; some swell so quickly a tracheotomy is needed before asphyxiation: arrowhead vine majesty boston ivy neththytis ivy colodium pathos emerald duke red princess heart leaf (philodendron) split leaf (phil.) saddle leaf (phil.) marble queen * Toxic plants - may contain wide variety of poisons. Most cause vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps. Some cause tremors, heart and respiratory and/or kidney problems, which are difficult for owner to interpret: amaryllis elephant ears pot mum asparagus fern glocal ivy ripple ivy azalea heart ivy spider mum bird of paradise ivy sprangeri fern creeping charlie jerusalem cherry umbrella plant crown of thorns needlepoint ivy POISONOUS OUTDOOR PLANTS (from Carlson & Giffin.) * Produce vomiting and diarrhea in some cases: delphinium poke weed indian tobacco daffodil bittersweet woody wisteria castor bean ground cherry soap berry indian turnip fox glove skunk cabbage larkspur * May produce vomiting, abdominal pain, and in some cases diarrhea horse chestnut buckeye western yew apricot, almond rain tree monkey pod english holly peach, cherry privet wild cherry mock orange japanese plum american yew bird of paradise balsam pear english yew black locust * Varied toxic effect rhubarb buttercup moonseed spinach nightshade may apple sunburned potatoes poison hemolock dutchman's breeches tomato vine jimson weed mescal bean loco weed pig weed angel's trumpet lupine water hemlock jasmine dologeton mushrooms matrimony vine dumb cane * Hallucinogens marijuana periwinkle morning glory peyote nutmeg loco weed * Convulsions china berry nux vomica coriaria water hemlock moon weed POISONOUS HOUSEHOLD ITEMS Acetaminophen Laxatives AntiFreeze Lead Aspirin Lye Bleach Matches Boric Acid Metal Polish Brake Fluid Mineral Spirits Carbon Monoxide Mothballs Carbuerator Cleaner Nail Polish and Remover Christmas Tinsel Paint & Remover Cleaning Fluid Perm Solutions Deoderants/Deoderizers Phenol Detergents Photo Developer Disinfectants Rat Poison Drain Cleaner Rubbing Alcohol Dye Shoe Polish Fungicides Sleeping Pills Furniture Polish Soaps Gasoline Suntan Lotions Hair Colorings Tar Herbicides Turpentine Insecticides Windshield Fluid Kerosene Woodstains POISONOUS ANIMALS Bufo toads. Found in various areas, especially in south Florida. Very poisonous -- it can kill a small dog in a matter of minutes. It burns the mucous membrane of the mouth (gums) which is why they drool and foam, and that's also how it enters the bloodstream. It kills by elevating the heart rate and blood pressure to deadly levels, similar to the effects of chocolate. There is an antidote and the effects can be lessened if you immediately flush the dog's mouth with water before taking it to the vet. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Rabies Rabies From information supplied by Margaret F. Riley: Rabies is transmitted by body fluids--urine, saliva, or blood. An animal that has rolled in a rabid carcass or has fought with a rabid animal and has gotten saliva on its fur can still carry rabies home to you and your family. Friends of mine are now being treated for exposure to rabies after playing with the raccoon kits adopted by another family. Only the dog is safe. Ironic, no? For rabies to infect you, it must come in contact with the skin or be ingested. Dogs and cats can ingest it by getting the saliva or blood of a rabid animal in their mouths where it will be absorbed through the mucous membranes. Humans are particularly at risk since we have so many minute cuts in our skin, that if we touch our dog or cat after he/she has met a rabid animal, we can become infected. Dog safe, family rabid. Rabies cannot be detected by a blood test since it invades the neural system. The only detection at this time is by examining the brain after death for signs of the infection. The incubation time is 3-6 months, which is why the standard quarantine for animals in some countries is 6 months. Call the local health inspector, animal control officer, or police if your dog or cat has tangled with another animal that you suspect might be rabid. Dogs and cats which have been vaccinated against rabies should wear a tag at all times when not in the house to prevent being destroyed to check for rabies. It is much more serious than a bite, it is the transmission of body fluids which moves the virus around. Additional information from kxd110@psuvm.psu.edu: This debate on the transmission of rabies is beginning to sound like the debate that has been raging about AIDS. What I learned in my veterinary science courses and my animal management courses is as follows: * Rabies is transmitted through bite wounds, especially the puncture wounds , as it needs a damp place for the virus to live and "incubate". I have never heard it mentioned that the rabies virus can pass through mucous membranes and skin, unless this is a new development (or a new fear, like AIDS in the air). * The virus travels along the nerves until it reaches the brain and kills the animal. This is why the brain is needed for the test and the test can only be performed if the animal has been killed. This is also why the incubation period for the virus varies. The virus is also very sensitive and requires very specific conditions to survive. * Most veterinarians will recommend another booster as soon as possible if the dog has been bit or is suspected to have been bit. The sooner the better to help protect against the virus before it has time to spread. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Ringworm Ringworm (prepared by Edwin Barkdoll) Despite the name, ringworm is caused by a fungus Microsporum canis and less frequently by other species. Ringworm infections remain limited to skin and superficial structures like hair and less frequently nails in cats and dogs. The infecting fungi require the keratin in superficial skin layers and nails, horns etc for their metabolism and furthermore do not grow well at the warmer temperatures of subcutaneous tissues, hence the superficial distribution. Note that ringoworm agents are obligate parasites - they normally live on the skin, although not in pathogenic numbers. It can be transmitted between animals by skin abrasion or mild trauma, grooming tools, scabs etc particularly if the animal's immune system has been compromised, e.g. with steroids. In a normal, healthy animal ringworm infections are usually mild and self limiting, say 1-2 months. A major motivation for getting rid of a ringworm infection is to prevent you the owner from getting it. If it is a mild infection topical application of lime sulfur is supposed to be good, although it can be smelly. Chlorhexidine shampoo is also effective as is also a relatively new 2% miconazole shampoo ($$$). If the infection is severe, oral griseofulvin is effective but also $$$. The round, ring-like lesions are suggestive but _not_ diagnostic and are not even the typical lestion in cats and dogs. The animal may have itchy, scaly, crusty and hairless areas. Fungal culture is probably the best diagnostic method but many vets are not set up to culture fungi. A Wood's lamp can be used but not all ringworm agents will fluouresce so absence of fluourescence does not mean no ringworm, furthermore other things besides ringworm also fluoresce. In other words Wood's lamp is not a great test. Microscopic examination of skin scrapings may reveal the actual organism. Finally, if you think your dog/cat has ringworm take it to the vet for diagnosis and treatment. If it does have ringworm, you can get it, but prevention is straightforward - treat your animal. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Thyroid Disorders Thyroid Disorders Common symptoms are: * seeking warm places to curl up * lessened activity * slow coat growth, brittle fur * ring around the neck where fur won't grow, or loss of hair in trunk * loss of appetite/excessive appetite * dry, thickened skin * prone to skin infections * infertility Dogs are often middle-aged or older, although this also occurs in younger dogs. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, hypothyroidism is common in all breeds and all sexes, although the incidence is highest in spayed females. Treatment involves daily thyroid pills, a permanent regimen. In the March '92 issue of Dog World is an excellent article, "Autoimmune thyroid disease" by Dr. Jean Dodds DVM (a nationally recognized expert on the subject) explains a lot about thyroid conditions in dogs. She also goes to great effort to explain that dogs can be hypothyroid without showing the "classic" signs. She also explains typical course of treatment and followups. There's also a long list of breeds that are "predisposed" to problems. [As a counterweight, note that many vets do not take Dr. Dodds seriously because she does not publish in respected journals such as JAVMA but rather in "popular" magazines. So always discuss fully and candidly with your vet and bear in mind that many otherwise "asymptomatic" dogs are diagnosed with low or abnormal thyroid levels. This article is not attempting to argue one way or another over Dr. Dodds' credentials, it's merely trying to be as informative as possible.] More subtle signs: * overweight despite controlled diets * thin coats (not hair loss) * smelling bad * chronic ear infections * seizures. * sudden changes in temperament The article by Dr. Dodds points out that the "subtle" signs are just now being recognized by the veterinary community. There is another article about thyroid problems in the Sept or Oct ('91) Dog World, and again, pointing out more unusual signs in the Sept. '92 issue of Dog World. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Ununited Anconeal Process Ununited Anconeal Process Ununited anconeal process has been knonwn for quite a while in in the German Shepherd Dog, but can also occur in other breeds (Dobermans and, increasingly, Golden Retrievers) It is really only one part of a constellation of problems collectively referred to as elbow dysplasia. One of the other things that can occur alone or with UAP is OCD (Osteochondrosis Dissecans) of the elbow. This is a serious condition because it usually results in arthritis and efforts need to be made to be sure that the dog has enough exercise to keep fit, but not so much or of the wrong kind that would make the arthritis more severe. The condition should be handled surgically by an experienced orthopedic specialist. It is thought to be genetic, and OFA now certifies dogs based on X-rays in the belief that its incidence will be reduced this way. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - von Willebrand's Disease von Willebrand's Disease Contributed by Gary Mason Von Willebrand's disease (vWD) is an inherited bleeding disorder. It is a complex and difficult disorder to deal with, because genetics, diagnostic abnormalities, pathogenic mechanisms, and sometimes conflicting clinical signs are all involved. The commonality between all vWD is a reduction in the amount or function of von Willebrand factor (vWF), which is manifested through abnormal platelet function and prolonged bleeding time. Different breeds exhibit different variations of the disease, and some individual animals appear to "acquire" vWD. While the bulk of the information available is based upon purebred dogs, the disease is not unknown in mixed breeds. The total number of breeds affected by vWF exceeds 50. The disease also appears in cats, pigs, horses, and humans. Human variants of vWD are broken into three main types which can be used to describe canine vWD. Type I vWD is characterized by a low concentration of normally structured protein. In screening studies done at Cornell over a period of years (1982-1992), percentages of dogs of some breeds tested as carrying the disease, and with concentrations of vWF less than 50% of standard (considered to be at risk) were: Breed Total # Tested Average % Affected (through 1/93) 1982-87 1988-92 ----- -------------- ------------------ Corgi 3726 29 42 Poodle (std & min) 4048 17 29 Scottie 6505 14 30 Golden Retriever 6906 14 27 Doberman 22255 64 74 Sheltie 9393 22 34 Akita * 981 0 27 Cairn ** 411 0 23 * Totals for years 1989-1992. ** Totals for years 1990-1992. All others for years 1988-1992. Other breeds with a known prevalence of vWD in excess of 15% include Basset Hounds, Dachshunds (mini & std), German Wirehaired Pointers, German Shepherds, Keeshonds, Manchester Terriers (std & toy), Miniature Schnauzers, and Rottweilers. Type II vWD is characterized by a low concentration of an abnormal vWF. Breeds in which severe type II-like vWD has been diagnosed include American Cocker Spaniels, German Shorthaired Pointers, and German Wirehaired Pointers. Type III vWD is essentially the complete absence of vWF. Severe type III vWD has been diagnosed in Australian Cattle Dogs, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Fox Terriers (toy), German Shepherds, Scottish Terriers, and Shetland Sheepdogs. In vWD dogs, bleeding can be spontaneous - usually from the mucosa of the mouth, nose, or gastro-intestinal tract. Injury that is accompanied by bleeding may continue unabated until a transfusion is administered. Whether or not bleeding from small wounds will stop without treatment is not predictable. Living with one of these affected animals can get quite interesting. You must be careful with him in the house; by always having him on a leash or within our sight in a portable pen when outside; and by having a unit of frozen plasma at the veterinarian's at all times. Obviously, elective surgery is not advised. Required surgery can be preceded by transfusion with good results, though you can never be certain. Lastly, most of these diseases can be stopped by testing before breeding, and through selective breeding. Unfortunately, experience and hearsay indicate that the AKC is not active in the enforcement of these preventive measures. Apparently the breeders, at least some of them, are not either. You should insist that the parents of a litter in a high risk breed have been checked prior to breeding -- and that the puppies have likewise been tested. Test kits and instructions for vWD are available from: Comparative Hematology Section - Diagnostic Laboratory College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University P. O. Box 5786 Ithaca, NY 14852-5786 607/253-3900 Voice 607/253-3943 FAX These folks are very concerned and cooperative. I have exchanged several Emails and phone calls with them. They are interested in the dog's history, and are happy to hear anecdotal information - it is just one more piece to the puzzle. They also maintain a (large) kennel for affected dogs, so that might be an alternative if you can't keep one, but don't want to put it down. NOTE: Most of the information above has been gleaned from data and information developed at, and published by, the New York State Department of Health Hematology Laboratory. _________________________________________________________________ Canine Medical Information, Part II FAQ Cindy Tittle Moore, rpd-info@netcom.com @START@Behavior: Understanding and Modifying - TOC BEHAVIOR: UNDERSTANDING AND MODIFYING _________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents * Prologue * Top Ten Canine Myths * Principles Behind Dominance * Aggression with Other Dogs * Housetraining Problems * Submissive Urination * Other Common Problems + Chewing + Biting + Fear Biting + Barking + Digging + Getting in the Garbage + Jumping + Car Chasing + Tug of War + People Food _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Prologue Prologue First, you should understand that there are two components to "training" and they are frequently mixed. There is the kind of training that solves behavioral problems. There is also the kind of training that creates a command-response pattern. It is perfectly possible to have a dog that heels, sits, and stays perfectly and digs out all your marigolds. Conversely, you may have a dog that does not destroy things in your house nor jump up on people, but does not sit or heel. For purposes of clarity, I consider the former type of training as "behavior modification" and the latter type as "obedience training." While this article discusses behavior modification and tries to help you understand what the sources of trouble between you and your dog may be, I want to stress that there is absolutely no replacement for a trainer or animal behaviorist you know and trust to help you and your dog. Having someone to ask questions and show you what works with your dog is like having the picture as opposed to the words -- a thousand times better. Nevertheless, this article will hopefully help with some common problems. That said, some good books that are aimed at helping solve problems between dogs and owners are: Dunbar, Ian and Gwen Bohnenkamp, Behavior Booklets. Recommended especially for the first time dog owner. He has a booklet on every common problem, such as: biting, fearfullness, housebreaking, chewing, digging, barking etc. and has a really simple, common sense, all bases covered sort of approach which doesn't leave you asking, "But what do I do if the dogs performs (such and such) variation?" which is *really* important for people who don't have experience to fall back on. They can be had from: Center for Applied Animal Behaviour #2406 2140 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley, CA 94704 Evans, Job Michael. (1991). People, Pooches, & Problems. NY: Howell Book House. ISBN 0-87605-783-0 (hardcover). $19.95. Excellent suggestions for dealing with common problems between dogs and their owners. Highly recommended. [Evans is a former New Skete monk.] Milani, Myrna M., DVM. The Weekend Dog. Signet (Penguin Books USA, Inc.) (1985). ISBN: 0-451-15731-1 (paperback). This book outlines practical solutions for working people with dogs. It has excellent suggestions for understanding dog behavior, particularly destructive or unwanted behavior. Gives all kinds of practical solutions to the problems of adequate exercise, adequate training, housebreaking, and so forth. Monks of New Skete, The. How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend. Little, Brown & Company. 1978. ISBN: 0-316-60491-7 (hardback). A monastery in upstate New York breeds, raises, and trains German Shepherd Dogs. On the basis of their considerable experience, they offer troubleshooting guides, discuss discipline, environmental restrictions, basic and puppy training, and much more. Extensive bibliography. The emphasis is on understanding the dog in order to communicate with it or to solve problem behavior. An excellent, well written classic. Pryor, Karen. Don't Shoot the Dog!. Introduction to inducive training. Lots of food for thought Tucker, Michael. Solving your Dog Problems. J.M. Dent Pty Ltd, Australia. ISBN: 0-8677-0053-X. It is really funny, and it really makes you think about the messages that you give your dog. Recommended for anyone who instructs in obedience or who is trying to train their dog to be obedient, or just easier to live with. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Top Ten Canine Myths Top Ten Canine Myths Hey, Rover would rather be outside all day than cooped up inside! False. Dogs are strongly pack-oriented animals. They prefer best to be with their pack whenever possible. If you are inside, they will want to be inside with you. If you are outside, again, they will want to be with you. If you are at work, while they would still like to be with you, this is not usually possible. In this case, does it matter whether the dog is kept inside or outside? It turns out that many dogs behave well when kept inside; bark, dig, and whine while kept out in the yard. Why is this? Your home is the "den." Dogs prefer to be closer to the center of the den -- the place where the pack's smells are most acute. While some dogs are happy to stay outdoors during the day while the rest of the pack is gone to work, a great many dogs develop behavioral problems as a result of daily "expulsion" from the den. In addition, a dog with access to a large territory may feel compelled to "defend" all of it, resulting in other types of problems: frantic barking at "intruders," and so on. Restricting the amount of territory it has to protect may reduce this type of behavior. A good compromise for many dogs is access both to a restricted part of the house and a restricted part of the yard. The inside-outside access keeps him from feeling ejected from the "den" without having too much territory to defend. A dog that can't be trusted inside and is destructive outside will probably benefit the most from being crated during the day. With most dogs, if you crate them through puppyhood (which also helps with housebreaking), by the time they are mostly adult (from 8 months to 24 months of age depending on the breed) you can start weaning them off the crate. Because they are used to spending the time in the crate quietly, they will form the habit of spending that same time quietly whether in the crate or not as adults. Well, OK, but it's different in the country, isn't it? It is an absolute myth that living in the country confers greater latitude in the dictum "thou shall keep thy dog constrained to the immediate environs of the pack." Country dogs allowed to run free get shot by hunters or farmers protecting their livestock. They get into fights with other dogs over territory. They can kill livestock, fight and tassle and get disease from wild animals, and be hit by cars on the highway. They become increasingly aggressive as they vye for larger and larger perimeter boundaries to their territory, and they no longer relate to YOU as the leader of their pack. Also, don't forget that intact animals will breed and add to the overpopulation problem. This same misconception leads people to dump unwanted dogs "in the countryside." Most such dogs die a painful death, either by slow starvation, injuries from being hit by a car or in a fight with another animal, or they are shot by farmers protecting their livestock. The countryside is not some sort of romantic haven for stray dogs. When dogs are mad at people, they do all kinds of spiteful things. First remember that "undesireable behavior" is in the eye of the beholder. To the dog, it's perfectly alright to dig, to bark, to chase after other dogs, etc. This doesn't mean you can't control these behaviors, of course, but it does mean that the dog isn't doing them "to spite you." The dog hasn't a clue that it's not to do these things unless you train it not to. And it has to understand what you want from it! When dogs start undesirable (to humans) behavior, its best to try to understand the source of this behavior. Often it stems from the frustration of being left alone. Dogs are very social animals. One positive solution is to make sure your dog is properly exercised. Exercise is a wonderful cure to many behavioral problems and dogs just love it. Do check with your vet for the proper amount of exercise for both the age and breed of any dog. Another solution is obedience training. The point is, your dog needs your attention, whether it is by taking it out on a walk, training it, or both. Ah, but my dog always looks GUILTY after he's done something like this! No. He's reacting to your body language and emotions. When you come in and see the toilet paper all over the floor, you get mad. The dog can tell that you are upset and the only thing he knows how to do is to try and placate you, as the alpha. So they try and get you out of your bad mood by crouching, crawling, rolling over on their backs, or avoiding eye contact. You interpret the dog as acting "guilty" when in fact the dog hasn't the faintest idea of what is wrong and is simply hoping you will return to a better mood. The important thing to remember is that if your dog finds that it cannot consistently predict your anger or the reasons for it, it will begin to distrust you -- just as you would someone who unpredictably flew into rages. This is why it's so important to catch dogs "in the act." That way you can communicate clearly just what it is they shouldn't do. Screaming and yelling at the dog, or punishing it well after the fact does not tell your dog what is wrong. You may in fact wind up teaching it to fear you, or consider you unreliable. You must get your dog to understand you, and you have to work on the communication gap, as you are more intelligent than your dog. Preventing your dog from unwanted behaviors coupled with properly timed corrections will go much further in eliminating the behavior from your pet than yelling at it. In fact, you should not yell at, scream at, or hit your dog, ever. There are much more effective ways to get your point across. Try instead to understand the situation from your dog's point of view and act accordingly. The techniques in this chapter approach problems with this in mind. Crating a dog is an awful thing to do to it and they hate it. Again untrue. Dogs are by nature den animals. When properly introduced to a crate, most dogs love it, and they will often go into their crates on their own to sleep. Of course, no dog should be left in the crate so long that it must soil the crate. It's a wonderful tool to use for housetraining, but puppies are not physically equipped to go for more than three or four hours without going to the bathroom. And all use of a crate should be done with an eye toward eventually weaning the dog off of it. There are only a few dogs that must always use a crate while you are gone. Afterwards, it is a very useful thing to have -- for example if at all possible your dog should always ride in the car in his crate. Crating a dog works to prevent the dog from doing many of the behaviors you don't want it to. What your dog does not do does not develop into a habit and thus requires no correction. Second, it means that when your dog does have an opportunity to engage in the unwanted behavior, you are around (because you're home to let it out) to give a proper and timely correction. As the behavioral aspects pointed out above, reducing the territory to protect and keeping it in the den are also positive things from the dog's point of view, reducing the overall stress that it experiences. Ya gotta show a dog who is boss. To some extent, this is true. But what many people think this is comprised of are usually quite wrong. You don't show a dog "who is boss" by hitting it, yelling at it, or via other methods of punishment. You show a dog who is boss by being its leader. Show it what to do, how to behave. Most dogs are waiting for you to take the lead. There are actually only a very few dogs who will actively challenge you for "top dog" position. Rather, most dogs take the "top dog" position because their owners have made no effort to do so, and not only that, their owners don't recognize what is happening -- until the dog starts correcting them for their misbehavior! Interestingly, many forms of behavior that have been touted as showing dominance over a dog backfire badly. This is because in many cases dogs really aren't contending for the "top dog" position: applying techniques to "show him who is boss" in these instances results in the dog being alienated from you and distrusting you because you corrected it for no good reason. The alpha roll, long touted as the "best" of these methods is in reality a last ditch, all out correction. It's what you do to your teenager after he's taken a joyride in your car and totalled it, not when he first asks you for the keys. Being unfair to your dog in this way can create a fear biter, one who has lost all hope of being treated fairly and defends himself the only way he knows how. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Principles Behind Dominance Principles Behind Dominance For obedience training to proceed smoothly, your dog must consider you its alpha leader. This means that it considers YOU the boss. There are a number of exercises you can to to establish and maintain dominance over your dog. Individual dogs vary in submissiveness. If your dog is very submissive, you don't need to worry about establishing dominance (in fact, you may need to tone down your own dominating behavior to help bolster its confidence). Most dogs are happy to be submissive: just be sure to show approval at the occasional signs of submission, and assert dominance if it tries to test you (most dogs will, in adolescence). A very few dogs may be dominant and continually challenge you for dominance, in which case you will actively need to assert and establish your position, but this last is exceedingly rare. More often, people will misinterpret adolescent high energy or bratty behavior as ploys for dominance when they are not. Think of a two year human child testing her parents. She's finding out what the limits are rather than actually "challenging" her parents for leadership. Puppies and young dogs do exactly the same thing. Correct them firmly, but don't go into an all out "dominance battle" -- it's inappropriate and your dog will begin to distrust you. Returning to the toddler analogy, the most you might do is a sharp word or a small swat on the rear. You would not pick her up, hold her against the wall and scream at her. Remember that most dogs are still "young" (in human terms, under 20 years of age) until they are two or three. In other words, don't confuse physical maturity with mental maturity. Never mistake being alpha with punishment. An alpha leader is fair. An alpha leader *deserves* its position. An alpha leader does not use fear, punishment or brute force to achieve and maintain its position. An alpha leader, instead, makes it crystal clear what behaviors it approves of and which it does not. An alpha leader expects its subordinates to follow its lead, it does not force them to. If you get mad at your dog, or angry or furious, you've lost the alpha position. Dogs do not understand fury. You have to be calm and focused. ALWAYS SHOW APPROVAL AT SIGNS OF SUBMISSION Praise your dog when it drops its eyes first. Praise it when it licks you under the chin. Give it an enthusiastic tummy rub when it rolls over on its back. BE CONSISTENT AND FAIR IN YOUR CORRECTIONS You must demonstrate to your dog that it can trust your orders. Do not ever correct the dog after the fact. Such corrections appear to be arbitrary and unfair to the dog, because it has no associative memory the way people do. If your dog is still a puppy, socializing it is a good way to gain its trust. If you decide that some action requires correction, *always* give a correction when you see that action. For example, if you decide that your dog is not allowed on the sofa, then *always* correct it when you see it on the sofa. Consistency can be a big challenge with a family: every family member must agree on the basic ground rules with the dog; when and for what it should be corrected, what commands to use and so on. Families must cooperate extensively to avoid confusing the dog. It is best if only one person actively trains the dog; thereafter if the commands are given the same way, everyone in the family can use them. Finally, always use the *minimum* correction necessary. If a sharp AH-AH will do, use that rather than an alpha roll. If a pop under the chin will do, use that rather than a scruff shake. CORRECT THE DOG'S CHALLENGES Especially during adolescence, you dog may test and/or challenge your position. Do not neglect to correct this behavior. You don't need to come down like a ton of bricks; just making it clear you don't tolerate the behavior is sufficient. For example, don't let your dog crowd you through the door, don't let him jump out of the car until you've given him permission, don't let him jump for food in your hand. Don't let him ignore commands that he knows. LEARN HOW TO DISPLAY ALPHA BEHAVIOR You may not need to use all of these, but you should be familiar with them. They are listed in "escalating" order. Do not use any of these if you are angry or upset. The point is never to hurt the dog, but to show it who is alpha. They work best if you are calm, firm, and matter of fact. Again, always use the minimum correction necessary. More important than knowing how to perform an alpha roll is learning to play the alpha role. That means having the attitude of "I am always right and I will _never_ let my dog willfully disobey me" without ever becoming angry or giving up. Picture a small two-year old toddler, for example. You're not in a struggle over who's "Mom" but over what the child is allowed to do, and there's a crucial difference in the two. Using an alpha roll on a dog who is already submissive but disobeys because it doesn't know what is expected of is destructive to the relationship between you and the dog. Likewise, using an alpha role on a dominant dog but not using any other positive reinforcements can alienate it. Most dogs never need to be alpha rolled in their lives. Furthermore, alpha rolls are one of the strongest weapons in dominance arsenal. Save it for the gravest of infractions. Being dominant is no substitute for learning to read and understand your dog. Proper obedience (which should be a part of any dog's life, even when "only" a pet) is a two way street and requires you to be as responsible to your dog as your dog is responsive to you. There are a number of ways in demonstrating dominance: * Timeouts: put the dog on a down stay or if not yet trained to do so, put it in its crate quietly and without fuss. Fifteen minutes is fine. No yelling is necessary, keep it all very quiet. This is often suprisingly effective, since dogs are such social creatures. * Eye contact: alphas "stare down" subordinates. If your dog does not back down in a stare contest, start a verbal correction. As soon as it backs down, praise it. * Taps under the chin: alpha dogs nip subordinates under the chin as corrections. You can use this by tapping (NEVER hitting) your dog under the chin with one or two fingers. Don't tap on top of the muzzle, not only can you risk injuring your dog's sense of smell, you may make him handshy. * Grabbing under the ears: alpha dogs will chomp under subordinate dogs' ears and shake. You can mimic this by holding the skin under your dog's ears firmly and shaking. Again, do not use excessive force. Do this just enough to get the point across. DO NOT grab the top of the neck and shake. You may injure your dog this way. * Alpha roll: Pin the dog to ground on its side with feet away from you. Hold scruff/collar with one hand to pin head down (gently but firmly) with the other hand on hip/groin area (groin area contact will tend to cause the dog to submit to you.) Not recommended. INSIST ON DECOROUS BEHAVIOR Feed your dog after your own dinner. Make him lay down while you are eating rather than beg at your lap. Don't let it crowd through a doorway ahead of you. Don't let it hop out of the car until you say OK. There are a variety of small things you can do that assert your dominance in a non-traumatic way. If you're clever about it, you can use them to get a well-behaved dog (one that doesn't shoot out of the front door or scramble out of the car or beg at the table). In particular, putting a behavior that the dog wants to do on hold until you say OK is a very good way to be the alpha and keep the dog well behaved. MAKE SURE YOUR DOG OBEYS EVERYONE IN YOUR FAMILY This is a fairly important point. If your dog seems to have trouble obeying a particular family member, you must make sure it does so, by always backing up the family member when he or she tells the dog to do something. If the family member seems to be afraid of the dog, or is very young, then you should supervise all interaction until the problem is resolved. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Aggression with other Dogs Aggression with other Dogs Dogs can be aggressive with other dogs, especially if they have not been properly socialized with other dogs in puppy-hood. Sometimes a dog that is naturally dominant has trouble with other dogs especially in puberty. Sometimes a dog has a specific experience (e.g. a dogfight with another aggressive dog) that causes it to become aggressive toward other dogs in general as well. Whatever the reason, it is well worth your time working on your dog's aggression toward other dogs. You will probably get the best results, especially with a problem dog -- extreme aggression, for example -- if you contact a local trainer (preferably one that specializes in problem dogs) for individual help. However, there are some common-sense things you can do. First a bit of basic dog pychology: friendly behaviors include moving side by side, sniffing butts, tails wagging at body level (not up high or over the back). Not-friendly behaviors include meeting face-to-face, esp. a face-to-face approach, ears forward and tail over back. Force them into friendly behaviors as follows: walk the dogs in parallel on leash. They should be close enough to see each other but not close enough to snap at or touch each other. Be careful when you two turn that the dogs don't tangle. Make sure one doesn't get ahead of the other: keep them parallel. Keep this up until they relax. Slowly start walking closer together as behavior permits. Hold one dog on leash in a sit. Have food treats and a water bottle handy. Walk the other dog toward it, to about six feet, then turn away (increase the distance if the sitting dog snarls). The idea is to turn away *before* the sitting dog shows any aggression. If the dog shows no agression, reward it with a food tidbit or verbal praise. Do NOT touch the dog (stand on the leash or tie it down). If it does growl, spray it with water. Switch the dogs so that each experiences sitting or walking toward. They are learning that good things happen without defensive behavior. As they improve, start walking a bit closer before turning. If the sitting dog snarls, do NOT turn the other dog away: the person with the sitting dog should correct it and when the dog subsides, THEN the moving dog should turn away. Finally, holding the head of one dog, but allowing it to stand, have the other dog investigate its rear briefly. This is really the extreme extension of the above. These exercises have several purposes. One is to force the dogs to consider themselves friendly by engaging in the behavior of friendly dogs. The other is to teach both dogs that an approaching dog is not necessarily grounds for aggression. This will take a lot of work, probably over a couple of months, but they will work, and what's more, should reduce tensions with other dogs as well (i.e., not only between the two specific dogs in the exercises). _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Housetraining Problems Housetraining Problems All housetraining problems are frustrating, but the good news is that it's often easy to fix with a little thought and care. Some tips: SUDDEN CHANGES IN ESTABLISHED HABITS If your dog has been fine with its housetraining up till now, there may be several reasons for it to break with its training. * If there have been no major changes in its life, your dog may very well have a medical problem, such as kidney trouble. Have your vet rule out possible medical causes. * It may be trying to defend its territory if you have a new animal in the household. You will probably need to separate the pets for a while, and reintroduce them gradually. Provide each with a retreat area. * It may be generally upset or anxious if you've just moved and trying to assert ownership of the new territory. Mark your territory first: scatter dirty laundry around the house to tell your dog YOU'VE claimed the territory and your dog should subside. After a few days, you can pick up the laundry. EATING FECES Some dogs will eat other animal's feces. By and large, this is a fairly normal, if disgusting, habit. The main risk of this habit lies in picking up internal parasites. If you have such a dog, you should make sure it is frequently checked for worms by your veterinarian. If it is cat feces in an indoor litter box, you can try the following: * If you have a utility closet or some other closet where you can keep the litter box, you can fix the door so that it only opens enough for a cat to get through (assuming big dogs) by using something like a string/ribbon/rope over the door handle to a small hook on the adjacent wall or door jamb. If you can make a more permanent change, you could put a kitty door into the closet and be able to keep the door shut. * Get the kind of litter box with a big top and a "kitty door" or even just an opening on it. Place the litter box with the opening about 4"-6" from a wall (backwards from the way you would normally think of placing it). This leaves just enough room for the cat to get into the box but not (usually) enough room for the dog to get to the box. The kind of box with the swinging kitty door helps make it a little harder for the dog to get into it. A surprising number of dogs eat their own feces (coprophagy). This is a fairly disgusting habit, but difficult to cure. One way to prevent this from occurring is to clean up feces as soon as possible, but this can be difficult for dogs left in yards or kennels all day. The Monks suggest feeding your dog a dry food that is at least 23% meat protein, and about 25% raw meat. In addition, either an egg, or a tablespoon of vegetable oil every few days. They also think that eating feces may involve a dietary deficiency. Adding Accent (monosodium glutamate) or kelp tablets (usually available at health food stores) to your dogs food can give the feces a bad taste for the dog. Also putting tabasco and vinegar on the feces themselves may work. This is a difficult problem and not always solved or stopped. It doesn't really hurt the animal, although you should take care to have it checked often for internal parasites, which it's more likely to pick up. URINATION If it is a change in your dog's normal behavior, it might be a bladder infection or some other medical problem, so check that with your vet first. It's rather common for older spayed bitches to start dribbling. This is easily fixed most of the time with doses of estrogen. In many cases, the doses can be tapered off after a few months. Some dogs require estrogen for the rest of their lives. Only small doses are needed, so it's not that expensive to treat. If your dog is urinating in different places around the house, you can try the "vinegar trick". Pour some vinegar on the spot in front of the dog. What you're telling the dog with this is "I'm alpha. YOU may not pee here." Then clean it all up first with an enzymatic odor remover and then a good carpet shampoo (see the Assorted Topics FAQ). DEFECATION Defecation is not as frequently a problem as urination can be. However, the most often recommended remedy for a dog that defecates in the house is to change its feeding times so that you are likely to be walking the dog when it needs to defecate or it is outside in the yard, etc. This will take some time of fiddling with the amount, frequency, and timing of feeding your dog to get the results you want. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Submissive Urination Submissive Urination The genetically shy dog is a super submissive type and unlike many dogs are quite sensitive to any forms of "dominant" behavior in humans. Even ordinarily submissive dogs can become extremely submissive if its owner misunderstands and unintentionally forces it to increase its submissiveness. Mistreated dogs may also become excessively submissive. First, tone down your aggressive behavior -- with a submissive dog there is no real need to consciously dominate it. Examples of dominating behavior include: * Direct eye contact * Standing over the dog * Walking towards the dog while looking at it Tips: * Wait when you come home. Say "hi" and be verbally friendly, but don't touch or pet it for about 5-15 minutes. Try not to make the moment more exciting than it already is. * When you greet it, get down on its level. Rather than standing and bending at the waist, bend at the knees (or sit) so that your face is about level with his and you are not looking down on him. This is a less dominant position, and less likely to trigger a submissive posture. * Don't pet it on the head. Rather, tell it to sit, maybe "shake hands", then scratch it under the chin and on the chest. This is less dominating than the pat on the head (because you avoid standing over it). * When you correct this type of dog, do so with your voice only (avoid direct eye contact). If it starts to urinate, then say immediately, "OK, let's go out!" in a happy tone of voice -- and take it out. Or, take a toy out (something it likes to do) and play with it. What you are doing here is telling your dog, "OK, I see your submissiveness. That's good." * When guests come over, ask them to ignore your dog and not look at it even if it comes up and sniffs them. After a bit, when people are sitting down then have them gently put their hands out and talk to your dog, without looking at it. Usually after about 15 minutes or so everything is fine. In general, show signs of low-key approval immediately when the dog becomes submissive. Then distract it with something else. When you ignore submissiveness or get mad at it, you're in effect telling the dog "You're not submissive enough!" so the poor thing intensifies its efforts -- and submissive urination is about as submissive as it gets. Be really positive with your dog, this type lacks self-confidence and will look to you quite often to make sure everything is OK. One technique that helps many dogs with this problem is called "Flooding." You need a group of people, preferably ones who will stimulate the undesired response (in this case, peeing). You find the least intimidating step for your dog (the point at which she does not submissively urinate), and work on each step until she's comfortable with each. If she urinates, you've gone too fast and you should back up a step until she's more confident. This process will take a while. * Have your dog sit with you on leash (preferably not on carpeting!) * Have the group of people walk past your dog without looking at her; when they can do this without her peeing, move on to next step (this is true of all steps) * Next have the people look/smile at her when they walk past * Next have the people say something to her ("Hi puppy") as they walk past * Next have the people give her a treat as they walk past * Next have the people touch her (ex. pat on the head) as they walk past * Next, repeat the previous 5 steps but with the people stopping instead of walking past (ie, stop but don't look, stop and look, stop and say hi,...) Actually, this technique can be used for all kinds of other responses: a dog that jumps on people, barks at them, etc. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Other Common Problems Other Common Problems CHEWING Many puppies like to chew on everything they encounter. Certainly, very young puppies explore the world around them by tasting most of what they find. First of all, as a practical measure, remove anything harmful from the dog's way. Put electrical wiring behind furniture wherever possible, put cleaning supplies up out of reach or secure the cabinet doors to them. Clean small objects off the floor. Make sure you have a supply of allowable chewing items on hand. Whenever the dog is in a crate or small room, there should always be some of these toys to chew on. Whenever you are at home and see the dog about to chew on something it shouldn't, say "AH-AH" and give it one of its toys. There are products available to spray on items to make them taste unpleasant. Some caveats: a few dogs are not bothered by the taste; it's not really a cure for the underlying problem, but it does help you train the dog; you must make sure the product does not harm the item to be sprayed first. Bitter Apple and Bitter Orange are available at most pet supply stores; veterinarians have other formulations they may sell to you. The judicious use of crating, toys, and watching the puppy closely will be the way you teach it to leave your house alone. BITING It is natural for young puppies to bite and chew on people; however DON'T let them do this. If your dog is a puppy, yelp pitifully when it chomps on you, and replace your hand with a chew toy; praise heartily when the chew toy is used instead. If it persists, stand up and stop playing with it. It is no fun for the puppy if you stop interacting with it, and it will learn to stop chewing on you fairly quickly. With older puppies and dogs, say "NO BITE" sternly and withdraw your hand. If the dog goes through a cycle where it seems to be infuriated by your correction and returns ever more aggressively to chew on you, call a timeout and put the dog where it can't get to you, preferably its crate. When it calms down, let it back and be prepared to interrupt the cycle if it starts again. Never put up with a puppy biting or mouthing you. When they are adult, the problem will be far more severe. FEAR-BITING This is a separate problem, caused by a fearful and submissive dog that feels cornered. It indicates an extremely poor temperament and possible abuse. Such dogs should never be bred. To deal with a fear-biter (evidenced by a dog that bites/threatens to bite but has its ears laid back along its head rather than facing forward), first you have to deal with the insecurity and temperament of the dog. This kind of dog has no self-confidence at all, hence its ready alarm at normally innocuous situations. Think of the submissive dog outlined above. You need to build up its confidence: pay close attention to understand exactly what sets it off (some are afraid of men, men with beards, people holding something in their hand, small children, etc) and for now, remove that from its environment. Do some training or other work with it to build up its confidence (the training in this case becomes a vehicle for praising the dog). Then work slowly on its fear. You should really enlist professional help to deal with a fear biter unless you are experienced with dogs. This kind of dog takes lots of patience and careful reading and may never become trustworthy. If you cannot resolve its problems, consider having it destroyed; don't pass it along to someone else to become a problem for that person. BARKING Each and every time your dog barks, go out and see why the dog is barking. If your dog is barking for a good reason (such as a stranger in the yard), you should praise your dog and then tell it to be quiet. If the dog is barking because there is a squirrel up the tree, or something similar, tell the dog to be quiet and immediately go back into the house. You will have to repeat this every time the dog barks. Pretty soon, in a week or so depending on the dog, the dog will only bark for a good reason. The dog may still bark at the squirrel, but not continually. Instead, one or two good barks to scare the squirrel, and then it considers its duty done. At the same time, you have not dampened your dogs ability to bark when there is something wrong. Dealing with complaints about barking. If your neighbors complain about your dog barking while you are not at home, first purchase a voice-activated tape recorder and set it up where your dog will trigger the tape if it barks. You may find that your neighbor is incorrect about how much your dog actually does bark (keep a log of the barking you record). You may find out what exactly causes it to bark (hearing a car drive by before each barking sequence, for example), giving you some ideas for eliminating the behavior. But do determine that there is actually a problem before you try to do something about it. If you know that you have a problem, you might enlist the help of your neighbors. Neighbors are often happy to help you with this problem! Have them squirt water at excessive barking, or rattle cans of pennies/rocks, etc. In any event, take a neighbor's complaint seriously, even if it is unwarranted. More neighbor disputes arise over barking dogs than anything else, and dogs have been injured or killed by neighbors desperate for a good nights sleep. There is some evidence that barking is an inherited trait: if the parents bark a lot, chances are their puppies will, too. Often, one method that helps alleviate barking is to give your dog specific permission to bark. Teach it to "speak" -- let it "speak" when appropriate (say, when you're playing in the park). Then "no speak" follows from that. However, there is often a problem when the dog is alone. The following methods outline some other possibilities to address this problem. Collars There are collars, called anti-bark collars, available that are meant to help train your dog not to bark. Dogs will react differently, depending on how well they learn, train, and handle. The collars by themselves are not the solution to your dog's barking: it must understand what the collar does, and you will have to *train* it using the collar. Some are electronic and others are sonic. These can be quite effective if introduced properly. Ideally the dog should not understand that it is the collar giving the correction so that you can ultimately wean the dog off the collar. Read the instructions on the devices; the good ones will outline exactly how to train them. There are two types, one will eliminate the barking -- that is, they are triggered by any barking the dog does. Others are "diminishers", they will kick in after one or two barks. There are a few that adjust to be one or the other. With diminisher collars, watch out for the dog learning to "pattern bark" -- they've learned they can bark twice, pause, bark twice, etc. You will need to switch to an eliminator in this case. The best collars are triggered by throat vibration rather than noise; this helps avoid having your dog corrected when a nearby car backfires! Debarking Surgery on the dog's vocal cords, called debarking, can be done to reduce the barking to a whispery sound. This is a controversial practice, banned in Britain and other places. Some vets will refuse to do the surgery. The dogs do not stop barking. They do not seem to notice the difference, or at any rate continue "barking" as if they still made the noise. There are different ways to perform the surgery, and it is possible for the vocal cords to grow back and the dog to regain its bark. If the vocal cords are cut, chances are the cords will heal themselves. If they are cauterized, the operation will last longer. Whether it is over a period of weeks or months, it seems that many dogs eventually regain use of their vocal cords. Muzzles There is a "No-Bark Muzzle" that is designed to prevent dogs from barking. Many dogs very rapidly learn not to bark when the muzzle is put on them each time they start barking. It is not binding or confining and does not put the dog through surgery. In general, though dogs should not be left alone with muzzles on, unless it allows them to drink. DIGGING Dogs may dig out of boredom or to make a cooling/heating pit. Some approaches: * Filling in the holes: Try refilling the holes with junk. With junk, dogs can quickly lose interest and pretty much stop digging. Fill the hole with whatever is at hand - dead leaves, sticks, pine needles, rocks or even dog feces. Fill the top 2 inches or so with dirt. The dog finds the stuff, gets discouraged and often quits digging. They seem to get the idea they'll never know where they'll find junk, and it's not worth the effort to dig only to find junk so they quit. * Surprises in the hole: The Koehler dog method advocates filling holes with water and sticking dog's head under the water for a few seconds or so. This may not work with some breeds (e.g., Labradors), and may not appeal to you as a method to try. Alternatively, you can try burying a water balloon in one of the holes which will pop in its face when it starts digging (surprise). * A sandbox: Try to remember that digging is a natural tendency for dogs. So, if there is any place where your dog may be allowed to dig, you should encourage it (and only in that place). Designate an area where the dog can dig. Many people build a sand box for their dog. Place the box in an area that is cool in summer and warm in winter. To teach the dog to dig only in the box, place or bury toys or treats (sliced hotdogs, for example) in the box. Encourage the dog to dig up the toy or treat. Praise the dog. Repeat until the dog willingly jumps in and digs. Watch the dog. When it starts to dig in any other place, quickly go out and take your dog to its box. Show it (by digging yourself), that it should dig in its box. To deter boredom, place several toys/treats in the box before you leave for work. The dog will spend its time digging in the correct place rather than digging up your roses. You can also sprinkle animal essence (available at hunting supplies places). Remember that dogs like to dig in freshly turned earth. So get out that shovel and turn the dirt over in the sand box every now and then. Toss in some fresh dirt. Keep a close eye on freshly planted areas, as they will be very attractive (bury some extra hotdogs in the sandbox when you are putting down new plants). * Line the yard. for extreme cases you can line the yard with chicken wire and put a layer of sod over that. Use paving bricks or blocks around the edge to prevent the dog from injuring itself on the edge of the chicken wire. GETTING IN THE GARBAGE You should train your dog away from this habit. Crate it, to keep it out of the garbage when you are not home, and correct it when it gets into it when you are at home. This works best if you start in puppyhood. If you already have this problem, some approaches to try: * You can get "Mr. Yuk" labels and put them in the trash to keep them out of it or spray Bitter Apple into it. But you have to remember to do this regularly. If you can, put the trash out of reach of the dog, eg, under the sink. You may need to get the kinds of trash cans that have closing lids. Don't start easy and work your way up as the dog figures each one out: you are just training your dog how to open garbage cans. Get a good, well secured one at the start. * Get some jalapeno peppers, or something that your dog REALLY HATES. Slice them up and spend some time wrapping each one individually in tissues or kleenex. Fill the trash can with the wrapped surprises and let your dog at it. A few days of this should convince your dog that trash cans are not fun. * Put a mousetrap in the bottom of an empty can, cover it with newspaper, then put something that the dog really likes in the can and leave the room. Only do this when you are around, do not trap all the trash cans and then go off to work for the day! JUMPING Since most dogs are shorter than you, their natural tendency is to jump up to see you. It is also an expression of exuberance and happiness. However, you may be wearing your Sunday Best. The dog's paws may be muddy. The puppy may grow too large. Some people are afraid of dogs. Train your dog not to jump on people. If you don't mind your dog jumping on you, then train it to jump on you only when it's "OK". In general, correct it immediately when it jumps on you, praise it when all four paws land back on ground. A helpful reinforcement is to give them a command and praise lavishly when they do it, e.g., "No! Brownie, sit! Good girl, what a good girl!" Try to anticipate the jumping: look for their hindquarters beginning to crouch down, and correct them when you see them *about* to jump. With medium-sized dogs, you can discourage jumping with a well-timed knee in the chest (never kick). This does not work as well on small dogs and very large dogs. With small dogs, step back so they miss you; you can also splay your hand in front of you so their face bumps into it (don't hit them, let them bump into you). Correct, then praise when on ground. With larger dogs, the kind that don't really *jump*, but *place* their paws on your shoulders, grab some skin below their ears (be firm but not rough) and pull them down, saying "No!" Again, praise it when it is back on ground. You should note that some dogs do not respond to the above physical corrections. They may view it as a form of rough play, or be so happy to get attention that they don't mind it being negative. In these cases, a much more effective approach is to ignore such a dog, stepping back slightly or turning your back when it jumps. Give lavish praise and attention when all paws are on the ground again. Gradually expand this to include friends and visitors. Start first with people who understand what you want to do and will apply the physical correction in conjunction with your "No!" As the dog improves, expand with other people. In the interim, a reinforcing exercise is to put your dog on a leash, and stand on one end of the leash or otherwise secure it so your dog can stand but not jump. When it tries to greet someone by jumping up, praise it *when it lands* and don't correct it for attempting to jump. For those of you who don't mind being jumped, you can gain control over it by teaching your dog that it can jump on you -- when you OK it. At random times (i.e., not *every* time you correct it), after your correction and praise for getting back down, wait thirty seconds or so, and then happily say "OK, jump" (or something similar, as long as you're consistent) and praise your dog when it jumps up then. At other times, when it is *not* trying to jump on you, encourage it to do so on your permission, using the same phrase. You must make it clear that it shouldn't jump on you unless you give it permission, so you must still correct unpermitted jumping. CAR CHASING This is symptomatic of a larger problem: why is your dog free to run after cars in the first place? If the dog is being allowed to roam that should be stopped. A car chasing dog is a menace to itself as it may get killed, and is a menace to drivers as people may injure or kill themselves trying to avoid an accident. Have a few friends drive by (slowly) in a strange car. When the dog gets in range, open the window and dump a bucket of ice cold water on the animal's head/back. Repeat as needed (with a different car) for reinforcement. TUG OF WAR The Monks (and former Monk, Job Michael Evans) seem to believe that playing tug is a form of "teaching" the dog to use its teeth, and therefore a precursor to the dog's learning to use its teeth as a weapon. In their view, you should never play tug with a dog. On the other hand, there are many people and organizations, especially in obedience and working dogs (patrol, narcotic, and search and rescue) that actively use tug of war as a reward and a way to build up a strong play response. People with hunting retrievers never play tug of war for fear of creating a "hard mouthed" dog (one that mangles the birds it retrieves). Dealing with the possible aggression incurred in tug of war is probably more constructive than never teaching your dog to use its teeth. Besides, studies on canine aggression show that even extremely docile dogs can be provoked to show aggression. Houpt and Wolski in their book _Domestic Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists_ note: "Growling is an aggressive call in dogs, and is commonly known. It is interesting evolutionarily that even the most placid dog can be induced to growl if one threatens to take a bone away from it. A scarcity of food in general can increase aggression ..., but bones seem to have particular value even for the satiated dog." This can hinge on whether you (as the owner) can distinguish between challenges and playing. If the dog is playing when doing TOW, there's no problem. If it *is* challenging you doing this, you need to 1) recognize the challenge (versus just playing) 2) win and 3) stop the TOW and correct its challenge to your authority. If you can't make the distinction, then don't play tug-of-war with it. Couple any tug-o-war games with the command "Give" or something similar so that the dog learns to immediately let go ON COMMAND. If it doesn't, that's a challenge, and you need to deal with it. Teach your dog what "give" when you start playing this game with it. When you know that your dog understands the command, then periodically reinforce it by having your dog "give" at random times. This becomes a form of keeping your alpha position as mentioned earlier in this article. And tug of war, properly implemented, is an intensely rewarding game for many dogs, making a good "treat" during training sessions, for example. PEOPLE FOOD Feeding your dog "people food," i.e., table scraps and such is a poor idea. First, you may encourage your dog to make a pest of itself when you are eating. Second, feeding a dog table scraps is likely to add unneeded calories to its diet and your dog may become overweight. Third, if your dog develops the habit of gulping down any food it can get, it may seriously poison or distress itself someday. Some guidelines. Do not feed the dog anything but dog food and dog treats. You might add vegetable oil or linatone to the food to improve its coat. There are other foods that you may want to add to improve its diet such as vegetables, rice, oatmeal, etc., (check with your vet first for appropriate food to meet the dietary need you want to address), but always feed them to the dog in its dish, never from your plate or from your hand while you are eating. Discourage your dog from begging at the table by tying it nearby (so that it does not feel isolated from the social activity) but out of reach of the table. After you finish eating, feed the dog. Tell your dog "no" or "leave it" if it goes for anything edible on the floor (or on the ground during walks!), praise it when it obeys you. Teach it that the only food it should take should be from its dish or someone's hand. If you are concerned about the "boring and drab" diet for your dog, don't think of food as a way to interest it! Play with it, take it out on walks -- there are many other and better ways to make life exciting for your dog. _________________________________________________________________ Canine Behavior FAQ Cindy Tittle Moore, tittle@netcom.com @START@Breeding Your Dog - TOC BREEDING YOUR DOG Table of Contents * Should I Breed My Dog? + I want to make some money! + My kids should see the wonders of birth and life! + I want another dog just like mine! + Every bitch should have a litter! + But my dog is registered! + So I should breed when...? * Potential Hereditary Problems + Eyes + Hip and joints + Other things to check for * Medical Checks before Breeding * Temperament * Pedigree Research * Frequency of Breeding * Care of the Pregnant or Nursing Bitch * Caring for the Puppies + Prewhelping preparations + Postwhelping + Placing the puppies * Considerations for Stud Dogs * Genetics * References _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Should I Breed My Dog? Should I Breed My Dog? You may be wondering whether or not you should breed your dog. Here is some information. The summary is that if you want to do it right, and get healthy and happy puppies, it is very expensive and a lot of work. Remember that you are going to need a vet that is familiar with whelping dogs. This will be your best resource, as well as any long-time breeders that you know. Not all vets are knowlegeable about whelping so be sure to ask around and especially look for recommendations from local breeders that you may know. I WANT TO MAKE SOME MONEY! Breeding, and doing it right, is an expensive undertaking. By the time you've picked out a good bitch, waited for her to grow old enough (minimum age: two years before breeding), picked out the best dog to mate her with, gone through all the health checks she needs, ensured that the dog you want to use also passes the same health checks, you've invested a lot of time and effort. You still have to pay a stud fee (or give a puppy back), you have potential extra expenses during pregnancy, you have the time and expense of whelping (either you take time off from work or something goes wrong and you have to take her in to the vets). You need to keep the puppies for a minimum of 8 weeks before sending them to their homes; you need to advertise and find good homes for the puppies, you need to make sure they have had their shots before going. You may have possible vet bills if the puppies require extra attention. If some of the puppies die, or you have a smaller than usual litter, you may not get as much money from the sale of the puppies as you had though. There are even potential problems later on with dissatified customers! You are better off consulting with a financial wizard about investing the money you would otherwise spend and lose on breeding! Breeders frequently count themselves lucky if they break even. MY KIDS SHOULD SEE THE WONDERS OF BIRTH AND LIFE! What if the whelping goes wrong and dead puppies are born? What if the bitch dies? These are all very real risks that you are undertaking. Much better alternatives include videotapes that are available. If there are local 4-H clubs, those provide alternatives for children. I WANT ANOTHER DOG JUST LIKE MINE! If you want to breed your dog so as to get another dog like yours, think about this for a moment. No matter how special your dog is to you, a puppy out of it is not guaranteed to be just like or even similar to your dog -- half its genes will be from another dog! You will have to find another dog that also has the characteristics you want in your puppy; that dog will have to be unneutered; and the owner of that dog will have to be willing to breed her/his dog to yours. It is much easier, often less expensive, and certainly less time consuming to pick out an existing dog that you like from the shelter or another breeder. Best yet, go back to the same breeder of your dog, if possible, and pick another puppy out of similar lines. EVERY BITCH SHOULD HAVE A LITTER! This is flat out wrong. Bitches are not improved by having puppies. They may undergo temporary temperament changes, but once the puppies are gone, she'll be back to her old self. Nor is it somehow good for her physically. In fact, you will put her at risk of mammary cancer and pyometra. There is absolutely nothing wrong with spaying a bitch without her having a litter. BUT MY DOG IS REGISTERED! Well, yes, but that doesn't mean a whole lot. A registered dog, be it AKC, UKC, CKC, etc., simply means that it's parents (and their parents) are also registered with the same registry. This confers no merit in of itself, it simply means that the dog's parentage is known. Most registries do not make any assertions of quality in the dogs they register (except for some limited breed-only registrations, but these are uncommon). They do not restrict the breeding of their dogs and hence there is no guarantee that a registered dog is a good specimen of its breed. The AKC has just started a "limited registration" program whereby puppies out of such dogs are ineligible for registration. It remains to be seen what the overall impact on AKC dog breeds will be. Other registries have used similar programs with good results. SO I SHOULD BREED WHEN...? The only reason you should be breeding is that you honestly feel that you are improving your breed by doing so. There are far too many dogs in the country to breed without good reason. A dog in a breeding program must be one whose genetic history you or its breeder is intimately familiar with. Such a dog must represent the best efforts of its breeder at that point. Such a dog must have good points to contribute, whether that is in good conformation, good performance or whatever. Such a dog must have some evidence of external evaluation. That is, others besides the breeder or the owner must also think that the dog is a good representive of its breed. That usually translates into titles, whether for conformation, obedience, field, herding, or whatever is appropriate for that breed. Such a dog must be tested as it matures for any problems that tend to appear in its breed, whether that is hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, von Willebrand's, cataracts, PRA, fanconi syndrome, subaortic stenosis, etc. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Potential Hereditary Problems Potential Hereditary Problems Every breed has a different set of potential problems for it. I have listed common ones below, but this is not to say that all dogs must be checked for everything listed. You need to do research in your breed to find out what the common problems are. You will also need to research the particular bloodlines you are using to see if they are prone to any additional problems you want to know about and screen for as well. EYES Most breeds require eye checks of some sort, for a variety of problems. These include, but are not limited to problems such as * Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). This disease eventually causes total blindness. In some breeds the onset is quick, before the dog is two or three. In others, the onset is much later, when the dog is four to eight years old (and may have already been bred). Irish Setters have a test available that can detect carriers and affected dogs; other breeds do not have this recourse. It appears to be a simple autosonomal recessive, but the late onset complicates breeding programs. If a dog is affected, then both parents are either carriers or also affected. * Retinal Dysplasia. Causes eventual blindness. This is believed to be hereditary. Some dogs can be detected with this condition in puppy hood, but carriers cannot be identified until they produce such puppies. * Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA). This affects the collie breeds (bearded, border, rough, smooth) as well as some closely related ones. This condition also causes eventual blindness and is inherited. * Cataracts. There are many forms and causes for cataracts, but some forms, such as juvenile cataracts, are inherited and such dogs should not be bred. * Entropion, Ectropion: These are conditions in which the eyelids turn in or out, causing various problems and often pain for the dog. The Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) in the USA registers dogs that are found to be clear of eye problems by a board certified (AVCO) veterinarian. Dogs need to be cleared yearly as there are some types of eye problems that show up later in life. HIP AND JOINTS There are a variety of joint problems found in most breeds. Toy breeds can have joint problems too; just because your breed is smaller doesn't mean you can figure you are free of hip dysplasia and be done with it. There are several problems that specifically affect smaller dogs! * Hip dysplasia is probably the best known problem. This is a malformation or deterioration of the hip joint, so that the socket it sits in is too shallow to secure the head of the femur. As the condition progresses, arthritic changes begin to destroy the protective cartilage and the dog may experience severe pain if the condition is bad enough. Some dogs are asymptomatic, but still should not be bred. This condition primarily affects the medium-to-large breeds, but smaller breeds have been known to be affected, for example Cocker Spaniels and Shetland Sheepdogs can have this problem. To make sure your dog is free of hip dysplasia, you need to have the hips radiographed and then obtain an expert analysis of the xrays. Your vet isn't necessarily the one to do this! In the US, you would mail the xrays to the Orthopedic Foundation of Animals and wait several weeks for their evaluation. In Canada, Europe and Britain, there are equivalent programs, but all differ in the type of certification and age at which they will certify; some organizations certify after one year of age, others certify after two years of age. * Osteochondrosis Dessicans (OCD) is an elbow joint problem. A bone spur or a flake wears away at the joint which becomes stiff and painful. Xray evaluations of these joints are also needed. Many breeds that are prone to hip dysplasia may also have OCD. * Patellar Luxation is a problem affecting the kneecaps. Smaller dogs are more prone to this problem than larger ones are. The kneecap will slide out of place and lock the leg straight. Diagnosis is fairly straightforward and surgery can correct the problem, but no dog with patellar luxation should be bred as this is also an hereditary condition. There are a few other types of problems, affecting other joints like the hocks, or affecting the spine, that you should be aware of in some breeds. This is only an overview to give you an idea of what kinds of problems are out there. Remember that joint problems, even if not hereditary, may make it problematic for a bitch to be bred. Pregnancy is hard on the joints and on the body in general and if she isn't in the best of physical health, it is much kinder not to breed her. OTHER THINGS TO CHECK FOR * In some breeds, deafness is a potential problem. Puppies at risk should be BAER tested and any that fail should be neutered. * Heart conditions in many breeds must be checked for. Subaortic stenosis (SAS), other malformations of the heart or valves. * Hemophilia type of problems, e.g., von Willebrand's disease and others. * Malabsorptive syndromes, digestive problems. * Epilepsy. * Allergies. * Incorrect temperament for breed. Finally, remember that not only the potential dam but also the sire must be checked for all the things appropriate for their breed and particular bloodlines. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Medical Checks before Breeding Medical Checks before Breeding You must make sure the bitch and the stud both are free from brucellosis before breeding them. Brucellosis causes eventual sterility in both sexes (sometimes non-obviously) and can cause a litter of puppies to be aborted or die shortly after birth. In addition, brucellosis is on occasion transmissible to humans via the urine or feces of an affected dog. Between dogs, it is most commonly passed in sexual intercourse, although an entire kennel can be infected through contact with secretions. The sire should be in excellent general health. The dam must be in good health, to withstand the stresses and rigors of a pregnancy. They must both be up to date on their vaccinations. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Temperament Temperament Never breed any animal that has temperament problems. In particular, this has been the cause of the degeneration of many breed's general temperament: Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and so on. If your animal is untrustworthy around people, overly aggressive to people, excitable, or is a fear-biter, do not breed it. If it is shy or submissive, don't breed it. Look for happy, confident and obedient animals, and consider carefully the particular temperament requirements for your dog's breed. There are a variety of tests to indicate a dog's temperament. Many of the working breeds have a temperament test (for example, the Doberman's WAC test) for their breed. AKC has a Canine Good Citizen test (open to all dogs) that gives some indication of the dog's temperament (and, yes, training). Therapy Dogs International and other Therapy Dog clubs have temperament testing that does try to separate out actual temperament from training. Obedience titles can be (but are not necessarily) an indication of good temperament. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Pedigree Research Pedigree Research You must carefully consider each dog's pedigree for compatibility. Try to select strengths to offset weaknesses. Do not allow your bitch to be bred to an unsuitable dog, and conversely, be picky about the bitches you allow your dog to breed. This phase alone requires considerable research to find a suitable candidate, and you should definitely work closely with a knowledgeable person, ideally the breeder of your dog. Simply because two dogs "look good" or even *are* good does not mean that they necessarily complement each other: suppose they are both carriers for the same disease? Suppose they both have a tendency to overbites or other disqualifying faults? Be honest with yourself. If your dog is not a good representation of its breed, do not let it reproduce. It is much easier to improve a few faults than to try and get excellent pups with a mediocre dog. Check the breed standard for your dog and ask a knowledgeable person for their evaluation of your dog. We'll return the the importance of scrutinizing a pedigree in the genetics section below. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Frequency of Breeding Frequency of Breeding Ideally, a bitch should only be bred every other year and she should not be bred much before two years of age. The season closest to the second birthday is a good one to start with; certainly no earlier than this. In some breeds, you may need to wait one more season before beginning. By this time, she is better prepared mentally for having puppies than she would have been with her first few seasons. Her physical growth is complete and pregnancy at this point won't endanger her health, provided that she is healthy to begin with. In breeds with Hip Dysplasia, many people wait until after two years of age so that the parents can be certified; however if you have sent in xrays to OFA for preliminary evaluation and they came back as fine, many breeders consider it safe enough to then breed on the season closest to the second year, which can wind up being before the bitch is actually old enough to be certified. (And when the bitch is old enough, she is, of course, duly certified.) But the preliminary xrays must be examined by OFA, not by a local veterinarian. There are many dysplastic dogs out there that had vets look at their xrays and pronounce them "wonderful." It's important, however, to keep the frequency of breeding low. Even at maximum, you want to allow at least one unbred season between breedings. This allows your bitch to rest and regain her strength. A bitch that whelps too often will produce weaker puppies more likely to die, and the repeated pregnancies are pretty rough on her, too. For dogs, they should definitely have all their certifications necessary. For many breeds this means that they should be over two years old. Since a dog can be bred at any time, unlike bitches, waiting for two years is not a problem, whereas a bitch often has a season just before two years of age and then has to wait until 2.5 or three which sometimes presents problems in trying to time her litters. But this does not apply to a stud dog, so he should definitely have all of his checks and certifications before being bred. Frequency is not generally a problem although some dogs have problems with sperm production if they breed once a day for several days. They need top-quality feeding and care if they are going to be bred often. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Care of the Pregnant or Nursing Bitch Care of the Pregnant or Nursing Bitch You should make sure the bitch is up-to-date on all her vaccinations, medications, and shots before she is bred. She will require supplementary food during the last three weeks or so of pregnancy. In general, puppy food is formulated both for puppies and pregnant or nursing bitches. She should be under the care of a vet for any related problems. Dogs can have miscarriages. Illnesses, diseases, or infestations that the bitch picks up during her pregnancy can affect the puppies. Difficulties during whelping are entirely possible, and the rule for some breeds. You must be prepared to get her to the vet quickly in an emergency. There are instances of "mummy puppies" where you have a puppy whose development went awry, but it was not aborted. Instead, it dries and shrivels up, and when born, looks like a mummified puppy, blackened and ready to rot. Overbreeding and inadequate care are usually the causes. It is quite likely that the dam will come down with an infected uterus after such a puppy. "Water puppies" are another type of problem in which the dead puppy appears to have never properly developed a skeleton and appears to be full of gelatin. This seems to be linked to a viral exposure. Other congenital (but not genetic) defects can include: no anus, cleft palates and hare lips. These conditions require corrective surgery or the puppy will die. While the bitch is nursing the puppies, she will require about three times the amount of food she normally eats! It is also common for nursing mothers to go out of coat at this time. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Caring for the Puppies Caring for the Puppies PREWHELPING PREPARATIONS You should have a sturdy, clean, proper sized whelping box for the litter. It MUST include a "pig rail" around the edge to prevent the bitch from laying on or smashing her pups. It should be big enought to allow the bitch to turn around but small enough to prevent the pups from being "lost" in the unused portions. About six inches longer than she is, fore and aft, when laying prone (as in suckling her puppies) and about a foot on either side length wise. To get the whelping box ready for your bitch, get a sheet of plastic, such as you would use for painting a ceiling to protect the floor. Cut it up into several pieces the size of the whelping box. Put one piece of plastic down, several layers of newspaper, another piece of plastic, more layers of newspaper and so on for four or five layers. Then when your bitch is whelping puppies, you can roll off a layer when it gets messy -- and it will! -- and throw it away to instantly clean the whelping box. POSTWHELPING After the puppies are born, there are many strategies for lining the whelping box. Some people continue to use newspapers, but puppies get pretty dirty from both newspaper print and feces. Other people have had success with synthetic materials on top of absorbent materials: the synthetic material provides secure footing, but the urine and other liquids pass through it to leave it dry. Other people use pine shavings (about six inches deep). You will do a lot of laundering to keep things clean no matter what you use. You will also have to clean the feces out of the whelping box after your bitch decides that's no longer her job. Newborn puppies MUST be kept warm. The temperature in the whelping box at birth should be 90 F. The temperature can then be decreased 2 degrees every other day. NEVER FEED A CHILLED PUPPY!!! If a puppy becomes chilled it will cry continually and it will tuck its tail between its little legs. A healthy, happy, litter will "purr" like a swarm of bees and when feeding their tails will be straight out from their bodies. Warm any chilled puppy by putting the puppy under your shirt and under your armpit. The best method of warming a puppy is to use a special whelping box heating pad with a towel over it to prevent soiling the pad. Make sure the temerature does not go too high. Heating lamps are ok but puppies can become dehydrated. If the litter clumps together and cries, they are too cold; if they separate and try to hide under shade, they are too hot. Large litters will require supplemental feedings if you want all the puppies to survive. Your bitch may not be able to care for a very large litter. You will need to get the pups rotating on shifts. For the first two weeks you may have to supplement as much as every four hours. Use a good prepared milk-supplement especially formulated for puppies. If you get in a bind you can use a goat-milk reciepe avilable in most books about breeding and whelping pups. You may have to tube feed those pups that will not suckle from a bottle! Are you going to remove the dewclaws or dock a tail? This must be done by 3 days old at the latest! Any later will not heal as nicely or quickly! If you have a purebred litter, you must record the date of birth and all of the pups (including the dead ones) in your record book. Then you will need to fill out and send in your litter registration form. You want to do this as soon as possible, since many registries can take up to 6 weeks to return the forms for individual registration to you (which you will want to give to your puppy buyers later). You will have to keep the whelping box clean. For the first two weeks the bitch will keep the pups pretty clean, but the bedding should be changed twice a day at minimum. Starting week three, the pups start to eliminate some on their own.. then you will need to clean much more often! At four weeks, the pups usually become very active and it this time may require a larger area then the welping box...you will need a large ex-pen or some way of confining them safely. You do have a place to keep them that they are safe in and can't destroy? Puppies at this stage can devastate a room or garage in hours. At week five you will probably want to introduce the pups to weaning food. Usually you will have to mush up the dry puppy food for the pups to be able to eat it. Use warm water and let the food stand in a bowl for about 2 hours. At week six you should vaccination and worm the pups, and have them checked for heartmurmers, hernias, males for testicles (yes you should be able to feel them at 6 weeks!), deafness, and eye problems. You should be socializing now too... And are you going to do any puppy testing for temperaments? At seven weeks you should be calling up those poeple with deposits on your pups and getting your paper work all sorted out. Are your spay/neuter contracts ready? How about pictures of the pups for your clients? And this is just if everything goes perfectly! What happens if one of the pups has a heart murmer, or a hernia? What about a deaf puppy? What if your whole litter gets parvo or distemper? What happens if one of the pups is affected with "swimmer-puppy" syndrome? What about fading-puppy syndrome? What happens if your bitch gets an infection or mastitis? What if she dies? PLACING THE PUPPIES After the puppies are born, if not before, you must consider placing your puppies. Time and time again, people breed a litter because friends and family want one of their dog's puppies -- and then none of them will take one. At six weeks is when even seasoned breeders wonder why they do this. A healthy active litter of six will run you ragged at this age. They are so curious, they want to explore everywhere, and they are at the prime age for socialization and exposure to many things that you, as a responsible breeder, want to give them a head start on. At eight weeks, you may begin placing those pups that are ready to go to their new homes. Insecure pups may need more time, how are those puppy tests coming? You can't place puppies earlier than 7.5 weeks or so (no matter how much you may want to). Are you prepared to do some legwork to find GOOD homes for them, not just hand them off to the first person who comes by? You are aware that you won't always be able to sell all of your puppies locally, aren't you? What assurances do you have that the puppies will not wind up filling animal shelters, facing death because their parents were thoughtlessly bred? Suppose you wind up keeping more of the litter than you intended to? Suppose some of your puppies are returned? Can you keep the extra puppies? _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Considerations for Stud Dogs Considerations for Stud Dogs First, remember that it is extremely difficult to come up with a top quality stud dog that people want to use. After all, they will look around and pick out the best male they can find. So your dog has to be pretty impressive to be noticed in the competition. Your male should be in top condition. He should be certified clear of joint problems (and in many cases that means he has to be at least two years old). His eyes should be checked annually. He should be clear of any abnormalities common to his breed. No heart problems, no seizures, no thyroid problems, etc. He should be clear of brucellosis. His temperament should be good, and appropriate for his breed. If you have such a dog, you will need to get your dog well known. This generally involves showing your dog (in show, field, or obedience) and doing other work with him. An unproven dog (that has no previous puppies or only puppies too young to evaluate) will command a much lower stud dog fee than a proven dog (with a record of puppies to examine). You must be prepared to board the bitch. The common procedure is for the bitch to be shipped out to stud, so you will need facilities to board bitches in heat. These facilities should be adequate for up to a week of boarding and to prevent any mismating. You might wind up with more than one bitch at a time -- can you board them all safely? You must monitor the mating and be ready to intervene if necessary. Some breeds require intervention (such as Basset Hounds). Not all dogs or bitches understand what to do, especially if it is the first time for one or the other. It can be disastrous if two dogs are left alone to mate. Additionally, if the mating doesn't take, are you prepared to go through the whole thing again the next time the bitch comes into season? Typical contracts call for free repeat breeding in the case two or less puppies occur or the breeding doesn't take. You need to be able to evalate the bitch's pedigree for compatibility with your dog's. Any good points or bad points of the litter are (rightly or not) attributed to the sire, so your dog's reputation is at stake with each litter he sires. You should be reasonably confident that the proposed breeding will result in good puppies. If the owner of the bitch is a novice, are you prepared to assist with advice on whelping and puppy care? These people will expect you to have the answers. Sometimes entire litters of puppies are dumped on the stud dog owner when the bitch's owners can no longer cope with them because they didn't realize what a responsibility caring for a litter involved. Are you ready to take care of and place your dog's offspring if this should happen to you? Are you prepared to deal with cases where you are certain your dog is not the sire of the puppies but the bitch's owner insists that he is? Or if the owner of the bitch insists that you must have allowed a mismating to occur when she was boarded with you? Disputes of this sort can become very ugly very quickly. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Genetics Genetics If a purebred dog of breed X mated with a purebred dog of breed Y, both meeting health standards for their breed, is there a better chance the offspring would be healthier than a same breed mating because the gene pool is larger? In terms of health alone the first answer would be that in breeding two healthy dogs it shouldn't matter if they're the same of different breeds, you're apt to get healthy pups. But this doesn't take into account the question of recessives. Suppose you breed two dogs of different breeds that both have the same incidence of a recessive health problem. The pups would have the same odds of having that health problem as purebred pups of either breed. On the other hand, suppose the two dogs were of breeds that have no recessive health problems in common. This would reduce or eliminate the odds of the puppies of having the health problems of either breed. This is the classic explanation for the theory of first generation hybrid vigor. The resulting pups should not be bred though, since they'd have a good chance of having the recessives from BOTH breeds, so the grandpups would be inclined to be worse off than the purebred offspring of their grandparents. Another very important point to keep in mind is that when a purebred carrying a genetic defect is crossed with another breed or mixed breed, the "bad" genes do NOT "go away" even though they may not be expressed in the offspring. If crossed with another dog carrying the same defect, the offspring of that breeding will demonstrate the defect. Purebred dogs have all these diseases, though! It seems that you never hear about mixed breed dogs with problems. Responsible breeders try to identify genetic diseases their dogs might be carrying and to eliminate them by careful breeding. It is ironic, though not surprising, that their efforts to identify and weed out genetic problems have lead some to cry "look at all the genetic diseases purebred dogs have!" A moment's careful thought will lead you to the conclusion that mixed breeds carry the same harmful genes (their parents, or their parents' parents, were purebreds, after all). The differences are * with some recessive disorders (though not all genetic defects) the disease is less likely to be expressed (though it can still be inherited by offspring) * you have lesser likelihood of ever identifying or eliminating any harmful genes your mixed breed may be carrying Also, if you stop and think about it, many mixed breeds are simply not tested for most problems. When they get older and limp, it's just considered old age, although it could well be hip dysplasia. When they get older and start to go blind, it could be PRA, but the owners are unlikely to test for this. It's not that owners of mixed breeds are bad, by any means, but they are not looking for possible inheritable problems, either. When you breed two different breeds together, what kind of variation can you expect? Pfaffenberger's book has some interesting data on this. He did some experiments with four different breeds. They were dogs of approximately the same size, but very different physical appearance AND behavior. The results he saw in the first and in subsequent mixed generations are pretty interesting. Let's look at a common crossbreeding: "cockapoos" (which are not purebred dogs, nor registered with any registry). These are crosses between Cocker Spaniels and Minature or Toy Poodles. The dogs actually vary quite a bit, some being more poodle like than others, and some being more cocker like than others. However, they are generally all a small sized, buff colored shaggy dog. If you breed two cockapoos together (not generally done), you get an even wider variation of dogs -- some look like Minature Poodles, others like Cocker Spaniels. The reason for this is the recessive genes hidden in the first cross that came out in the second generation. This is actually a visual example of why "hybrid vigor" doesn't hold. What is outcrossing? Outcrossing is where the sire and dam are totally unrelated, preferably for three or four generations. The true form of an outcross is between two entirely different breeds because in reality the members of most registered breeds come from a common ancestor (althought it may be many, many generations back). It is very rare for outcrossed puppies to be uniform in appearance. Usually there are a very large ranges of sizes, coats, colors, markings, and other distinctive characteristics. Outcrossed litters are generally heterozygous, and do not reliably reproduce themselves, so even the nicest puppy in the litter may not later produce the best puppies. Outcrossing is generally used to introduce something new to a line -- a better head, better colors, better front, etc. Usually the puppies retained from these breedings are bred back into the breeder's original line to standardize them back into the line's general characteristics and reproducibility -- with the one desired characteristic. The tricky part is that other characteristics may come along for the ride! If you are dedicated enough, you can eventually continue breeding by outcrossing alone (but don't expect instant or quick results). You should pick dogs that complement eachother well and are similar in general appearance. This is a long hard road to eventually developing a line. Through outcrossing, many health problems can quickly be eliminated (or just as quickly added into your breeding), but usually you do sacrifice some show quality and producibility. You have to remember that dogs that appear totally healthy may be carriers of genetic problems. To find this out, test mating is done to a dog that is affected with the genetic problem (resulting usually in puppies that are both affected and non-affected carriers) or by inbreeding to a related dog that also doesn't show the signs of being affected (usually littermates are used) this will usually result in some puppies free of the problem, some puppies as carriers, and some puppies affected if both dogs carry the problem gene (this is not as accurate as breeding to an affected dog, but you are less likely to have to put all the puppies down). There are variations on outcrossing. A "true" outcross could be a dog that has totally unrelated dogs bred together throughout the pedigree. This is very rare. On the other hand, "linecrossing" is a form of outcrossing where dogs from unrelated lines are bred to produce a new line. The sire and dam are usually very linebred from their prospective lines and the resulting puppies are varied in appreance, some looking like the sire's line and some looking like the dam's line and some looking like mixtures of both lines. How about line breeding? Line breeding is when the sire and the dam are distantly related: e.g., grandsire to granddaughter, granddam to grandson, second cousins, half cousins, uncle to niece, aunt to nephew..... The general strategy is that there is a common ancestor that is being doubled up on both sides. So the desired dog appears several times in the pedigree. This is probably the most common strategy in breeding purebred dogs (and in developing new breeds, for that matter). Though this method, new genes are slowly introduced and unwanted genes are slowly replaced. The actual rate varies by how strongly you line breed. It sacrifices little overall quality in terms of show quality. Usually the puppies are rather close in general conformation. The only problem with this method is that it often takes several generations to get poor genes out, (or adding desired genes in) resulting in many puppies that have the same genetic problems (or virtues) that their parents have. And then because some breeders are more interested in winning, they do not place the affected puppies on spay/neuter contracts. This is both a blessing and a curse for the breed. If the breeder is very careful, affected pups can be used wisely to prevent loss of quality, but still remove the affected genes by only breeding the affected pups to known non-carrier relatives. This way the breeder can again try to "edit out" the bad genes. It takes longer this way but less show quality is lost in the process. This process results in dogs that will often reproduce their same level of quality. This is refered to as reaching homozygous litters (more genes of the same kind apparent in the puppies). Inbreeding and linebreeding really differ only in degree. Linebreeding is less likely to cause harm than inbreeding. Inbreeding is not for novices. Knowledge of genetics and the breed is required for success. For good results it must be well-planned and breeders must be ready for whatever problems it presents. And inbreeding? Inbreeding is where the sire and the dam are closely related: mother to son, father to daughter, sister to brother, half sister to half brother, cousin to cousin. People disgree about the exact point at which inbreeding becomes linebreeding. Inbreeding is the quickest way to find out what poor genes are in the line and what dominant characteristics are in the line. Although many people are disgusted with the idea of this family incest, it is an extremely useful tool for diagnosing what genes are present. If the genes for bad eyes are present, but hidden or resessive, this will bring them out to their full extent. If there isn't any bad genes, then the puppies will be of very close uniformity and very able to reproduce themselves (theroretically). This is a homozygous breeding. The resulting puppies will have a lot of genetic material that is the same as their parents and grandparents and will be close genetically to each other. Inbreeding doesn't introduce new genes and does not eliminate bad genes that the line already has. It only shifts them around like a rubix cube. This often results in litters with high show potential, if the quality was high to begin with. It shows you what recessives you have lurking in the dogs' backgrounds -- both good and bad. But there are drawbacks. Besides the possibility of bad recessives, inbreeding exclusively will eventually lead to infertility. It's like a xerox machine. After so many copies, you have to renew the ink. The same with dogs, you have to introduce new genes. No reputable breeder will use inbreeding exclusively, and many breeders simply never use it. Usually, you will only find: very experienced breeders, ignorant breeders, and puppy mills making use of this technique. Inbreeding increases the chance that a gene obtained from the sire will match one obtained from the dam, both stemming from the common ancestor(s) on which the individual was inbred. Thus, inbreeding tends to make animals homozygous rather than heterozygous. The inbreeding coefficient measures the resulting increase in homozygousity. All breeds have a given degree of homozygosity the mating of two dogs from the same breed would not produce a recognizable specimen of the breed! Inbreeding increases homozygosity and decrease heterozygosity. So it can duplicate both desirable and harmful alleles, both of which can be unsuspected in the line, and may appear. Inbreeding does NOT create anomalies, it brings present anomalies to the surface. Even when the anomalies are present, inbreeding might not reveal them. However, once revealed, then the breeder can do something about them in the next generations of breeding. An increase in harmful recessives is undesirable but it is not a major drawback if they are identified early. The effect of inbreeding on major polygenic traits is greater. Generally, traits that are highly inherited (ie largely additively controlled) are not adversely affected by inbreeding but, traits under non-additive control, especially those tied to dominance and thus not of high heritability, are often markedly harmed by inbreeding. OK, how do pedigrees figure into this? Remember that it is difficult to spot unaffected carriers. When an affected dog shows up, its pedigree is often examined for likely carriers. For example, PRA is a common problem in many breeds. There are dogs that come down with PRA that have a certain ancestor in common. That ancestor may then be considered a possible carrier and line breeding on him is avoided. This is a simplistic picture, obviously, since it's possible for an unaffected non-carrier of PRA to come from an unaffected carrier that came from an affected dog (therefore the affected dog is in the unaffected dog's pedigree). If a general blood test is ever developed that shows the presence of the recessive in an unaffected dog, then much more accurate breedings may be done; currently this is only possible for Irish Setters. There is rarely only a single problem a breeder is trying to screen for. Suppose a suspected carrier of PRA is known for producing excellent hips. A breeder might therefore introduce that bloodline into theirs for the hips, and be willing to have the possibility of PRA show up in the line. In screening out one problem you might have to accept the possibility of another appearing. Examining the pedigrees also lets you know what percent of ancestry the dogs share (since the relationships are often much more complex than simply cousins or aunt/uncle, the degree of common ancestry is often given as a percentage instead) and decide whether or not it's acceptable given your current goals. What are like-to-like matings and compensatory matings? Like to like mating implies the best to the best and the worst to the worst where the worst is not used at all. For most breeders, like to like matings are between dogs which resemble each other greatly and so similar type dogs are bred. These dogs may or may not be closely related. The pups resemble their parents because of the genes in common with them. If those parents resembled each other their progeny would be even more like their parents. This tends to make the population look more uniform, however there is little increase in prepotency from this technique. Compensatory Mating: This unlike to unlike mating is used by breeders to correct for a defect in an animal by mating it to another animal that might correct for the defect. The system is basically simple but the breeder must identify faults and virtues and it requires breed knowledge. The pedigrees of both dogs should be examined carfully to try to identify the ways in which the dogs differ and what the expected outcomes could be. A correct dog and not one who errs in the opposite direction is required. That is, if you want to improve structure, look for a dog with correct structure and not an overbuilt dog. This technique often results in only one or two pups with the combination desired. But this is all very vague and complicated! Yes, it is. There are no easy answers, and there are different things to consider in every breed. This uncertainty with respect to genetic inheritance is exactly the reason that breeding is so difficult to do right. It helps immensely to have a "mentor", someone who is familiar not only with the breeds, but the lines your dog belongs to -- advice from such a knowledgeable person is often extremely valuable. If we knew everything about genetics, we wouldn't have problems with our dogs any more. We'd eliminate Hip Dysplasia, PRA, heart problems, thyroid problems, seizures, etc. within a few generations if we knew everything. Unfortunately it's an art that few people are actually very good at. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - References References "So you want to use your Dog At Stud?" From the Literary Spot, the newsletter of the Central MD Dalmation Club 12/89 via Retriever Believer, the newsletter of the Labrador Retriever Club of Southern California 8/91. Tucker, Kathy. "Why are you Breeding?", printed in various newsletters. Whitney, Leon E (DVM). How to Breed Dogs 384 pg. Many case studies on breeds, breed crosses for dominance studies, Myths and fallacies about breeding dogs, inheritance of traits (such as temperament, health, intelligence, and abilities). Wilcox, Bonnie (DVM). "Things to Think about Before Breeding Your Dog." DVM, printed in various newsletters. Willis, Malcolm B. Practical Genetics for Dog Breeders. Howell, 1992. 228 pgs with appendix for calculations -- several graphs, charts, and pictures. Willis, Malcolm B. Genetics of the Dog. 417 pgs with breed specific information on many breeds -- plus several charts and graphs. _________________________________________________________________ Breeding Your Dog FAQ Cindy Tittle Moore, tittle@netcom.com @START@Getting a Dog - TOC GETTING A DOG Table of Contents * In General * What Kind of Dog Should I Get? * What are My Responsibilities? * Where Do I Get One? * Where Do I NOT Get One? * How Do I Find a Good Veterinarian? * How Do I Introduce Several Pets? * What Supplies Do I Need for my Dog? * What Kind of Pet ID Should I Use? * What Is Crating? * What About Dog Houses? _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - In General In General This article is intended to provide anyone contemplating a new dog, whether a puppy or an adult, with useful information. There are more detailed FAQ articles with further information if you get a puppy (new-puppy) or an adult (new-dog). The very *best* of the recommended books are the Monks of New Skete books. Excellent general information books are: In the US, look at 1995 DOGS USA Annual for about USD $5.95. The publishers are the same folks who put out Dog Fancy. Includes a list of breeders, description of breeds, a directory of trainers and much more. In Canada, the corresponding booklet is Dogs Annual in Canada. This includes information on breeders and descriptions for every breed, how to choose a breeder, directory of trainers, basic training and health care information, and more. It is an annual that becomes available about the first week of December, and retails for about CND $6. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - What Kind of Dog Should I Get? What Kind of Dog Should I Get? FACTORS TO CONSIDER There is an enormous variety of dogs in shape, size, personality, and abilities. Different breeds will have certain characteristics for which they were bred. Ask breeders at dog shows and look them up in breed books for further information. You must consider several things before deciding on a dog: * How much time can you spend with it? Dogs are social creatures. They will not be happy left out in the back yard alone. You must be committed to spending several hours a day with it. * What space can you provide it? If you live in a small apartment, you must take this into consideration: larger breeds and active breeds will not do well unless you expend a good deal of effort in meeting their needs. Larger dogs may also be more destructive in smaller spaces, even unintentionally with wagging tails. Dogs can be pretty adaptable so long as *you* help them out. Large dogs can do well in smaller areas if you make sure that their needs are met. * How much money can you set aside for it? Even if you get a dog from the shelter or otherwise inexpensively, you will have to buy food, pay for veterinary checkups, vaccinations and routine medical care, and purchase other equipment over the lifetime of the dog. Not to mention replacing anything the dog may damage or destroy, or putting money out for medical emergencies. Do you have the financial resources for this? * How much exercise can you give it? If your time is limited, you should look for smaller or less active dogs that can obtain enough exercise in your home or from short walks. Note that not all small dogs are less active, or larger dogs more active; research your breeds! * How much training can you do? Regardless of the dog you get, training will make your dog much more compatible with you and what you want to do. A trained dog can go to more places with you without disruption, and can be more easily a part of your life. * How much grooming can you do? How much hair are you prepared to have in your home? You should give serious consideration to these factors: some dogs shed little and require no grooming (clipping, stripping, etc); others shed little but require more grooming; others shed but do not require grooming; and still others both shed and require grooming. Do note that just about all dogs will require some nail clipping regardless of conditions. If you get a dog that requires regular grooming, are you prepared to pay for its grooming or learn to do it yourself and to do either regularly? * Which sex do you want, male or female? There are pros and cons to either sex, all of which are generalities and may or may not apply to a specific dog. By all means, if you have a preference, get the sex you want. If you are not sure, it really doesn't matter -- look for the dog you hit it off with. * What characteristics do you want in a dog? Different breeds have been bred with specific purposes in mind. Dogs bred for scent, for racing, for retrieving, etc, will exhibit these traits. Consider which characteristics you would like and which will annoy you. Reading up on dogs in breed books (some are listed below) and talking to breeders will give you some idea of these kinds of characteristics. This also may be a reason to choose a purebred: characteristics in purebreds appear more reliably because of their consistent breeding. Do recognize, however, that dogs show individual personalities, and variety exists within each breed. Breeds are only a general indicator of what to expect. Some questions to ask yourself: + What sort of exercise do I want to do with the dog? Walking? Jogging? Hiking? + Do I want a dog that is bouncy and ready to go, or more relaxed? + Am I prepared for a dog with some protective tendencies? How about a dog with possible dog-aggression (because of its background or breed)? + Do I want an indiscriminantly friendly dog or one that is more reserved? + Do I want a dog that must be near me whenever possible or do I prefer a more independent nature? + Will I want a dog that readily accepts other animals (e.g., cats, rabbits, etc.)? + Am I interested in: obedience, agility, hunting, herding, coursing, showing, etc. with this dog? PUREBRED OR MIXED-BREED DOGS If you are interested in a purebred dog, you should pick up a book on dog breeds (most libraries will have a good selection) and do some research, with the above questions in mind. There are some breed-specific FAQ's available. Finally, you should SERIOUSLY consider attending a dog show where not only can you potentially contact breeders, but you can see ADULT specimens of the breed you are considering. It's very important to remember that cute little puppies remain cute little puppies only for a matter of weeks. There is a long period of ungainly and rebellious adolescence finally followed by mellow adulthood. If the dog's breed is not important to you, you should still consider the above list when choosing the dog. You do face a few more unknowns since a mixed-breed puppy (e.g., a "mutt") may or may not clearly exhibit what its adult characteristics will be. Many people have strong feelings about purebred dogs, especially the characteristics of the breed. Other people feel that the "stereotypes" are overrated. Jon Pastor made some nice comments about the usefulness and caveats of typical breed behaviors: ARE BEHAVIORS COMMONLY ASCRIBED TO SPECIFIC BREEDS BASED IN FACT OR ARE THEY JUST STEREOTYPES? They are really a bit of both: they are informal statistical descriptions (i.e., stereotypes), and to the extent that they reflect reality they're also facts. "Stereotypes" -- or, more simply, "types" -- can be, but are not necessarily, evil: it depends on how you use them. Typical means "characteristic of the type," and is a statistical abstraction; it does not have any normative implications -- i.e., there is no claim that all (or even most) examples of the type in question have the characteristics that are stated to be typical. One of the ways in which people make sense of the world is by comparing entities they encounter with the types they've stored in their memories in order to identify them; it's a remarkably effective way of compiling knowledge about an infinitely complex environment so that it can be accessed quickly enough to (in the extreme) save one's life. Thus "typical" is a largely ad-hoc, somewhat personal label, until it is agreed-upon by some number of people who share the same notion of what common characteristics identify the "typical" object of a particular kind. If we could eliminate the biases that have been identified in such behavior (e.g., if the last 20 dogs you've seen have been Borzois, you will most likely over-estimate the true number of Borzois in the dog population), we would find that "typical" approximated some statistical tendency in the population we're addressing, typically the mean (average) or mode (most common). If you pick some characteristic and look in a particular population to see how many individuals have different levels of that characteristic, you'll find that when you graph the results they look like this (more or less): no. | | | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * --+---------------------------+------------------------------------------------ score There will be some value that occurs most frequently (the mode); in the case of a perfectly symmetric curve like the one above, this value will also be the average (mean). Symmetric curves like this occur surprisingly frequently, so I'll continue to use it as an example. For example, let's say that you want to plot the aggressiveness of various breeds. First, you have to come up with a way of ranking dogs on aggressiveness [an exercise left to the reader ;-)], and then for each breed you score a large number of dogs on aggressiveness and plot the results: no. with score | | * | | * | * o | * | * o | o | * | * o | o | * | * o | o | * | * o | o | * | o* | o | * | o * | o | * |o *| o | * o | | * o --+---------------------------+-------------------+---------------------------- "aggressiveness" score Here, breed 1 is represented by '*' and breed 2 is represented by 'o'. Notice a couple of things: 1. the centers of the two curves are clearly separated, from which you'd conclude that the breeds differ to some degree in aggressiveness 2. there is some overlap, so that the most aggressive breed 1 dogs are substantially more agressive than the average breed 2 dog, and the least aggressive breed 2 dogs are substantially less aggressive than the average breed 1 dog. The significance you attribute to the results depends on the shape and position of the curves, but in most cases there will be substantial variation within groups and at least some overlap between groups. Now, by doing this in N dimensions you can play the same game on as many characteristics as you wish, and make statistically meaningful statements about tendencies of one particular breed or typical differences between breeds. By doing so, you are *NOT* saying that 1. all dogs of a particular breed have all -- or, in fact, *any* --of the "typical" levels of each characteristic 2. there is necessarily any real dog that has all of the "typical" levels of each characteristic 3. it is impossible for a dog of breed 2 to have some -- or, in fact, *all* -- of the typical characteristics of breed 1 This is not a True/False situation, it's an infinitely-graded situation. If you get a dog of that particular breed, the modal (typical) value is simply the one you'd be most *likely* to get. A big caveat: breed traits are not computed scientifically, and are thus not quite subject to the laws of Statistics. However, they do reflect the cumulative wisdom of hundreds (thousands?) of years of human observation and active breeding of dogs. The bottom line is that if you get an Newfoundland, it is highly likely that it will be a good lifesaving dog; it is possible, although less likely, that it will be a *great* lifesaving dog; and it is also possible, although also less likely, that it will show no aptitude for lifesaving. Similar statements hold for "typical" traits of sight hounds, Rotts, Poodles, GSDs, Goldens, Irish Setters, and any other breed you can think of. If you use this "stereotype" information to inform your choice of a dog, and make some effort to determine how "typical" a given dog is likely to be of its breed (by looking at parents and siblings, by observing the dog, by asking the owner, etc., etc.), it's innocuous and can be quite useful. If you use it blindly to make blanket judgements of breeds, use of stereotypes can be foolish. In the extreme, if you don't understand the meaning of the characteristics, or have mis-identified or mis-measured them, use of stereotypes can be positively evil, such as when "all Pitbulls" are identified as dangerous and banned. The only conclusion that this discussion licenses with respect to the purebred-vs.-mixed-breed question is that prediction is easier with a purebred because the number of purebreds is (relatively) small and (relatively) fixed, while the number of possible mixes is essentially infinite; as a result, there has been more observation of individual "pure" breeds, and there is consequently more data to support generalizations about breed characteristics. This is not, by any means, to say that purebreds are necessarily better or worse; they're just more predictable. So if you want a dog with a particular set of characteristics, you will be more likely to get such a dog if you find a breed that typically has those characteristics and choose a dog of that breed *intelligently* than if you choose a dog of mixed breeds (unless, of course, you're talking about an older dog whose behavioral characteristics are already obvious and therefore observable). This is a statement about probability, not about quality, and anyone who attempts to apply an absolute value-scheme to it is making unwarranted and unjustifiable extrapolations. Statistics is a powerful weapon. As with any other such weapon, use it ignorantly or indiscriminately at your peril... BOOKS Listed here some good references on dog breeds; others appear in the Publications FAQ. In addition, there are many that are specific to one breed. Space prohibits listing any of these type of dog books here, but you should look up breed specific books on the breeds you are especially interested in for even more detailed information. The breed specific FAQ's mentioned in the introduction will contain recommended pointers. One word of warning on breed specific books. In general, avoid the TFH "KW" series readily available in most pet stores. These are small books, about 150 pages. Most of them recommend pet stores as a source for puppies, blithely talk of the "joys" of breeding, and contain very little actual breed-specific information. Instead there is a large amount of general information repeated from book to book, and what amounts to advertising for a number of brands of dog products. Leaf through the book carefully before deciding (or not) to buy it. De Prisco, Andrew and James B. Johnson. The Mini-Atlas of Dog Breeds. TFH Publications, One TFH Plaza, Neptune City, NJ 07753 (1990). ISBN:0-86622-091-7 (hardcover). This book lists and describes over 500 breeds from around the world. Abundantly illustrated with color drawings and photos. Includes a short forward on what criteria you should consider in choosing a breed, and a short description of the categories it chose to group dogs in (slightly different from, eg. AKC groupings). Mandeville, John J., and Ab Sidewater, eds. The Complete Dog Book: official publication of the American Kennel Club. Eighteenth edition. Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York. 1992. This is the reference for the AKC breed standards, each of which covers several pages and includes a black and white photograph and text on the breed's history, characteristics, and nature. Newly admitted breeds, such as the Shar-Pei, have been added to this edition. Sylvester, Patricia, ed. The Reader's Digest Illustrated Book of Dogs. Revised edition. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., Pleasantville, NY. 1989. ISBN 0-89577-340-6. 384 pages. Besides the excellent text and illustrations in the album, which cover 2 pages for each breed (175 total), the informative sections are also well-written and illustrated and include many color photographs as well. Tortora, Daniel F. The Right Dog For You. Fireside, Simon & Schuster Trade Books. 1983. ISBN 0-671-47247-X. Offers a complex decision procedure, with lots of questionnaires to alert you to the potential significance of various features of breed behavior and physical characteristics. One of the few that lists potential problems of each breed rather than giving a glowingly positive one for each. Wilcox, Bonnie and Chriss Walkowicz. Atlas of Dog Breeds. TFH Publications. Over 900 pages long in large format. The authors are top notch writers and did extensive research to compile this comprehensive resource of the world's dog breeds. The book is profusely illustrated with excellent quality photographs and a 3-5 page article. This book makes a good effort to show every color and every coat type of each breed in the various photos. Expensive. The latest edition is out in two volumes. Project BREED Directory. Network for Ani-Males and Females, 18707 Curry Powder Lane, Germantown, MD 20874, 301-428-3675. There is a section on each breed (over 100 listed) listing specific breed rescue organizations and individuals throughout the US. It also describes each breed's appearance, origins, traits, and the most common hereditary health problems for that breed. No pictures. Check or money order ($15.95 plus $1.50 s/h) for a copy. VIDEOS The AKC Breed Identification Series is a set of seven short video cassettes that give a brief overview of each breed of dog recognized by the AKC. The tapes are categorized by AKC breed groupings (sporting, working...) The segments for each breed last less than five minutes each. The information is often erratically presented and incomplete. The tape set is probably unavailable at video rental stores. Since the set of seven tapes is probably quite expensive, the public library would be the best way to examine these tapes. Some breed clubs have much better videos describing their breeds. They are expensive enough that it's probably not worth getting them if you're still "browsing," but if you have a dog of that breed, they're often quite nice to get ahold of. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - What are My Responsibilities? What are My Responsibilities? There are responsibilities that go along with being a good dog owner. A dog will live from 10 to 20 years, depending on its breed, size and general health. This is a long term commitment, and you must be ready to provide the dog with a home for that duration. You must make provisions for it when you go on vacation. It needs attention, love, and respect from you: feeding and watering it are not enough. Consider it part of your family: this is no joke as that is exactly what the dog thinks YOU are: its pack, its family. * You are responsible for its health. An essential part of owning a dog is making sure that it gets good medical care. Check the vets in your area and pick out one before you even get your dog. Take your dog in to the vet immediately after acquiring it and take it in regularly thereafter. You will have expenses for yearly shots and, in many areas, heart-worm preventive. Puppies and dogs routinely die without adequate veterinary care. If you get your dog for protection, you are obligated to make sure that it is safe, reliable, and trustworthy around people. Never chain it up in the back yard, or encourage it to snarl and bite other people. Never try to make a dog "vicious." Such irresponsible treatment results in tragic stories of children and adults being mauled or even killed, the dog being put down, and various dog bans being enacted. A dog can protect you just fine by barking at suspicious noises and allowing you to investigate. It does not have to be vicious. A good protection dog is always well trained, properly socialized, and has a relationship with its owner that encourages it to be protective. Higher levels of protection (such as attack dogs) require considerable training and experienced handling and are most definitely not for everyone. * You are responsible for your dog's reproduction. You must either get it neutered, or make provisions for keeping your bitch away from dogs when in heat. If your male is intact, you must keep him under control when he smells a bitch in heat. If you breed, you are responsible for making sure that your dog or bitch is suitable for breeding (i.e., good health, good temperament, good specimen of the breed, and free of genetic defects), and making sure that all resulting puppies are placed in good homes. The millions of dogs that must be put down annually in the US are the result of owner irresponsibility about their pet's reproduction. * You are responsible for your pet's behavior. This means keeping your dog under control. Do not let it roam; do not let it become a nuisance to others in your neighborhood. Keep it on a leash when walking so that it does not run up to other people or dogs and bother them. Clean up after it or curb it (make it go in the gutter) when it eliminates, *especially* in public areas. Many parks, beaches, and lakes are closed to dogs because of irresponsible owners in this regard. * You are still responsible for the dog when you "get one for your kid." Unless your child is old enough, at least 13 (and highly variable at that), she or he will not have the sufficient maturity to take responsibility for the dog. A dog can be a good way to teach children about responsibility, but the dog is still *your* main responsibility. Dogs acquired for this reason often wind up in the shelters when the parents find out that they are the dog's primary caretaker. * You are responsible for becoming more knowledgeable about dogs. Find some good books and read up. Enroll in puppy and dog classes where you can learn much from the instructor; attend them even before you get a dog or puppy for first hand knowledge of what you can expect. Many dogs are in animal shelters with a note that says "couldn't be housebroken" or "couldn't be trained." * You are responsible for being prepared for the new dog . Never get one as a "surprise gift." All members of your family must agree on having a dog. Have food, water and food dishes, bedding, collars and leashes, chew toys, and a veterinarian lined up before you pick up your dog. Many "Christmas puppies" are found in the shelters by New Year's Day. Some books to try: Milani, Myrna M., DVM. The Weekend Dog. Signet (Penguin Books USA, Inc.) (1985). ISBN: 0-451-15731-1 (paperback). This book outlines practical solutions for working people with dogs. It has excellent suggestions for understanding dog behavior, particularly destructive or unwanted behavior. Gives all kinds of practical solutions to the problems of adequate exercise, adequate training, housetraining, and so forth. Miller, Harry. The Common Sense Book of Puppy and Dog Care. Bantam Books, Third Edition (revised) (1987). ISBN: 0-553-27789-8 (paperback). This small book provides a surprising amount of useful information. A little on the "lightweight" side, nevertheless, it gives a good outline of what you should know about your puppy or dog. You can use this to decide how much you do know and where you need to brush up on what you don't. Besides sections on how to select the right dog, it covers basic puppy needs (housetraining, feeding, illnesses), basic training, basic pet care, and a complete list of AKC breeds. Monks of New Skete, The. How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend. Little, Brown & Company. 1978. ISBN: 0-316-60491-7 (hardback). A monastery in upstate New York breeds, raises, and trains German Shepherd Dogs. On the basis of their considerable experience, they offer troubleshooting guides, discuss discipline, environmental restrictions, basic and puppy training, and much more. Extensive bibliography. The emphasis is on understanding the dog in order to communicate with it or to solve problem behavior. An excellent, well written classic, although becoming a little dated. Taylor, David. You and Your Dog. Alfred A. Knopf, New York (1991). ISBN:0-394-72983-8 (trade paperback). This useful book is an overall guide to the health and care of dogs. It includes a basic listing of dog breeds (AKC). This is a good general purpose book that gives you an idea of what all is involved in owning and caring for a dog. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Where Do I Get One? Where Do I Get One? There are really only three places that you should get a dog from: an animal shelter, a reputable breeder, or a rescue organization. Typically, dogs from shelters or rescue organizations are neutered, or you will be required to neuter them as condition of purchase. ANIMAL SHELTERS The animal shelter is a good place to pick up a dog and save it from death in the bargain. Look for a clean, healthy dog, keeping in mind any constraints you may have. Look for signs of friendliness and liveliness. Does it approach you in a friendly manner? Talk with the people caring for the animals for any information on a particular animal they can give you. The best thing to do is to go the animal shelter every weekend and spend time with the dogs. Try to put their plight out of your mind for the moment--it would be nice to save them all, but you can't. Instead, you should get to know the dogs on an individual basis. Read the tags on each cage and see whether the dog was a stray, or whether its owner turned it in for some reason. There are some beautiful adult dogs in the pound that have been given up reluctantly by ill or elderly, or even deceased, owners. Don't overlook these! Ask to see the dog in the holding area most shelters have. You'll be able to check for signs of hostility, see if the dog knows anything, and in general how it reacts to you. Expect some fear and nervousness! A few doggy treats may help calm it. If things seem to be going well, ask if you can take it on a walk, even just around the compound. If you are curious to know its reaction to cats, take it by the cat compound. Finally, don't be afraid to say "not this dog," and walk away. It is hard, hard, hard to walk away from a sweet dog, but you are looking for a companion for life, so you will have to be honest with yourself about what you want. There are horror stories from people who made an impulsive decision in the pound and lived to regret it. BREEDERS If you plan to show your dog, or desire a healthy pet-quality purebred, find a reputable breeder. Don't use newspaper advertisements. Attend dog shows instead and talk to the owners there. Try contacting the local breed club for the breed you are interested in. It's best to get to know several breeders before they actually have litters you would like to get puppies from. This gives you a chance to learn more about the breed, learn more about the philosophies and intents of the breeders you know, and learn more about the prospective parents of your pup. The more information you have, the better off you will be. The AKC has implemented a new program for breeder referral. The number is 1-900-407-PUPS. Tell them the breed you are interested in and where you live and they will give you the number of a person in your area who will help you locate a reputable breeder near you. The idea is to connect potential dog owners with local breed clubs and in turn responsible breeders. Remember, though no breeder is *automatically* responsible or reputable just from the source you were referred from. You must determine whether a particular breeder is suitable for your needs, and the more time and research you put into this, the better your results will be. Selecting the breeder After you compile a list of potential breeders to contact, screen them through the phone first. Here's a list of questions to ask (in no particular order). * Can you see the dam and if possible the sire? * Where are the pups being raised, in a family setting or in a kennel? * What health problems occur in the breed? * Have these problems been checked in the parents? As appropriate: OFA certification, CERF certification, blood tests, etc. * Request a copy of the sire and dam's lineage/pedigree. * Titles on sire and dam. * Info on puppies the sire and dam (together or with other mates) have previously produced? (That is, are either of the parents "proven"?) * Has the puppy been crated trained, paper trained, etc. * What breed clubs do you belong to? Do you have references? * How many puppies were in the litter? * Any difficulties during delivery? * How often is the bitch bred? * What guarantees do you offer on your animals? * What is in your sales contract? * Do you offer a spay/neuter contract for pet quality puppies? * Have they been to the vet yet? Wormed? Shots? Are the dogs bred for the ring, field, or for general pet purposes? * How many breedings have you done to date? How long have you been breeding? Names and phone numbers of several customers, and the vet you use. * How many different breeds have you bred? How many breeds are you breeding now? * If for some reason I cannot keep the dog, will you take it back, no matter how old it is? * If I want a bitch puppy so I can breed her as an adult, what kind of, if any, restrictions will you include in the sales contract? * Do you have a litter available? If not, when are you planning one? (If a litter isn't presently available, ask if/when they are next planning to show their dogs in your area. If you can go, this is a golden opportunity to observe the structure and temperament of the dogs they breed.) When you meet with breeders, look for people that seem more concerned with the welfare of their dogs than the amount of money they're making. Look for ones raising the puppies "underfoot" and around people. If the breeder is using kennels, check for cleanliness, happy dogs, no overcrowding, shelter from the elements, plenty of fresh water. Check and see how many different breeds the breeder is breeding -- good breeders limit themselves to one or two (usually related) breeds because of the time, expense, and energy involved in producing excellent specimens of a particular breed. Otherwise, the breeder may be operating what is essentially a puppy mill (check this against how often the dam is being bred & what condition she is in). A reputable breeder should have some history of breeding animals. They may be breeding for show or field work or just plain good pets. They should be able to tell you about some of their previous puppies. They should be able and willing to discuss the health and well being of the parents of your puppy including: eye conditions, hip dysplasia, etc. In general, be suspicious of puppies from anyone who has not had the parents at minimum x-rayed for hip dysplasia and had the eyes checked by a veterinarian, or for other problems associated with the breed. Not all breeds have the same problems, but breeders should know what they are and be able to tell you which ones they've tested for. And if you've done your homework beforehand, you'll know if they're checking the right things. Get references of previous clients and call them up and ask them how they liked their dog. Don't overlook this step, you can learn a lot about what the puppies are like and how well they did this way. A reputable breeder should have no problem supplying you with such references. You should be able to see one or both parents of your puppy; their temperament will give you a good idea of your puppy's adult temperament. Obedience and temperament titles can indicate good temperament. Being unable to see the sire is not uncommon, picky breeders will often ship their bitch cross-country to a good prospect. If both parents are owned by the breeder (and those are the only two), chances are this breeder is a backyard breeder. Check for some basic health problems: a litter that was larger than the breed average may mean that the puppies are smaller and not as healthy, a small litter might indicate trouble during pregnancy. A litter of size one or two means that the puppies are getting little or no socialization with littermates, regardless of health. The puppies should look vigorous and be strongly sucking, beware of listless (though sleeping is OK) puppies and indifferent suckling. Try to see the puppies when they're likely to be active. "Runts" are puppies that are significantly smaller than their littermates. If they are otherwise healthy (actively rooting and sucking, playing with littermates, etc.), then they are probably simply younger than their siblings. When dogs are bred, they mate over a period of several days, and it's possible for some of the puppies to be concieved on the first mating and others on subsequent matings. Over a period of four days, this can make the youngest puppy significantly smaller. These puppies frequently catch up several months later, and it's not uncommon for such a pup to turn out to be the largest one in the litter! Puppies that are runts due to health problems should be avoided. A reputable breeder will let you know which kind of runt the pup is. Puppies should be at minimum dewormed by eight weeks of age. The first set of puppy shots is desireable as well. Beware of breeders who have not had a vet see the puppies (or mother) at all. Many responsible breeders only guarantee the general health of a pup for a limited time (e.g. 48 hours). This is not a rip-off. The breeder has no control over the pup once the new owner takes it. Reputable breeders will stand by that guarantee *if* the new owner takes the pup to a vet who finds something wrong (e.g. a communicable disease) within that period but the breeder can hardly be held responsible for a disease contracted after the pup is in its new home. Thus, such an early trip to the vet is for the protection of all concerned. Guaranteeing against genetic defects is common: such a guarantee generally means a refund or replacement in the case of a defect occurring; it does NOT mean that the puppy will "never" develop a genetic defect. Be wary of breeders that claim their puppies can never develop some defect that does occur in the breed. The breeder should also guarantee to take the puppy back if you are unable to keep it rather than having it go to the pound. The breeder should also be concerned about your living conditions and what you plan to use the dog for before they allow their puppy to go live with you. Many breeders will want to know what you plan to do about reproduction. Many will require that a pet quality puppy be neutered, and withhold registry papers until receipt of proof of neutering (thus making any puppies from that dog unregisterable). If guarantees or other contracts (such as spay/neuter) are involved, get it all down in writing. A responsible breeder will not be offended by such a step. If something goes wrong, you have no legal recourse if there is nothing in writing, verbal contract laws in some states to the contrary. If you're planning on a puppy for show (conformation or hunting or whatever else your breed does) and possible breeding, look for a breeder that is very picky about selling such puppies. If this is your first such puppy, expect an offer of co-ownership if they think you're serious. At the minimum, the breeder should be discussing how they'll remain involved with the puppy. This is a valuable resource, by the way, the breeder will be able to explain what the puppy's pedigree means, what other dogs it should be bred to, how to show it, and so on. Moreover, if you are planning something like this, definitely take your time and get to know several breeders doing the same things you are interested in. This will give you contacts, information, and a break when a good litter comes along and the breeders know you or you are vouched for by another breeder. It can be hard to "break into" showing and breeding, but a little patience on your part will give better results. Good breeders often have a waiting list of potential puppy buyers and often will not breed until they know they can place all the resulting puppies. If you find a breeder you like, do not be surprised if you are placed on a waiting list for a puppy. The wait will be worth it! Approach getting a puppy as if you were adopting a child. Expect a lot of questions and ASK a lot of questions! A responsible breeder is also looking for a responsible owner. Selecting the puppy Many breeders let you see and play with the entire litter at once. One puppy may come right up to you and investigate. Of course, it's cute -- all puppies are. You may think this puppy has "chosen" you. Instead, it's likely to be the most dominant puppy in the litter. Dominant puppies will check new things out before the rest of the litter does. Your "chosen" puppy may not be right for you if you're a novice at dog ownership or obedience training. A better way to select a pup from a litter is to do a little temperament testing and pick the dog with the temperament that best meets you and your family's needs. The Monks of New Skete's book, "The Art of Raising a Puppy," discusses the Puppy Aptitude Test developed by Joachim and Wendy Volhard. They indicate the degree of social compatability and how readily a pup will accept human leadership. If the breeder picks a puppy out for you, that's also normal: reputable ones will have evaluated their puppies and match one to you based on what you've indicated you want. RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS Another excellent source for a purebred dog is from a rescue organizations run by various clubs across the country. If it is a breed rescue, dogs of that breed are rescued from shelters or private homes as needed, fostered while a placement is found, and then placed. The adoption fee usually is less than the cost of a purebred from other sources. For addresses of rescue services for various breeds, call the American Kennel Club library, 212-696-8348, or check the breed-specific FAQ, if one exists for your breed. You can also check the BREED book (listed above); it contains over 1500 sources for rescue assistance for 72 breeds throughout the US. Breed clubs often run a rescue program; try contacting the local breed club for the breed you're interested in. There also exist all-breed and mixed-breed rescue groups; this is another source besides the shelter to obtain a dog. You should try to spend some time with each dog you consider adopting, as recommended and described for shelter dogs. Talk to the people who are fostering the prospective dog for a better idea of the particular dog's temperament. Ask questions like you would with a breeder; expect a good outfit to screen you as well. Expect them to ask for a donation and require that the animal is neutered, if it isn't already. Further breed-rescue resources: The newsgroup rec.pets.dogs.rescue; the mailing list dog-rescue (see the Email List FAQ); the November 1994 issue of the AKC Gazette. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Where Do I NOT Get One? Where Do I NOT Get One? BACKYARD BREEDERS People who have unplanned litters or breed for profit advertise their puppies in the paper. This is not a good source. If you must try these, check the health of the puppies carefully. As with breeders, look for people more concerned with the welfare of the puppies -- people out for a fast buck will not likely have seen to the health of the puppies. If you are looking for a purebred, forget the backyard breeders and find a reputable breeder instead. It will save you time and money and heartache. If you don't care about having a purebred, you will do better at the animal shelter. It is not impossible that you will find a conscientious breeder through the newspaper. Just check them carefully when you go and visit them, like you would any other breeder. DISREPUTABLE BREEDERS Any breeder that has in mind one single goal and breeds only for that must be considered disreputable. Many backyard breeders (goal = money) fall into this category, but so do: * Those who breed ONLY for the perfect show dog * Those who breed ONLY for top performance The key word is ONLY. Reputable breeders seek a balanced dog: they will breed for: * proper conformation (good structure is key for comfortable and free movement) * good level of appropriate ability (if a hunting breed, dogs in the pedigree have hunting titles or have been used for hunting; same for herding, coursing, etc.) * good overall temperament * good health Disreputable breeders with a single goal in their view will frequently sacrifice many of these points; a breeder seeking top performance often lets temperament or health slide, just so long as the dog can perform; a breeder seeking top show dogs may let the dog's abilities and health slide. Examine your breeders carefully and go with the ones that match your overall philosophy and goals! PET STORES Don't buy pet store animals. These are often obtained from disreputable sources such as "puppy mills" (where animals are bred (and bred and bred) only for profit). By buying from the store, you are supporting these mills and adding to the pet population problem. In addition, you are obtaining an animal of dubious health and any money you might save will likely go directly into vet costs as its health deteriorates and you may even have to put it down. If it is purebred and has papers, chances are very good that the papers have been forged in some way and even that the puppy is not really purebred. Even if the papers are legitimate, the pedigrees are often extremely poor. Many behavioral problems appear in these puppies as they are carelessly bred, separated too early from their mother and littermates, improperly handled, unsocialized with either humans or dogs, and forced to live in their own feces. A graphic article in LIFE Magazine (Sept. 1992) illustrates the kinds of problems with puppy mills. Many pet stores have been instructing their employees to tell prospective clients that all the animals in the store are from local breeders. In many cases, this is simply not true. Other stores will have pictures and commentaries on their walls to inform you how clean and sanitary THEIR puppy mills are -- but "clean and sanitary" still does not obviate the problems with socialization and bloodlines. Don't be fooled! And you may not even want to patronize the stores for pet supplies as this will indirectly support the mills, too. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - How Do I Find a Good Veterinarian? How Do I Find a Good Veterinarian? Before you even bring your new dog home, take it to the vet you have already selected. Annual shots and examinations are a must for keeping your dog healthy. If you cannot afford veterinary care for a dog, don't get one. Preventive and consistent care is less expensive in the long run. CHOOSING A VET Choose a vet who you are comfortable with and who will answer your questions. Check out the office: do animals seem just frightened or are they also out of control? Is it bedlam, or reasonable for the number of different animals there? Do you have local recommendations from friends? Does the vet specialize in small animals as opposed to, say, livestock? Try to get word-of-mouth recommendations. Asking other pet owners isn't always effective because they may not have had any unusual or challenging health problems with their pets, and vets that can be okay for routine stuff often are less impressive with unusal stuff. Call vets in your area and ask the vet techs, not the vets themselves, who they would recommend other than their own current employer. Another good source is groomers, as they tend to hear a lot of stories from their clients. If you find the recommended vet is very expensive, he probably owns the practice. Try one of the associates. They tend not to run up the bills so much, and a good vet will usually hire good associates as well. Look for a vet who is willing to refer you elsewhere if they don't know the answers rather then saying something like "It must be an allergy", etc. Check to see if the vet is licensed by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association). They do extensive and picky inspections of the facilities. 24 HOUR EMERGENCY CARE A good vet will either be associated with a 24 emergency care plan or be able to give you the number of a good place in your area. Keep this number on your refrigerator and check with your vet when you visit that it's still up-to-date. FECAL SAMPLES Any time you bring your dog to the vet, try to bring a fresh fecal sample. Put a small, fingernail-sized sample into a plastic bag, or ask your vet for a supply of fecal samplers. The vet cannot always get a fecal sample from the dog, and this saves you extra trips to return the sample and then bring the dog in if the tests are positive. Try an ordinary sandwich bag (e.g. a "Baggie" -- ziplock is convenient but not necessary) and turn it inside out over your hand like a rubber glove. Then simply pick up the stool with your covered hand, turn the bag right-side out, enclosing the sample. Zip if ziplock otherwise use a twist tie. This is perfectly sanitary (and you can use the same procedure to clean up after your dog on walks). _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - How Do I Introduce Several Pets? How Do I Introduce Several Pets? When you get your new dog, you might already have pets that you will need to introduce the new dog to. Exactly what you will need to do depends on the kinds and temperaments of the animals involved. Introducing a puppy to an older dog is probably the easiest combination. If the older dog is properly socialized with other dogs, you will not have problems. If the older dog is not, you may have to keep the dogs separated until you're more confident about their getting along. (In any case, a puppy will often be restrained as per housetraining efforts when you are not at home.) If you are introducing a puppy to a cat, you will probably have some trouble for a few months. Older cats, unless they've dealt well with dogs before will probably hiss and spit at the puppy or avoid it for a long time. As long as the cat has a place to retreat to and you teach the puppy to leave the cat alone (granted, easier said than done), you will work through problems eventually. Puppies and kittens tend to get along just fine. Watch out for possible accidental injuries if the puppy is (or will become) much bigger than the cats. If you are introducing an adult dog to an adult dog, it will depend on their temperament and how well they get along with other dogs. You might have some scuffles to establish a hierarchy -- keep an eye on it but don't forbid it unless things get out of hand. If one dog reacts very poorly to the other, you will have to separate them for a while and work on introducing them slowly. You may have to keep them separate when you are gone. An adult dog with a cat can present problems if the dog thinks cats make tasty snacks, or if the cat takes a dim view of dogs. You may have to keep them separated, or expect a longer period of adjustement. If the dog is fine with cats, introducing it to a kitten is easy. In sum, it depends on the temperament and ages of the animals involved. In most cases, you can simply introduce them, let them work it out, and after a week to a month or so, things are fine. However, sometimes this is a lengthy process that you will have to work through, especially if it is cross-species. In general, this will work: Put the dog in its own room, where the original pet can smell it, but not see it. After a day or so of this, remove the dog from the room and let the original pet smell and explore the room thoroughly. Put the dog back in. Depending on the reactions involved, let the pets meet under supervision. If there is some hostility, separate them while you are gone until you are certain that they get along. It is best if you can arrange a "retreat" for each animal. Meeting first in a neutral area such as someone else's house or in a park, if possible, may help. Arrange a retreat for a cat by blocking off entrance to a room with a child's gate that the cat can jump over but the dog cannot. Be sure that the original pet gets plenty of attention after the arrival of the new pet. Resentment at loss of attention and change in routine can exacerbate the problems with the two getting along. Finally, remember that it can take several weeks to a year for the animals to adjust. Don't rush things. Your best resource is patience. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - What Supplies Do I Need for my Dog? What Supplies Do I Need for my Dog? You will need to be prepared with several things before you get your dog. Among them include collars, leashes, food dishes, and so on. COLLARS A wide variety of collars exist. Leather collars are nice, strong and sturdy, but they do pick up smells and if they get wet, may become brittle or start to rot. Nylon stays much cleaner, but may fade, especially with the brighter colors. Sometimes nylon rips unexpectedly when encountering something sharp. A partial listing: * Flat buckle collars. These may come in either nylon, leather, or sometimes cloth-covered nylon. These are the buckle type, with holes along part of the collar for some adjustment. * Flat quick-release collars. Like above, but with a quick release snap rather than the buckle. Nylon only. These are very convenient for easy removal of the collar. Some kinds are adjustable as well, to a greater degree than the above-mentioned collars, without the extra collar hanging at the end in smaller sizes. This is very useful with a growing puppy. Some of these quick release snaps will break more easily than you might expect. * Rolled leather collars. These usually have a buckle. These avoid the chafing or hair breakage that flat collars sometimes do to dogs. * Braided nylon collars. These very thin collars are often used in the show ring. Most people do not use these collars. They are not very sturdy. Many of them tighten in the same way a choke collar does. Unless you are showing your dog, don't bother with them. * Halter-style collars. These are marketed under a wide variety of names and are really a training tool, although they may be used in place of a collar. There are several variations, but the principle is that the collar goes around the nose and is anchored on the neck. The leash is snapped on under the chin. The leash action is thus on the nose, much like a halter on a horse. The dog cannot pull when the restraint is on the nose. These should NOT be confused with a muzzle -- the dog is not prevented from opening its mouth. Halter-style collars are especially useful in helping train a dog away from constantly pulling on the leash. Owners with back problems will use these as "insurance." You do not leave these collars on unattended dogs. * Choke chains. Sometimes called training collars or slip collars. A wide variety, from large links to small links, usually metal. In longer haired breeds, may pull hair out around neck. Generally used for "corrections," hence the sliding action. Be sure to have the collar on properly, check pictures for correct placement. The longer and heavier the chain is, the less effective the correction is (the collar should loosen the instant you release pressure). Do not leave this type of collar on an unattended dog, as it might catch on something and choke the dog. Don't use them on a puppy. Don't put your dog's tags on them, that will interfere with their action. For a good fit, buy one that barely fits over the dogs ears when you put it on and is the smallest/lightest possible in that length. A very heavy chain will not give a good correction. A "curb-link" type of chain is very good and minimizes catching of hair. * Pinch or prong collars. These are a corrective tool. They are not intended to be a "normal" collar, but are to be used while training. They have a prong arrangement on the inside of the collar that tightens around the neck in a correction. A properly fitting collar rides high on the neck just under the ears. It *cannot* be slid over the head, you have to take one link out and fasten it closed around the dog's neck. Never leave on unsupervised. These collars should never be used on a puppy. * Harnesses. If your dog is small or delicate, using a harness instead of a collar when walking will avoid neck injuries. Be sure the harness fits comfortably and will not chafe the arm pits. You will probably want to use the harness for walking and still have a normal collar for the tags. If you have a big dog that likes to pull, getting a harness will only improve pulling power. There are some harnesses that are "no pull" harnesses. They work on the principle that the dog feels like it will fall on its face when it pulls. They don't work on every dog, but work quite well when they do. Tip: test them in the pet store before you buy them to be sure it works for you. * If you like to ride bicycles, consider getting a Springer and training your dog to run alongside of you. A Springer will keep the dog from pulling you over while it's learning to follow you and is breakaway in case of emergency. Available in mail order catalogs. There are several manufacturers of these type of products, all fairly similar and similarly priced. * Electronic collars are strictly for training and should never, ever be used without the help and advice from a professional. Improperly used, these collars can destroy a dog's self confidence, desire to work and general good will. In general, electronic collars are not recommended for most dog owners. LEASHES Again, there are many kinds of leashes, in different lengths. You will probably want a short leash for walking in crowds, a longer leash for just walking along, and an extra long leash (that could just be rope) for some training exercises. You can find a variety of snaps on leashes. The most common is a hook with a knob that pulls down to open the hook (snap hooks). Another kind is a hook where the lower part pushes in (spring hooks). The latter are better as they don't accidentally release. Look for hooks with swivels to avoid twisting. There are a few hooks that actually screw closed. They are hard to find but can be useful for some people. * Flat nylon leashes. The most common. They come in a variety of colors and lengths. * Braided rope leashes. These look like the rope used in rock climbing, with the same colorful patterns. These are sometimes easier on the hand and are quite sturdy. * Leather leashes. These range from the plain to the intricately braided. Take care to keep them out of the water to prevent brittleness. Inspect them for wear. Shorter ones, two to four feet, are ideal for training. * Metal link leashes. Especially if your dog likes to chew on leashes. Sometimes combined with leather, especially for the handle. Not a good leash to use with a choke-chain collar. * Flexi-leads. Developed in Germany, these are spring-loaded, retractable leashes that have a minimum length of 2.5 feet and varying maximum lengths. They come in a variety of sizes. The handle is bulky because it contains the retracting assembly, but there is a comfortable hand grip. Be careful -- it is easy to get wrapped up in the flexi-lead and rope-burn yourself or at least get all tangled. These leashes are ideal for letting the dog explore around you while you walk along. They are not very good to use when training your dog because of the amount of give in the rope even when the length is locked in. FOOD DISHES In general you want to get ceramic or metal food dishes. Plastic food dishes acquire microscopic scratches in which bacteria flourishes. You should wash the food dishes frequently, just as you do your own. Always supply fresh water with each meal. If your dog has long hound ears, you should get the cone-shaped high dishes that help keep the ears out of the food and water. Otherwise, any dish will do fine for your dog. There are lots of cute dog dishes out there. Some of the larger breeds should have their food dishes elevated to reduce strain on the neck and back. Most mail-order companies carry metal frames for dishes. You can also try wooden boxes. Another possibility is to obtain traffic cones and cut the tips off -- food dishes then fit snugly on top. CAR RESTRAINTS You should have some way of restraining your dog in the car. This is for your own safety as well as your dog's. An unrestrained dog that climbs everywhere may get into the driver's lap and cause havoc. An unrestrained dog that likes to chew may destroy the interior of the car. Even an unrestrained dog that lays quietly may be severely injured if you get into an accident. There are several types of restraints: * Harnesses. There are a variety of different restraints that use the harness and the seat belt to restrain the dog. * Screens. You can purchase metal screens that fence off an area of the car for your dog. These are usually used in trucks, sporting vehicles, vans, and station wagons. * Crates. You can get a crate to fit your dog and keep it in your car. This is not feasible for everyone, especially the larger your dog is and the smaller your vehicle is, but is probably the safest method of restraint. * Pickup leashes. There are various ways to restrain a dog in the back of a pick up truck. These are generally not advisable, but some people do use them. But if your dog must ride in the back of a pickup, do use some type of leash. Crates, fastened down, are even better. * Leashes. You can even use a leash: clip it on your dog, and either tie the other end to an arm-rest on the door, or close the door on a loop of it in such a way that the dog's mobility is quite restricted. Not the best long term solution, but it can help in a pinch. CHEW TOYS Nylabones are best for keeping teeth clean. Followed by either Gumabones or Nylafloss. Virtually any chew toy has potential problems, always keep an eye out for them. Nylabones Nylabones are most highly recommended. They cost about 3 times as much as a rawhide but last for a very long time. Some dogs don't like them and may need some encouragement; most will happily use them. Some dogs chow down on them so enthusiastically that they get "slab" fractures on their teeth. Nylabones should be replaced when the ends show signs of wear. Gumabones Gumabones are similar to nylabones, but a bit softer and without as much tooth cleaning ability. The manufacturer says that Gumabones are more likable and serve as toys, but the Nylabone is necessary to satisfy frustration chewing and chewing due to a need to chew. Some dogs have trouble with flatulence when they ingest the small pieces of gumabone that they chew off. Replace when the toy shows signs of crumbling. Note that there are many kinds of toys out there made of soft rubber -- Gumabones is a particular brand name of a common sort of dog toy. Tuffies A similar toy is the "tuffy" or "kong" (several manufacturers & copycats) -- usually a red cone-shaped toy made of rubber that is sturdier than the Gumabone variety. It comes in a giant black size, various smaller red sizes, and one that is white and blue with a throw strap that floats. These are guaranteed against destruction. This toy has a hollow center and hiding treats in it can provide your dog with much enjoyment. Nylafloss (also rope bone, booda bone) Nylafloss is also well accepted and is the best tooth cleaner of all. To many dogs, though, it is only interesting when you wave it in the dog's face. (Nylafloss looks like very a thick, knotted rope.) Watch out for dogs that like to chew them through and swallow pieces of string. Rawhide Rawhide is not recommended by most people because the dogs tend to swallow large pieces, which swell and sometimes block the intestines. Also, if the shank gets slimy but the knot is still hard, the dog can swallow the shank and choke on the knot. You can prevent this by buying rawhide in other shapes, such as chips, or buying shredded and compressed rawhide treats (although these do not last as long). Lastly, and much more commonly, they cost a fortune if you have a mid-to-large dog or a dog with powerful jaws. If you do use them, look for US-or-locally manufactured ones; imported ones sometimes have chemical residues. Bones There are specially treated bones that resist splintering, and you can hide treats in the hollow center, giving your dog hours of enjoyment trying to get them out. Untreated organic bones may splinter and cause tooth wear or even gum and mouth injuries. Eating the pieces often results in constipation. The best bones are the large ones that resist splintering. Replace after cracks or splinters appear. Small bones, especially chicken bones should NEVER be given to a dog. They will crunch down and swallow the bones, which may lodge in the throat and choke the dog, puncture the esophagus or stomach lining, or block the intestines. If your dog is not immediately killed, it will require expensive surgery to get the bone out of its body. Cow hooves Cow hooves are better than rawhide because they break down into smaller pieces and are much cheaper and more durable. However, like organic bones, they can cause gum and mouth injuries if they chip. They smell somewhat and may cause tooth wear. Smoked hooves are available that don't smell as much. Pick out the largest, most solid hooves; replace when they are worn down to a small piece. Stop using them if your dog splinters large chunks off them. Slab fractures are also possible with cow hooves. CHOOZ Another item is CHOOZ, by the makers of Nylabones. This item looks like a nylabone but is crunchy like a hard dog biscuit. It can also be tossed into your oven or microwave to change its texture (makes it lighter and more like a hard bread). CHOOZ has been involved in at least one case of gastric blockage; you may not want to use it. Pig's ears Pig's ears look like good chew toys, but the truth is that dogs can eat them in about 15 minutes or so. Dogs love them, but they are not a chew toy and should be used as an occasional treat instead. Given too often, they will cause loose stools. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - What Kind of Pet ID Should I Use? What Kind of Pet ID Should I Use? There are several steps you can take to increase the chances of your dog being returned to you if lost, or to decrease the chances of your dog being stolen. PET TAGS By far the most important piece of information on your pet's tag is your telephone number, including the area code. Everything else is just optional. Some people do not like to put their dog's name on the collar, as that can make it easier for a thief to coax your dog along with its name. The choice is up to you. Attach the tag to your dog's collar securely. Do not use the "S" hooks -- many tags are lost that way. Use the keyring type of attachment, or better yet, have the tag riveted onto the collar. Of course, one problem with tags is that they are easily removed simply by removing the collar. There are a few services with which you can register a pet tag and you get an ID number and an 800 number for the person who finds your dog to call. Depending on the service, they will guarantee pickup of your pet, necessary veterinary attention and hold the dog until they can contact you. TATTOOING Get your dog tattooed. Tattoos cannot be removed or lost. This will help identify your dog and get it returned to you (most animal shelters will not destroy a tattooed dog). It helps deter theft and ensures that your pet will not wind up in a laboratory somewhere. Your vet can give you pointers to someone who can tattoo your pet. RC Steele sells a do-it-yourself kit, worth considering if you have multiple dogs. Tattooing is an excellent way to protect your pets. In fact, there are animal science laboratories and vet clinics around the country that sponsor low-cost tattoo clinics and tattoo "fairs." Get the tattoo put on the inside of your dog's thigh. This is much harder to remove than one placed in your pet's ear. As long as the dog is over 5 weeks of age, it can be tattooed. The younger the better -- puppies are more easily controlled than adult dogs are. You must get the tattoo number registered, or it isn't very useful in locating you. If you use the National Dog Registry, use a number that will not change. (Social security numbers are good.) There is a one-time fee for registering the number, and you can then register other pets with the same number. Anesthesia is not *required* to do a tattoo, though it can help. You might consider having your bitch spayed and tattooed at the same time, for example. You should note that tattooing (or micro-chipping) is a prerequisite for registering a pure-bred dog in some countries, such as Canada. Unfortunately, tattoos can fade over time. Also, especially in double-coated or long-haired breeds, it may be hard to find the tattoo when the hair grows back. You can keep the area shaven, of course, but your dog might be lost long enough for the hair to grow back. MICROCHIP ID An alternative, that is used in Canada, and increasingly in the US is an injected microchip. The microchip contains a numbering system that is readable with a scanner. There are three manufacturers and four microchips that have been produced. AVID is marketed by AVID and IdentIchip. Trovan is a German company and their technology is marketed by Infopet. Destron is marketed under a variety of names in the US and by Anitech in Canada. The AVID scanner can read all chips but the Trovan chip. The other scanners can read only their own. Each company has their own database you can register with. Each microchip has a 10 digit alpha/numeric code that is assigned to you (or your kennel) and your pets, Some of the information that is kept on file are extra emergency numbers to have contacted should your pet be impounded or taken to an animal hospital due to injury or illness. Your vet's name and number are also included along with any important medical info about your animal. This is important for animals that have life threatening medical conditions that need constant treatment. Keep this information up to date! Not all shelters check for the chip, but increasing numbers are doing so in the US. There are no documented cases of medical problems related to the insertion of the chip just under the skin. Since tattoos can fade over time, this is an alternative to consider. It takes about 2 minutes to insert the chip and fill out the form. After that, all you have to do is pay yearly dues. You generally want to be sure that the person doing it has medical training for sterility and health reasons. The chip must be placed between the shoulder blades and not migrate (effectively disappearing). The chip itself is about the size and shape of a grain of rice, The needle is hollow and on the end of a syringe that contains the chip, about 3mm wide. Once in, the chip is inserted with the plunger from the syringe and it is done in about 20 seconds. WHO CAN I CONTACT? An article in the August 1993 issue of Dog Fancy goes into this further. It's called "Beyond Dog Tags" and is on page 27. This article lists all the microchip companies, tag registries, and tattoo registries and discusses each of these methods of protecting your dog. Briefly, these are: Microchips: * AVID in California (714) 371-7505, nationwide (800) 336-AVID * Destron in Colorado (303) 444-5306 (Uses Destron chip) * IdentIchip in Pennsylvania (717) 275-3166 (Uses AVID chip) (Provides programs for breeders, shelters, and vets.) * InfoPet in Pennsylvania (612) 890-2080 (Uses Trovan chip) also (800) 463-6738 Tag Registries: * 911-Pets Lost Pet Service Chicago (312) 890-4911 * Petfinders New York (800) 666-LOST or (800) 666-5678 * Pet Find Inc. Oregon (800) AID-A-PET Tattoo Registries: * National Dog Registry New York (800) 637-3647 / NDR-DOGS * Tatoo-A-Pet New York (718) 646-8200 / (800) TAT-TOOS * U.S. Found Maryland (410) 557-7332 THEFTS Animal thefts do happen, this is a fear of pet owners everywhere. First of all, if your dog is missing or stolen, you have a responsibility to report it to the police. They may not always be able to do anything about it, but if they get several reports, then they can justify putting some time on it. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you are bothering the police! Call the shelters and the local vets and tell them of your loss, they can be on the lookout for your dog. Most vets will take a description of your dog and contact others in the area to keep an eye out for it. Put up flyers in the immediate area. If your dog has been tattooed or micro-chipped, it may show up shortly. Some more information: Stolen for Profit, authored by Judith Reitmen, discusses animal dealers licensed to supply "random source animals" to research labs. The number to report a missing or suspected-stolen animal is 800-StolenPet - this is a automated recording. Their reach-a-live-human number is (415) 453-9984. They can tell you if there have been other reported missing or stolen dogs in your area (if, of course, other people reported to them). Bear in mind that some of these are unnecessarily alarmist type of organizations, but they can still be useful in helping locate a lost pet. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - What Is Crating? What Is Crating? Crating is a controversial topic. There are those who believe that crate training is indefensible and others who believe that it is a panacea. The reality is likely somewhere in between. WHAT DOES THE DOG THINK? First, you must understand what the crate represents to the dog. Dogs are by nature den creatures -- and the crate, properly introduced, is its den. It is a safe haven where it does not need to worry about defending territory. It is its own private bedroom which it absolutely will not soil if it can help it. Judicious use of the crate can alleviate a number of problems, stop others from ever developing, and aid substantially in housetraining. Where is the crate? It should be around other people. Ideally, set it up in the bedroom near you. Have the dog sleep in it at night. Dogs are social and like to be around their people. Don't force it into the crate. Feed your dog in the crate. CAN THEY BE ABUSED? Certainly. Anything intended for a dog can be abused. That doesn't make it wrong; it does mean you need to know what you are doing. Things to remember: * The crate must be large enough for the dog to stand and turn around. * A puppy should not be left in for more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. * An adult dog should not spend more than about 8 hours a day in one. * No dog should be forced to remain in a soiled crate. You must rearrange time spent in the crate to avoid this happening in the first place. * Not all dogs require constant crating; most can be slowly weaned off once they get older and you can trust them more in the house, * Properly introduce dogs, especially older dogs, to the crate. Most dogs like their crates, but not all do so immediately. * Even when you are no longer using the crate regularly, leave it available for napping. A crate trained dog is always more easily handled: in the car, at the vets, when travelling, etc. PRICES AND RECOMMENDATIONS A plastic airline approved (leakproof) crate will run from $10 to $75 depending on the size. These are the cheapest prices available. If flying with a dog, most airlines will sell a crate at near-wholesale prices. Vendors at dog shows often have good prices, especially for slightly imperfect ones. Pet stores sell them at astronomical prices. Mail order stores have competitive prices (but watch out for added shipping costs), and they sell wire mesh cages. Wire mesh is comparable in price to plastic airline crates, but the sizing is different. Wire cages are not as appealing to dogs that like the safe, enclosed nature of a crate, but they have better ventilation for use in warm places. You might, for example, have a plastic crate in your house and a wire one for the car. Since many models fold up, they are also often easier to transport and store. The crate should be large enough for the dog to lie down, stand up and turn around in comfortably, but not large enough for the dog to relieve itself at one end and sleep at the other. You may buy a crate sized for an adult dog and block off part of it with a chew-proof obstacle until the dog grows into it, or you may buy a succession of crates as the dog grows. If you use a crate in your car, consider something like the Crate Mate, which is a heavy pouch that attaches permanently to a plastic crate. It has a clear window for information about the dog, including owners name/address/etc./vet info/medication info/etc. All this is in red thirty point type. There's also room for 3-4 days supply of food, medication, etc., leashes, collars, even a water bottle. They're in bright colors so they can't be missed. Order from Custom Dog Supplies (see Resources) or make your own. PROPER USE OF A CRATE Crating a puppy or dog often seems unappealing to humans, but it is not cruel to the dog. A dog's crate is similar to a child's playpen, except it has a roof (dogs can jump out of a playpen) and is chewproof. Also, a crate is not suitable for activity or exercise, but rather for rest. Dogs are carnivores and do not need to be constantly active during the daytime, like people (as gatherers) do. If a crate is properly introduced to a dog (or puppy) the dog will grow to think of the crate as its den and safe haven. Most dogs that are crated will use the open crate as a resting place. The major use of a crate is to prevent the dog from doing something wrong and not getting corrected for it. It is useless to correct a dog for something that it has already done; the dog must be "caught in the act". If the dog is out of its crate while unsupervised, it may do something wrong and not be corrected, or worse yet, corrected after the fact. If the dog is not corrected, the dog may develop the problem behavior as a habit (dogs are creatures of habit), or learn that the it can get away with the behavior when not immediately supervised. A dog that rarely gets away with anything will not learn that if nobody is around it can get away with bad behaviors. If the dog is corrected after the fact, it will not associate the correction with the behavior, and will begin to think that corrections are arbitrary, and that the owner is not to be trusted. This results in a poorer relationship and a dog that does not associate corrections, which are believed arbitrary, with bad behaviors even when they are applied in time. This cannot be overemphasized: a dog's lack of trust in its owner's corrections is one of the major sources of problems between dogs and their owners. A secondary advantage of a crate is that it minimizes damage done by a dog (especially a young one) to the house, furniture, footwear etc. This reduces costs and aggravation and makes it easier for the dog and master to get along. It also protects the dog from harm by its destruction: ingestion of splinters or toy parts, shock from chewing through wires, etc. A young dog should be placed in its crate whenever it cannot be supervised. If a dog is trained in puppyhood with a crate, it will not always require crating. Puppies or untrained dogs require extensive crating. After a year or so of crate training, many dogs will know what to do and what not to, and will have good habits. At this time crating might only be used when the dog needs to be out of the way, or when traveling. CRATING DO'S AND DON'TS * Do think of the crate as a good thing. In time, your dog will too. * Do let the dog out often enough so that it is never forced to soil the crate. * Do let the dog out if it whines because it needs to eliminate. If you know it doesn't have to eliminate, correct it for whining or barking. * Do clean out the crate regularly, especially if you've put in a floor and you have flea problems. * Don't punish the dog if it soils the crate. It is miserable enough and probably had to. * Don't use the crate as a punishment. * Don't leave the dog in the crate for a long time after letting it eat and drink a lot. (because the dog will be uncomfortable and may have to eliminate in the crate.) * Don't leave the dog in the crate too much. Dogs sleep and rest a lot, but not all the time. They need play time and exercise. * Don't check to see if your dog is trustworthy in the house (unsupervised, outside of the crate) by letting the dog out of the crate for a long time. Start with very short periods and work your way up to longer periods. * Don't ever let the dog grow unaccustomed to the crate. An occasional stint even for the best behaved dog will make traveling and special situations that require crating easier. * Don't put pillows or blankets in the crate without a good reason. Most dogs like it cooler than their human companions and prefer to stretch out on a hard, cool surface. Besides providing a place to urinate on, some dogs will simply destroy them. A rubber mat or a piece of peg-board cut to the right size might be a good compromise (be sure to clean under any floor covering frequently). _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - What About Dog Houses? What About Dog Houses? In general, your dog should sleep with you in your room at night. However, you may still want to provide it with shelter, etc. if you leave it outside while you are gone, for example. DOG HOUSES A variety are available, and you can make your own. In general, look for an elevated floor and sturdy construction. The dog house should be placed where it will be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Be sure it is not placed so as to assist escape over the fence. Many dogs, particularly larger ones, appreciate a flat roof (make sure it has a slight slope for drainage) that they can lie on when the weather is hot. Do not be surprised if your dog does not use the dog house. If you place bedding in the dog house, be sure to clean it frequently, otherwise pests such as fleas will take up residence. KENNELS You may want to construct a kennel or a dog run for your dog. Use concrete or pea gravel for the floor to improve drainage. Make sure the run includes a roofed over area for shelter from the elements. Clean out the pen daily to prevent worms and disease. Secure the water supply so that the dog can't tip it over (try a galvanized bucket with a double-ended hook to fasten it to the wall. If you use chain link fencing, be sure to put runners through it if you will keep a bitch in season in it to prevent mismating. The height should be sufficient to prevent jumping or climbing; some breeds are better at this than others. A reference to consult is: Migliorini, Mario. Kennel Building and Management. New York, N.Y. : Howell Book House, 1987. Contains a bibliography. Useful tips on how to construct a dog run. It's oriented toward commercial kennels, but contains lots of useful tips for the dog owner. BARRIERS Even if you keep your dog inside, you will want to restrain it from certain areas of the house. A common way to do this is to use a child-barrier. Pet stores and mail-order companies stock barriers sturdy enough for bigger dogs. Examples of restraint might include: keeping puppies in the kitchen or in areas where there is linoleum, keeping young dogs in a specific room when going through the teething stage, keeping your dog downstairs or in the basement, etc. A common barrier used in dog shows is the x-pen. This is a eight-sectioned, foldable heavy guage wire fence. The ends are clipped together to form an approximate 4'X4' square area; or several x-pens may be clipped together for a larger area. Do not leave a dog alone in an x-pen; another person should always supervise a dog in an x-pen. The exception is that this can be suitable to restrain a small puppy with, especially if the x-pen is propped so that it cannot fall over. A crate is another restraint, this has already been described above. BEDDING You should give your dog its own bed. Try folded up towels for young puppies. There are a variety of beds for the fully grown dog -- try any of them. Be careful with cedar-filled beds. There are reports that cedar reacts with urine to produce poisonous fumes. You should not let your dog sleep on the bed with you, instead insist that it sleep on the floor next to the bed. _________________________________________________________________ Getting A Dog FAQ Cindy Tittle Moore, tittle@netcom.com @START@Health Care Issues - TOC HEALTH CARE ISSUES Table of Contents * Prologue * In General * Administering Medicine * Allergies * Aging * Bathing * Dental Care * Disease Transmission (Zoonoses) * Ears * Food * Incontinence * Neutering * Overheating * Puberty * Skin Problems * Temperature * Trimming Nails * Vaccinations * Vomiting * Worms _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Prologue Prologue Considerable information herein is summarized from Carlson & Giffin, authors of a home veterinarian handbook. I would like to thank them for their informative and accessible information. Any mistakes made in the summaries are my responsibility and not Carlson & Giffin's. I believe that I am within copyright laws by using summarizations (no direct quoting, except for the toxic plants section), my own organization of the material, and precise acknowledgement where relevant. This article is presented for informative purposes only, and should NOT be used to "replace" normal veterinary care. Rather, the information included is intended to allow you * to be aware of potential problems, * to be able to prevent some of these problems, and * to know when to take your dog in and what to tell your vet. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - In General In General Your dog cannot tell you when it feels sick. You need to be familiar with its normal behavior -- any sudden change may be a signal that something is wrong. Behavior includes physical and social behavior; changes in either can signal trouble. If you familiarize yourself with basic dog care issues, symptoms to look for, and a few emergency care treatments, you can go a long way toward keeping your dog healthy. Never attempt to replace vet care with your own (unless, of course, you are a vet); rather, try to be knowledgeable enough to be able to give your vet intelligent information about your dog's condition. You should know some emergency care for your dog. This is beyond the scope of the FAQ, as you really need pictures or demonstrations. Check a home-vet book and ask your vet about them. Some of these include: * mouth-to-mouth resuscitation * CPR * temporary bandages and splints * inducing vomiting * a good antiseptic for minor cuts, scrapes, etc.; povidone iodine (brand name Betadine) is recommended There are a number of good books that cover basic care for dogs. These include: Miller, Harry. The Common Sense Book of Puppy and Dog Care. Bantam Books, Third Edition (revised) (1987). ISBN: 0-553-27789-8 (paperback). Includes a section on practical home care, listing major symptoms you should be alert for, and listing general criteria by which you can determine a dog's overall healthiness. Discusses major diseases and problems, gives sketches on what may be wrong given certain symptoms. Taylor, David. You and Your Dog. Alfred A. Knopf, New York (1991). ISBN:0-394-72983-8 (trade paperback). Taylor gives flow-chart questions to consider when deciding if symptoms are serious or not. Not as comprehensive as other care books, but a good start in understanding what you need to look for when your dog seems off. Includes illustrations of many procedures, such as teeth cleaning and nail trimming. Informative discussion of reproductive system, grooming, and dog anatomy. An *excellent* resource that details all aspects of health issues for dogs, and one that every conscientious dog owner should have is: Carlson, Delbert G., DVM, and James M. Giffin, MD. Dog Owners's Home Veterinary Handbook. Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing Company, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA (1980). ISBN: 0-87605-764-4 (hardcover). This comprehensive book is a complete guide to health care of dogs. It lets you know when you can treat the dog, or when you need to take it to the vet post-haste. It lists symptoms so that you may inform your vet of relevant information about its condition. The arrangement of the material facilitates rapid reference. Illustration of key procedures (pilling, taking pulse/temperature, etc). Lists poisonous substances, including houseplants. A must have home veterinarian handbood. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Administering Medicine Administering Medicine There are many devices to aid in administering medicine. In particular, pill plungers are effective and available by mail order. A syringe with no needle is good for liquids. Ask your vet for some other ideas. PILLS (summarized from Carlson & Giffin) Open your dog's mouth and drop the pill down as far back as you can, on top of and in the center of the tongue. Close the dogs mouth and hold it shut while stroking the throat until your dog swallows. If it licks its nose, chances are that it swallowed the pill. Giving it a treat afterwards helps insure that the pill is swallowed. You can try hiding the pills in a treat, say cheese or peanut butter. Pill plungers work well, also. LIQUIDS (summarized from Carlson & Giffin) Tilt the chin up at 45 degrees, and place the neck of the bottle into the cheek pouch, between the molar teeth and the cheek. Seal the lips around it with your fingers and pour in the liquid. Large amounts can be given this way. Hold the muzzle firmly while the dog swallows. Bottles, syringes and eyedroppers can be used. Your vet can help you out here. EYEDROPS If you must administer eyedrops to your dog and it resists, try the following trick: stand behind your dog and hold the eye open to administer the drops. You don't appear as dominating this way. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Allergies Allergies Dogs can get allergies just like people do. However, symptoms involve skin problems rather than respiratory distress. Check the skin problems section over for possible clues toward allergies. A common culprit is fleas, but dogs can be allergic to many other things, including some types of food commonly found in dog food. A good way to have your dog's allergies tested is with a RAST test. Your vet should know about it and either be able to perform it, or recommend you to someone who does. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Aging Aging Although aging is irreversible, some of the infirmities of an older dog may in fact be due to disease and therefore correctable or preventable. It is important for any dog over six years of age to be examined thoroughly every six months. In particular, you want regular blood work done on your dog. For example if kidney function declines, you want to know so that you can switch to kidney-sensitive diets. A recently published book is Hampton, John K. Jr., PhD, and Suzanne Hampton, PhD. Senior Years: Understanding your Dog's Aging Process. Howell Book House. 1993. ISBN: 0-87605-734-2. BEHAVIORAL CHANGES (summarized from Carlson & Giffin) Older dogs are more complacent, less energetic and curious. They may be forgetful, and sleep more. Crankiness and irritability are common. They are less tolerant of changes in the environment; in particular you may wish to have someone come by and check the dog at home rather than kennel it when you leave on vacation. Older dogs in hospitals and kennels go off their feed, become overanxious, and bark frequently. PHYSICAL CHANGES (summarized from Carlson & Giffin) Loss of muscular tone and lessened activity may result in the neck and body becoming more bulky, but the legs more thin. Resistance to cold is impaired and older dogs should always have a warm and draft-free bed. Arthritic dogs may need a padded surface on which to sleep. Moderate exercise helps keep the joints supple, and should be encouraged, but not beyond its ability to do so. Also, some conditions, such as heart trouble, may necessitate restraining it from exercise. Toe nails will require more frequent trimming. Stiffening joints may make it more difficult for the dog to keep its genital and anal areas clean. The skin may dry out and require some care to keep it clean and less dry. Loss of hearing and sight may occur. Tooth and gum disease is fairly common. Kidney failure and disease is more common (look for increased thirst and other symptoms of kidney failure). Incontinence (mostly in older spayed females, treatable with estrogen) may appear. An older dog needs less calories; the food must be of high quality so that it still gets the nutrition it needs with fewer calories. GERIATRIC VESTIBULAR DISORDER Common in older dogs, apparently something happens neurologically in the connection between the brain and the inner ear (sometimes infection, sometimes inflammation). Very little is actually known about it, but it does tend to subside after about a day or so. Unfortunately, the dog is generally unable to eat or drink, as it is completely disoriented. Dogs rarely show any enduring effects from such an episode other than sometimes their head leaning or tilting to one side. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Bathing Bathing You may need to bathe your dog on occasion. The main thing to remember is that dogs' skin is more delicate than humans. It is much more prone to drying out when you wash it. Human based shampoos are formulated to remove all the oils. You need to get one formulated for dogs that will remove dirt but not the essential oils for the coat. Dogs that are frequently bathed may require some supplements (such as Linatone or vegetable oil) to keep their skin and coat healthy. A condition called impetigo may result from not rinsing all the soap out. Other general problems, such as fleas that prefer dried-out skin, may occur. PROCEDURE (summarized from Carlson & Giffin) First, groom your pet to rid its coat of any mats or knots. Bathing will not remove these and in fact will worsen them. Plug its ears with cotton to prevent water in the ears. To prevent soap-burn in the eye, smear the eye area with a little vaseline, or administer a drop of mineral oil in each eye. Wet your dog thoroughly. Using a nozzle and spray is much easier. Using a shampoo formulated for dogs (the pH balance of human shampoos is wrong), lather and rinse its head carefully, keeping soap and water out of its eyes and ears. Lather and rinse the rest of its body. Relather and rinse any other areas that had stubborn stains. Rinse your dog *thoroughly*, and then rinse it again, even beyond when you think you've got all the soap out. Try adding Alpha-Keri bath oil (one teaspoonful per quart water) to the final rinse for coat luster. Do NOT use vinegar, lemon, or bleach rinses; they are acidic and will damage the dog's coat and skin. Dry your dog gently with towels, and keep it indoors until it is completely dry to avoid chilling. DRY SHAMPOOS Dogs with very oily coats may benefit from "dry-cleaning" in between baths. Calcium carbonate, talcum/baby powder, Fuller's earth, and cornstarch are all effective. They can be used frequently without fear of removing essential oils or damaging the coat and skin. Apply the powder, then brush out, against the lay of the hair, from the bottom up (toes to head) with a soft bristle brush. Then brush the whole dog normally to get all the powder out. TAR Do not use petroleum solvents, which are extremely harmful, to remove the tar from your pet's skin. Instead, trim away excess coat containing tar where possible. Soak remaining tarry parts in vegetable oil overnight and then give your dog a complete bath. SAP Sap (especially pine tree sap) often must simply be trimmed off. However, some people have had success with Murphy's Oil Soap. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Dental Care Dental Care Owners that practice good dental care with their dog will reap many benefits in the long run. TYPICAL PROBLEMS The most common cause of bad breath is excessive calculus and plaque deposits on the teeth. Bacteria live and feed in the plaque and produce gum and bone infection, pain, and bad breath. Calculus is a crusty collection of food particles, minerals, and bacteria that forms at the teeth-gum borders. Plaque formation eventually leads to gum disease, mouth odors, receding gums and bone destruction and infection. The rate at which plaque forms in your dog's mouth is mainly due to genetic predisposition, but can be slowed by daily oral hygiene using antiplaque liquid or gel and/or pastes and regular professional cleaning and polishing. Pyorrhea (inflamed and infected gums) of the teeth is often the cause of kidney infections and endocarditis in older dogs. The pressure on the gums and infection of the teeth is quite painful to your dog. PREVENTIVE STEPS An antiplaque liquid or gel (Chlorhexidine) can be applied to the gum tissue with a cotton ball or swab. As an alternative, a soft bristle toothbrush or finger brush can be used with a non-foaming enzymatic toothpaste manufactured for dogs. Treatments should be done daily or at least every other day, depending on the current problems. Only a few areas are particularly susceptible to plaque and calculus formation. The areas of greatest concern are the canines and upper back molars (side facing cheeks). Chlorhexidine penetrates gum tissue and prevents bacterial growth, plaque build-up, gingivitis, and bad breath. In addition to the canines and molars, look at the front incisor teeth and brush away any accumulation of hair and food at the gum line if present. To remove existing calculus deposits, your dog will require short general anesthesia and your dog's teeth will be cleaned with dental instruments along with an ultra-sonic machine that vibrates the calculus off the surface of the teeth. Calculus from under the gum tissue is carefully removed using a hand scaler. Finally, the teeth are polished to reduce purchase for new deposits. This can often be done when the dog is under anasthetic for other reasons, such as neutering. CAVITIES, ETC Dogs do not commonly get cavities. When they do occur, it is more often at the root of the tooth rather than at the crown. Cavities can lead to root abscesses. Abscessed roots often cause a swelling just below the animal's eye. Generally, tooth extractions are needed at this point. Disease Transmission (Zoonoses) Zoonotic diseases are those that can be transmitted from animals to people. (summarized from Carlson & Giffin) Any worm infestation has the potential of causing problems in humans. Standard hygienic precautions will avoid most of these. Things to watch for: babies getting infected when playing near or on contaminated soil or feces, working in the garden without gloves. Rabies, toxoplasmosis, brucellosis, and tetanus (lockjaw) can all affect both dogs and humans. Again, simple hygienic precautions will avoid most problems. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Ears Ears Your dog's ears should be clean, slighly pink-gray and have no odor. Problems with the ear to watch for include: * Red, irritated skin * Dirt or wax build up * Discharge * Foul odor * Frequent head shaking, or scratching/pawing at ear(s). The most common problems with ears are ear infections and ear mites. If an odor is involved, it's likely an infection (and not contagious to other dogs); if the "dirt" in the ears turns red when you get it wet, it's probably ear mites (which can spread from dog to dog). In any case, any of the above symptoms are grounds for having the vet check your dog's ears out. Ear mites are treated with medication. Sometimes a reapplication is needed. Some people have gotten rid of light infestations by cleaning the ear out and then coating lightly with baby oil or mineral oil. Ear infections are a little harder to treat, usually requiring daily ear drops for a week or so, weekly drops for some time after that. Some dogs prone to ear infections need to have ear drops on a regular basis. Drop-eared dogs are a bit more prone to ear infections, as prick ears normally allow more air circulation. An easy home remedy to *prevent* ear infections (will not cure an existing one) is: 2 T Boric Acid 4 oz Rubbing Alcohol 1 T Glycerine Shake well. Put 1 small eyedropperfull in each ear. Rub it around first, and then let the dog shake. Do this once a week and you shouldn't see any ear infections. It works by raising the pH level slightly inside the ear, making it less hospitable to bacteria. To clean out an ear that's simply dirty (some buildup of dirt and wax is normal, but excessive ear wax may indicate that something else is wrong), take a cotton ball, dip in hydrogen peroxide if you like (squeeze excess out) and wipe the dog's ear out. The canal is rather deep, so you will not injure your dog so long as you only use your finger to probe the canal. Clean all around the little crevices as best as you can. Use another cotton ball for the other ear. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Food Food There are many dog food formulations out there, ranging from inexpensive grocery-brands to expensive premium food. You should find out what suits your dog best: while many dogs have done just fine on dog chow, others do much better with other foods such as Nature's Recipe, Iams, Pro-Plan, etc. The theory behind the more expensive foods is that they are more digestible and contain less "bulk" and "fill." Hence, your dog will eat less in volume (and thus the extra cost of the food is somewhat offset) and excrete small and firm stools. You may need to experiment to find out how your dog does on different brands. Dogs vary in their individual reactions. Food should be fed once or twice a day. Put the food down and take it up again after ten to twenty minutes regardless of whether your dog has finished eating it. This discourages "picky eating" and lets you be certain of exactly how much food your dog is eating. Frequently, a problem is first indicated when your dog's feeding goes off, so scheduled feeding like this (rather than free feeding) will tip you off to potential problems right away. The larger or younger your dog is, the better multiple daily feedings are; simply divide up each day's portion into individual feedings. Fresh water should always be available, and changed at least once a day. VEGETABLES Many dogs appreciate vegetables. In particular if your dog is fond of munching on the grass, you can often alleviate this by feeding vegetables to your dog. Stick with fresh, raw foods: carrots, broccoli and cauliflower stems, apple cores, etc are popular. Stay away from potatoes and onions. PEOPLE FOOD Feeding your dog "people food," i.e., table scraps and such is a poor idea. First, you may encourage your dog to make a pest of itself when you are eating. Second, feeding a dog table scraps is likely to result in an overweight dog. Third, if your dog develops the habit of gulping down any food it can get, it may seriously poison or distress itself someday. EATING PROBLEMS: GULPING, ETC. For a dog that gulps the food down so rapidly that gas is a result, you can slow down the rate of eating by putting large, clean rocks (3-4" diameter) in the dish along with the food. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Incontinence Incontinence The most common occurrence of incontinence is in the older spayed bitch. Most often this is due to a hormonal imbalance and as such is easily treated in one of two drugs. The traditional way is with doses of DES (estrogen). Typically, the dosage is varied until the incontinence stops, and often the dosage can be later reduced altogether. Another method of treatment is with phenylpropanolamine (PPA, brand name Dexatrim) which tightens all the muscles. DES replaces the hormones, restoring the hormonal balance. PPA works independently of the hormones and as such, may introduce new problems. Both drugs are known to cause problems and side effects, although typically, the level of dosage that DES is administered at for incontinence will not cause problems. At high dosages, DES is thought to be linked with breast cancer and obesity. Since PPA tightens all muscles in the body, it can potentially cause serious side effects, especially with the heart. There is speculation that PPA is often prescribed at dosages too high for dogs. In humans, PPA is not advised when thyroid levels are low; this might also be a problem with dogs. Which drug is safer for your particular spayed bitch depends on the particular dog and her particular veterinary history. What's best for one dog might be bad for another, depending on what other veterinary conditions or susceptibilities she has. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Neutering Neutering If you are not planning to breed your pet or put it to stud service, or your dog's breeding days are over, you will want to neuter it. There are a number of health benefits associated with neutering, for either sex. Technically, the general term for either sex is neutering; bitches are spayed and dogs are castrated. However, general usage is that bitches are spayed or neutered and dogs are neutered. Neutering is *not* a solution to behavioral problems; training is. However with some dogs it can alleviate some factors that make it more difficult to train. But you cannot expect to neuter your dog and have it turn into an angel without any work. Tip: let your dog eliminate before taking it in and again after getting it back. Many dogs, especially crate-trained dogs, will not eliminate in the vet's kennels during their stay. CASTRATION Dogs are castrated. A general anesthetic is administered, the testicles are removed (oriectomy) and several stitches are used to close it up. The scrotum will shrink and soon disappear after castration. You will want to neuter the dog around six months of age, although dogs can be neutered at any time after this. For example stud dogs are typically neutered after they are too old to breed, and they suffer no ill effects. Some clinics may use a local anesthetic instead. SPAYING Bitches are spayed; this is an ovario-hysterectomy (uterus and ovaries are removed). She must be put under general anesthesia. A large patch of fur will be shaved (to prevent later irritation of the incision) off the lower abdomen. You may have to take your bitch back in to remove the stitches. From a health point of view, the earlier the bitch is spayed, the better. Ideally, she should be spayed before her first heat, this reduces the risk of reproductive and related cancer (e.g., breast cancer) later in life considerably; not to mention guaranteeing no unwanted puppies. The most dramatic rise in risk of cancer occurs after the second heat or two years of age, whichever comes first before spaying. After that, while the risk is high, it does not rise further. POST-OP RECOVERY You will need to watch to make sure your dog does not try to pull out its stitches, and consult your vet if it does. You might, in persistent cases, need to get an Elizabethan collar to prevent the animal from reaching the stitches. Puffiness, redness, or oozing around the stitches should be also reported to the vet. Some stitches "dissolve" on their own; others require a return to the vet for removal. For further information on how neutering may affect your dog, see the section on neutering in Assorted Topics. COST The cost can vary widely, depending on where you get it done. There are many pet-adoption places that will offer low-cost or even free neutering services, sometimes as a condition of adoption. Local animal clinics will often offer low-cost neutering. Be aware that spaying will always cost more than castrating at any given place since spaying is a more complex operation. Vets almost always charge more than clinics, partly because of overhead, but also because they often keep the animal overnight for observation and will do free followup on any later complications. Larger animals will cost more than smaller ones. Pet Assistance has a program to help you locate low-cost neutering. There may be an 800 number, but the San Diego number is 619-697-7387. They can refer you to a veterinarian in your area who will perform low-cost spaying or neutering. EFFECT ON BEHAVIOR There is an extensive discussion on the effect neutering has on a dog's behavior in the Assorted Topics chapter of the FAQ. In summary, no one really knows, and for every example presented, a counter-example can be made. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Overheating Overheating Dogs are not as good as people in shedding excess heat. You should take general care during hot and summer weather that your dog does not get too hot. Make sure shade and water is available and that there is some fresh air. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A CAR on a hot day! Cars heat up much more quickly than you think and that one inch or so of open window will not help. If you park in the shade, the sun may move more quickly than you think. A water-filled pump sprayer can help keep your dog cool. But your best bet is to prevent overheating. Heatstroke is indicated by some or more of the following symptoms: * rapid or heavy breathing * bright red tongue * thick saliva * vomiting * bloody diarrhea * unsteadiness * hot, dry nose * legs, ears hot to touch * extreme: glassy-eyed, grey lips Wet the dog down gradually using cool, not cold water. Get it out of direct sunlight. Give it a little cool water to drink at a time. Cold compresses to the belly and groin helps. Get the dog to the vet. A dog that has had heatstroke before can be prone to getting it again. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Puberty Puberty BITCHES In general, a bitch can start her first estrus, or "heat" between the ages of 6 months to 18 months. If you know when her dam first went into heat, that will give you a good indication of what to expect with your puppy. It is often felt that the larger breeds take longer to enter heat than the smaller ones felt, but familial patterns, if known, are a more reliable indicator. The first signs of estrus include: a small amount of clear discharge, a modest swelling of the vulva (the external genital fold), and increased licking of the area. Some bitches have a shortened attention span. This period can last from 4 to 14 days. Other dogs will show an interest in licking the area (as opposed to just smelling it) as well. The next stage includes bloody discharge, which can be anything from a few spots of blood to leaving a trail behind as they go, and increased swelling of the vulva. The nipples will enlargen somewhat. This period can last anywhere from 4-14 days as well. At the end of this stage, the vulva is at maximal size. At this point the bitch is fertile and ready to be bred, and will accept male dogs. This stage lasts for several days. After the first heat cycle, the bitch's vulva and nipples will shrink down, but not to the puppy size that they were before. However, there is much individual variation. Some bitches can show little or no sign of being in season throughout much of their estrus cycle. Some will always accept male dogs (even when they are not yet fertile) and others never accept them. Spaying is generally done when the bitch is not in season. The increased vascularity (higher blood flow) in the organs makes the operation more risky. In addition, such an operation would alter the balance of hormones in the dog's body rather abruptly, a potential source of problems. However, it can be done, and often is if the bitch winds up unintentionally pregnant, for example. DOGS Male puppies are born with undescended testicles, just like human males. Somewhere between 4 months to a year, the testicles will descend, although you should be able to feel the testicles from about 7 weeks onward. At about this time the levels of testosterone are peaking. An intact male dog between 10 and 12 months of age has about five times the testosterone level he will have in his final adult intensity, if he is not neutered! Male puppies will urinate like female puppies (by squatting) until about the time their testicles descend, and then will generally start to urinate standing up. Initial confusion is normal at this stage: be prepared for the puppy to raise the wrong leg, try to raise both legs, try to walk at the same time, or even try to use people as a "post"! You can encourage him to restrict his marking by praising him when he marks an acceptable item and scolding him when he is not. Discourage him from marking when you are on a walk; get him to mark around your yard as much as possible. (Marking, as opposed to urinating, is when only a small amount of urine is deposited.) Neutering early may or may not affect this behavior. If a dog has only one testicle, he is monorchid. If he has one undescended testicle, he is cryptorchid (unilateral); two undescended and he is cryptorchid (bilateral). Popular but incorrect usage calls the dog with one undescended testicle monorchid and two undescended cryptorchid. Granted, you may not be able to tell whether a dog is monorchid or has unlateral cryporchidsm without exploratory surgery. Undescended testicles often become cancerous and should be removed. Furthermore, such dogs should not be bred since the condition is hereditary. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Skin Problems Skin Problems Remember that a dog's skin is composed of only one layer, so it is much more delicate than a human's skin, which has three layers. A dog's skin depends on the hair and oils on it to keep it in good condition. Some preventive steps: * Keep your dog properly fed to prevent dry skin * When bathing your dog, use dog-formulated shampoo to prevent dry skin * Groom your dog regularly; some problems are caused by matted hair providing breeding grounds for a variety of skin diseases, regular grooming also helps keep you aware of any incipient problems * Keep your dog flea and parasite free * Check your dog regularly for foxtails, burrs, and other sharp objects it may pick up when outside RELIEVING DRY SKIN Some things to try: * Shampoos with lanolin * A good soak in cool water * Non-drying shampoo: eg, Hy-Lyt EFA is non-allergenic * Medicated shampoos may help with allergy-induced problems * Avon's Skin-So-Soft(tm) added to the rinse water ALLERGIES FOLLOWED BY STAPH INFECTIONS Once a dog has an allergic reaction, it is quite common to have a secondary staph infection. Many vets aren't familiar with this. The staph infection may stay around long after the allergy is gone. A vet that specializes in dermatology can be of great help in dealing with skin problems. See if your vet can refer you to such a person. Some studies on primrose and fish oil in helping relieve or cure secondary infections from allergies are documented in DM, March 1992. More information may also be obtained from writing to the RVC Dermatology Dept, Royal College St, London. NW1. SUMMARY TABLE It is beyond the scope of this FAQ to examine any of these skin problems in great detail, but here is a summary table of possible problems. Summarized from the summary tables in Carlson & Giffin, pages 67-69. Itchy Skin Disorders Name Symptoms ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scabies | *intense* itching, small red spots, typical crusty ear tips ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Walking | puppies 2-12wks, dry flakes move from head to neck to back, Dandruff | mild itchiness ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Fleas | itching/scratching on back, tail, hindquarters ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Lice | on poorly kept/matted coat dogs, uncommon, may have bald spots ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Ticks | irritation at site of bite, often beneath ear flaps or thin skin ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Damp Hay | severe itch from worm larvae, contacted from damp marsh hay Itch | (regional) ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Inhalation | severe itch, face rubbing, licking paws, seasonal Allergy | also regional ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Flea Allergy| scratching continues after fleas killed, pimple rash Dermatitis | ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Contact | itching/irritation at site of contact Dermatitis | ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Allergic | repeated or continuous contact (eg flea collar), Contact Derm. rash may spread ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Lick sores | "boredom sores", licking starts at wrists/ankles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hormone-related Hair Loss or Poor Hair Growth Name Symptoms ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thyroid | loss of hair Deficiency | (see Canine Ailments) ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Cortisone | hair loss in symmetrical pattern, esp. trunk, skin is thin Excess | may also be from steroid treatments ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Estrogen | greasy hair, hair loss in flanks/abdomen, wax in ears, loss of excess | hair around genitals, enlargened nipples, dry skin, brittle hair ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Estrogen | scanty hair growth, smooth soft skin deficiency | ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Acanthosis | hair loss in armpit folds, black thick greasy rancid skin Nigrans | ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Seborrhea | "dandruff", hair/skin oily, yellow brown scales on skin, | resembles ringworm ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Hair Loss, etc Name Symptoms ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Collie Nose | sunburn on lightly pigmented nose, loss of hair next to nose ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Ringworm | scaly/crusty/red circular patches .5-2in diameter w/hair loss | in center and red margin at edge (not from a worm) ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Demodectic | hair loss around eyelids, mouth, front leg, young dogs mange #1 | ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Demodectic | progression of #1, patches enlarge & coalesce, pyoderma mange #2 | complications, affects all ages ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Calluses, | gray/hairless/wrinkled skin over elbow, pressure points elbow sores | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- With Pus Drainage (Pyoderma) Name Symptoms ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Puppy | impetigo: pus filled blisters, crusty hairless skin Dermatitis | on abdomen, groin; acne: purple-red bumps on chin, lower lip ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Hair pore | pimple-like bumps on back, sometimes draining sinus, infection | hair loss ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Skin Wrinkle| inflamed skin, foul odor in lip fold, facial fold, Infection | vulvar fold, tail fold ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Hot Spots | in heavy coated dogs, painful inflamed patches of skin with | a wet, pus covered surface from which hair is lost ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Cellulitis | painful hot inflamed skin (wound infections, foreign bodies, | breaks in skin) ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Abscesses | pockets of pus beneath the skin, swells, comes to a head & drains ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Puppy | under 4mos, sudden painful swelling of lips, eyelids, Strangles | ears and face, draining sores, crusts, and sinus tracts | (prompt vet attention required, do not pop "acne") ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lumps or Bumps on/beneath Skin (all lumps should be checked by vet even if not apparently painful) Name Symptoms ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Papillomas, | anywhere, including mouth, not painful Warts | can look like chewing gum stuck to skin ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Hematomas | (bruises) - esp. on ears, from trauma ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Tender Knots| esp. at site of shot or vaccination, painful ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Cysts | smooth lumps beneath skin, slow growth, possible cheesy | discharge, possible infection, otherwise not painful ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- Possibly | rapid growth, hard & fixed to surrounding tissue, cancerous | any lump from a bone, starts to bleed, a mole that spreads or lump | ulcerates, open sores that do not heal (only way to tell for | sure is a biopsy) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIAGNOSING Skin problems are not easy to diagnose and cure, but there is a lot of research going on. Something that can help is to keep a diary for the dog. Every day, record what the dog ate, what the weather was like, whether it is itching or not, and anything else that might be relevant (visitors, for instance, when it is bathed, and so forth). It's sometimes hard to recall all the variables that might be affecting the dog, but if you keep a diary, sometimes patterns become very clear. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Temperature Temperature Normal temperature range for a dog is 100 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Because dogs regulate their temperature less efficiently than people do, there is more variation in "normal" temperature. Your dog's temperature will be higher just after exercise, on a hot day, while snuggled under a blanket, etc. Dogs' temperatures are normally taken rectally. Try a digital read-out rectal thermometer, available at any drug store. Put a little Vaseline or KY Jelly on the tip, insert gently into the rectum (not too far), and hold for a minute or so. The digital model has a beeper that goes off when "done." The thermometer is easy to clean with soap & water or wipe with alcohol. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Trimming Nails Trimming Nails Most dogs need to have nails trimmed at some point. While the vet will often clip them for you, many dogs need their nails trimmed more often than that to prevent injuries and other problems associated with overgrown nails. A tip: Look for illustrations of dog nails. Most dog care books will have one. Cardinal (a dog products vendor) provides a small poster that illustrates not only normal nail clipping but also how to gradually work back the length of nails that have grown too long and is quite informative. CLIPPING Use nail clippers available at pet stores. Look for the guillotine type (don't use the human variety, this will crush and injure your dog's nail) and get blade replacements as the sharper the blade is the easier this procedure is. There is another kind that looks like scissors with hooked tips that are also good, and may be easier to handle (however, the blades cannot be replaced on this type). Before cutting the nails, examine them carefully. If the nails are are white, the difference between the nail and the pink quick is easy to see (use good lighting). If the nails are dark, it will be much harder to tell where the quick is, in which case you must take care. If your dog resists having its nails trimmed, try trimming them while you sit on a couch with the dog on its back in your lap. By putting the dog on its back, you make the nails accessible and put the dog in a submissive position where they are less apt to fight. As with many things, this is easiest if you start while your dog is still a pup. If the cutter is sharp, the nails won't crack if you cut at right angles to the nail. that is, hold it so that the blades are on the top and bottom of the nail, not to the sides of the nail. Do not cut below the quick. It will be painful to your dog and bleed everywhere. When in doubt, trim less of the nail. It will just mean trimming more often. Clip the portion above the quick for each nail and don't forget the dewclaws. Keep a styptic pencil on hand to staunch any blood flow. Flour or cornstarch will help in a pinch. Dewclaws are a "fifth" toe, positioned as a "thumb" to the rest of the nails and they do not touch the ground. Not all dogs have them, and they may be found on the front legs only or on all four legs. Many dogs have their dewclaws removed when they are puppies to prevent infection resulting from easily injured dewclaws. Some adult dogs that regularly tear their dewclaws should have them removed. While they take longer to heal than three-day old puppies that have had theirs removed do, the pain of periodically tearing them and going in to the vet to have them bandaged back up makes the surgery worth while. GRINDING The nail grinder avoids the potential problems of cutting the quick, nails cracking, and sharp edges afterwards. The nails can also be thinned, allowing the quick to recede, resulting in shorter nails and a tighter paw. RC Steele and other mail-order companies sell them for about $45. One model is the Oster Pet Nail Groomer, Model 129, with two speeds. Some dogs may be spooked by the noise. It may help to watch someone who knows how to use it first. FILING You can use a wood rasp and file your dog's nails down. Also, if you clip them, using a plain file afterwards helps smooth the edges down and keep them neat. You can use "people files" or purchase files shaped for this purpose. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Vaccinations Vaccinations REGULARLY SCHEDULED SHOTS An indispensable part of keeping your dog healthy is to keep its vaccinations up-to-date. A table, lifted from Carlson & Giffin, shows all the major vaccinations (at minimum) that a dog in the US should have. Conditions in your area may necessitate additional shots; ask your vet about them as they may not always be routinely included in normal shot programs. DHLPP is a combination shot: Distemper, (Canine) Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, (Canine) Parainfluenza, (Canine) Parvovirus. Age Vaccine Recommended -------------------------------------------------------------- 5-8 wks | Distemper - measles - CPI ------------------+------------------------------------------- 14-16 wks | DHLPP, Rabies ------------------+------------------------------------------- 12 mos & annually | DHLPP ------------------+------------------------------------------- 12 mos & | Rabies 3 yr intervals | -------------------------------------------------------------- VACCINATION FAILURE Vaccinations may fail under the following conditions: * vaccinations are improperly administered (should always be by or supervised by a vet) * the dog has some innate inability to respond * the dog has already been exposed to the disease in question * the puppy is too young for the vaccination to "take" OTHER VACCINES Not an exhaustive list: Other vaccines and preventives should also be given such as heartworm, Lyme disease, etc, when needed. Heartworm prevention should begin around 5 months, but then it depends on where you live. Those living in warmer, damper areas with higher concentration of heartworm may want to start earlier. Lyme disease vaccine instructions recommend giving it around 12 weeks; Bordatella vaccines (for Kennel cough) around 6 months or earlier depending on risk. VACCINE OVERLOAD? Be sure your dog is safe and vaccinated against everything you think the dog may be exposed to, however, don't overload its system! You can do more harm than good by vaccinating your dog for everything all at once than if you stagger the vaccinations and let the individual immunities build up gradually. UP-TO-DATE ON SHOTS? Do you know what it means when your vet tells you your dog has ALL its shots? Chances are, your dog isn't. Stay informed and read up in some of the dog literature about what types of vaccinations your dog should have. Then make sure your vet has administered vaccines for the appropriate things -- it's up to YOU to make sure your dog has *all* its shots, not your vet. For an interesting article on vaccinations, see the May 1992 issue of Dog World. Another thoughtful article by Christine Wilford, DVM is in Gazette, January 1994. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Vomiting Vomiting One of the most common and non-specific symptoms that a dog can have. You must look at how and what it is vomiting. If your dog vomits once or twice and then seems its normal self, it is probably not serious. NON-SERIOUS CAUSES (summarized from Carlson & Giffin) Most commonly: overeating. Animals that gulp their food and immediately exercise (esp. puppies) are likely to vomit. This is not serious. Feeding in smaller portions more often helps eliminate this problem. In particular, if the vomit looks like a solid tube of partially or non digested food, your dog ate too fast. Note that eating grass or other indigestible material is also a common cause of vomiting. TYPES OF VOMITING (summarized from Carlson & Giffin) Repeated vomiting: Its last meal is first vomited. Then a clear, frothy liquid. This suggests a stomach irritant. Grass, spoiled food, other indigestibles, and certain infectious illnesses (such as gastroenteritis) all cause irritation of the stomach lining. Sporadic vomiting: The dog vomits off and on, but not continuously. No relationship to meals, poor appetite. Haggard appearance and listlessness may indicate an internal organ disorder, a chronic illness, a heavy worm infestation, or diabetes. A thorough checkup is called for. Vomiting blood: Fresh blood indicates a break in the mucus lining somewhere between the mouth and the upper small bowel. Common causes are foreign bodies, tumors and ulcers. Material which looks like coffee grounds is old, partly digested blood -- the problem is somewhere in the stomach or duodenum. Vomiting blood is always serious and requires a trip to the vet. Fecal vomiting: If the vomit is foul and smells like feces, there is an obstruction somewhere in the intestinal tract. Blunt or penetrating abdominal trauma is another cause. The dog will become rapidly dehydrated with this type of vomiting and requires vet attention. Projectile vomiting: The vomit is forcefully expelled, sometimes for a distance of several feet. It is indicative of complete blockage in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Foreign bodies, hairballs, duodenal ulcers, tumors and strictures are possible causes. Intracranial pressure can also cause projectile vomiting, causes can be brain tumor, encephalitis, and blood clots. Take the dog to the vet. Vomiting foreign objects: Includes bone splinters, rubber balls, (pieces of) toys, sticks and stones. Sometimes worms. You may want to have the vet check your pet for any other foreign objects, although not all of these will show up readily on x-ray scans. Emotional or Stress vomiting: Sometimes excited or upset dogs vomit. Remove the dog from the source of distress. If it is something it will encounter often, you will have to train the dog to remain calm around the source. Motion sickness: Vomits in the car. Most dogs will outgrow this problem. Check with your vet if it does not. See Carsickness in Assorted Topics for further comments. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Worms Worms SUMMARY Worm Symptoms ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- roundworms | pot belly, dull coat, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of weight ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- hookworms | anemia, diarrhea, bloody stools (esp. puppies) ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- tapeworms | "rice" on anal area or in stools, possible diarrhea/vomiting ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- whipworms | loss of weight, some diarrhea, difficult to detect ------------+---------------------------------------------------------------- threadworms | profuse watery diarrhea, lung infection symptoms (esp. puppies) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- PREVENTING WORMS (summarized from Carlson & Giffin.) The best way to deal with worms, of course, is to make use of worm prevention techniques. Most worms have a lifecycle that makes it easy to reinfest dogs because only part of that lifecycle is on the dog. Steps you can take to control worms in general: * If you have a kennel, do not use dirt. A water tight surface that can be hosed down is best; gravel works also. Remove stools from pens daily. * Lawns should be kept short and watered only when necessary. Remove stools from the yard daily. * Control fleas, lice, and rodents, as all these pests can be intermediate hosts for tapeworms. * Do not let your dog roam, as it may ingest tainted meat. Any meat fed to your dog must be thoroughly cooked. PUPPIES Most puppies have worms, as some immunity to worms only comes after six months of ages and the mother will infect them with her dormant worm larvae. Puppies should be wormed at 2-3 weeks and again at 4-6 weeks. You should be especially vigilant for worms while your puppy is still growing; a bad case of worms can seriously interfere with its development. Bring fresh fecal samples in regularly to the vet for analysis. _________________________________________________________________ Heath Care Issues FAQ Cindy Tittle Moore, tittle@netcom.com @START@Assorted Topics Part I - TOC ASSORTED TOPICS (PART I) Table of Contents * A New Baby * Docking and Cropping * Dog Food Analyses and Comparisons * Dog Parks * Dog Vision * Early Neutering * Example of a Spay/Neuter Contract * Facts and Opinions about Neutering + Practical reasons for keeping your dog inta ct + Practical reasons for neutering your dog + Definite myths about neutering + Ethical considerations over neutering + References * Finding a Home for a Dog * Guard or Protection Dogs * Hiking and Backpacking with your Dog * Holidays with your Dog * Housetraining Topics + Getting the dog to go consistently in one a rea + Housetraining an older dog + Sudden onset of marking + Peeing in one spot * Invisible and Electric Fences + The Invisible Fence + Electric fences * Commercial Kennels _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - A New Baby A New Baby Introduce the dog to all the new things you get for a new baby: let it investigate the crib, baby clothes and that sort of thing. Dogs generally seem to know that something is up, especially as the woman gets closer to her time. After the baby is born, but before you bring it home, see if you can take something home for the dog to smell, like a blanket or an undershirt the baby had on. Let the dog smell it thoroughly. When the baby comes home, try to hold everything else normal, feeding time, any morning walks, the like. When you bring the baby in, put the dog on a down-stay and introduce the dog to the baby. Have one of the parents hold the baby in their lap and let the dog sniff the baby. Let it lick the baby if you're up to that, but do NOT let the dog nuzzle (push with its nose) or paw at the baby. It is important to introduce the dog to the baby. This makes it clear to the dog that the baby is a new member of the pack. If you exclude the dog from the baby, it may try to attack this "non-member" to protect its pack. Include the dog in the daily routine with the baby. Give it the same, if not a little more, amount of attention it always got. You do not want it to feel like it has been displaced or ignored in favor of the baby. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Docking and Cropping Docking and Cropping Docking is the practice of removing a dog's tail. Cropping is the removal of a good portion of its ears so that they stand up. Typically, these procedures are done when the dog is very young, several weeks of age. The practices have their origin hundreds of years ago when dogs were cropped and docked to prevent injury to those extremities. Ears can be vulnerable in fights, tails can be vulnerable to underbrush when hunting. For certain breeds, docking and cropping is required by the breed standard. The exception is in countries that outlaw the practice, such as the United Kingdom and Australia. Today, there is little practical use for docking and cropping a dog. There are movements to change breed standards to reflect this, although some people feel very strongly the other way. There is at least one practical reason to have some hunting dogs' tails docked. A hunter once described his experiences with a hunting dog he decided not to dock -- and was horrified several years later with the sores that the dog would pick up on hunting trips. He then had the tail docked, but of course the procedure is more painful to an adult dog. If your dog does not hunt, this is moot. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Dog Food Analyses and Comparisons Dog Food Analyses and Comparisons Dog nutrition seems to be almost as much a religion as it is a science. Different breeders will feed 1/2 Purina Pro-Plan and 1/2 Pedigree, another will cook homemade food, and yet others use Nutro Max, Eukanuba, etc. for their puppies. Thumbing through the Rottweiler Quarterly yields breeders using Eagle, Purina Pro Plan, Science Diet, Nature's Recipe, Natural Life, Nutro Max and several others. Even if you can find the best food for one dog it may or may not be the best food for the next one. The Colorado State University Vet hospital did some studies of the various food. This was a few years back. They tested foods like Science Diet, generic, Purina, Waynes, and lots of others. Waynes came out ahead in nutrition. You might try contacting the Vet school for a copy of the research. The following is from Helen M. Berschneider, DVM, Assistant Professor of Physiology, who is a "Puppy Food Expert" at NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine, in an October 8, 1991 written reply: Part of the confusion over whether or not a puppy should get puppy food may stem from the definitions of "puppy chow", "growth" food, "maintenance" food and "all purpose" dog chow. The definitions of the terms actually refer to the purposes of the diets. One of the requirements on the label of any pet food is a statement of purpose, so it is possible to determine the type of food it is from the label. Good quality puppy or growth food are specially formulated and tested for their effectiveness in supporting proper growth and good health in growing dogs from weaning to adulthood. Maintenance foods are formulated to provide adequate nutrition for the mature dog engaged in moderate activity, but do not necessarily provide the proper nutrient balance for growth. Maintenance foods should not be confused with "All Purpose" foods. All purpose dog foods are intended to meet or exceed the nutrient requirements for all stages of the dog's life from weaning to old age, not just adulthood. These foods can be identified by some statement such as: "Complete nutrition for the entire life of your dog." Purina Dog Chow is one example of such a food. Based on these definitions, the answer to your question is YES, in most cases a puppy should be fed puppy food until he reaches ninety percent of his expected adult weight. This will be less than a year for small breeds and up to eighteen months for the giant breeds. However, most puppies should also do just find on an "all purpose" food, as well. By definition, these foods must be formulated to meet or exceed the nutritional requirements of all life stages, including growth. This has probably answered your basic question, but I thought that some additional information might help you in your discussions with other dog owners. Comparing dog foods can be a tricky business and given the complete lack of substantial information on the product label, it can be almost impossible for the average consumer. Before comparing foods you need to consider how the dogs eat the food. Dogs do not care how many pounds of food you give them as long there is sufficient energy in the bowls to meet their needs. Put another way, dogs eat calories, not cups or pounds. If you have two foods, A and B, and A has 2000 kcal per pound while B has 1000 kcal per pound, a dog that requires 1000 kcal of energy per day will eat one pound of food B but only a half pound of food A. The point here is that in order to compare foods, you have to compare them based on the amount the dog will be consuming. For example, if our two foods had twenty percent protein for A and ten percent protein for B, even though A has twice the protein content of B, if our dog consumed equal caloric amounts of each food he would get exactly the same amount of protein in each meal. If we compare the average nutrient content of puppy food, maintenance food and all purpose food on a nutrient per pound basis, the results frequently don't make any sense. There appears to be wide variation from company to company regarding how much protein, fat or calcium a puppy needs. If the nutrient contents can be compared on a "per calorie basis" the similarities between various foods of the same type become apparent and the differences between puppy food and maintenance food are more readily demonstrated. When analyzed in this fashion, you will find that growth foods generally contain more protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus than maintenance foods. These are the nutrients most critical for growth. Analysis of all purpose food tends to closely resemble that of growth food. This would explain why puppies generally do so well on the all purpose foods. There are some marketing motives in producing puppy foods, however, and these may lead to less than optimal nutrition for a puppy. If a company marketing an all purpose food opts to produce a puppy food, but not a complete line of life-stage related products, there may be a tendency to increase the "growth nutrients" in the puppy food above the amounts present in the all purpose food. Since the all purpose food already met the nutritional requirements for growth, the new puppy food might be close to providing excess amounts of protein or calcium. This is not necessarily the case, but it has been known to happen and might contribute to the poor performance of many litters on some puppy foods as compared to those on all purpose foods. The bottom line on the different types of food is essentially that optimal nutrition for the animal comes from matching the nutrient requirements for his life stage with the nutrient balance in the diet he is fed. If a pet food company has this philosophy toward dog food it will be reflected in their product line; specific foods for specific purposes. These are frequently the premium pet foods. All purpose foods are fine for most puppies. The major question which should be considered is if this food has everything a growing puppy needs, does it have more than an adult dog needs and could this excess be harmful in the long run? So the problem may not be with feeding a puppy on all-purpose food, but in feeding this food, essentially a puppy food in disguise, to an adult for a long period of time. There is no strong evidence to support the idea that the excess nutrients in these all purpose foods might be harmful. For now it is a philosophical question, but one that bears some thought. The one other topic which I noted in your various [rec.pets.dogs] discussions is the role of nutrition in the development of bone disease in dogs. The development of bone disease depends on a variety of factors including genetics, environment and nutrition. The only nutritional factors clearly implicated in canine bone disease are calcium and phosphorus imbalances and certain vitamin deficiencies or excesses. In many cases excesses can be as bad, or worse than deficiencies. There is some evidence that high protein or high carbohydrate diets may contribute to problems in growing horses, however, this information does not necessarily transfer to dogs which have a very different metabolism. The best advice that can be given at this point is to provide growing dogs with a nutritionally balanced diet intended to support growth and to avoid development of obesity in puppies. Supplements should be used ONLY on the advice of a qualified nutritionist to correct a known nutritional deficiency." _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Dog Parks Dog Parks This is a summary of information about dog parks that has been gleaned from the helpful responses of several netters. Compiled by Susan Kennedy. It seems that most of the responses came from people who are on the West coast, so maybe the concept of a dog park will drift across the country, as so many California things do. Several kinds of dog parks were described. The first is a wilderness area or beach that allows dogs to be off leash. This kind probably allows your dog to exercise, but is no guarantee that he will find other dogs to romp with or that his safety is assured. The second kind is a smaller area, probably with a fence, where the grass is probably mowed. This area is typically in a city park, and is set aside specifically for dogs. A third kind is an area that does not officially allow dogs, but that police chose not to enforce the leash laws. One dog park was described as a part-time one; hours and days were limited. Still another park is one set aside specifically to train hunting dogs. This one is funded by hunting license fees. But no one complains if non-hunting dogs are exercised there. It was mentioned that typically more upscale cities were likely to have official dog parks. In most cases, the expenses associated with the dog park are paid from the coffers that pay for all other park expenses. One case required a permit, and a fee of $25 per year. One officially sanctioned park was described as a 200' by 600' area, enclosed by a 4 ft. chain link fence. Dog owners are asked to clean up after their pets; in some cases, plastic bags and trash cans are provided for this. It is unclear how careful dog owners actually are about this, or how important it is. It would seem difficult to observe your dog (especially if you had multiple ones) at all times, especially if the landscape prevented a clear view. On the other hand, 20 dogs in one day can generate a lot of output! If it's a concern, you can always make sure your pet has eliminated before going into the park. The dog parks are not policed in any way, other than peer pressure from other dog owners. No attempts are made to screen dogs before using the parks for shots, diseases, fleas, etc. Fighting did not seem to be a problem. It was mentioned that if a new dog arrives and there appears to be the possibility of a fight, courtesy suggests that the new dog wait outside until the other dog has left. Another courtesy rule is that the owner of the agressive dog should take him out if play gets too rough. Verbal control is the most important tool for a dog owner. As might be expected, most dogs at dog parks are medium or larger dogs. Surprisingly, liability did not seem to be a concern for owners who frequent dog parks. But the presence of children (particularly if not accompanied by a parent) should be a concern for everyone, since an injury to the child could happen even in play. Several people suggested that a petition would be a good method to get a sanctioned dog park. One mentioned using as one of the reasons the importance of socializing dogs with other dogs so that they have better manners (towards people), but proving this is a bit difficult. A fee tacked on to the pet license was suggested, or an admission fee. Several people have mentioned a situation that involved taking their friendly, well-behaved dogs to unofficial dog parks, but having a problem when the dog approaches another dog who is fearful of him. The friendly dog chases the fearful dog, and the owner of the fearful dog is upset. The owner of the fearful dog then calls the police. And because dogs are not officially allowed off leash, there may be a penalty for this. For reference: York and Goodavage, The Dog Lover's Companion - The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog in the Bay Area and Beyond. Foghorn press (415) 241-9550 _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Dog Vision Dog Vision Excerpted from: Vaughan, Dana (Ph.D.), "Canine:Color Vision," Gazette, May 1991: The article explained the following about "color vision" in dogs/people: Normal Human Color range includes VIBGYOR (each letter is a color Violet->Red). The normal ability to see this wide range of color is due to the presence of three cone cell types: blue, green and red cones. The range of colors seen by deuteranopic (green-blind) humans and dogs are probably the same. Color Vision in the VIB portion of the spectrum is normal. However, both deuteranopes and dogs lack the green cones and thus have a color vision deficit in GYO portion of the spectrum. This means that blue-green appears white. Colors more toward the Red (R) portion of the spectrum appears more and more yellowish. Red itself thus appears yellow. Hunters take advantage of this by using bright orange bumpers while training: it's difficult for the dog to actually see the bumper while the trainer has no trouble spotting them. Note that it is difficult for a dog to distinguish between objects which are green, yellow and orange. Note also that the colors red and orange are hard for a dog to tell apart, but that "red" is easily distinguished from blue. Thus dogs are colorblind, but not to the extent of seeing only black and white. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Early Neutering Early Neutering Many animal shelters have instituted mandatory neutering policies in an attempt to reduce the staggering number of unwanted dogs in the US. However, compliance is difficult to ensure, even with financial incentives and inexpensive neutering clinics. Paired with the current practice among US veterinarians to neuter at about 5-8 months, it is very difficult to ensure that animals that should not be bred do in fact not breed. Some animal shelters, in responding to these problems, are looking into early neuter programs. Under these programs, puppies and kittens are neutered before they leave the shelter. Widespread adoption of early neuter programs by shelters should have a positive impact on the pet overpopulation problem. The advantages for responsible breeders are also obvious: pet-quality puppies can be neutered before they are sold, assuring the breeder that there will be no further puppies out of those puppies. Obviously a number of questions have been raised over the appropriate age for nuetering animals, and the safety of anesthetizing young puppies. Some new data is now available that shows * Early neutering did not affect food intake or weight gain. * Early neutering did not result in inactivity or lethargy, in fact the neutered dogs were slightly more active than their sexually intact counterparts. * Early neutering contributed to a slightly higher growth rate * Seven-week old puppies tolerated anesthesia well. * Spaying younger puppies was easier than spaying at the traditional age since there was less fat and less vasculature (resulting in less blood loss), reducing surgery time. Since there are important differences between neutering 7-week-old puppies and 7-month-old puppies, not every veterinarian can perform the early neutering surgery. The more extensive experience many vets have in neutering at the traditional age generally means they will not opt to change, thus for now it may be difficult to find vets experienced with early neutering. Summarized from Marrion, Ruth, DMV. "New Views on Neutering," in Purebred Dogs/American Kennel Gazette, April 1992 (pp50-54). _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Example of a Spay/Neuter Contract Example of a Spay/Neuter Contract ____(Your name and address)___________________agrees to sell the following animal to ___________(Buyer's name and address)___ for the sum of __________________. BREED: SEX: SIRE: DAM: DATE OF BIRTH: LITTER NUMBER: MARKINGS: Registration papers will be held by the seller until proof of spaying/neutering has be received from a licensed, reputable veterinarian. When proof has been received via a receipt and/or written statement for the vet, the registration papers and the sum of __($50 or whatever seems appropriate)___ will be forwarded to the buyer's address. Spaying/neutering of this animal is required to receive the registration papers. It is understood at the time of sale that this dog is not considered to be of show or breeding quality, but is a representative of its breed and is structurally and temperamentally suited as a companion and/or obedience dog. This dog is guaranteed for two weeks against any general health irregularities, and it is recommended that the buyer have the puppy examined by a reputable veterinarian during this period. A refund of purchase price, upon return of the puppy, will be given for any puppy found unsatisfactory during this time limit. No other guarantee is given except in the case of a genetic or temperamental defect which develops, at any time during the dog's life, to the extent that it renders the dog unsuitable as a pet. In the case of temperamental defect the buyer agrees to return the dog to the seller for a full refund of purchase price. In the case of genetic or hereditary defect, the buyer will have the option of a replacement under the same conditions stated in this contract when one becomes becomes available, _or_ a refund of the purchase price. If at any time, the above dog must leave permanent ownership of the buyer, the seller must be notified. This dog is not to be placed in a shelter or humane society without prior notification to the seller. Failure to follow this contract will entitle the seller to the amount of $400 as a result of breach of contract and any legal fees associated with legal actions. The buyer understands that this is a legally binding contract and that a copy of this contract will be forwarded to the American Kennel Club to prevent fraudulent registration of the described dog. Seller:_____________________________________ Date:______________ Buyer:______________________________________ Date:______________ _________________________________________________________________ If you read the contract for its legal content, you'll find that if the owner is your average "joe-pet-owner" he'll benefit by getting a very sound puppy and a small bit of money back from this deal after the neutering is done. That's it, nothing tricky. If, however, the new pet owner does just get the puppy with no intention to keep it later or no intention to follow the contract they will be subjected to quite a stiff fine and legal fees. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Facts and Opinions about Neutering Facts and Opinions about Neutering Remember, "neutering" can refer both to spaying bitches or castrating dogs. An "intact" bitch or dog is one that has not been neutered. PRACTICAL REASONS FOR KEEPING YOUR DOG INTACT * Conformation showing requires dogs and bitches to be intact. * Breeding stock (obviously) must remain intact PRACTICAL REASONS FOR NEUTERING YOUR DOG * Not a show-quality or breeding-quality dog. * It is a working dog (such as Seeing Eye or Guide dog) and must not be distracted by the opposite sex. * Medical and health benefits. * Its breeding days are over. DEFINITE MYTHS ABOUT NEUTERING "My bitch will become fat and lazy if I spay her." Not true. If you hold to the same exercise and feeding schedule after surgery that you did before surgery, her weight and activity will not change except as a normal function of aging. Bitches that become lazy after spaying do so because of YOUR expectations: you take her out less because you think she's lazier, and so around and around it goes. Remember, too, that the age at which many bitches are spayed (6-8 months) is also the age at which they begin to settle down from puppyhood into adulthood. Studies done on early neutering (at 8-10 weeks) show that such puppies remain on par behaviorally with their unneutered counterparts. If anything, they are often more active than their unneutered counterparts. "I want her to have one litter before spaying because that will improve her personality." This is not true. Clinical studies show no permanent changes occur as a result of pregnancy. Behavioral changes that do occur are an effect of hormonal levels and lactation and are strictly temporary. If your behavior toward her does not change from before her pregnancy, her behavior will not change, either. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS OVER NEUTERING What is your goal with neutering your dog or leaving it intact? Unless you know what you want to do with your dog, it may be difficult to make the decision to neuter. You must take into account how you will prevent unwanted breeding so long as your animal is intact. For example, you must not let it roam. You must have it under control at all times. Neutering your dog will not solve behavioral problems. Solving behavioral problems is a matter of training. Both intact and neutered animals, properly trained, make fine housepets. Neutering your dog does guarantee that you will have no unwanted puppies. It does guarantee that certain behaviors related to reproduction will be eliminated. This includes dog interest in the heat-scent, and bitch agitation during heat. It eliminates certain physical manifestations in the bitch, such as discharge from the vulva. It may reduce the incidence of urine marking, mounting, and intermale aggression in male dogs. Interestingly enough, the age at which an animal is neutered does not affect the likelihood that neutering will have an impact on a particular behaviors. Experience seems to play more of a role in determining which behaviors are retained. That is, if habits have been established, neutering is not likely to alter them. Behavior patterns common to both males and females, such as protective barking, playfulness, and attention-seeking are not affected by neutering. No basic personality or behavior changes occur as a result of neutering, except that undesirable male behaviors may be reduced or eliminated. It is possible to sterilize dogs without neutering. This means severing the vas deferens in the dog and the fallopian tubes in the bitch. You eliminate the possiblity of puppies, and there is no change in behavior because the hormones have not been altered: the dogs are still interested in bitches and the bitches will still go through heat. However, they will be sterile. You may have to look hard to find a vet that will do this, as it is uncommon. If you intend to breed, the decision is easy. If you are putting your dog to other work, you may be worried about negative or positive behavioral changes from neutering in your dog affecting its work. If you simply have a pet you do not wish to breed, neutering is entirely appropriate. What are the medical advantages of spaying? The medical advantages of neutering? How about the disadvantages? Medical advantages: Your bitch is no longer subject to reproductive cancers, such as mammary cancer (the most common tumor of the sexually intact bitch). Bitches spayed prior to their first estrus have about 0.5 percent risk of developing mammary cancer. If spaying is delayed after the second heat period, the chance of developing a tumor jumps 8-26 percent. Bitches spayed later than this remain at the same level of risk, 8-26 percent. The incidence of pyometra is eliminated in spayed bitches. Pyometra is a common disease of intact bitches, particularly in bitches over 6 years of age, although it can occur at any age. It is a potentially fatal disease. Your dog is less at risk from prostate disease and testicular cancer, both of which can be life-threatening. Even non-malignant growths are a threat because the growth can cause infection that can eventually kill your dog. Medical disadvantages: General anesthesia is a risk to any dog. A small percentage of spayed bitches may develop estrogen imbalances in later life that causes incontinence (or rather, "leaking"), which is easily controlled with dosages of estrogen. There are no medical disadvantages (other than anesthetic risk) to male dogs. However in most cases, neutering a dog does not involve anesthesia. The exception is when an undescended testicle must be removed. What are the psychological effects on your dog? There is wide disagreement over this, but there are various relevant facts to note. First, neutered dogs are no longer concerned with reproduction. This is a psychological effect, but the extent of it is confined to its behavior with respect to heat. The argument is often over whether or not neutered dogs remain "aggressive." In particular, guard dogs and working dogs are often thought to lose something by neutering. This is counterable with specific examples: e.g., Seeing Eye dogs are always neutered and they are fine, working dogs. There are many neutered animals that are dominant over intact animals. For each claim made about the effect of neutering an animal, a counter-example can be cited. This means that the effect of neutering is largely dependent on the individual dog. And, most likely, because dogs are so attuned to their owners, dependent on the owner. Dogs are very good at picking up expectations: if you expect your dog to mellow after neutering, it probably will, whether or not the neutering was actually responsible for it. The question also arises over whether dogs "miss" sex or not. Insofar as neutered animals never display interest in sex afterwards, the argument is fairly strong that dogs do not miss their sexual capability. "Mounting" or "humping" is a dominance related behavior that any alpha dog, of either sex, intact or neutered, will engage in. What are the ethical issues? There is a good deal of controversy over the practice of neutering animals. Please note that some viewpoints are culturally determined: for example, many countries in Europe, especially Scandinavian ones, do not have any sort of pet population problem; whereas in the US, millions of dogs are put to sleep annually because of uncontrolled and thoughtless reproduction. Thus, any debate over the relative ethics of neutering dogs must be careful to keep the background of the debate participants in mind. Your personal decision should also take this factor, as well as others, in making that decisions. In brief, here is a summary, pro and con, of the various opinions and points that proponents of either side make. PRO CON Neutering prevents unwanted You can control your own dog's puppies. reproduction. It prevents certain behaviors You can control your dog; again, such as roaming, being in heat why should we take something away going after bitches in heat. from the dog? There are medical benefits to There are valid moral objections neutering. to "tampering" with your dog. Neutered dogs are content with Who wants to have neutering possibly established pack orders. affect your dog's abilities. Dominance is unrelated to intact- But there are also cases where the ness; many neutered animals are dog lost some edge. just as, if not more so, energetic determined and aggressive as their intact counterparts. Many bitches perform the same But why take the chance on an duties as well as dogs; individual dog's temperament testosterone is not the magic changing? ingredient, training and individual temperament is. REFERENCES Hart BL. "Effects of neutering and spaying on the behavior of dogs and cats: Questions and answers about practical concerns," in JAVMA 1991;198:1204-1205. Houpt KA, Coren B, Hintz et al. "Effects of sex and reproductive status on sucrose preference, food intake, and body weight of dogs," in JAVMA 1979; 174:1083-1085. Johnson SD. "Questions and answers on the effects of surgically neutering dogs and cats," in JAVMA 1991;198:1206-1213. LeRoux PH. "Thyroid status, oestradiol level, work performance and body mass of ovariectomised bitches and bitches bearing ovarian autotransplants in the stomach wall," in J S Afr Vet Assoc 1977;48:115-117. Marrion, Ruth, DMV. "New Views on Neutering," in Purebred Dogs/American Kennel Gazette, April 1992 (pp50-54). Salmeri KR, Bloomberg MS, Scruggs SL, Shille V. "Gonadectomy in immature dogs: Effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development," in JAVMA 1991;198:1193-1203. Salmeri KR, Olson PN, Bloomberg MS. "Elective gonadectomy in dogs: A review," in JAVMA 1991;198:1183-1191. Thrusfield MV. "Association between urinary incontinence and spaying bitches," in Vet Rec. 1985;116:695. Weiss, Seymour N. "Dog Breeding: It's Not for Everyone," in DogsUSA, 1992 Annual, p 121. Vol 7, no 1. Wilcox, Bonnie, DVM, "Tell Me Why" in Dog Fancy, March 1992 (v23n3), discusses neutering of the male dog. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Finding a Home for a Dog Finding a Home for a Dog For whatever reason, you may need to find a home for a dog. List everywhere: newspaper, bulletin boards, computer bulletin boards, newsletters, anywhere you like. But limit sharply: don't adopt out if they don't meet standards. Minimal standards: will neuter as soon as the dog's old enough, committed to a 20 year responsibility, they have a home or apartment that permits pets, knowledgeable about dog health and behavior or committed to become so. Do charge a nominal fee unless you know the adopter well; this keeps away those collecting animals for research. (You can donate all or part of the money to animal causes if you like.) There are many rescue organizations for both purebred and mixed-breed dogs. You should be able to look them up in a local directory listing. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Guard or Protection Dogs Guard or Protection Dogs Many people consider getting a dog for protection or guarding property. Toward this end, "ferocious dogs," such as Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and other large dogs are procured. In many cases, the dogs will be encouraged to bark, bite, etc. This is an extremely poor approach. In the first place, many burglers are primarily deterred by *attention*. If your dog barks, that may be all that is needed. And virtually any grown dog that is attached to its family will bark when stranger approaches. There is no need to get a "vicious" dog. A properly trained protection and attack dog is a considerable investment of time and money. In addition you must understand how to keep it trained. You will throw money down the drain if you buy such a dog with no idea of how it is trained or how to reinforce the training. In addition, many dogs that are advertised as "trained attack dogs" are in fact poorly trained, and may cause you serious trouble when it goes for your neighbor's child. Basically, if you want protection, put in a burglar alarm and start a Neighborhood Watch program. Neither of these security assets will sell you down the river for chuck steak and neither will be a potential liability. Choose your dog as a companion -- choose it well, for it will be your companion for quite a few years -- and accept its contributions to your security profile as a bonus. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Hiking and Backpacking with your Dog Hiking and Backpacking with your Dog Summarized from a post by Cathrine Reck: Any dog can carry 1/3 of his body weight. There is also a book available: A Guide to Backpacking with your Dog, by Charlene LaBelle that is very good. The book is put out by Alpine Publications (or Press). Charlene (a backpacking friend of ours) put the first Pack Dog titles on her Malamutes. She has good advice on packs, what to carry and how to pack. Summarized from a compilation by Sue Barnes who solicited advice on hiking with dogs in July 1993: * Get your dog checked out by the vet first. Dogs with dysplasia or other joint problems should not pack. She should also be at least a year old to carry a pack. Younger dogs will enjoy the hike but should not carry anything while their joints are still growing. Puppies under six months old probably should not go on hikes except maybe short day trips (and be prepared to carry the dog back if you mis-estimate!) * When choosing a pack look for : 1) easy to put on and take off - look at the positioning and types of the buckles; mine has one that snaps in front of the shoulders and another that wraps under the chest and snaps on the dog's side; 2) stays in position - without a good strapping system the packs can tend to shift from side to side; take the dog to the store with you, put one on, load it up, and take her for a short walk/jog; 3) drain holes in the bottom: dog + backpack + water = heavy pack if it doesn't drain quickly; double-bag the food in zip-locks to keep it dry; 4) cool - preferably with an open back. * A well-conditioned dog can carry up to 1/3 of its weight in a pack. But start out with about a third of that weight and work your way up as your dog becomes more accustomed to carrying the pack. You will find that with this extra size the dog will have a hard time doing their business. Hence the importance to train your dog to the pack before trying it out "for real." When you do get the pack, make sure you allow some time for your dog to get used to the idea. Put the pack on the dog when you take her for walks. Start off with nothing in the pack and gradually add more and more weight on subsequent outings. * Always pack weight evenly. For example, if your dog is carrying water, put it in small containers that you can distribute evenly. * Make sure everything you put in the pack is waterproof (ie. don't put your jacket in the pack only to have the dog go lie down in a stream). * One tip from a pack-user: "I added a large zipper pocket right on top of the pack, over the dog's back. I kept small items that I frequently needed there, and could access them without having to take my own pack off. Like having a caddy! * When using the pack, stay close to your dog. The added weight and size will require you to give some help to get over that fallen- tree etc. If your dog rolls over on his back, he may be stuck until you can help him out! * Each night and when you get back, check your dog over thoroughly for ticks, burrs, foxtails and other things in his coat. Check the pads of his feet thoroughly -- if your dog gets sore feet, you'll have to carry his pack, or even him! So make sure he's in good condition and that he doesn't pick anything up while camping. * Suggested things to take: + Current shots & heartworm up to date + Leash and collar with name/address on tag + Something to collect & bury or pack out waste + Extra water, food + Brush if dog is long-coated + 1st aid stuff + flea/tick powder plus tweezers for removal of ticks, thorns, or foxtails + Ball + dish (a frisbee is often good for food/water/play!) + Rope or cord as a tie-out at night, with a large screw-in tie-out stake + an extra pad to protect tent bottom if dog will be in tent with you * Expect your dog to eat about the same amount of food, maybe just a little more, but to consume much more water than normal, and possibly more than you will (they're not as good heat-shedders as humans are). Be sure you know how far apart your water sources are going to be when you're hiking. If you're hiking in areas prone to giardia, try not to let your dog drink the water -- they can get it and it's just as bad in dogs as it is in humans. * If there is poison ivy where you are going and you are sensitive to it, be very careful about where your dog goes and how you touch her after. Dogs can pick up the oils from these plants on their fur and you can be exposed to it just by petting, brushing or even touching the dog. * You need to worry about the types of animals you'll see. Deer are perhaps the biggest worry. Your dog will chase them--leash or not. If there are bears, don't take the dog. Raccoons, skunks, and porcupines present their own set of problems--some of which are a real pain in the you-know-what. Be sure and check with rangers etc. before going. Some areas do not allow dogs at all. Best to know in advance. You'll minimize problems by keeping your dog on leash at all times. * Don't underestimate other campers' disapproval of even friendly, well-behaved dogs... Keeping the dog on the leash when on the trail and near your tent when in camp is a must. You should probably have them leashed at all times to minimize problems with wildlife (in many areas, dogs can be legally shot for chasing a variety of animals, from sheep to deer). * If your dog is prone to barking a lot, you may want to leave him at home if you can't stop him from doing so. Continued and frequent barking will bother the wildlife and irritate other campers and hikers. The January 1993 issue of Dog World has a useful article by Ray Rogers about backpacking with a dog. One last note. Dogs and backpacking are a great combination - but remember that not all people feel this way. Keep the dog under control and clean up after him (ie. bury it!), and both you and others on the trail will have a great time. If you don't -- you may find that park closed to dogs the next time you go! So BE CONSIDERATE! Many hikers hate seeing dogs on the trails -- this is your opportunity to show them that it doesn't have to be a problem. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Holidays with your Dog Holidays with your Dog A little thought and preparation can make holiday decoration possible with as little danger to your dogs and your decorations. Tips: * No tinsel. Dogs (and cats) that eat tinsel can easily cut up their intestines with this stuff. Paper-based tinsel is not as bad, but the plastic or metallic based tinsels should not be used. * Protect the Christmas tree: if your dog likes to knock it over, it's relatively easy to put an eye-bolt through a stud in the ceiling and tie the tree to it. If your dog tends to play with the ornaments or knock them off, put the sturdy ones on bottom and the fragile ones up out of reach. If your dog will eat the ornaments or tree, then you can put an x-pen around the tree. You can decorate the x-pen itself with large red ribbons for a festive flair. It's also possible to set the tree up (in an isolated room or up on a table, etc.) so that the dog can't physically reach it. * Be aware that many plants used in Christmas decoration are harmful or toxic to dogs. Most of them will cause dogs to vomit if they are ingested, so put them out of reach. Contrary to popular knowledge, poinsettias are not poisonous. They are simply very bitter and will be immediately vomitted back up. * Do not put tree preservative in to the water at the base of your tree. * If your pet likes to chew on powercords, coat the wires with Tabasco sauce or bitter apple extract (available from pet stores). * Do not leave pets and lit candles unattended in the same room. * Before placing a present under the tree, ask if it contains food. Dogs especially will make short work of such presents. Pets are at a high risk of chocolate poisoning during the holiday season because there is usually much more laying around than normally. * Keep your pets confined to a particular room or crate them during parties. They may get stressed or upset with many strangers around and accidents may happen in all the excitement, when no one is keeping an eye on them. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Housetraining Topics Housetraining Topics GETTING THE DOG TO GO CONSISTENTLY IN ONE AREA Every time you take the dog out, take it to the same spot and, preferably, give it a command like "potty" or whatever. If the dog is already in the yard and decides to go to the bathroom, distract the dog by yelling NO (or clapping or whistling) and take it to the spot it's supposed to go (even if it's finished already) and give the command to go to the bathroom. Don't yell or correct harshly, just distract it enough to stop the behavior and give you an opportunity to move it to the right spot. It helps if the spot is marked out. A common way to do this is to dig out a square at least several inches deep, line up 4x4's along the edge and fill with gravel. HOUSETRAINING AN OLDER DOG With regards to housetraining an older dog, it can actually be easier to do this. Puppies do not have the physical capacity for "holding" it until they are 4 months old or so. Before that you are just doing damage control and trying to get the concept across to them. Older dogs, especially ones that have been kept outdoors in a kennel, will not want to go indoors because it doesn't feel right. Follow the same rules that you would with any other dog during housetraining: out after every meal, out after every nap, and out every two hours otherwise. And don't just put them out in the yard and expect them to do their business. Take them to a specified spot and wait with them until they do their stuff. Take that opportunity to teach them a word to "go" too, if they don't already know one. And, when they go, outdoors: PRAISE THEM! If they have an accident and you catch IN THE ACT, then tell them NO and take them to their spot to finish, praise them when they do it there. If you don't actually catch them in the act, then quietly, clean it up, control your temper, and pretend it didn't happen. They will learn rather quickly but you must watch them at all times when they are in the house until you learn to read their signs and anticipate problems. SUDDEN ONSET OF MARKING There are several possible causes for a dog that suddenly starts marking (urinating) in the house. First, rule out medical problems with your vet. If you've just moved into a new house and your dog starts marking, it's probably to claim the house. Try leaving your dirty laundry all over the house for a few days so that YOU mark it as yours. Take it up after a few days. PEEING IN ONE SPOT For a dog that pees in a particular place in the house, leaving laundry in that spot can also work to discourage it. Dogs may consider little-used parts of your house sufficiently "distant" from the den that it's OK to pee there. Your laundry there marks it as "den". Also, you can take them to these distant or used spots and do some obedience or other dominance work with them there. It also helps to actually catch the dog in the act. You can then yell "NO" to distract it, and then take it outside. This works well for dogs that simply think its OK there because its "distant" and you haven't specifically said not to. You MUST catch it in the act, though, yelling at it after all's said and done will accomplish absolutely nothing. Be sure to clean up that spot thoroughly with enzyme based cleaners. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Invisible and Electric Fences Invisible and Electric Fences There are a variety of fences that are called invisible fences. Each is detailed below. THE INVISIBLE FENCE Called Invisible Fences, Radio Fences, and Freedom Fences. This is an arrangement where electric wire is buried around the property and the dog wears a collar that shocks it if it gets too close to the electric wire. This kind of a "fence" does not depend on the presence of a physical fence, although it could certainly augment one. Points to consider: * You must train the dog to understand what is going on, you can't just expect to put it on and have it work. * This does not prevent other dogs (or people) from coming in and bothering your dog, unless it is supplemented by a physical fence. * If your dog somehow gets outside the perimeter of the fence with its collar on, it will be shocked when attempting to re-enter! (The collar will not shock the dog beyond a given distance regardless of which side the dog is on.) ELECTRIC FENCES Many owners, when faced with a dog that persistently digs out or scales the backyard fence, will run a "hot" wire along the bottom of the fence or along the top of the fence. This often works quite well, to the point where the presence of the wire, whether hot or not, will deter escape. Points to consider: * You should not shock puppies. Wait until the dog is fully grown. * For digging, bury the wire under the fence. The depth will depend on how deep your dog is willing to dig. * For scaling the fence, run it along the top of the fence. If the dog is jumping the fence, you will either need to make the fence taller, or try the invisible fence method. * This is not foolproof, dogs have been known to get around these, too. * Do not make electric fences solely of electrified wires. They should be put up on wooden fences. Fences in general: * A three to four foot fence is in general not adequate for most dogs. Toy breeds and specific individual dogs may be alright with this height, but it is not an assumption that you can make. * Some inexpensive ways to fortify a fence before resorting to the more expensive solutions of a higher fence, electrified fence, or installing invisible fences: + String up aluminum cans on six foot string lengths, and hang on the inside of your fence. The racket discourages some dogs from climbing over. + In a similar vein, putting PVC pipe up on a string so that they spin freely will make the fence more difficult to climb. + Installing 9" eyebolts along the inside of the fence and then threading heavy guage wire through the eyes makes another barrier. + Lining the inside of your fence with corrugated fiberglass can prevent both climbing and chewing on the fence. The fiberglass comes in several colors and you can choose a non-obtrusive brown shade. + For a digger, try putting down paving stones as a border around your fence. + Some dogs hate digging in gravel; a gravel border along the fence can work to keep dogs from digging + A concrete apron (more expensive) can also be put down. Note that none of these suggestions will work on a dog that can sail over the fence. A taller fence may be needed, or an invisible fence system to augment the existing fence will work. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Commercial Kennels Commercial Kennels Comments summarized from Leisa Diel's posting in May 1993: * If your dog is under 30lbs, it's quite likely it will be caged rather than put in a run. Instead of asking if your dog will be caged, ask if the kennel cages at all and ask to see the area. You want to see clean, neat cages, with clearly labelled information for each dog (medications, feeding & exercise schedule. * Look for places that require proof of vaccinations, especially for parvo and kennel cough. * If you know that your dog is going to be caged mark everything you're giving him with the loudest colors imaginable - ESPECIALLY MEDICINES and explain to the handlers if he has any special needs like a lower cage or a cage out of the draft etc. If you are told that NO dog is EVER caged, suspect you're being lied to especially if you have a small dog. If you're told that your dog WILL go in a run, check up on that a few hours after you leave for the first time. Say that you want to see where Fido is staying and INSIST (if you can't see your dog out front on the runs) on going with the attendant to get him out. * If you feel uncomfortable doing this remind yourself that you've given the kennel every opportunity to prove itself and that under no circumstances should you be lied to regarding your pets care. The kennel people - if they're any good at all - are used to dealing with people who love animals and will be patient with your needs. * Dogs got switched. There were so many schnauzers and boxers and they all looked ALIKE! for the most part. I was in the room when one of the trainees mixed up two sets of identical schnauzers, AND sent the wrong dog home with the wrong owner. The owner (thank GOD!) realized that her dog had been switched and brought the other dog back before his owner took HER other dog away. * SUGGESTION: Put your own dog's bow on him or her. The usual procedure at the kennel was to take off the dog's collars (because of the strangulation danger from chain link runs)and put the dogs in a cage or run with a card bearing their name and weight etc. I paint one or more of Basil's toenails - in a distinctive pattern that I'll recognize. A week long stay won't be enough for the cement to wear the paint off and I rest easier. It wouldn't hurt to have your dog tattooed, either. Also be wary if your dog has been groomed or bathed without your consent. Sometimes this is necessary as dogs will roll in poop or something but sometimes this is because it wasn't your dog who was groomed it was someone elses who had given permission for the grooming. If you ask why the grooming was done without your consent the kennel people have a greater opportunity to see a mistake if they've made one. * Also along these lines if your dog (and you're sure it's your dog)HAS been groomed and /or bathed without your consent it means that somewhere along the route your dog did get switched with someone elses. This is a GOOD thing to find out because it's shoddy record-keeping and you don't want to board your dog there. It may not sound like a big deal if the kennel's switched your dog accidentally for a couple of days until you realize that some dogs get big-bad medicines like pheno-barbital and if they think your pup is one of the dogs who needs the medication - your dog just got a dose. Also if your dog is on heartworm preventative - or worse yet isn't on heartworm preventative and is given one - mistakes could get fatal. * A GOOD kennel will admit up-front any mistakes that did occur when you check your dog out, not later when he goes into seizures or something. * If you want your dog groomed or bathed while they're in the kennel ( I would recommend letting the groomer bathe them before you take them home - its easier and generally the effect it has on the homecoming is positive for you both), check the groomer and the grooming procedure out as carefully as the kennel. Good kennels sometimes have BAD groomers with BAD procedures. * My advice to anyone boarding a dog is to choose carefully, follow up thouroughly, cooperate with the staff as much as possible and in a friendly manner (I saw a lot of abuse of dogs that stemmed from the owners being mean or bitchy and the kennel workers took that out on the dog). Keep your copy of the shot records - give the kennel a copy if you have to but you keep a copy too. Above all though - know your dog. Know what makes him or her unique, moniter his or her state on entry and again on exit. Be wary of glib, rehearsed answers or a brusque, businesslike attitude towards your animal. Good animal people LIKE their work and LIKE animals and you can't fake this. Ever vigilant right? Good kennels have nothing to hide!!!! From: tims@bvc.edu (TiM SEYDEL) First off, thanks to everyone who replied to my post about boarding my dog. A brief summary of the reponses is as follows: 1. Leave your pet with something of theirs/yours. A favorite blanket, toys and other "personal" items will help the animal feel more comfortable and won't forget you. When you leave them with something of yours, leave it "dirty" (i.e. don't wash it-like a dirty t-shirt, etc.). Toys can be better because they won't get washed and hence lose the scent. 2. Make sure to feed your pet the same food-you can usually leave behind your brand of food for your pet. 3. Leave information/itinerary and phone #s with the kennel so they can reach you, should anything happen. 4. Check with your kennel in advance to ensure your pet has all of their shots, as many kennels require they have up-to-date vaccinations. 5. Check with the kennel about where the dogs stay, if they get to go outside for exercise, etc. And ask other dog owners and/or your vet if they have a recommendation. 6. When you get back, try to spend some extra time with your pet and don't get mad if they forget some of their training. They've been out of the daily regimen, but will remember shortly after you get them home. If you have a favorite park to take them to where they can run around, go there shortly after getting home. And have fun on your trip! (Miscellaneous topics continued in Assorted Topics, Part II.) _________________________________________________________________ Assorted Topics (Part I) FAQ Cindy Tittle Moore, rpd-info@netcom.com @START@ Your New Dog - TOC YOUR NEW DOG. Prologue. A. Why An Older Dog? What About Bonding? B. Where Do I Find One? C. How Do I Select A Suitable One? D. What If I Already Have Other Dogs? Cats? E. Acclimatizing Your Dog To A New Home. F. Crate Training A Grown Dog. G. Training Your Dog. H. Neutering A Grown Dog. I. Introducing New Things or Overcoming Dislikes @START@ - Prologue Prologue. There is very little material out there to help people who have adopted older, grown, "second-hand" dogs. Some shelters may have handouts for their clients. Carol Lea Benjamin has written _Second Hand Dogs_, which is the only book published to treat the topic extensively (and even then it is a relatively small book). Other books that are of use are: Job Michael Evans' _People, Pooches, and Problems_, which will help you if you have some behavorial problems with your new dog. Another of his books, _Evans' Guide to Housetraining Dogs_ contains some sections on how to housetrain grown dogs. There are undoubtedly bits and pieces elsewhere in other books. @START@ - Why A Grown Dog? What About Bonding? A. Why A Grown Dog? What About Bonding? Many people feel that an older, grown dog is better for them. Older dogs don't require as much attention as a growing puppy does. They are often easier to housetrain, if not already so trained. They are past their chewing stage, and have settled down from the usual adolescent boisterous behavior. Such a dog presents no surprises in its final size and appearance. It may already have the traits they want in a dog. With an adult dog you have a much better idea of what you're going to end up with. A puppy can have the genetic heritage to be aggressive, a fear-biter etc. and you will not know until the dog is older. It's also very easy to make mistakes raising a puppy. With an older dog, the mistakes have already been made and it's generally not too hard to tell which problems will be easily correctable. So an older dog's previous history is actually an asset, not a detriment. Quite often when a dog is put into a new situation, they are looking for leadership and will attach to you almost immediately. Even breeds known as "one-person" dogs will accept a new master rather easily. For example, observe the relationship between a blind person and a German Shepherd guide dog. These dogs have been through at least 3 homes before they're matched with their blind people. The research on bonding that is most often quoted (Clarence Pfaffenberger's "New Knowledge of Dog Behavior") is almost always misrepresented: i.e. the puppies in those studies were deprived of ALL human contact until they were older; the research had nothing to do with how well dogs that have bonded with some human or humans transferred those bonds later on. An additional benifit to adopting an older dog is the truely wonderful feeling one gets when the dog comes out of its shell and bonds with you. The bond feels special, particularly when it is an older dog that no one wanted. The rescue and subsequent bond with that dog is strong, lasting, and special. Older dogs are often not adopted from shelters because many people want puppies. It is wonderful when one can come in and offer a good life to the older dogs. @START@ - Where Do I Find One? B. Where Do I Find One? There are a good many places you can find a grown dog. Besides the obvious, like shelters, there are other sources. For example, breed rescue organizations have many suitable adult dogs. Breeders often have dogs that they have retired from the show circuit and are not breeding; they also have younger dogs that simply never fulfilled the potential that they showed as a puppy and thus cannot be shown or bred. Both are otherwise perfectly good dogs. Sometimes people give up their dogs because of death or divorce or other personal upheaval. Perhaps the dog was intended for work, but was injured and rendered unfit. An adult dog in need of a home is not necessarily an abused dog with an unknown background. Ask local veterinarians. They often know of dogs that need adoption. 1. Shelters Shelters, of course, are a very obvious place to get adult dogs, but it can be hard to get an idea of the dog's true behavior and potential. Some breeds, like Shelties, may absolutely shut down in a shelter and will appear to have behavior problems when they really don't. Find out how much time and about the physical space your local shelter is prepared to give you for evaluating dogs--beware of shelters that won't even let you take the dog out of the kennel run to see it! If the shelter will let you take the dog out on a lead and spend some time playing with it you can generally get a good idea of the dog's potential. Count on spending some time working with the shelter staff to find the right dog for you. Keep in mind that many dogs are at the shelter because their owners couldn't or wouldn't keep the committment they had made by getting the dog in the first place, not that the dog was at fault. Reasons include "not enough time for the dog," "moving to another place," "dogs not allowed where living," "divorce," and "not enough space." Frequently dogs with behavior that the previous owners could not handle are fine in new homes. As long as you scrutinize your potential dog carefully AND you are prepared for the work of owning a dog, you are not likely to wind up with a problem dog or a problem situation. About 25% of the dogs at shelters are purebred! If you have a specific breed in mind, you can check your shelters regularly in case one comes in. Keep in mind that even if the dog arrives at the shelter with its papers, many shelters will withhold the papers since they don't want to see people take such a dog and then breed it. You might get its pedigree without the registration, but even that's uncertain. Many shelters will take down your name and the breed you are interested in and call you when one comes in. If you don't care about the breed, you can check your local shelters for a dog that you want. You *should* have some idea of what size and coat type you prefer before going in. 2. Breed rescue You can contact a local breed rescue organization. These organizations will scout shelters for dogs of their breed, take them in, evaluate them, and put the adoptable ones up for placement. They can give you a good idea of the dog's temperament and known background. Most major breeds are represented in most major cities. You can always contact AKC for the address of the national breed club which you can in turn ask about local addresses. 3. Breeders Or, you can contact local breeders and see if they have older dogs that they are trying to place. Sometimes a puppy that is kept as a show prospect does not fulfill it's earlier promise and is subsequently placed. Sometimes a brood bitch or a stud dog is retired and the breeder looks for a suitable home for it. Some breeders do keep their older pets, but in many cases find that a loving home for it is in the dog's best interests. Breeders too have dogs that are returned to them for any number of reasons: dog turns out to not be show-quality, people are moving and can't keep the dog Go to dog shows and ask around, or contact a breed club (note: for some clubs, referrals to "rescue" dogs are handled by one volunteer, whereas the puppy referral service also handles dogs that were returned to their breeder--so when contacting a breed club, make sure you've made contact with all the appropriate people). 4. Other places Vets and kennels sometimes have abandoned dogs they are happy to place into good homes; call around. People sometimes give away or sell dogs through the newspaper: ask carefully about why the dog is being given up. Many people are not very knowledgable about dog behavior and will not be aware of if problems are the result of heredity or the result of their own mishandling. There is an advantage here of being able to see how the dog was kept and get an idea of relationship between previous owner and the dog. Sometimes the family is moving, or has lost some income, or there have been deaths or other upheavals where the dog's behavior is not an issue. Do make sure you don't feel pressured into taking the dog just because the person wants you to take it. @START@ - How Do I Select A Suitable One? C. How Do I Select A Suitable One? Regardless of where you get your dog, you should make some effort to evaluate it before making your decision. Does it follow you? Watch you warily? What happens if you sit down next to it? How does it respond to a leash? A sudden noise or movement? What is known about its background? How does its health seem? Is it lame? Offer it a tidbit and see what its reaction is. If this is a dog through a rescue organization, chances are that a foster family has been taking care of it in the interim. Ask them to tell you what they've learned about the dog. If you have children or other pets, ask them how it would react to them. If you're looking at an animal shelter, you should have the opportunity to interact with the dog in a fenced-in enclosure rather than simply staring at it through the bars of it's kennel. Many dogs are extremely shy or upset in the kennel and it's difficult to tell what they are like. Bring some tidbits and see how it does outside the kennel. Walk it around on a leash if you can. If you are getting a dog from a breeder, then you should be able to find out about all its background. Do ask all the questions you have. You can evaluate it's temperament *to some extent*. Remember that the dog may be anxious or disoriented and thus not behave as it would normally. In evaluating temperament, * Talk to it. What is it's reaction? Does it look up at you? Ignore you? Cringe and move as far away from you as it can? * Stand up and move near it. How does it react to you? Does it come up and lick your hand? Crouch down with ears down, perhaps urinating? Back away? Back away with ears down and snarling? * Squat down, extend a hand and let it approach you (do not approach it). Does it come up (perhaps after some hesitation) and lick or sniff your hand? Does it move away? * If you have children, bring them along. How does the dog react to the sight of them? To them walking up to it? To them sitting down and waiting for the dog to approach? * If you want to know how it reacts to cats, ask for permission to walk the dog past the cat part of the shelter. You might be able to improvise something else if you're not at a shelter: walking it around the neighborhood past some cats, for example. * Bring along a friend of the opposite sex with you to determine if the dog is averse to the other sex or not. Some dogs have specific fears of men, for example, so it's best to check this out especially if this will be a family dog. * If you walk away from it, does it follow you? How does it react to various things when you take it on a walk? Dogs that are obviously uncertain in their temperament (snarling and biting, etc.) are not generally up for adoption at shelters. Dogs that tend to whine or urinate or crouch down are generally submissive dogs (not a problem unless it's severe or not what you want). Dogs that approach you, even cautiously, tend to be friendly. This is obviously just a rough indication of the dog's temperament. Stay away from dogs that seem to be *too* fearful unless you feel you know enough about dealing with these dogs to help it overcome it's fear. These dogs can turn into fear-biters. Indications of friendliness: Ears relaxed or down. Tail *level* with body, moderate to fast rate of waving. Approaches and sniffs. Watches you but averts eyes if you look at it too long. Play bows (front legs lay down but back legs are still standing). Indications of submissiveness: Ears down. Eyes constantly averted. Dribbles a little urine. Rolls over on back. Licks your chin or anything near. Tail tucked between legs. Indications of fearfulness: Ears down, eyes averted, tail tucked, runs away from you. Shivers in corner [some breeds shiver anyway]. Cringes or yelps at sudden movements. Indications of dominance/assertiveness: Ears erect or forward, tail up high and wagging stiffly [spitz type breeds can be difficult to ascertain between friendly wagging & assertive wagging]. Holds ground, stares at you. These are not *necessarily* bad things. If the dog eventually approaches you and is friendly, then it's likely a reasonably self-confident, friendly dog. If it growls, then it's probably more aggressive. Indications of aggression: Growls at you with ears forward and a stiff-legged stance, tail still. Watchful and alert. Indications of a fear-biter: Growls or snaps at you, ears are folded flat back, posture is crouching or submissive even though it is growling or snapping. Some dogs appear totally disinterested. They don't respond one way or another to you. These dogs may be sick. They might be overstimulated or exhausted. Or they might just be very independent dogs. Some dogs are more independent and less overtly affectionate than others. Plan on making *repeated* trips to whatever agency/person has the dog for repeated evaluations. Let the dog dictate the speed at which you progress through these steps. For very shy dogs, it may take a full week of visits to progress to step three. If the agency/person that has the dog will not allow you to remove the dog from its current environment for an evaluation, look elsewhere for a potential dog. It is important to get the dog away from its current environment as it may be very shy and timid there, by association, but carefree and wonderful when alone with you, like on a walk. The only way to tell is to remove the dog from the environment. Stated another way, you should eliminate the current environment the dog is in from any potential problems you may see with the dog. You will be able to tell by comparing its reactions in the original environment and when it it outside of it. The questions you ask during these steps are often a function of the environment in which the dog will be placed should you decide to adopt it. For example, if you have other dogs at home and the potential adoptee is housed with other dogs and seems to get along well with them, chances are better that you will be able to integrate the dog into your home, as opposed to a dog that is agressive towards other dogs. Implicit in these steps is asking the agency/person that has the dog for all information they have about the dogs background. Just a stray they picked up? Was it an abused dog? How did it come to be where it is? All of these things give you more information that can be used to evaluate the dog's personallity and suitability for adoption. When you evaluate the dog during these steps, look for any physicaly ailments as well. Lameness, shortness of breath, lethargy, and so on. Above all during these steps, evaluate the dog and how the dog reacts to you. It is important for you to feel confident that this is a dog that you can nurture and spend time with and enjoy, and that it will enrich your life. Do not feel bad if you must reject a potential adoptee. This is part of the adoption process, and it is important for you both to get off on the right foot. If you decide to adopt the dog, you should always take it directly to the vet before you even take it home. If there is something seriously wrong with the dog, you want to find out before you've had the dog long enough to form an attachment to it. @START@ - What If I Already Have Other Dogs? Cats? D. What If I Already Have Other Dogs? Cats? Select a dog that is, to the best of your knowledge, accustomed to other dogs (i.e., one that is socialized with other dogs). Also, pick the opposite sex dog than the one you currently have, if possible. Hopefully, you know your current dog well enough to know how well it gets along with other dogs. If it is a naturally submissive dog when around other dogs, it probably does not matter too much whether the adoptee tends toward submissive or dominant (but not TOO dominant). However, if your current dog is a dominant dog, a dog that has been around you for a long time, or a male dog (generally speaking), your best bet is a dog that tends towards the submissive and is *smaller* than your current dog (like a small, quiet, female). Size is can be important as your established dog may feel threatened by a newcomer that is larger than he or she. Introduce your established dog and the new addition in a neutral place, like a park or a home that is new to both animals. Both dogs should be on a leash. If your current dog is obediance trained, a down/stay is in order. Allow them to sniff one another and encourage play, discourage agression. Should your adoptee show agression, forcibly place the dog in a submissive posture and hold it there (as in an alpha roll). Then allow your established dog to come and sniff the new dog. What this does is diffuse a potentially violent situation by forcing the new dog to be submissive to your established dog. The new dog learns to trust the established dog by realizing that the established dog is not going to eat him, and your established dog learns that the new dog is submissive to him. This fosters trust amongst the two animals. This may not be necessary, but sometimes it is. By all means, if the dogs want to play, LET THEM. In fact, encourage them, and don't interfere unless you feel you must. At home, the first thing you must do is establish a spot for each dog that is physically separated from each other. Kennels, crates, or even different rooms. Never, never, never feed the dogs together. ALWAYS feed the dogs simultaneously in these physically seperated areas (if in different rooms, close the doors while the dogs eat). If you must free-feed, the dogs should be placed in their respective areas for the entire time each one's food is down. Also use these areas for "time-outs" when the dogs are misbehaving. The second thing that is required is that you must be sure to spend quality time with your established dog, and just with him. You may even need to increase the frequency of normal activities you would do with your established dog. This helps keep your established dog from feeling misplaced by the newcomer. Finally, be sure and do activities with both dogs. This encourages the dogs to do fun things together, as well as fostering pack cohesion and communication . Remember, the general rule of thumb is to make sure that both dogs realize you are alpha. They will need to work out their own hierarchy among themselves, but they must understand that you are on top and you are in charge. With cats, you should make one room be cat accessible only. The easiest way to do this is to put up a barrier in the doorway. As long as your dog does not want to kill the cat(s), they will eventually adjust. Make it very clear to your dog that it is not to chase cats -- correct it for even looking at the cat -- and things should work out. Keep in mind that cats can take up to six months to adjust to a new dog, even a friendly one. Patience. @START@ - Acclimatizing Your Dog To A New Home Acclimatizing Your Dog To A New Home. The first thing you should do is take your dog out to the yard where you expect it to eliminate. If possible, get the dog to eliminate there. If not, take it inside and give it some water. Tour your house and go back outside again. It should eliminate this time. Take care to enter through doors before the dog does. When you feed it, be sure you've already had your food, or eat some tidbit first. You want to tell your dog, without fanfare or histrionics, that you're in charge here. This puts many dogs at ease since they won't have to wonder who the alpha is. The dog should sleep in the same room with you, but not on the bed. You should either use a crate, or a sleeping pad/towel, or tie it to a bed post, although the crate is best. Try and get into a predictable routine as soon as possible. Dogs prefer a routine, and you will help your new dog settle in more quickly by adhering to some routine. Examples: feeding at the same times, walking at the same time, going to work and returning at the same times. Start right away with expected behaviors. If you don't want the dog on the furniture, then don't let it on them from day one. Don't fall into the common trap of thinking that the dog is moping and should be given more leeway initially. If you expect good behavior matter-of-factly from the beginning, you'll have less trouble in the long run. If the dog appears to be moping, leave it be but stay nearby. Don't let it mope too long -- distract it with a walk or a bit of playing. @START@ - Crate Training An Older Dog Crate Training An Older Dog. You should take some effort to crate train your new dog, if it is not already so trained. There are several benefits: if you have to housetrain it, a crate is most helpful; a crate gives your dog a place of its own which helps the adjustment period; and it gives you a means to train it toward being left in your house all day. Before a dog is locked into a crate, the dog must be as comfortable with it as possible. If a dog is put into a crate while it is afraid of the crate, the dog's fear may build while inside and the resulting trauma may be impossible to overcome. To make a dog comfortable, the dog must first learn not to fear it, and then to like it. To alleviate fear, the following things can be tried. * Put treats or food into the crate for the dog. Start near the mouth of the crate, and then move the treats farther inside each time. * Leave the door off the crate or tie it back at first. The door can swing shut on the dog while the dog's head is in the crate, startling the dog with the contact and the strange sound. * Possibly get the dog used to part of the crate. For instance, take the top half of the crate off and use all these tricks to get the dog used to that alone, then repeat the process with the whole crate. * If the crate is big enough, get in yourself. (seriously!) * Get the dog excited about a toy and throw it in the crate for the dog to chase. * Think of the crate as a good thing yourself. Dogs are good at reading their master's attitudes. Never (ever) use the crate as a punishment. * Once the dog will go into the crate, feed the dog its meals in the crate. * If the dog seems particularly averse to the crate, try a different type of crate (eg, instead of a wire mesh, try the plastic kind or vice-versa). Once the dog is unafraid of the crate, put the dog inside and close the door. Immediately lavish the dog with praise and food for a short time, then let the dog out. Do not, at this time, leave the dog alone in the crate, or the dog will associate the crate with your leaving. Also, before the dog is fully acclimated, it may grow panicky if left in the crate long. Finally, put the dog inside for progressively longer periods of time, always praising the dog as it goes in, and perhaps giving treats. @START@ - Training Your Dog Training Your Dog 1. Obedience The old adage that you "can't teach an old dog new tricks" is patently false. Your dog may in fact be easier to teach than a young puppy since the attention span will be better. You should definitely look up obedience training in your area and enroll yourselves. You will probably both enjoy yourselves quite a bit, and it's a good way to build a strong relationship with your new dog. In addition, it is important to get the dog into obedience not just to teach the dog good maners, but to get the dog socialized for other dog and people. Plus, it will give the dog something to do, which is often very benificial with older adopted dogs. 2. Housetraining Sometimes dogs have trouble with housetraining when they are first placed. There are a number of reasons: they may never have been properly taught. Many dogs wind up in the shelter because their owners didn't know how to teach dogs correct elimination habits. Perhaps they have spent much of their lives outside or in kennels. Such dogs may not understand that elimination is reserved for outside. You should train these dogs exactly like you would a puppy, with the big difference that they will catch on much more quickly, being adult and having a full set of bladder muscles. Confine them to a crate or otherwise watch them; take them outside regularly to eliminate. You might try using a phrase such as "Do it" or "Go potty" -- especially if your dog is a retired show dog, it may already understand this. Patience is your best ally -- keep your dog's schedule consistent until you're sure it understands where you expect it to go. *Don't* punish a dog for going inside. You will get much better results much more quickly if you anticipate its needs and have it go outside, to your praise, each time. In fact, it is generally your fault if the dog eliminated inside rather than yours. You should note that some aggressive male dogs may mark your entire house in an attempt to claim the house as his territory. You should first get him neutered, and then, since such aggression is likely to be a problem in other areas (such as growling when you approach his food), you should consult a book such as Evans' _People, Pooches, and Problems_. Some dogs urinate submissively. If it is lying down, even on its back, when it urinates, this is *not* a housetraining problem. This dog needs work to raise its self-esteem. For now, avoid the problem by toning down your approach to the dog. If it is urinating submissively when you come home, make your arrival much less exciting. Don't look at it for a few minutes, then just talk to it. Finally, scratch it a bit on its chest (petting it on the head is very dominant). Avoid bending at the waist over your dog. Squat instead. In the long term, to deal with the problem of a too submissive dog, you will have to teach it confidence and help it build up self esteem. A good way to to do this is to some obedience training, though take care to use motivational methods with little or no corrections (try _Communicating with your Dog_ by Ted Baer for some good hints). Be unstinting in your approval when the dog does something right. @START@ - Neutering An Older Dog Neutering An Older Dog Many people wonder if getting an older dog (of either sex) neutered poses a problem for the dog. The answer is that it doesn't. Your male dog will adjust easily to being neutered -- in fact he may well behave as if he had never been neutered. The most likely change in behavior is reduced aggression toward other male dogs. Your bitch will not have any problems with being neutered either. Unfortunately, she may not derive the health benefits of early neutering if she has already had more than two estrus periods or is over two years of age before being spayed. This means that you should be sure your vet checks her for mammary cancers at each checkup even though she is spayed. As a general rule, ALL rescued dogs should be neutered. There are some special circumstances, such as rescuing a dog of a known breeding and returning it to its breeder, but these are extremely rare ocassions and not likely to happen to the average dog-adopter. Neutering an older dog of either sex will not hurt it at all. @START@ - Introducing New Things or Overcoming Dislikes Introducing New Things or Overcoming Dislikes Your new dog may never have been, or actively dislike being, bathed, groomed, nail-clipped. You will have to proceed slowly and with patience. Take baby steps. Your dog hates being brushed? Start out with a warm wet washcloth and rub in short lick-like strokes until the dog relaxes, then stop. Repeat this and eventually introduce a short bit of brushing, until the dog relaxes (always end on a positive note). Eventually the dog will accept being brushed. You can do the same technique with almost anything else. With clipping nails, first start with the goal of getting the dog to accept your handling of it's paws. Then accustom it to having its toes massaged & handled. Then to having its nails flexed and handled. In the meantime, carry around the clippers so that the dog learns to ignore them. When you actually start to clip the nails, clip off a teeny piece off of ONE NAIL and put the clippers away. Later on, do another nail. When the dog accepts this quietly, do TWO nails, and so on. If you find out that your dog is afraid of something, remove it from its environment, intially. Plan out how you want to deal with it, what steps and increments you want to take. Then slowly work on it. Work on one thing at a time to reduce stress on your dog. By doing it this way, you will build up the dog's self confidence and trust in you. @START@Assorted Topics Part II - TOC ASSORTED TOPICS (PART II) Table of Contents * Owner Allergies. * Pet Doors. * Pet Insurance. * Pet Sitting and Kennel Services. + Pet Sitting + Kennels * Photographing Black Dogs * Record Keeping. + Breeders + Titles + Working dogs + Your personal enjoyment * Removing Odors and Stains. + Removing uring + Skunks + Saliva * Separation Anxiety. * Travel and International Travel. + Car + Travelling by plane + International Travel + Quarantines + Shipping * Vicious Dogs * Waste Composting * Wolves and Wolf Hybrids + Wolves + Wolf-Hybrids _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Owner Allergies Owner Allergies. You can go to an allergy specialist and get shots to help you with specific allergies. This can be expensive, but worth it, especially if you have other allergies as well. They'll test you for the things you're allergic to, and then give you periodic shots to help you develop an appropriate immunity to them (you should be aware that the shots do not always work). Be sure to find an allergy specialist familiar with dog allergies: there are far too many doctors out there that will simply say "Get rid of your pets." Other approaches may be used as well: cortisone nasal sprays, eye drops, etc. Air filters often help, as well as reducing the amount of wall-to-wall carpeting, if possible. Find someone who will work with your particular problem. Different breeds may work for different people who have allergy problems. It depends on exactly what it is about dogs that causes the problem. Some people are allergic to the hair, but others are allergic to the dander. Still others are not specifically allergic to dogs, but are allergic to things like dust and the dogs provide an *additional* irritant that is sufficent when combined with other allergens to provoke a reaction. In yet other cases, people are allergic to a dog licking them. You must find out which is true for your case. Some people do well with Basenjis and Miniature Pincers and other dogs with little or no coat. Others do well with poodles and schnauzers and airedales who have a different type of coat. A lot of people do well with Shih Tzus and Lhasa Apsos who, while very hairy, are supposed to have hair much more like human hair. This is VERY important: every dog lover with allergy problems needs to spend some time with different breeds to find the one that doesn't aggravate the problem. In many cases, bathing the dog frequently, cleaning the bedding, vacumming and closing off your bedroom will help alleviate allergy problems. There is also a spray available that you put on the dog that is supposed to reduce the amount of allergens they shed called Allerpet/D Most pet stores carry the stuff, and the bottle has an 800 number you can call for more information. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Pet Doors Pet Doors. Some points: * Get one that at least has magnetic strips to hold the door shut. In colder climates, you might want to consider a "double door", i.e, the outer door must close before the inner one opens. This would cut down on the drafts. * Size is deceptive. Dogs don't really need as much space as you might think to get in and out. * Installation is usually very easy. Some models fit into patio doors and are removable. Make sure the one you get is lockable or blockable. If the door is hollow-core, it is trickier, because then you have to insert a frame in the door for the pet door to attach to. * The wall between your garage and house is considered a 'fire wall' and you're not supposed to cut any holes in it. In particular, it could make fire insurance claims tricky. And if you sell the house, you will have to fix the hole first. * Install the door in such a place as to make it impossible for someone to push something through it to open a door or window, even if they can't crawl through themselves. Ideally, you should have some way of locking or disabling the door for times when you are gone, say on vacation. Johnson pet doors are frequently recommended. RC Steele stocks them. Another source is America's Pet Door Store (1-800-826-2871). There exist electronic pet doors that are activated by a special collar. Most of these are for cats, but there are models for dogs up to 110lbs. These help keep unwanted animals from entering your house. These are, of course, somewhat expensive. Some dogs need coaxing to use the door. Prop the door open and offer a treat from the other side. Don't try and push your dog through. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Pet Insurance Pet Insurance. Pet insurance plans are typically accident policies, although some also cover routine medical expenses such as worming and shots (or even grooming) -- the latter are generally a better deal. Between the deductibles and allowances, you may not get very much back on an actual claim. In several years of rec.pets.dogs, no reader has come back with a favorable story on claim processing. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Pet Sitting and Kennel Services Pet Sitting and Kennel Services PET SITTING In some cases, you can find friends or neighbors willing to take care of your pets while you are gone. If you are using a professional service as opposed to a friend or relative, try to find one that's not just one person doing it but is a business that has several people working for them. When it's a business with people working for them the owners of the business are more likely to expect their people to do a good job and be responsive to people complaining about poor service. Watch out for the business changing hands. Check with the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. Members must sign a code of ethics and can be removed if there are complaints. They can give you a list of pet sitters in your area. [They have MOVED; I do not have the current address!]. Their brochure includes their code of ethics, and includes a list of what to look for in a reputable pet sitter; see list below. Another one is Pet Sitters International. It was founded by the original founder of the now defunct NAPS, Patti Moran. The address and phone number of PSI is: Pet Sitters International 418 East King St. King, NC 27021 (910) 983-9222 Ask the company if they're bonded or insured. See if they'll send someone more than once a day. Ask for references from previous and current customers. Some will bring the paper and mail in and help make the place look "occupied;" that's a plus. Check the potential sitter for the following: 1. Does the pet sitter furnish written literature describing services and stating fees? 2. Does the pet sitter visit the home beforehand to meet with the client and pet to obtain detailed information? 3. Does the sitter arrive on time? 4. Does the sitter get along with your pet? Does the sitter exhibit confidence and ease with your pets? 5. Is the pet sitter courteous, interested, and well informed? 6. Does the sitter have written references? 7. Is the sitter willing to give you names and numbers of former clients for references? 8. Does the pet sitter have a service contract which spells out services the pet sitter will provide and fees for doing so? 9. Are the company and/or sitter in good standing with the Better Business Bureau? 10. Does the pet sitter have regular office hours or return customer inquiries promptly? 11. Is the sitter recommended by someone you trust - either your vet, trainer, dog show buddies, etc? 12. Does the pet sitter have a veterinarian on call for emergency services? 13. What contingency plan for pet care does the pet sitter have in the event of inclement weather or personal illness? 14. Does the company have a training program for their sitters? 15. How does the pet sitting service recruit and screen applicants? Are there any prerequisites for employment? 16. Does the pet sitter or pet sitting service telephone to determine if the client has returned home as scheduled or require that the client notify the company or pet sitter of their arrival home? 17. Does the pet sitter or company provide a rating form for customer feedback and evaluation of pet sitting services? 18. Does the pet sitting service have an established system for handling customer complaints? 19. When does the sitter get paid? Before or after you come back? A deposit up front and the rest later? Try to find word of mouth recommendations. You might try calling several vets in your area to see if they have any recommendations. Check with the local SPCA and with Better Business Bureau for any specific complaints lodged with a particular business. KENNELS Look around for a good one. Experiences can be good or awful depending on the kennel. One resource: The American Boarding Kennel Association (ABKA) is based in Colorado Springs. You can use this organization to help you choose a kennel. If you write to them (or call them), they will send you a small packet of information. One part is a booklet on how to choose a kennel, and another part is a list of all ABKA accredited kennels around the country. An ABKA kennel is supposed to meet a minimum set of criterion that is spelled out in their literature. The things they suggest you look for and questions to ask involve a lot of common sense stuff, but there are good suggestions you might not think of. 4575 Galley Rd., Suite 400A Colorado Springs, CO 80915 719-591-1113 _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Photographing Black Dogs Photographing Black Dogs Information compiled by Ruth Ginzberg, lightly edited by moi. Many people with black dogs have trouble getting a good photo of the dog. Some of the characterizations of how the photos turn out: "large black blob", "no, large black blob with pink tongue sticking out of it", "large black blob with eyes" (you get the idea). If you want a few QUICK HINTS on how to address this problem, here they are, as summarized well by Dennis Swanson: 1. set the camera to underexpose by two stops from what it recommends, if possible 2. whether this is possible or not, tell the photofinisher to forget the background and print your dog black but with detail in the fur 3. for photos to be scrutinized by possible clients, have them done by a professional If you want more detailed information, keep reading. :-) Andy Kane has some advice about selecting a photo finisher: With 10 years of experience there is one answer to your question about black dogs being too dark and magenta(pink). Take your negatives to a local film processor, one that prints in lab, and wait for the results. If you get the same result ask them to please reprint your negative at -1 magenta and -2 denisty from where they have it right now. I do this work for a living. What normally happens is with the new scanners in print processors the total area of the negative is scanned and averaged for color and denisty. Therefore a black dog will print a little dark and if the background is grass (green) the the scanner will tend to over compensate and give you an dog with a little magenta tink(pink). The same holds true for the other problem print of a portrait of a person wearing a red shirt, in this case the flesh tones result a little cyan (blue,geen) the opposite of the red shirt. I see this black dog case everyday and I hope that I correct for it everytime but even good processors can miss and will be more than happy to redo your print at no charge to you. You can not get this kind of service from drug store or mail service processing labs. Good luck Ty Monson sympathizes with our difficulties, noting that photographing black animals is not a problem only for we amateurs: Seriously, photographing black dogs, cats, cattle, llamas, etc. is difficult. The difficulty is compounded by shooting color negatives and relying on Qualex (or other popularly-priced photo finisher) to produce the prints.[see above for advice] Assuming that a person is taking snapshots for the family album, I can recommend setting your pet against a dark background as a starting point. When the main subject and background are both dark, the printer will lighten the print. You will get more detailed features on the dog in the photo this way, but your dog will look lighter colored than s/he actually is. Jimmy Tung explained why this happens: First assuming that you're using negative film, and just some basics for everybody: The camera doesn't see a black dog. It sees an average object which must be kinda average grey (18% if you like) in color. So the meter will tell you something which will overexpose the pic, giving you a grey dog, as well as washing out the background. In the original post, the dogs were described as big black blobs with pink tongues, etc. If the photofinisher looks at the negative described above, he'll say "gee, these people would rather have a good looking background", so they start tweaking the density and color balance until you end up with all of the other colors OK, and a black dog, except now your black dog is too black, and it looks featureless. Marc Clarke expanded on this, explaining that: The problem probably comes from the fact that Through The Lense (TTL) camera meters try to render whatever reflective surface they are pointed at as an 18% gray. If you point a TTL camera's meter at a white house (or dog), the meter will indicate the amount of exposure you need to make the side of the white house appear as 18% gray. If you point the TTL camera's meter at a black dog, the meter will indicate the exposure you need to make the black dog appear as an 18% gray dog. TTL meters are really good at telling you what exposure to use for 18% gray things. TTL meters are lousy at directly telling you what exposure to use for black or white things. Ty suggests some ways you can try to get around this problem: Oh, but you DID want the dog to look BLACK? Black is the (relative) absence of light. The trick is to get enough gloss (luster, glare) off the animal's fur to define shape, without washing-out the blackness. Two things a snapshooter can do is photograph your pet 1/4 side lighted from a window (overcast day) or set a piece of white poster board next to the animal (out of the camera's field of view.) A white wall may work, too. ... Be inventive. Look! The camera lens sees what your eye sees. If the lighting doesn't model your pet's form, the film won't record it. Oh, yes. Your black-petted friends will probably need to abandon the camera's built-in flash. A flash with a head that can be rotated for bounce flash can be made to work. It will take some experimenting, though. ...and Tom Wagner added: If you are taking flash photos, that is another problem for automatics. My personal advice is do not take flash photos of pets. Use a high speed film and whatever available light you have. Because pets have better night vision you will get a lot of "Red Eyed Shots." Jimmy also mentions the importance of lighting: Check your lighting, and make sure that details of the dog's coat, eyes, etc. are large and visible. That is, assuming you don't have off-camera flash equipment, position lamps and camera so that light is reflected off the glossy coat. That way, the dog doesn't look flat without the other visual cues our mind supplies, but the camera doesn't. Ellen McSorley's husband, Jonathan, who has experience photographing dogs, evidently with better equipment than many of us have, notes that even different breeds of black dogs offer different problems: ... Labs have glossier fur than Newfs. You've still got to have lots of light, so flash or spot metering is a must. I think ideally I'd go for off-axis flash, or a diffuser, or maybe a flash umbrella, something to give lots of light but not from a bright point source which is going to reflect straight back into the camera. That might make it look like the dog has Mylar (reflective plastic) bits in its coat (although that would be an interesting effect, and direct flash works on the Newfs because their coats aren't so glossy). Jimmy also mentions that: Some films are specifically color balanced for skin tones or bright colors or deep rich blacks and browns. I don't have a recommendation off the top of my head which would be appropriate. You might find that Fuji Reala might be well suited, but then again, Kodak Gold II might be just as good at a fraction of the cost. Ask your local photo supply store. and Stephen Samuel reminds us that: ... if you have a black dog and a white human in a picture with the same lighting, AT LEAST ONE OF THEM is going to end up looking poorly lit. Creative lighting is required. [A classic suggestion is to put the human in the shade and the dog in the sun.] BUT, no matter what you do with the lighting or the processing, it seems from what many people say that eventually you are going to have to deal with the fact that the automatic grey scale metering is thrown off by a black (or white) dog who makes up the largest part of the photo. Tom Davis (who says his dogs are Golden, to match his carpet) offers a suggestion for those with very automatic cameras: I'd guess that if a black dog fills a significant amount of the frame, it will wind up over-exposed by quite a bit, so if your camera has exposure compensation, you can set it to under-expose to compensate. Some cameras are totally automatic, so you're just out of luck. If you don't have exposure compensation, you can sometimes lie to the camera about the film speed. To make it under-expose, tell it you've got faster film. For samoyeds and great pyrenees, do the opposite. Well, at least for clean ones. But for those ready to grapple with light metering, Marc Clarke suggests: There are several different ways to get around this. First, meter something that is actually 18% gray in the same light that falls on the black dog. This gray card gives your meter something that actually is 18% gray. The black dog will show up as black (not gray). These gray cards are available in any photography store, usually in the book rack. Second, use an incident light meter. These meters read the light that is falling onto the subject rather than the light reflecting off the subject. They indicate the same exposure as a TTL camera's reflectance meter reading the light reflected off an 18% gray card. You can fake a gray card by using your TTL cameras meter and metering the light falling onto your open hand, then opening up one more stop. A hand (in fact, nearly all Caucasian skin) is about 1 stop brighter than an 18% gray card. But Brian Segal points out that: Your reflective meter will indeed want to show the dog as 18% grey if you simply rely on that reading. If you want about 5 stops of exposure latitude, then meter the dog's fur and stop down 1.5 to 2.0 stops. If you stop right down to dense black there will be no detail of the fur. An incident reading will work more or less, but you really want a precise reading of the fur itself as it has its own reflective properties. Dave Miller kind of summed it all up with: UNDEREXPOSE BY TWO STOPS. That's it. Doesn't matter what camera you use. All a camera is is a light tight box to hold film. [...] The meters (for the most part) all work the same way and try to give you an 18% grey which is about 2 stops brighter than most black dogs. If the dog is brightly lit, then it might be only 1 to 1.5 stops darker... Well, there you have it. Finally, Ty Monson gives the following (blunt, but probably correct) advice in response to a question about stud services or breeders who are photographing their dogs for the benefit of prospective clients: Breeders ought to have a skilled photographer produce the photos for showing prospective clients. No business is represented well with amateurish snapshots. Many thanks to the nice folks from rec.photo who offered their expertise to us sentimental dog lovers, who never can seem to have too many photos of our pets -- even when they do just look like large black blobs with tongues! _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Record Keeping Record Keeping BREEDERS You should not rely on AKC to keep all your records straight. Breeders MUST keep official records on their dogs. There are numerous fines listed in the back of the Gazette for failure to maintain proper records. If you don't have your own record book, you should start one. If you are cited, you may have to start all over again with new dogs. That means that all the dogs you breed lose their AKC registrations. The AKC screws up a lot of things. That's why it is so important that breeders keep good files for their own breed club's use. Breeders need to keep records in a book about their breeding dogs. This includes the dog's registered name, number, sex, color, markings, date of birth, and OFA, CERF etc. Every time that dog is bred (either male or female) the date, the name of the other dog, the number of the other dog, and the number of the owner of the other dog goes into it. When the puppies are born, the number of puppies, sexes, colors, markings, date of birth and litter number is added. The breeder's name(s) is also included. On the litter registration form, the information is reprinted to get the individual registration forms. When the puppies are placed in a home, the new owner's name, address and phone number go into the proper places. (You can order these books from the AKC -- they are called "Dog Ownership and Breeding Record" books and they cost about $5 -- but they have enough pages for many dogs.) TITLES For titles and points, keep a small bound notebook (so that the question never comes up whether pages have been added or removed) to record the judge's name, the number of dogs in the classes, the number of points, the date, the show, and the club sponsoring the show. Record obedience trials the same way. You may want to have a folder in which to keep all ribbons and copies of certificates and pedigrees along with a few pictures of the dog. You just need to have a record of your own -- like your check book -- to make sure someone doesn't goof up. Two records are better than one! WORKING DOGS Dogs that work: e.g., Search and Rescue dogs, Police dogs, Disaster dogs, any that work in potentially liable situations or do work that may be challenged in court should have an ongoing record of their training and of actual cases. Note date and time, individuals involved in the training, the purpose of the training, how the training session was set up, how the dog did, and where it needs to improve. For an actual case, note all the specifics involved: who you talked to, where you got the scent article or other applicable information from, who was found/rescued/attacked, etc. If you can, go back and take pictures of the trail followed or other useful sites. Keep training and actual case records separate. If, for example, an SAR dog's identification of a felon comes into question, that record may prove the difference as to whether the evidence is ruled admissible or not. In contrast to the above for titles, keep training and case records in a loose-leaf binding, so that only the record pertinent to the case need be forwarded to the lawyers. YOUR PERSONAL ENJOYMENT Anyone training a dog may find it useful and interesting to keep a log of their dog's progress in training. In particular, it might help you uncover patterns unique to your dog, or suggest other ways to approach training. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Removing Odors and Stains Removing Odors and Stains REMOVING URINE For fresh urine: clean the spot with any good carpet shampoo (Spot Shot is one). Then soak it with plain old club soda, leave it for about ten minutes and blot it up. If the urine has soaked the pad and the floor below that, it will be difficult to remove the odor regardless of what you use. To find spots if you're not sure where they are, get a UV lamp that has the filter built in (to eliminate any remnant visible light). Urine fluoresces in "black light." You can get them at hardware stores. There are also UV lamps in hobby stores and places that cater to spelunkers and rockhounds, but they're more expensive. The UV source is safe as long as you use the longwave lamp and not the shortwave lamp used for tanning. Enzymatic products Products that remove odors: Nature's Miracle (carpet, has 800 number on bottle); Simple Solution (carpet and other items); Outright! (carpet, 214-438-0397); Resolve (carpet, perhaps other items); Odor Mute (originally for deskunking dogs, has other applications, leaves white residue, works on concrete, 507-642-8529). Odor Abolish, by Endosome Biologicals, may also be useful. These products use enzymes to break down the odor causing compounds in urine and feces, and are quite effective. From: dwm@pruxl.att.com {Doug Monroe) When using enzymatic products, it is important to use freshly diluted enzymes, let it soak in as deeply as the urine has penetrated, and *keep the area warm and wet for 24 hours*. Chemical reactions, including enzymatic reactions, go faster at higher temperatures. Unfortunately, most enzymatic reactions don't do well much over 102F (38-39C)-- so not TOO hot. Try covering the area with towels soaked in plain water after applying the enzyme, then a shower curtain or other plastic over that to make sure the area stays moist. The enzymes in laundry products are reportedly the same as those in the expensive odor-killing products, but they cost less than 1/3 as much. They work just as well. Biz is one product. You'll find it in your grocery laundry section with the pre-soak laundry stuff. Remember, you have to SOAK the area and then cover it to keep it from drying out. The smelly area must be WET with the enzyme for 24 hours or more. Launderable items On launderable items: put in the washing machine with a cup of vinegar and no detergent, then wash again as usual. Concrete If you have concrete (eg, in the basement) into which urine has been soaked, this can be difficult to remove, as unsealed concrete is very porous. You will have to neutralize the urine and then seal the concrete properly. A specialty cleaning service is probably the best way to properly neutralize the urine in the concrete. Vinegars and other cleaners may help, but only temporarily. Odor Mute is reputed to work on concrete. Improving the ventilation may also help. In extreme cases, pouring another 1/4-1/2 inch layer of concrete over the original concrete will solve the problem. Hardwood floors Hardwood floors that have been stained with urine can be difficult to clean. First treat with an enzyme-based product such as Nature's Miracle to remove the odor. You can find wood bleaches and stains at your hardware store: you may want to consult with one of the employees on what is available. You will need to remove any varnish or polyurethane from the area, sand it down a bit, bleach and/or stain it, and then apply the protective coat. There are also professional companies you can consult. In severely stained cases, you may have to replace the wood. Yard For your yard, gypsum is supposed to help lawns cope with urine. This is found in Jerry Baker's Plants are Still Like People. SKUNKS Some dogs just seem to like to tangle with skunks. Others only encounter one once or twice in their lives. Either way, there are some techniques for dealing with a skunked dog. The important thing is to get the skunk oil off a quickly as possible and don't let the dog spread the oil around. Also, the skunk smell seems to be easier to get rid of the sooner the dog is washed. To get rid of the smell - try vinegar diluted with water. Douches work (they contain vinegar), but the perfumes may irritate some dogs' skin. Massengill in particular is often highly recommended. Soap the skunked areas, then apply the vinegar - let it sit a little while, and then soap again. Don't get the vinegar in the dog's eyes. Try also: diluted lemon juice and a dishwashing detergent (Dawn is generally recommended) to cut the grease. There is a product available called SKUNK OFF. If your dog's been thoroughly sprayed, don't expect to get all the smell out with a bath but what smell is left will go away faster. SALIVA The watery, tasteless liquid mixture of salivary and oral mucous gland secretions that lubricates chewed food, moistens oral walls, and contains enzymes that function in the predigestion of starches. The enzymes are the potent operatives here that leave semi-permanent slime trails on clothes, ceilings, walls, and table tops, depending on your breed. Removal of high-powered slobber, especially from polyesters and blends, can be a problem. For washable fabrics, the cheapest pre-wash treatment is Accent meat tenderizer liberally sprinkled on the the slobber spots (wet the spots or whole garment before applying the Accent). Let it soak for a few minutes, then wash as usual with laundry detergent. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Separation Anxiety Separation Anxiety Some dogs may cry and whine when you leave. Most get over it in time. You can minimize it by not making a big deal of leaving; say good-bye, give him a treat, and walk out. You can probably condition your dog to accept it better by leaving for short errands and coming back soon, possibly over the weekend when you don't have to work. Go ahead and crate the dog while you're gone (provided it's been crate-trained, of course). A crate can help your dog feel more secure in its own personal space where it can't get into trouble. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Travel and International Travel Travel and International Travel You can often take your dog with you when you travel, either domestic travel or even international travel. There are some helpful books out there that list which hotels, motels, etc. accept dogs. These include Touring with Towser, Quaker foods, publisher. Editions put out every other year. Write to 585 Hawthorne Court, Galesburg IL 61401 with a check or money order for $3 made out to Quaker Professional Services. 64 page directory. Pets Allowed. A directory of places to stay nation (USA) wide. $10 from Modern Systems Computing, 9 Greenmeadow Dr. #FD, N. Billerica, MA 01862-1921. Take Your Pet USA: A Guide of Accommodations for Pets and Their Owners. Artco Publishing, 1990, 446 pages, ISBN 0-9626885-0-9, $9.95. It lists the address, phone number, any pet restrictions, if there's an exercise area for pets, if pet can be left unattended in room, local attractions, lodging rates and a few local vet offices. Travelling with Your Pet. Described as "a cross-Canada directory of hotels and motels that welcome pets," it's also full of helpful tips on what to do when travelling with a pet. The guide is updated annually. The price is $6.95 (CND) plus tax. Write to: Travelling with Your Pet 43 Railside Road Don Mills Ontario, Canada M3A 3L9. You can call them (from Canada) at 416-441-3228 or send them a fax at 416-441-3212. _________________________________________________________________ By the way: BE SURE TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG! Especially when travelling -- many hotels begin to refuse dogs after continually finding dog feces all over their lawns, etc afterwards. Get a pooper-scooper or a plain plastic bag and clean up after your pooch! Those following you afterwards will thank you. _________________________________________________________________ CAR Most dogs love travelling in the car. Some are fearful, others are prone to carsickness. Any dog travelling in a car should be restrained in some manner, both for its safety and yours. Dogs can travel in carriers, probably the best option. There are available barriers which can keep your dog in the back seat (this works especially well with station wagon type of cars). There are restraining leashes available. Riding in the back of a truck is just asking for trouble, as the dog will almost always be killed if it is thrown from the truck in even a minor accident. There are also restraining leashes for dogs in open pick-up truck beds. Some states have laws against dogs riding in the back of a pick-up. Car sickness, fear Try just sitting in the back seat and just talking and playing with your dog, assure it over a few of these sitting-in sessions that there is nothing to be afraid of. Then do a couple of slow trips, just around the block, no more. Then to the local park or beach, so your dog starts to get the idea that car trips lead to "fun" places too. Finally, try slowing down some more for those corners since side to side movements in a car are the most common cause of motion sickness. Opening a window or turning on the car fan may help some dogs. Do not sympathize with the dog or try to soothe it. While car-sickness isn't quite the same as being afraid of riding in the car, it could conceivably be brought on by such a fear. If that is the case, doing anything that the pup can possibly interpret as praise can be counterproductive. It will teach it that this fear is the desired behavior. If the car sickness if brought on by such fear and it is, inadavertantly, taught that the fear is desired behavior, the car sickness will continue. TRAVELLING BY PLANE The May/June, 1990 issue of Golden Retriever News (published by the Golden Retriever Club of America) had an article on airline transportation of dogs. Many of the comments should be common sense -- such as having the proper crates and bedding, choosing non-stop flights where possible, allowing plenty of check-in time, etc. The article goes on to say that the ratings are based on serious problems reported between July 1988 and July 1989, and that air travel is generally safe for animals, with a mortality rate of less than one tenth of one percent. One pet is allowed in each cabin. Thus, if there is one First Class, one Business class and one Tourist class cabin, three pets are allowed. This can be modified if the pets are house mates - two people who are traveling with their two pets, then the pets can be in the same cabin. A cabin is a section that can be closed off from view from the other sections either with a door or a curtain. As for specific airlines: USAir has one of the best reputations in shipping animals. They routinely check up on the animals, and ask the owners to call a specific number after each landing the plane makes to contact an individual who can check on the animals. Continental has the worst reputation, having had several dogs die in their planes. A particularly horrible incident in the summer of 1991 involved five samoyeds, three of whom died of heat prostration despite the pleas of the passengers and owners, who could hear the dogs barking in the cargo area. Other airlines have varying reputations. In general a direct flight is safest. There is a pamphlet from Northwest Airlines called "Priority Pet." It explains Northwest's methods of pet transport --- it was encouraging to see an airline show explicit concern for this issue. Northwest asks owners to attach two bowls and a supply of food to the outside of the kennel in order that the animal may be fed and watered (presumably by Northwest personnel). The caveats and conditions are enlightening to read. Other references: The Conde' Nast Traveler (June 1992) has an article on pets and planes, including information on which carriers have been fined for violations of animal transportation laws. Tips when travelling by plane: * Buy flight insurance. It's not much if something actually happens to your dog, but stay away from airlines that won't insure their own transportation of animals! Cost is typically $20 for $5000 coverage. * Some airlines are more highly recommended than others. Delta is frequently praised, Continental frequently condemned. Whichever airline you use, always arrange a direct flight. * Many airlines will sell you crates for extremely good prices. If you need a crate, buy one here. * Get all vaccinations up to date two weeks before the flight, and take the records with you if you're also going. Otherwise, add your vet's name and phone number to the information on the crate. Parvo boosters and "kennel cough" (bordetella) vaccinations are especially recommended. * Make reservations early. Most planes have room for three dogs or less per flight. * Write your name and phone number on the crate with a permanent marker. Attached paper is frequently gone by the time the crate arrives. Also write name and phone number of person to contact upon arrival on a piece of duct tape on the crate. * Solid plastic or metal crates are preferable to the wire crates. They keep more things out of the crate than the wire ones do. Make sure there is a rim around the edge that prevents adjacent boxes from covering up the air holes. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL Paperwork Most states/provinces/regions require a health certificate and proof of rabies vaccination for pets crossing boundary lines. Most airlines will require this regardless of where you go within the country. Any dog that is travelling somewhere else should have a copy of its medical history, especially its vaccinations with it. QUARANTINES Britain A 6 month quarantine for all animals. Hawaii (prepared by Carol Newby ) Because Hawaii is a rabies free state, there is a mandatory 120 day quarantine for dogs, cats, and other carnivorous animals. The information below is compiled from the information package that is available from the Animal Quarantine Station (AQS). To request further information please write or call: State of Hawaii Dept of Agriculture Animal Quarantine Station 99-951 Halawa Valley Street Aiea, Hawaii 96701-3246 FAX: (808)483-7161 PHONE: (808)483-7151 The AQS facility is for animals moving to Hawaii, as well as animals en route to other locations and having a layover in Hawaii. Animals are picked up from the airport holding facility at Honolulu International Airport and are transported to the facility by staff members of the AQS. In the event the animal is only traveling through Hawaii, you must call the facility 72-hours ahead of the animals expected arrival so that arrangements can be made for pickup from and return to the airport holding facility. EXCEPTIONS: "Those animals entering Hawaii on direct flights from Australia, New Zealand, and the British Isles may be exempt from the 120 day rabies quarantine after meeting pre-shipment requirements. These areas are rabies free and have quarantine programs that are equal to, or are more stringent than Hawaii's." "Guide dogs, special purpose animals, and those animals under continuous veterinary care are required to comply with Hawaii's law." PREPARING FOR YOUR PET'S MOVE: There is an extensive list of pre-shipment requirements that must be met in order for your pet to be allowed into Hawaii. The list of required vaccinations and examinations is available from the AQS. It is suggested that all required vaccines be administered at least 14 days prior to the animal's arrival in Hawaii. In addition, there is an Owner's Statement that must be filled out and returned to the AQS "at least 45 days prior to your pet's transport to Hawaii." COST: The cost of the quarantine for a dog is about $620.00 for the 120 day period. This includes the $20.00 registration fee and the daily fee of $5.00 (total $600.00). There are a number of related fees that may or may not apply to you, depending on your situation. A fee schedule is included in the information packet. SPONSORS: If you will not be available to care for your dog while it is in quarantine, a number of businesses can be contracted to act as your pet's sponsor. The sponsor has the same rights/privileges as the animal's owner. The sponsor may act on your behalf to arrange grooming, approve medical care, have prescriptions filled, and other required care. Sponsors and all other visitors must be registered with the AQS by you, the owner, before they will be allowed into the station. MEDICAL CARE: Upon entry all animals are given an examination by the station veterinarian, and are tested for heartworms and other internal parasites. You will be notified of all test results. If the heartworm test is negative, you or the sponsor will be given a prescription for preventative medication that can be filled with a local veterinarian. The medication can be administered by the staff, but there will be a small fee. "You are responsible for your pet's health while in quarantine. Owners must register with an approved [animal] hospital." The AQS provides a list of approved hospitals in the information packet. In the event of serious illness while in quarantine, your pet will be transported to your selected animal hospital by "qualified personnel for a nominal charge." ACCOMMODATIONS: All animals are kept in temporary kennels for the first 21 days of quarantine as this is the most crucial time for detection of rabies. After the initial three week period, the animal will be moved to a permanent kennel. The kennels are cleaned daily and disinfected regularly. The size of the kennel depends on the size of the dog. Kennel sizes are six feet wide and range from 14 feet to 26 feet in length. Each run has a sheltered area. North America Canada has a 4 month quarantine, except from the US, where rabies vaccination documentation is sufficient. South America No quarantines, but the animal must be up-to-date on vaccinations. Europe Sweden has a four month quarantine; Finland has a quarantine of 3 [?] months. Most European countries do not have a quarantine or only require proof of vaccinations. Australia Dogs from New Zealand may freely enter Australia (but not from other pacific islands). Dogs from Ireland or Britain may enter after a 2 month quarantine. All other animals must do six months of quarantine in Hawaii or UK, a month out, and then 2 months in Australia. SHIPPING You may find yourself shipping a dog, for various reasons. Most people simply ship them as cargo on an airline. This works best when the flight is a non-stop, and neither the start- or end-point is at risk of too high or too low temperatures. There is at least one company that ships dogs. This is Pet Transfer (world wide door to door pet moving service) 714-660-9390 (USA) [There may be an 800 , but I do not have it.] _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Vicious Dogs Vicious Dogs Interestingly, up until World War II, Pit Bulls were looked upon with favor and patriotism. They were sturdy and loyal companions. WWI propoganda depicts the Pit Bull as manifesting American virtues. For example one poster showed a Pit Bull with other dogs representing their country of origin and the caption saying "Independent, but not afraid of any of them." At the same time, the Collie was considered an unreliable dog that would attack people without provocation. In many cases the reasons given for the "viciousness" of some breed are racist or classist and ludicrous to those who know dogs and follow the reports. The German Shepherd was vicious because of it's overly inbred purity (read German Uber-mench theory). In Germany the Doberman was vicious because it was impure (read tainted with non-Aryan dog genes, whatever they are...). What dog-knowers will tell you that human-aggressiveness and dog-aggressiveness are totally different, and that, for example, dogs bred to fight in fact had to be owner-safe in the most intense situations where an owner needed to break two fighters apart. Regarding attempts to ban certain breeds as "vicious," it should be noted that the fault is not with the dog or the breed of the dog. Unfortunately, certain breeds are perceived to be aggressive and vicious. People pick up these types of dogs and encourage them to be aggressive and vicious. The result is a badly-trained dog that has been taught to fear people. In addition, other people start breeding these dogs with poor temperament and the cycle continues. But it is important to remember that the viciousness comes with poor training and teasing of the dog and poor breeding practices. Thus, penalties should focus on individuals who display irresponsibility in the handling of their dog and on those breeders who breed with poor temperament, rather than on an entire breed. References: Hearn, Vicki. Bandit: The Dossier Of A Dangerous Dog. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Waste Composting Waste Composting Are there sanitary and effective alternatives to shoveling feces from your backyard into your trashcan? Especially if you have multiple dogs? There are a number of products on the market, such as the "Doggy Dooly", "'Liminate", etc. Reported experiences vary widely. Some were satisfied, others could not get them to work. The basic premise is to set up a "composting pile" that, with added enzymes, will decompose into odorless liquid and gas wastes. Some are elaborate affairs that require you to dig a large pit lined with gravel and bury a container (with the lid at ground level) over the gravel that drains the decomposed and harmless waste into the soil below. Others are simplar plastic bucket affairs. Pros: * Feces don't sit in the garbage all week. * Don't need extra bags in cleaning stools up. Cons: * Composters rarely work in winters with below or near freezing temperatures. * Despite claims of "odorless waste products", the feces in there can smell quite badly until fully decomposed. * Rocks and sticks can interfere with digestion. * Usually the amount of enzyme to add is fussy: it won't work well with either too much or too little added. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Wolves and Wolf Hybrids Wolves and Wolf Hybrids First, note that there is a group in the ALT hierarchy called alt.wolves. There, you can read firsthand experiences of hybrid owners, and discuss other issues involving wolves and hybrids in general. Second, a note on whether it's possible to tell wolves from dogs genetically: Research in the UCLA laboratory of Drs. Robert Wayne and Michael Roy has centered on the use of new technology to distinguish wolves and dogs from wolf-dog hybrids. In the past, the ability to identify hybrids was limited by the lack of known genetic markers. The new molecular tools that UCLA is using involves regions of DNA that are so variable, each individual has a unique DNA fingerprint. So far the UCLA lab has found 14 markers in dogs not found in gray wolves and 37 markers in gray wolves not found in dogs. The information allows the researchers to examine suspected wolf-dog hybrids for the presence of both wolf and dog markers, so that they can determine if an animal is pure wolf, pure dog, or some combination of the two. The UCLA team is currently in the process of analyzing their test by using it on a known series of wolves and hybrids in a blind study, where the origins of the lab samples are unknown at the time of testing. If the test proves reliable enough, the researchers plan to make this test available to others. WOLVES Wolves are very different from canines, but they do share a common ancestry. Wolves can be fascinating to study -- and observation of wolves' social structure and behavior shed much insight into canine behavior. Resources and References: Wolf Park is an organization whose mission is to conduct behavioral research to obtain a better understanding of wolves in captivity and in the wild, to disseminate scientific information and improve captive animal management techniques, and to educate the general public to gain a compassionate and realistic understanding of wolves and ecology. Wolf Park is supported through memberships and donations. Benefits include free admission to the park for one year, Wolf Park News and Journal of Wolf Ethology, and discounts on books from the bookstore. Behavior seminars directed by Dr. Erich Klinghammer are offered. There is an Adopt-A-Wolf program as well. Note that they do not deal with wolf-hybrids: many people attempt to donate their WH's and they do not accept them. Their position is that wolf-hybrids are a bad idea and a detriment to wolves and the Park's mission. They will provide information about hybrids to those that ask. Address: Wolf Park, Battle Ground, IN 47920. Phone: (317) 567-2265. Mech, L. David. The Wolf. University of Minnesota Press, 1970. 384 pgs Softcover. ISBN: 0-1866-1026-6. Complete description of the wolf, its behavior and ecology. David Mech is a renowned wolf expert, and this is an extremly informative and well written book. Lopez, Barry H. Of Wolves and Men. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1978. 308 pgs Softcover. ISBN: 0-684-16322-5. Description of wolves and their relationship with humans. Not really a technical discussion of wolves like the first reference. Crisler, Lois. Arctic Wild. New York, Harper. 1958. Mowat, Farley. Never Cry Wolf. Boston, Little, Brown. 1963. The Wolf Society of Great Britain produces the flyer "The Howler." Prospect House Charlton Kilmersdon. Bath. BA3 5TN WOLF-HYBRIDS _________________________________________________________________ FAQ author's note: I disclaim any responsibility in the event you get a wolf-hybrid. It is my personal recommendation that you not get one. What follows is for informational purposes only and is presented here only because it is a controversial topic that comes up every now and then on this group. I have attempted to make a fair presentation, and have included resources for further information. --Cindy Tittle Moore _________________________________________________________________ Anyone who is interested in getting a wolf-hybrid should obtain as much information about the animals before considering getting one. WH's are not casual pets and do not behave like dogs do. Most WH experts recommend that you spend some time around WH's to be sure of what you are getting into. Wolf Country and other places offer programs where people can help care for WH's and learn first hand about them. There are also seminars and organizations to help disseminate the information a WH owner needs. **DO NOT EVEN *CONSIDER* GETTING A WOLF-HYBRID BEFORE GETTING THIS INFORMATION AND EDUCATION!** What follows below is a thumbnail sketch of the sorts of problems with wolf-hybrids, along with resources for more complete information. Legality: Because of various state and federal laws regarding wildlife and endangered species, wolf-hybrids are simply illegal. As of 1991, they were illegal in ten states, and an additional nine required Fish & Game permits, especially if the hybrid was at least 75% wolf. A lot of states don't quite know what to do with hybrids and have thus included such terminology in defining hybrids as "wolf-like characteristics." Even when legal, they face much prejudice, and a WH that runs afoul of the law (by trespassing, biting, etc) is much more likely to be destroyed than a dog doing the same. In addition, such a WH will generate negative publicity for wolves. Reinforcing negative images of wolves in the public's mind and giving ammunition to the ranching industry to produce more anti-wolf propoganda directly hampers the wolf's reintroduction into the wild. Unfair as it is, the general public will think "wolf" when "wolf-hybrid" comes up, and the ranching industry has long had an interest in completely eliminating wolves and will use this prejudice. Behavior: Although there are exceptions, most WH's do NOT act like domesticated dogs, Jack London's romantic stories notwithstanding. Dogs are the result of thousands of years of genetic selection for those attributes that are desired by man. The wolf, on the other hand, has been selected to be a survivor. Most suffer from a fear, or at least a nervousness, of being around people and are very timid until something happens to go against their instincts. The pack instinct is very strong. They will only obey their owner if they feel he is the dominant dog in the pack, so obviously, he needs to know A LOT about wolfpacks to stay ahead of the game. Also, hybrids don't always automatically assume that the "master" will remain the master, resulting in testing the owner for dominance, which can take the forms of attacking or defensive fighting. Predicting behavior: The percentage of wolf in the hybrid's background will not accurately predict its behavior. Some hybrids with low percentages are nervous and skittish, others with high percentages are more stable and reliable. Looking at the pup's parents may give some indication, but then it may not. A good deal will depend on how well socialized the animal is, that is, how much work its owner puts into it. Remember, WH's are NOT a breed, there is absolutely no consistency in their breeding. Not only does the percentage of wolf background vary, but the dogs used in the crosses also vary, although they are commonly Malamutes and Huskies. Also, since they are not bred for any particular purpose and there are a number of backyard breeders of WH's, this contributes to their uncertain temperament. Because WH are so much more work than average dogs, and because the *potential* is there for the WH to be more prone to what is deemed anti-social behavior in domesticated dogs, the problem is amplified. Around people: WH's, as with any large or excitable animal, should NEVER be allowed access to small children, unless they are on a leash and strictly watched for signs of aggression. If a child trips and falls, or gets knocked down by the big furry "dog", or worse yet, teases the "dog", a mauling can easily result. Hybrids need to be watched around strangers because they may back bite. Not all WH's react this way, but a hybrid owner cannot afford to take any chances. Again, because of negative public perception, the hybrid will likely be destroyed as a result of such an incident, and its behavior only reinforce the negative perception. In addition, it will further damage the reputation of wolves, making reintroduction that much harder, and damage the reputation of the dogs the wolves are bred to, usually Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. Training: Many respondents emphasized that WH's can be trained, but NOT TRUSTED without their owners nearby. Most obedience clubs will not even allow wolf hybrids in classes. Wolf Country, a breeder near Anchorage, strongly recommends potential owners work around the animals for at least a year in order to see if they can handle them and do want one. Apparently they socialize quite differently from dogs, and can differ in their response to discipline. The normal methods used on dogs may or may not work on a hybrid. Because of all this, you will need WH support groups of some form nearby to help you with potential training problems. Housing: YOU DO NOT (repeat NOT) PUT A HYBRID ON A CHAIN IN THE BACK YARD! You need to build an enclosure of at least 10000 square feet to allow it to explore. Also it must be fenced with at least 7' high and an overhang. Not only that, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to put a gate to your back yard to prevent children from wandering out there, because if you stick something into its area, it will try to pull it through, regardless of whether it is living or just a stick. Some of these animals are so strongly destructive that they can not be let in the house, and will destroy any house you make for them. Health: Most medicines for dogs do not work or are unapproved for use on hybrids and as a result hybrids may have a harder time getting over kennel cough, parvo, distemper, etc. In Indiana, for example, it is illegal to vaccinate a wild animal (including hybrids). In particular, there is NO vaccine that is approved for use on the hybrids and that includes rabies. They can be vaccinated but if they bite someone they are considered by law to be unvaccinated. This means if they bite someone, they must be destroyed, with the head sent to a laboratory to test for the presence of rabies. Resources: The Wolf Hybrid Times (WHT) is packed full of information: complete with many long series on topics such as nuitrition, containment, medical information, current legal status and issues, research, wolves in literature, photos and seasoned, practical advice from owners, breeders and scientists. Add to this commercial advertising specifically geared to wolf and wolf hybrid owners plus regular updates and activities from the various organizations. Subscription rate is $22.00 per year; please add $4.00 outside the U.S. Published bi-monthly. Address is: WHT, P.O. Box 1423, Gallup, NM 87305. The National Wolf Hybrid Association is dedicated to responsible care and understanding of the wolf hybrid. Membership fees are $25.00 yearly which includes a bi-monthly newsletter. Address: Rt. 1 Box 163 Chapmansboro, TN 37035. Phone: (615) 746-3442. Donald H. Ashford, Treasurer National Wolf Hybrid Association 2926 Bent Creek Road Russellville, TN 37860 Collen Schabacker 2375 Honeysuckle Lane Hartsville, TN 37074 The following was taken from the Instructions and Requirements of the Registration Application. NWHA accepted dog breeds are: Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed, and accepted strains of German Shepherd. Breeds of Dogs with an aggressive nature that would take away from the temperament of the wolf are not allowed and will not be registered such as: (Pit Bull, Doberman, Rottweilers, etc..). Breeds of dogs that take away the appearance of the wolf are not allowed and will not be registered. NWHA will register 25% and below precentage. NWHA reserves the right to refuse to register any wolf hybrid that does not meet the assocation's standards. NWHA reserves the right to correct or revoke, for cause, any registration certificate issued. Any misrepresentation and/or violation of integrity on the application is grounds for revocation and may result in the loss of any or all NWHA privileges. The purpose of the registry is to bring the wolf/dog cross to perfection by quality breeding for temperament, intelligence, conformation and wolf-like appearance. It is understood that all should work actively to eleminate the promotion of poor breeding practices and operations. _________________________________________________________________ Assorted Topics (Part II) FAQ Cindy Tittle Moore, rpd-info@netcom.com @START@Your New Puppy - TOC YOUR NEW PUPPY Author Cindy Tittle Moore,l Copyright 1995. Originally written April 1992. Table of Contents * Introduction * Age to Separate from Litter * Puppy-Proofing Your Home * Puppies and Small Children * Acclimatization and Socialization * Don't Be Surprised When... * Reinforcing Good Behavior * Crying at Night * Health: Vaccinations and Worms * Teething * Feeding Your Puppy + Feeding schedules + Dog food formulations * Housetraining * Preliminary Training + Obedience classes + Around the house _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Introduction Introduction A quick critical information list: * Never hit a young puppy. * Praise exuberantly. * Be consistent with your dog, rather than harsh. * Don't allow biting, but only correct after 14 weeks (yelp and replace hand with toy before that) * Never correct a dog after the fact. * Dogs need new experiences with other people, dogs and places, when very young to get socialized. * Praise exuberantly. * Dogs need successes and less correction before full maturity so they can develop confidence. * Train your dog in order to establish communication and give it purpose, and make it tolerable. * Dogs need to be in a dominance hierarchy with everyone; if you are not above your dog, you will be below it. * Praise exuberantly. * Dominance over a dog is achieved with leadership, never harshness. Some books that may help: Benjamin, Carol Lea. Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way To Train Your Dog. Howell Book House, New York. 1985. ISBN 0-87605-666-4. $15.95 hardcover. She uses praise, contact, play and toys to motivate puppies, but she does not recommend food training a young puppy. She does recommend crate training and she also recommends sleeping in the same room with the puppy. She provides methods to teach no, OK, good dog, bad dog, sit stay heel, come, down, stand, go, enough, over, out, cookie, speak, take it, wait and off to puppies. She talks about canine language and talks some about mental games you can play with your dog such as mirror games, and copying your dog and having him copy you, chase games and even playing rough with your puppy. Most training methods rely on the foundational relationship between an owner and his dog, and this book provides some ideas on establishing that relationship while the puppy is still young. Brahms, Ann and Paul. Puppy Ed.. Ballantine Books. 1981. ISBN:0-345-33512-0 (paperback). Describes how to start teaching your puppy commands. This is a thoughtful book that discusses in practical detail what you can and cannot expect to do with your puppy in training it. They stress that by expecting and improving good behavior from the start, later, more formal training goes much easier. Monks of New Skete, The. The Art of Raising a Puppy. Little, Brown and Company (1991). ISBN: 0-316-57839-8 (hardback). The monks of New Skete have put together an excellent book that discusses puppy development and the things that should be done at the appropriate stages and why. First they follow a newborn litter through its various stages of development and at each stage they discuss what is happening. They discuss testing puppies' temperaments and what you want to look for, under which circumstances. They discuss briefly dog breeds, and how to find reputable breeders. They then launch into a series of useful chapters: housebreaking, preliminary obedience, laying the foundations of training, understanding (reading) your dog, how to become the pack leader, basic training, discipline, and general care. A good bibliography is provided at the back. Randolph, Elizabeth. How to Help Your Puppy Grow Up to be a Wonderful Dog. ISBN 0-449-21503-2. The April 1993 edition of Dog Fancy is a "puppy primer" and it contains articles on how to choose a breeder, name your puppy, make housetraining easy, introduce grooming and solve basic puppy problems. It works well in conjuction with the Monk and Benjamin books. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Age to Separate from Litter Age to Separate from Litter Puppies should not be separated from their mother and littermates before 8 weeks of age. Many recommend 10 weeks minimum. This is related to physical considerations such as weaning and psychological considerations such as the puppy's readiness to leave the litter. Many breeders believe it is best to NOT have two puppies together. They tend to bond to each other and not to you and that can cause serious problems when it comes time to train them. Having two puppies needing housetraining at the same time can make that process go on for much longer. This implies that you would not introduce a second dog before the other six months old and properly trained. There are always exceptions, of course, and there are many happy dogs dogs that were littermates or otherwise puppies together out there. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Puppy-Proofing Your Home Puppy-Proofing Your Home You should consider that a puppy has an absolute right to chew whatever they can get at in your absence. You must put the puppy where either it cannot do any damage, or you do not care about the possible damage. Puppies can eat kitchen cabinets, destroy furniture, chew on carpet, and damage a wide variety of other things. Besides the destruction, the puppy may well injure itself, even seriously. A good solution to this is a crate. A crate is any container, made of wire mesh or plastic, that will hold the puppy comfortably, with enough room to stand and curl up and sleep, but not too much that it can eliminate in one corner. See the section on crates below. Other solutions include fencing off part of the house, say the kitchen or garage or building an outside run. Be sure the area is puppy-proofed. Please put your pup in an environment it can't destroy. Puppies are too immature to handle temptations. Depending on the breed, most dogs begin to gain the maturity to handle short stints with mild temptations when they're about 6 months old. Consider the analogy with a baby, where you keep it in a crib, stroller, or pen if you are not holding it. It is essential to puppy-proof your home. You should think of it in the same way as child-proofing your house but be more through about it. Puppies are smaller and more active than babies and have sharp teeth and claws. Things of especial concern are electric wires. If you can get through the puppy stages without having your pup get a shock from chewing a wire you are doing a great job! When puppy proofing your home, get down on your hands and knees (or lower if possible) and consider things from this angle. What looks enticing, what is breakable, what is sharp, etc. The most important things are watching the puppy and, of course, crating it or otherwise restraining it when you can't watch it. Another step in puppy proofing is house proofing the puppy. Teach it what is and isn't chewable. The single most effective way to do this is by having a ready supply of chewable items on hand. When the puppy starts to chew on an unacceptable item (be it a chair, rug, or human hand), remove the item from the puppy's mouth with a stern, "NO!" and replace it with a chew toy and praise the puppy for playing with the toy. If you are consistent about this, the puppy will get the idea that only the things you give it are to be chewed on! Don't stint on the praise, and keep the "No!" to a single calm, sharp noise -- don't yell or scream the word. There are some products that can help make items unpalatable and thus aid in your training. Bitter Apple and Bitter Orange (available at most pet stores) impart a bitter taste to many things without staining, etc. You should not depend on these products to keep your puppy safe, but use them as a training aid. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Puppies and Small Children Puppies and Small Children Keep puppies and very small children apart or under close supervision. Small children do not understand the need for keeping fingers out of puppies' eyes or refraining from pulling painfully on their tails, among other problems. So keep children 6 years or so and younger away from the puppy until it is grown, for the safety of the puppy. Teach your children how to approach a puppy or dog, to prevent being jumped on. They should understand that they should put out their hands below the pup's chin, to keep it from jumping at a hand above its head. They should not scream or run away, as the puppy will then chase the child. There are several books dealing with children and dogs. Try Jack and Collen McDaniel's Pooches and Small Fry, published by Doral Publishing, 800-858-9055. This book is full of good suggestions for teaching both children and dogs how to behave with one another. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Acclimatization and Socialization Acclimatization and Socialization Accustom your puppy to many things at a young age. Baths, brushing, clipping nails, cleaning ears, having teeth examined, and so on. Taking the time to make these things matter of fact and pleasant for your puppy will save you a world of time and trouble later in its life. For example, every evening before the dog eats (but after you have put its bowl down), check its ears by peeking in the ear and touching it with your fingers. Do this every evening until the dog stops fussing about it. Continue to do it and you'll always know if your dog's ears are okay. Brushing is important, especially for double coated or long-haired dogs when they begin to shed. A little effort now to get your puppy to enjoy brushing will save you a lot of trouble later when it begins to shed and shed and shed... During your puppy's first year, it is very important that it be exposed to a variety of social situations. After the puppy has had all its shots, carefully expose it to the outside world. Take it to different places: parks, shopping centers, schools, different neighborhoods, dog shows, obedience classes--just about anywhere you can think of that would be different for a little puppy. If the puppy seems afraid, then let it explore by itself. Encourage the puppy, but be firm, not coaxing. If you want to take the pup in an elevator, let it try it on its own, but firmly insist that it have the experience. Your favorite dog food and supply store (unless it's a pet store) is a good place; dog shows are another. You want the pup to learn about the world so that it doesn't react fearfully to new situations when it is an adult. You also want it to learn that you will not ask it to do anything dangerous or harmful. Socializing your dog can be much fun for you and the dog! Do not commit the classic mistake made by many owners when their dogs exhibit fear or aggression on meeting strangers. DO NOT "soothe" them, or say things like "easy, boy/girl," "it's OK..." This serves as REINFORCEMENT and ENCOURAGES the fear or growling! Instead, say "no!" sharply and praise it WHEN IT STOPS. Praise it even more when it allows its head to be petted. If it starts growling or backing up again, say "no!" Be a little more gentle with the "no" if the dog exhibits fear, but do be firm. With a growling dog, be much more emphatic and stern with your "no!" If you are planning to attend a puppy class (and you should, they are not expensive) ask the instructor about her/his views before you sign up. If socialization is not part of the class, look elsewhere. The Art of Raising a Puppy has many valuable tips and interesting points on the subject of socializing puppies. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Don't Be Surprised When... Don't Be Surprised When... Your puppy doesn't seem to pick up the idea of whining at or going to the door to tell you it needs to go to the bathroom. Many puppies do not begin this behavior until they are four or five months old. Your puppy does not seem to pick its name up quickly. Sometimes it takes several weeks before you consistently get a reaction when you say its name. (Be careful not to use its name in a negative sense! Clap or shout instead.) Your puppy does not seem to be particularly happy with verbal praise. You need to pair verbal praise with physical praise for a few months before your puppy understands and appreciates verbal praise. Your puppy falls asleep in the middle of some other activity. Puppies need lots of sleep but since they are easily distracted, they sometimes forget to go to sleep and so will fall asleep at bizarre times: while eating, chewing, or even running. Your puppy twitches while sleeping. This indicates healthy neural development. Twitching will be most pronounced for the first few months of the puppy's life, and slowly diminish thereafter. There are many adult dogs that continue some twitching. Expect muffled woofs and snuffling noises, too. Your puppy hiccups. Many puppies hiccup. The only thing to do is wait for them to pass. Don't worry about it, they will outgrow it. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Reinforcing Good Behavior Reinforcing Good Behavior Puppies want attention. They will do a lot to get that attention -- even if it is negative! Thus, if you scold your puppy for doing things you don't want it to do, and ignore it when it is being good, you are reinforcing the wrong things. Ignore the bad things (or stop it without yelling or scolding) and enthusiastically praise it when its doing what you want, even if it's as simple as sitting and looking at you, or quietly chewing one of its toys. This can be difficult to do, as it is essentially inverting all your normal reactions. But it is very important: you will wind up with a puppy that pays attention to you and is happy to do what you want, if it understands you. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Crying at Night Crying at Night Your puppy wants to be with the rest of the "pack" at bedtime. This behavior is highly adaptive from the standpoint of dog behavior. When a puppy becomes separated from its pack it will whine, thereby allowing it to be found and returned to the rest of the group. This is why so many books on puppies and dog behavior strongly recommend that you allow your puppy/dog to sleep with you in your room to reduce the liklihood of crying at night. Try moving the crate into your bedroom. If your puppy whines, first make sure it doesn't have to go outside to eliminate. This means getting up and taking it outside. If it whines again, or doesn't need to go outside, bang your hand on the crate door and say something like "NO, SLEEP" or "NO, QUIET". If the puppy continues to whine, try giving it a toy or chew toy and then simply ignore any continued whining. If you don't reinforce the whining by comforting it (other than to take it outside -- which is OK), it will eventually learn to settle down. Also, be sure to have a vigorous play session JUST BEFORE you are going to go to bed. This should poop it out and it will sleep much more soundly. Alternatively, you can designate a spot for your puppy on the bedroom floor. Keep the door closed or put a leash on it to keep it close to the bed. When it whines or moves about, take it out to eliminate. Otherwise, as above, say "NO, SLEEP." Puppies that cannot sleep in the bedroom for whatever reason may be comforted by a ticking clock nearby, and a t-shirt of yours from the laundry. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Health: Vaccinations and Worms Health: Vaccinations and Worms Newborn puppies receive immunization against diseases from colostrum contained in their mothers milk while nursing (assuming the bitch was properly vaccinated shortly before the breeding took place). Initially, during their first 24 hours of life, maternal antigens (passive immunity) are absorbed through the pups intestines which are very, very thin during those first few hours (this is why it is so important that puppies nurse from the mother during that critical time). After the colostrum ceases (a day or so later), the maternal antigens decline steadily. During this time, puppies cannot build up their own natural immunity because the passive immunity gets in the way. As the passive immunity gradually declines, the pup's immune system takes over. At this time, the pups should be given their first immunization shots so they can build up their own antibodies against them. However, there is no way to tell when passive immunity is gone. This is why pups should be given a shot every few weeks (2 - 3 weeks apart and a series of at LEAST three shots). Picture a plot of antibody level versus time. Maternal antibody is steadily declining. You just don't know the rate. At some level, say X, protection from parvo is sufficient. Below X, protection may be less than effective against an infection. In general, vaccine antigen cannot stimulate the puppy's own immune system until the maternal antibody level is below X. Let's say it is .7*X. Here's the rub. The antibody level spends some time dropping from X to .7X. During this time, even if you vaccinated every day, you would (in this theoretical discussion) not be able to stimulate immunity. Yet you are below that level of maternal protection at which infection can be effectively fought off. Thus the importance of giving several vaccinations at 2-4 week intervals until around 16-18 weeks. One maximizes the chance of catching the puppy's immune system as soon as it is ready to respond, minimizing the amount of time the puppy may be susceptible to infection. IMPORTANT: The last shot should be given AFTER 16 weeks of age (4 months) to be SURE that dam's antibodies have not gotten in the way of the pup building up its own immunity (read the label of the vaccine!). Up until 8 weeks or so, the shots should consist of Distemper, Measles, and CPI. After that, it should be DHLPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus). This is at minimum: you may need to add other vaccinations appropriate to your area, such as Lyme, Heartworm (actually a preventive medicine), Rabies (most places), and so on. You should keep your puppy away from all strange dogs. If you know that a particular dog is current on its shots and not carrying disease, then go ahead and let your puppy socialize. The same holds true for people. Ask them to wash their hands before they play with your puppy. It can't hurt and it could save you a great deal of grief. As your puppy gets its shots, you can slowly add more and more exposure to its life. But keep in mind this is an infant and needs gentle care! Worms can present a serious problem to puppy health. There is no good way to prevent puppies from having worms, for a variety of reasons. You should take your puppy in regularly for worm-testing. Worms can interfere with the puppy's growth if left unchecked. Since it is very common for puppies (even from the best breeder) to have worms from the dam's dormant worms, you must take care to have your puppy checked regularly when young. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Teething Teething Around 4 to 5 months of age, puppies will start to get their permanent teeth. There are several things you can do, both to ease the pain and control the chewing. * Make some chicken soup (low sodium variety or make it yourself) ice cubes and give them to the puppy. * Soak a clean rag in water, wring it out and then freeze it (rolling it up helps) and give it to your puppy to chew on. * Soften the kibble a bit with water. * Discourage biting on your arm or hand for comfort. Puppies lose their teeth in a distinct pattern: first the small front teeth come out. Then the premolars just behind the canines. Then the molars in the back come out (and you'll see adult molars behind those erupting as well). Finally the canine teeth come out. Sometimes the adult canines erupt before the baby canines have come all the way out. During this time, some discomfort, including bleeding gums is to be expected. Your puppy will want to chew more during this period of time, but it may also be too painful to do so (hence the suggestions above). You will probably find few if any of the teeth your puppy loses, as puppies typically swallow them. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Feeding Your Puppy Feeding Your Puppy Premium pet food tends to have higher nutritional value. In particular, foods such as Science Diet, Eukanuba, Nature's Recipe. This means you can generally feed your dog a smaller amount of food. Also, they tend to be highly digestible which means that there is less waste to clean up in the yard. For these two reasons, many people feed their pets premium foods over grocery store foods. But the decision is yours and many healthy, happy dogs have been raised on plain Purina Dog Chow. FEEDING SCHEDULES There are two methods you can use to feed your puppy: free feeding and scheduled feeding. Free feeding is when dry food is left out all day and the dog eats as it wishes. Scheduled feeding gives the dog food at set times of the day, and then takes it away after a period of time, such as a half hour. In most cases, you are best off feeding your puppy on a schedule. This better controls elimination when trying to housetrain. In addition, many dogs will overeat and become overweight on a free-feed schedule. But for other dogs, such as dogs with gastric problems or older dogs, frequent small meals may be better for them. If you are unsure, you may want to discuss your particular situation with your vet. DOG FOOD FORMULATIONS Read your labels, know your dog food products. There are different kinds of dog food out there. Some are formulated very precisely for different periods in a dog's life, and what is appropriate at one stage is not appropriate at another. Others are generically formulated and are supposed to be OK for any dog under any conditions. This means that they are formulated up to the growing puppy level. There is nothing wrong with either approach, unless the generically formulated dog food comes out with a "puppy food" version. These are packed even higher with extra nutrition, etc, than the puppy really needs, since the original formulation was already sufficient for the puppy. If you are using the latter type of puppy food, many veterinarians and breeders (particularly of larger breeds) recommend that you NOT feed it for the first year as is recommended on the bags of food. They recommend that you feed puppy food ONLY for the first two months that you have the puppy at home and then switch to adult food. A good "rule of thumb" is to switch to adult food when the puppy has attained 90% of its growth (exactly when this is reached varies by breed and size). The nutritional formulation (especially the extra protein and calcium) can actually cause problems in puppy development. The problem tends to be with growth of bones vs. growth of tendons, ligaments, and muscle. The growth rates are not the same and so the connections are strained and if the dog jumps wrong or is playing too hard, the connections can be torn. This typically happens in the front shoulder and requires surgery and several months of confinement to repair. The added calcium in puppy food may deposit on puppies' bones causing limping. This is not a problem with the more closely formulated foods that have adult foods that are specifically labelled as unsuitable for puppies or lactating bitches. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Housetraining Housetraining The idea is to take advantage of a rule of dog behavior: a dog will not generally eliminate where it sleeps. Exceptions to this rule are: * Dogs that are in crates that are too large (so the dog can eliminate at one end and sleep at the other end). * Dogs that have lived in small cages in pet stores during critical phases of development and have had to learn to eliminate in the cage. * Dogs that have blankets or other soft, absorbent items in the crate with them. * Dogs that are left for too long in the crate and cannot hold it any longer. If the crate is too big (because you got an adult size one), you can partition the crate off with pegboard wired to the sides to make the crate the correct size, and move it back as your puppy grows. RC Steele also sells crate dividers. To house train a dog using a crate, establish a schedule where the dog is either outside or in its crate when it feels the need to eliminate. Using a mild correction when the dog eliminates inside and exuberant, wild praise when the dog eliminates outside will eventually teach the dog that it is better to go outside than in. Some owners correct more severely inside, but this is extremely detrimental to the character of puppies. To make the dog notice the difference between eliminating inside and outside, you must praise more outside rather than correcting more inside. The crate is crucial because the dog will "hold it" while in the crate, so it is likely to have to eliminate when it is taken out. Since you know when you dog has to eliminate, you take it out and it eliminates immediately, and is praised immediately. Doing this consistently is ideal reinforcement for the behavior of going out to eliminate. In addition, the dog is always supervised in the house, so the dog is always corrected for eliminating indoors. This strengthens the inhibition against eliminating inside. In general, consistency is MUCH more important than severe corrections when training a dog. Before a dog understands what you want, severe corrections are not useful and can be quite DETRIMENTAL. Crating allows the owner to have total control over the dog in order to achieve consistency. Hopefully, this will prevent the need (and the desire) to use more severe corrections. Housetraining is relatively simple with puppies. The most important thing to understand is that it takes time. Young puppies cannot wait to go to the bathroom. When they have to go, they have to go NOW. Therefore, until they are about four months old, you can only encourage good behavior and try to prevent bad behavior. This is accomplished by the following regime. * First rule of housetraining: puppies have to go to the bathroom immediately upon waking up. * Second rule of housetraining: puppies have to go to the bathroom immediately after eating. With these two rules goes the indisputable fact that until a puppy is housetrained, you MUST confine them or watch them to prevent accidents. This means that the puppy should have a place to sleep where it cannot get out. Understand that a puppy cannot go all night without eliminating, so when it cries in the night, you must get up and take it out and wait until it goes. Then enthusiastically praise it and put it back to bed. In the morning, take it out again and let it do its stuff and praise it. After it is fed and after it wakes up at any point, take it out to eliminate. Make it aware that this is not play time, but understand that puppies get pretty excited about things like grass and snails and leaves and forget what they came outside to do! Use the same spot each time if you can, the smell will help the puppy remember what it is to do, especially after 12 weeks of age. To make life easier for you later on, use a key phrase just when the puppy starts to eliminate. Try "hurry up," "do it," or some similar phrase (pick one and use it). The puppy will begin to eliminate on command, and this can be especially useful later, such as making sure the dog eliminates before a car ride or a walk in the park. Don't let the puppy loose in the house unless it has just gone outside, and/or you are watching it extremely closely for signs that it has to go. The key to housetraining is preventing accidents. If no accidents occur (ha!), then the dog never learns it has an option other than going outside. For an idea of what this can involve, here is a hypothetical situation, assuming that you work and it takes you about 1/2 hour to get home from work: * 03:00 Let dog out, go to bathroom, return to crate * 07:00 Let dog out, go to bathroom * 07:15 Feed dog in crate, leave dog in crate * 08:00 Let dog out, go to bathroom, return to crate * 08:15 Owner goes to work * 11:30 Owner returns, lets dog out * 11:45 return dog to crate, owner returns to work * 17:00 Owner returns, lets dog out, go to bathroom, play * 19:00 Feed dog in crate, leave in crate * 19:45 Let dog out, go to bathroom, play * 23:00 Let dog out, put dog in crate, go to bed. For a comprehensive discussion on housetraining dogs, see Evans, Job Michael. The Evan's Guide for Housetraining Your Dog. ISBN: 0-87605-542-0. Evans was a monk at New Skete for some years. He discusses all aspects of housetraining puppies and dogs, giving many constructive solutions for all kinds of specific problems. Benjamin's Mother Knows Best discusses paper training in more detail than is covered here. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Preliminary Training Preliminary Training It is essential for every dog, no matter how big, or small, or whether you want to show, or work, or just play with, to have basic obedience training. If you want to go beyond the basics, that's great. But at least do the basics. One way to think of it is that without basic obedience, you and the dog don't speak the same language so how can you communicate? But with basic obedience, you can tell the dog what you want it to do and it will understand you and do it. Another way to think of it is getting your dog to be a Good Citizen: it doesn't jump on people, or run off, or indulge in other obnoxious behaviors -- because it knows what you expect of it. OBEDIENCE CLASSES Find a good class and attend it. Many places have puppy kindergarten classes; this also helps socialize your puppy. Do 10 minute training sessions every day. And if you like it, keep going. You'd be amazed at all the activities you can do with your dog once you and the dog learn the basics! Training is fun and simple if approached that way. Enjoy it! AROUND THE HOUSE Puppies can be started far earlier than many people believe. In fact, waiting until your pup is 6 months old to start training it is VERY late, and will be the cause of a LOT of problems. Start right away with basic behavior: use simple, sharp "no's" to discourage chewing hands or fingers, jumping on people, and many other behaviors that are cute in puppies but annoying when full grown. Don't be severe about it, and praise the puppy *immediately* when it stops. Tie the puppy down in sight of people eating dinner to prevent begging and nosing for food (if you put it in another room, it will feel ostracized and begin to cry). If your puppy bites and scratches you when playing, give it a toy instead. Give a good, loud *yelp* or *ouch* when the puppy bites you. This is how the other puppies in the litter let each other know when they have crossed the line, and it is a good way to get the puppy's attention and let it know that biting is not acceptable. The other side of the coin is immediate praise when your puppy stops after a "no". You may feel like this is engaging in wild mood swings (and you may well get odd looks from other people); that's all right. You're making your wishes crystal clear to the puppy. It also needs positive as well as negative reinforcement: how would you respond if people only ever yelled at you when you did something wrong? Introduce things in a fun way without "corrections" just to lay a foundation for formal training later on. Formal training, demanding or exact, is not appropriate at this stage. Instead, concentrate on general behavior, getting its attention, introducing things that will be important later in a fun way, and some other preliminary things, such as discouraging it from lagging or forging on the leash (but not making it heel!). In sum, lay a good foundation for its future development and behavior. _________________________________________________________________ Your New Puppy FAQ Cindy Tittle Moore, tittle@netcom.com @START@Publications - TOC PUBLICATIONS Table of Contents * Addressing Behavior Problems * Annual Publications * Books on Canine Health & Care * Breed Information Books * Canine Behavior * Dogs and the Law * Dog Stories * General Care * Herding * Miscellaneous * Obedience Training * Puppies * Research Articles on Canine Health * Search and Rescue * Service Dogs * Sled Dogs * Tracking or Trailing: Scenting * Training Hunting Dogs * Working Dogs (other) NOTES: L = British pounds sterling $ or USD = US dollar CA$, CND or CAD = Canadian dollar _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Addressing Behavior Problems Addressing Behavior Problems Benjamin, Carol Lea. Dog Problems. Doubleday and Co. 1981. ISBN 0-385-15710-X. $13.95 hardcover. Evans, Job Michael. The Evan's Guide for Housetraining Your Dog. ISBN: 0-87605-542-0. Evans was a monk at New Skete for some years. He discusses all aspects of housetraining puppies and dogs, giving many constructive solutions for all kinds of specific problems. Evans, Job Michael. (1991). People, Pooches, & Problems. NY: Howell Book House. ISBN 0-87605-783-0 (hardcover). $19.95. Excellent suggestions for dealing with common problems between dogs and their owners. Highly recommended. Fisher, John. Why Does My Dog...?. Howell Book House, New York; Maxwell Maxmillian, Ontario. c1991. ISBN: 0-87605-792. A wide range of problems and various solutions are listed. Sometimes the problems are solved with a change of diet, more often with simple but effective techniques. It is written much like an encyclopedia, each section describing a problem followed with a series of questions and answers about the problem. In most cases, the scenarios are supplied from actual incidents in his practice. The author is a member of the Association of Pet Behavior Counsellors (APBC), based in Britain and Ireland. Johnson, Nancy E. Everyday Dog. Howell Book House, New York. 1990. Kilcommons, Brian, and Sarah Wilson. Good Owners, Great Dogs. Good suggestions for socializing young dogs and for working on behavior problems with adult dogs. Milani, Myrna M., DVM. The Weekend Dog. Signet (Penguin Books USA, Inc.) (1985). ISBN: 0-451-15731-1 (paperback). This book outlines practical solutions for working people with dogs. It has excellent suggestions for understanding dog behavior, particularly destructive or unwanted behavior. Gives all kinds of practical solutions to the problems of adequate exercise, adequate training, housebreaking, and so forth. O'Farrell, Valerie. Problem Dog, Behavior and Misbehavior. Methuen. Lots of stuff and covers many behavior problems, neurotic problems and dog psychology. Pryor, Karen. Don't Shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor. Bantam, New York. 1985. c1984. She presents different behavioralistic techniques for dealing with several example situations (i.e. "Dog barks all night", "Roommate leaves dirty laundry all over apartment," "Bus driver is rude," etc.) This would NOT be a good book for someone who wanted to teach their dog to sit and come, but it discusses how the trainer's actions "shape" the trainee's responses. Definitely a must-read for people who are interested in "inducive" training, and should be thought-provoking for any trainer who is thinking about training on a higher level than "When the dog does this, give him a good collar correction"--but experienced dog trainers will find a lot to quibble about in what she says. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Annual Publications Annual Publications 1993 DOGS USA Annual. Published by the Dog Fancy magazine folks. Contains great articles, beautiful photos, a list of breeders throughout the US and Canada for nearly every breed, PLUS a list of obedience trainers, by state. This publication (by the folks who bring you Dog Fancy) should be in every dog-owner's library. Dogs Annual in Canada. This includes information on breeders and descriptions for every breed, how to choose a breeder, directory of trainers, basic training and health care information, and more. It is an annual that becomes available about the first week of December, and retails for about CND $6. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Books on Canine Health & Care Books on Canine Health & Care Good Dog! Magazine. The Dog Food Book According to Good Dog!: Packed with solid information on shopping for food, secrets of the business, nutrition basics, research into ethoxyquin, allergies, bloat and much more. 79 pages but crammed with good stuff from 5 years of Good Dog! $11.95 postpaid, send email to gooddogmag@aol.com for details. Merck Veterinary Manual Boyle, George E. VMD and Charles L. Blood. First Aid For Dogs. Dembner Books, 80 8th Avenue, NY, NY 10011. 1988. ISBN: 0-942637-03-8. This book is a handy guide on how to quickly deal with injuries to your dog before bringing him in to the veterinarian for more complete treatment. Written in a direct, refreshing style, this book covers emergencies from tick removals to whelping puppies ("Blessed and Not So Blessed Events."). Tips on travelling, how to deal with seizures, a list of poisons...a lot is packed into this trade paperback book. Illustrated with photographs. I highly recommend this book. Carlson, Delbert G., DVM, and James M. Giffin, MD. Dog Owners's Home Veterinary Handbook. Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing Company, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA (1980). ISBN: 0-87605-764-4 (hardback). This comprehensive book is a complete guide to health care of dogs. It lets you know when you can treat the dog, or when you need to take it to the vet post-haste. It lists symptoms so that you may inform your vet of relevant information about its condition. The arrangement of the material facilitates rapid reference. Illustration of key procedures (pilling, taking pulse/temperature, etc). Lists poisonous substances, including houseplants. A valuable book to have around. Clark, Ross D. and Joan R. Stainer, eds. Medical and Genetic Aspects of Purebred Dogs. Veterinary Medicine Publishing Co., Edwardsville, KA. 1983. ISBN 0-935078-24-X. 576 pages. For most AKC breeds and a few UKC breeds, there are sections on * Origin & History * Description * Breeding and Whelping * Recognized Problems * Old Age This accumulation of knowledge about the health of specific breeds from breeders and veterinarians provides the potential dog owner with information that can help them select a strong breed, an informed and caring breeder, and a healthy pet. Cole, Joanna. My Puppy is Born. Photographs by Margaret Miller (Miller breeds Norfolk terriers, which is the breed featured) Evans, J.M. and Kay White. The Dogopedia: A complete Guide to Dog Care. Henston, Ltd, England. 1985. ISBN: 0-9510620-0-X. L6.95. An inexpensive guide to dogs. Evans, J.M. and Kay White. The Book of the Bitch: A Complete Guide to Understanding and Caring for Bitches. Henston Ltd, England. 1988. ISBN 1-85054-115-0. L6.95. Lanting, Fred L. Canine Hip Dysplasia and Other Orthopedic Problems. Alpine Publications, Inc., CO. 1981. ISBN 0-931866-06-5. Also available from R.C. Steele. McGinnis, Terri DVM. The Well Dog Book, second ed. 1992. What's nice about this book is the way it helps you to differentiate between emergency situations and those that can wait until morning. There is an introductory section which explains how to examine your dog when he/she is healthy so that you will know when something is not right. Morgan, Joe P. DVM and Michele Stephens, DVM. Radiographic Diagnosis and Control of Canine Hip Dysplasia. Iowa State University Press, 1985. ISBN 0-8138-1507-X. A technical, well written book. From the preface: "written from the eyes of a diagnostic radiologist and small animal practitioner and is designed for the veterinary practitioner who deals with owners and breeders in working to solve the serious problem of dysplasia. The book is planned to assist in describing the disease to this group. It is also hoped that the monograph will find its way into the hands of the lay person who has a love for dogs. All technical terms are clearly defined and most will be able to profit in their understanding of this disease by reading this book." Replete with x-rays. Morgan is a consultant for OFA and has reviewed over 25,000 x-rays for them. The book includes specific descriptions of dysplasia in GSDs, Labs, Great Pyrenees, and St. Bernard, for the first time(they say) clearly spelling out the differences between the breeds. Miller, Harry. The Common Sense Book of Puppy and Dog Care. Bantam Books, Third Edition (revised) (1987). ISBN: 0-553-27789-8 (paperback). This small book provides a surprising amount of useful information. A little on the "lightweight" side, nevertheless, it gives a good outline of what you should know about your puppy or dog. You can use this to decide how much you do know and where you need to brush up on what you don't. Besides sections on how to select the right dog, it covers basic puppy needs (housetraining, feeding, illnesses), basic training, basic pet care, and a complete list of AKC breeds (each breed illustrated with b/w drawing, thumbnail sketch included -- good as an overview, but not very specific). Includes a section on practical home care, listing major symptoms you should be alert for, and listing general criteria by which you can determine a dog's overall healthiness. Discusses major diseases and problems, gives sketches on what may be wrong given certain symptoms. Includes guides to nutrition, grooming, health care. (Author is Emeritus Director, Gaines Dog Research Center.) Pitcairn, Richard H., DVM/PhD and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats. Rodale Press, Pennsylvania. Cost is about $13.00 - readily available in book/pet/health shops. This book is full of wonderful information about the physical and emotional well-being of our pets, well documented, researched, and invitingly written to get one involved and committed to a complete, balanced approach to pet care. There is a large portion devoted to nutrition, first defining the nutritional needs of the pet (dogs/cats), breakdowns of proteins, carbos, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, etc. - these by weight and condition of pet (e.g., from small nursing puppy to senior citizen with particular needs). Then they compare commercial products (read the label!) with his variety of menus, additives of powders & oils (always charted out by weight - easy to follow); comparison is by nutritional content, cost factors, and speed of preparation - to be honest, we all look for convenience. There are also sections on Poisons, Disease, Being Prepared for the Unexpected, Traveling. Richardson, Daniel C. "The role of nutrition in canine hip dysplasia," The Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, May 1, 1992. Discusses studies comparing factors such as c-section vs. natural birth, free-feeding vs. underfeeding, and motion-restriction vs. unrestricted mobility in puppies expected to develop CHD. Riser, Wayne. Canine Hip Dysplasia and How to Control It. 1965. The original experiment showed that puppies raised in 3' x 3' x 3' cages for the first 90 days showed a drastic reduction in dysplasia at 24 months when compared with a control group, as evidenced by radiographs. The study also showed that puppies raised on slippery floors, or allowed to run, jump, climb stairs, chase balls, stand on hind legs, etc. showed a markedly higher incidence of HD at 24 mos. The moral of the story is: If you have a puppy which is of a breed that has a high incidence of dysplasia, limit vigorous activity when young. (A more complete reference to some of the work done by Riser, Morris and Fred Lanting is contained in the Howell 'Rottweiler' book.) Rubin, Lionel F. Inherited Eye Diseases in Purebred Dogs. Turner, Trevor, ed. Veterinary Notes for Dog Owners. Popular Dogs. 1991. L17.99 paper, L30.00 hardback. Similar to the Horse Owners book. Vanderlip, Sharon Lynn, DVM. The Collie: A Veterinary Reference for the Professional Breeder. Zink, M. Christine, DVM, PHD. Peak Performance: Coaching the Canine Athlete. Howell Book House, 1992. ISBN: 0-87605-757-1. This eminently readable book goes over canine physiology, both internal and structural. She covers how to keep your dog in general good shape, discusses some conditioning strategies, and finally details a number of possible impediments to conditioning your dog, including: genetic and traumatic joint problems and lameness, the effects of medication on your dog, and moreover lists all the things you need to consider when trying to keep your dog fit and healthy. Recommended for all people doing regular physical activity with their dog. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Breed Information Books Breed Information Books The Mini-Atlas of Dog Breeds, Simon & Schusters Guide to Dogs. Lists a variety of breeds. It does contain errors; it is an OK but not great reference book. Harper's Illustrated Handbook of Dogs. Harper and Row, ISBN 0-06-091198-0. It gives a picture of every AKC dog breed and a one page description of each breed in the back. The description covers appearance, AKC standards, potential health problems, needs, history, temperament. Alderton, David. Eyewitness Handbook of Dogs. Dorling Kindersly 232 Madison Ave. NY 10016. ISBN 1-56458-176-4. Thumbnail sketches of many breeds. Photographs include both puppy and adult representives of the breed. De Prisco, Andrew and James B. Johnson. The Mini-Atlas of Dog Breeds. TFH Publications, One TFH Plaza, Neptune City, NJ 07753 (1990). ISBN:0-86622-091-7 (hardback). This book lists and describes over 500 breeds from around the world. Abundantly illustrated with color drawings and photos. Includes a short forward on what criteria you should consider in choosing a breed, and a short description of the categories it chose to group dogs in (slightly different from, eg. AKC groupings). Gannon, Dee. The Rare Breed Handbook. 2nd edition. Order from JB Wholesale. Describes 80 rare breeds. Loose leaf format. Hart, Lynette A. The Perfect Puppy. WH Freeman. 1987. ISBN 0-7167-1829-4. This covers only about 65 breeds' temperaments, but makes a greater effort to be objective than some other sources. Lists health defects in particular breeds. Lowell, Michele. Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide. Holt and Co. 1991. ISBN 0-8050-1892-1. Far more comprehensive than Hart's book, with useful warnings about health defects to watch for in specific breeds. Mandeville, John J., and Ab Sidewater, eds. The Complete Dog Book: official publication of the American Kennel Club. Eighteenth edition. Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York. 1992. This is the reference for the AKC breed standards, each of which covers several pages and includes a black and white photograph and text on the breed's history, characteristics, and nature. The health section is not illustrated, but is otherwise excellent as it was prepared with the cooperation of the faculty of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Newly admitted breeds, such as the Shar-pei, have been added to this edition. Sylvester, Patricia, ed. The Reader's Digest Illustrated Book of Dogs. Revised edition. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., Pleasantville, NY. 1989. ISBN 0-89577-340-6. 384 pages. Besides the excellent text and illustrations in the album, which cover 2 pages for each breed (175 total), the informative sections are also well-written and illustrated and include many color photographs as well. This is a good general reference on dogs, and is especially helpful when choosing a breed to own. The health chapters are invaluable to non-veterinarian owners. Taylor, David. The Ultimate Dog Book. 1992. This is another breed book. Largely coffee-table material, its distinguishing feature is the outstanding quality of photography. Each breed featured has a two page spread, with photos of the dog that include: full side view, side of head, front of head, and variations within that breed (eg, coloring, though surprisingly the Labrador Retriever entry only shows a black Labrador). This is worth getting for the picture quality alone, but not necessarily as an extensive breed guide in its own right. Tortora, Daniel F. The Right Dog For You. Fireside, Simon & Schuster Trade Books. 1983. ISBN 0-671-47247-X. Offers a complex decision procedure, with lots of questionnaires to alert you to the potential significance of various features of breed behavior and physical characteristics. This is one of the few books that will discuss, candidly, negative aspects of a particular breed. Wilcox, Bonnie and Chriss Walkowicz. Atlas of Dog Breeds. TFH Publications. Over 900 pages long in large format. The authors are top notch writers and did extensive research to compile this comprehensive resource of the world's dog breeds. The book is profusely illustrated with excellent quality photographs and a 3-5 page article. This book makes a good effort to show every color and every coat type of each breed in the various photos. Expensive. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Canine Behavior Canine Behavior Fox, M. W., and J. W. Spencer. 1967. Development of the delayed response in the dog. Anim. Behav. 15:162-68. Fuller, J. L., C. A. Easler, and E. M. Banks. 1950. Formation of conditioned avoidance responses in young puppies. Am. J. Physiol. 160:462-66. Houpt, Katherine A., VMD, PhD and Thomas R. Wolski DVM. Domestic Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists, 1982, pp. 235-238. Discusses studies on breed differences in learning ability or, at least, in acquisition and performance of various tasks. Contains references to similar studies. Lynch, J. J., and J. F. McCarthy. 1967. The effect of petting on a classically conditioned emotional response. Behaav. Res. Ther. 5:55-62. Shewell, P.C and J.D. Nancarrow. Dogs that bite. British Medical Journal, 1991. 6816:1512-13. The article contains statistics of cases treated at West Midland Regional Plastic and Jaw Surgery Unit, Wordsley Hospital, during the period 1982-1989. The review of the article indicates that the most common situation that causes dogs to bite is a child coming to visit a family with dogs where the child immediately approaching the dog and hugging it. It is also worth noting that Dobermans and Rottweilers only caused 7% of all cases. Stanley, W. C., J. E. Barrett, and W. E. Bacon. 1974. Conditioning and extinction of avoidance and escape behavior in neonatal dogs. J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 87:163-72. Vogel, H. H., Jr., J. P. Scott, and M.-'V. Marston. 1950. Social facilitation and allelomimetic behavior in dogs. I. Social facilitation in a non-competitive situation. Behaviour 2:121-34. Woodbury, C. B. 1943. The learning of stimulus patterns by dogs. J. Comp. Psychol. 35:29-40. Coon, K. 1977. The Dog Intelligence Test. New York: Avon, 90 p. Fogle, Bruce. The Dog's Mind. This appears to be the best, most comprehensive book summarizing current research on canine psychology and behavior. You won't find much in the way of how-to instructions, but you will find alot of hard facts on every aspect of the canine mind and personality. This book is well-written and very readable even by the layperson. Honore, Erika K., and Peter H. Klopfer. A Concise Survey of Animal Behavior. Academic Press, 465 S. Lincoln Dr., Troy MO 63379. c1990. An in depth academic approach to helping people understand and appreciate animal behavior, including dogs. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Dogs and the Law Dogs and the Law Jordan, Cora. Neighbor Law: Trees, Fences, Boundaries, and Noise. Nolo Press. ISBN: 0-87337-158-5. Dog problems can stem from, be exacerbated by, or lead to more-general feuds with the neighbors. This book makes a good companion volume to Randolph's Dog Law. Randolph, Mary. Dog Law. Nolo Press, 950 Parker St., Berkeley CA 94710 (800)992-6656. ISBN 0-87337-078-3. $12.95. Author is an attorney. "... Dog Law answers common questions on such topics as biting, barking, veterinarians, leash laws, travel, landlords, wills, guide dogs, pit bulls, cruelty and much more." Strand, Rod and Patti. Hijacking the Humane Movement. Doral Publishing, 1993 ISBN 0-944875-28-9 This is a book which assembles in one place a number of topics which will be of very great interest to dog and cat breeders, especially in light of HSUS's suggested moratorium on breeding. The Strands, AKC Judges and journalists, have placed the animal rights movement in historical and philosophical perspective. This 174 page paper back covers such topics as AR in the UK, AR in Nazi Germany, the importation of violent activism from the UK to the US and a long list of suspect AR organizations. There is no index, which the authors tell me was due to restrictions on the publisher. However, there are references on a chapter-by-chapter basis, at the end of the book. The Appendices include the AR Platform [as proposed] as printed in 1987 in "Animal Agenda." This includes this prophetic statement, "We strongly discourage any breeding of companion animals, including pedigreed or purebred dogs and cats." The tone of the book is thoughtful, rather than strident, though it exposes numerous examples of AR duplicity. Everyone who cares about dogs should read this book, breeder or not. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Dog Stories Dog Stories *. Chelsea, the Story of a Signal Dog. This is written by a man who is a professor at Fresno State Univ. in CA. It's the utterly charming story of his own attempts to adopt and train a dog to be his signal dog (he is deaf) and then, years later, he goes on to get a CCI dog. This book does a great job of helping you understand how the deaf community functions in a hearing world, and how they perceive themselves. Cohen, Barbara and Louise Taylor. Dogs and their Women. 1989, ISBN 0316-15036-3. Lots of good stories. Goode, Angela and Mike Hayes, eds. Great Working Dog Stories and More Great Working Dog Stories. ABC Books, GPO Box 9994 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2001. 1990. These are a collection of working dog stories from Outback Australia. Any one who loves these dogs or just loves a good dog story should read them. The stories are a mixture of happy and sad, all of them are true and written by the individual relating the story. The length of each story ranges from a few lines to a couple of pages. Hearne, Vicki. Bandit, the Dossier of a Dangerous Dog. Along with much philosophy, the author recounts her experiences with pit-bulls and other "dangerous" breeds. Kilbourn, Cheryl A. For the Love of Princess: Surviving the Loss of Your Pet. Princess Publishing, PO Box 386, Beaverton OR 97075-0386, 1987. ISBN: 0-943367-00-X. From back: "For the Love of Princess is a deeply moving portrayal of the loving bond between the author and her canine companion of nine years. When Cheryl learned that Princess had an irreversible disease and their time together was limited, her pain began." Yates, Elizabeth. Sound Friendships. Countryman Press, c1987. It details the life that is led by Willa and her hearing dog, Honey. It isn't as in-depth on the nuts and bolts as CHELSEA is but it is a good simple read. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - General Care General Care Hampton, John K. Jr., PhD, and Suzanne Hampton, PhD. Senior Years: Understanding your Dog's Aging Process. Howell Book House. 1993. ISBN: 0-87605-734-2. Monks of New Skete, The. How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend. Little, Brown & Company. 1978. ISBN: 0-316-60491-7 (hardback). A monastery in upstate New York breeds, raises, and trains German Shepherd Dogs. On the basis of their considerable experience, they offer troubleshooting guides, discuss discipline, environmental restrictions, basic and puppy training, and much more. Extensive bibliography. The emphasis is on understanding the dog in order to communicate with it or to solve problem behavior. An excellent, well written classic. Taylor, David. You and Your Dog. Alfred A. Knopf, New York (1991). ISBN:0-394-72983-8 (trade paperback). This useful book is an overall guide to the health and care of dogs. It includes a basic listing of dog breeks (AKC). This is a good general purpose book that gives you an idea of what all is involved in owning and caring for a dog. Taylor gives flow-chart questions to consider when deciding if symptoms are serious or not. An easily understandable format. Not as comprehensive as other care books, but a good start in understanding what you need to look for when your dog seems off. Includes illustrations of many procedures, such as teeth cleaning and nail trimming. Informative discussion of reproductive system, grooming, and dog anatomy. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Herding Herding Holmes, John. The Farmer's Dog. Order from SHEEP! Jones, H. Glyn. A Way of Life. Order from SHEEP! H. Glyn Jones talks to Barbara C. Collins. Karrasch, Dick. Training a Stockdog: For Beginners. Wondereye Farm, Rt. 1, Box 42, Vandiver AL 35176. O'Reilly, Chuck. Training Working Livestock Dogs. Rt. 4, Box 33B, Red Wind MN 55066. Robertson, Pope. Anybody Can Do It. Rovar Publ. Co., 522 East 2nd St., Elgin TX 78621. Templeton, John and Matt Mundell. Working Sheep Dogs. Order from SHEEP! _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Alston, George G. The Winning Edge, Show Ring Secrets. Howell Book House, 1992. ISBN 0-87605-834-9. Alston is an experienced and knowledgeable professional handler and the book is full of great tips. Nice philosophies about dogs and dog shows. The book is well-written and very readable. Montgomery, Anne and Kendall Crolius. Knitting With Dog Hair St. Martin's Press. This is a new book about how to make use of your dog's extra hair for knitting. The final product is *INCREDIBLE*. This looks as if it has been made of the finest fur, which it has, in a way. This includes tips like: How to make an afghan from your Afghan or a beret from your Beagle: your pet can yield yarn! How to find experienced pet hair spinners, a guide to resources and suppliers. How to collect, clean, and store your pooch's fur LaBelle, Charlene G. A Guide to Backpacking with Your Dog. Alpine Publications, Inc. P.O. Box 7027 Loveland, CO 80537. Riley, Alan. Teaching Your Dog Backpacking. Available from Black Ice (see resources). White, Darlene, DVM. "Eliminating the Threats of Zoonoses," in Dog World, April 1992 (v77n4); a Maclean Hunter Publication, 29 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago IL 60606-3298. Hutt, FB: Genetics for Dog Breeders; W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, CA, 1979. Lopez, Barry H. Of Wolves and Men. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1978. 308 pgs Softcover. ISBN: 0-684-16322-5. Description of wolves and their relationship with humans. Not really a technical discussion of wolves like the The Wolf (Mech). Lorenz, Konrad. Man Meets Dog. 1977. Mech, L. David. The Wolf. University of Minnesota Press, 1970. 384 pgs Softcover. ISBN: 0-1866-1026-6. Complete description of the wolf, its behavior and ecology. David Mech is a renowned wolf expert, and this is an extremly informative and well written book. Migliorini, Mario. Kennel Building and Management. New York, N.Y. : Howell Book House, 1987. Contains a bibliography. Useful tips on how to construct a dog run. Milani, Myrna M., DVM. The Invisible Leash. Mugford, Roger. Dr. Mugford's Casebook. Case studies. Neville, Peter. Do Dogs Need Shrinks?. Case studies. Nicholas, FW. Veterinary Genetics. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 1987. Pfaffenberger, Clarence J. The New Knowledge Of Dog Behavior. Foreword by J. P. Scott. Consultant on genetics: Benson E. Ginsburg. New York, Howell Book House, c1963. Mr Pfaffenberger wrote this book based on his own experiences working with the breeding program at Guide Dogs for the Blind and the research of Dr. J. Paul Scott of the Animal Behavior Division at Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. As a measure of the success of the work at Guide Dogs for the Blind, in the late 1940's, only nine percent of the dogs that started training could become responsible guides. In 1958 and 1959, all the dogs bred and developed according to the knowledge gained by Pfaffenbarger were as good or better than the dogs of 1946 and 90% became guide dogs despite stricter requirements from the 1946 standard. Scott, J. P., and J. L. Fuller. 1974. Dog Behavior. The Genetic Basis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 468 p. Serpell, James. In the Company of Animals. Basil Blackwell, Oxford. 1986. ISBN: 0-631-14536-2. Book on pet keeping through time and across cultures. Shook, Larry. The Puppy Report. Lyons and Burford, Pubs., New York. 1992. ISBN: 1-55821-140-3. Larry Shook is a newspaper reporter who, despite working with an allegedly reputable breeder, ended up with a purebred dog with a very serious temperament problem - a problem that the breeder had compelling reason to know about in advance. So Shook put his professional skills to work and has written a helpful, brief book about the dangers of 'inbreeding' and about how to avoid breeders who'll knowingly sell dogs that are very likely to have serious physical or psychological problems. Not surprisingly, he comes down very hard on puppy mills and stores that sell live animals. Surprising/shocking is some of the information he relays about the AKC and certain common breeding practices which are, in effect, encouraged by AKC policies. Tellington-Jones, Linda, with Sybil Taylor. The Tellington Touch: A Breakthrough Technique to Train and Care for Your Favorite Animal. Viking Penguin. 1992. ISBN 0-670-82578-6. Some of what Linda does is clearly helpful in dealing with problem dogs and cats, but there are parts of her presentation of her ideas that may turn people off because they seem to be a little too far out of the mainstream. Good massage tips. Willis, Bruce. Genetics of Dogs. Zimen, Eric. Eric Mosbacher, trans. The Wolf: His Place in the Natural World. (UK title). Book on wolf behavior. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Obedience Training Obedience Training Baer, Ted. Communicating with Your Dog. Barron's, New York. 1989. ISBN 0-8120-4203-4 (oversized paperback). Heavily illustrated with color photos. A sensible approach to laying a good foundation for extensive obedience training (even if you don't take the dog any further than what's outlined in here). Simple instructions for teaching a 20-word language, with emphasis on understanding and building on previous work. Barwig, Susan. Schutzhund. Quality Press, Englewood, CO. 1978. Bauman, Diane L. Beyond Basic Dog Training. New, updated edition. Howell Book House (Maxwell Maxmillan International), New York. 1991. ISBN: 0-87605-410-6. Emphasis is on training a "thinking" dog rather than a pattern-trained dog. Extensive manual on obedience training. Communication and understanding are discussed. A well known and often recommended book. Benjamin, Carol and Capt. Haggerty. Dog Tricks. This book has more tricks in it than you will even dream of teaching your dog with suggestions for the method. In the back they have a listing by breed of tricks that are especially suitable or unsuitable for that breed. Burnham, Patricia Gail. Playtraining Your Dog. St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. c1980. ISBN 0-312-61691-0 (trade paperback). An excellent book that describes how to use play to motivate your dog through obedience training. She focuses on how to teach each exercise in the AKC Novice, Open, and Utility classes. Her philosophy, though, lends itself to any type of training. Well written and informative. For you greyhound lovers, all her dogs and inside photos are of greyhounds. Colflesh, Linda. Making Friends: Training your Dog Positively Illustrated by Deb Mickey ISBN 0-87605-687-7 Howell Book House, copyright 1990. A readable book that applies to all aspects of everyday training and building a good relationship with your dog. Her method maximizes using your dog's intelligence and your good relationship with your pet and minimizes the use of force. It takes things all the way from housebreaking the new dog through the basic obedience exercises and includes chapters on aggression and moving on to off-leas work with your dog. Fisher, John. Dogwise. The author is a well known UK behaviourist and ex-service dog trainer. Dogwise follows the selection of a eight month rescue GSD and his Police Dog handler through a 12 week course using only positive reinforcement and the final exaimination qualifying the dog to work with the London Met to the HMSO. The focus is on the training methods more than on police work. Handler, Barbara. Positively Obedient This follows How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With very nicely. This is a book a novice owner can read, follow and succeed in getting results. Handler, Barbara. Best Foot Forward. A guide to showing and handling in the obedience rings. It covers how to enter shows, what to do on the day, and how not to make handling errors. Handler, Barbara. Successful Obedience Handling: The NEW Best Foot Forward. Alpine publications. Hearne, Vicki. Adam's Task. Knopf. 1986. Described as the best single reference on Koehler. Koehler, William. The Koehler Method of Dog Training. Howell Books. Koehler's methods are considered unusually harsh and counterproductive by some modern trainers. On the other hand, his methods do have a history of success, especially with breeds considered less trainable. Olson, Bjorn. Training Your Dog Step by Step. Rogerson, John. Your Dog, its Development, Behaviour and Training. Also, Training Your Dog. Strickland, Winifred G. Expert Obedience Training for Dogs. Third revised edition. Howell Book House (Macmillan Publishing Company), New York. 1987. ISBN: 0-02-615000-X (hardback). Strickland is a well known dog trainer. Covers all aspects of training and competition including the formal training for AKC obedience trials (novice, open, utility, tracking). Includes some general care (health and feeding) tips. Author has also written Obedience Class Instruction for Dogs. Tucker, Michael. Dog Training Step by Step. Tucker is an ex GDB instructor and his books are easy to read and follow. His others are Dog Training Made Easy, Solving Your Dog Problems. Volard. Training Your Dog Step by Step. Weston, David. Dog Training: The Gentle Method. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Puppies Puppies Benjamin, Carol Lea. Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way To Train Your Dog. Howell Book House, New York. 1985. ISBN 0-87605-666-4. $15.95 hardcover. "No matter how the pup transgresses, no matter how angry the bitch becomes, she never denies him his nourishment. He never goes to bed without his supper. Nor does she offer tidbits of food, treats beneath the table, extra portions of dessert to reward good behavior. Eating is eating and education is education." She uses praise, contact, play and toys to motivate puppies, but she does not recommend food training a young puppy. She does recommend crate training and she also recommends sleeping in the same room with the puppy. She provides methods to teach no, OK, good dog, bad dog, sit stay heel, come, down, stand, go, enough, over, out, cookie, speak, take it, wait and off to puppies. She talks about canine language and talks some about mental games you can play with your dog such as mirror games, and copying your dog and having him copy you, chase games and even playing rough with your puppy. Most training methods rely on the foundational relationship between an owner and his dog, and this book profides some ideas on establishing that relationship while the puppy is still young. Brahms, Ann and Paul. Puppy Ed.. Ballantine Books. 1981. ISBN:0-345-33512-0 (paperback). Describes how to start teaching your puppy commands. This is a thoughtful book that discusses in practical detail what you can and cannot expect to do with your puppy in training it. They stress that by expecting and improving good behavior from the start, later, more formal training goes much easier. Dunbar, Ian, DVM. How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks (Manual for the Sirius PUppy Training Program). James and Kenneth Pubs., Oakland. 1991. Kovary, Robin. 12 Step Problem Prevention Program for Puppies. Self-published, New York. 1990. Monks of New Skete, The. The Art of Raising a Puppy. Little, Brown and Company (1991). ISBN: 0-316-57839-8 (hardback). The monks of New Skete have put together an excellent book that discusses puppy development and the things that should be done at the appropriate stages and why. First they follow a newborn litter through its various stages of development and at each stage they discuss what is happening. They discuss testing puppies' temperaments and what you want to look for, under which circumstances. They discuss briefly dog breeds, and how to find reputable breeders. They then launch into a series of useful chapters: housebreaking, preliminary obedience, laying the foundations of training, understanding (reading) your dog, how to become the pack leader, basic training, discipline, and general care. A good bibliography is provided at the back. Randolph, Elizabeth. How to Help Your Puppy Grow Up to be a Wonderful Dog. ISBN 0-449-21503-2. Rutherford, Clarice, and David H. Neil, MRCVS. How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With. Alpine Publications, Loveland, CO, 1981. ISBN 0-931866-09-X. 126 pages. The authors demonstrate their deep understanding of young dogs, and their clear guidance is sure to help owners build a strong bond with their new companion. For a new owner this book demonstrates basic obedience training, covers the first year developmental stages, and presents simple practical advice for dealing with behavior problems Schwartz, Charlotte. The Howell Book of Puppy Raising. 1st ed. Howell Book House. c1978. ISBN 0-87605-770-9. Full of all kinds of useful information. Tips on housetraining, use of crates, how to feed, ways to train them, etc. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Research Articles on Canine Health Research Articles on Canine Health Dr. Jasper Rine, UC Berkeley Prof. of Genetics & Director of the *Human* Genome Center at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory is currently working on producing a "detailed map of the dog genome -- the entire complement of canine genes." (CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION Vol XXXIX, Nr 23; February 10, 1993 p.6) "The results should allow Mr. Rine and his colleagues to pinpoint the genes responsible for many of the behavioral and morphological traits in dogs--from the strong need of Newfoundlands to swim and rescue drowning people to their webbed feet, dark coat, and large body size. "And they should give veterinarians and dog breeders a better idea of how to minimize the transmission of detrimental genetic disorders that afflict canines, such as retinal atrophy, hip dysplasia, and cancer." He expects to complete the mapping of the canine genome within 3 years. Nutrient Requirements of Dogs, Revised 1985 [there may be a newer revisi on] Published by the National Academcy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20418 This is written by the Subcommittee on Dog Nutrition, Committee on Animal Nutrition, Board on Agriculture, National Research Council. It reads pretty well for something put out by a committee. Lots of references. Lots of tables of nutrient contents of various foodstuffs. Don't expect any discussions of what dog food is best! For the most part, consumers are left to figure this out for themselves. Allen, Moira Anderson. "Cancer: An Overview -- Canine Cancers and Treatment Methods." Pure-Bred Dogs, American Kennel Gazette. 107(6):84. June 1, 1990. Angel, C., O. D. Murphree, and D. C. De Lucia. 1974. The effects of chlordiazepoxide, amphetamine and cocaine on bar-press behavior in normal and genetically nervous dogs. Res. Nerv. Syst. 35:220-23. Bardens, JW. Palpation for the detection of dysplasia and wedge technique for pelvic radiography; Proc AAHA; pp 468-471, 1972. Cardinet, GH, III, Guffy, MM, et al. Canine hip dysplasia in German Shepherd Dog - Greyhound crossbreeds; J Am Vet Med Assoc; 164: 591-598, 1983. Corley, EA, Hogan, PM. Trends in hip dysplasia control: Analysis of Radiographs submitted to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, 1974 to 1984; J Am Vet Med Assoc 187: 805-809, 1985. Corley, EA, GG Keller. Hip Dysplasia A Guide for Dog Breeders and Owners, 2nd Ed., Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Columbia, MO, 1989. Dixon, RT. The effect of limb positioning on the radiographic diagnosis of canine hip dysplasia; Vet Rec 91: 644-646, 1972. Fox, SM, Burns, J, Burt, J. Symposium on Hip Dysplasia; Vet Med: pp 683-716, July, 1987. Gaebelein, C. J., R. A. Galosy, L. Botticelli, J. L. Howard, and P. A. Obrist. 1977. Blood pressure and cardiac changes during signalled and unsignalled avoidance in dogs. Physiol. Behav. 19:69-74. Hart BL. "Effects of neutering and spaying on the behavior of dogs and cats: Questions and answers about practical concerns," in JAVMA 1991;198:1204-1205. Houpt KA, Coren B, Hintz et al. "Effects of sex and reproductive status on sucrose preference, food intake, and body weight of dogs," in JAVMA 1979; 174:1083-1085. Henry, JD, Jr, Park, RD. Wedge technique for demonstration of coxofemoral joint laxity in the canine: Proc. Canine Hip Dysplasia Symposium and Workshop; OFA, Columbia, MO; pp 117-126, 1972. Heshammer, A, Olsson, S-E, et al. Study of heritablility in 401 litters of German Shepherd Dogs; J. AM Vet Med Assoc 174: 1012-1016, 1979. [Hip dysplasia.] Hutt, FB. Genetic selection to reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia in dogs; J Am Vet Med Assoc; 151: 1041-1048, 1967. Johnson SD. "Questions and answers on the effects of surgically neutering dogs and cats," in JAVMA 1991;198:1206-1213. Kasstrom, H. Nutrition, weight gain, and development of hip dysplasia: An experimental investigation in growing dogs with special reference to the effect of feeding intensity; Acta Radiol Suppl 344: 135-179, 1975. LeRoux PH. Thyroid status, oestradiol level, work performance and body mass of ovariectomised bitches and bitches bearing ovarian autotransplants in the stomach wall. J S Afr Vet Assoc 1977;48:115-117. Mackenzie, SA. Canine hip dysplasia: Why heritability estimates differ; Canine Pract 12: 19-22, 1985. Marrion, Ruth, DMV. "New Views on Neutering," in Purebred Dogs/American Kennel Gazette, April 1992 (pp50-54). Nicholas, FW. "Hip Dysplasia: Perspectives of the Eighties" in Seminars in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (Small Animals). Grune & Stratton, Inc., Orlando, FL, Vol II, No. 2, May 1987. Owen, Larry. "Identifying and treating Cancer in Geriatric Dogs." Veterinary Medicine. 86(1):55 (January 1 1991). Rendano, VT, Ryan G. Canine hip dysplasia evaluation; J Vet Radiol, 26:170-186, 1985. Salmeri KR, Bloomberg MS, Scruggs SL, Shille V. Gonadectomy in immature dogs: Effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development. JAVMA 1991;198:1193-1203. Salmeri KR, Olson PN, Bloomberg MS. Elective gonadectomy in dogs: A review. JAVMA 1991;198:1183-1191. Sonnenschein, Elizabeth G., Larwence T. Glickman, and Michael H. Goldschmidt. Body Conformation, Diet, and Risk of Breast Cancer in Pet DOgs: A Case-Control Study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 133(7):694 (April 1, 1991). Thrusfield MV. Association between urinary incontinence and spaying bitches. Vet Rec. 1985;116:695. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Search and Rescue Search and Rescue American Rescue Dog Association. Search and Rescue Dogs. Howell Book House, 1991. ISBN 0-87605-733-4. ARDA outlines their philosophy and methods for SAR. This book is excellent for an understanding of the depths of committment and work to be a SAR volunteer. It is a compilation of notes made over a thirty year period; consequently some of the information is out of date. There are two main deficiencies in this book. The first is a bias toward the German Shepherd Dog, such that they actually refuse to use any other breed; the second is a seemingly cavalier disregard for the consequences of deliberately searching for cadavers with SAR dogs, when such dogs should always search for live scent (particularly for disaster work). Bryson, Sandy. Search Dog Training. Third printing. Boxwood Press, 183 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove, CA 93950. 1991 (c 1984). ISBN: 0-910286-94-9. A well organized, comprehensive discussion of search dog training. Includes practical tips, discussion of search and rescue and the law and many other topics. Tolhurst, William D. with Lena F. Reed. Manhunters! Hounds of the Big T. Hound Dog Press, 10705 Woodland Avenue, Puyallup, WA 98373. 1984. ISBN: 0-9617723-0-1 (hardback). Tolhurst is a Search and Rescue volunteer in upstate New York. This book recounts his experiences using bloodhounds in trailing. Many fascinating stories. Tolhurst includes a section on training a dog to locate dead bodies. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Service Dogs Service Dogs *. Therapy Dog. Therapy dog training. A good psychology book with gentle training methods. Harrington, Paula. Looking ahead: Guide Dogs for the Blind. 1st ed. San Rafael, CA: Guide Dogs for the Blind, c1990. This one is sort of a "coffee table" book; lots of nice color photographs, and it covers the history of Guide Dogs, the training (both for the dog and the blind person), the 4-H puppy raisers, and lots of other stuff. Pfaffenberger, Clarence J., et al., with the editorial assistance of Sarah F. Scott. Guide Dogs for the Blind, Their Selection, Development, and Training. Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier Scientific Pub. Co.; distributors for the U.S. and Canada, Elsevier/North Holland, 1976. Many specific details on the genetics, training, 4-H project coordination, and so forth. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Sled Dogs Sled Dogs Collins, Miki and Julie. Dog Driver, A Guide for the Serious Musher. Alpine Publishing, 1991. 385 pgs hardcover. ISBN: 0-931866-48-0. A complete reference covering all aspects of working and living with sled dogs. From housing to health, nutrition, equipment, breeding, training, and much more. Sprint racing, long distance racing, weight pulling, camping, and so forth are also covered. Excellent book for learning about sledding and sled dogs. Best if used in association with one of the other novice books mentioned for beginning mushers. Flanders, Noel. The Joy of Running Sled Dogs. Alpine Publishing 1989. 107 pgs softcover. ISBN: 0-931866-39-1. This is a brief, beginners level, introduction to living and working with sled dogs. A good compact reference. Fishback, Lee and Mel. Novice Sled Dog Training. 13th printing, Raymond Thompson Company, 1989. 37 pgs softcover. This is a very brief guide for the begining dog driver. Covers equipment, basic obedience, lead dog training, handling problem dogs, and sled dog racing. Kaynor, Carol and Mari Hoe-Raitto. Skijoring: An Introduction to the Sport. Levorsen, Bella, ed. MUSH! A beginer's Manual of Sled Dog Training, edited for the Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers Inc. Arner Publications, 1976. 250pgs hardcover. ISBN: 0-91424-06-4. A beginners guide to sled dogs and mushing. This is a very good begining book to learn about equipment and training, as well as sled dog health issues. Excellent novice mushing book. Welch, Jim. The Speed Mushing Manual. Sirius Publishing, 1989. ISBN: 0-96236-43-0-4. This is a book about serious sprint sled dog racing, the how to's. Not a novice book. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Tracking or Trailing: Scenting Tracking or Trailing: Scenting The Tracking Club of Massachusetts. Tracking! A Practical Guide for TD and TDX. 438 Lowell Street, Wakefield, MA 01880. $8 plus shipping and handling. An inexpensive booklet on tracking that is put out by The Tracking Club of Massachusetts. It is a very concise, yet clear introduction to tracking for all breeds. It was written by the members of the club some of which have almost 30 years tracking experience. Button, Lue. Practical Scent Dog Training. Alpine Publications, Inc. 214 19th St. SE, Loveland, CO 80537. 1990. ISBN: 0-931866-47-2. A step-by-step practical training guide for air scent, evidence search, disaster search and the AKC tracking test. Starts with young puppies. Well illustrated and methods extensively tested at Los Alamos' Mountain Canine Corps. Davis, L. Wilson. Go Find! Training Your Dog to Track. Ninth printing, 1984. Howell Book House, Inc., New York. c1974. ISBN: 0-87605-550-1 (hardback). Blurb: "Major L. Wilson Davis is America's recognized authority on Tracking -- named in September 1973 to the Obedience Advisory Committee of the AKC as its official consultant on Tracking and scent training for dogs. This official status follows upon decades of recognized achievemnent in these phases of Obedience training. Following distinguished service with the K-9 Corps during WWII, he has been active in the Governmnent's program of using trained tracking dogs for the recovery of detonated missile parts in missile experimentation. Major Davis was an AKC licenced judge for all classes of Obedience. He is presently training director of the famous Oriole Dog Training Club of Baltimore. He organized and headed the Baltimor City K-9 Corps, one of the finest in the country, and is often asked to lecture and advise police departments on the use of tracking dogs in law enforcement. Major Davis is a recipient of the Quaker Oats Distinguished Service Award for his dedicated contributions to dog training." Johnson, Glen. Training the Tracking Dog. Johnson, Glen. Tracking Dog: Theory and Methods. Arner Publications Inc., Clark Mills NY. c1975. ISBN: 0-914124-04-8. From blurb: "The author became fascinated with the tracking tests held at widely spaced intervals during the years where he could not get over the trouble trainers were having training their own dogs for this highly regarded title. He embarked upon a course of research, experimentation and documentation that enabled him to formulate his own training program that has resulted in 100% OF ALL DOGS COMPLETING THE PROGRAM EARNING A TRACKING TITLE. Old wives tales went out the window and theories became irrelevant as the program was based solely on "observable behavior" of those dogs that were already trained to track. The results of these experiments and the program itself are detailed in "Tracking Dog - theory and methods". From this program, the youngest dog ever to acquire its TDX title in Canada earned his title at 13 months of age. Before this time there was never more than 1 dog with a TDX title alive anywhere else and one student has two TDX dogs and a third with a Canadian and American TD. Pearsall, Milo D. and Hugo Verbruggen, MD. Scent: Training to Track, Search, and Rescue. Alpine Publications, Inc., Colorado. 1982. ISBN: 0-931-866-11-1. Blurb: "The authors first look at the scientific qualities of scent -- what and how dogs smell and how environmental factors affect the track. Then they use this background as a basis for training. Topics include the science of scent, kindergarten puppy tracking, tracking equipment, tracking tests, training to search, search and track, search and find, search and rescue, trail companion, scent and the law enforcement agency, first aid on the trail and much more." Syrotuck, Bill. Scent and the Scenting Dog. Arner Publications, c1972. Early work on understanding scent. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Training Hunting Dogs Training Hunting Dogs Free, James Lamb. Training Retrievers. A classic. It outlines the long-standing training methods for field dogs. A good book even if some of it is outdated. An excellent description of training a dog to handle. Rafe, Stephen. Training Your Dog for Birdwork. Spencer, James B. Hunting Retrievers: Hindsights, Foresights and Insights. This is general interest, and well-written, but doesn't contain a lot of training specifics. Spencer, James B. Training Retrievers for the Marshes and Meadows. Denlinger Publications in Fairfax, VA. It starts with puppy selection and goes on up to advanced marks and blinds. It is helpful in providing tips on resolving training blocks. Spencer, James B. Retriever Training Tests. Prentice Hall Press. Helps you to set up training situations and teaches you how the dog should react to things like hills, cover, land-water-land retrieves, how the wind affects them, etc. Tarrant, Bill. Training the Hunting Retriever. Howell Book House, Mamillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York NY 10022. c1991. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Working Dogs (other) Working Dogs (other) Chapman, Samuel G. Police Dogs in America. Bureau of Government Research, 1979. Duet, Karen Freeman and George Duet, The Home and Family Protection Dog: Selection and Training. Howell Book House, 1993 ISBN 0-87605-619-2 Anyone who is thinking of getting a dog who's more than a' mobile alarm' (watchdog) should consult this book. Tolhurst, Bill. The Police Textbook for Dog Handlers. Sharp Printing, 3477 Lockport Road, Sanborn, NY 14132. 1991. (Paperback, 89 pages.) This book is only available from the author. $14 plus $2 shipping and handling. Write to Bill Tolhurst, 383 Willow Street, Lockport, NY 14094. The most comprehensive training book available. Contains information not available from any other source. Contains updated information covered by the original National Police Bloodhound Training Manual (1977). Plus: how to train a land-cadaver dog, a water-cadaver dog, an article-search dog, an accelerant (arson) dog. Information on the Scent Transfer Machine, about radio-controlled dogs, on crime scene dog development, on the use of a scent sleeve. Discusses seminars, Bloodhound misconceptions, testifying in court, commands, puppy profiles (how to select a puppy) and more. _________________________________________________________________ Publications FAQ Copyright 1995 by Cindy Tittle Moore, rpd-info@netcom.com RESOURCES. A. Catalogues & Mail-order Companies. B. Magazines. C. Organizations. @START@Catalogues & Mail-order Companies A. Catalogues & Mail-order Companies. I can make no statement about any of these companies or their products. In particular, no endorsement by me of any particular mail order company by me is implied herein. If you have any comments or corrections, I will note them here along with the date. The accuracy of any address or phone number is not guaranteed, but if a date is present, it indicates when it was last verified. 4-M Enterprises, Inc. 1280 Pacific Street Union City, CA 94587 tel: 510-489-8722 (office) 1-800-487-9867 (orders) fax: 510-489-8331 phenomenal selection of dog books. Acme Machine Co. ADANAK Sleds and Equipment 2901 Freemont Ave. South 4108 Hywy 93 N Minneapolis, MN 55408 Kalispell, MT 59901 tel: 1-800-332-2472, 612-827-3571 tel: 406-752-2929 fax: 612-827-8905 Sledding equpment obedience supplies, including a dumbbell with a nylabone dowel Alpine 955 Mass Ave. #314 Cambridge, MA 02139 tel: 800-424-7463 free catalogue, collars and leads Alpine Publications, Inc. America's Pet Door Store (1/93) 233 South Madison Avenue Patio Pacific Inc., Dept. 7 P.O. Box 7027 1931-C N. Gaffey St. Loveland, Colorado 80537 San Pedro, CA 90731 tel: 1-800-777-7257 orders only, tel: 1-800-826-2871 303-667-2017 customer service wide variety of pet doors books ships US-wide Animals Etc. (1.93) Animal Town, Inc. PO Box 2720-166 P.O. Box 1710 Huntington Beach, CA 92647 El Cajon, CA 92022 tel: 714-964-9906 dog, cat, fish, bird & animal statuary -- many hard to find small animal pet supplies breeds and colors, excellent quality AVP (1/93) Box 1326 Galesburg, IL 61402 free catalogue, pet care products Bedford Farms/Black Ice Beef Rawhide 11225 County Road 20 P.O. Box 1210 Delano, Minnesota 55328 Riverdale, NY 10471-1210 tel: 612-955-2505 tel: 1-800-836-2333 sledding supplies, rawhides -- very good quality excellent harnesses and prices Care-A-Lot Pet Supply Warehouse (1/93) Cherrybrook (3/94) 1617 Diamond Springs Road Route 57, P.O. Box 15 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23455 Broadway, New Jersey 08808 tel: 1-800-343-7680 outside Virginia, tel: 1-800-524-0820 outside NJ, 804-460-9771 within Virginia 201-689-7979 in NJ staffed: m-f 9 am - 6:30 pm, fax: 201-689-7988 sat 10 am - 5 pm, EST general dog and cat supplies fax: 804-460-0317 general dog and cat supplies, some tools Color Critters Custom Statuary (1.93) Companion Pet (3/94) PO Box 4158 5345 Bridge Road West Covina, CA 91791 PO Box 135 tel: 818-918-6724 McNaughton, WI 54543 makes breed statues -- many breeds or tel: 800-442-PETS will custom make. $5 catalogue, refunded discounted supplies, free catalog with first order The Corgi Shop (11/93) PO Box 1500 125 South Main Street Lanesboro, MA 01237 tel: 413-499-9939 corgi-related items Custom Dog Supplies Custom Needlework Designs (1/93) 3531 East Winesap Box 9 Salt Lake City, UT 84121-4524 Oreland, PA 19075 tel: 801-942-2206 tel: 1-800-767-6313 needlework created from photos Cycle Guide to America's Dogs Denlinger's Publishers, LTD Quaker Professional Services PO Box 76 Cycle Dog Chart Fairfax, VA 22030 585 Hawthorn Ct. tel: 703-830-4646 Galesburg, IL 61401 fax: 703-830-5303 a 25"X38" poster depicting all 137 books AKC-recognized breeds, folded or rolled Direct Book Service (7/94) Dog Goods Ltd. Dog & Cat Book Catalog 1-800-736-4746 8 Summercreek Place free catalog, leather leashes PO Box 3073 collars, harnesses, etc. Wenatchee, WA 98807 tel: 1-800-776-2665 (orders, 24hrs) 509-663-9115 (customer service) staffed 8-5 M-F, PST fax: 1-509-662-7233 dog books, including out-of-print books; very complete; book searches Econoseal Pet Doors (1/93) Econo Vet 5214 W. Luke, Suite 8 tel: 800-451-4162 Glendale, AZ 85301 excellent vaccine prices tel: 800-4444-9499 weatherproof pet doors The Farmacy, In. (4/94) Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc. (3/94) 70 Jones Road 2253 Air Park Road Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 P.O. Box 100 tel: 803-236-4980 Rhinelander, WI 54501-0100 800-733-4981 tel: 800-826-7206 among other things, sells pet supplies, large discounts, emergency bloat kits free catalog health related dog supplies, small company Goldrusk Pet Care Center Good Vibrations 1991 Allouez Avenue Box 317 Green Bay, WI 54311 Englishtown Rd. tel: 414-468-7956 Old Bridge, NJ 08857 908-251-5959 T's, sweats, 165+ breeds, free catalogue Hale Security Pet Door (3/94) Horst Company (3/94) 5622 N. 52nd Ave. Suite 4 101 East 18th Street Glendale, AZ 85301 Greeley, CO 80631 tel: 800-888-8914 tel: 303-353-7724 energy efficient, secure double flap fax: 303-353-7774 doors, eleven sizes plus custom fit kennels, standard and custom free brochure construction, free brochure Howell Book House (1/93) 866 Third Avenue New York, NY 10022 tel: 1-800-257-5755, 212-702-3424 IKON Outfitters LTD. Innotek Pet Products, Inc. (3/94) 7597 Latham Road 1-800-826-5527 Lodi, Wisconsin 53555 electronic containment systems, tel: 608-592-4397 anti-bark collars, training staffed: m-f 8-5, central time collars, etc. sleds, sledding and carting supplies, backpacks Invisible Fencing JB Pet Supplies (3/94) 724 West Lancaster Ave. 5 Raritan Road Wayne, Pennsylvania 1908 Oakland, NJ 07436 tel: 215-964-0600 tel: 800-526-0388 free catalog, assorted supplies Jeffers Vet Supply (3/94) J and J Dog Supplies PO Box 948 PO Box 1517 West Plains, MO 65775 and Galesburg, IL 61402 PO Box 100 tel: 800-642-2050 Dothan, AL 36302 obedience supplies, free catalog tel: 800-JEFFERS pet supply products, free catalog Johnson Pet Door Company (4/94) 320 Graves Avenue Oxnard, CA 93030 tel: 805-988-4800 K-9 Carts (3/94) Kaleb's Kart Co. (1/95) 532 Newtown Rd. W5770 Wildwood Rd Berwyn, PA 19312 Neilsville, WI 54456 tel: 215-644-6624 tel: 715-743-3864 carts for paralyzed or amputated dogs skijoring equipment Kennel Vet (1/93) Kicksled USA Box 835 Old Route 16 Bellmore Ny 11710 Center Ossipee, NH 03814 tel: 516-783-5400 tel: 800-621-2636 vaccines, crates, books, toys, lightweight dog sleds for training etc -- free catalogue and familly fun Konari Outfitters Lakeshore Artisans, Inc. (1/93) P.O. Box 752 PO Box 160 52 Seymour St. Belgium, WI 53004-0160 Middlebury, VT 05753 tel: 414-285-3160 tel: 802-388-7447 100+ breeds: note paper, plaques, variety of outdoor/dog supplies, T's, sweats, mugs, etc. sledding harnesses, backpacks, etc $1 catalogue & breed sample Leerburg Video Production Long Run Kennels P.O. Box 218 P.O. Box 1475 Menomonie, Wisconsin 54751 Charlestown, RI 02813 tel: 715-235-6502 tel: 1-800-365-6936 staffed: 24hrs/7days/week general pet supplies, $30 minimum order. Mail Order Pet Shop (3/94) 1338 N. Market Blvd Sacramento, CA 95834 or 250 W. Executive Dr. Edgewood, NY 11717 free catalog, full line of supplies Martha's Vineyard (9/92) Master Animal Care (2/94) (in Massachusetts) Division of Humbold Industries Inc tel: 508-693-1991 Lake Road, PO Box 3333 fax: 508-693-6438 Mountaintop, PA 18707-0330 Catalogue includes a "black dog" tel: 1-800-346-0749 theme, food bowls, caps, sweatshirts, etc (dog looks like a labrador) Mason Kennels (3/94) Max 200 (3/94) 260 Depot Street tel: 800-HI-MAX200 Leesburg, OH 45135 free catalog, obedience equipment, tel: 800-543-5567 good prices, good equipment free catalog, standard and custom kennels and dog runs. Multipet Pty. Ltd. PO Box 35347 Northway, 4065 South Africa distributor for TFH Publications in South Africa Natural Animal (3/94) PO Box 1177 St. Augustine, FL 32085 tel: 800-274-7387 environmentally safe products, free catalog New England Serum Company (3/94) NH Northern (3/94) US Route 1 PO Box #1219 Topsfield, MA 01983 Burnsville, MN 55337-0219 tel: 1-800-NE-SERUM (us/canada) tel: 800-533-5545 grooming supplies, toys, crates, fax: 612-894-0083 xpens and mats, excellent discounts free catalog, handyman type especially in bulk pet care products Nordkyn Outfitters Omaha Vaccine Company PO Box 1023 Best Care Catalogue Graham, WA 98338-1023 3030 "L" Street PO Box 7228 tel: 206-847-4128 Omaha, Nebraska 68107 sledding and weight pulling supplies tel: 1-800-367-4444 staffed 7-6 M-F, 8-noon Sat CST The Patch Place Patch Werks 2010 E. Wren St. K. Sours Peoria Heights, IL 61614 3821 N. Charter Oak Rd. for patches with titles Peoria, IL 61615 custom patches Pegasus Originals, Inc. 129 Minnie Fallaw Rd. Lexington, SC 29073 (800)845-2427 all kinds of cross-stich patterns of dogs, individual breed head studies also available Pedigrees (7/94) Penguin USA 1989 Transit Way Box 120 Box 905 Bergenfield, NJ 07621-0120 Brockport, NY 14420-0905 tel: 1-800-526-0275 orders tel: 716-637-1431 orders staffed 9-4 M-F EST 800-272-0234 service 1-800-331-4624 cust. service staffed: M-F 8-7:30, 9-1 Sat EST staffed 9-4:30 M-F EST general dog and cat supplies; fax: 1-800-227-9604 pet-related gift items 201-385-6521 a front for RC Steele, not telex: 13-5329 subject to the $50 minimum order pet books (more expensive) Personalized Canine Checks (1/93) Pet Ability (6/94) Kansas Bank Note Co. PO Box 23366 Fifth & Jefferson Milwaukee, WI 53223 PO Box 360 tel: 800-554-9902 Fredonia, KS 66736 pet supplies, no catalogue 316-378-3026 free brochure; 140+ breeds The Pet Book Shop Pet Ramp, Inc. (3/94) PO Box 507 4727 Lawrenceville Hwy Oyster Bay, NY 11771 Tucker, GA 30084 tel: 516-922-1169 tel: 404-934-1053 carpeted, portable ramps for small heavy, aged, injured, etc., pets Pet Doors USA (1/93) Pet Warehouse (3/94) 4523 30th St. W. PO Box 310 Bradenton, FL 34207 Xenia, OH 4542 tel: 1-800-749-9609 tel: 800-443-1160 free catalogue free catalog, pet supplies Posh Pups of Venice Beach (7/94) Premier Pet Products 313 Ocean Front Walk 2406 Krossridge Road Venice, CA 90291 Richmond, VA 23236 tel: 800-347-0567 tel: 800-933-5595 distinctive dog hats, clothing and wholesale only accessories. send SASE for brochure. Pro Kennel Supply (1/93) ProRein & Lead Inc. P.O. Box 25226 P.O. Box 2568 Little Rock, AR 72221 Melbourne, FL 32903 USA tel: 1-800-762-7049 tel: 407-984-1330 staffed M-Sa 7-9, central time fax: 407-723-8639 for the hunting kennel email: prorein@iu.net web: http://iu.net/prorein Handcrafted canine leads and handling equipment Ray Allen Mfg Co. Inc. Remembrance Memorials PO Box 9281 James Cuddeback Colorado Springs, CO 80932-0281 1379 Burcham tel: 800-444-0404 orders East Lansing, Michigan 48823 719-633-0404 cust. service E-Mail ab796@leo.nmc.edu working dog supplies (schutzhund, Handcrafted earth urns (for remains) , obed.ring, etc.) tiles of remembrance (home/garden/office) Inquire for more information. Rae's Harness Shop RC Steele (1/93) 1524 E. Dowling Rd. 1989 Transit Way Anchorage, Alaska 99507 Box 910 tel: 1-800-594-2262 Brockport, NY 14420-0910 Sled dog supplies tel: 1-800-872-3773 to order, 1-800-424-2205 in canada, Solo Pet Door (3/94) 1-800-272-0234 cust. service, 10431 Lemon Ave. Suite D123 1-716-637-1408 local Alta Loma, CA 91737 staffed M-F 8-7:30, tel: 909-989-9999 Sat 9-1, EST electronic pet doors fax: 1-716-637-8244 for both dogs and cats any size wide array of pet supplies, good prices, $50 minimum order Sheltie Specialties, etc. Springer (3/94) 6711 Shamrock Glen Allenfarm Middleton, WI 53562 1627 Union Street (608) 836-5033 Bangor, ME 04401 Catalog full of sheltie items. tel: 800-BIKE-K9s bike attachment for safely exercising dog, $49.95 Rover Vinyl-Tech Industries (3/94) Sound Dog Productions 20 Kiji Dava PO Box 27488 Sundog Industrial Park Seattle, WA 98125-2488 Prescott, AZ 86301 tel: 1-206-547-7877 tel: 800-658-5925 fax: 602-776-7001 safe barrier gates to block doorways, etc, plus dog beds free brochure Tails X-press (7/93) T.F.H. Publications, Inc. (1/93) 974 Terminal Way P.O. Box 27 San Carlos, CA 94070 Neptune, NJ 07753 tel: 1-415-347-0144 (service) tel: 201-988-8400 wide variety of dog stuff, not books discounted, some unusual things Tun-Dra Outfitters UPCO (3/94) 16438-96th Ave. PO Box 969 Nunica, Michigan 49448 St. Joseph, MO 64502 tel: 616-837-9726 tel: 800-444-8651 staffed: M-Sa 9-7, Su 1-5 fax: 816-233-9696? sledding and etc. supplies free catalogue, pet care items Valley Vet Supply (3/94) PO Box 504 Marysville, KS 66508 tel: 800-531-2390 free catalog and variety of supplies Wholesale Pet USA Wooly Woofers (5/94) 975 Ford Street 53 Oakland St. Colorado Springs, CO 80915-3760 Fall River, MA 02720 tel: 1-800-444-0404 orders, tel: staffed M-F 8-5 Sa 8-noon notecards, prints, transfers fax: 1-719-380-9730 send SASE & breed for sample general dog supplies; some cat and small animal products Working Breeds, Etc. (1/93) Yuppie Puppy Pet Care, Inc 4739 Bonnie Branch Road New York, NY 10010 Ellicott City, MD 21043 tel: 212-877-2747 equipment for obedience, K-9 and Schutzhund @START@Magazines Magazines. Anthrozoo:s A somewhat scholarly multidisciplinary journal that focuses on the role of pet animals in our lives and in our world. AKC Hunting Test Herald (8/92) The Canine Chronicle (9/92) Robin Rolt, Editor Court Square Tower 372 Wildwood Ave. 605 Second Avenue N. Suite 203 Worcester, MA 01603 Columbus, MS 39701 508-798-2386 601-327-1124 A new magazine, free sample 601-327-9750 fax available on request. For retrievers, $55 6 months, $80 1y, $135 2y pointers and spaniels. monthly Dog Fancy (3/94) Dogsports (3/94) Subscription Department tel: 307-358-1000 PO Box 53264 opinionated editorials, otherwise Boulder, Colorado 80323-3264 good articles on Schutzhund, ring tel: 303-786-7306 sport, police work, SAR, etc general dog magazine. $23 for 12 issues a year Dog World DSM PUBLISHING, INC. PO Box 6500 (Dog Sports Magazine, Chicago, IL 60680 K-9 Product News, tel: 1-800-247-8080 Sea Meadow Products Co.) dog magazine; overseas orders acceptable 940 Tyler Street, Studio 17 Benicia, CA 94510-2916 / USA tel: 1-707-745-6897 fax: 1-707-745-4581 Front and Finish (3/94) Good Dog! (3/94) P.O. Box 333 PO Box 31292 Galesburg, IL 61402-0333 Charleston, SC 29417 tel: 309-344-1333 tel: 1-800-968-1738 AKC-Obedience related information gooddogmag@aol.com newspaper format $14.95/6 issues/year product reviews and topical columns. free samples available Gun Dog PO Box 343 Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0343 tel: 1-800-435-0715 Mushing Northeast Canine Companion P.O. Box 149 P.O. Box 357 Ester, AK 99725-0149 Sudbury,MA 01776 This is an all season international canine club and magazine for magazine for dog driving sports. folks in the NE US area The Pointing Dog Journal Purebred Dogs/American PO Box 936 Kennel Gazette (1/93) Manitowoc, WI 54221-0936 5580 Centerview Dr., Suite 200 tel: 1-800-333-POINT Raleigh NC 27606-0643 overseas subscriptions accepted tel: 1-919-233-9780 all pointing breeds official AKC publication, lists all AKC-approved shows & contains variety of articles the Shepherd's Dogge Quarterly Journal of the Border Collie Box 843 Ithaca, NY 14851-0843 tel 607-659-5868 $15/year, 4 issues sheepdog culture & lore, historic & contemporary The Ranch Dog Trainer (7/93) TNT (1/93) Route 2, Box 333 D-McG Publications West Plains, MO 65775 8848 Beverly Hills herding issues, etc. Lakeland, FL 33809 tel: 813-858-3839 magazine devoted to dogs in the Toy Group SHEEP! Magazine Today's Breeder Rt. 1 PO Box 3427 Helenville WI 53137 Cincinatti, OH 45201 sheep herding The Working Border Collie, Inc. 14933 Kirkwood Road Sidney, Ohio 45365 tel: 513-492-2215 bimonthly on herding issues @START@Organizations Organizations American Boarding Kennel Association American Dog Owners Association 4575 Galley Rd., Suite 400A 1654 Columbia Turnpike Colorado Springs, CO 80915 Castleton, New York 12033 tel: 719-591-1113 bimonthly newsletter; works to promote responsible dog-ownership and fights anti-dog legislation American Humane Association American Kennel Association 5351 S. Roslyn Street American Kennel Towers Englewood, Colorado 80111. PO Box 992 tel: 303-779-1400 Wilmington, DE 19889 an all breed canine registry American Mixed Breed Obedience Registry 205 1st Street, S.W. New Prague, MN 56071 parent breed club for mixed breeds in the United Kennel club American Rare Breed Association Canine Defense Fund PO Box 76426 contributions used strictly to Washington, DC 20013 fund legal battles against anti 202-722-1232 dog legislation Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America South Campus Courts C c/o Phyllis Massa Purdue University 1937 Seven Pines West Lafayette, IN 47906 Creve Coeur, MO 63146 United States offers obedience titles of their own (registered dogs must be neutered). National Association of Dog National Association of Obedience Instructors (NADOI, Inc.) Pet Sitters Peggy Prudden, Sec'y 632 Holly Ave. PO Box 432 Winston Salem, NC 27101 Landing, NJ 07850 tel: 919-723-PETS National Dog Registry (NDR) New England Obedience News PO Box 116 70 Medford Street Woodstock NY 12498 Chicopee, MA 01020 tel: 1-800-NDR-DOGS offers All American Obedience titles; similar to AKC rules; open to mixed breeds Tattoo-A-Pet (TAP) The Wolf Society of Great Britain 1625 Emmons Ave. Prospect House Brooklyn, NY 11235 Charlton tel: 1-800-TATTOOS Kilmersdon. Bath. BA3 5TN -------------------------------------------------------------------------- @START@Service Dogs - TOC SERVICE DOGS. A. Dogs for the Blind B. Hearing and Signal Dogs. C. Canine Companions for Independence. D. Therapy Dogs. E. Assistance Dogs International F. More Information. @START@ - Dogs for the Blind Dogs for the Blind My thanks to Rusty Wright for the information on Guide Dogs. Thanks also to Carla Campbell, who contributed substantial additional information. Dogs can be trained to guide blind people so that they are able to negotiate the world otherwise unassisted. They serve as, quite literally, the eyes for their owner. It is illegal anywhere in the US, or Canada, or Britain, and most other countries, to deny a blind person guided by a dog access to any public place. This includes stores, restaurants, banks, and anywhere else that dogs might be otherwise prohibited. The Americans with Disabilities Act in the US is quite clear on this point. The training for such dogs is quite demanding, as the dog must be able to navigate sidewalks, streets, stairs -- avoiding all obstacles, including overhead ones that may injure its owner (but not itself). They must be able to ignore all distractions while doing their work. Most commonly referred to as "Seeing Eye Dogs" or "Guide Dogs," there are in reality many organizations in the US that provide guide dogs for blind people. However, while Guide Dogs for the Blind is on the west coast (along with Guide Dogs of the Desert and Guide Dogs of America, both in southern California, and Eye Dog Foundation in Arizona) and The Seeing Eye (among many others) is on the east, nearly all 15 schools in the United States serve people nationwide. In fact, people can obtain a dog from any of the schools, save five (which serve only their own geographical regions), and many dogs from The Seeing Eye, Leader Dogs, Guiding Eyes and the other schools work on the west coast, while many dogs from Guide Dogs for the Blind work all around the country. Geographical location is only one factor in selecting a guide dog training school to attend, and rarely is it the most important. This is not the case in all countries with multiple guide dog training facilities. In the U.K., for example, the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (GDBA) operates several regional centers, and sends its applicants to the center nearest their home for training. All these regional centers are "branches" or "campuses" of the GDBA, unlike the diverse American dog guide schools, which are completely independent from one another. Unlike American schools, the GDBA's regional training centers are centrally controlled, operating under the same set of policies, drawing from the same budget and using the same training methods. In the United States and Canada, no school yet has any "branches" or presence outside their central facility. Guide Dogs for the Blind may soon be the first US guide dog training program to operate two facilities under the same administration, when its new "campus" is opened in Oregon sometime in the 1990's. The breeds used are yellow and black Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherd Dogs, usually. Others can be used, such as Golden Retrievers, but usually the centers prefer to use dogs with a high recognition potential and some breeds simply seem to be better at being trained for guide service. The breeds most commonly used as dog guides are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherd Dogs. Approximately 60-70% of all working guides in the U.S. are Labradors. (Yellow, black and chocolate labs are all used, though most Labradors used as guide dogs are yellow or black labs and some schools specifically do not use chocolates.) Other breeds, such as Boxers, Flat and Curly Coated Retrievers, Border Collies, Huskies, Doberman Pinchers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Australian Shepherds, German Short-Haired Pointers, Dalmatians, and even Standard Poodles are occasionally used by some programs. Flat-coated Retrievers, in particular, appear to be gaining popularity with guide dog training establishments. Crosses of many of these breeds are also used, by some schools, with Lab-Golden, Lab-GSD and GSD-Huskie crosses most common. (In Britain and Australia, Labrador/Golden and Labrador-Poodle crosses ("Labradoodles") are frequently used as guides, and far more crosses are used, in general, than by the U.S. schools.) Some centers have their own breeding programs, such as Guide Dogs; others use local breeders. The trend does seem to be toward proprietary breeding programs, although many of the stock, if not used as guide dogs will also compete in the more usual kennel club events. For example, CH Lobuff's Bare Necessities (black Labrador Retriever) was bred by the Guide Dog Foundation for the blind and is producing puppies for both the ring and the foundation. Labs, Goldens and Shepherds are most popular as guides due to their temperament, intelligence, versatility, size and availability. Dogs trained as guide dogs must be intelligent, willing workers, large enough to comfortably guide in harness and small enough to be easily controlled and fit comfortably under restaurant tables and on buses and other forms of public transit. The three common breeds used for this work were selected because a large number of individuals of these breeds met the requirements necessary for a good guide dog and these breeds could most easily be matched with the widest range of blind people and their needs in a guide. Additionally, these three breeds are popular in the United States and obtaining them for training or supplementing breeding stock has proved easier than obtaining less common, but perhaps equally suitable breeds. Families who raise the puppies simply train them in basic dog obedience, and stress lots of socialization and good manners. For example, if you go to a dog show, you are likely to see several such puppies there, learning to take it all in stride. The dogs go back for their formal training when they're about 1.5 years old, although they can go back as young as 1 year old. Children are usually preferred as puppy raisers, hence many coordinate with 4-H programs. Interestingly enough, the puppies raised by kids are more likely to make it through the formal guide dog training. The difference is not drastic, but is "significant." Volunteer puppy raisers are encouraged to expose their charges to as many new experiences as possible, observing the pups' reactions and providing positive reassurance and security for the puppies as they experience crowds, cars, strange buildings, other animals and much more. They also teach the dogs some of the basic obedience commands such as "sit" and "down," but the dogs' instructors will insure that the dogs know these and other obedience commands in addition to instructing them in guide work, itself. When dogs go back for their training they're carefully screened for any hip abnormalities and other health problems. If the hips aren't very good they're immediately "retired." The formal training takes about 6 months. Dogs can fail for a variety of reasons. As you might guess, some dogs don't transition well from living in a puppy raiser's home to living in the kennels and others just get stressed out and fail. The puppy raiser gets the option of keeping a dog that failed. If the puppy raiser can't keep the dog they can place it in a home. Waiting lists for such dogs are usually several years long! Before a guide dog is given to a blind person the blind person must usually attend training at center. This training is several weeks long and during this time the blind person will live on site. People coming back to get a replacement dog usually take a "refresher" class. A few smaller programs conduct "in home" training, in which an instructor brings a trained dog to the student and trains the team in their own home area. This is the most rapidly growing area of dog guide training, with three new home training programs started since 1990. Most of these programs are small 1-2 trainer operations and do not ever plan to serve as many people as the residential programs can. All home training programs currently limit their service to their own region of the country, serving only those applicants in their own and neighboring states. There are pros and cons to both types of training, and they serve people with different needs and expectations. The majority of guide dog handlers still choose to attend class at a residential training facility to receive and train with their dogs. There are, in addition to residential training schools and home training programs, a few private trainers of dog guides and a few blind people who train their own guides. There are 15 established programs in the US which train dog guides for the blind (as well as several in Canada and in other countries around the world, of course.) Of these, Fidelco, Southeastern, two new schools in New York state, (Upstate Guide Dog association and Freedom Guide Dogs), and a very recently established program in Oregon (Northwest Guiding Eyes) serve only people from their own "region." The rest serve anyone from the United States or abroad. References Pfaffenberger, Clarence J. _The new knowledge of dog behavior_. Foreword by J. P. Scott. Consultant on genetics: Benson E. Ginsburg. New York, Howell Book House, 1963. Gives an excellent history of how Guide Dogs was started, and has other interesting information. Pfaffenberger, Clarence J., et al., with the editorial assistance of Sarah F. Scott. _Guide Dogs for the Blind, Their Selection, Development, and Training_. Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier Scientific Pub. Co.; distributors for the U.S. and Canada, Elsevier/North Holland, 1976. Many specific details on the genetics, training, 4-H project coordination, and so forth. Includes a history of the organization. Harrington, Paula. _Looking ahead: Guide Dogs for the Blind_. 1st ed. San Rafael, CA: Guide Dogs for the Blind, c1990. This one is sort of a "coffee table" book; lots of nice color photographs, and it covers the history of Guide Dogs, the training (both for the dog and the blind person), the 4-H puppy raisers, and lots of other stuff. @START@ - Hearing and Signal Dogs Hearing and Signal Dogs Other dogs are trained to assist deaf people. They alert their owner to a variety of sounds, usually by coming up to the person and going back to the source of the sound. They will signal on door bell and knocking, phones, smoke alarms, crying babies and much more. In the US, they enjoy the same rights of access as guide dogs and are to be permitted anywhere, although since they are not as widely recognized, their owners often have to display an identification card. There are several organizations that train hearing dogs; CCI (below) is one of them. Others (I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the addresses except where noted): * American Humane Association, 5351 S. Roslyn Street, Englewood, Colorado 80111. (303-779-1400. * Audio Dogs, 27 Crescent Street, Brooklyn, New York 11208. 212-827-2792. * Dogs for the Deaf, Applegate Behavior Station, 13260 Highway 238, Jacksonville, Oregon 97530. 503-899-7177. * Guide Dog Foundation, 371 Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, New York 11787. 516-265-2121. * Hearing Dog, Inc., Agnes McGrath, Director; 5901 E. 89 Ave., Henderson, Colorado 80640. 303-287-3277 (voice/tty). * NEADS (New England Assistance Dog Service), P.O. Box 213, West Boylston, Massachusetts 01583. 508-835-3304 (TT/voice). Verified May '92. * San Francisco SPCA, Hearing Dog Program, 2500 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. 415-554-3020. Verified March '92. An organization that teaches deaf people to train their own dogs: * Handi-Dogs, Inc., PO Box 12563, Tucson, Arizona 85732. 602-326-3412 or 602-325-6466. The National Information Center on Deafness at Gallaudet University, publishes a fact sheet on hearing ear dogs. It can be obtained by sending $1.00 to NICD, Gallaudet University, 800 Flordia Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002. The fact sheet discusses commonly asked questions about hearing ear dogs and it lists training programs across the U.S. @START@ - Canine Companions for Independence Canine Companions for Independence CCI was founded in 1975. They estimate that each of their dogs takes about $20,000 to train, a cost covered by donations and volunteer work. It is a national-wide organization with many regional chapters. National Headquarters NW Regional Center 4350 Occidental Road 1215 Sebastopol Road P.O. Box 446 Santa Rosa, CA 95407-6834 Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446 707-579-1985 V/TDD 702-528-0830 V/TDD SW Regional Center SE Regional Center P.O. Box 8247 P.O. Box 547511 Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067-8247 Orlando, FL 32854-7511 619-756-1012 V/TDD 407-682-2535 V/TDD NC Regional Center NE Regional Center 4989 State Route 37 East P.O. Box 205 Delaware, OH 43015-9682 Farmingdale, NY 11735-0205 614-548-4447 V/TDD 516-694-6938 V/TDD This organization is involved in training dogs to assist handicapped people. They train signal dogs for the deaf, and dogs for physically disabled or developmentally disabled persons. Canine Companions for Independence has provided highly skilled assistance dogs for people with disabilities since 1975. CCI started as a small, at-home organization and has grown into a dynamic non-profit agency with five regional centers nationwide. A Canine Companion's specialized training starts in a volunteer puppy raiser's home. The puppy raiser is responsible for the young dog's care, socialization, and the teaching of basic commands. At 1.5 years of age, the dog is returned to a CCI regional training center for eight months of advanced training by a professional CCI instructor. The dog is then ready for an intensive two-to-three week training camp where its new owner learns to work with a fully trained dog. It costs more than US$20,000 to breed, raise, and train each Canine Companion, yet recipients pay only a US$25 application fee and US$100 for training seminar supplies. The dog is provided completely free of charge. CCI depends entirely on donations; it does not receive government funds. CCI also relies heavily on the dedication of its many volunteers, who play a vital role in CCI's mission to provide exceptional dogs for exceptional people. The breeds CCI uses for service and social dogs are black and yellow Labs, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Lab/Golden Retriever mix. CCI is moving away from using German Shepherds for two reasons: first, a lot of the public view (and fear) German Shepherds as "police" or "guard" dogs, and second, German Shepherds bond very strongly to people and the program is difficult on them because first they form a strong bond to their puppy raiser, then to their trainer when they go back to CCI, and then to their eventual handicapped owner. For signal dogs they use Corgis and Border Collies. CCI will work with people in need of assistance to determine if a properly trained dog can provide that assistance. Dogs can be taught to retrieve a variety of things -- even to distinguish between specific items -- and to manipulate a variety of objects. Monkeys have been tried for this purpose, as they are more dexterous. However, they are not as reliably trainable and are very expensive, so dogs present a much more practical alternative. Given some extensions, such as rope handles on doors and light switches, dogs can give a disabled person complete mobility within her or his home. CCI finds and trains a variety of dogs for different forms of assistance: hearing dogs, physically disabled assistant dogs, even as therapy dogs. They are all neutered, as with guide dogs. People who are to receive one of the dogs are required to attend a two-week seminar to learn how to communicate and care for their assistance. As needed, the people and their dogs are provided with permits that identify the dogs as licensed canine companions -- this is enough to gain entry into most places, as with the more well-known Seeing Eye dogs. Similar organizations include: Canine Helpers for the Handicapped Inc Beverly Underwood 5705 Ridge Rd Lockport, NY 14094 (716)433-4035, voice/tty Canine Working Companions, Inc Pat McNamara, Director RD 2 Box 170 Gorton Lake Road Waterville, NY 13480 (315)861-7770 voice/tdd @START@ - Therapy Dogs Therapy Dogs Dogs are quite often used in therapy. This ranges from visiting hospitalized people to being a companion dog for mentally handicapped or disturbed persons. There are a variety of groups that train therapy dogs, some local and some national. Some use the AKC Canine Good Citizen test to choose suitable dogs, others have devised their own Temperament Tests. A national organization that dispenses information about therapy dogs is the Delta Society, PO Box 1080, Renton, WA 98057, (206)226-7357. In addition many local humane societies, breed clubs, and obedience clubs do some hospital visitation. RESOURCES: *_Therapy Dog_. Therapy dog training. A good psychology book with gentle training methods. Harrington, Paula. _Looking ahead: Guide Dogs for the Blind_. 1st ed. San Rafael, CA: Guide Dogs for the Blind, c1990. This one is sort of a "coffee table" book; lots of nice color photographs, and it covers the history of Guide Dogs, the training (both for the dog and the blind person), the 4-H puppy raisers, and lots of other stuff. Pfaffenberger, Clarence J., et al., with the editorial assistance of Sarah F. Scott. _Guide Dogs for the Blind, Their Selection, Development, and Training_. Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier Scientific Pub. Co.; distributors for the U.S. and Canada, Elsevier/North Holland, 1976. Many specific details on the genetics, training, 4-H project coordination, and so forth. Audio Dogs 27 Crescent Street Brooklyn, New York 11208. 212-827-2792. Canine Companions For Independence (CCI) P.O. Box 446 Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446 707-528-0830 V/TDD Delta Society (Information on Therapy Dogs) PO Box 1080 Renton, WA 98057 Dogs for the Deaf Applegate Behavior Station 13260 Highway 238 Jacksonville, Oregon 97530. 503-899-7177. Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation P.O. Box 142 Bloomfield,CT 06002 203-243-5200 Guide Dog Foundation 371 Jericho Turnpike Smithtown, New York 11787. 516-265-2121. Handi-Dogs, Inc. PO Box 12563 Tucson, Arizona 85732. 602-326-3412 or 602-325-6466. Hearing Dog, Inc. Agnes McGrath, Director 5901 E. 89 Ave., Henderson, Colorado 80640. 303-287-3277 (voice/tty). New England Assistance Dog Service (NEADS) P.O. Box 213 West Boylston Massachusetts 01583. 508-835-3304 (TT/voice). Verified May '92. San Francisco SPCA Hearing Dog Program 2500 16th Street San Francisco, CA 94103. 415-554-3020. Verified March '92. @START@ - Asistance Dog International (ADI) Asistance Dog International (ADI) ADI is a non-profit organization which is an association of other non-profit organizations which do training for hearing and mobility assist dogs. They are working on a test for street certification for the hearing and mobility assist dogs. The idea is to come up with a test that can be the standard for the US rather than having each state/county having different standards. They also have information on many training organizations in the US. They check out reports of problems with assist dog trainers (read rip off artists). ADI addresses President Robin Dickson (503) 826-9220 Dogs for the Deaf, Inc (ALSO ACTIVE IN) 10175 Wheeler Road Central Point, OR 97502 Secretary Sheila O'Brian (508) 835-3304 p.o. box 213 West Boylston MA 01583 Newsletter for ADI Micheal Roche (303) 234-9512 p.o. box 150217 Lakewood, CO 80215 @START@ - More Information More Information * Cen/SHARE (Center for the Study of Human-Animal Relationships and their Environments) is a privately & publically funded center utilizing faculty from Vet Med and Psychology. They do quite a bit of research and education, including studies of service dogs and their owners. The director's name is Geraldine Gage. Her phone number is 612-625-5741. The associate director is Dr. Joseph Quigley at 612-626-0835. The mailing address is 80 Ford Hall, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455. "Social acknowledgements for children with disabilities: effects of service dogs." Bonnie Mader, et.a.l. Child Development 60:6, p1529-34. And one more...."The Animal Preference Test and its relationship to behavioral problems in young children." E.B. Rojas, et.al. Journal of Personality Assessm ment 57:1, p141-8. Pflaumer, Sharon Seizure-alert dogs Dog World 77(l): 42-43, January 1992 (the article says you can contact Reina Berner, The Epilepsy Institute, 67 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003 where a program of seizure -alerting dogs is being developed) Mefford, Eleanor M Bringing Up Baby Dog World 77(2): 36-38,39 Feb, 1992 (article is about raising dogs to be used with young children suffering from socialization problems and language abilities problems) Ashby, Ann Gritt Healing war's wounds Dog World 77(7): 40-43, July 1992 (article is about using animals as therapy for mentally ill veterans) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- @START@Training Your Dog - TOC TRAINING YOUR DOG Table of Contents * Prologue * Questions about Training + I trained my dog to do X and now he won't! + How long will it take? * Comments on Obedience Training * Attention + Umbilical cords + Watching + Food in your mouth, spitting it at your dog + Talking softly * Corrections + Young puppies + Older dogs + Proofing * Using Food * Training and Corrective Collars * Learning to Sit * Down, Stay, Off * Heeling * Learning Recall + Starting young + On leash * Beyond Basic Obedience + Classes + Books + Magazines + Mailing list * Gaming Dogs + Flying Disk, aka Frisbee, Dogs + Scent Hurdling _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Prologue Prologue First, you should understand that there are two components to "training". There is the kind of training that solves behavioral problems. There is also the kind of training that creates a command-response pattern. It is perfectly possible to have a dog that heels, sits, and stays perfectly and digs out all your marigolds. Conversely, you may have a dog that does not destroy things in your house but does not sit or heel. "Obedience training" does not necessarily cover both of these aspects of training. In fact, they usually just teach a command-response pattern and that's it. You need to be aware of whether your dog needs behavior modification (where you will have to find out the underlying reason why your dog digs and not just put chicken wire over everything) or obedience training to understand commands. Certainly, the two may be related: a dog that digs because it is bored may become less bored with obedience training and stop digging. It is important, however, to understand that the dog stopped digging because it was no longer bored than because it now knows how to heel. You will need to modify your approach, or select a trainer to help you, with behavior vs. training in mind. That said, good books on how to train your dog include: Baer, Ted. Communicating with Your Dog. Barron's, New York. 1989. ISBN 0-8120-4203-4 (oversized paperback). Heavily illustrated with color photos. A sensible approach to laying a good foundation for extensive obedience training (even if you don't take the dog any further than what's outlined in here). Simple instructions for teaching a 20-word language, with emphasis on understanding and building on previous work. Bauman, Diane L. Beyond Basic Dog Training. New, updated edition. Howell Book House (Maxwell Maxmillan International), New York. 1991. ISBN: 0-87605-410-6. Emphasis is on training a "thinking" dog rather than a pattern-trained dog. Extensive manual on obedience training. Communication and understanding are discussed. A well known and often recommended book. Benjamin, Carol Lea. Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way To Train Your Dog. Howell Book House, New York. 1985. ISBN 0-87605-666-4. $15.95 hardcover. She uses praise, contact, play and toys to motivate puppies, but she does not recommend food training a young puppy. She does recommend crate training and she also recommends sleeping in the same room with the puppy. She provides methods to teach no, OK, good dog, bad dog, sit stay heel, come, down, stand, go, enough, over, out, cookie, speak, take it, wait and off to puppies. She talks about canine language and talks some about mental games you can play with your dog such as mirror games, and copying your dog and having him copy you, chase games and even playing rough with your puppy. Most training methods rely on the foundational relationship between an owner and his dog, and this book provides some ideas on establishing that relationship while the puppy is still young. Brahms, Ann and Paul. Puppy Ed.. Ballantine Books. 1981. SBN:0-345-33512-0 (paperback). Describes how to start teaching your puppy commands. This is a thoughtful book that discusses in practical detail what you can and cannot expect to do with your puppy in training it. They stress that by expecting and improving good behavior from the start, later, more formal training goes much easier. Burnham, Patricia Gail. Playtraining Your Dog. St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. c1980. ISBN 0-312-61691-0 (trade paperback). An excellent book that describes how to use play to motivate your dog through obedience training. She focuses on how to teach each exercise in the AKC Novice, Open, and Utility classes. Her philosophy, though, lends itself to any type of training. Well written and informative. For you greyhound lovers, all her dogs and inside photos are of greyhounds. Strickland, Winifred G. Expert Obedience Training for Dogs. Third revised edition. Howell Book House (Macmillan Publishing Company), New York. 1987. ISBN: 0-02-615000-X (hardcover). Strickland is a well known dog trainer. Covers all aspects of training and competition including the formal training for AKC obedience trials (novice, open, utility, tracking). Includes some general care (health and feeding) tips. Author has also written Obedience Class Instruction for Dogs. Tucker, Michael. Dog Training Step by Step. Tucker is an ex GDB instructor and his books are easy to read and follow. His others are Dog Training Made Easy, Solving Your Dog Problems. _________________________________________________________________ @START@ - Questions about Training Questions about Training "I TRAINED MY DOG TO DO ALL THESE THINGS AND NOW HE WON'T DO THEM!" This is typical. Think of adolescent rebellion in teenagers. First your dog learned and obeyed your commands because you were unquestionably the leader. Then, while your dog understood what the command was,
