Leash pulling and how to take a pleasant walk with your dog

It is not enjoyable to take a dog for a walk that pulls on the leash. Furthermore, your friends and family don’t particularly want to help care for your dog when you are away because he or she is hard to handle. It’s also unpleasant for your groomer, boarding kennel, and veterinarian. In this instance, I am of the opinion that it is not sufficient to reach a tolerable state with your dog, but rather get your pet behaving as others would expect him/her to. 

http://blog.adoptandshop.org/bad-habits-leash-pulling/

Car Manners for your Dog

Harness with tether

Traditional seatbelt

A lot of dogs do not ride along with us in our car the way we truly want them to, but is that the dog's fault?  If you have not taken the time to teach your dog how to act in the car, then how can you expect him to behave?  Riding in the car requires training, just like anything else.  You need to teach your dog how behave and what is expected of him while you are busy driving.  Let's start from scratch.

teaching your dog to "come"

"Come" is one of the most important commands we teach our dogs.  It is a potentially life-saving word, too.  If your dog is running toward the road for example...

Dogs learn that they can ignore our commands at times.  They learn this because when we tell/ask them to do something and they don't do it, there may be no consequences at all.  It is imperative that this is not true when your dog hears, "come."  Here are some rules that need to apply to that word.

1. In teaching it: never say "come" unless the dog is already coming toward you or you have them on a leash or rope of some kind.  When you say the word, there must be no alternative but to comply.

2. Always make it very worthwhile for the dog to come.  When they obey, there must be a super fantastic reward awaiting them.  They must immediately get the reward.  There can never ever be any punishment after complying.  It no longer matters what they did that made you say the word, if they come, they must not be punished.  If you are trying to teach them not to do something, go and get them - do not use "come."

3. Do not ask them.  Tell them.  Come is a command.  Stop asking your dog.

Helpful hints: 1. Use a unique verbal and a visual signal at the same time.  (i.e. whistle and raise your hand) 2. If your dog has already learned that "come" can be ignored, teach a new word with the same rules as above.

Thunderstorm phobia in dogs

Lately I have been seeing quite a bit of this common problem with the recent weather we have been having.  Fear of thunderstorms can stem from several sources, but once the dog becomes fearful, it is a difficult and tiring process to reverse the effects.  Most puppies are not fearful of storms - this comes later in life and I feel the fear is based in behaviors the puppy observes.  Therefore, prevention is possible and so is behavior modification to reverse the behavior.

Prevention - teach the puppy that storms are nothing to be afraid of.  The puppy begins to worry about storms when they become noisy, the light shows begin, or when they see us responding to the storm in a dramatic way (running around looking for candles and flashlights).  One effective tactic is to take the puppy outside during a light storm and play ball.  You can take the pup for a walk in the rain, or sit on the porch and practice tricks while feeding treats.  If you ignore the storm, the pup will learn to do so as well.  When the puppy exhibits fearful behavior such as to a loud thunderclap, you should get his/her attention on something else and teach them to ignore the noise.  Reward the puppy with verbal praise for remaining calm, but do not coddle him/her. Simply ignoring the storm may not be enough - work with the pup during a storm to keep their mind off of the weather.

Behavior modification - when our dogs are scared, we give them attention and reassurance.  This response to the dog's behavior will perpetuate that behavior and make them feel justified in their fear.  Instead, ignore the storm all-together and help your dog to do the same.  You can close the blinds and turn the lights on brightly in the house.  Play the radio or TV and interact with your dog though play and/or training.  Your dog will associate storms with good things like attention and treats, but if he/she exhibits fearful behavior it is ignored.  Over time and with consistency the fearful behavior can be extinguished. 

Medication - if needed there are some good sedatives that can be used to help with storm phobia.  However, it is important to remember that any medication given to reduce anxiety has to take full effect prior to the beginning of the anxiety.  Keep tuned to the weather channel so that you can administer those medications early enough to help take the edge off.  One good over-the-counter medication you can give is benadryl (diphenhydramine) - this anti-histamine has the nice side-effect of mild sedation and is quite safe to administer.  The dose is 1 mg per pound of body weight.  A 23 lb beagle can have 1 adult diphenhydramine (25 mg) every 6-8 hours.  A 55 lb labrador can have 2 adult diphenhydramine capsules, and so on. 

Remember, giving attention for fearful behavior perpetuates the behavior.  Instead, re-direct the behavior to something more desirable.  Good luck!

Dr. Amy Hellard
West Chester Veterinary Care (WCVC)
www.westchesterveterinarycare.com

Cats need care, too!

Cats are more popular pets than dogs; however they visit the vet a lot less often, according to a study done last year by the American Veterinary Medical Association.  Some statistics I have read estimate they see the vet half as often as dogs.  Cats do, in fact, require regular veterinary visits.  Our feline friends have a tendency to hide their illnesses and subtle signs that they are sick tend to go unnoticed by owners for a long time.  It seems that people get cats because they are perceived to be a lower-maintenance pet than dogs.  This is true and the cat’s independence is part of their charm.  However, we also find ourselves paying less attention to their day to day routines such as appetite, water consumption, and litter box habits.  In addition, cats are often less stoic than dogs and are certainly less apt to complain when they aren’t feeling well.  They usually become more reclusive.  Cats very frequently show signs of illness that are very nonspecific when compared to dogs.  Cats might lose a pound of body weight and although that does not seem like a lot, the average ten pound cat that loses one pound has just lost 10% of their body weight.  That does seem like a lot (it is!).  Due to the fact that cats often have subtle and non-specific symptoms, veterinarians often need to do more diagnostics such as lab work and X-rays.  Dogs, in comparison, will often give the vet more clues as to what is wrong and what to look for.  It’s frustrating, but true.

Perhaps the tendency to take the cat to the vet less often has stemmed from the fact that our focus in veterinary medicine has gotten away from the importance of annual vaccinations.  In fact, many cats do not require annual vaccinations and we are tailoring vaccine recommendations now based on the cat’s lifestyle.  However, just because they may not need a vaccine is not a reason to leave them home from their annual or bi-annual examination.  Regularly scheduled veterinary visits offer your veterinarian the chance to proactively treat your pet and also keep tabs on their weight, nutritional condition, and overall health.  Early detection of disease allows veterinarians to fight, control, and treat many diseases such as diabetes, which are treatable when caught early. 

How does one actually get the cat to vet when they really don’t appreciate traveling at all?  Well, there are some good things to do in planning ahead.  One big one is to get the carrier out a day or two ahead of time if you can.  Put the carrier in the area where the cat spends most of his/her time so that he/she can become accustomed to it.  Put treats in the carrier every now and then which they will find when they explore the carrier.  You can even put the food in the carrier with the door left open.  This will help get the cat accustomed to walking into the carrier willingly and make it a less scary place when the door is closed.  You can also practice putting the cat into the carrier.  There are several methods.  They include 1. Free will walking in – the cat is trained to willingly walk into the carrier for a treat, 2. Scooping them in – the cat allows us to hold them by the chest and rear legs and feed them into the carrier face first, 3. Backing them in – the cat allows us to put them in the carrier rear end first (it helps to hold both rear legs in your palm and press them to the cat’s abdomen), 4. Removing the top and setting them in – the cat can be placed in the carrier with the top removed, then replace the top and door once they are in, and 5. Standing the carrier up – the cat is held by the shoulders and allowed to extend their back – the rear legs are placed in first and the cat is lowered into the carrier while it is sitting upright.  Once the cat is in the box, the next step is habituation to the car – short trips are best.  Take the cat around the block, and then back home for a snack or dinner.  Eventually, if you practice this on a regular basis – the frequency depends on how upset your kitty is, they will habituate to the car and the trip to the vet won’t be as strenuous.  Finally at the vet, hopefully it can be arranged that there will be minimal fear-factor.  An extended appointment in which the examination is not rushed if it doesn’t have to be, willingness of the vet to sedate your pet if anxiety is a big issue, and hopefully minimal to no dog interactions during the visit will ensure the experience is as good as possible for your cat.

If your cat has not seen a vet in the past year, please call to schedule his or her appointment today.  A wellness exam will help provide peace of mind for you that your beloved friend is feeling as well as you suppose he/she is.

Please look at the healthy cats website at: http://www.healthycatsforlife.com/

Winter Weather Tips for Dogs

Winter is the time we truly notice how frequently our dogs go outside each day.  They remind us of this fact every time they come back into the house, along with the mud or snow they just tracked in!  Here are a couple of tips on how to cope with these problems.  1. Lukewarm water washing - this works great for mud as well as ice.  Leave a small shallow bucket of water in your mud room, just inside your back door, or in your garage.  When your pup returns with ice balls between his toes or muddy feet, dunk each foot into the bucket then dry with an old towel.  If your dog objects to this at first, repetition and persistence will win out.  Be sure to have you dog on leash or have a helper when "dunking" at first to minimize mess.  2. Dry towel wiping - this is simply an easier version of the first suggestion - use an old bath towel to wipe your dog's feet when he returns with snow on his feet or wet feet.  Practice makes perfect - keep training foot handling and the house will stay clean!