Shelter Dog Meal Donation Count:
Dogs are such fun and watching them (and trying to explain their behaviors) is almost as fun as people-watching at the mall! We have all seen dogs madly kick at the ground behind them after they eliminate. Some people think that they are trying to “clean up the mess” by covering it, but “cleaning up” isn’t exactly our dogs’ forte! If a dog is truly attempting to cover the excrement, it is more likely to be an effort to hide … Read more
It is culturally expected that most human beings shower or bathe everyday. We can even bathe more often as circumstances present themselves. We all know that gross feeling we get when we know we need a shower and we may get kind of paranoid that we smell bad. Your dog has no such concern. She does not care how bad she smells and probably even rolls in bad odors just for the fun of it. WE care how our dogs … Read more
Just the other day, a client told me that she thinks her darling pug, Buzzby, is able to recognize other pugs when he goes to day care or a dog park. She says that he gets very excited to play with another pug that looks like him. I believe her. I think that he finds other pug features very familiar, but maybe not because he knows what his own face looks like. I think it is something simpler than that. … Read more
Lots of dogs are afraid of thunder. We are fairly sure that the sound is what triggers the fear for most dogs, but some believe that barometric pressure and other features associated with storms may also elicit fear. A dog has learned that storms are unpleasant and for certain dogs, the tendency to develop phobias is already present. Fear is a natural response to a threatening situation and thunder can seem threatening to many dogs. Fear becomes classified as anxiety … Read more
Some dogs truly adore riding in the car, to the point that the excitement associated with opening the doors can make them tremble or jump up and down. On mornings when I can take my dog, Skye, to work, she is overjoyed. She races back and forth to the door out to the garage if I do not come along as quickly as she would like. It makes me smile and I love to take her because she seems so … Read more
1. All puppies have worms. Worms have evolved over time to be pretty creative in the ways that they propagate their species. One of those ways is to hide out in the muscle tissue of mother dogs (no matter how well cared for they are) and then the hormones of pregnancy will trigger them to reactivate and become infectious to the puppies. Pretty dastardly, huh? 2. Over-the-counter dewormers may not be effective and you need a veterinarian’s help. Deworming preparations … Read more
You can envision the scenario. You just arrived home and your dog is excited to see you. As you bend over to pet her, you see her squat and you don’t even have to look to know she has urinated on your floor. Sometimes she will even step in it and smear it around before you can stop her. If your dog is not an adult, she might do this because her bladder sphincter (the muscle that helps her hold … Read more
Everyone knows their own dog’s voice. But does it surprise you to know that dogs seldom bark to communicate with other dogs? I think we can all agree that barking is a form of communication, but our dogs have learned through watching our responses that certain things will prompt us to perform certain actions. They bark for our benefit! 1 Animal experts agree that barking is certainly an attempt to convey a need: physical, emotional or social. A bark could … Read more
Have you ever been walking your dog when suddenly he stops and all the hair along his back stands up? This process is called piloerection and it is mediated by tiny muscles in the skin. People experience piloerection too, except we call it “chill bumps.” We can experience them when we are afraid, like in a scary movie or when we are actually chilled. Your dog’s piloerection can occur from the same stimuli. Contraction of the muscles that pulls the … Read more
Everyone that has ever met a dog has been jumped on. Puppies do it almost reflexively and it is a behavior that seems to be present in most dogs and must be trained away and replaced with something else. Animals do things for a reason (even if that reason is merely that they like it). I think that there is more to jumping up than just a bad habit. It might help to try to see the world through a … Read more
Humans are not as tuned in to body language as dogs are, but we have all seen dogs pace back and forth. They can pace in the house or in a yard or even the car. The reasons can vary. One thing is for sure, pacing is a very specific behavior that is repetitive and sometimes difficult to distract from. It can be annoying, but understanding the reasons might help you be less annoyed and maybe even find a plan … Read more
No one has even been able to completely explain how our dog friends came to be our friends. It is a special and unique interface that we have. Dogs live with us in our homes and walk with us on the paths of our lives every day. We want to reward them for their friendship, but since we cannot ask them which rewards they like best, we just don’t know exactly how. Dogs seem to like food rewards and they … Read more
Have you ever seen a dog lying down asleep, but his muscles are twitching and jerking? Actually, it happens to humans too, but we are asleep and probably don’t notice! Involuntary muscle twitching is called myoclonus and it routinely occurs in both species. Dogs are actually a lot like us when they sleep. Polysomnography (a sleep study that records brain waves) proves that dogs experience similar brain changes when sleeping as humans. They can engage in all kinds of movements, … Read more
“Humping” in our pet dogs is awkward to us because it is not a behavior that we exhibit in public. Sexually explicit behaviors are not well received in human society and are even against the law in some cases. But those social rules only apply to humans. To dogs, mounting is not particularly associated with sexual behavior. It is just another way to communicate when one cannot use words. So we have to subtract our human nature and try to think like … Read more
Anxiety Disorder in humans is characterized by fear that impacts quality of life. Dogs feel fear too, of course. Fear is a normal response to a frightening stimulus, but normally is transient. Normal fear keeps an animal safe by helping him respond and escape from threatening situations. Only maladaptive fear causes self-harm or prolonged misery. Separation anxiety is when a dog responds fearfully when separated from their owner. It is a maladaptive fear disorder that can cause profound damage to the human-animal … Read more
Many people these days find running to be a great way to keep in shape and they wonder if they can take their dog along. Veterinarians and physicians alike agree that exercise is a wonderful way to maintain health, both mental and physical. If you want to take your dog along on your runs there are a few things you should consider. How rigorous are your runs? Make sure you are not asking too much of your dog who may not be … Read more
We all delight in watching our dogs play and some dogs have specific ways of interacting with their toys. Sometimes this will include tearing the toy completely apart and rendering the squeaker ineffective. Many dogs seem bent on removing the squeaker as if they want it to stop. We know when we play with our dogs the squeaking sound seems to really fire up the play. Some dogs seem to be very excited by the sound and this could be … Read more
All dogs have toenails and all toenails need some management. The best way to trim a dog’s nails is to achieve the following goals: the nails become shorter and blunter and no one gets traumatized or hurt. You might think these are lofty goals if you have a dog that resents a pedicure. First we have to understand the basics of training animals. Nail trimming is not something that your dog naturally thinks is a good idea, but he doesn’t … Read more
Marking behavior in a pet dog is sometimes frustrating and many veterinarians advocate neutering as prevention and/or treatment. But sometimes neutering a pet will not affect the behavior. It is important that we understand how dogs work to try to explain this annoying behavior. All About That Mate Marking behavior, like urine marking or scratching the dirt, can be a reproductive based signal and intact male dogs certainly engage in it. These intact dogs are using the scents associated with … Read more
Many dogs, including one of my own, spend a fair amount of time leaning against their human’s leg. There have been articles that unequivocally state that I should not allow my dog to lean on me and if she is invading my space, she is disrespecting me. Perhaps they are right in a few cases, but there has never been a kinder and less dominant dog than mine. I think that there are other reasons that she, and probably many … Read more
A fear of darkness, called achluophobia, has been documented among humans for decades. Researchers as early as Sigmund Freud linked it to separation anxiety in humans. Certainly anxiety disorders are diagnosed and treated in dogs regularly, but before you decide that your dog has achluophobia, you will want to be sure that he is experiencing fear and that medical reasons for his fear have been ruled out. The fear of darkness is typically thought to be more of a fear … Read more
There are venomous snakes out there and your dog is a nosy character. Let’s face it, he might just borrow some trouble and bug a snake. If you suspect that your dog has been bitten by a snake, here are some important things NOT to do. #1. Never risk yourself. It is important to try to identify the snake, but not if it puts you in harm’s way. After all, who will take care of your dog if you are … Read more
Some people say that littermates cannot be trained and raised together. I say that raising two pups of close age might make the owner/trainer’s job a little harder, but certainly can be done. Dogs are descended from pack dwelling wolves, so many people choose to have more than one dog. If you work away from home and have long hours, your dog might be more entertained if he had a canine brother or sister to pass the day with. Knowing … Read more
In light of a recent news story about a woman nearly dying from an infection sourced to her dog’s saliva, “dog licking” is in the news. Some people say that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s mouth is, but the mouths of both species certainly have what is called “natural flora”. These are bacteria that live inside the mouth and seldom cause any type of issue for the host. The presence of different species of natural flora keeps … Read more
We all know that puppies will cut teeth. It’s a normal thing for puppies to do. And as humans, we all have things that are precious to us–things that we would prefer not be used as a chew toy. If you have a puppy and you know that chewing and teething are going to be a part of growing up, how do you find the balance between letting your puppy be normal and preserving your stuff? Best Chance for Success … Read more
Most of us have seen a dog wag its tail. When it is our own dog, we are tuned into his emotions pretty well and we know that he is indicating that he is pleased to see us. But can dogs tell us other things about their emotional state with their tails? We, humans, use words as our most common means of expressing our emotions, but dogs do not have any words and very few sounds. In fact, studies have suggested that … Read more
Have you ever noticed a foul odor wafting soundlessly from your dog’s posterior? Then noticed it again later after the first one has dissipated? Let’s face it, dogs fart. But why do some dogs clear the room with their gas all the time? It comes down to where gas in the intestinal tract comes from. Extra air can come from the mouth and be swallowed with food. Sometimes it will exit the other end, but with a lovely added aroma … Read more
Bacon tastes good to dogs. No one can argue that dogs seem to be enticed by the smell and taste of bacon. In fact, people do too. There are bacon wrapped pizzas and bacon bowl kits. Internet headlines announce that bacon makes everything better. Have you ever wondered why bacon tastes good? Scientists have explored the way mammals taste things. In middle school biology, we learned that there are taste areas on our tongues, sweet, salty, bitter, sour and now, … Read more
Everyone is familiar with the scene. You are standing on the driveway in your boxers or bath robe with your dog, willing him to do “his business”. But he meanders and he sniffs, snubbing spot after spot. You can tell by the way he holds his tail or slightly hunches his back that he has to poop for sure, yet much to your chagrin, he continues to search for the perfect alignment of stars and planet to deposit his jewel. … Read more
When a vet asks dog owners about their dog’s water intake, they often respond that she is “drinking fine”, but most people don’t realize that the vets are actually more concerned if she is drinking too much. People equate water consumption with good health because as a species, we are encouraged to drink more water. The difference is that we will notice and can tell someone if we are thirsty all the time and your dog cannot. Increased water consumption … Read more
You may not know that your dog has anal glands. They are located on either side of your dog’s rectum and produce a very pungent fluid. These same structures are slightly modified for use by a skunk to spray, so you can imagine that they are capable of some real stink! For dogs, they seem to serve little purpose other than marking and identification. Their scent tags his body and his feces as his to all who might be interested. … Read more
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