Joy on the Beach

by Wag Reflex at 12:09 PM PDT, July 29, 2009

From the time I step out of the house, Pip suggests the beach by racing toward the path, then turning to stare into my face, You coming? Huh? Huh? You coming?” When I step in that direction, she races to the top of the stairs down to the water. She spins toward me again, open mouthed and eager, "We're going, right? We're going?" And when I say "Yes" she disappears down those stairs so quickly that by the time I reach the top with my comparatively, she is already at the water's edge, willing me to join her.

As I make my way down the many steps, I laugh. I often laugh at Pip's unadulterated life glee. It can be exhausting, especially in her youth, but now after four years together, we are in synch. Maybe she has calmed a bit (or I have perked up a bit) - either way, we enjoy each other.

Finding a suitable stick, I crunch over the large round stones that make up a version of Maine beach. It's no place to go barefoot. Pip vibrates with anticipation as I approach. I’ve waited for high tide so the rough-edged barnacles are now well under water, out of reach of Pip‘s suburban-soft paw pads. All I need to do is move my hand infinitesimally and she starts bouncing in place. “Throw it, throw it, throw it NOW!” They launch together, my stick and my dog, heading out at the same instant.

There is something oddly peaceful about chunking a stick for a water-loving dog. She explodes into action with each toss, acting as if it were the first, the last and the best throw ever. Something calming about watching her bee-line out so fast that she leaves a wake behind her, and something that puts a smile on my face again when I see her turn, coming back to me.

After fifteen minutes or so, I call it quits. If she were a child, Pip would stand shivering, lips blue from cold, earnestly pleading, "But I'm not cold, why do I have to come out ?" It's a call I make for her. Our dogs are so much to us, we need to be common sense for them. I’d always rather quit too early than be too late. But not Pip, she’d rather never quit. That makes me smile, too, even as we head back toward the house.

--Sarah Wilson, MySmartPuppy.com
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Sarah Wilson is a pet behavior specialist, author, media personality, and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex. Sarah's books include, "Dogology", "My Smart Puppy", and "Good Owners, Great Dogs", all available now.

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Slow Down Your Dog's Eating

by Wag Reflex at 12:38 PM PDT, July 24, 2009

A dog eating their food too fast is a common behavior, especially in multi-dog households. Eating too quickly can lead to vomiting, regurgitation, chocking, and bloat (dilation and twisting of the stomach in large breed dogs). In order to slow the dogs down we used to recommend putting one or two large rocks in the food bowl. The thought being that the dog would have to move the rocks around to get to the food, therefore forcing them to eat at a slower pace. The problem with the rock idea is that some dogs can figure out how to use their nose to push the rock out of the bowl. It is also hard to clean and sanitize because of its porous structure.

Luckily we now have better options. There are special dog bowls that are made with different size knobs at the bottom of the bowl. This is that same idea as the rock, but a dog cannot push the knobs out of the bowl because they are attached. The bowls come in different sizes based upon the size of dog that you are feeding. This is the type of bowl that I use for my beagle mix at home. It works to slow her down because she has to fish around the knobs to get at the kibble instead of just shoveling the food into her mouth. It is also really easy to clean.

The other product that is helpful is the Portion Pacer ball that is placed in the food dish. Same as the rock idea again, this just allows for easy cleaning (it is dishwasher safe) and they come in different sizes. The dog has to move the ball around to get to the food. If you get the appropriate sized ball for the size dog that you have they don’t seem to be able to push the ball out of the dish. This ball can also be used in the water bowl if you have a dog that drinks too fast. Both products are easy to use, keep clean, and seem to do their job at slowing those fast eaters down.

--Dr. Wohlwend
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Dr. Wohlwend is a small animal veterinarian in Renton, WA and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

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In topics: Pets

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Active Dogs

by Wag Reflex at 9:03 AM PDT, July 20, 2009

Most American dogs have a pretty casual life style. Their days consist of eating, sleeping, interacting with the family and (hopefully) a daily walk. While this is a pretty good life, one I envy frequently, there is actually SO much more a dog can do. Have you considered becoming more active with your dog? It’s a great way for your family to enjoy a new hobby with your treasured pet. From helping others to helping yourself, there are a variety of activities to consider for you and your dog.

Therapy Dog Enrollment
If you have a well-mannered dog that responds to basic obedience sufficient to bring them into new environments, making your pup a therapy dog could be a perfect fit. These dogs are used to enrich the lives of those who would benefit from the physical contact and unconditional love a dog can provide. Nursing homes, hospitals and schools commonly utilize therapy dogs for various programs and situations where enrichment is needed.

Search and Rescue
Training a dog to do search and rescue requires dedication and sometimes years of training. Most people find it to be a very rewarding hobby and active dogs often enjoy the work. There are many books and Web sites available on training a dog for search and rescue, as well as local training groups.

Fly-Ball
If your dog LOVES to run and play ball this is a perfect fit. Flyball is played as a team where each dog has to run down an alley and over hurdles towards a box with a tennis ball in it. Once they grab the ball, they have to run back to the starting line so the next dog can start. This is a race against the clock and teams compete side -by -side. It’s a high energy sport and the dogs I’ve seen do it LOVE it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=131pmVXZga8

Weight Pull
Does your dogs like to pull on its leash? This is a sport where you can actually harness that drive. In this sport dogs wear a special harness and learn to pull various weights. Before getting started in this sport be sure that your dogs is full -grown and does not have any orthopedic problems. Start slow and keep in mind that injuries are possible.

Carting
Many large breed dogs were once used to pull carts that contained either people or cargo as part of their daily ‘jobs’ as working dogs. Breeds such as Rottweilers, Bernese Mountain Dogs and other working breed dogs have traditionally been used for carting, however, now people are even training small dogs to pull little carts.

Earthdog
This activity is for small breed dogs such as Dachshunds and small terriers originally bred to hunt rodents. During earth dog activities, dogs get the opportunity to dig and maneuver through manmade tunnels while following the scent of vermin. This activity allows dogs an outlet for their hunting instincts.

Canicross
This is cross country running with your dog, which is tied to you and aids in pulling you up hill.

Agility, Obedience and Rally
These events are now becoming available through the AKC for mix breed dogs.

These are just a few of the activities you can do with your dog. Take some time to explore all the possibilities out there and get more details on the web. Life is short play hard. Enjoy your dog to the fullest because some people can’t do all this fun stuff…poor cat people.

--Dr. Hamilton
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Dr. Hamilton is an oncology resident at Michigan State's Animal Cancer Care Clinic and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

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Don't Ingnore Insect Bites

by Wag Reflex at 1:16 PM PDT, July 2, 2009

Recently, readers received a reminder from Dr.Hinson about the dangers of summer heat. When dealing with the summer, there is another common seasonal problem for pets--insect bites. While usually not fatal, insect bites can have serious consequences. Most often, dogs, and to a lesser extent cats, are bitten or stung on the face by insects (such as bees) that they were trying to bite. When this happens, your pet may initially yelp. Most of the time, a very small sting or bite is barely noticed on their face or neck due to its small size and most owners think nothing of it. However, within an hour the pets face may become greatly swollen, to the point where they can hardly open their eyes. In some cases they may even have difficulty breathing.

A common challenge in evaluating pets with a “suddenly swollen face” is determining if the problem is truly caused by an insect bite or a snake bite. Locating two puncture sites would be more consistent with a snake bite; however, this is not always an easy task. Most dogs have a lot of fur and the swelling at the site of the bite complicates the evaluation a bit. In some cases, the cause of swelling cannot be determined and a diagnosis has to be made on response to symptomatic treatment and blood work abnormalities.

If you ever find that your pet suddenly has a swollen face contact your veterinarian immediately. In most cases they will see you right away because of the urgent nature of the problem. Some pets may need to spend the day for observation, while others will need longer care at your veterinarians.

Photo from Mad Mag's photostream.

--Dr. Hamilton
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Dr. Hamilton is an oncology resident at Michigan State's Animal Cancer Care Clinic and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

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