Teach Your Dog to Enjoy Body Handling

March 2, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Body Handling Tips

How to Teach a Dog Body Handling — damedeeso/iStock

Body handling is easily one of the most important behaviors to teach your puppy or adult dog. Dogs are not programmed to understand that humans looking into their ears, mouth and body is normal. Human handling frightens most dogs. Just like children, dogs need to be taught that body handling is rewarding.

Body Handling Goals

When touching or restraining your dog, you’re using the least amount of pressure possible. Basically, you’re not holding your dog’s head still. Rather, your dog is choosing to hold her head still while your hand rests on it. From another perspective, think about retraining zoo animals. There’s no way a human can restrain an elephant, but teaching an elephant to allow restraint is much easier than forcing him.

How to Teach Your Dog to Like Body Handling

You’ll need lots of super yummy treats, so don’t skimp here. Remember, dog training treats are your dog’s paycheck. You’ll also need some type of reward marker, so use a clicker or mark the behavior by saying “yes.”

Point and Click

In the beginning, click or say “yes,” as you’re reaching for your dog and then reward. Usually, when someone reaches toward his dog, this is a trigger that causes most dogs to shrink backwards away from pet owners. Start by pointing at your dog and, if she remains still, click and treat. Now, progress moving your pointed hand in small increments until you’re able to touch her side with your index finger. Once you’re able to touch her, click or say “yes” the moment your finger touches her. Then, draw your hand back and give her a treat.

Goal: Your dog remains still while you reach toward and touch her.

Touch Longer

Once your dog is comfortable with you reaching for her, meaning she will remain still and even walk toward you, it’s time to touch her longer. In the beginning, you quickly touched her and then immediately removed your hand away. Now, you’ll reach out and touch her, but hold the “touch” for a second. After five or six repetitions, end the practice session.

Goal: Reach out and touch your dog for 1-2 seconds.

Hand Touch

Now, you’ll reach out and touch your dog with your hand. As you place your open-palmed hand on your dog’s side, click or say “yes,” remove your hand, and give her a treat. After a few repetitions, end the practice session.

Goal: Reach out and touch your dog with your flat hand.

Restrain and Reward

Retraining means holding your hand against your dog, which prevents her from moving sideways. For some reason, we force our dogs to accept restraint, especially at the vet’s office or during nail trims. Trust me, it’s easier to teach a dog to enjoy restraint as a rewarding experience than force your dog to comply with it.

When teaching body restraint, move slowly and apply the least amount of pressure possible. Never force the issue. Soon, and with lots of practice, you can teach your dog to say “ah,” easily hold your dog’s leg for blood withdrawals, stand still while the vet examines her and so forth.

WATCH: Teach Your Dog to Enjoy Body Handling

It’s much easier to teach your dog to enjoy body handling than force her to comply–much easier.

My Dog is Afraid of Passing Cars

March 1, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Dealing With a Dog Afraid of Passing Cars

When dogs lunge toward or away from passing cars, it can become suddenly dangerous for both pet owners and dogs. While it’s frustrating, dogs afraid of passing cars is actually quite common, so you’re not alone. If your dog is afraid of cars driving by or when walking, try these tips to change his behavior.

Why Dogs Lunge Toward or Away From Cars

Determining the cause of your dog’s fear of cars can be difficult for most pet owners, so if needed, I highly recommend partnering with a professional dog trainer. Many times, pet owners assume their dogs want to chase a car, yet it could be something totally different.

Herding Breeds

Some dog breeds were bred to chase anything moving, and these instincts are really hard to resist. Herding breeds, and any herding breed mixes, have a tendency to herd children around the backyard or lunge toward passing cars and bicycles. Terriers were bred to watch for any fast moment, so they will chase anything fast-moving too. However, I’m not totally convinced that the chasing or herding instinct is the real reason dogs lunge or bark at moving cars.

Anxiety

By far, dog anxiety is usually the main reason dogs bark, lunge toward or leap away from cars, in my opinion. When dogs are scared and have had a negative experience with something, they can become anxious and react. Maybe a loud car zoomed pass your dog and scared him one day, or your dog is just scared of fast-moving objects near him. Plus, we assume anxiety is caused by aggression, but it’s actually the other way around. Aggression, such as lunging and barking at cars, is a symptom of anxiety.

Dog Training Tips

Make Approaching Cars Fun

If your dog is afraid of passing cars, never walk him alongside a road. So many times, unaware pet owners assume walking a scared dog next to cars driving by will teach him that cars are harmless. Actually, you’re doing the exact opposite; you’re scaring him even more.

Choose a Quiet Park for Walks

For daily walks, choose a quiet park with minimal distractions of passing cars. For walks around your neighborhood, walk your dog during minimal car traffic to keep his fears from becoming worse.

Associate Parked Cars With Treats

Parked cars are meaningless or they can be quite scary, so you need to teach your dog that parked cars mean treats appear. Grab lots of super yummy treats, leash your dog and walk toward a parked car. As you approach, take one step at a time and give your dog a treat for each step forward. You’re not really saying anything; you’re just pairing something really good (yummy treats) with something kind of scary (car). If your dog pulls back, you probably moved a bit too fast, so take three large steps backwards and reward your dog for looking at the car or not reacting. After a minute, end the session.

Practice this dog behavior several times a week until you’re able to walk right up to a car. Once you’re next to the car, give your dog five treats in a row–we call that a jackpot!

Ask Someone to Drive By Slowly

Always keep your dog leashed and grab lots of super yummy treats during these dog training sessions. Now, have a seat on your front porch. Ask a friend to drive by slowly and reward your dog the moment he notices and looks at the car approaching slowly. Reward your dog continuously, as the car slowly passes both of you. Once the car is gone, so are the treats. Basically, you’re teaching your dog that treats appear when cars appear and drive past.

Keep Your Distance

I can’t say this enough, but distance is so important for success. Start far away from passing cars; you’ll know you’re far enough when your dog can look at the car and not react. If your dog freaks out, you are way too close. Only move forward once your dog is comfortable with cars passing at that distance. When moving forward, take a couple of steps forward and practice from there. As an example, if you start 25 feet away from cars, then move in small three-feet increments forward.

If the Behavior Gets Worse

If your dog’s fear of passing cars continues or gets worse, even after some practicing, then I recommend consulting with a professional dog trainer. Dog training experts can certainly recognize specific behaviors and provide suggestions.

How to Reduce Dog Farts

February 26, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Farting Dogs: Stop the Dog Gas

Dog farts are the worse. Just when everyone settles in to watch a movie, you hear swissssh and you brace yourself for the nose-burning smell. It’s so gross, and extremely embarrassing when friends and family are visiting. While it’s impossible to eliminate all doggy gas, you can most certainly minimize gassy episodes.

It’s Not Always Food

For some reason, we always point to dog food when dogs have chronic gas. While dog food can cause gassy dogs, it’s not always the main cause. If your dog has been eating the same food forever and gas has recently become an issue, it’s not the food.

Usually, gas pops up when dogs have eaten odd things outside (sticks and bark), ingested a new chewie (bully sticks) or gotten into the garbage can. When this happens, gas episodes are short-lived over a couple of days. If it’s continuous, keep an eye on your dog outside and near the trashcan.

Home Remedies for Dog Farts

Try New Dog Food

If your dog is eating a new food, expect gas until your dog has adjusted to the new food. Usually, this takes 7 to 14 days. Don’t forget to transition your dog to a new food slowly. Feed 25% new to 75% old food for two days. Then, feed 50%/50% of both dog foods for three days, and finally 75% new food to 25% old food for two days. Still, give your dog a bit more time to adjust to 100% of his new food. This can easily take another two weeks.

Add Fiber

If your dog’s gas can clear a room, then add a bit of fiber to each meal. Adding a teaspoon (one tablespoon for large dogs) of canned pumpkin, cooked oatmeal, or canned (and rinsed) green beans will keep gas to a minimum. Don’t overfeed fiber because that can certainly make gas worse. Start small and increase slowly if needed.

Provide Probiotics

Probiotics works wonders! My Bull Terrier developed horrendous gas after taking antibiotics for four weeks. I tried everything and finally put her on probiotics. Probiotics made a huge difference! Now, it’s not instant. It takes a couple of weeks of daily dosing, so be patient while you’re holding your nose. Check out my favorite probiotics here. I saw a quicker response by giving my dog Iams Prostora Max probiotics, so that’s worth a try as well.

You don’t have to live with dog gas forever. Do a bit of detective work first, and soon you’ll breathe fresh air during your next movie.

Treating Persistent Staph Infections in Dogs

February 24, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Staph Infections in Dogs

Staph Infection in Dogs — kamontad123/iStock

Sometimes, dogs have persistent skin infections that just won’t go away. Biopsies are done, antibiotics are given and an infection returns once antibiotics are completed. It’s a vicious cycle. Sometimes, it takes months or even years to finally resolve those dog skin infections.

Well, I stumbled upon a few sound suggestions for pet owners fighting staph infections in dogs and thought sharing these health tips may help at least one of your dogs.

Understand, I’m not a veterinarian. Please use these tips as talking points during your next vet visit.

What to Do If Your Dog Has a Staph Infection

Ask for a Referral

Here’s the deal: general practice veterinarians see a broad base of cases each day. They’re fantastic at what they do because they’re working the front line and see everything. Plus, general vets can rule out common causes of skin issues, which is an important step toward staph infection treatment.

Sometimes, general practice vets need to refer clients to veterinary specialists who have a specific specialty, such as dermatology, orthopedic surgery, cardiologists, oncology and behavior. Think about it this way: If your general practitioner doctor is unable to resolve an issue, or not comfortable doing so, he will refer you to a specialist. It’s important to understand you’re not losing a connection with your general practice vet; you’re just reaching out to a specialist who will work alongside your regular vet.

If your dog’s skin infection isn’t responding to treatment, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a referral. For a staph infection in dogs, ask for a veterinary dermatologist. If your dog has a persistent infection on a surgical site, your veterinary orthopedic surgeon or internal medicine veterinarian can help you.

Try Staphage Lysate Injections

Having a Bull Terrier, I’ve learned a ton about dog skin infections because it’s quite common in the dog breed, including Bull Terrier mixes. Fortunately, I’m able to keep Stella’s chronic yeast infections in check, but some Bull Terrier pet owners aren’t so lucky.

Some fight dog skin infections caused by staphylococcal bacteria, which some veterinarians call MRSA or MRSP (more common in dogs). These dog skin infections are resistant to most antibiotics.

Several pet owners fighting these resistant staph infections in dogs highly recommend Staphage Lysate (SPL) injections, which works by “enhancing the patient’s immune responses to staphylococcal species.” SPL injections are prescribed by veterinarians and have provided much needed relief from pyoderma.

Add Medicated Dog Shampoo

When fighting any type of staph infection, it’s always a good idea to apply medicated dog shampoo or solutions differently to the affected area. Your veterinarian can tell you which medicated dog shampoo is best for your dog’s specific type of staph infection with a biopsy. Make sure to bathe and apply topicals per your vet’s recommendations. Don’t skimp on this part of the protocol. It’s extremely important to use every tool possible to fight persistent bacteria.

A highly recommended product from several pet owners is Dakin’s Solution, which can be found in most drug stores. Dakin’s Solution contains different dilutions of bleach, one of which your veterinarian can recommend is the best option for your dog. Also, you can make your own solution if your veterinarian agrees. Check out this recipe.

Hopefully, these tips help spark a new conversation between you and your veterinarian and your dog finds relief soon.

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How to Tell If You Have a Smelly Dog

February 22, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Does Your Dog Stink?

Common Causes of Smelly Dogs

Healthy, bathed and well-fed dogs smell pleasant. They don’t have an offensive odor. Even when wet, dogs should have no odor. However, if your dog stinks, it’s time to put on your detective hat and find out why your dog smells.

Plaque Buildup

Look in your dog’s mouth. If you’re not brushing your dog’s teeth, this could be a source of foul odor. Plaque builds up on your dog’s teeth and it completely covers the area with a putrid odor if not brushed in the early stages. When plaque builds up, gums become inflamed and infected, making the smell even worse. Also, broken or infected teeth will smell horrible. When in doubt, bring your dog to the vet for a complete checkup and dental.

Lip Fold Pyoderma

This happens when your dog’s lower lip folds horizontally onto itself, trapping moisture and food particles. It’s most common with loose-skinned or long-coated dogs, and it smells terrible. Unfortunately, there’s no permanent fix, but pulling the skin forward and washing the area with a medicated shampoo will prevent bacteria from growing and smelling.

I highly recommend washing your dog’s lip fold pyoderma twice a week if it isn’t infected. If the area is infected, consult with your vet and wash the area daily and pat dry. With moderate to severe cases of lip fold pyoderma, some dogs will scratch at the area and rub it along flooring and furniture, which causes further inflammation and bleeding.

Stinky Ears

Take a peek in both of your dog’s ears, and then give each of them a good sniff inside. Healthy ears should have no smell and the skin should look normal. Inflamed and infected ears can smell musty, sour or putrid, and usually have red, brown or black discharge. Plus, infected ears are extremely painful. If your dog pulls away, don’t forget the issue. Make an appointment with your veterinarian immediately. She can sedate your dog to examine and medicate his painful ears.

Skin & Coat

Run your hands along your dog’s coat, checking for any irritation. Look between each paw pad, at your dog’s neck, at his belly and at his genital area. Hot spots, which are moist lesions, can pop up quickly and they reek. Certain yeast skin infections have a musty smell like dirty socks. Plus, yeast and bacterial infections are usually accompanied by irritated skin, dark brown debris and sometimes itchiness. All dogs are different; so, when in doubt, ask your vet.

If your dog has dry, flaky skin and a distinct doggy odor, try feeding him a high quality diet. Similar to us, dogs are what they eat and some foods can cause a wet dog smell and lackluster coat.

Anal Glands

No one really talks about anal glands until her dog has an issue. Anal glands are located on both sides of your dog’s anus and contain foul-smelling liquid. Sometimes, when dogs are scared, they will express their anal glands. If you’ve ever experienced it, you know the smell very well. Examine your dog’s rear for any swelling, discharge or dried fecal matter. If something doesn’t look normal, schedule a vet appointment.

If your dog stinks, look for the reason. If you find nothing, schedule an appointment with your vet. It’s time to take your detective work a bit further.