Fixing a Dog. Part 2

AKA= De-sexing, Spaying (female), Neutering (male)

Fixing a dog doesn’t change their personality, it just gives them one less thing to worry about.  Their desire to engage in sex is not an emotional need like it is with humans, it’s strictly a hormonal driven phenomenon.  It’s a feeling they can’t control and if they never had it, how would they miss it? The reasons people have as to why their own dog should have a litter of puppies is purely a human perception.

There’s a reason guide  and companion dogs are fixed and police dogs aren’t. The meaning of smells, other dogs and people are magnified in their mind and this will cause behavioral issues. Fixing them actually is doing them a favor because it helps them be calmer,  getting more attention from us and other dogs, listen and behave better and easier to train in obedience. Fixing can help with roaming problems,  marking problems, not to mention the countless dogs who are abandoned, sheltered or put to death every year.

There are health benefits too.   It’s proven that spaying and neutering helps with ovarian and testicular cancers, tumors and prostate enlargement problems, which can result in an early death.

Females: Should be spayed before their first heat (6-8 months). This will decreases their chance of getting cancer by 90%.

Males: Known aggressive breeds should be neutered well before 6-months and all other dogs should be neutered at 6 months.

If you’re not in the animal business it may be difficult to know and see what we in the business see.  Similar to when you take up a new hobby or start a new business, things are never as they appear from the outside. Trying to breed your dog isn’t that simple as I explained in Part 1. This is why you can learn from other animal professionals, that fixing a dog is the only humane and natural thing to do. If you’re truly a dog person you should be looking at it from their point of view. Be a responsible pet owner not a wanna-be-breeder, leave breeding to the professionals spay and neuter all your pets!

The following video is titled, “Why Dodger stadium is full of dogs” WHY DODGER STADIUM IS FULL OF DOGS

If you missed Part 1 > Fixing Part 1

Fixing a Dog. Part 1

AKA= De-sexing, Spaying (female), Neutering (male)

I admit most of this will be aimed at getting people to fix a dog vs. not to fix.  Because if I wrote my blog on  ”Not to Fix”  it would read something like this:  If you’re a professional breeder or dog handler and your            breeding not only for LOOKS but for HEALTH and TEMPERAMENT reasons, then don’t fix.

That would be a very short and boring blog,  so I’m writing about the reason I think you should fix a dog.

Part 1

We have a tendency to humanize our dogs thoughts, and most of the time we’re wrong.  I hear people say un-realistic or selfish things like, “why don’t you get fixed and see how it feels” or “fixing changes their personality” or “I want my children to experience birth” or ” I want my dog to have puppies” or “It’s not natural to fix a dog”.

Lets talk about the last comment and not the first, since that’s the one I hear the most.  ”It’s not natural”.  If that’s the case then it’s not natural for us to confine our dogs to our home or yard and it’s not natural that we keep them on a leash and away from having free access to other dogs- especially females in heat, and it’s not natural to keep them from roaming around the neighborhood.  It is however our responsibility to keep them safe.  Keeping them under control is the only way they can live with us. So fixing them is the only thing that makes sense.  Unless of course you live on a farm and don’t mind your male dog roaming the neighborhood, sometimes for days. Possibly getting stolen by people or research facilities, picked up by animal control, getting hit by a car or shot because they were roaming on private property. Or it may not bother you that those roaming dogs may be the father of a few litters, ah how cute… hopefully the other dog owner (could be you) hasn’t been too inconvenienced by the unplanned pregnancy and has found the puppies good homes and didn’t have to destroy them after birth or abandon them at some already overcrowded shelter.  Is it really worth the risk and suffering just for them to get laid a few times?

If your NOT going to let an intact males roam around looking for a mating partner, which is kind of like telling a extremely high libido driven 18- year old boy, they aren’t allowed out of the house, unless they are closely watched by you and if they see the most beautiful girl they have ever seen, they are not allowed to go say hi or, uh, you know… Unlike teenage boys, a dog can smell other dogs, especially dogs in season from hundreds of yards away, even when inside the house. Talk about frustration and distraction.  Unlike teenage boys, dogs can’t do anything about it except sit there sniffing those smells. Try to remember dogs are not human.

If you’re thinking about breeding your dog, it’s not that easy finding a suitable breeding partner, they aren’t just walking around outside your home.  And if you were lucky to find one, Un-spayed females can really only conceive 2-5 days out of each heat cycle.  And what about this strange dog? does it have any known hip problems or inherited medical conditions, and what about temperament? You don’t want to breed your dog with just any dog, do you? Good quality parents produce good quality puppies. Maybe that’s why 99% of the people who say they want to breed their dog, never do. And if you did breed your dog, you’re not that blinded to think your dogs off-spring couldn’t end up at a shelter or be one of the millions that are euthanized each year? it could happen.

Oh, and don’t even think about finding a real breeder to help, because in the “Breeding world” they want studs and bitches to have ribbons and titles. That way they get top dollar for their offspring. Breeding doesn’t pay all the bills, unless they’re getting top dollar.  Your dog may look perfect to you but breeders may have a different opinion, that’s reality. You can try the “show” circuit, If they have what it takes? Just be prepared for all the costs and your dog will need to be on the road for months maybe even years before earning their titles. All that to get them laid?

End of Part 1.

Part 2 will be about the behavioral, health, myths and dog’s perspective

Be nice to all pets and leave breeding to professionals.

Estimated number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year: 6-8 million (The Humane Society of the United States estimate) 250 thousand dogs and cats in Australia

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Canine Cough

Canine Cough is the equivalent of influenza in humans and is very common among dogs. Tracheobronchitis (Canine cough) is a highly contagious, upper-respiratory disease which is spread by an air-borne virus  It’s also known as “kennel cough” because some dogs can contract the virus in a kennel. Because of the highly contagious nature of this virus, dogs can contract it anywhere even when visiting a vet office. The incubation period of the disease is roughly 3-6 days. The main symptom is a hacking, gagging cough, (like your dog is choking), sometimes followed by a nasal discharge.

The symptoms can be draining on the dog’s energy. The symptoms can vary in severity and can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Although this coughing is very annoying, it does not usually develop into anything more serious. However, just as with humans and the common cold, it can lower the dog’s resistance to other diseases making them more susceptible to secondary infection. Most vets will prescribe antibiotics and prescription strength cough suppressants. It’s best to avoid socializing with other dogs until the coughing has stopped. Best to keep your dog’s activity to a minimum to allow them to heal faster. Most canine cough case don’t require veterinarian care, however if a dog has either a temperature, wasn’t eating, coughing excessively, I wouldn’t hesitate to take them to the Vet.

Veterinarians recommend the canine cough (bordetella) vaccine to be administered every 6 months to 12 months, depending on the area you live or exposure to other dogs. This vaccine doesn’t protect against every strain of the virus and just like humans and a flu shot, it doesn’t guarantee they won’t get sick.  ”Nosodes” are the Homeopathic alternative to the pharmacy strength vaccines. You can find plenty of information on the web about them.

Some people choose not to vaccinate their dog against the virus and just treat them with antibiotics if infected.  A dog catching this virus is similar to us catching a cold from a co-worker or a child catching a cold from a schoolmate. The reality is sometimes dogs catch things from other dogs, protected or not; it’s all part of being a dog owner.  Any dog is susceptible to this virus,  a dog who socializes more or who travel more, generally has a much stronger immune system and when exposed to the virus,  they either don’t get sick or show minimal symptoms and recover within a few days.  Although the Bordetella vaccine is probably the least toxic on a dogs body compared to the other required shots, I’m personally not crazy about giving my dog shots and I’ve never had a flu shot and I very rarely get sick.  A dog’s immune system, like ours- builds the antibodies for these viruses, and unless the dog has a lowered immune system or stays at home a lot,  they don’t need some of these shots.  Please read more on this important subject: SHORTNING A DOGS LIFE .

I’m not a vet and I’m not making any recommendations. It’s just a good idea to learn more about your dogs health.

Other blogs I recommend :  BASIC DOG CARE

Bloat in Dogs

All dog owners, especially large breed owners, should learn what they can about the causes, symptoms and preventions of “Bloat”. Bloating has been written about and blogged about for many years and for good reason, it’s the second most common cause of death among dogs. Instead of me explaining what bloating is, its better to hear it from the people who study it.

here are the links to learn more:

Purdue University Study

Mar Vista Veterinarians

Bloat: The life threatning K-9 emergency

Basic Dog Care

Dogs can’t verbally tell you what’s wrong with them, so taking their temperature can tell you a lot about how they’re feeling. That’s the first thing you would do with a child and it’s the first thing a vet does with your dog. A dog’s normal temperature fluctuates close to the 102.7F or 39C. It’s very simple to do, very similar to taking a babies temperature. Be sure to use the proper type of thermometer (rectal).

Another good indication on how your dog is feeling is their eating habits. A dog can survive 4-5 days without eating, but we obviously wouldn’t wait that long to be concerned. Missing more than a meal or 2 should alert you that something might be wrong.

I know there are many over the counter medications for humans that also work on our canine friends. Of course the doses are based on the weight of our dogs, so you must be very careful. Talk to your veterinarian about the use of human medication for your pet. I’m not a vet but I have many years of experience in caring for dogs and I know I don’t need to rush my dog to the vet every time they sneeze. It’s always better to be on the side of caution by learning more about your dog’s health.

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10 Doggy Workouts

Some dogs have boundless amounts of energy, here are (more than 10)  ways to help tire them out.

1. Having your dog carry a dog back pack on your daily walks around the block. To add weight to them, use sand or water bottles. The packs can be found at pet shops or on the Internet.

2. Obedience or trick training. Mental exercise is tiring also, owners don’t give this one the credit it deserves. It’s a great way to exercise your dog both physically and mentally

3. Visits the dog park, or a park with no dogs. Find an owner that has a dog with similar energy levels and set up play dates once or twice a week.

DOG PARK ETIQUETTE: Don’t bring aggressive dogs! ( seek professional help). Don’t bring your dog’s favorite toy, don’t feed other peoples dogs, clean up after your dog, use biodegradable bags and watch out for fast running dogs. It’s a great place to practice the training your dog learned at home.

4. Doggy day care. Veterinarians usually have the phone number to the best ones

5. Dog walkers, even a half  hour walk in the middle of the day can do wonders. Hopefully the dog walker will let them off leash or play fetch or tug of war and not just a boring walk around the block.

6.  To keep your dog busy while you’re away, toys like Buster Cubes, Kong’s (filled with goodies), large meaty (Raw) bones, frozen ice toys are like puzzles for dogs and help stimulate them mentally for hours.

7.  Walk, run, bike, hike or just taking your dog shopping with you. Stop off at one of these U.S. stores while doing your shopping, radio shack, Home depot or Lowes, all Pet shops, coffee shops, some bowling allies, outlet malls, flea markets and many others.  I even was able to take my dogs into a movie theater. Unfortunately there are limited places that allow dogs here in Australia, but they do have some good dog beaches. One thing that is starting to happen here, and I think other places is, you can register your dog as a companion dog, no longer do you need to have a disability to have your dog accompany you during your daily outings. Cool huh?

8.  Go to a beach or lake and let your dog swim. Play tug of war, read my blog for the rules> tug-of-war-game

9. If your dog is ball crazy and you don’t have the throwing arm  you used too, add a tennis racket or one of those throwing arms devises. Your dog will love it! Watch this funny video

Tennis ball launcher <a href=\”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcL6-mjRNk\”>

10. Practicing agility, which is an obstacle course for dogs, also fly ball, canine freestyle (dog dancing), and Frisbee throwing. If you have a treadmill, you might as well teach them to exercise on it.

Some of these things may tire you out too!  Have Fun!

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Learn more at http://jive.me/
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Treadmills for Dogs?

Some behaviorist are recommending to dog owners to exercise their dog on a treadmill, which in turn will help eliminate their behavioral issues. Its true dogs need exercise and if a dog is tired they are less likely to partake in inappropriate behavior, but the treadmill alone won’t cure a dog’s behavior issues.

Dogs are descendants from wolves. When wolves go hunting, the great advantage they have against their prey is endurance. They run their prey to exhaustion in order to catch them. Not all, but many dogs have what seems to be an endless amount of endurance. Placing a dog on a treadmill might tire them out a few times, but they will adapt as they would with other forms of exercise.

The treadmill also doesn’t offer the mental exercise that’s essential to a dog. Mental exercise  acquired by chasing their prey, or chasing and finding a ball, doing obedience or an agility obstacle course. Mental and physical exercises are in-direct ways for curing behavioral issues. You still need to apply Behavior modification techniques to directly modify a dog’s behavior. Read, Direct and In-Direct

Giving your dog an exercise outlet so they don’t take it out on your couch, or hiring a professional to obtain the knowledge needed to apply behavior modification solutions, will ultimately help cure or avoid behavioral issues from even starting. The treadmill ( DOG TREADMILL LINK) works great if there are no other exercise options available. If you already have one, you might as well train your dog how to use it, sounds like fun. Just don’t rely on it like some behaviorist would like you to think.

To find 10 other exercise options available, see my blog 10 Doggy Workouts

I found this funny video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APl2nT3T3PU

SHORTENING A DOG’S LIFE PART 2

There is no doubt dogs need our help and immunizations are important especially with puppies. Young puppies are somewhat protected by their mother’s milk. If the mother has the antibodies, they will be passed along to the puppy.

Immunizations are vaccines made up of either weakened or “killed” versions of the bacteria or virus that causes a particular disease. When these altered viruses and bacteria are injected or taken orally, the immune system mounts an attack that stimulates the body to produce antibodies. Any shot given is not a guarantee of immunity, but the stronger a immune system is the better chance to stay healthy.

There is a lot of credible research that says over vaccination can cause many serious conditions, ranging from kidney disease, immune system problems and cancer.

To combat the dangers of over immunizing, many of us are having titer test done instead of our dogs getting shots. A titer pronounced (tie-ter) are blood tests for your dog that will show if the dog is protected with  antibodies. These tests cost more than what a shot would be and can take weeks to get  results. The more people who believe over immunization can be harmful, the more vet’s will make these titer test available, costing less and with faster results. Also, you’ll find that more establishments that require seeing an immunization record will accept these titer verification tests.

If you missed part 1 just click on “more on health and fitness”  I’m sure I’ll be blogging about this subject again

SHORTENING A DOG’S LIFE

Part 1.   For many years I’ve  questioned the veterinarian immunization schedule for dogs because I believe immunizations can negatively affect a dog’s immune system. I’m not a veterinarian but I’ve learned a lot about the subject in my 28 years as a dog trainer. I have read many articles on the subject. There are also many dog owners who feel the same as I.  Vaccinating a dog is similar to vaccinating a child. Antibodies are produced and protect against a virus, so why aren’t children required to get small pox or polio shots annually? If a dog has enough antibodies for a particular virus, why do they need another shot? They don’t.

In our human world, drugs over-prescribed by professionals can have a negative effect on our systems, sometimes resulting in death. This has happened to famous people like Keith Ledger, Marilyn Monroe and sadly now (possibly) Michael Jackson whom I’ve personally had a conversation with and believe what the media did to him was barbaric. His ex-wife Debbi Rowe was a friend and client. My condolences go out to the family.

Up until the year 2001, veterinarians were prescribing that dogs get immunized once a year with DHLP-P (Distemper, Leptospirosis, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza). Sometimes a Coronavirus shot was added depending on location. U.C. Davis, a leading school of veterinary medicine recommended changing the annual requirement for shots to every 3 years. It took a few years before most veterinarians followed this new recommendation, why? Money!  Unfortunately there are still many veterinarians who recommend inoculations  once a year.

Part 2 click here: Shortning a life part 2

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