What to Read, Watch or Read

Newspaper

The Dallas Morning News

The darker side of dog parks: abandoned pooches
By LORI STAHL March 7, 2010
“. . . But a new breed has emerged. You can sometimes see them when the park closes at night. Their owners have removed the dog collars and walked away. Jim Christian, 76, a regular at the park with his three large dogs, estimates as many as 50 dogs have been abandoned at the park during the past 18 months. Once he tried to confront a man who was leaving his pet. When that didn’t get a response, he flagged down police officers patrolling the lake on bikes. “The policeman looked at me like I was crazy and said, ‘We don’t have any laws against dumping dogs,’ ” Christian said.  . .  (more)

When we lived in Seminole Heights, occasionally dogs would be dumped in the Giddens Park dog run.  I don’t know if this has occurred in the Lutz Dog Park.

Daily Telegraph

Crufts on alert for dogs in make-up
By Alastair Jamieson
“Organisers of Crufts have warned dog owners not to break competition rules amid concerns some are resorting to using make-up and beauty treatments such as coat dye and hair removal creams on their animals. . . .One British company, HUB International, based near Reading, now offers nose paint, black and white dyes to change the colour of the dog’s coat, as well as hairspray and make-up. . . (more)”

San Fransisco Chronicle
Tails of the City blog

By Amelia Glynn
The Pawscars: best animal performances
“Before we get too caught up in Sunday’s much-anticipated Hollywood hoopla, I thought an animal-centric spin on the Oscars was in order. This year, several of the nominated films received the American Humane Association’s “No Animals Were Harmed” disclaimer, including Avatar, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Certified animal safety representatives monitor the use of animals on more than 1,000 productions each year to ensure these four-legged actors stat healthy and free from harm. . .Trainers speculate that Uno, the Neapolitan mastiff rookie animal actor had been abused by a previous owner because she would cower around loud noises and crouch to the floor when someone approached her too suddenly. But, while working on the set of “Harry Potter,” surrounded by a patient training crew and affectionate cast, she gained confidence and trust and adored the attention everyone gave her. Trainers believe Uno is destined for stardom. . . (more)”

Clarksville Leaf Chronicle

Dogs on chains draw complaints in Clarksville
By Mark Hicks
“. . .On Monday, county commissioners are expected to vote on a resolution that would change regulations for restraining dogs, effectively making it illegal to chain a dog to a fixed point for more than an hour. The proposed change does not mean outside dogs can’t be chained, but rather it means the restraint method will need to be different to allow more movement. . . There are variety of reasons to not restrain dogs 24/7. Among them are statistics showing that chained dogs are five times more likely to bite children and are three times more likely to bite adults. Because dogs are territorial animals and possess a fight-or-flight instinct, when they are chained and confronted, they are unable to flee so they respond aggressively.  Chained dogs experience “social isolation,” which can result in excessive barking and howling. Additionally, restraining dogs with a chain or tether, or even confining them in a close space, is considered inhumane by many people. . . . (more)“

This is interesting.  Perhaps we could get this law passed here.

Magazines

The Whole Dog Journal

We just received our latest Whole Dog Journal with great articles as usual.   Of all the dog publications out there, this should be your first choice.

Unwanted Dog Food Guarding Behavior
Canine resource guarding may be a natural, normal dog behavior, but it’s alarming when your own dog growls – or worse, snaps – at you over his resource. Resist your first impulse to snap back at your dog. Whatever you did that caused your dog to growl, stop doing it. Immediately. If you were walking toward him, stand still. If you were reaching toward him, stop reaching. If you were trying to take the toy or bone away from him, stop trying. Your next action depends on your lightning-fast analysis of the situation. If your dog is about to bite you, retreat. Quickly. If you’re confident he won’t escalate, stay still. If you aren’t sure, retreat.

Less Stressful Veterinary Visits
“A training friend suggested that I read Low Stress Handling, Restraint, and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats, by applied animal behaviorist Sophia Yin, DVM, MS. As an owner whose dogs have taken their fair share of visits to vet clinics, I really liked what I read. Dr. Yin’s text takes a critical look at how our pets are often handled in veterinary clinics – and it’s not pretty, as you may have seen yourself. Fortunately, she also offers common sense advice on approaching veterinary care so as to make it as stress-free as possible for our pets. Popular myths abound that force is needed to get animals to behave. Instead, Dr. Yin focuses on how to modify behavior quickly in a veterinary setting using a systematic and positive approach. Her methods involve classical conditioning to change the pet’s emotional state; setting up the veterinary environment to ensure the pet’s comfort; teaching us how to handle animals with appropriate, rather than stronger, restraint; and how to behave around animals so as to avoid creating problems.”

This works.  We had an an episode with Hobbit where he lost it and tried to bite our vet.  We did a session with our trainer Jacque Munera of Courteous Canine and she taught me the positive training I needed to use. After some  work Hobbit goes to the vet now without any issues.

Letting Your Dog Sleep on Your Bed With You
Contrary to the strongly held opinion of some training and behavior professionals, I’m generally pretty comfortable with allowing canine family members on their humans’ beds. In our family, two of our five dogs sleep with my husband and me. Scooter, a Pomeranian, routinely sleeps with us; Dubhy, our Scottish Terrier, graces us with the privilege of his presence on our bed only from time to time. Trainers who adamantly oppose dogs on the bed mostly fall into the old-fashioned training camp, and often, they also buy into all the dominance stuff that’s been pretty much discredited by behavioral scientists. Chances are good I would differ with them on many dog training and philosophical issues, not just this one. The dog who wants to sleep on your bed isn’t trying to take over the world. He just wants to be close to his humans -and comfortable!

I nap on the couch with the dogs.  I like it and they love it.  However we like our sleeping space so our bed is for us.

Canine Hospice Care Options
When we first adopt that pudgy puppy, or spring that delinquent adolescent canine out of a shelter, our new dog’s senior years and final days are far from our thoughts. But if we’re lucky enough to enjoy a long life together, eventually, we’ll spend a number of months or years caring for him as a senior dog – and sometimes, a challenging and emotionally difficult time seeing him through to a peaceful death. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help us support our beloved canine companions – even those who have been diagnosed with chronic or terminal illness – in maintaining the best possible quality of life before they die. Hospice care, or “pawspice,” the term coined by Alice Villalobos, DVM, former President of the American Association of Human Animal Bond Veterinarians (AAHABV) and founding member of the Veterinary Cancer Society, is supportive assistance in evaluating and managing our pets’ quality of life as they near the end of their days, a time period that can span from days to months.

Credible Canine Health Information on the Internet

When you or a loved one develops a medical issue, chances are you’ll be inclined to do some Internet research. While I say, “More power to you!” other medical professionals might roll their eyes at the thought of “wasting” valuable time discussing potentially whackadoodle notions gleaned from cyberspace. Whether veterinarians like it or not, the Internet is here to stay. What can you do to make your online research more productive and your discussions about it with your vet more palatable? Here’s how to find instructive, accurate, credible Internet information while avoiding “online junk food” -and how to comfortably discuss what you’ve learned online with your veterinarian in a way that promotes collaborative discussion. By the way, although I’m a veterinarian teaching people how to better care for their dogs, this information is also applicable to your own healthcare! So, let’s begin. How can you determine whether or not a website is dishing out information that is worthy of your time?

Canine News You Can Use: March 2010
Arkansas canines and their humans have very good reason to celebrate the start of the new decade. That state’s new rule allowing for a three-year rabies vaccine became effective January 1, 2010. This means dogs in Arkansas will need to be vaccinated only every three years (after their initial first-year booster) instead of annually, as was previously required. The majority of states in the U.S. now allow for the three-year vaccination schedule. Despite a slightly premature announcement from the Rabies Challenge Fund (rabieschallengefund.org) last August that all 50 states had accepted a three-year protocol, a few still do not. Rhode Island’s Rabies Control Board approved a change in April of 2009 accepting the three-year vaccination, but as of yet no effective date has been set. Until that happens, Rhode Island dog owners are still required to vaccinate their canine companions every two years. West Virginia also requires vaccination bi-annually. There may be a few others. Still, every state that approves a three-year schedule is one step closer to that 50-state goal.