Category: Rescue

Book Review: Am I Boring My Dog? By Edie Jarolim

Worry is part of the human condition, and it is something we seem to excel at. When we are put into unfamiliar situations and feel out of our depth, it's amazing the questions that can wander through our minds. Enter Edit Jarolim, her significant canine other, Frankie, and their wonderful book, "Am I Boring My Dog? (And 99 Other Things Your Dog Wishes You Knew)."

Written mostly for those considering adding a dog to their house and new dog owners, even veteran dog owners like me can pick up tidbits from this book. Covering 100 questions, from irreverent ones like "How should I refer to my relationship with my dog?" (I had no idea what a SCO was), to serious ones like "How much - and how often - should I feed my dog?" (A question I'm sure your dog has interest in), Edie's congenial style and sharp wit make this a fun and informative read. Chock full of great resources and some pretty clever insights, make sure to pay attention to the footnotes, they alone are worth the price of admission. So if you've ever wondered if you're dog will hate you if you dress him up, this is the book for you.
 
Edie has a terrific blog that can be found at http://www.willmydoghateme.com and you can find out more about her at http://www.ediejarolim.com.  She can also be found on tweeting away at http://www.twitter.com/willmydoghateme.

0 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 9:22 PM - Categories: Veterinarian | Nutrition | Health | Dogs | Humor | Spay & Neuter | Advocacy | Adoption | Rescue | Treats | Training

Upselling at the Vet's Office

As many of you know I had a stray show up at my door on Saturday afternoon in dire need of some food and attention. Elbee, as we are calling him for now, seems to be doing better. I took him to the vets office this morning and apart from some general concerns about his weight (he is 19lbs and probably should be around 30), some minor skin issues, and some parasites, he is in good shape all things considered.

As I stated before, we will hang on to Elbee for a while and get him back on his feet. He is a sweet boy and although I won’t rule out our keeping him, I wasn’t looking to add a fourth dog to the family. But my post today isn’t about Elbee specifically, but about the subject of upselling at the vet’s office.  

If you have ever shopped at all then you have been the target of upselling. When the drive through attendant at the fast food restaurant asks you if “you want an apple pie with that?” that’s upselling. When a waitress asks you if you’ve “saved room for dessert”, that’s upselling. In fact anytime someone suggests or reminds you about other products or services they offer, other than the ones you have specifically asked for, that’s upselling.

Now mind you I understand that businesses need to upsell and I regard it as a legitimate business practice, indeed, it is probably a necessity. However there are places and situations that beg for a bit of decorum, and where I think upselling is inappropriate.

When I showed up at the vet’s office today with Elbee in tow, It was very obvious why I was there. Elbee is extremely emaciated and is obviously a stray or abandoned dog. When I was ushered into the exam room the vet tech did ask why I was there and took what history I knew of Elbee. But before even seeing the vet and coming to a diagnosis of what problems Elbee might have, the vet tech was trying to get me to buy a full series of vaccinations and other services offered by the vet. Now as I’ve said above I recognize that the upsell is a legitimate practice, but at least take my order before asking me if I want an apple pie.

Sadly in my area, this is not an uncommon practice at the vet’s office. And although most aren’t quite as blatant and obnoxious as this was, most all of them could benefit by being a bit more delicate and tactful about the process.

So tell us what you think. How is upselling handled by your vet? Do you think that upselling is legitimate practice for vets to increase their revenue? What is your experience with this?

My Woof Wednesday guest this week will be Veterinarian Krista Gibson (Scottsdale_Vet on Twitter) of Animal Medical Services in Scottsdale Arizona. http://amsscottsdale.com. We will be discussing ways to better communication between owner and vet.

Cheers

Kevin, Jackie, Elbee, Gavin, Annie, Tosha

7 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 2:51 PM - Categories: Veterinarian | Health | Advocacy | Woof Wednesday | Adoption | Rescue

Little Boy Lost

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." ~ John Lennon

I was reminded of this quote today upon my arrival home from lunch with my wife. I certainly wasn't planning on bringing a new dog into my home; but when this little dog spotted my van turning into my driveway, he bolted up the road after me. When I got out of the van the little dog crawled over to me on his belly, ribs and other bones clearly showing. I could see that he was emaciated and that he had several bite marks on him. He was shaking all over and obviously had not eaten in many moons. So once again life has stepped in and changed my plans.

With three other dogs and limited space right now. My wife and I really don't have the room or resources to adopt him right now. But we're dog people and cannot just give him to a shelter and forget it.

We have to isolate him right now so that our other dogs are exposed to any health issues he might have. He has a very sweet disposition and really seems to like people. I will not let him meet my other dogs until vet checked, but he seems geniuenly interested & friendly towards them. All in all a sweet boy that needs a helping hand.

So he will be fed, kept warm, and given companionship with us for now. Monday we will take him to a vet so we can see what other health issues he has. We will check to see if he has been reported as lost, but will treat him as our own until we can either place him with a good rescue or find him his 4-ever home. As I told some of my Twitter friends today, we're dog people. What else can we do?

Despite tough economic times, I know that we are not unique and there are many other people out there right now that are doing the exact same thing. On behalf of dogs like this everywhere, thank you for what you do.

I will post updates on the little guy over the next few days and keep you updated on how he's doing.

Cheers,

Kevin, Jackie, Gavin, Annie, Tosha, Little Boy Lost

5 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 6:09 PM - Categories: Dogs | Advocacy | Adoption | Rescue

Woof Wednesday With Debbie Jacobs

When I came up with the idea of doing a Woof Wednesday blog I knew that Debbie Jacobs would be the first person I would ask to be my guest. Debbie was one of the first people that I followed when I first setup my Twitter account and she and I have much in common. We were both unabashed dog lovers and we both have fearful dogs that came to us by way of Hurricane Katrina. I quickly found that Debbie was not just another dog lover with a fearful dog, she was very knowledgeable about them and extremely passionate about helping fearful dogs and their owners. Her website, www.fearfuldogs.com, is a prime resource of information on fearful dogs and her blog fearfuldogs.wordpress.com is one of the most thoughtful blogs I've come across. So keeping our shy and fearful dogs in mind, here are some of the questions I asked Debbie.  

DLD: Behavioral medications for dogs are somewhat a hot button issue right now. At what point should an owners consider putting their fearful dog on medication(s) and is it something that most veterinarians are familiar with?

Debbie: I think that anyone who is dealing with a fearful dog would benefit from researching the uses and benefits of behavioral medications. Meds can help make it easier for anxious dogs to learn new behaviors. So the question I would ask is, when would someone with a fearful dog NOT want to make it easier for their dog to learn new behaviors? Any vet should know about when to prescribe meds, but some may not. Karen Overall DVM has done lots of research into the benefits of medications for helping dogs with behavioral challenges, so folks should check out what she has written. The longer a dog practices being afraid the better he gets at it.

OK that said, there are plenty of dogs out there that are fearful because of inexperience and with the appropriate handling and training can learn to be more confident & resilient without medication. These dogs typically respond quickly to training. Every owner has to become an expert on and advocate for their own dog.

The reluctance that most people have about using meds is that they don't understand how they work and assume that they will be sedating their dogs. While sedation may be a side effect of a medication, it should be short-lived and is NOT the desired effect. Some owners may find that after a few months on a medication they can begin to discontinue its use, others may find that given their dog's level of anxiety that medications may be helpful for the duration of the dog's life. Few of us hesitate to put our dogs on a medication for a physical condition such as low thyroid or diabetes, nor would we deny them the benefits of a pain killer or antibiotic. Behavioral medications can offer real benefits that affect the quality of a dog's life. They are not a cure and owners need to understand how to work with their dogs to help them learn new behaviors and emotional response.

DLD: When considering a trainer to help with a fearful dog, what questions should be asked to find out if the trainer is fearful dog friendly?

Debbie: Ask if they use corrections or punishment to modify a fearful dog's behavior. If so, find someone else. There is a list of trainers on the fearfuldogs.com website.

DLD: Before adopting a fearful dog, what three things should the perspective owner know?

Debbie:

1. The dog may always exhibit some kind of fearful behavior and working with it may become a lifelong project. It's probably going to take longer, require more time, effort and money, than you imagine to help this dog.

2. Fearful dogs can become aggressive dogs if not handled appropriately.

3. If you have no experience in positive dog training or no interest in learning, do not adopt a fearful dog.

DLD: What books and other resources should I know about to help me with my fearful dog?

Debbie:

The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell
Help For Your Fearful Dog by Nicole Wilde
Scaredy Dog by Ali Brown
Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt
Don't Shoot The Dog by Karen Pryor
If A Dog's Prayers Were Answered Bones Would Rain From The Sky by Suzanne Clothier

and of course http://www.fearfuldogs.com and http://fearfuldogs.wordpress.com

DLD: While Twitter is a great tool to help spread the message about fearful dogs 140 characters can be a bit limiting. Would you mind expanding a bit on the following tweets…

@fearfuldogs: U cannot 'show' a scared dog something is not dangerous

Neither dogs nor people that are seriously afraid of something care whether or not you say something isn't going to hurt them or show them how benign they may be. Most people who are afraid of snakes or spiders have never had one bite them. Forcing a dog to deal with something scary just gives them more opportunity to repeat feeling afraid of it.

@fearfuldogs: How would u like it if I made u hold a bunch of spiders? What kind of a friend would I b?

In an attempt to show their dogs that something isn't going to hurt them, owners force their dogs to deal with scary things. Not only is this not likely to change how a dog feels about the scary thing, he's  got good reason to worry about what you'll do next time you run into it. This lack of trust in his owner is not beneficial to a fearful dog.

@fearfuldogs: U don't have 2 know what made your dog a fearful dog 2 help her become more comfortable in the world.

People often believe that if they knew why their dog was afraid it would somehow make it easier to 'fix' them. The cause of a dog's fear does not change the process used to help to help them. Background information on a fearful dog is useful because it may help an owner establish realistic expectations for their dog. An adult dog that was never appropriately socialized will likely never become a social butterfly. But knowing 'why' a dog is afraid ultimately doesn't matter.

@fearfuldogs: When interacting w a scared dog just pretend it's a cat. Everyone knows u can't make a cat like u, so don't try.

Dogs that are afraid of people usually want to avoid social interactions with them. But people who like dogs, want to engage with them. We like to look them in their big, usually brown eyes, bend over, kiss them on the head or give them a big squeeze. All this just makes a fearful dog more afraid. If a scared cat hisses at us or scratches us if we get close, we usually get the hint. Not so for our poor dogs. A dog that growls or snaps at us to keep us away is considered a 'bad' dog. When someone gets bitten or scratched by a cat they usually blame themselves, not the cat.

@fearfuldogs: Anything that lowers a dog's anxiety will likely help improve it's behavior

Fearful dogs usually behave inappropriately because they are anxious, afraid or stressed. If a dog sees a person walking toward them and is afraid, the dog will react in one way. If when the person gets close the dog realizes that it's a buddy of his, he's no longer afraid and reacts differently. Stress and anxiety don't help any of us perform at our best. 

For more information about shy and fearful dogs, be sure to visit Debbie's web site at http://www.fearfuldogs.com. We hope you've enjoyed this talk with Debbie Jacobs and invite you back next Wednesday when Leslie Fisher of Look What I Can Do Dog Training will be our guest.

As always your comments and suggestions are welcome and I am sure that Debbie will be following the comments as well.

Cheers

Kevin, Jackie, Gavin, Annie, Tosha

1 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 1:30 AM - Categories: Health | Dogs | Advocacy | Fearful Dogs | Shy Dogs | Adoption | Rescue | Training | Behavior

Is Spaying and Neutering a Public or a Private Issue?

For many people the argument over whether or not to spay and neuter our dogs has more to do with human behavior than it does with the health & behavior of our dogs. It has become an issue of social responsibility in reaction to the overwhelming problem of the pet population, or rather the homeless pet population.

 In a March 2009 post, I wrote about an encounter I had with a woman who purposely allowed her female dog to breed & have puppies in order to teach her children about birth and responsibility. In that post I suggested that the woman may want to take her children to a shelter to watch a dog being euthanized in order to teach her children about death. I also provided many links to publications by organizations like the ASPCA, The Humane Society of The United States, and others about the benefits of spaying and neutering and about the myths that surround these procedures. While I am still steadfast in my belief that spaying and neutering is in the very best interest of the overall welfare of our dogs and cats—an e-mail I received yesterday reminded me that there are responsible owners out there who choose not to have their pets altered; and there are valid reasons they do so.

In much of the literature that I listed in that post, most of the benefits listed are behavioral and indeed this still holds true. The behavioral benefits of altering our dogs are manifold and the behavioral detriments few. However when it comes to the benefits and risks to health, some of the risk information is omitted and in some cases at odds with what is published and available to those of a more inquiring nature.

For instance, in the article “How Will Neutering Change My Dog?” by the ASPCA, the following is listed as a medical benefit of neutering your male dog:

“Prostate problems Without neutering, your dog’s prostate will gradually enlarge as he gets older. This can become uncomfortable for him and even make urination difficult. If the prostate becomes infected, it’s difficult to treat without neutering. While neutering doesn’t completely guard against prostate cancer, it does prevent enlargement and possible infection of the prostate.”

This article is very easy to find and the information contained is echoed by many animal welfare organizations and groups. But there is other information that is out there that is not quite as easy to find for the average dog owner.

For instance this article appearing in the December 1st 2007 Journal of The American Veterinary Medical Association titled “Determining that optimal age for gonadectomy  of dogs and cats.” asserts the following:

"The reported incidence of prostatic tumors in dogs is 0.2% to 0.6%, and prostatic neoplasms in dogs are almost always malignant adenocarcinomas.There is neoplastic differentiation in tissues of ductal or urothelial origin, which are androgen-independent tissues. However, castrated dogs are at an increased risk for development of prostatic neoplasms, with the increase in risk ranging from 2.4 to 4.3 times that of sexually intact male dogs (Table 2)."

 Now I admit that hearing a that something is 4.3 times more likely to develop can be an alarming; but it still only adds up to approx 2.6% of the totals population of neutered dogs using the worst case numbers. That’s 2.6 dogs out of a 100. If none of those hundred dogs were altered, how many would end up fathering unwanted puppies?

Conflicting and contradictory information about the health, training, and behavioral issues concerning our dogs isn’t new and I don’t suspect any deep conspiracy on the part of many animal welfare organizations. But I do see where some take issue with being given only one side of the story. 

I know there are many owners out there that are responsible enough to have intact male and female dogs without adding to the already staggering overpopulation; but I suspect there may be an even greater number of irresponsible owners that will not practice the training and management necessary to live with an intact dog.

If you are truly worried about the possible health effects of altering you dog or cat, speak with your veterinarian so that you have an accurate picture about the risks and benefits of spaying and neutering. I would also ask that you visit your local shelter as well to see the effects that irresponsible pet ownership can bring.

The decision to spay and neuter our animals has public and private ramifications on our society as a whole, and on us and our animals in private. I still believe that unless there is a specific health risk identified by your vet, all of the dogs and cats that we take into our homes should be spayed and neutered. As always I welcome your comments on this post. I know that this is a topic near and dear to many dog lovers’ hearts.

Cheers

Kevin, Jackie, Gavin, Annie, Tosha

4 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 4:28 PM - Categories: Health | Dogs | Spay & Neuter | Advocacy | Adoption | Rescue | Behavior

Reflections on 2009

The New Year is always a time for reflection and this New Year more than most. 2009 has taken a toll on me and my family like no other year has. Loss of a job, a home, loved ones, health problems, and a plague of other nastiness descended on my family in 2009; yet it is still a year that I am thankful for.

One of the biggest reasons I started Dog Lovers Digest .com was to help combat the sea of outdated and incorrect information out there about dogs and our relationships with them; 2009 taught me that there are a lot of people across the world that feel the same.

I have discovered some amazing sites that, along with the people behind them, aim to educate using principals based in scientific fact. I will be compiling a list and review of these sites, but for now let me share just a few of them with you.

www.fearfuldogs.com If everyone were as passionate about just one thing in their life as Debbie Jacobs is about helping fearful dogs, we could solve all the problems in the world. If you have or know of a fearful dog, this resource should be first in your list of bookmarks.

www.dogstardaily.com Unlike some sites that I won’t “whisper” aloud, the training and behavioral advice found here is based on provable scientific methods; not on “energy” and outdated ideas. This is a great training resource and should also be at the top of the list for your training bookmarks.

www.fun4fido.co.uk If you want to find excellent fact based information about training your dog, go to this site and Bob’s your uncle (“there you are” for the anglophilically  challenged). She communicates in clear terms and her love for dogs shows through.

www.dogspelledforward.com Although I just recently discovered this site, it’s obvious that Eric is another one of those people that just gets it. He knows that ethereal, indefinable, hocus pocus is not how you train a dog. His blog posts are a must read. 

www.whole-dog-journal.com I know that this is a print journal, but if you don’t have a subscription then use the link and buy one. It is worth every single penny you pay and then some. The Whole Dog Journal accepts no advertising income and so is able to give unbiased reviews and some of the best advice on training, behavior, and health around.

http://smartdog.typepad.com/ Another new discovery for me, but again another trainer who clearly gets it. I love her blog posts and they are always interesting and topical.

http://www.askdryin.com The website of renowned veterinarian and behaviorist Dr. Sophia Yin. This site is full of useful infromation that is based and backed by the science of learning.

I know there are tons more sites out there that deserve mention but I want to keep this post short. Those listed here along with many other positive people can be found Twitter and are definitely worthy of a follow:  http://twitter.com/dogloversdigest/dogloverstotweet/members. I will continue to add to this list as well as publish a review page of these sites here on dogloversdigest.com.

If you have suggestions of sites and people not on this list that should be; please leave a comment for me so I can find them.

Thanks to you all and here's to a better year in 2010!

Kevin, Jackie, Gavin, Annie, and Tosha

2 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 2:47 PM - Categories: Health | Dogs | Humor | Photo | Play | Advocacy | Adoption | Rescue | Training | Behavior

Your Attention Please: What's in a Name

If you and I were sitting in a room together and I continuously called your name without ever saying anything else; eventually you would come to ignore me or hit me. That’s because when someone speaks our name it’s akin to saying, “You there, I have something I would like to tell you;” we expect more information to follow. Yet a common mistake I see people make with their dogs involves this same behavior.

Your dog’s name should mean one thing and one thing only to them— “Your attention please: I have something relevant to tell you.” It’s too much to ask our dogs to understand that the tone of voice we use to say their name actually means sit, or stay, or leave that piece of bacon alone. Yet time and time again I see people use their dog’s name to mean exactly these things.

Dogs are great at discerning things that are important to them. On the other hand, because they have a limited ability to understand our language, they can be quick to ignore things they hear over and over again that don’t impact on their immediate state of being. This is called Learned Irrelevance and can be why some dogs stop responding to their names.

So remember that your dog’s name really means “Your Attention Please” and follow it up with information that your dog is sure to understand.

1 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 8:00 PM - Categories: Humor | Rescue | Training