The Dog Blog

My Favorite Training Tool: The Gentle Leader

2012-01-25T14:06:00.001-07:00

The Gentle Leader Headcollar

The Gentle Leader was designed to work with a dog's pack instincts, helping to communicate with your dog in a way he immediately understands. The pressure applied to the nose is can be very calming, as is the pressure on the back of the neck, which simluates the mother dog gently mouthing a puppy telling him to stop the behavior. After your dog has become accustomed to the collar, he will immediately understand what you want since you are communicating in his language. It is NOT a muzzle!
My Dog Hates It!
A lot of people have told me over the years that they have tried the Gentle Leader but their dogs "hated it". Well, of course they do, because they aren't in control anymore-You are! The more they hate it, the more they need it. Most dogs will fight it but 99 % of them will 'give in' within minutes because our dogs are looking for a leader, and by using the Gentle Leader, you are telling them that good things happen when they calm down
The best thing about the Gentle Leader is that it doesn't cause pain or fear like other training tools can. If fit properly by a trained professional, it will allow you to create a happy, secure bond with your dog and make walks more enjoyable. Additionally, if you have a dog with behavior problems, it will assist in re-conditioning those behaviors without pain - making life better for you as well as your dog.
The Gentle Leader straps will resemble a "V" for "Victory"!, not an "L" for "Loser."
The Neck Strap MUST 1-Be positioned as high on the neck as possible, directly behind the ears and touching the base of the skull in back, and above the Adam's apple in front. 2- Not be able to rotate around neck. 3- Fit very snugly at top of neck so that you can barely squeeze only one finger underneath. This is the MOST important part of the entire fitting process! It is different than other collars you may be used to, but does not cause discomfort to your dog. Please resist the temptation to make the Neck Strap loose - if you loosen it, either your dog will be able to paw the Nose Loop off, or you will wind up making the Nose Loop too tight or the Nose Loop will rotate causing discomfort.
The Nose Loop should:
• Be loose and comfortable so that your dog can freely open his mouth (even fetch a ball!).
• Be able to move freely from just in front of eyes to beginning of the fleshy (wet) part of nose.
• Rest behind the corners of mouth.
• Not be so loose that it can be pulled off over the nose (after snap clamp is adjusted).

FITTING STEP BY STEP
Throughout the fitting process and during initial use of the Gentle Leader, motivate and encourage your dog with praise and special tasty treats. If your dog is especially wiggly, have someone help you by feeding treats while you fit and adjust.
1. Attach leash to Control Ring. (Fig. A)
2. Open Neck Strap and hold one end in each hand. Nose Loop and leash should hang down, like the letter (T). (Fig. B)
3. Prefit Neck Strap high on the neck touching base of skull in back, with Center Bar Ring in the niche just above the Adam's apple in front. Center Bar Ring should be parallel to neck, not the underside of jawbone. (Fig. C-1) Neck Strap must be snug so that only one finger can squeeze under it. Gently grasp skin at back of neck and pull downward toward shoulders, while at the same time holding Neck Strap against base of skull. Tighten if needed. (Fig. C-2)
4. Take Neck Strap off your dog. Slide Adjustable Snap Clamp down to Control Ring (as in Fig. A).
5. Pull Nose Loop up through Center Bar Ring. (Fig. D)
6. With dog at your side, in front of you, or between your legs, hold Nose Loop open. Reach under dog's head to slip Nose Loop onto base of muzzle (Fig. E-1), and give a treat to keep him occupied. Snap Neck Strap high on neck at its prefitted position. (Fig E-2) (Some people find that taking a few moments to gently "massage" their dog's muzzle and cheeks prior to putting on the Nose Loop may help him more quickly accept the new sensation.)
7. Make final adjustment to Nose Loop. It should be behind corners of mouth and loose enough to pull forward to fleshy part of nose, but not so loose that it can be pulled entirely off muzzle. Slide snap clamp up or down to adjust (Fig. F-1). With thumb and index finger, pinch Nose Loop underneath snap clamp, temporarily holding it from moving. Test size of Nose Loop by pulling it forward as far as it will go (Fig. F-2). When it touches the beginning of the fleshy part of the nose, but is not so loose that you can pull it off, close the snap clamp by pressing down on the tab - you'll hear a snap as it locks.
When your dog has reached full growth, you can remove any excess length of Neck Strap. With the Gentle Leader® off your dog, cut the end of the strap with scissors and use a match or lighter flame to seal the cut edge and prevent fraying.

Thin Nose Loop or Thick?
Several of the national and local pet store chains sell the Gentle Leader, but most of the staff do not know how to fit it, or which kind is most appropriate for which dog. Plus, they only sell the 'thin' nose loop kind (5/8"). I prefer to fit the 'thick' nose loop (3/4") on larger dogs, especially those with broad noses like labs and shepherds. If you are using a Gentle Leader for your dog and it is wearing off the hair on his nose, or causing sores, try switching to a ¾" nose loop. You may also try wrapping some moleskin or fleece around the nose loop to decrease friction. Quality Paws in Denver sells the 5/8-inch Gentle Leader for our clients.

Acclimating Your Dog to the Gentle Leader
It’s very important that you acclimate your dog slowly to the Gentle Leader. The neck strap is a pressure point that reminds your dog of the pressure the mother dog puts on the back of the neck when she picks up the puppies in the litter. The nose strap reminds your dog of the Alpha dog as it’s similar to the pressure a higher ranking dog may use as a correction. Therefore, when your dog first experiences the Gentle Leader, he may think the mother dog and Alpha dog are sitting on his head! As long as you associate really positive things with the Gentle Leader, and never take it off when you’re dog is struggling, he or she will begin to enjoy having it on as it means walks and treats.
Always put the Gentle Leader on with a leash attached. If your dog fights it immediately when you put it on, GENTLY lift up on the leash at a constant rate towards the sky until your dog settles down and stops struggling. As soon as your dog relaxes, immediately loosen the gentle pressure on the leash so there is a ‘J’ in the leash, and praise and treat. Please DO NOT tug, jerk, or pull on the leash like you would with a choke chain correction. When lifting up on the leash, you only want to apply gentle pressure to the head collar so your dog will ‘give in’.
In the beginning, put the collar on your dog several times a day for 2-3 minutes, give him treats, throw a toy, feed him, etc while he has it on. At the end of the 3 minutes, if he is not struggling, take the Gentle Leader off. Never take it off if your dog is struggling, because that is a reward for struggling. Gradually increase the amount of time he wears it in the house, and then begin putting it on at the end of your walks when he is tired. Increase the amount of time he wears it towards the end of the walk until you are actually putting it on in the beginning. If your dog tries to rub his nose on your leg, or sweep his head through the grass, don’t let him. Lift up on the leash as stated above, and then loosen the leash and praise when he stops. Above all, make the time he has the Gentle Leader on FUN!
If your dog continues to fight it, make sure it is fit properly. If your dog’s nose begins to chafe, make sure it is fit properly, change to a thick nose strap collar, or add some moleskin to the nose strap.
For photos, click here
http://www.wagandtrain.com/Portals/1/pdf/How%20to%20fit%20a%20Gentle%20Leader2.pdf

The Lost Art of Butt Sniffing: How to Ensure Safe and Friendly Dog/Dog Greetings

2011-11-04T09:11:00.002-06:00

Picture this: You are out for a walk on a sidewalk in Central Denver. Your dog is sniffing, and fixating on squirrels, doing her business, and generally having a jolly good time. Then around the corner comes another dog who is attached by the leash to his owner. Or, in some cases, off leash with the owner nowhere in sight. As the dog approaches, your dog becomes uneasy or starts to bark. The other dog stares at your dog and says hello right in your dog’s face. Both dogs are nose-to-nose, attached to their leashes with no way out. They sniff quickly and then start growling and reacting or worse, the strange dog attacks your dog ‘for no reason’.

I hear this excuse every day. “The dog just attacked for no reason!”. I assure you, rarely do dogs attack for no reason. These two dogs started a defensive argument because both owners let them go face-to-face and feel threatened. It would be similar to if I walked up to you and slapped you across the face as I said hello. In addition, each dog most likely showed several appeasement or ‘calming’ signals that the humans missed. Calming signals include:

• Lip-Licking

• Tongue Flicking

• Blinking

• Head turns

• Yawning

• Sitting

These behaviors are essential in reading a dog’s other body language, too. In this case, one or both of the dogs may have stiffened, pinned her ears back, lunged forward, or raised her lip, which could be attributed to fear and insecurity. The best offense is a good defense, especially for an insecure, anxious dog greeting another dog face-to-face. Worse yet, if you let your dog go face-to-face, you are inevitably setting them up to fail. And who wants to do that?

Ideally, dogs should be introduced face-to-butt, rather than face-to-face. Dogs instinctively smell one another’s anal region in order to introduce themselves. Humans shake hands, dogs sniff each other’s butts. Nice, huh? When they smell, each dog gets a ‘picture’ of who the other dog is, such as gender, hormone status, health, level of stress or friendliness, and general demeanor. If dogs aren’t given the appropriate opportunity to introduce themselves, they can become scared and defensive, and then act aggressively.

If your dog is leash reactive or extremely afraid of other dogs, I recommend pursuing professional help. But if your dog just doesn’t know how to greet other dogs, or you don’t know how to teach him, here are some helpful hints:

• Make sure your dog doesn’t have full use of the entire length of the leash. Give him slack but keep him close. Just because the leash is 6-feet long doesn’t mean you have to use it.

• Use a head halter or front-clip harness. I prefer the Premier Gentle Leader (wide 5/8” nose-loop for larger dogs) and/or the Easy Walk harness. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t fit correctly or your dog is too adrenalized. Every dog hates the Gentle Leader at first. Slow acclimation, positive associations, and proper fit are very important. Do not use leash corrections!

• Avoid allowing your dog to make prolonged eye contact with another dog. Teach a Watch Me command and use it in all different environments and stress levels so your dog will pay attention to you no matter what is going on around him.

• When you see another dog approaching, take a few steps backwards and lure your dog around to face you, or hold your lure (treat or no treat- just give your dog a visual cue) on your belly button. Either allow him to gently lick on the treat while the other dog sniffs, or ask him to sit so the other dog doesn’t think your dog is a threat. If he remains calm while being sniffed, praise generously and let him walk away if he wants.

• If you want your dog to sniff the other dog’s rear, ask the other dog owner to turn his dog around.

• Never, ever punish, yell, correct, poke, or hit your dog for acting defensively. If your dog is afraid, and you punish her when she acts afraid instead of building her confidence and showing her what you want, she will only become more fearful and associate dogs with punishment. It is much more effective to help her understand good things happen when she is around other dogs, and that you aren’t going to set her up to fail by making her go face-to-face with another dog.

• Lastly, if your dog is afraid of other dogs, or doesn’t know how to interact, please do not bring him to the dog park. Please do not put a muzzle on your dog and expect him to not feel threatened. Dogs just don’t ‘get over’ being scared if you force socialization. Flooding rarely works, which is why many dogs at the dog parks have aggression issues.** Of course, it depends on which dog park you go to, but a scared dog will still be afraid at a ‘good’ dog park. Always set your dog up to succeed!!

The process sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but if you manage your dog by turning him around, the other dog will most likely know what to do. Dogs know which end is the good end! The end with eyeballs and teeth is intimidating, but the sniffing end is a wonderland of information to a dog. Next time you have a friendly dog in close proximity, turn your dog around and watch the magic happen. Your dog will thank you. If your dog is aggressive, has bitten another dog, or bitten you trying to get to another dog, please call for professional help as the behavior is a symptom of severe underlying causes. Using this technique before focusing on those causes could make your dog worse.

**“Flooding at dog parks has been used with fearful dogs as an old-school technique to get them over their fear. The process entails taking a fearful dog to a dog park and allowing 20 other dogs to run up assertively, sniff, pounce, growl, bully, lunge, bite etc to ‘teach’ the fearful dog not to be afraid- or in old school dog training terms, to teach the dog to ‘submit’. It is a torturous, scary, awful situation to put a fearful dog in. Some people even put a basket muzzle on the dog so they can’t defend themselves, and if the dog growls or reacts badly, the dog is punished for it. In this case, flooding doesn’t teach the dog to submit, it makes her more fearful. It teaches her that other dogs are bad and scary, not fun! Flooding doesn’t teach a positive association at all. Flooding teaches the dog to suppress the anxiety and fear until he is one-on-one with a dog, and then lash out.”

We Made It!

2011-06-27T07:49:00.000-06:00

After three months of auditions and interviews, we finally made it!

Our final phone interview was last Wednesday with Victoria herself... Victoria Stilwell, that is!
We have been chosen to be a part of her Positively Dog Training team and are so honored!
This means wonderful things for Wag & Train, but also for dogs in general. Not only do we get to be a part of her shows and marketing campaign, but we are going to help get the message out that force and fear are not necesary. We are going to strive to educate dog owners on the importance of positive dog training, and we have Victoria to back us all the way.

Stay tuned for some exciting things to come!

Oh- and our new website is up, too!
http://www.wagandtrain.com/

So Long, Flat Stanley

2011-05-09T11:51:00.000-06:00

I have a wonderful cient, Lauren, who rescued a puppy from a horrible situation. She named the fuzz-ball Twix (which also happens to be my favorite candy bar, aside from Whoppers...how cute would it be if someone named their dog 'Whopper"!), and he appears to be a Great Pyreness/Airedale/JackRussell/Husky/Greyhound/Lab mix. His paws are huge and he is 10 months old.

At our last session, I brought Paisley, and she and Twix played and played and played. Twix is very fond of dogs, people, and everything else he can get his paws on. He chews A LOT, and his reputation precedes him. Lauren's family and friends know that Twix is a chewing machine (hence the need for private sessions), and are cautious about their belongings when they visit. Twix has taken to breaking out of his kennel to chew on shoes (flip-flops are his favorite) when there are 100 chew toys INSIDE his crate.

Last week, Lauren told me about her 6-year old nephew's Flat Stanley project. If you don't know what Flat Stanley is, check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Stanley

And then showed me this lette (look at the drawings of Flat Stanely and Twix at the top, priceless!):

It says:
"Dear Lauren, When you get Flat Stanley, please take care of him and maybe send some candy back. Dont let Twix eat him. Send notes and send pictures. Love, Ben."

Isn't that just the cutest letter?

Well, guess what. Things didn't bode well for Flat Stanley. Twix got a hold of him and chewed him up. Lauren was freaking out because she didnt know what she was going to tell her nephew. BUT- apparently his teacher had another one that she could send, thank goodness.

I wish I had a before and after photo of Flat Stanley at this moment to share...I'm workin' on those. But thought you'd enjoy the story! In a profession where most dogs want to bite me, it is nice to have a reprieve with such a wonderful puppy who's only vice is his affinity for shoes and kids' school projects.

IAABC Conference

2011-04-22T09:09:00.000-06:00

The Wag & Train crew are all back from Rhode Island where we attended the IAABC Conference. It was an exciting line-up! We learned lots of valuable information about cats and dogs and met Victoria Stillwell, too- one of the greatest highlights of my career. We also met up with Dr. Dodman again and bugged him for another photo op.

Steve Dale, Brenda Aloff, and Bob Bailey were also there, among others. We also enjoyed the East Coast seafood with our fair share of oysters and lobsters...yum!

Can't wait for the next one!

Dr. Dodman...Again

2010-08-30T08:48:00.000-06:00

I just got back from a wonderful weekend in Boulder, where I attended a 2-day lecture by Dr. Nicholas Dodman. I have written about him before- he is my idol!
He wrote the Well-Adjusted Dog. I learned even more about canine and feline behavior modification and pharmacology, and look forward to putting my new knowledge in to practice.

Here is a photo from yesterday...

Scout's Rescue Story

2010-08-25T07:53:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, I received this emailed Success Story from a client about her dog Scout.
At the end she says "we learned that rescuing doesnt end when you sign the adoption papers. It is a process". That is so true! Those of us who have rescued and adopted Secondhand Dogs know this all too well. It can be a challenge but SO rewarding!

My husband and I adopted Scout from the LifeLine Puppy Rescue in Brighton when she was six months old. The only information we had received about her was that she was a cattle dog mix and had come from a ranch in Las Vegas, NM. It was love at first sight, even though we were both concerned with her overly fearful and docile nature. At the time we figured it was something she would outgrow. As Scout got older her fearfulness morphed into aggressiveness. She began snapping at our friends and showing her teeth to people who tried to pet her. Though she had made great strides in other areas in terms of building her confidence, her fear of strangers, especially men, was increasing and making us more nervous about keeping her. It was our Vet who recommended Wag and Train for Scout after she had an extremely difficult visit with her over an ear infection. Kari worked with Scout and within a week she was turning around. We followed Kari's instructions to the letter and Scout has not snapped or snarled at anyone since. It almost sounds too good to be true but the work Scout has done has made her a less fearful and a more confident dog. We have both fallen more deeply in love with her as we have watched her progress and grow. We are so happy to see her so happy. We have learned that rescuing doesn't end when you sign the adoption papers. It is a process and such a rewarding one. Thanks to Kari at Wag & Train for saving our dear Scout!

Sincerely,
Pam and Mike

Kitty Love

2010-03-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Below is a link to a video of a client's Great Dane, Amos. Amos is the second Dane for Sigrid and her husband, as they lost their first Dane tragically to bloat at age 2. His name was Riddick, he was a black mantle, and he was loved and adored by all. When Riddick had been gone for a few weeks, Sigrid felt the need to get another Dane as her life was too empty without a gentle giant. her husband travels a lot, mainly to Africa, and is gone for weeks at a time- so things get lonely around the house! She looked on the DDFL website and saw Amos. Needless to say, Amos had a new family that day.
Amos has been through both levels of my classes and passed with flying colors, although he does have a bit of a stubborn streak as most teenagers do. Amos is very much like his big brother, so much so that it took me about a month to stop calling him Riddick! Amos is as gentle as they come.
Last month, Sigrid and her husband adopted again from the DDFl, but this time she is of the feline variety, and not a giant at all. However, it is very clear that Amos knows who's boss! This is their ritual in the morning.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6VoqYt4DFQ

Callie

2010-02-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, I met a very nice couple, Julie and Brian, who came to me with their senior Great Dane, Callie. She is a 7 year old blue merle, adopted from Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue, and she is a sweetheart! However, her mom reported that Callie has some leash reactivity issues with other dogs.. We got to work right away with her behavior and confidence level. During our conversation, we randomly began talking about my senior blue merle Great Dane, Piper, and how similar the dogs look. After our session, they put Callie in the car and I brought Piper out. All of a sudden Julie said "this is Piper from Big Dogs Huge Paws?... We almost adopted her!". Apparently, at the same time we were fostering Piper, Julie and Brian were looking for a senior... They were going back and forth between Callie and Piper- too weird! It is a small world indeed.

New Location!

2010-02-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

As of this week, we now have our own dedicated training space! It's been on my wishlist for a VERY long time, and now it has come to fruition. The space is at VCA Mountainview Animal Hospital in Highlands Ranch. It's huge, and we'll be able to hold all kinds of classes and workshops. I am very excited with the new partnership and being able to be in a vet hospital, and start early- with all the puppies that come in.
I will post photos as soon as the space is ready to go...

Happy Birthday Jasper!

2009-12-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, I was looking to adopt a pug from Colorado Pug rescue, when I met a silly fawn Great Dane puppy. He had a horrible birth defect in his eye, and his feet were bigger than large frying pans, but I fell in love.
Today, Jasper Jax is 3 years old- and I couldn't be happier that I didnt get a pug that day.

Happy Birthday Jasper!
We love you!

The Power of Mental Stimulation

2009-11-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

I am the behavior director for a local rescue, Big Dogs Huge Paws, and held a foster training last Saturday that included instructions on Chew Toy Training. Here is an email I got yesterday from one of our foster moms:

"Hey Guys~

During the foster training I got to thinking that I might not be mentally stimulating my dogs as much as I should be..... feeding them their meals in their kongs sounded like a great idea!

So.... a little bit of cheese...some kibble, all natural meat... and a little peanut butter later, stuff the kong... and Hera is happy as can be....Zeus on the other hand is head over heals for it, until he realizes that he has to work for his food. He stops... takes a deep sigh... roles his eyes at me..... walks around the house.... then decides it's not so bad and goes back to his meal.... Oden missed out! He's out on an adventure with Jim camping!!!

Don't worry though, he will get his treat when he gets home!

Thanks Guys!!!

~*Brittney*~"

If you aren't feeding your dogs out of frozen Kongs yet, you should start ASAP!

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/errorless-chewtoy-training

The Magic Treat Bag

2009-11-01T15:56:00.001-07:00

Sammi, the Labradoodle

This weekend I met 2 of the cutest, most food motivated dogs I have ever worked with. Sammi, is a 3-year old Labradoodle, and Tabasco is a 3-year old English Bulldog.   Both of their moms called me because their dogs are extremely shy and fearful of people. and have snapped at and tried to bite strangers.   Each dog is also afraid of other dogs and is reactive and defensive. Both moms said "My dog doesnt like strangers and will growl and snap. "Hmmmmm" I thought to myself... "Well, they havent met the magic treat bag yet!".

I set up appointments and went to meet both dogs this weekend. I met Sammi first. After a few obligatory barks at the door, I entered and ignored her. I sat down on the couch, with my treat bag on, and tossed Natural Balance lamb meat roll near her. I would guess that it took about 35 seconds for her to become my best friend...

Then I went to meet Tabasco, the Bulldog. Can I just say that I LOVE Bulldogs? The way they walk and snort and talk and drink cracks me up. Anyway, I actually entered with his mom this time, and I had my meat roll ready.   He didnt even think twice about the fact that I was a stranger, he was all about eating as much meat roll as possible. For Tabasco, it took about 2.3 seconds for me to become his best friend.

Whenever this occurs (when I go to someone's house to meet their dog who bites people), the owners always say "Oh my god, she NEVER warms up that fast. She hates people!". Guess what? Dogs don't love me because of my sparkling personality... they love the fact that I have a fabulous treat bag that really REALLY good stuff comes out of, and I don't push them to interact with me. I just give them hot dogs and string cheese and meat roll, and they do it all on their terms.

Why is it that people think they must dominate and threaten shy dogs to get them to 'submit'? (These clients dont subscribe to this, but a lot of my clients do). How fast do you think it will take an extremely shy dog who is afraid of people to bite a person who tries to 'dominate' them? Why on earth do you think a shy dog would 'trust' a person who tackles them, pulls their feet out from under them, and growls in their face to act like an "alpha" dog? How would you feel if someone did that to you?!

I always say that shy and fearful dogs are like cats. Cats always want to be by the person who hates cats or is allergic to cats. Can you guess why? Because people who hate cats ignore them, and cats LOVE people who ignore them, because then interaction can be on their terms. Anyone who thinks they are a dog person, "Oh dogs love me" and try and force interaction on a shy dog, does, in fact, know NOTHING about dogs and dogs don't love them- they fear them and think they are threatening.

Of course, there is a lot more to re-programming a shy dog to love people or other dogs, but it all starts with positive motivation- i.e. a REALLY good treat!   Please don't ever force yourself on any dog. Be patient and carry a really big treat bag.

Tabasco, the English Bulldog

Wag & Train's Newest Addition

2009-10-25T19:21:00.003-06:00

After a year of great loss for Dan and I, we are excited to announce we have plunged back into rescue adoption. When we said goodbye to Kenai and Wilson this year, we both thought it would be a while before we got another dog. I had hopes of getting a Pug, Dan thought for sure we would foster and then adopt another chocolate lab.
Well, the universe had other things in store for us.
A little back story:
In November 2008, an 8-year old female great dane was surrendered to Big Dogs Huge Paws, a giant breed rescue I volunteer for. She had been locked outside for 8 years, had a grossly thick and rugged wirey coat of fur (not natural for a great dane), and was heartworm positive (a very painful disease). And the worse part- she didnt have a name! The people who had her for 8 years couldnt be bothered to name her. How sad is that?
So, she came to our rescue, went in to a wonderful foster home, and started on her journey of recovery. Amazingly, she had full trust in people and did her best to snuggle at every opportunity. She did, however, have a terrible case of Resource Guarding and got in many fights because of her inability to share. This behavior got her the nickname "Sniper"... well, her resource guarding AND her olympic-level ability to counter surf- she can Snipe anything she sets her mind to. She was adopted out twice, returned twice for reasons that were no fault of her own, or her adoptive parents, and spent the majority of her 11 months in rescue in 5 different foster homes. Life must have been very confusing for Piper!
After losing Wilson, our chocolate lab, in June, we were down to one dog. Granted, he's 160 pound ginormous great dane, but still one dog. I liked it for a while, but Jasper was lonely and seemed like he desperately wanted someone to play with. The night before our fundraising walk in August, we picked up Piper from City Bark Parker (where she was being fostered), for an 'overnight' and to bring her to the walk to show her off- hoping someone would want to adopt her. The second I saw her face, I knew in my heart that she wasn't going anywhere.
So, as of this week, we are a 2 dog household again. Piper has joined our family and we couldn't love her anymore if we tried, despite her behavioral issues. I am very careful to feed the dogs separately, and only allow certain toys out when I can manage her environment. I have to leave EVERYTHING off the counters, and make sure there are no crumbs on the floor. Jasper has a few small scars from her Sniper attacks, but things are much better and she has become much less anxious now that we have implemented Wag & Train 'boot camp'.

There are so many behaviorally-challenged dogs like Piper who need homes. While it's not easy to manage her, it is now habit and we deal with it. If you are thinking of getting another dog, please think of adopting one who has special behavioral needs. Remember, those behaviors are most likely due to poor training and management and are not the dogs fault. Every dog deserves a chance, and we are so happy Piper found us. I can't imagine life without her!

The Dangers of Artificial Preservatives in your Pet's Food

2009-10-23T12:34:00.000-06:00

I had a few people email me this week with questions about artificial preservatives in pet food, so I thought I'd post about them. The three major artificial preservatives are BHA, BHT, and Ethoxyquin. They are found in many grocery store treats (the soft ones), and some veterinarian prescribed dry and wet food formulas. Here is information on all three:
Ethoxyquin
The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture for toxicology information lists ethoxyquin in their Farm Chemical Hand-Book as a pesticide, used in fruit scald control. It is also used as a rubber preservative. It is FDA approved for use as an antioxidant for carotenes vitamin A and E and the prevention of the development of organic peroxides.
It is approved at 150 ppm in paprika and chili powder, and because it is used as a preservative in livestock feed, the following residue allowances in human consumed animal products as follows: 5 ppm in or on the uncooked fat of meat from animals except poultry; 3 ppm in or on the uncooked liver and fat of poultry, 0.5 ppm in or on the uncooked muscle meat of animals, 0.5 ppm in poultry eggs, and zero in milk.
The above information brings up the question why the FDA allows such a small amount of ethoxyquin residue (5 to .5 ppm) in human consumed foods yet allows such high amounts (150 ppm) to be used in pet food and livestock feeds?
In the case of the dog, pound for pound, a dog is consuming up to 300 times more ethoxyquin than allowed for people. (depending upon the weight) Also many dog food manufacturers are not always listing it as an ingredient on the packaging, but sometimes merely print "E".
Check your dog or cat food label to see what the pet food you are using is being preserved with.
Monsanto's (the manufacturer) own cautionary warnings in using and handling this product: They warn that it may cause allergic skin reactions, irritation to the eyes and skin. They advise that workers must wear eye and respiratory protection. The container of ethoxyquin has a very prominent skull and crossbones with POISON written in capital letters.
Ethoxyquin is listed and identified as a hazardous chemical under the criteria of the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910, 1220).
The Chemical Toxicology of Commercial Products says that ethoxyquin has a toxic rating of 3 (on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being super toxic requiring less than 7 drops to produce death). At that level it can slowly develop depression, con-vulsions, coma and death; skin irritation and liver damage.
In a recent study by The Department Of Pathology, Nagoya City University Medical School

Japan

, it was found: ethoxyquin promoted kidney carcinogenesis. Also, it significantly increased incidence of stomach tumors and enhanced bladder carcinogesis.
The FDA maintains it is safe, yet have asked pet food manufacturers to "voluntarily" lower the levels to 75 PPM.
BHA and BHT
Specifically, BHA, short for Butylated Hydroxyanisole, and BHT, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, are both artificial preservatives added to oils to slow down deterioration. BHA and BHT (as well as ethoxyquin) are used in numerous pet food brands, including both "premium-grade" brands like Science Diet (even their prescription diet product line) and lower-grade brands like Alpo and Pedigree, to replace vitamin E, which is removed during oil processing. Studies have shown that BHA and BHT promote liver disease and other medical problems.
BHA
Enhanced stomach and urinary bladder carcinogenesis.
Causes squamous-cell carcinomas in stomachs.
(Cancers of this type are among the most lethal and fastest acting, the swiftest effects being seen among animals with light colored fur.)

BHT
Promoted urinary bladder carcinogenesis.
Could be a promoter of thyroid carcinogenesis.
Studies have noted that BHA and other antioxidants, particularly Propyl Gallate and ethoxyquin, showed additional effects in inducing stomach hyperplasia and cytotoxicity.

Please read your pet food labels! I suggest subscribing to The Whole Dog Journal www.whole-dog-journal.com for some great research and facst about pet food. If you have questions, feel free to email me, too and I can point in the right direction of some great resources! kari@wagandtrain.com

Dr. Nicholas Dodman

2009-10-14T10:34:00.001-06:00

In the early 90s, a book came out that changed my life. I think it was even before I finished graduate school (soooo long ago!).   Originally, I wanted to be a film director and went to film school. Then I changed my mind and decided I wanted to train dogs for film, so I started on that path. The book that changed that path was "The Dog who Loved too Much" by Dr. Nicholas Dodman. He is a veterinary behaviorist at Tufts University. Back then there wasn't a whole lot of research in psychopharmocology of dogs, but Dr. Dodman was pioneering the effort. He was also delving in to the un-chartered waters of diet/nutrition and how it effects behavior.

In March of this year, I had the giddy pleasure of meeting Dr. Dodman at a seminar in San Diego. Dr. Dodman's behavior cohort, Dr. Ian Dunbar, and he gave a 3 day lecture series on dog behavior, among many other things.   I was smart enough to remember to bring 2 books with me, both written by Dr. Dodman- one was my dog-eared, highlighted, water stained, and faded "The Dog who Loved too Much" and the other was his new book, "The Well-Adjusted Dog". During a break in all the action, I asked him to sign my books, and he did! I swear it was like I was a teenager and meeting Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran in 1985 ( I didnt, but back then he was my favorite)- I could barely even open my mouth to thank him I was so gobsmacked. I came home with a perma-grin on my face, and memories to last my entire life. Of course, some of those memories were because of Laura Brody, my good friend, business associate, and frequent travel partner, but I digress.

For this blog post, I'd like to share a few excerpts from "The Well-Adjusted Dog" (hopefully I won't get sued), because it too has added to my knowledge, education, and experience tremendously. These excerpts really get to the point of what I try to do every day- change dog/owner relationships and behavior.

Excerpt #1:
"A dog's lifestyle, daily routine, and interactions will, to a large extent, determine how he feels and how he behaves. When behavior is out of kilter, it is important to address the bigger picture rather than try to suppress the symptoms of an underlying problem."

Excerpt #2:
"Real leaders in the human world, as in the dog world, do not have to resort to physical measures to get their point across. Real leaders do not dominate; they listen, think and often defer. Real leaders do not intimidate; they instill confidence. People follow real leaders not because they have to but because they want to.   The human-companion animal bond is not forged through the metal of a choke chain or prong collar, but rather through mutual respect and trust."

Excerpt #3
"...some 4 million dogs are surrendered to shelters annually, predominantly for behavioral reasons, and over HALF of them are subsequently euthanized. Most of the behaviors that lead to dogs' relinquishment arise through no fault of the dog's and are, in fact, normal canine behaviors that owners cannot properly control or redirect. It is breeders' and owners' failure to understand what it takes to raise, care for, and communicate with dogs that underlies many potentially avoidable canine behavior problems."

How do you like them kibbles? :)

Thank you, Dr, Dodman, for effecting and changing my life in so many positive ways.

The Importance of Chew Toys

2009-10-13T09:32:00.000-06:00

I've always been a fan of appropriate chew toys for puppies, but did you know that adults need chew toys too? They need them more than puppies! I call it "Give your Dog a Job". Please click on this link for information on Errorless Chew Toy Training. Your dog will thank you!

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/errorless-chewtoy-training

My favorite Chew Toys are Kong, Everlasting Treat Ball and/or Fireplug, any Premier Busy Buddy toy, Tricky Treat Ball, Buster Cube, and the Planet Dog toys. If you have other suggestions, please let me know!

Special Needs? Hardly!

2009-09-21T10:56:00.000-06:00

Meet Phoenix. She is a gorgeous 2-year old brindle Boxer. Her parents, Kim and James, hired me to help with her increased leash reactivity, defensiveness, and anxiety when Kim thought she couldn't handle her on walks anymore. I expected to meet a wild child, but in actuality, she is very sweet and calm- not your typical Boxer!
Phoenix is completely deaf, and most people would think she would have special needs. I assure you, she has no idea she is deaf, and pays better attention and is more intune than most hearing dogs- including my own. While she doesnt have any special needs, she is very special. She is clearly well-loved and I think the prognosis is very good!
Her mom sent me a photo of her enjoying the Everlasting Treat Ball I recommended. You go girl!

Super Puppies!

2009-09-14T16:48:00.001-06:00

One of my greatest joys in life is watching puppies play. And for obvious reasons (I think) my favorite class to teach is Super Puppy class. Actually, though- I think the puppies teach me. You see, it's very simple. Puppies are fair and forgiving. They play, they wrestle, they snark, they run, they hump, they bite, etc.... all the things that puppies do. And for the most part, puppies will let other puppies do whatever they want- Unless one of them bites too hard. Then they scream and yip and howl like someone is trying to take their Christmas presents away. But, once they howl, and the play stops for one or two seconds, they go right back at it. Puppies forgive other puppies' trangressions within a fraction of a second and move on. I wish more people did that!
This past Saturday we had 6 puppies in class and it was wrestle-mania: WWF at Quality Paws. I was so happy to see all the puppies playing appropriately, snarking and biting and playing, just like they should. Playing with other puppies is SO important for bite inhibition (see Bite Inhibition Article) . If you wait too long, or only let your puppy play with adult dogs, it may be too late.

The Bionic Dog

2009-09-13T19:29:00.003-06:00

Meet Winston. The world's strongest, loudest dog. Winston is a 10 month old pug and he is stronger than my 170 pound Great Dane... and I am not exaggerating. Winston's mom, Anne, and I have been friends for a while, and I live vicariously through her because my dream dog has been a Pug. Jasper (my dane) was supposed to be a pug, but fate or something cosmic intervened. I met Anne about 3 years ago when I worked with her other dog, Lilly. Who, by all accounts is normal. Winston, however, is not. Don't get me wrong. I ADORE Winston, and have been madly in love with him since I met him when he was 8 weeks old. I am posting a photo of his puppy class, plus a recent one that was taken on the same day as this story took place.

Winston has issues with grooming- specifically getting his nails cut. Anne asked me if she could come over and get some help with teaching her how to cut Winston's nails. "Of course", I said, as I looked forward to seeing him. They arrived and we got to work. Let's suffice it to say that Winston despises, no abhores, no strongly dislikes.... no HATES having his paws touched, much less his nails clipped. I was shocked at the noises coming out of his body as we lightly touched his paws, and even more shocked at how strong this dog was. It took every ounce of my being to hold him still while Anne inevitably got the job done. I am not exaggerating at all when I say he is stronger than any Great Dane or Mastiff or Newfoundland I have ever restrained.

What is wrong with my little Winston??? This is not right, so I came up with a desensitization plan for him, but in the end, I simply cannot believe the strength of one little dog. My back will never be the same. I love him, but I think I'll get someone else to restrain him next time. :)

Marking Behavior: Anxiety or Spite?

2009-09-08T10:50:00.000-06:00

This weekend, I received three different emails from people regarding their dogs peeing and pooping in the house. All three people said "He does it when he's mad at me and wants to spite me". I always cringe when I read and/or hear this, because it is the furthest thing from the truth. Please believe me when I say, DOGS DO NOT ELIMINATE TO SPITE THEIR HUMANS!!!

Dogs are very sensitive creatures. Second-hand dogs (as I often call rescue dogs) are especially sensitive, and some have suffered stress, abuse, and even trauma in their 'past life'. When they are adopted in to your home, or when you move, or when the baby is born, or when you are stressed or sad, your dogs have a lot of the similar emotions that we have. They get anxious and stressed just like we do. So, when they feel anxious and stressed, they can pee and poop in the house to help themselves feel better. We do the same thing with food, wine, exercise, and cigarettes. When your rescued cattle dog lifts his leg on your new couch, he is not marking his territory- he is trying to alleviate his stress and anxiety by helping to make the area smell more 'like home'. The same can be true for cats, although it can be much more complicated for felines (but just as curable!)

If you yell at your dog, or rub their nose in their urine, they will only become more stressed, and therefore mark in the house more. If you give them free run of the whole house and they run upstairs and pee on your bed, it is not their fault, it is yours. If you take them for a 30 minute walk and they don't pee, then they come in and urinate on your expensive persian rug, you aren't predicting when they have to go well enough and setting them up to fail.

Marking behavior and inappropriate elimination are actually very fixable. Once you decrease the underlying anxiety, re-train the correct potty behavior, manage the dog's environment, change your behavior, and decrease the amount of stress, the marking can and often will go away. There are no guarantees... but there is hope.

My Lovely Assistant

2009-09-05T11:17:00.001-06:00

While most people in an office have a secretary, delivery runner, accountant, or housekeeper, I assure you, I do not. I am the chief 'cook', dishwasher, phone answerer, scheduler, driver, treat cutter, and pooper scooper. As the owner/operator of my own business, things can get pretty hectic somedays, and often I don't have time to use the restroom or eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner on any given day.

I do, however, have an assistant. She is the most lovely girl. She has pointy ears and a toothy grin. She loves getting her 'paychecks' and does anything I ask. She goes with me on appointments and, with the utmost love, affection, and devotion, I use her as 'bait' (very safely of course). She sits excitedly in the backseat of my car anticipating her next doggie- introduction. I could not do my job without her. She never calls in sick, and always has a big smile on her face.

Her name is Bobbie and I adore her.

It's Mine!

2009-09-05T10:44:00.003-06:00

My last appointment of the day yesterday was with a 16-month old handsome yellow lab named Murphy. When I arrived he proceeded to greet with me with a happy woof! and tail wags, and then spent the next 30 minutes molesting me with his nose because he knew there MUST be hot dogs on my body somewhere. While his parents didn't appreciate his antics, I didn't mind as he was gentle with his nose nudges and kisses- and he did it all with a smile only a lab can give. After having lost our chocolate lab last month, it was wonderful to have the lab 'heat' on me again.

Tara and Ben, Murphy's adoring owners, hired me to help with his escalating food aggression, also called 'Resource Guarding'. They described 14 months of food and bone possession that would make other people shiver in their Mutt-lucks. Since the age of 12 weeks, when around food, Murphy has growled, snarled, snarked, lunged, and bitten to the point of puncturing Ben's thumb- which was the final impetus for them getting some real help. They described months and months of training they had tried to do. Nothing helped and he was getting worse. Murphy has also become the dreaded teenager, and although he can't take the car without permission or go out back and smoke a cigarette, I'm sure he would if he could- he is THAT much of an adolescent. They didn't know what to do! Tara and Ben are not alone. So many people call me in desperation because their dog turns in to Cujo with food/bones/toys/owners/space/siblings/beds/air/a fly on the wall/a blade of grass etc and they have no idea what to do. I assure you, there is always some sort of hope. If your dog is growling, snarling, or biting you, please call on a professional. Don't try anything you see on TV, or what your brother or the lady at Petsmart tells you to do.

I outlined the plan for Murphy and his parents, and set up an appointment to go back in a month to continue training. I always leave a few weeks in between appointments so all the parties involved can get in a new routine and start training without pressure- this is extremely important to the success of the program. Murphy's environment is also going to be managed very closely so he doesn't have the opportunity to guard anything anymore. This is also essential for training, as you cannot let a dog keep practicing the behavior you are trying to eliminate.

Murphy is a very lucky boy to have such wonderful, patient, and persistent owners. It is clear he is very well-loved, and I think the prognosis is excellent!

The Beginning of the Dog Blog

2009-09-04T08:14:00.000-06:00

Today is the beginning of a new era at Wag & Train. I have finally made it to the year 2009- I am on Facebook, I just started Twittering, and am adventuring into the land of blogging.
Although I don't have a lot of time to blog, I hope to share my experiences as an animal behaviorist along with tips, advice, and lots of fun stuff. My hope is to help save dogs and cats, and help them find and stay in their forever homes.

For my first post on the Dog Blog, I'd like to tell you about Kenai. He is my inspiration in all aspects of my life, including the reason I began Wag & Train. He and I moved to Denver, from Minneapolis, in 2001. I was working for an engineering company and wanted to take a break from all things 'dog'. I had been working full time at my real job, and teaching classes and doing private sessions in my spare time for the previous 7 years. I was burned out!
In addition to training in Minnesota, I was constantly working with Kenai. He found me in 1997 as he was about to be euthanized by Animal Control- he was about 6 months old. I already had 2 dogs at home and certainly didn't think I needed another one. He had other ideas. I took him home and realized he had a myriad of issues that we had to work through: Separation Anxiety, Fear Aggression, Potty Training, Leash Reactivity, and MAJOR Chewing. His nickname was Puppy Scissorhands. He was emaciated, and severely neglected, as well as abused and scared. I had bitten off way more than I thought could chew, so to speak. No one in their right mind signs up to have a dog like this! Someone else created these issues and I had to solve them- how fair is that? I spent endless hours working on desensitization, counterconditioning, leadership and relaxation training, and crate training. I sweated, I toiled, I cried, I sobbed, I laughed, and eventually we bonded.

Ok, so I digress. Once we arrived in Denver, I immediately saw a need for a positive-only trainer, which is my background and passion. Thankfully, back then there wasn't the influx of 'internet-certified' so-called trainers out there. After much agonizing thought and soul-searching, I decided to start my own company here and Wag & Train was born. My best friend's now-husband, Jeff, thought of the name so I must give him credit for it, as I am not that creative. Once the name was picked, I had to figure out a logo. After a week of thinking about it, I had an idea- I would use Kenai as my logo... why not? He was exactly like all the dogs I would work with in the future, or at least had a lot of the same issues. He was fantastically handsome (I'm not biased at all)- and had a quirky look to him: One blue eye and one brown eye, One ear up and one ear down. (I think he hit the gene pool jackpot). Thus, the Wag & Train logo was born. Thanks to my friend, Shawn (www.989design.com), for designing it and making it happen!
Kenai turned out to be a great dog, the BEST dog. He still had his issues, but they were manageable, and most importantly, we understood each other and I never set him up to fail. He was my soul mate dog. I lost Kenai this past March at age 12, but he lives on in everything I do at Wag & Train. I still hear him bark in the background soundtrack of my life. He is the reason I get up every morning to help the countless 'previously unwanted' dogs and cats out there who have found their forever homes.

If Kenai and I have one message for all of you out there, it's "Don't Give Up". Your dog may have issues now, but if you are patient, consistent, kind, and are willing to work through them, your dog will pay you back with a lifetime of love and devotion, just like my beloved Kenai. I love you Kiki!