Keeping your Dog Safe this 4th of July

                           

With 4th of July just around the corner, it is important to keep your pet safe and secure.   Many dogs are afraid of fireworks and loud noises.  Here are some things to keep in mind to keep your pet safe and happy this holiday:

* Avoid keeping your pet in the yard.  Fearful dogs will frantically try to dig, jump or climb their way out of the yard to escape the noise. Many dogs get lost and end up in the shelter this way. Every year shelters fill up with dogs that ran away from their yard.  

*Make sure that your pet has proper ID in the event that he/she gets lost. Consider microchipping your dog because dog collars and ID Tags can break or fall off.  

*Avoid the temptation to take your dog to fireworks shows or outdoors. A fearful dog could bolt and get lost. Fearful dogs can also feel trapped and may lunge or bite people or other dogs around them. Play it safe, keep them at home.  I have read many stories about dogs who have fled or have been traumatized at fireworks shows.

*Keep your pets in a secure place for your pet stay in.  This can be a crate or a quiet, pet-proofed room in your home that does not receive as much outside noise. Dogs can try to chew their way out of an area when scared so make sure it is a secure area.  Close your windows and front door to shut out outside noises.

*What if you have a new dog or puppy and this is their first 4th of July? Play with your dog. During those hours when fireworks happen (usually 9 p.m. to midnight here in Los Angeles), play games with your dog. Play fetch or tug of war. Give your dog a toy to play with or work on a Nina Ottosson interactive puzzle with your dog. Click here for examples. Interacting with you will keep your dog's mind off the noises outside and on the games you are playing with your dog. Here is an example of my dog working on Tug-a-Jug under my supervision.  She is so preoccupied with working on this toy that outside noises are unlikely to distract her:

            

*Consider playing music or keep the T.V. on as background noise. There is music that have been created specifically to calm dogs.  Through a Dog's Ear is an example of music designed to keep dogs calm. You can purchase the CD on Amazon or play via Spotify

 
*Alternative remedies:  For mild cases, some dogs respond well to flower essences and homeopathic remedies such as calming chews. Bach's Rescue Remedy for pets is one of the older brands out there and can be found in most natural pet stores.  For homeopathic remedies you can consult with a homeopathic veterinarian for suggestions and dosage instructions.

   



*Body Wraps: many people have had success with body wraps which in effect "swaddle" your dog. I often use this product with fearful or anxious dogs. In her book, "Help for Your Fearful Dog," Nicole Wilde discusses a variety of methods of doing this and the proper way of introducing your dog to a wrap. In addition, there is a body vest marketed under the brand names, "Anxiety Wrap" and "Thundershirt" designed to achieve the same result. However, you should first acclimate your dog to the vest before a storm or fireworks so your dog does not react negatively to wearing the vest.  Here is one of my dogs modeling a Thundershirt:

           


*Another calming product is Dog/Cat Appeasing Pheromone that can be sprayed on your pet's bedding or used as a room atomizer. There is also a collar version. It is usually sold in pet stores under the brand name "Comfort Zone" or "Adaptil."

 

*For severe cases talk to your vet:  for severe cases of anxiety or if your dog is at risk of injuring himself/herself, prescription medication may be necessary to keep your dog calm and safe. In such cases,  it is best consult with your veterinarian well in advance of the holiday.

My old akita had mild to moderate anxiety to fireworks. I made sure that he was in a pet-proofed room with the T.V. on and the windows closed. Sometimes I distracted him with toys and games he liked to play. I also used a Thundershirt and distracted him with Nina Ottosson puzzles which seemed to help:

Recommended Reading:

  

Los Angeles Dog Trainer:  http://www.pawsitivefeedback.com

'

Dog Bite Prevention

This week is Dog Bite Prevention Week and here are a few tips to minimize the risk of dog bites:

Learn a dog's stress signals

In my last blog on Canine Body Language I go over some of the common postures and stress signals that dogs exhibit.  Here are a few stress signals to be on the look out for:  frequent yawning, licking lips, ears pulled back, pacing, panting.  If your dog is stressed, do not force them to meet someone they are afraid of.  In a similar vein, learn your dog's aggressive stances.  This could include stiff body, very still body, ears forward, body leaning forward, hackles raised, tight/closed mouth, hard stare, curled lip, growling and snarling.  Here is a video showing some common stress signals:





Respect these signals and remove your dog from the situation that is causing stress by increasing the distance.  Don't worry about offending a stranger.  Your dog's well-being is more important.  If your dog is frequently afraid of strangers, work with a dog trainer or behaviorist to develop a behavior modification program to help your dog feel more at ease around strangers.  It is important to choose a professional who focuses on positive reinforcement methods.  If you meet someone else's dog exhibiting these signals when you approach them, stop and slowly back off to give the dog more space. 

Appropriate Greetings and Interactions

Besides being able to read a dog's body language or stress signals, another factor that can reduce the incidence of dog bites is knowing how to greet a dog in a manner that will put the dog at ease.  Here are a few tips:

1) Stop 5-6 feet in front of the dog.  This is usually the distance that a dog is comfortable with and is also the length of most leashes if the dog is on a walk.

2)   Ask the owner if you can pet the dog.  If the owner hesitates or says the dog is not always friendly, move on.  If you are the owner and you notice that your dog is fearful or showing stress signals, ask the person to stop moving forward and refrain from reaching towards your dog.

3)  Turn your side to the dog  - dogs are often more comfortable when your side is facing them rather than facing them head on.   By turning your side to the dog, it makes them more comfortable to approach you.

4)Let the dog approach you - rather than going towards the dog and invading their space, let them approach you.  If the dog does not want to approach you or shows you the stress signals mentioned above, then leave the dog be and do not try to pet the dog. 

5)  Pet the side of the body or neck - avoid blind spots like the top of the head. Fearful dogs do not like to be petted on top of the head and do not like people hovering over them.  Here is a video showing the steps:

 




Sadly, small children under 9 years old are one of the most frequent recipients of dog bites.  Children move faster than adults and toddlers move in a manner that seems erratic and odd to dogs.  This video from Dr. Sophia Lin and illustrated by Lili Chin (the artist who did the doggie drawings on my website), really captures what a small child seems like from a dog's perspective:



This video highlights the importance of supervision and management when young children and dogs are in the same room or area. There is a tendency for young children to want to hug, kiss or grab dogs much like a stuffed animal and this runs the risk of a bite to the face. It is therefore important to teach children how to appropriately greet a dog.  Most dogs do not like to be hugged or kissed on the face and make it practice not to do this with your own dog. Be vigilant of stress signals and teach your child the appropriate way to approach and handle a dog

This dog is tolerating the hug but is shying away from close contact with the person's face. Notice the flattened ears and head tilting away from the person.  Teach your children appropriate ways to interact with a dog that helps put the dog at ease.

Runners and Bicycles

If you have a dog that reacts to fast moving objects, be vigilant and aware of oncoming runners and cyclists.  Make a point of teaching your dog to sit and stay so that you can step out of the path and give enough space to allow the person to go by.  If you have a dog, that lunges and goes after runners or cyclists, consult with a trainer to help your dog learn to handle people and bicycles moving quickly by them.   When I run or jog behind a person with a dog, I try to give them a heads up several seconds before I approach them to give them a chance to move out of the way and not surprise them.

These are a few tips to help you understand canine body language and how to approach a dog safely.

To Touch or be Touched Part 2

One of the fundamental exercises I teach in my dog training classes is targeting.  Targeting refers to teaching your dog to touch a “target.” It can be an open hand, your fingers or a target stick. It is a simple behavior that has a wide variety of applications and is very versatile. Once you teach your dog to target your hand, it is easy to move on to touching other objects. I like to use the word “touch” as my verbal cue. Teaching your dog to touch a person’s open hand can help with:

1) Overcoming hand shyness and building confidence to approach strangers.  This is great for shy dogs or the fearful dog.

2) Teaching dogs to walk by your side by touching your palm when it is next to your body.

3) Teaching dogs to approach strange objects

4) Teaching dogs to open and shut doors and other objects

5) Teaching dogs to touch or ring a bell to go potty.

6) Teaching dogs to follow your hand to go up ladders, through hoops and other agility props.

7) To help redirect your dog’s attention from something else (barking dog, scary person, etc)

8) Using it as a form of recall (come to you). Many dogs are more responsive to “touch” then the word “come.”

Here is a video explaining how to teach your dog to target and a series of clips showing how the “touch” command can be applied to different circumstances:



Los Angeles Dog Trainer: www.pawsitivefeedback.com

4th of July Safety Tips for your Dog

With 4th of July just around the corner, it is important to keep your pet safe and secure.   Many dogs are afraid of fireworks.  Here are some things to keep in mind to keep your pet safe this holiday:

* Avoid keeping your pet in the yard.  Fearful dogs will try to dig, jump or climb their way out of the yard to escape the noise.  Many dogs get lost and end up in the shelter this way. 

*Make sure that your pet has proper ID in the event that he/she gets lost. Consider microchipping your dog.

*Avoid the temptation to take your dog to fireworks shows or outdoors. A fearful dog could bolt and get lost. Fearful dogs can also get reactive and may react to people and other dogs around them. Play it safe, keep them at home.

*Keep your pets indoors and provide a secure place for your pet stay in.  This can be a crate or a quiet, pet-proofed room in your home that does not receive as much outside noise. Dogs can try to chew their way out of an area when scared so make sure it is a secure area.  Close your windows and front door to shut out outside noises.

*What if you have a new dog or puppy and this is their first 4th of July? Make it a fun time. During those hours when fireworks happen (usually 9 p.m. to midnight here in Los Angeles), play games with your dog. Play fetch or tug of war. Give your dog an interactive toy to play with or work on a Nina Ottoson interactive puzzle with your dog. Click here for examples. This will keep your dog's mind off the noises outside and on the games you are playing.  Here is an example of my dog working on a Tug-A-Jug, she is so preoccupied with working on this toy, outside noises are unlikely to distract her:



*Consider playing music or keep the T.V. on as background noise. There are music CDs that have been created specifically to calm dogs.  The following website, "Through a Dog's Ear" is an example.  Here is a link with some music samples: http://www.throughadogsear.com/samples.htm




*Alternative remedies:  For mild cases, some dogs respond well to flower essences and homeopathic remedies. Bach's Rescue Remedy for pets is one of the older brands out there and can be found in natural pet stores: http://www.rescueremedy.com/pets/ .  For homeopathic remedies you can consult with a homeopathic veterinarian for suggestions and dosage instructions.



*Another calming product is Dog Appeasing Pheromone that can be sprayed on your dog's bedding or as a room atomizer.  It is usually sold in pet stores under the brand name "Comfort Zone." 



*Body Wraps:  some people have reported success with body wraps which in effect "swaddle" your dog.  In her book, "Help for Your Fearful Dog,"  Nicole Wilde discusses a variety of methods of doing this and the proper way of introducing your dog to a wrap.  In addition, there is a product called an "Anxiety Wrap" that is a body vest designed to achieve the same result.  However, you would need to first acclimate your dog to the vest before a storm or fireworks so your dog does not react negatively to wearing the vest.  So, this may be an option to consider if other methods do not work and you have time before next year's holiday to work with your dog on wearing this item.

 

*For severe cases talk to your vet:  For severe cases of anxiety or if your dog is at risk of injuring himself/herself, prescription medication may be necessary to keep your dog calm and safe during this holiday. In such cases,  it is best consult with your veterinarian before the holiday.



My akita has mild to moderate anxiety to fireworks. I make sure that he is in a pet-proofed room with the T.V. on and the windows closed. Sometimes I will distract my pet with toys and games he likes to play.

www.pawsitivefeedback.com