Is Your Dog Allergic To Mosquitoes?

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If you live in the Nashville area you know that we have an abundance of mosquitoes due to the flooding earlier this month.

Some dogs can be allergic to mosquitoes. However, it’s not always easy to know if this is what your dog is allergic to or not.

Mosquito bites on a dog generally look like lots of other insect bites. They may appear as a tiny bump. The bite may or may not get any larger. It may linger for a day or for several days.

However, if your dog is allergic to mosquito bites you can expect your dog to itch, to scratch at the bite, and even to bite at the spot, perhaps until it bleeds. The bites will usually look like lumps or welts if there is an allergic reaction.

To make a definite diagnosis of a mosquito allergy you need to take your dog to a veterinarian. There are several ways your vet can test to find out if your dog has an actual allergy. The most definitive way is by doing a blood test and sending it to a lab where they can match your dog’s blood to find out what he’s allergic to. This will give you a precise answer so you’ll know if your dog is really allergic to mosquitoes.

If you live in an area where mosquitoes are prevalent you will probably want to take some precautions for your dog. Advantix is available by prescription from your veterinarian. It’s a once-a-month topical to prevent fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. You can also use a flea spray that prevents mosquitoes along with the Advantix.

If your dog is having an allergic reaction to mosquito bites you will probably want to call your veterinarian, especially if this is the first time this has occurred. Your vet will probably advise you to give your dog an allergy medicine such as Benadryl but you will need to talk to your vet to find out the proper dosage for your dog’s weight and age.

If your dog has recurring reactions to mosquito bites your vet may recommend giving your dog a prescription allergy medication on a regular basis.

In addition to the agony of the allergic reaction, mosquito bites are dangerous to your dog because they can carry heartworm disease. It’s very important that you keep your dog protected against heartworm if you live in an area where you encounter mosquitoes. Heartworm disease is now found in all parts of the United States. It can be deadly if left untreated.

If you suspect that your dog is allergic to mosquitoes it’s best not to fool around with herbal remedies or so-called “natural” cures. These remedies have a doubtful track record and your dog is suffering. Talk to your vet and use the most effective preventives and treatments possible to make your dog feel better quickly.

Fortunately, most dogs are not allergic to mosquitoes and do not have a strong reaction to an occasional mosquito bite. If your dog does get a mosquito bite you probably won’t even know it. Keep your dog up-to-date on his heartworm medication and you shouldn’t have any problems from mosquitoes.

Until next time…….

Train Your Dog Not To Run Through Open Doors

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Dogs that escape and run through opens doors are at a very high risk of dying. Yes, it’s true and I have known people that lost their dog because of this one bad habit. Don’t let it happen to your dog instead train your dog to do a sit stay at the door and not cross the doors threshold until you invite it out.

Training this exercise is one of the “Manners at the Door” exercises that every good dog should know and every good dog owner should take the time to teach their dog. It really isn’t that hard to do so lets get started.

Ideally this is an exercise that should be taught to your dog early before it learns that it can escape through the door. To get started your dog needs to be able to do a good sit-stay exercise. For this article we will assume that your dog does do a good sit-stay.

Start the training by having your dog do a sit-stay while you open the front door and step out crossing the threshold. In the beginning you can face your dog but do not allow the dog to get up. Continue the training and if your dog is doing well step through the doorway but face away from your dog. It would be nice if you have a helper that can tell you if your dog gets up so that you can correct it. If a helper is not available you can actually use a mirror to help you see what your dog is doing.

The next step is to come up with a word that means for the dog to come through the door. That special word can be a s simple as “Door”. The next time you exit the door wait 15-20 seconds and then invite your dog out with the new door command.

Now here is an important thing to remember. If for example you do this exercise 10 times today you should only use the door command once, maybe twice. We want the dog to expect that the majority of the time it will not be allowed to cross the threshold.

When the training is going well with you right outside the door you will start increasing the distance that you go from the dog. For example your goal should be that you can walk to your mailbox or the curb without your dog running through the door.

Remember that the dog’s safety comes first and we don’t want it running through the door. Using a 30 foot long line attach one end to the dog and the other end to something solid that can hold the dog if it decides to run.

Now with the help of the long line you can continue the training as you are adding more and more distance from the dog. Practice this daily and you will have a dog that is reliable and will not dart out the door the next time the UPS man delivers a package.

Is your dog running through doors?  If so visit us at Canine Behavior Specialists and give us a call, or for our out of town readers  .

Until next time,

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P.S. Do you need some advice from a Canine Behavior Specialist?  If so CLICK HERE now!

About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN.  Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director ofCanine Behavior Specialists Network.

Does Tug-of-War Teach Aggression?

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Many people worry that if they play tug-of-war with their dog (or “tug”) that they will be teaching their dog to be aggressive. They’re afraid that playing tug with their dog can lead to problems with dominance. Are they right to be worried? Does tug-of-war teach aggression?

Actually, many recent studies have shown that dogs who enjoy rough house play with their owners were generally considered better socialized than dogs who didn’t. These dogs also had less separation anxiety. This included games of tug-of-war. These dogs were considered more confident without being “dominant” or “aggressive.” These studies did not find any connection between playing tug-of-war and developing aggression or dominance. (Rooney and Bradshaw, 2003; Goodloe and Borchelt, 1998) J. O’Heare, in Aggressive Behavior In Dogs (2007) writes: “The relationship between tug-of-war and dominance aggression appears to be a myth.” (Ottawa: DogPsych Publishing).

There is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy playing tug-of-war with your dog as long as you establish the boundaries and control the game.

Choose a toy to use for playing tug-of-war. This should be a toy that will withstand some pulling and abuse since your dog will be using his teeth. Make sure not to use a sock or shoe. Even if you use an old sock or shoe your dog won’t be able to distinguish between an item you’ve discarded and one that you’re currently using.

You should always be the one to give the cue for starting a game of tug-of-war. Offer the toy to your dog and say something like, “Tug!” You may have to shake the toy in front of your dog a few times to get him to take it. Once your dog has the toy and is tugging you should enjoy the game for a few moments and then tell your dog to “drop it.” Keep your tone positive and upbeat. Make sure you praise and reward your dog for dropping the toy so he will be willing to drop it the next time you ask. Treats are good. You can also start another game of tug with him as a reward.

If your dog starts to get too worked up or excited with the game you should tell him to “drop it.” This keeps you in control of the game. Be sure to praise and reward your dog for dropping it. If your dog refuses to drop the toy you should simply drop your end of the toy and move away. Your dog can’t play without you. There is no tug unless you pull, too. You should always be the person in charge of when the game starts and stops.

Do remember to always praise and reward your dog for dropping the toy when you tell him to do so.

If your dog tries to take over the game or pesters you to play tug-of-war with him, you should ignore him. Wait until he is doing something else before you offer him the toy. The game should always be your idea, not his.

As long as you control the game you won’t ever have any problems with your dog becoming dominant or aggressive playing tug-of war. You set the boundaries and the rules.

BUT….I still believe that tug-of-war is not good for children and their dogs and can actually lead to some aggression toward the children.

Until next time……..

A New Baby or Child In The House

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Today’s article is in response to several emails I have received asking how to introduce your dog to a new baby in the house or even an older child that has come to live with you.

Believe it or not the answer is really simple.  In fact I’ll spell it out for you right here:

T – R –  A – I – N –  I – N – G

Yes training is the answer.  If you have a well trained dog you will have a dog that knows how to behave in all sorts of situations.  Just like a well behaved child you can take them anywhere and know that they will not embarrass you because they have been trained properly

Teaching your dog some simple commands like sit, down, sit-stay, down-stay and off are really a must.

I’m always amazed how people with a 4 – 5 year old dog wait until 4 weeks before the baby is coming home to decide to get the dog trained.  Even more amazing is when there are 2, 3 or even 4 untrained dogs in the house.

If that sounds like you start now and get those dogs trained.  It’s really not hard and the experience will bring you and your dog closer than you have ever been.  Your dog needs a pack leader and training makes you that leader that he is craving.

Another factor involving children and dogs goes way back to when your dog was a puppy.  It is called:

S – O – C – I – A – L – I – Z – A – T – I – O – N

The period of socialization for a dog is from birth to 20 weeks old.  During the socialization period your dog needs to be introduced to strange environments, new people and children.  Yes, children !  Dogs consider kids as a different creature than adults and it is always great if you can get that pup socialized with kids.

Now keep in mind that when I talk about socializing with kids I don’t mean the kids that your dog lives with because that seems to usually come just naturally, they are part of the pack.  I’m talking about other kids that come to your home as well as kids that your dogs meets away from your house.

One thing to keep in mind is that dogs usually sense that there is a baby in the house and usually seem to be calmer around the newcomer.

With an older child coming into the house treats are always a peace maker.  Use treats to make the new child and the dog best friends by offering treats to build that bond.

Until next time…..

About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN.  Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network, www.K9-University.com

Ear Infections and How To Care For Them

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Ear infections occur all too frequently in dogs. You know the signs:

  • Red, inflamed ears
  • Dog scratching and rubbing at ears
  • A bad, smelly odor from the ears
  • Dark debris in the ear
  • Ears possibly swollen
  • Signs that your dog’s ears are painful to him

Any of these signs can indicate that your dog has an ear infection.

Ear infections are more common in dogs with long, floppy ears and in dogs with lots of hair around their ears. That also means that longhaired dogs are often more susceptible to ear infections. If you take your dog swimming you could be setting him up for an ear infection unless you carefully dry his ears after he gets out of the water.

Ear infections can be bacterial or grow from yeast organisms in your dog’s ears. In either case, the infections love to grow in a dark, warm, moist environment — which perfectly describes your dog’s ears. For dogs with long, floppy ears and long hair around their ears, air flow into the ears is cut off, which encourages yeast and bacteria to grow. That’s why dogs with prick ears, which stand up straight and open to the air, have fewer ear infections.

You can help your dog have fewer ear infections by keeping the hair around his ears trimmed or plucked so air can get into the ear. Trimming the hair with clippers or scissors works fine with many breeds. If you have a wirehaired breed such as a Schnauzer or a Terrier, plucking the hair around the ears works well. It may look painful but plucking this ear hair is no more painful than plucking eyebrows for a human.

You also need to clean your dog’s ears regularly. That means cleaning at least once a month. Once every week or two is better. Use a good ear cleaner from your vet or from a pet supply store.

To clean you dog’s ears simply follow this procedure:

  • Put a few drops of the ear cleaner in your dog’s ears
  • Let the cleaner go to the interior base of your dog’s ear
  • Gently massage the cleaner to loosen wax and debris.
  • Take a small cotton ball and wipe inside your dog’s ear. Don’t dig around with it.
  • You may need to repeat the cleaning process once or twice until the cotton ball comes away clean.

With regular cleaning and keeping the hair around your dog’s ears trimmed, you should be able to avoid ear infections. However, some dogs may get ear infections as the result of allergic reactions to ingredients in their food. If your dog’s ears are clean and he still has recurring ear infections, try changing his food. Switch to a dog food that doesn’t contain some of the common offenders such as corn or wheat. Changing your dog’s food to one that’s better quality and which contains fewer grains or less common grains often clears up ear infections due to allergies

If your dog has an ear infection that won’t go away you should see your vet about the problem. Your dog may have a yeast infection which can be hard to treat. Even with your vet working on it, yeast infections can be hard to get rid of, but your vet will have access to prescription medications that may work.

Bacteria and yeast organisms are present on our dogs at all times. It’s only when the circumstances are right that infections will gain a foothold. Keep your dog’s ears clean, feed your dog a healthy dog food, and keep the hair around his ears trimmed and you can avoid most ear infections.

Until next time….

About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN.  Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network, www.K9-University.com

3 Things That Embarrass Dog Owners

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We all want to be proud of our dogs. That’s one of the reasons we get a dog. We love them and they become almost like a child in some cases. You can see bumper stickers that say “My Dog Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student.” How embarrassing is it then when your dog does something that makes you want to crawl into a hole? You’ve been telling people how smart, how cute, how wonderful your dog is and as soon as they see your dog he does something you hate.

1. Jumping on people. One of the embarrassing things some dogs do is jumping on people. Whether you’re out for a walk or your dog jumps on people when they walk in your door, this is embarrassing behavior. It’s a clear sign that your overly-enthusiastic dog seems to be out of control.

What can you do to stop the jumping behavior? One of the best things you can do to head off jumping behavior is teach your dog the Sit command when she is preparing to jump. It’s best to practice this in a confined area at first. Practice when it’s just you and your dog. Make sure he already knows Sit. When he starts to jump on you tell him to Sit. Depending on how excited he is it may take a few tries to get this right but it will work. Make sure you praise him and give him a reward he really enjoys, whether it’s treats, a favorite toy or lots of petting and attention.

Once your dog is reliably sitting when he starts to jump on you, you can practice having a friend or family member ring your doorbell or knock on your door. Your dog may get very excited again and prepared to jump on them when they enter. Practice having him sit before opening the door. Again, this may take some practice but your dog should get the idea that he is supposed to sit instead of jump. If nothing else, he should be responding to your command to Sit.

Eventually you will move on to the hardest part — teaching your dog to politely sit when he has the urge to jump up on someone he meets in the street or elsewhere. This is an uncontrolled situation so you should always have your dog leashed when you’re out. Make sure that your dog gives you a perfect Sit at home when he has the urge to jump before you try this outside your home.

2. Lunging at Dogs. It’s very embarrassing, not to mention rather dangerous, to have your dog lunging at other dogs when you’re out for a walk. The best way to prevent this problem is by making sure that you socialize any puppy well from an early age. However, if you have a dog that is already lunging at other dogs or people, it’s a little late for socialization. You need to take steps to keep your dog from hurting anyone. You may want to consider whether you should be walking your dog in public and whether you are able to control him.

You should consider whether your dog could have any kind of veterinary condition causing him to lunge or behave aggressively toward others. Your vet may be able to find a physical cause for your dog’s behavior. If not, then you need to consider possible behavioral problems. If your dog lunges at other dogs (or people) on an ongoing basis then you may wish to ask your vet to recommend a dog behaviorist. They may be able to work with your dog and find the problem.

There are some things you can do yourself if your dog lunges at other dogs. Consider a properly fitted muzzle or head collar. A head collar such as a Halti or Gentle Leader is not a good choice for every dog but it does give added control over dogs that lunge and pull their owners. You should be careful about possible neck injuries to your dog when he’s wearing a head collar.

Avoid walking where there may be loose or stray dogs. Your lunging dog doesn’t need an added reason to pull on the leash.

Walk your dog in quiet neighborhoods and more controlled settings.

3. Constant Barking. One thing that frequently embarrasses people with their neighbors is a dog that barks constantly. If your dog is a nuisance barker and you’re outside yelling at him to shut up, the neighbors can become annoyed with both of you very quickly, especially when they’re trying to sleep.

Dogs often bark because they are bored, lonely or frustrated. But there are some dogs that seem to bark to hear the sound of their own voice. The best advice to deal with barking dogs is to make sure that all of their needs are being met on a regular basis. Take away their reasons to bark. Make sure that your dog gets lots of exercise — tired dogs take naps. Make sure that your dog has plenty of fun toys. And, very importantly, spend time training your dog. Obedience training can help keep a dog mentally fit — the opposite of boredom. Spending time training your dog also means that you’re spending time together. When your dog is having all of his needs met he will, hopefully, have less to bark about.

If your dog still stands in the backyard and barks at least he will have had a little obedience training. When you tell him to “Come!” you have a better chance of him actually obeying you and coming inside where he will be quiet.

Simply stated these bad behaviors can all be cured with some good dog training. So call a trainer in your area and train that dog!

Until next time…..