Protect your dog this summer

As seems to happen every year around this time in Australia, the weather is warming up. Summer is a wonderful time of year for both humans and dogs. Long warm days are perfect for spending time outdoors chasing balls, swimming at the beach or just hanging out at the local park. By being mindful of the risks that warm weather presents to our canine friends we can make summer a safer and more enjoyable time for everyone.

A sprinkler is a great way to keep cool

Overheating

Almost all dogs wear a fur coat that helps to insulate them from the elements. The down side of this insulation is that it makes it difficult for dogs to release excess heat from their bodies. Dogs don’t perspire like humans and can only cool themselves by panting, which is far less efficient than the human cooling system.

Heat stress

If a dog is panting excessively and seems agitated, it may be suffering from heat stress.  It should be allowed to rest in a cool place and given water to help it cool down.

Heatstroke

If not treated, heat stress can quickly become heatstroke which is a much more serious condition and can result in seizures, organ failure and death. The dog may become lethargic or unsteady on its feet and may have diarrhoea or be vomiting.  Move the dog to a cool area, apply cool water to the armpits and groin and give it frequent small drinks of water. Get it to a vet as soon as possible.

Your dog will give you signals when it is getting hot so always have fresh water available, watch its behaviour and get out of the heat before it becomes a problem.

Sunburn

Despite their genetic predisposition towards overdressing, dogs are generally not inclined to wear hats or shirts and can suffer from sunburn and skin cancer.

While light coloured dogs with fine coats such as boxers and bull terriers are particularly susceptible, any dog that spends time in the sun (and that should be every dog) has some level of risk.

Unprotected or minimally protected parts of the dog such as noses, ear tips and – if your dog likes to sunbathe on its back – belly and groin areas can be protected with sunscreen. There are a variety of sunscreen creams, sprays and wipes available for dogs and as for humans they should be reapplied periodically or after swimming. Human sunscreens are not recommended for dogs as many contain ingredients that may be toxic to dogs. If in doubt speak to your vet.

Foot preservation

When walking your dog in summer, remember that sun-baked surfaces can get extremely hot. Footpaths and roads are best avoided in the heat of the day and even beach sand can get hot. While we’re talking about surfaces to avoid, watch out for bindies, as they can be as painful for dogs as they are for humans.

Pests and parasites

Summer is also a popular time of year with parasites and insects that feed on dogs.

Ticks

A paralysis tick can paralyse and kill a dog in a few days so in tick affected areas it is essential to treat dogs with a preventative product and check for ticks daily. Weakness or wobbliness in the back legs is often an early sign of tick paralysis and should be assessed by a vet.

Fleas

Fleas cause annoying itching for dogs and humans and can cause allergies and secondary infections. Serious infestations may require treatment of entire houses and gardens but in most cases just treating the dog is sufficient.

Flys

Some species of fly will bite dogs to feed off their blood. Usually the ears are attacked as they have blood vessels close to the surface but any part of the dog may be a target. Effected areas can quickly become sore, scabby and infected and may require veterinary treatment. Commercial insect repellent sprays and creams are available and many home remedies are also effective.

Tips

• Always provide access to plentiful fresh drinking water.
• Don’t exercise dogs during the middle of the day.
• Always provide cool shady areas for dogs to get out of the heat.
• Ensure tick, flea and worm treatments are up to date.
• Apply and re-apply sunscreen and insect repellents as required.

Your local Saxon K9 consultant is always happy to help with any dog-related question. Please contact us if we can help.

How to train your human

A lesson for dogs?

If dogs could read, and were the only ones to read this post, my work here would be redundant. Dogs, you see, are born with an instinctive ability to train humans.

They know we can't say no

“But isn’t it the other way around?” I hear you ask, “Don’t the humans train the dogs?” The short answer is no. And yes. Sometimes. While many of us share our lives with dogs, and put varying amounts of time and energy into shaping their behaviour (with varying levels of success), our training efforts are far from instinctive.

Humans have been cursed with excessively large brains and a need to understand and rationalise everything. This can actually be a hindrance when trying to motivate nature’s perfect hedonist.

Dogs on the other hand, just seem to know how to get what they want. If a dog wants a pat, he knows he just has to go and drop his head in a human’s lap. If he wants his belly scratched he just has to roll over and stick his feet in the air. If he wants to be chased around the park, he knows to run away from his human.

Even when we are training our dogs, they still have the last laugh, “I’m only sitting because I want the treat/pat/toy you’re going to give me when I do.”

So now that we know how our dogs have trained us, how can we use this to our advantage? As in the sitting example above, the dog learns to do what the human wants in order to get what he wants. Now that we know this, we can see what the dog wants by how it behaves. Once we know what the dog wants, we can use this to reward the dog for doing what we want.

If your dog puts his head in your lap and stares lovingly into your eyes, he obviously wants a pat. Before you give him what he wants, make him do something for you (it doesn’t have to be hard). Once he does it he gets his pat. Everybody wins.

If you practise this, you’ll get used to making your dog work for his reward and he’ll be more inclined to follow your instructions.

Obviously there’s going to be some days when you just need a big furry cuddle and that’s one of the great joys of dog ownership. But by making him work for your affection whenever possible you’ll both enjoy a more mutually rewarding relationship.

Fortunately dogs can’t read so I’m writing this comfortable in the knowledge that my furry friends will never find out that I’m the one who blabbed.

The most important thing to teach your dog

What does a dog need to know? Is it important that he can sit, stay, roll over and shake hands? Should he be able to bring in the newspaper or play dead? Some of those things are very useful, some will impress your friends but for my money there is only one thing that absolutely every pet dog should know.

That one thing is a bulletproof recall. A dog that comes immediately when he’s called anywhere, anytime and in any situation is a pleasure to own. Yes, it takes some work to achieve but if you put the time in you’ll find it’s well worthwhile and it might just save your dog’s life.

Q. But isn’t it more important for my dog to stay so he won’t run away?
A. If you can call him back it doesn’t matter if he runs away.

Q. Shouldn’t I teach him to stay off the road?

A. You can call him back before he gets to the road.

Q. What about chasing cats, fighting, jumping on people, etc.?

A. When you can reliably recall your dog, you can prevent or stop any of these behaviours by simply calling him away.

Q. So all I need to do is teach my dog to come when I call?

A. If you only want to teach your dog one thing, then yes. But you also need to ensure that he will come reliably in any situation. You also need to make sure that you are always around to call your dog out of harm's way.

When you know they'll come back, you can all enjoy the freedom

A more sensible solution is to teach other useful behaviours like stay and keeping off the road in addition to your bulletproof recall but the recall is the most important.

In my experience people like to train the easy fun things like sit and shake hands before they worry about recall. They think “he always comes in from the other room when he hears me open the dog food so he’ll be alright.” Then they take him to the beach or the dog park and have to chase him around for hours trying to get the leash back on him.

So teach the recall first, practise it every day wherever you go with all kinds of distractions - and keep reinforcing it forever. You’ll be glad you did.

Recall tips:

• Start simple in the backyard or the house, when he can do that you can try the front yard. Don’t challenge him too early.

• Never call your dog back to punish him – you’ll only make him less inclined to come in future.

• Call your dog frequently, give him a pat and let him go free again – if he only ever gets called so you can put his lead on and take him home, he’ll work it out fairly quickly.

• Don’t call him if you don’t expect him to come – standing at the park repeatedly calling your dog’s name while he runs around with his friends achieves two things, 1. You feel stupid and 2. He learns to ignore you. Until he has reliably learnt the recall it’s best not to call.

• When you’re practising recall on lead don’t let him get to the end of the lead before you call him back – he needs to learn to come for the call not the pull.

Seven steps to choosing your perfect dog.

Dogs are wonderful companions. I believe that every home should have at least one. But this only works if you have the right dog (and the right home). Owning a dog that doesn’t suit your family and your lifestyle is often worse than having no dog at all.

So how do you find the perfect dog for your family?  Try the Saxon K9 seven-step programme.

Step 1: Know yourself. Do you really have the time and patience to commit to a dog for the next ten to twenty years? Do you have, or can you acquire, the skills necessary to train and care for a dog? What type of personality are you? You need to know so you can choose a dog with a complimentary personality (or dogality).

Step 2: Be patient. People will often spend weeks researching a new car or washing machine but they’ll rush into buying a dog because they saw his picture in the paper or she was so cute in the pet shop window. A dog is not a car or a washing machine; a dog is a member of the family. As the only family member you get to choose, it’s important to take the time to make the right decision.

Step 3: Make a list of your favourite dog breeds. It doesn’t matter how long or short your list is. It doesn’t matter why you like certain breeds or dislike others. If it’s going to be a family dog, you should all make the list together because it’s important for the whole family to connect with the dog.

Step 4: Research. Once you have your short (or long) list, do some research and find out as much as you can about each of the breeds. Find out how much exercise grooming, training, food and care each needs. If any need more time or resources than you can commit, cross them off your list now. Find out the origin of each breed, expected lifespan and any genetic issues that may be common in those breeds. This information may affect your choice.

Step 5: Decide what you want to do with the dog. If you want to participate in particular activities with your dog, it’s best to get a dog that’s been bred or at least has an appropriate size and demeanour for that sort of work. For example, if you want a dog you can carry around in your handbag, don’t get a Rottweiler. If you want to compete at a high level with your dog, you may need to look for a dog from particular bloodlines. If any on your list are inappropriate, you can cross them off too.

Step 6: Decide if you want a puppy or a more mature dog. Puppies are cute and cuddly but they don’t stay small for long. They also need toilet training and a lot of work before they settle down. Mature dogs are often more settled and may already be trained but they may bring personality issues from their past lives.

Step 7: Do you want to rescue a dog or buy from a breeder? There are thousands of shelters around and most breeds have their own rescue organisations. Adopting a dog from a shelter is usually cheaper and will often save a dog’s life. If you want to buy a dog from a breeder, it’s a good idea to contact the breed club and get references. If someone is breeding dogs and is not associated with the breed organisation, there may be a reason.

Tips:
Do not go to a breeder or shelter until you know what you want and you’re ready to buy. Those puppy eyes can be too hard to resist and you may end up bringing home the wrong dog.
Speak to your chosen breeder or shelter staff and find out about their dogs. Let them help you to choose a dog with the right temperament for your family. They will know the dogs much better than you can and they should always want to bring the right people and dogs together. If you feel like they just want to offload any dog on you, look somewhere else.
All dogs will need some work from you. There is no such thing as a dog that doesn’t require training, exercise and stimulation. But, as with any quality investment, if you commit for the long term, your life will be greatly enriched.