Some Other Puppy
Tips
The Crate As A Safe Den
People use crates for lots of reasons, like to help with housetraining
or traveling. Our dogs use theirs to sleep in at night. We just leave
the door open in case they want to come out.
Crates are also a great place of escape for them when a dog's world seems
scary. Like when there is a big thunderstorm, the crate is the perfect size
and shape to crawl into and feel protected from the noise and lights.
Even a socialized dog that is used to having three or four people come
over to visit can be overwhelmed when all the relatives arrive for a
holiday - crates come to the rescue. Crates not only give your dog
a place to feel extra safe, they come in handy to actually keep them
out of danger.
For
thousands of years, dogs have had the instinct to den - so providing
them with a safe den seems like the least we owners can do. The crate
is cleaner than a hole in the ground, and it has the added benefit of
being portable and lockable. Dogs are less likely to bark when they
can see less, and they feel more protected when "danger"
can't see them.
What can make a wire crate feel as safe and cozy as a
den includes a soft pad to sleep on and a tie-on cover. We prefer the
carrier because it is solid (with ventilation holes). With either one,
you just need it to be large enough for the dog to be able to change
position. A larger one feels less like a safe den and adds the risk of
it being used as a bathroom.
Emergency Remedy for Swallowed Objects
What do you do if your puppy (or mischievous older
dog) gets into your holiday decorations and eats some of the glass
ornaments? This potentially lethal mishap can darken even the
brightest holiday season.
BEFORE the holiday go to
a pharmacy and buy a box of cotton balls. Be sure that you get COTTON
balls...not the cosmetic puffs that are made from man-made fibers.
Also, buy a quart of half-and-half coffee cream and put it in the
freezer. Should your dog eat glass ornaments. Defrost the
half-and-half and pour some in a bowl. Dip cotton balls into the cream
and feed them to your dog.
Dogs under 10 lbs should eat 2 balls
which you have first torn into smaller pieces. Dogs 10-50 lbs should
eat 3-5 balls and larger dogs should eat 5-7. You may feed larger dogs
an entire cotton ball at once. Dogs seem to really like these strange
treats and eat them readily.
As the cotton works its way through the
digestive tract it will find all the glass pieces and wrap itself
around them. Even the teeniest shards of glass will be caught and
wrapped in the cotton fibers and the cotton will protect the
intestines from damage by the glass.
Your dog's poop will be really
weird for a few days and you will have to be careful to check for
fresh blood or a tarry appearance to it. If either of those symptoms appear you should rush your dog to the vet for a
checkup but, in most cases, the dogs will be just fine.
More safety tips like these are available here.
Bath Time
Some dogs get
pretty scared in the bathtub. They jump around, slip and fall, shiver and shake, and
are simply miserable. In the process, you can get even wetter than
they do. You spend most of the bathtime pushing and pulling just to
keep him from jumping out of the tub and within your reach.
Instead of a bath, give him a shower. This is especially good if you
have a hand-held shower head. Your dog should feel much more relaxed
and less scared standing on firm ground than in a tub of water. You
will probably stay much drier and may even get less of a backache.
Your dog can get just as clean and get a more thorough rinse, and the
wetting and rinsing process is so much quicker. Dry him off in the
shower also so, when he shakes, most of this water will stay inside
the shower instead of all over your bathroom.
Feeding Your Dog Table Scraps Is Not Always
Healthy
Some people food is not good for dogs (especially
chocolate!), some people food is too fattening, and any amount of
people food he eats lessens the amount of dog food he will eat -
lessening his intake of the nutrients he needs. If you run out of dog
food, cat food will do in a pinch. And, it contains even more vitamins
and minerals than dog food.
Trip to the Vet
If your dog doesn't like
his nails clipped or the trip to the vet to get his shots, do your very best not to call him to you just
before these things happen.
Instead, just walk over and pick him up (or connect
the leash to his collar if he is too large) and go. This way, he won't
connect coming to you when you call him with the things he doesn't
like - which could stop him from coming to you at all.
By the same
token, if you call your dog and he runs through the entire house
before coming, don't scold him when he does finally get to you. You
don't want him to think he'll get a scolding every time he comes when
you call him. In fact, start praising him as soon as he starts to
come, which should encourage him instead.
Separation Anxieties
You'll know if yours does if he was destructive while
you were gone or if your neighbors tell you he barked all day. You can
teach him to cope, while reassuring him that you will come back - both
leading to much better behavior and a much happier dog.
Just like
with his first "stay" lesson, make the session so short that he is
able to succeed. Then, make each session a little longer. He will
relate your keys, coat or purse with your long absences, so be sure to
take them as you normally would. When your dog is calm and relaxed,
leave the room.
Give no good-byes, and don't make a fuss. Take your
keys and go into the bathroom for two minutes. When you return, ignore
him, put the keys down, and go back to your quiet time together. Don't
make it a big deal before or after, and he may not either.
Also, the
time was short enough for him to put together your leaving and
returning. Later, make your bathroom stay last about five minutes, and
eventually get up to at least ten minutes. Next time, leave the house
and stay out for about two minutes.
Then, continue these sessions
until you are gone longer and longer. After each session, he should
feel less panic and anxiety while he is alone, and
more confidence that you will return. Your coming and going will
eventually become just a normal occurrence. It is also helpful to have
a few of his toys in the room in case he feels the need to chew on
something.
Excess Tears
A dog's excess tears can be caused by many things,
including blocked tear ducts, abnormal eyelashes, corneal ulcers, a
tumor or cyst on the lids or eyes, a foreign object lodged behind the
eyelids, dyes in dog food, or dyes in dog bowls.
A wet area on the
face, no matter what the underlying cause of the wetness, can be a
breeding ground for bacteria and yeast. And, bacterial infections
commonly occur at the tear ducts, causing excess tears.
Ptirsporum, a
red yeast bacteria, is at the root of most yeast infections, and a
yeast infection is the most common cause of tear stains. Tear stains
also often occur at the same time as a gum infection or ear infection.
Staining can also occur on a dog's paws from licking and around his
mouth from infected saliva.
You could continually wash away your
dog's tear stains, but that affects only the result not the cause.
Putting a teaspoon of Natural Apple Cider Vinegar per quart of water
in your dog's water bowl can clear up most active yeast infections and
prevent future infections.
Tug of War
Most of us love to play tug of war with our puppies,
but, they simply don't know the difference between that
great rope with knots that pet stores sell for tug of war and your
favorite shoe.
This is where you need to show your superior intellect.
You need to never, ever let anyone play tug of war with the puppy or
you need to teach him to let go on command right from the very
beginning.
Otherwise, he will dig his teeth into your favorite shoe
deeper and deeper as you try to grab it away from him. Tug of war can
also cause him to become possessive enough to snap at someone when
they try to take a toy from him/her.
Learning to let go on command
could even save his life someday if he were to pick up something
poisonous or sharp. You may even need to have him release his bite on
a person someday.
