How to Ease Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety

If your dog uses his time alone in the house to bark endlessly, pee on the carpet, or tear up the sofa—and those behaviors are accompanied by depression or stress—your pooch may be suffering from separation anxiety, a very common doggy behavior problem.

Overcoming disorders like separation anxiety takes time, patience and consistency, but it can be done! Just take the following steps, and you’re already on your way.

Make sure the problem is separation anxiety. The first step in tackling behavior issues is to rule out any underlying medical problems that might be causing your pet’s misbehavior. Next, rule out other behavior problems. For example, consider whether your dog’s inappropriate elimination is due to incomplete housetraining.

Take action. So you’re sure the problem is separation anxiety? Try these strategies to address the issue:

1. 1. Keep all greetings relaxed. When leaving, give your dog a pat on the head, say goodbye and leave. Similarly, when arriving home, say hello to your dog and then don’t pay any more attention to him until he’s calm and relaxed.
2. 2. Give your dog a workout. Giving your dog lots of mental and physical stimulation goes a long way toward quelling behavior problems—especially those involving anxiety. Exercise can enrich your dog’s life, decrease stress and provide appropriate outlets for normal behavior. And once she’s all tuckered out, your pal won’t have much energy left to get into trouble.
3. 3. Reward your pooch! Teach your dog to associate your departure with a reward, like a delicious stuffed Kong or other food-dispensing toy. This positive association can help resolve the problem, as well as distract your dog for the first few minutes you’re gone!

 

Image via Wikipedia

Well, this brings puppy love to a whole new level. An 11-month-old red Tibetan mastiff has become the world’s most expensive dog after being purchased in China for 10 million yuan (just over $1.5 million).

Although the specifics of the sale are confidential, the seller divulged that a multi-millionaire coal baron from northern China purchased the Tibetan mastiff, affectionately called “Big Splash,” or “Hong Dong” in Chinese.

“When I started in this business, ten years ago, I never thought we would see such a price,” Mr. Lu of the Tibetan Mastiff Garden in Laoshan, told The Telegraph.

Tibetan mastiffs are an ancient breed long revered as adept guard dogs. This particular Tibetan mastiff puppy is considered “a perfect specimen,” and Lu estimates that the buyer could recoup his investment in the dog in just a few years by hiring it out to other breeders for as much as 100,000 yuan each.

While Tibetan mastiffs have long been a cultural staple revered in Asia, they have increasingly taken on a more heightened role as a status symbol representing affluence in China.

With so many dogs around the world lacking homes and being euthanized in shelters as a result, is it acceptable to place such a high price on a single dog? Or should certain breeds be preserved and considered more valuable than others? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments below.

And remember, if you have a welcoming home to offer to a new canine friend, you don’t need to shell out $1.5 million, but could find a dog just as lovable and in need of a family for far less at PetFinder.com. Please consider adopting from your local shelter

Microwave Doggie Doughnuts – Dog Treat Recipe

• 2 cups Whole wheat flour
• 3 tbs. Oatmeal
• 1 Egg; lightly beaten
• 1 tsp. Garlic powder
• 2/3 cup Beef or chicken broth

Place flour in a bowl, add egg and broth, mix well. Blend in oatmeal and garlic powder. Roll dough into a ball, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2″ thick. Cut with small doughnut cutters. Reroll scraps and repeat. Shape last bits by hand. Arrange rings on a shallow baking dish or on a sheet of parchment paper in a single layer. Cook on high 10 minutes or until firm. Let cool until hardened. Store in covered container when doggies not looking

Our Books About Dogs

Losing weight with your dog can be a lot of fun, and very worthwhile for both of you. I recently started a website on weight loss, because I need to lose  more weight… have already lost some. When I am interested in a topic, I tend to start a website about it! Anyway, recently I did a blog post on that site that I figured would interest readers here too. It’s titled Lose Weight with Your Dog and it quotes studies, links to articles, and mentions a book. I won’t duplicate the articles here, but I will  list here  some good books about exercising with dogs.

Also, if your dog needs to lose weight, see an article I did for this blog a while back, called Is Your Dog Fat?

Click on the images to read more about the books at Amazon:

I’m pleased that this is available for Kindle as well as in paperback… Here’s the blurb about Fitness Unleashed: Research shows that trim pets live up to two years longer than overweight ones—making for a more healthy, vibrant life for your dog.

In a groundbreaking study, top obesity expert Dr. Robert Kushner found that exercising with your dog not only benefits your furry friend, it also gives you more confidence and motivation to exercise, leading to more weight-loss success. Dr. Kushner and prominent veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker have teamed up to present a simple, comprehensive walking program—beginning with just three 15-minute walks per week—that is as good for you as it is for your dog!

With a subtitle of 100 Ways to Work Out with Your Dog, See Spot Run goes into creating a regular fitness program and sticking with it, and then spells out 100 sports, games, and activities you can do with your dog. No matter your level of activity, you and your dog will find some fun here!

The Health Benefits of Dog Walking for People and Pets: Evidence and Case Studies (New Directions in the Human-Animal Bond Series) is a more scholarly work and its price reflects it. Still, I am tempted by the Kindle version which is about half the cost of the hardcover book.

It came from a special 2009 symposium on how human-animal interaction may help fight obesity across the lifespan. The authors present scientific evidence about the benefits of dog walking for improving human and animal health, and case studies of programs that are using this powerful expression of the human-animal bond to combat obesity. The volume is especially valuable as a sourcebook of evidence-based studies for public health professionals treating overweight humans and veterinarians treating obese dogs.

Losing Weight with Your Dog is a post from: Training Dogs Blog

As a DOG lover, my question is should Michael Vick be allowed to play football again?

10 Things Veterinary Professionals Want You to Know About Pet Care

It can be difficult to stay on top of what’s best for your own health and well-being, so knowing what’s good for your pet may seem a little confusing.

Keep your feline friends and canine companions healthy and happy by following these 10 pet care tips the pros want you to know.

1. Regular Exams are Vital

Just like you, your pet can get heart problems, develop arthritis, or have a toothache. The best way to prevent such problems or catch them early is to see your veterinarian every year.

Regular exams are “the single most important way to keep pets healthy,” says Kara M. Burns, MS, Med, LVT, president of the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians.

Annual vet visits should touch on nutrition and weight control, says Oregon veterinarian Marla J. McGeorge, DVM, as well as cover recommended vaccinations, parasite control, dental exam, and health screenings.

2. Spay and Neuter Your Pets

Eight million to 10 million pets end up in U.S. shelters every year. Some are lost, some have been abandoned, and some are homeless.

Here’s an easy way to avoid adding to that number — spay and neuter your cats and dogs. It’s a procedure that can be performed as early as six to eight weeks of age.

Spaying and neutering doesn’t just cut down on the number of unwanted pets; it has other substantial benefits for your pet. Studies show it also lowers the risk of certain cancers, Burns tells WebMD, and reduces a pet’s risk of getting lost by decreasing the tendency to roam.

3. Prevent Parasites

Fleas are the most common external parasite that can plague pets, and they can lead to irritated skin, hair loss, hot spots, and infection. Fleas can also introduce other parasites into your cat or dog. All it takes is for your pet to swallow one flea, and it can to end up with tapeworms, the most common internal parasite affecting dogs and cats.

Year-round prevention is key, says McGeorge, who suggests regular flea and intestinal parasite control, as well as heartworm prevention in endemic areas.

Because some parasite medications made for dogs can be fatal to cats, talk to your vet about keeping your precious pets worm-free, flea-free — and safe.

4. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Many dogs and cats in the U.S. are overweight or obese. And just like people, obesity in pets comes with health risks that include diabetes, arthritis, and cancer.

Overfeeding is the leading cause of obesity, says Douglas, who adds that keeping our pets trim can add years to their lives.

Because pets need far fewer calories than most of us think — as little as 185-370 a day for a small, inactive dog; just 240-350 calories daily for a 10-pound cat — talk to your vet, who can make feeding suggestions based on your pet’s age, weight, and lifestyle.

5. Get Regular Vaccinations

For optimal health, pets need regular vaccinations against common ills, such as rabies, distemper, feline leukemia, and canine hepatitis.

How often your dog or cat needs to be immunized depends on their age, lifestyle, health, and risks, says McGeorge, so talk to your vet about the vaccinations that make sense for your pet.

6. Provide an Enriched Environment

An enriched environment is another key to the long-term health and welfare of your canine and feline friends, says C.A. Tony Buffington, DVM, PhD, a veterinary nutritionist and professor at Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center in Columbus.

Pets need mental stimulation, say the pros, which may mean daily walks for your pooch, and scratching posts, window perches, and toys for your cat. It means play time with you, which not only keeps your pet’s muscles toned and boredom at bay, it also strengthens your bond with your four-footed companions.

7. ID Microchip Your Pet

Lack of identification means as few as 14% of pets ever find their way home after getting lost. Fortunately, “microchipping allows for the pet to be reunited with its family,” no matter how far away it is when found, Burns says.

About the size of a rice grain, a microchip is inserted under the skin in less than a second. It needs no battery and can be scanned by a vet or an animal control officer in seconds.

Be sure to register the chip ID with the chip’s maker. A current registration is the vital last step in making certain your pet can always find his way home.

8. Pets Need Dental Care, Too

Just like you, your pet can suffer from gum disease, tooth loss, and tooth pain. And just like you, regular brushing and oral cleanings help keep your pet’s teeth strong and healthy.

“Dental disease is one of the most common preventable illnesses in pets,” Ohio veterinarian Vanessa Douglas tells WebMD, “yet many people never even look in their pet’s mouths.”

It’s estimated 80% of dogs and 70% cats show signs of dental disease by age three, leading to abscesses, loose teeth, and chronic pain. In addition to regular dental cleanings by your vet, “periodontal disease can be avoided by proper dental care by owners,” Douglas says. Owner care includes brushing, oral rinses, and dental treats. Your vet is a good source of information about brushing techniques, oral rinses, and dental treats.

9. Never Give Pets People Medication

Medicines made for humans can kill your pet, says Georgia veterinarian Jean Sonnenfield, DVM. As a matter of fact, in 2010 the ASPCA listed human drugs in the top 10 pet toxins.

NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen are the most common pet poisoning culprits, but antidepressants, decongestants, muscle relaxants, and acetaminophen are just a few of the human drugs that pose health risks to pets. Human drugs can cause kidney damage, seizures, and cardiac arrest in a dog or cat.

If you suspect your pet has consumed your medication — or anything toxic — call the 24-hour ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Also be sure to immediately check with your vet, and if it is during evening or weekend hours when your regular veterinary clinic may be closed, check for a local 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic and take your pet there for an examination. Many metropolitan areas have these clinics.

10. Proper Restraint in a Vehicle

You buckle up for safety when you’re in the car, shouldn’t your pet? Unrestrained pets in a car are a distraction to the driver, and can put driver and pet at risk for serious injury, “or worse,” says veterinarian Douglas. To keep pets safe in transit:

Never allow pets to travel in the front seat, where they’re at risk of severe injury or death if the airbag deploys.
Don’t let dogs ride with their head out the window or untethered in the back of a truck bed. Both practices put them at risk of being thrown from the vehicle in the event of an accident.
To keep pets safe, confine cats to carriers, suggests Douglas, then secure the carrier with a seatbelt. For dogs, there’s the option of a special harness attached to a seat belt, or a well-secured kennel.