Dogs are more resilient than we may think!

A friend had to rush her 7-year-old agility dog to the emergency vet recently. He had to stay in for loads of tests (I guess they’re insured!) and the vet was very glum about his prognosis.

Talking informally to a vet she does agility with, however, gave a very different story. That vet, giving a private opinion, reckoned her dog would be up and working again in no time.

And indeed he’s back home after a few days and the owner’s having difficulty keeping him quiet!

Vets are naturally gloomy, on the whole. The younger the vet, I find, the gloomier. Older, more experienced, vets have more actual history to draw on. 

This is partly because vets see a lot of sick dogs.

And it’s partly to do with their insurance and litigation fears.

But they do see the worst cases, with the worst outcomes.

Lacy had a stroke

My Lacy, who is now 15, had her third or fourth (I forget) stroke a few months ago. She could barely totter, head all crooked.

We didn’t trouble the vet.

10 days later she was trotting ahead of me on walks. And a few days after that she was able to do the stairs unsupervised. 

Dogs have their own agenda. 

They don’t worry ahead to how their life may change. 

They just know they want to get from here to over there, and they get on with it. 

Naturally we have to defer to our vet’s knowledge. If you ask their advice you should listen!

But take their gloomiest predictions with a pinch of salt.

Let nature decide.

And enjoy your dog while you can. 

What food can I give my dog?

I’m back beating the drum again!

FOOD!

DOG FOOD!

We know that so much of the food that is pushed on us by giant manufacturing concerns is undermining human health. The British Government is now clamping down on what may be advertised on tv at times when children will be watching.

So no more burgers, chips, battered food, skeatos, meatos, freakos, chocolate, ice cream, biscuits, and so on, will be appearing on our screens shortly.

This is good news for the nation’s health!

But who is looking after our pets’ health?

Not the big manufacturers, for sure. Of course, they say that their stuff is the best - but they would, wouldn’t they.

When it comes to the health of our dogs, it’s up to us to work it out.

I’m doing my best to make you aware of the hazards and traps that are set for us. Here are some of the posts I’ve written to guide you:

Is raw feeding safe for my dog? Let’s get to the Bare Bones

How much should I feed my dog?

Beware the deadly mince pie! Christmas hazards for dogs

Keep your dog and your Christmas food safe!

What are the most effective dog treats?

“My dog doesn’t like food”

Dog feeding frenzy!

I'm not spending good money on a DOG!

What are the most effective dog treats?

And I’m revisiting this subject now because it’s coming up to the festive season - when there is unsuitable food all over the place - and you may be given dangerous toys or chews for your dog by well-meaning people who don’t know what we know.

First of all, Christmas food on the forbidden list

🦴 Cooked poultry and ham bones

🦴 Chocolate

🦴 Avocado

🦴 Grapes

🦴 Raisins

🦴 Bread/pizza dough

🦴 Christmas Cake

🦴 Mince Pies

🦴 Alcohol

🦴 too much of anything

Even a small amount of any of these things could have you spending an anxious Christmas with your dog in intensive care. And he may not survive.

So what CAN I give him?

Lacy is nearly 15 and has a full set of white gnashers

When it comes to foods, check out the articles listed above to help you make your choice.

I choose to feed a varied raw diet for my four dogs. It works out ridiculously cheaply if you put a bit of effort into sourcing, and my dogs all live to a great old age with all their teeth white and intact. (I don’t clean their teeth, the bones do.)

But there are plenty of good quality foods available if you don’t want to go down the raw route. I recommend you check out www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk This is a British site run by a Canine Nutritionist. BUT most of these foods are international, and there’s even a recipe generator there which will assess any food you key in. So, just copy down the list of ingredients on your bag of food and see how they rate it. You want to aim for 85%.

I can also heartily recommend to UK readers the foods, treats and chews you can get here:

Skippers Use this code for 30% off your order!

Butternutbox Use this code for a completely free supply of meals for your dog! (It’ll last days or weeks, depending on the size of your dog)

And to find out more about what’s really in all those prettily-packaged foods and chews you see on the groaning shelves of your local supermarket or pet store, check out the Resources below.

But be prepared to have a few frights!

Don’t berate yourself for having given your dog these things in the past. The past is gone. Just be sure you know how to avoid them in the future!

And if you’re starting out afresh with a new puppy - check out this book which gives you the lowdown on when, how, and what to feed

RESOURCES:

🐶 Skippers: Use this code for 30% off your order!

🐶 Butternutbox: use this code for a completely free supply of food for your dog! (It’ll last days or weeks, depending on the size of your dog)

🐶 All about dog food Check out that food before you buy it!

🐶 Rawhide Chews for Dogs

🐶 Ingredients to Avoid in Dog Treats | Harmful & Unsafe Ingredients

🐶 Finding the Right Rawhide Chew For Your Dog

🐶 Becker, Karen. “Dogs Love These but They Can Crack Teeth and Become a Choking Hazard.” Healthy Pets, :, 10 June 2018

🐶 Burke, Anna. Are Rawhide Chews Dangerous for Dogs? American Kennel Club, 21 May 2020,
de Godoy, Maria R C et al. “In vitro disappearance characteristics of selected categories of commercially available dog treats.” Journal of Nutritional Science vol. 3 e47. 10 Oct. 2014, doi:10.1017/jns.2014.40, In vitro disappearance characteristics of selected categories of commercially available dog treats

🐶 Home Cooking Options for Dogs, Dodds, Jean. “Bones.” Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog, Tumblr, 31 Mar. 2015.

🐶 “The benefits, though, are tooth cleaning, fresher breath, physical exertion, and mental stimulation for the dog.”
 
Hooda, S et al. “In vitro digestibility of expanded pork skin and rawhide chews, and digestion and metabolic characteristics of expanded pork skin chews in healthy adult dogs.” Journal of Animal Science vol. 90,12 (2012): 4355-61. doi:10.2527/jas.2012-5333,  


🐶 Pell, Sheila. The Dangers of Rawhide Dog Chew Toys. The Bark, 18 Feb. 2020, https://thebark.com/content/dangers-rawhide-dog-chew-toys

🐶 United Pet Group Voluntary Recalls Multiple Brands of Rawhide Chew Products for Dogs Due to Possible Chemical Contamination. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 8 Feb. 2018.

Counterconditioning doggy fears!

Counterconditioning: IT’S NOT A RACE!

As you may know from personal experience, Counterconditioning and Desensitisation can have marvellous results.

And as you also may know - it takes time!

Don’t be like the reader who told me “I tried that once and it didn’t work”. You need to incorporate it into your daily life with your dog.

You may have read this blogpost of mine from last April:

https://www.brilliantfamilydog.com/blog/do-you-ask-your-dogs-permission-for-handling-him

which explains what to do. In this case I was faced with a fearful dog who did not like his feet being touched at all.

We’ve slowly moved on, just a small bit at a time, and now I am allowed to clip AND grind both Yannick’s front feet!

For the first time he allowed himself to be upended on my lap, when previously it was like trying to wrestle a clawed dragon. He’s since shown that he’d prefer to stay on the ground, so that’s where we do ‘em.

So … we got there in the end!

Smash and Grab!

I was shocked to see a dog trainer’s website recently . . . well, she calls herself a “dog behaviourist, Reactivity and Aggression Specialist” but shows NO qualifications whatever.

Coco steps forward to take his meds

And she said, as one of her benefits, "No need for bulk buying sessions rarely more than two needed"

I dread to think how she transforms a reactive, fearful, and aggressive dog in TWO SESSIONS.

I think we can guess. 😳 💥

And I, for one, am happy to take as long as it takes to bring my dog with me and change his experience of the world for the better.

Want to get started with this?

You can certainly start with The Bucket Game, as shown in the video in this post on treating your dog with respect.

Or you can go much deeper in From Growly Dog to Confident Dog.

Take a look at our free Masterclass for Growly Dogs to get you started!

How safe is your dog’s walk?

There he was, taking his dog for a walk. His ear was glued firmly to his phone, and in his other hand was a ball launcher.

He hurled the tennis ball a good 80 yards where it landed amongst some other dog walkers he hadn’t noticed. His dog plunged to grab the ball - oblivious of the other dogs who fortunately stepped back - spun and hurtled back, dropping the ball panting, his sides heaving, at his owner’s feet.

And said owner carried on talking to his phone, so the dog barked and barked at him. Eventually he noticed, picked up the ball with the stick, and flung it again without looking, for the dog to race after - thereby building barking into the “exercise”.

THIS IS NOT A COMPANIONABLE WALK!

And while that owner came home with an exhausted dog who then left him in peace to talk on his phone all evening, it was also not good exercise.

There’s a catalogue of ailments that can come from repeated use of a ball-thrower. See what this frustrated Canine Physiotherapist wrote after treating pain in yet another dog with arthritis in wrists and feet due to repeatedly chasing balls launched from one of these pernicious gadgets:

“The repetitive strain of persistently chasing after the ball and jarring their front legs as they reach it, to pick it up causes horrendous damage to joints, ligaments, and muscles. This will eventually lead to osteoarthritis in your dog’s carpal, elbow and/or shoulder joints.

“Most dogs tend to always turn one way after they have caught the ball, so they will also have a pattern of tension and muscle over-development/tension down one side of their spine. This is not only very sore it is also predisposing them to Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) – major surgery, which if they survive it is highly likely to leave them with some degree of paralysis.

“If your dog jumps up in the air to catch the ball, it’s highly likely to rupture it’s cruciate ligament(s); damage one or more discs in the back or tear or strain back muscle or the junctions with the spine with more movement ie sacroiliac or lumbosacral joints which will ultimately lead to Spondylosis, lumbosacral disease or nerve damage.”  Lisa Cleeton, Canine Physiotherapist:

And with my trainer hat on, I can tell you that this type of exercise is not building any bond with you whatever!

The dog becomes fixated on the ball. He is not experiencing his surroundings. He is not relating to them, to you, or to any other dogs or people he passes.

You are building an obsessional behaviour which can become disabling - and very annoying.

Furthermore, it’s a danger!  Another dog who has been made ball-mad and ball-possessive may well take exception to this intrusion.

Chucking the ball thoughtlessly into the midst of other dog walkers could end in a dramatic fight.

So why do people do it?

I often wonder!

Why dd they get a dog if all they want to do is prevent interaction with it?

Fact is, it’s a lazy option. They think that hurling a ball for a dog to chase to exhaustion is a dog walk.

What pleasure they are missing out on!

The beauty of the dog

Enjoying the beauty of our canine companions is a vital part of a dog walk. You’re enjoying this walk together!

Seeing your dogs explore, using their noses as well as their eyes, can open up the natural world for you.

And repeatedly rewarding check-ins and recalls, both prompted and spontaneous, will not only strengthen your bond together, but will give you a cracking recall which will work when you really need it.

So what else can I do on walks?

I enjoy playing frisbee with my dogs from time to time. By no means on every walk, and not for very long either. And it’s a great 5-minute break in the garden, giving pleasure to all of us. Each dog has his or her own frisbee, so we never run the risk of mid-flight collisions.

But first I taught each of them to catch the frisbee, right in front of me. And before I even did that, I learnt how to throw the frisbee myself, so it would float in the air over the dog so they can catch it as it falls, on the run with no “braking”, or they can leap through the air in a gentle arc to catch it and land safely on the ground.

When they bring it back to me, they need to hold it still so I can take it without my fingers being snapped off. Then we may do a bit of heelwork, or recall, or general impulse control and turn-taking. It’s very much a two-way conversation, playing with these frisbees!

Before I would consider taking the frisbees out with me, I check the state of the ground. Rock-hard summer ground, or frozen winter ground would both be contra-indicated. Though snow on the ground makes for nice soft landings!

For the frisbee itself, I choose soft silicone or fabric. Hard plastic can cause their mouths to bleed. Not fun.

And when we’ve had enough chasing, I tuck them into my walking belt and on we go.

Seek and you shall find

Another great dog walk activity is nosework of any kind. I’ll return to that another day to get you started!

How to teach Fetch!

And to learn how to get your dog to retrieve cleanly and happily, here is the definitive step-by-step book for you:

Fetch it! Teach your Brilliant Family Dog to catch, fetch, retrieve, find, and bring things back!

Here’s how it worked for Lexi and Erin!

Hi Beverley, 

I just wanted to share this little video with you of Lexi fetching. As you may remember, she had zero interest or idea what to do when a toy was thrown, and she was afraid of objects being thrown (she is still afraid of balls ...) but using what you lay out in your book, here she is! Fetching! And she has even started “asking” to play fetch.

Thank you so much for helping me figure out how to teach Lexi and giving us a new way to interact. :)  EM

Just before you start teaching Fetch, you will enjoy teaching these other games to your dog: video lessons that are easy to follow, and they work!

How Lois perfected her lead-walking, fast

Lois the Miniature Schnauzer was just one year old when she arrived in my free online Workshop in January with her owner Carol. She had some “growly issues” and Carol was hoping to improve life with her beloved puppy with some new skills.

They so enjoyed the Workshop that Carol went on to join an online course of mine to continue her progress. And progress she did!

Here’s what she posted just five weeks after starting the course:

Gold Star Day!

This afternoon Lois and I have been to the pub!! .... yes the PUB, on our OWN!! 

We only stayed 15 minutes, but it’s a start and I shall now do it once or twice each week with her.

She was impeccably behaved, straight down on her mat, where she stayed, chomping away on her rice bone - didn’t bother anyone.

I have never been in a pub by myself, always felt too uncomfortable. It’s great fun - she’s taking me places I would never have dreamt of going to alone, and I’ll continue with the short visits for as long as it takes. Short bus trip soon I think as well.

Here’s a picture of Lois minding her own business on her mat on her very first pub visit! Matwork is an important part of the training I give, and this is one of the reasons it’s so popular.

I was delighted to see that Lois was now opening up a new world for Carol, one where she gave her owner the confidence to try new things, visit new places, enjoy companionship, safe in the knowledge that her dog could handle herself perfectly and not cause her embarrassment or anxiety.

Then Carol was back a couple of weeks later with this outstanding video of Loose Lead Walking in her town. She said, “Can’t believe the change in my dog - so proud of her!”

Notice the soft, loopy lead in this video, and Lois’s frequent check-ins with Carol, complete with a sit when she pauses. Nicely done Lois!

One of the by-products of this improved relationship between owner and dog is that Lois’s reactivity is much diminished:

Our growly girl Lois is MUCH less growly now!! My theory is her impulse control is tons better, and also her focusing (on me) when we are out, plus we are BOTH much more relaxed.

Aaah!

And the icing on the cake for me was this post from Carol after she completed the course and thanked all her new friends in the group:

We’ve completely finished the course, and Lois is our neighbourhood star as her loose lead walking is absolutely spot on now.

Thank you Beverley and everyone for your continued support.

Want to know how Carol achieved all this, so quickly? Watch our free Workshop and learn something exciting!

If you’re already a subscriber at Brilliant Family Dog, you’ll be hearing about it direct. And if you’re not yet receiving my informative and quirky emails - well, you know what I think about that … you should come hang out with us! Sign up for the Workshop and you’ll get all this fun info!

Dog or Puppy problems? Get your free 8-lesson email course and solve them all painlessly!

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Are you thinking of neutering your dog?

There’s a lot more to neutering than just preventing procreation. A huge lot more. But people seldom consider these side-effects in their dogs when deciding to get them “fixed”.

I actually hate that term “fixed”. It suggests that the dog arrived in some way faulty and has to have his or her insides rearranged to make him or her acceptable. This is crazy!

The dog arrives in a perfect state. If we want to alter our dog to suit ourselves, we should be prepared to admit this to ourselves and not in some way blame the dog for being wrong.

There are times when neutering is a good idea and times when it is a very, very bad idea. I’ll break these down for you, in terms of the effects.

How will neutering affect my dog’s body?

There are some medical issues where neutering is the wisest or only course to keep the dog healthy - or just alive. Infection of the uterus in a bitch, and an undescended testicle in a dog would be two of these. One is acute, the other chronic.

There are arguments that this or that cancer or condition is more likely in an unneutered dog. But there are arguments of equal weight which say that this or that other cancer or condition is more likely in a neutered dog. The percentages are tiny in either case.

The other thing to consider here is how removal of the sex hormones affect the physical development of the dog’s skeleton. The growth plates close with sexual maturity, somewhere around 9-18 months of age. So the effect of early neutering - before this age - can be relative elongation of the long bones and consequent disruption of articulation in the joints. The net result can be less efficient movement (no good if you got your dog for working or performance) and then joint problems in later years (no good for anyone).

For this reason alone I think that neutering of either sex shouldn’t be contemplated till the dog is sexually mature. For bitches that would mean a few months after the first season at the earliest. Dogs would need to be 10 months to 3 years, depending largely on the size of the breed. The larger the dog, the longer it takes to mature.

I have now reached the limit of my medical knowledge, so I’ll move on to an area where I’m more comfortable!

How will neutering affect my dog’s mind?

The key thing for me is the effects neutering can have on how your dog is, on a day-to-day basis.

Many people believe that neutering their dog will calm them down. In fact, studies have shown that the opposite is true! Your neutered dog or bitch is likely to be more excitable than an intact dog. So please kick that one to the kerb.

There has been a lot of scientific research over recent years. Studies have to cover a lot of dogs for a lot of years to be of any use, so they take a long time to emerge. I list a load of them in the Resources below. 

My main interest is how neutering can affect reactivity. As you’ll see from some of these studies, neutering can have a big impact on this!

“It has been shown, in a number of recent scientific studies, that neutering - especially early neutering - will increase sound sensitivity, touch sensitivity, fears, and aggression, in both males and females. In some cases that increase is “significant” or “highly significant”. People-directed aggression in females, for instance, was significantly elevated in the neutered bitches studied. (See the Resources Section for chapter and verse on this.) That’s what those studies found. A lot more research is needed to get more answers, and these studies can take years to produce reliable results.

These unfortunate outcomes are - of course - not guaranteed to happen if you neuter your dog! But it’s important to be aware that they just may happen. And if they complicate an already complicated situation, that’s not helpful.

Neutering has the potential to make your dog worse.”

Essential Skills for your Growly but Brilliant Family Dog

In brief, neutering a dog when he is experiencing fear of anything in the world around him (i.e. he responds to novelty or movement with barking, lunging, trembling, hiding … any action that does not demonstrate confidence) has the potential to make him MORE fearful.

And neutering a female who is already showing fear of other dogs has the potential to make her reactive to people as well after spaying.

You’ll see the facts and figures in the studies below.

If you’ve already neutered your pet, that’s water under the bridge. You can’t change it now.

BUT if you’re happily planning to neuter your dog simply because you think society expects it of you, or your vet suggests it as the automatic next step, please think again.

Once it’s done, it’s done. And if it changes your beloved dog’s nature and makes life harder for both of you, then you’re up the creek without a paddle.

But you have to neuter your dog, don’t you?

And what about the chief reason usually given for choosing to neuter? It’s to do with reproduction. Preventing unwanted puppies. It could also be to prevent bitching, wandering, fighting in males. But responsible management will do this for you! If you’re reading this post, it’s unlikely that your dog is wandering abroad without you knowing where he or she is.

Since neutering became the big thing - the answer to the stray dog problem - has anyone noticed the shelters getting empty? Irresponsible dog-owners will neither neuter their dogs nor contain them. I’m afraid there’s a lot of “preaching to the choir” here. And the fallout is that a lot of dogs’ lives have been unnecessarily altered for the worse, because of only partial education.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

You need to see the whole picture before making what is essentially a fundamental and momentous decision about the future of the dog in your care.

I’m suggesting that you need to change your mindset from neutering being an automatic next step for your puppy to seeing that you have a choice in this.

In some European countries it is considered barbaric to mutilate dogs, and neutering of either sex is usually only done for medical reasons. At the other extreme we have cultures where people are vociferous in declaring that all dogs should be neutered and it is our duty as a citizen to do this. I’ve had people writing to me from these countries asking if that’s a thing? You can actually NOT neuter your dog? Unheard-of.

In case you think I am on a mission to ban neutering, I can tell you that only one of my four dogs is entire at the time of writing. You have to decide what is right for your situation. I just want you to realise that there’s more to this than meets the eye, and you do have a choice.

RESOURCES

The effects of neutering on health and behaviour: a summary

Neutering Causes Behavior Problems in Male Dogs

Neutering bitches trebles the risk of urinary incontinence

Royal Veterinary College research, also shows which breeds are most at risk

Behavioral and Physical Effects of Spaying and Neutering Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris)

Summary of findings detailed in a Masters thesis submitted to and accepted by Hunter College by Parvene Farhoody in May, 2010

Evaluation of the risk and age of onset of cancer and behavioral disorders in gonadectomized Vizslas

AVMA, Vol 244, No. 3, February 1, 2014

M. Christine Zink DVM PhD, Parvene Farhoody MA, Samra E. Elser BS, Lynda D. Ruffini, Tom A. Gibbons MS, Randall H. Rieger PhD

Non-reproductive Effects of Spaying and Neutering on Behavior in Dogs

Deborah L. Duffy PhD, and James A. Serpell PhD

Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence associated with age at neutering

Benjamin L. Hart, Lynette A. Hart, Abigail P. Thigpen, and Neil H. Willits, July 2020

School of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Statistics, University of California, Davis, California

For help with your reactive, anxious, aggressive, “growly” dog, get our free email course here.

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