Chewing is Frustrating.

Does your dog chew constantly? Whether you are there or not? If so, there may be several reasons for this frustrating behavior. If you have a puppy, one reason may be teething. If your pup is teething, take one of their rubber toys and put it in the freezer. After an hour or so, take it out and give it to the puppy. This has a calming effect on the pup and has a numbing effect on their gums and teeth.

But, for the adult dog, there is probably an underlying problem. If you have a dog that isn't as active as they should be, boredom is probably the cause of their chewing. Giving your dog something to occupy their time is very important. While you are gone, toys like the Kong are great. Also, the Busy Buddy toys, carried at Just Dogs! Gourmet in the Huntington Mall, Barboursville, WV, are great, too. The Busy Buddy's hold treats and makes the dog work and think of how to get them out of it. Also, leaving a radio or TV on will help with the boredom and can have a calming effect on a stressed dog.

If you notice your dog panting excessively when you return home from work or running errands, he/she is most likely experiencing a panic or anxiety attack. Yes, dogs can experience attacks just like humans. Consulting your vet is your best option if you are afraid your dog is stressing out. There are meds out there, both prescription and natural, to help calm your dog's anxiety. But never administer meds without consulting your vet first.

Does your dog chew your child's toys? If so, they are not being spiteful, but just enjoying the remnants of juice and cookies. Dog's also chew by scent. I know of one incident where a mother dog chewed up the blankets from her whelping box, after they had been washed, because they still had the scent of her puppies on them. Scent is strong and a dog's nose is 100 times more sensitive than ours. There are predictable triggers to chewing. You just have to find out what is triggering your dog to chew. A video camera, if you can afford it, will aid you in finding out what is going on with your dog. If a video camera is not feasible, as it usually isn't, just watching your dog will help you figure out what is going on with them.

Teaching what is right and wrong is the key and a must. I use the command "no chew." Some use the term "leave it." Either is fine and whatever you are comfortable using. If your dog is chewing something they shouldn't, go over and pick up the item, using the dog's name and the command "no chew or leave it." Put the object up. If it is a toy, put it up for 15 min. and ignore your dog. They will do everything in the world to get your attention, but ignore them. After the 15 min. has gone by, get the toy and give it back to them. If they play with it correctly, praise them and give a small tidbit as a treat for respecting their toy. If they are chewing on, say, a couch leg, remove the dog from the area, using the terms I said above and give them a toy they are allowed to have, praising the dog the minute their teeth touch the toy and give a small treat.

Hopefully, some of the things I have said will help if you have a chewer in your midst.

If You Camp - Read This.

If you are like a lot of people, including my family, when summer rolls around, you start to get fidgety to get outdoors. And, this means, camping! My family camps and Chance, my yellow Labrador, gets to go. But, before we head out, we prepare for our trip so we don't have any "surprises."

What we do to get ready is "scope" out the campgrounds. By this, I mean, checking out to see if dogs are allowed. And, if they are, what, if any, restrictions there might be. Making reservations are probably the most critical of everything you can do. If you don't, you run the risk of getting to your destination and being turned away. National Forest's are usually the best place to camp because the restrictions are minimal, with a few exceptions to this.

Being prepared is essential to a happy and safe time with your family and dog(s). Some important items you will need include:
Collar with ID tag and Rabies tag on it.
Leashes - at least 2, in case one breaks.
Tie out cable
Food and water bowls
Dog bed or crate
Treats - most important - at least that is what your dog thinks.
Toys - again, most important - to your dog.
Poo Bags - to pick up waste from your dog.
Flea & Tick prevention - if your dog is not on the monthly kind.
First Aid Kit - this should have everything from gauze pads to tweezers, scissors, sterile eye wash, diarrhea medicine, Neosporin salve, etc.

When you get to your destination, take your dog out and go for a walk and let your dog relieve themselves and then tie them in the shade with fresh, cold water, while you get set up. If you hike, make sure the trails are dog friendly and take your poo bags with you. No-one likes to step in poo while enjoying a hike. Don't push your dog if they are not used to exercise or if they are over-weight. Take a water bottle with you and stop frequently to give a good sip of cool water.

Remember, most dogs are not used to wildlife, so having your dog on his/her leash is a good idea. Most campgrounds require you to leash your dog at all times. They make a training lead that is anywhere from 14 to 22 ft. long and is a great way to let your dog have some freedom.

Ah, the campfire. The epitome of camping. If you want to sit by the fire with your dog, make sure that the smoke does not get in there face. Put a mat or blanket down, not too close so the embers will not fall on it, and let your dog lie there close to you. Or, if your best bud is small, let them cuddle in your lap.

Maintaining a routine is so important, too. If your dog gets out of routine, it can upset a lot of things. Make sure you feed at the same time you would if you were home, and the same with potty time. Dogs are just like us. If you get out of routine, you get constipated. Make sure you get the night-time potty done about 10 minutes before you are ready to call it a night. You want your best bud to be comfortable all night, just like you.

And, finally, if you have more than one dog, make sure they are people friendly and dog friendly. Being considerate of other campers is a must. This is just some of the camping etiquette we follow when we go camping. I hope it will help you when you get out to go.

Little Victories Needs To Do What Putnam County Is Doing.

If Little Victories would get on the ball and do what the Putnam County Animal Shelter is doing, by going to the media and getting their story out so that the public can see what they need, they would be in great shape. But, it seems that they don't. A network called Care2, is holding a contest to see who America thinks is the best animal shelter.

Almost 30 shelters and groups are eligible to get part of the 25,000.00 dollars of prize money. The Herald Dispatch has been really great about getting info out about the Putnam County shelter and their progress and needs. I know Sue Brown personally and she is a great and caring person. But, she needs to delegate more of her duties to her volunteers. I have had people come into the store where I work that are volunteers for Little Victories, saying they would do so much more, if Sue would let them. I have also heard others say they quit as volunteers because of her (Sue). I just checked the website for Little Victories and it has not been updated in many, many months.

I have called personally for Sue and Little Victories to get info in the paper, and have always had great success. Even though I was on the Editorial Board, I feel that the Editor would take my calls anyway. The Herald Dispatch is only interested in the truth and getting it out to the people. Just a phone call to the Editor of this great paper is all it takes. So, Sue, if you are reading this, or any of your people, pick up the phone and call them. They will listen!

There Are Only 4 Sizes Of Dogs.

I have spoken to AKC to make sure I am correct on sizes of certain breeds. I knew I was, but I have a lot of people that say I don't research my posts, well, I do. My one concern, particularly, is the Yorkshire Terrier. This dog is one of the most common dogs in the country. This is the reason that the backyard breeders have gotten ahold of them to make a dollar from unsuspecting people that don't know any better about sizes and weight and coloring, etc.

I have seen with my own eyes, dogs that are mature and weigh only 1 pound. This is crazy. I have a post called "Too Young, Too Small." This is an extension of that post. The AKC standard for the Yorkshire Terrier, or the Yorkie, as it is fondly called, is: no dog under 3 lbs. or over 5lbs. Now, this is the standard for the ideal dog, according to AKC, the original breed registry. But, they were quick to point out that any dog under 3lbs. is a fault, not only for the show ring, but for breeding, and companion dogs. They were in agreement with me on the "micro and teacup" titles in some breeds. i.e. Yorkies, Poodles, Shih Tzu, etc. There are no micro or teacup breeds. This is just something backyard breeders say to entice unsuspecting people to buy a dog to keep up with the fad that was started a few years ago.

I hear people say, "Oh, I have a teacup Poodle." No you don't. You have a toy Poodle that is too small to enter the show ring or breed. People, there are no micro or teacup breeds. There are Toy, Miniature, Standard and Giant breeds. 4 sizes, no more!

Too Cold To Be Outside!

Tonight is supposed to one of the coldest in many years in our area. There are many, many dogs, and cats, that are out in this weather with minimal shelter. If you have a dog that has to live outside, for whatever reason, please make sure they have a blanket or fresh straw to make a nest and keep warm.

I have a neighbor that has a Sharpei that has only an igloo dog house and no blanket or straw, at all, to make his nest. But, as my husband pointed out today, our animal control, if called, would say, well, he has shelter, and a food and water bowl, so there is nothing we can do. This is so ridiculous! I haven't had to call on these people because others have. But, animal control did not do the follow up visit, so what good does it do? I have had many people post to this blog saying the same thing. They have a hefty budget to get more wardens, too. It is roughly 300,000.00 a year. And, for anyone that has a rebuff to that, I have called the Cabell County Commission and got the figure.

We, as a community, need to call for an investigation into our animal shelter to see just what that money is being used for, because from what I have heard from various people in the community that have contacted me via email, it is pitiful how it is run.

So, back to the weather. If you know of a dog that is out in the cold, try to help it (the dog) if you can, without getting yourself into trouble, or putting yourself in danger. Educating people is the best way. Tell them that having food in the bowl provides energy to produce body heat and water regulates body temperatures and prevents dehydration. Inform them that a blanket or straw can provide a dog a "nest." Have you ever seen your dog circle before laying down? They are making a "make-believe" nest. Remember, being polite is the way to go. You get more with honey than vinegar. No matter how mad you are at the situation the dog is in, be polite. If it is too bad, call animal control and then call the Sheriff's department. You can remain anonymous.

Too Young and Too Small.

This post is the opinion of the blogger and comes from my years of working with dogs.

Working in the mall at Just Dogs! Gourmet has let me get to know a lot of repeat customers and see a lot of cute dogs. The only problem is they are usually only 6 to 8 wks. old and only a pound or two. I am not kidding! People don't understand that young puppies are so susceptible to disease and upper respiratory disease problems. And, the breeders that are breeding these "designer" dogs that are "micro" as they call them, are just breeding puppies to be put down because they are so small that their internal organs don't develop fully and can't fight infections because their immune system is defunct.

I get so, so upset when I see these dogs. Most generally, when the person takes them out of their carrier all they do is shake and tremble. These poor dogs are not going to be able to lead a normal "dog" life. By this I mean they won't be able to go up stairs or jump off a bed or couch, or play hard with the other dog in the family, if there is one, things like that.

These people tell me they pay up to a thousand dollars for their dogs. Incredible that people are so naive as to think that something that small will be healthy. Then, when they do get to a vet, the vet tells them how unhealthy their dog is and they just can't understand, or they take the dog back, and some other person buys it, and the cycle begins again.

I had two young girls come in today with a teacup Parson Russell Terrier. There is no such creature. She took the dog out of the carrier and when she took it from her friend, she just grabbed it by the nape of the neck and put it back in. I couldn't hold my tongue, I told her not to do that, it could damage the puppy. Well, about an hour later, they came back and asked if I knew why her dog hadn't eaten in 4 days. They had tried all the puppy chow type foods. I suggested she get to a vet asap. The poor little girl dog just shook continually, so sad.

Remember, their are no micro-terriers or teacup anything. So, if you are deciding to buy one, your dog may, notice the wording, 'MAY', not be pure. They say they are, but some use long hair Chihuahua's to get the size. And, usually they are CKC registered. This is the registry that all you have to do is send in 12 dollars and they send you papers.

They don't even have litter registration fees. This means a person can have a litter every time their female comes in heat and they don't have to pay for the puppies to be registered. The people that breed a female every heat cycle, are not reputable. I, personally, and this is my opinion, believe that the breeders are just breeding for money and not the love of the breed. If the breeder will not let you come to their home to see the puppy and wants to meet you at a neutral place, buyer beware! Always make sure you see the parents and the grandparents, if possible, on the latter. Look at all the vet records, and call the vet, if possible.

Do everything possible to ensure that the tiny puppy you are purchasing, is healthy, along with the parents. Research is everything. The longer a puppy is on her mom, the better. I like to see them go at 8-10 wks. old. The mothers milk holds lots of nutrients that puppies need to fight diseases. I just this moment, 1/9/08, 11:30am, got off the phone with AKC. True, AKC is not perfect, but they don't advocate mixing breeds, as CKC does. Why spend 1000's of dollars for a "mutt," and that is what these designer dogs are, when you can spend less and get a fabulous purebred, or go to a breed rescue if you have to have a purebred. If you are going to get a mix, go to a shelter and adopt a dog that is going to be put down, because no-one wants it. These "micro" dogs are just a fad, don't get caught up in it.

Again, this post is solely the opinion of the blogger and does not reflect the opinions of anyone but me. Tamara Myers-White