Adding to the Pack - Feeding

Dogs love food. So much that some of them will fight for it. And that is why when you have a multiple dog house, you have to manage feeding time.

Obviously this is not a challenge for everyone who has a dog or dogs. Puppies that are raised properly don’t usually develop food aggression towards humans or other dogs. These dogs have been brought up never knowing what’s it’s like to have to scrounge and do whatever it takes to survive. However when you adopt stray dogs which I have, their backgrounds can be quite different. They may have literally had to fight to eat. And while many dogs instinctively eat quickly, in my experience strays tend to inhale food, maybe to ensure no other dog or animal gets it before them. But that doesn't mean they cannot learn to slow down and relax around food. It means you have to manage things until they do.

When you bring a new dog into your pack, you should supervise feeding time carefully. This is a great opportunity to practice your leadership skills. You are the one providing the food on your terms. Have your dogs sit and wait patiently for their food (start with short times and build up). This helps them develop patience skills and to learn that they have to work for their food.  It’s also a good idea to stay with them while they are eating to make sure they stay at their own bowls, and to pick them up when they are finished. Even an empty bowl can cause a fight while relationships are new.

When I prepare my dogs food, I like to touch it with my hands to have my scent on it; I want my dogs to know the food is coming from me. I also use a technique I learned to help avoid your dog guarding her food. You hold a treat in your hand while your dog is eating and bring it near the bowl so you’re dog can smell it, and drop it in the bowl or let her take it from your hand. As time passes, you can put your hand right into the bowl with the treat and eventually without. Practicing this often will teach your dog that your hand near her bowl is no big deal.

Judique, Effie and Bear in the Kitchen

The first few days after we adopted Effie, we fed all three dogs together. It was pretty crazy. We don’t have a huge kitchen so it felt a little cramped. And the speed the dogs ate added more stress. Bear my sweet senior eats very slowly and it takes time to get him started. Our new adopted Effie couldn't sit still for one second before she wolfed her food down, like it was her last meal. And Judique who has been with us for a couple of years apparently felt as though Effie was a threat and ate about twice as fast as normal. Eventually we settled on feeding Bear by himself. It makes sense since realistically he won’t be around for years and we want him to enjoy his food at his own pace. And to this day it still works fine for us. The two girls get extra playing time outside and Bear eats in peace. And I’m happy to report that Judique is back to eating at her regular speed. And that Effie can now sit and wait for her food, although the longer I make her wait, the more drool I have to clean up. I’m hoping she will slow down a little one day too!

Stay tuned for "Adding to the Pack - Toys/Bones"

No Hot Pets Campaign is BACK!

This post is on behalf of the Ontario SPCA

As you all know, the issue of owners leaving their pets in their cars during summer is a constant problem we face. During the hot summer months, hundreds of reports are received daily, putting animals’ safety at risk of injury or even death.

Last year, we launched the “No Hot Pets” campaign nationwide to help educate the public on the dangers of leaving pets in vehicles. The campaign was met with great response!

We need your help in 2014 to make the campaign an even greater success!

How you can help:

• Visit nohotpet.ca and learn about the campaign 
• Share the decals, leaflets and posters in your community (these can be found on the 'Downloads' page under 'Resources') 
• Spread the word on your social media accounts by sharing the No Hot Pets message on Facebook and using the hashtag #nohotpets on Twitter 
• Have yourself and your friends and family take the No Hot Pets Pledge and receive a free decal for your car, while supplies last 

We would love your assistance in helping us share this important message and look forward to working together to promote the dangers of hot pets in vehicles.

For more information on how you can join the No Ho Pets campaign, visit nohotpets.ca.

Thank you for your help!

Alison Cross
Director, Marketing & Communications
Ontario SPCA

Dog Diaper Hut

Diapers aren't just for human babies anymore. We dog people have discovered they can come in handy for our fur babies too.

A couple of years ago my senior dog Bear developed an abscessed tooth. By the time we discovered it, the infection had affected his kidneys. He was peeing in our house every day. If anyone has gone through that, you know how stressful it can be. I felt bad for him and house smelled of pee, not an easy odour to get rid of. So I did what I thought I’d never do and bought diapers for him. They were very helpful and more useful than putting pee pads all over the house. Luckily once the vet took the nasty tooth out and the infection was cleared with medication, his kidney levels stabilized and he was back to normal.

Senior dogs aren't the only ones that can suffer from temporary or chronic involuntary urination. Dogs of all ages, even puppies can suffer from incontinence for all kinds of different reasons. It can be challenging to determine the cause and whether or not it’s physical or psychological. Your vet can help.

If you ever find yourself in need, the Dog Diaper Hut is your ultimate guide to comparing dog diapers. They include pictures, brand names, size, gender, quality, price and rating. That will help you find the most suitable ones for your dog. I would have liked to have a site like this back when I was in need.

The Dog's Business

Ah spring! The ground starts showing, your neighbors come out of hiding, tulips are poking through, birds are singing, it’s a time of new life and growth. But there’s something looming from under the melting snow. It’s POOP!!

How does it happen year after year? We vow to pick up after our dogs every day! But inevitably those bone chilling, freezing rain or stormy days happen when your dog or dogs venture out and you’re inside hiding. Even for those of us who do brave all of the elements to walk our dogs every day still find tons of poops as the snow melts.

Whether you just don’t like scooping, you don’t have the time or you’re physically unable, there are services available to you. The Dog’s Business is a new doggie waste removal company that just opened in the Brantford area. They scoop so you don’t have to!  

The rates are fair and affordable. You can get a onetime spring cleanup or opt for weekly or bi-weekly pick up. The more you use the service, the less you pay. And they proudly offer discounts for seniors, the disabled and for people who have service dogs.

If you live in the area and are avoiding your back yard, why don’t you contact The Dog’s Business!

Follow The Dog’s Business on Facebook.

Adding to the Pack - Fights

Unfortunately dog fights do happen. And unless you`re a professional, it can be a scary thing to watch.

Even though dogs are social animals and want to get along, they sometimes have conflicts with each other that lead to fights. A few things dogs can fight over are food, toys or territory. When you add to your pack, you are forcing them to share all the above! So it’s essential to manage these things carefully.

Because adding to your pack is essentially playing “match maker” with your dogs, there are bound to be some conflicts in the beginning. And you can influence the dogs in a negative way if you feel nervous and unsure when they are together. Keep in mind what you want, not what you are afraid of.

When should you intervene when dogs are fighting?

There are some people that believe you should always allow the dogs to work things out for themselves.  In my opinion whether you do or don’t intervene depends on different factors such as your comfort level, your knowledge of the dogs fighting and the severity of the fight.

How can you intervene when dogs are fighting?

Most fights can be diffused with a firm “HEY”. If that doesn’t work you can try different things such as getting between them with your body, pulling them apart, or if you have the resources near you can spray water or throw a coat or blanket on them. The goal is to snap them out of it so they can stop and calm down. Whatever you do, it’s important you remain calm. Screaming at dogs fighting will likely heighten their intensity.

Once you have successfully stopped them from fighting, the important thing is to calm them down while they are still together. If you separate them at that high intensity it could resurface when they see each other again, especially if you keep thinking and expecting it to happen. Dogs naturally want peace and structure. This is an opportunity to show them that you are the leader and what is and isn’t acceptable behavior.

Within your pack of dogs there is a hierarchy that exists between them. So when you bring a new dog into the mix, you have to expect and accept that the dogs have to work those things out. Establishing their roles could potentially lead to fights so keep that in mind. Again it’s up to you how you handle it. Obviously you should use your judgement; you don’t want any dog to end up at the vet’s office.
        
Judique and Effie Butt Heads

The first couple of days after we adopted Effie were stressful. Bear, my sweet senior had no issue with Effie whatsoever, just like I expected. But Judique, my young Husky was having a hard time sharing her house and life. I was quite surprised just how pissed off she seemed with our new addition. She growled and snapped at Effie constantly. We managed that very carefully and made sure we were always around to provide a positive environment. We gave Judique space and made sure we didn’t give all our attention to the new dog. I’ll admit when I was alone with Judique and Effie I was nervous they would fight and inevitably they did. They had two pretty bad fights and I stopped both of them, one of them I had to pull them apart and the second one a firm tone and Effie yelping in pain stopped it. As much as I disliked them fighting, it did seem to establish Judique as boss of Effie. I can see the hierarchy in action all the time now.

I’m very happy to say that the two girls have become great buddies and make perfect playmates for each other. That is exactly what we wanted when we adopted Effie. They occasionally butt heads but it doesn’t happen often and we always make sure it ends with everyone being calm and moving on. There are numerous lessons we can learn from our dogs and one of the most important is to let things go. Dogs don’t hold grudges and they most certainly do live in the moment. What beautiful teachers I have.

Stay tuned for “Adding to Your Pack – Feeding”

Adding to the Pack - When you get Home

So you’ve just adopted and brought home a new dog to live and be buddies with the dog or dogs you already have.

Congratulations on your new addition and thank you for giving a dog in need a home and a new chance at a great life.

So now what? Are there things you can do to help the bonding process with your dogs? Yes there is!

 

 

The first few weeks are crucial and can set the tone for the relationship. You want to create positive experiences for the dogs. They didn’t choose each other but that doesn’t mean they can’t become great buddies and playmates.

 

The more positive experiences they have together, the better! You can walk them, take them on outings and treat them together.

 

On the other side, it’s equally important that all dogs are also given individual time as well.

 

When you first get home:

 

• Go for a walk around the neighborhood before going inside to establish a pack mentality
• Introduce the backyard
• Walk into house on leash and introduce each room on leash

The first few weeks:

• Keep toys and bones put away (high value items can trigger a fight while relationships are new)
• Supervise feeding time
• Do not leave your new and resident dogs alone when you aren’t home or cannot supervise
• Have a crate for the new dog if necessary
• Keep the routines of your residents dogs
• Give equal attention to all dogs
• Spend time with all of your dogs individually
• Interrupt squabbles or growls
• Keep play times under control
• Praise good behavior
• Allow down time for less energetic dogs

Rules


The rules are up to you. It’s your house and your dogs. But I’m a firm believer that we have to be our dog’s leaders. We bring dogs into our homes and provide food, water, exercise, play time, training, shelter, health care and love. In return our dogs give us companionship, unconditional love and loyalty. They need and want structure and rules. It’s up to us to provide and enforce them. Remember being a leader doesn't mean being mean and aggressive. The best leaders are calm, fair and assertive.


Effie Arrives Home

 

 

When we arrived home with our new adopted dog Effie and our two resident dogs, we leashed them all up and headed straight out around the neighborhood for a walk. It was pretty crazy as Effie was very excited and had no leash skills. Though challenging, we managed to get around and even ran into a few neighbours who were surprised but eager to meet her.

 

 

After our walk, we brought all three dogs into our back yard to interact and play. Effie did a lot of smelling! Finally it was time to go into the house. We brought Effie on leash and introduced her to each room. We set up a crate in the living room and the bedroom.  It was time for us to eat and for her to rest. We had all had a long day! She whined at first but eventually calmed down enough to fall asleep. We were not far behind her….

 

 

Stay tuned for “Adding to Your Pack - Fights”

 

 

 

 

 

Adding to the Pack - Introductions

Who should you bring with you to meet a potential new family member? In a word, everyone!

It’s very important to bring any dogs you have with you to meet a new dog. That way everyone can meet on neutral territory. And you will get a good idea if things are going to work out or not.

 

 

I don’t expect dogs to be best friends the minute they meet, but I would like to see some potential there. That being said I think it’s a good idea to be prepared to walk away if things just don’t work out. Like us not all dogs get along and they shouldn’t be forced to. In the end you have to trust your instincts.

 

The very first time the dogs meet, it’s a good idea to just start walking them in the same direction instead of having them meet face to face. Doing this provides them with the feeling of belonging to a pack. You can allow them to sniff each other and walk at the same time. 

 

If the shelter permits, let the dogs off leash. Often we hold the leashes with tension and that can influence the dog’s behavior toward each other. You want to encourage the first meeting to go well and the way you feel about it can help or hurt.

 

To recap:

• Bring all your dogs to meet your new potential adoptee
• Walk in the same direction first to create a pack mentality
• Encourage the dogs by using a light happy tone
• Allow the dogs to interact off-leash
• Observe the dogs body language
• Use your knowledge and trust your instincts
• Have a separate area in your car for the new dog

Effie Meets Judique and Bear

 

When we brought our two dogs to meet our new potential dog, we did all of the above. As we walked together, Effie sniffed Bear gently and growled at Judique. Not the start I was hoping for. We continued walking for awhile and then let the dogs sniff each other more. Effie’s butt was presented to each of my dogs and then we walked back towards the outdoor dog run. We had to let them interact off leash. We took our dogs off leash first and then Effie. It was very different for her and Judique off leash. They started playing almost instantly running around at top speeds. Bear interacted a little but sniffed around by himself and the girls let him be and played. That was exactly what we were looking for. We stayed outside for quite awhile watching them. I was very surprised that all the other dogs outside in their runs were not distracting them.  Both feeling good about the meeting, we decided to adopt Effie. We took our dogs back to our car to proceed to the adoption process. We made sure to have a separate area for Effie to sit. We had put a crate in the back of car for her to sit and the other two dogs were in the open space. Judique was not happy to have Effie in the car at first but eventually they all calmed down for the ride home.

 

 

And so our adventure began.

 

 

Stay tuned for “Adding to Your Pack – When you get Home”