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Four legs to fitness!

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Got a dog? If you’re reading this, the answer is probably yes, or else it’s “I’m planning on getting one soon.” Great! Grab the leash and get ready to hit the trail, sidewalks, or parks for a path to fitness! What better weekend to start a new fitness routine than Memorial Day weekend? (…If you find yourself lapsed on your New Year’s resolution… that is!) Whether you’re in the U.S. (celebrating a long 3-day holiday weekend this weekend) or not, the last weekend in May is pretty much the official start of summer, with long days of sun, languorous lounging at the beach, and picnics in the park to kick it all off.

Results of a recent study revealed that people who have dogs and regularly walk them are 34% more likely than those that don’t have dogs to meet government-mandated physical-activity guidelines, which equates to 30 minutes of “moderate” exercise each day, at least 5 days a week.

The data, which was gathered through a telephone survey of nearly 6,000 adults, revealed that of those that owned dogs, about 61% take their dogs for regular walks, for at least 10 minutes at a time. As for the other 39%, we are pretty sure that both they – AND their dogs – could benefit from some extra daily activity! The good news from the study is simply this:  Just having a reason to move regularly (i.e. your activity-loving, walk-needing dog) has a serious advantage when it comes to meeting physical activity needs for health benefits. Walking your dog regularly means you’re much more likely than most other people to get the government recommendation of at least 150 minutes of exercise each week (though only 27% of the regular dog walkers took their dogs walking for 30 or more minutes each walk). And if this isn’t enough good news, dog walkers were also  more likely than non–dog owners to amp up their exercise to “moderately intense,” taking a walk around the block to new lengths (and speeds), perhaps going further each day, walking faster, starting a jogging routine, or more. It seems that “moving begets more moving” – exercise feels great – to you AND your dog, and taking that first step really is the hardest. Once you’re moving, it’s easy to simply keep going!

Doggone Good Benefits

Other research has suggested that owning one or more dogs can not only help encourage people  to lead more active lives, but reduce stress through bonding with their canine companion, as well as the known stress-relieving effects that regular exercise brings. Dog owners also have been found to have healthier blood pressure (see above for why!). It’s pretty simple: Dogs — like humans — need regular exercise to stay happy, healthy, and relaxed. In an earlier post, we spoke about the mental benefits to your dog from regular exercise: a daily walk can prevent cognitive dysfunction disorder in dogs (which is mental decline similar to Alzheimer’s disease in human)!

When we exercise our dogs, we exercise ourselves, too. Just don’t forget to refresh yourself on the rules of dog walking etiquette, for the benefit of your dog as well as your neighbors. So, get up off the couch and get your walking shoes on! Find a meaningful reason to walk so you’ll do it often: your muscles, your heart, your frame of mind… not to mention, your dogs… will thank you.

 

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Posted in Breeds, Canine Health, Dogs, earthbath, Helpful Pet Hints, Holidays, Pet News, Pet Owners, Pet Safety, Staying Active, Training | No Comments »

How to prevent dog bites! (in honor of Dog Bite Prevention Week)

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

In honor of National Dog Bite Prevention Week 2011, (May 15 to 21), we thought we’d dedicate some time to dog bite awareness and highlight the top signs that a dog is feeling anxious and uncomfortable, and the best ways to help ensure your dog won’t bite. Do not assume that the dog will not bite because he hasn’t yet… As dogs get older they can become less tolerant.

The CDC has some interesting information on their site. Last year, nearly 5 million people were bitten by dogs in the United States, and more than 30,000 reconstructive procedures were performed following those bites. Overall, nearly 1 million people, more than half of them children, require medical attention for dog bites every year. Though children are the individuals most at risk for bites, according to the CDC, men are bit more often than women.

People communicate differently then canines do. When humans meet someone we don’t know, we like to make direct eye contact, shake hands, and hug. Dogs don’t!
THE 4 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO TEACH KIDS

  1. Never approach an unfamiliar dog - This is THE KEY lesson to teach children. While the majority of bites to children are from familiar dogs, teaching children to avoid unfamiliar dogs is the best risk management. In addition, children should be taught not to approach even familiar dogs in a loud, aggressive, or excitable manner. This overly excited manner scares pretty much every dog, regardless of how well they know you.
  2. Do not run away from a dog or scream - Many dogs are already wary of small children, and running away and screaming with high-pitched voices can overstimulate a dog or worse, initiate the “prey drive” to give chase in many dogs, leading to bites and injuries.
  3. Dogs don’t like hugs & kisses - Teach your kids not to grab a dog around the neck (what we’d think of as a hug) or come at a dog face to face in order to kiss him. Hugging the family dog or face-to-face contact are common causes of bites to the face, even if a family dog is used to this kind of interaction. You never know when a dog is feeling “grouchy,” best to avoid this risk at all costs! Definitely never approach an unknown dog this way (from the front).  Dogs see fast approaches from the front as signs of an aggressor ready to attack. Instead, teach kids to scratch the dog on the chest or the side of the neck.
  4. Be a Tree – Teach kids to stand still, like a tree (see the diagram above). Trees, by virtue of their stationary nature, are not threatening. If your child is completely still,  the dog is much more likely to approach of its own volition in a friendly way to investigate, or else leave her alone and eventually go away. This method works for strange dogs (many of whom are scared of, or don’t like children) and anytime the family dog gets too frisky or becomes aggressive. The Doggone Safe program has a whole campaign around teaching children to “Be a Tree.”

THE 3 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS DOG-PARENTS CAN DO

  • Supervise! Don’t assume your dog is good with kids. If a toddler must interact with your dog, you should have your hands on the dog too, and watch your dog very closely for any signs of fear or discomfort, which is just a short step away from aggression. Even if your dog is great with kids and has never bitten – why take a chance? The results can be upsetting (the child could get scared) to costly (medical bills you’re responsible for if the dog bit a child) to all-out heartbreaking and bank-breaking (lawsuits ensue; court order to destroy your family dog).
  • Train your dog! Take your dog to obedience classes where positive reinforcement methods are used. Never pin, shake, choke, hold the dog down or roll the dog over to teach it a lesson. Dogs “trained” this way (with “fear-based” methods) are likely to turn their aggression on weaker family members. Involve children in training the family dog while supervising and don’t allow children to punish the dog. Train your kids and your dog at the same time! If you don’t have children, have treats on hand when you’re out for walks and outings, and whenever you encounter a child (who will likely ask if they can pet your dog), put your dog in a sit/stay and treat it while you allow the child to lightly scratch your dog on its side, all the while, holding your dog firmly.  Accustom your dog to enjoy the presence and actions of children using positive experiences.
  • Socialize your dog! Make sure your new dog is exposed to lots of new experiences in the world – take him everywhere with you, all the while with treats on hand. Get him used to many different kinds of people of different ages, genders, sizes, with different sounding voices, and dispositions. Acclimate him to different kinds of noises (traffic, construction, sirens, playground sounds, etc.) and activities by walking him in many different areas and situations, so that he becomes confident and sure of himself (and you as his protector) in any kind of surrounding. Habituate him to different kinds of dogs by training him to greet other dogs in a calm and quiet manner, and also by letting him play off-leash at dog parks. If you’re new to dog parks, use the “small/shy dog areas” first and slowly introduce him to the main off-leash areas, during non-peak times when there are less dogs around. See our primer on “newbies at the dog park” for more tips!

COMMON STRESS SIGNALS IN A DOG

If your dog is displaying the signals below he is letting you know that he is uncomfortable in a given situation, likely just tolerating it, and most definitely not enjoying it. These signals can be displayed alone or combined with others (more than one is often a sign of increasing stress). Remember to always observe what is happening around your dog and take action to improve the situation. By paying attention to our dog’s subtle signals, we can help them feel more secure and confident.

  • Lip Licking: A dog that is anxious will quickly stick out its tongue and lick its lip.
  • Yawning: A dog that yawns often in random situations (i.e. anything other than when he’s at home, lying down and clearly sleepy) is indicating that he is uncomfortable. Most people aren’t aware that when dogs yawn it’s an externalizing behavior to try to help them relieve their internal anxiety. Take a look around and see if you can identify the anxiety-producing stimuli. For example, there may be a crowd of people near his space, loud noises from cars or construction, or a lot of hubbub happening  in the vicinity that is irritating him. When you notice frequent yawning, try to move away from this area, or decrease the anxiety for him.
  • Shaking Off: A full-body shake as if the dog were wet is compared to a “re-boot” or reset button and often happens after a stressful situation.
  • Half-Moon Eye: Called the “half-moon” eye because more of the white part of the eye is seen when a dog is stressed and trying to hold it in. Calm, relaxed dogs typically don’t show the whites of their eyes. If a dog is showing the whites of his eye, or looks like a cow giving a sidelong glance (“help me!”) at you, he’s internally freaking out.
  • Turning Away: When a dog turns away from you or a situation they are trying to avoid the situation and direct eye contact. Definitely do not force the dog into an uncomfortable situation.
  • Mouth Closed: Often seen when a person or child is trying very hard to interact with the dog, but the dog wants nothing to do with it. The dog is giving a clear sign that he does not want to be bothered and is doing his best to avoid any interaction.

OTHER BODY LANGUAGE SIGNS OF ANXIETY

  • tail between legs
  • tail low and only the end is wagging
  • tail between legs and wagging
  • tail down or straight for curly-tailed dog (husky, malamute, pug, chow chow, spitz-type dogs etc.)
  • ears sideways for erect eared dog
  • ears back and very rapid panting

All dogs should have a safe place (their “den”), such as a crate or mat that they can go to when they want to be left alone. All family members and guests should be taught not to bother the dog when he is in his safe place – he’s clearly indicating that he wants to be alone!

 

A word on growling…
Never punish your dog for growling. This may seem counter-intuitive and may even go against the advice of your dog trainer or dog trainers you have seen on TV.

If your dog growls, he is sending a clear warning that he is very uncomfortable with whatever is happening around him. If someone is getting too close, this is a warning sign to “please back off!” Be grateful that your dog chose to warn with a growl rather than going straight to a bite. If you punish the growling, you may inhibit the warning growl the next time and the dog may bite without growling first!

That said, if your dog growls frequently:

  • Take your dog to the vet to make sure he is not sick or in pain.
  • Seek the advice of a dog behavior specialist who will help to identify the anxiety-producing stimulus and use positive reinforcement to help desensitize the dog to the stimulus and create more confidence.

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Posted in Breeds, Canine Health, Dog Behavior, Dogs, earthbath, Helpful Pet Hints, Pet News, Pet Owners, Pet Safety, Training | No Comments »

Keep yourself – and your pet – sharp & fit with a daily walk!

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

The benefit to our bodies from physical exercise is a fact we are all aware of, yet most of us still choose to relax on the couch than head out for a run. Yet, regular moderate exercise has been found to be healthy not just for our hearts, but also for our heads. And the same goes for our dogs. For those of us that share our lives with one or more dogs, and walk them daily, chances are we are doing wonders for our brains and our canine friends’ brains, without thinking too much about it.

Many of us are all too aware of the increasing memory loss that is associated with normal aging (those “senior moments” of forgetfulness become all too familiar as the years pass), and fear the extreme form of memory loss and cognitive dysfunction that is Alzheimer’s disease. And memory decline is not an affliction of humans alone: there is a similar syndrome now identified in our pets, known as cognitive dysfunction disorder (CD). If you are curious about identifying symptoms of CD, remember the acronym DISH:

D: Disorientation and confusion, such as attempting to walk through the wrong side of a doggie door.

I: Interactions (changes in interactions, that is), such as an outgoing pet becoming withdrawn.

S: Sleep disturbances, like dogs pacing back and forth or cats yowling through the night for no apparent reason.

H: Housetraining Regression: or Having Accidents.

Of course, if your dog or cat exhibits any behavioral changes, the first step is to consult your veterinarian to rule out any other health problems or diseases first, before attempting to diagnose your pet with CD. CD is further complicated by the fact that, just as in humans, as animals age, they often develop physical problems in addition to cognitive problems, many symptoms of which can actually exacerbate other growing health problems.

But it’s not all doom and gloom: keeping active throughout one’s life (both mentally and physically) has been shown to delay, minimize, or potentially even prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in humans. Since cognitive decline in dogs is very similar to the pattern of mental decline in humans, it’s highly probable that the same kinds of stimulation in the form of mental and physical exercise can help keep your dogs mentally (and physically) fit for life.

In fact, a study conducted at the University of California-Irvine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center looked at cognitive decline in both dogs and people. One group of dogs was enrolled in “continuing canine education” that included more social interactions with other dogs and people, followed a specific exercise regime and ate a special anti-aging diet. The control group of dogs was simply fed the anti-aging diet (but didn’t receive additional mental or physical exercise and training). All of the dogs were given a variety of tests to assess cognitive skills over the study, and the results were definitive: the dogs that received more social interactions, exercise,  and cognitive “enrichment” in the form of learning new tasks and skills did much better than the dogs simply fed the anti-aging diet.

The best thing you can do, right now, for your health and your dog’s health is to take your dog for a walk: The 30-60 minutes a day outside will do both of you good! And remember: old dogs CAN (and should) learn new tricks! It will keep them young!

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Posted in Breeds, Canine Health, Diet, Dogs, earthbath, Pet News, Pet Owners, Staying Active, Training | No Comments »

A Personality Test… For Dogs?

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

Is your dog an “Aristocrat,” “Rebel, or “Commando?” Or perhaps he’s one of the other nine identified personality types as measured by the “Canine Behavioral Type Index” (CBTI), coincidentally similar in concept and acronym to the oft-used personality type index for humans, the Myers-Briggs Type Index, or MBTI, an index of sixteen defined personality types, across four different interacting dimensions.

This index divides dog behavioral (or personality) attributes into 12 types based on three dimensions of interactive factors:

1) Environmental (is your dog more “Organized” – i.e., a team player, like a herding type of dog, or perhaps a dog that likes to systematically organize his toys, or is he “Spontaneous” – truly living in the moment, focusing on whatever may capture his interest at the time?),

2) Social (Alpha: confident and controlling,  Beta: a “social climber” type, or Gamma: classic followers, following the lead of others as well as the rules of good social conduct),

3) Motivational (also known as energy: how playful and/or focused is your dog?).

I came across the concept of measurable canine personality type in the fascinating book, “Through a Dog’s Eyes” by Jennifer Arnold (Spiegel & Grau, 2010). Jennifer is founder and executive director of Canine Assistants, a nonprofit service-dog training facility that helps to train and then match service dogs with disabled persons. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 16, Arnold started an organization devoted to training and matching service dogs for people with physical disabilities. This book is a memoir of sorts, including many dog behavior anecdotes and uncanny examples of canine intelligence, sensitivity, language comprehension, and prescience bordering on telepathy that she’s witnessed in her 20 years of dog training. Arnold also writes about the heroic feats that service dogs complete, from anticipating seizures to resetting a ventilator switch, which brought me to tears more than once. This book could also be used and referred to as a dog training (though Arnold prefers the term “teaching”) manual: she provides oodles of evidence for and examples of solely choice-based, positive-reinforcement-only teaching methods, which every dog lover could benefit from.

One of the most interesting parts of Arnold’s book is the chapter in which she talks about the measurable nature and differences between of dogs’ personalities. She proposes that the key component to a happy, loving, and strong bond between person and dog, as with any strong human relationship, is a close personality match. She explains the importance of matching personality types between dog and person; specifically, she has found that the best matches between people and dogs occur when the two have similar personalities. In contrast, she explains how many people tend to choose their dogs with a heavy emphasis on appareance and not enough focus on personality, which, often, can result in a behavior or lifestyle mismatch at best, and, tragically, a surrender to an animal shelter at worst. In her words: “Personality is, by far, the most important characteristic in making a strong owner-dog bond. It determines behavior, and behavior is critical to a successful relationship between man and dog.”

Apparently, for relationship longevity, opposites do NOT, actually attract. A study published in Evolutionary Psychology in 2009 revealed that most of us are in fact attracted to people who possess personality traits similar to our own. And the same holds true for the way we feel about dogs. In fact, the results are even stronger with dogs: “we feel the easiest and deepest connection to dogs whose personalities are just like ours.”

After taking a 26-item test that involves choosing between two or three statements that most closely match your dog’s behavior or personality, the combined levels of these three dimensions yields one of twelve canine personality profiles:

the Commando
the Director
the Defender
the Sentry
the Deputy
the Diplomat
the Rebel
the Aristocrat
the Adventurer
the Dreamer
the Investigator
and
the Companion.

You can test your dog(s) yourself on the CBTI and find out your dog’s personality profile, and even learn how to best relate to your dog, based on the results. See if you agree… and see if you see yourself in the profile as well (after all, if your dog is a good personality match to you, there very well may be, or even should be, a good amount of overlap!)  Check it out at: www.petconnectgame.com.

…As for my two dogs?

Apparently, I’ve got a Diplomat [Your dog is an Organised, Gamma and Medium Activity type which we call the Diplomat. The Diplomat is a task focused, submissive character employing passive, medium energy techniques. It strives to keep order in a small but meaningful area and do the leader's bidding in a passive, sometimes underhanded manner. The combination of Submissive (Gamma or G) and Medium (M) energy factors make the Diplomat a soft, loving, easy care character.]

and an Aristocrat [ Your dog is a Spontaneous, Alpha and Medium Activity type which we call the Aristocrat. The Aristocrat's composure causes people to feel privileged to be in its company. It has an air of greatness with high chin carriage and sometimes looking down its nose at others. The Aristocrat enjoys a highly ordered social system and needs strong leadership. It attends mainly to what interests it and does not work well in a group.]

Though I would never predict ours to be such a “political” household, amazingly, the descriptions are about right. (For $10 AU I could receive the full 15 page report, but for now, I’m happy with the short (free) summaries). Even with these short descriptions, it makes even more sense to me as to why my two dogs get along so well together: Their opposing leanings on the Environmental (Organized vs Spontaneous) and Social (Alpha vs Gamma) dimensions balance each other out, yet both enjoy similar activities and levels of exercise, focus, and mental challenges, due to their similar ”Medium” level of energy (or motivation).

It’s also true that my Aristocrat loves to lead: though regal in carriage, she does love to bestow kisses upon other dogs and demands their affection in return: in fact, she will stand her ground and won’t move until she receives an admiring word or pat from a human, or a responding sniff or lick from another dog. She is the undisputed leader between the two dogs in our household, and expects others’ affections (and deference!). On the flip side, my Diplomat loves to follow her wherever she goes, thrilled to have attention diverted from himself: he’s content to stay “behind the scenes” in her shadow; uncomfortable with attention from strangers, he is most relaxed watching from the background. And though he follows her canine lead, he is very attentive to his “humans” and our needs and desires: never letting us out of his sight, he looks to us first and foremost for leadership, always quick to bestow affection upon us.

What is your dog’s personality type? Do you agree with the test results? Share with us!

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Downward Dog with a “Dogi” of Yoga!

Monday, March 14th, 2011

A few days ago, walking the dogs (of course), I happened to walk by a newly opened yoga studio (is it me, or do they seem to keeping pace with new Starbucks openings?) and saw that in addition to regular yoga, they also offered something called “doga:” that’s right,  yoga WITH YOUR DOG! Say whaaaa?

I immediately called Anne Appleby, Yoga Teacher and Founder of YogaForce (and of course, friend of earthbath), who also happens to be a Doga pioneer, for more information.

I asked Anne: How on earth did you get involved with Doga? What IS Doga??

She answered: “I’ve been practicing yoga since the late 80s, when yoga was nowhere near the craze it is now in the United States. I became addicted to yoga after taking some lunchtime yoga classes on the lot of Paramount Pictures where I used to work – in a very ‘Type-A’ environment, as you can imagine!” Anne has been teaching yoga privately and in many locations around the Bay Area since 1997, but a small 8 pound fluffball that entered her life at Christmas in 2009 changed her approach to yoga in a way she could never have anticipated.

When Anne practiced yoga at home, she noticed that Madison started becoming a constant presence on her yoga mat. “When I did downward dog, Madison did downward dog! I thought: so many of my clients also have dogs, this can’t just be unique to me and my dog.  There has to be a way to integrate dogs into the practice of yoga.”

If you think about it, many yoga poses are inspired by the postures and poses that animals naturally do: watch your dog go into a playful downward dog the next time he’s trying to entice you to play a game of chase, or languidly stretch into upward dog after just waking up.

As a yoga practitioner myself, who is also a “mom” to two very energetic, fluffy 50+ pound dogs, I simply could not conceptualize how I could integrate one or both of my dogs into my yoga practice without becoming entirely distracted and likely giving up entirely to their inevitable pleas to stop already! and take them for a walk.

When I asked Anne about this, she said that most dogs seem to take right to the practice. And those that are hyper in the beginning calm down by the end of class and she said that she’s noticed a marked difference in these dogs’ demeanor over time. “Bonding is all about eye contact; you’ll have a much stronger bond with your dog after practicing doga together.”

Anne also mentioned the health benefits to dogs: “Doga is great for dogs with arthritis and joint problems like dysplasia because of the gentle stretching on their joints.” She went on: “In doga you become really attuned to your dog and what poses he likes and those he really doesn’t want to do. Never force your dog into a pose your dog doesn’t like – they will squirm out of it, so you’ll know not to do that one again!”

I still feel dubious. How could I wrangle my obstinate chow chow into a yoga pose?! One pose she suggested I try, since all dogs seem to love it, regardless of size, is a modified child’s pose, which she calls “Cave Pose.”

Sit on your shins with your knees spread wide, and your feet together and pointed behind you, have your dog down in front of you, and then simply wrap yourself around your dog, giving him a kind of hug, as you descend to the floor, as you would in child’s pose.

Okay. Though I didn’t have high hopes for my “partner,” I tried “cave pose” that night with my Bunny (pictured at the end of this post). She actually managed to sit still for a minute… and then she licked my face as I folded into the forward bend. I started laughing, which is not a normal part of my yoga practice (unless I’m falling out of a balance pose).

Yet, laughter is something everyone needs a little bit more of each day. Whether or not we take it to the next (public) level or not is still up in the air… Stay tuned!

Bunny’s Take: ….You want me to do what?!

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