Adoring fans marvelled at the antics of Benji and laughed at Eddie on Frasier. And the Emmy award-winning Lassie was one of the longest-running shows on television. “Could my dog be a star?” you wonder to yourself. “Could he earn a living?”

Toronto animal wrangler and stunt man Bryan Renfro got his start in the business working for his uncle at Universal Studios in Hollywood. “He handled the birds for Birdman of Alcatraz and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds,” Renfro says. “I started out cleaning cages.” Renfro worked his way up, eventually handling all the animals for Little House on the Prairie and becoming head trainer for the Universal Studio Tour. After relocating to Canada, he spent five years handling German Shepherd Dog ‘Ike,’ who played the part of police dog Rudy on Katts and Dog.

“It’s important to use a lot of positive reinforcement, and to know what motivates the dog,” Renfro explains. For an episode of Wind at My Back, the Baileys’ dog Pal – played by Renfro’s Border Collie ‘Casey’ – needed to play dead after being shot by a neighbour. “Casey had to lie immobile, covered with a blanket, while the kids cried,” Renfro recalls. The dog’s reward after the director called “Cut” was to grab the blanket and run off with it. “Whatever makes them happy, that’s what you give them,” Renfro says.

Major productions use professional wranglers to acquire, train and handle their canine stars, and though some of those dogs belong to their handlers, many are rented from their owners. When producer Richard Boddington was scouting for a Bulldog to play the lead role in the upcoming kids’ movie The Dogfather, every handler he approached told him it couldn’t be done. Then he contacted Bonnie Judd, owner of Canine Co-stars of Canada in Aldergrove, B.C. “People ask nothing of the dog and they get nothing back,” she laments. Judd rents 75 per cent of the dogs she uses, and her search for the perfect Bulldog led her to ‘Gabe,’ a top obedience dog from the U.S. who possessed both looks and brains. The movie, starring Saturday Night Live’s Chris Parnell, was filmed in Toronto last fall.

Gabe and his double ‘Porkchop,’ a female Bulldog from B.C., learned to sneeze, wave, go to their mark and perform several other tricks for the production. “If the dog plays a major role, the handler will be provided with story boards that show exactly what will happen,” Judd explains. This includes the location of the camera, lights and props.

Judd breaks down the scenes into separate exercises to start, then gradually blends them together, adding in props so that her training hall eventually looks exactly like the real set. “That way, everything will be familiar to the dog,” she says.

On the day of the shoot, Judd goes in ahead of the dog to make sure everything is set up correctly. “We’ll take a first run-through with me playing the dog’s part so everyone will know what to expect.” The director usually gets what he needs in a couple of takes, and the dog is off the set in under 10 minutes. “The director and crew don’t have a lot of patience,” Judd explains. “You go in, get the shot and get out.”

Georgina Bradley, owner of Dog Stars in Vancouver, B.C., has been providing animals to the entertainment industry since 1995. Her credits include Air Buddies, 101 Dalmatians and Homeward Bound 2. In addition to working as a handler, Bradley also offers obedience classes that teach behaviours commonly required on set, such as going to a mark, waving, crawling, taking a bow and scratching on command. “The dog needs a high level of training,” Bradley explains, “and should have a strong sit-stay, down-stay, stand-stay and recall.”

Dog Stars has supplied dogs for movies, television, commercials, and fashion magazines, but lately Bradley has been providing a lot of animals for theme parties – like a team of sled dogs that posed with a Mountie and brought in the master of ceremonies for an event promoting the upcoming 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Her best advice for owners with stars in their eyes: training and socialization are critical – and don’t expect to retire on your dog’s income.

While much of this has been studied by behaviourists, the person most responsible for bringing it into the public domain is Turid Rugaas, a dog trainer in Norway who set about doing her own study, carefully observing dogs, then documenting her findings. Her book, On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, has a huge following, as do her videos. Her lectures quickly sell out around the world.

When you know what to look for, you can see many calming signals. Head-turning, lip-licking, blinking and yawning can be signs that the dog is calming himself, another dog, or a human. Once you’re familiar with the signs, you’ll notice them whenever you watch dogs.

“I decided to study the calming signals in dogs in particular because all the other body signals were covered by almost everybody writing about dogs,” reveals Rugaas.

“As usual, it is the dramatic things that fascinate people, and so they see nothing else. But during my education as a dog behaviourist we had to read books about wolves, and there the authors described the ‘aggression-calming signals’ in wolves, also stating that dogs did not have them. I knew they had, as I had seen them in dogs all my life, and it triggered me to start a study to show that dogs also have the same aggression-calming signals – except they are much more than that. But to convince dog people about something, it must be well documented, so it was only after two years of intense studies and several thousands of dogs and situations, that I put it together,” says Rugaas, who agreed to be interviewed for this column.

We can apply her findings to our own dogs, and sharpen our skills by observing other dogs, once we know what to look for. Watch how dogs interact with their owners, how they behave when left alone, how they behave with each other, what sort of signals they use to communicate.

“It is important to be able to read the dog and the dog’s emotions at all times. If we can learn to be good observers and see the first small signs of stress, discomfort, anxiousness, frustration, and whatever the dog feels, we can avoid having the emotions escalating to a level where the dog is in real trouble, and we also get in trouble. We can rescue the dog out of difficulties, stop a situation before anything happens, stop the training and our demands on the dog before it really goes wrong – we can see when things go right, because the dog is polite and showing you when you are impolite.

“We can learn to be better dog owners and trainers – and better people, as being observant to anybody’s feelings and state of mind make us behave better in all kinds of situations. Our relationships become better, because we understand, and dogs know when we do. The respect that dogs show for each other and us, and their polite behaviour, can also teach people how wrong it is to use them as toys for children, and to test them – espe-cially afraid and vulnerable shelter dogs,” says Rugaas. She believes that if we could learn to respect dogs’ emotions and calming signals, we probably wouldn’t need as many shelters. “The most important thing the knowledge can give us is the difference between disaster and a good life for dogs.”

Anything that helps solidify the human-animal bond is worthy of attention. This isn’t just a random concept. I’ve tried it and it works, using it to communicate with dogs and puppies I’m meeting for the first time, rescues, shelter dogs, and I even gave it a whirl with my cat.

“The most important signal is the very first signal the dog gives in any situation, because that gives you the indication about what is happening. It can be licking, a turn of the head, nose to the ground, yawning, blinking – it can differ from dog to dog and case to case what will be used, but the very first signal tells you something important, and gives you a choice of how to deal with it. That’s why meeting a new dog is always a new and exciting adventure to me,” Rugaas explains.

It’s exciting to implement calming signals, both reading them and using them as a tool for relating to dogs. Many of us will be forever grateful to Turid Rugaas for opening this door to canine-human communication.

But seriously, as much as we can smile over these conversations, they are real problems for many families. I went to Murphy’s home and to my amazement, there were many pizza crusts on our walk, with no pizza shop in sight. That will always remain a mystery. What was not a mystery was why Murphy was so aggressive, often growling and biting when the crusts were removed. His defence came from having his favourite snack repeatedly taken away in an aggressive way. When his loving owner yelled at him to drop it and leave it, his hackles went up immediately.

You can teach your dog to drop something at any time and in any place. Set up the situation by waiting for your dog to pick something up, perhaps one of his toys. Stand side by side with your dog, crouch down, take a deep breath and nicely ask him to drop it. Go slowly and take the item with confidence, but in a calm manner. You can trade him for a treat, but that isn’t what he wants. He wants the item back. Return the item 80 per cent of the time, so he starts to understand that giving it to you doesn’t always mean you will keep it. Of course, I am not suggesting you let him keep anything that may be dangerous.

While you’re teaching your dog “Drop it,” you can start teaching him “Leave it.” Put a treat inside a closed hand and have some other treats nearby, perhaps on a table or counter. Let him sniff the hand with the treat. He will remain interested, but wait until he gives up, and say “Leave it.” You can give him a treat from the table, but not from the hand he sniffed. This will ensure that he starts to understand he can’t always have what you’re holding.

Once he has mastered this, you can graduate to put-ting the treat somewhere else, such as on a chair seat, or the floor if you have a small dog. Put your hand over it, and tell him to “Leave it.” Once he pulls his face away, you can reward him with something else, such as a toy or treat (but not the one under your hand).

Watch

The last thing to teach is “Watch.” Again, using a treat at first, hold it at your eye level. When your dog looks up to your eye (and initially the treat), mark it with a click or “Yes.” Once your dog is consistent, you can add the word “Watch.” Be sure you don’t reward your dog with the treat you’re holding near your eye, but get it from a waist pouch or pocket. Once your dog is looking up at you, start omitting the treat near your eye and just use one as a reward. You can make this more difficult by doing the exercise when you’re out for a walk.

It’s not important to have your dog watching you closely at all times when you’re out for a stroll, but it’s important to incorporate the watch into your daily walk by asking your dog to watch you every 10 minutes or so, for a short time. After the minute or so is up, release your dog with an “Okay” and resume your loose-leash walk. Be sure to initially reward your dog when he watches you. As soon as your dog is successful, you can wean the treats off by using them randomly.

Now you are ready to go for a walk with distractions. Initially, you can set up a few items along the way. Ask your dog to watch you and as you pass the item, tell him to leave it. If he does manage to go in for a swift grab of the tasty morsel he finds, tell him to drop it. If you do this in a calm but clear manner, you will start to see your dog relaxing and not scavenging so much on his walk.

If your dog is determined, use a head halter for a while. Evaluate the slack of the leash, and try to determine the balance between keeping your dog comfortable, and keeping his face up from the sidewalk.

Of course, this can be more difficult in an off-leash situation. An off-leash dog park is usually fairly safe, as it is managed by the other dog owners who keep the area clear and safe. Attach a 30-foot line to a scavenger dog so you can manage him while he gets his exercise.

Some dogs do suffer from pica and eat unusual items such as rocks. If your scavenger dog is exhibiting this behaviour, ask your veterinarian for advice.

As for Murphy, we did win the battle. Separate from his walks, we taught him to drop and leave items. As soon as he realized that he might get something better, he decided to not even look at the pizza crusts… something his owners could never have imagined.

One thing I know for sure is that if you shout at your dog, if you punish him aggressively for picking up inappropriate items or if you chase him down, you will create a defensive dog.

We all think that if we use enough force, the situation will be resolved quickly and easily. You may find that in the moment the dog is compliant, but I can assure you that by using fear-based techniques, you will create a defensive dog and that is a whole other can of worms in the future.

Slow, steady, kind, clear and respectful will win the race for dogs, and their people.

Sled dog racing has probably been around for as long as dogs have pulled sleds, since the inherent need for humans to prove whose dog is best hasn’t changed since the beginning of time.

Sled dogs were the lifeblood of northern communities, carrying supplies and communication until dog sleds were largely replaced by airplanes and snowmobiles.

Today, the tradition of mushing and racing continues. Sled dog racing is a test of endurance and teamwork. Short races (sprints) are four to 25 miles long (six to 40 kilometres); mid-distance races are 28 to 200 miles (45 to 322 kilometres); and long-distance races are 200 to over 1,000 miles (322 to 1,609 kilometres). The most famous long-distance race is the Iditarod – over 1,150 miles (1,851 kilometres) from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. The Iditarod commemorates the heroic serum run to Nome in 1925 by a relay of 20 mushers and over 100 dogs that delivered the diphtheria serum in 5-1/2 days, travelling 674 miles (1,085 kilometres) across the snow.

These days you don’t even have to have snow to get behind a team of dogs; wheeled ‘rigs’ or ‘gigs’ are used in places that are snow challenged. An interesting twist lately was the creation of the Jamaica Dogsled Team, the brainchild of Danny Melville, the owner of an adventure tour business in Jamaica. While looking for supplies for his business, he stumbled across a gig and was told it was a dog sled with wheels for training in places with no snow. The Jamaica Dogsled Team got sponsorship from Jimmy Buffet and they really do have teams of dogs, most rescued from local shelters. The mushers are properly trained and compete in races around the world.

Racing dogs are typically medium sized and weigh no more than about 55 pounds. Traditional breeds, such as Siberian Huskies, Qimmiq (Canadian Inuit Dogs) and Alaskan Malamutes, are being joined by other breeds. A team of Standard Poodles competed successfully for years, finishing the Iditarod four times. Speed and endurance are the main criteria for choosing a dog for a team, but they also have to be good tempered and get along with the other dogs.

Sled dog racing has had its share of detractors, but sled dogs will not win races if they are badly treated and badly fed. Mushers have a remarkable relationship with their dogs and treat them like the essential teammates that they are.

Anybody can participate if they have the training, equipment, stamina and dogs.

Safety concerns

Sled dog racing is not for the faint of heart. Races take place in harsh winter conditions. Dogs need to be in top shape mentally and physically, and properly conditioned and trained to take on the demands of races.

It is suggested that anybody who wants to become a musher should apprentice with somebody already doing it. Dog driving is a complex skill that requires extensive training for both dogs and mushers.

You could harness up a few dogs and go for a nice run through the fields, or you could prepare for the Iditarod.

You will need properly fitted harnesses that do not chafe the dogs; a sled or gig with proper braking ability; and at least two dogs if you are under 100 pounds, more dogs if you weigh more than that.

Races are run for money prizes. If you win enough of them, you earn the title World Champion.

The Canadian Kennel Club
The International Federation of Sleddog Sports Inc.
International Sled Dog Racing Association, Inc.

In his book The Natural Vet’s Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs, Shawn Messonnier, D.V.M., reviews the best methods to avoid this disease and effectively battle it once diagnosed.

Of course, there is no guarantee we can totally prevent cancer, and even the most ambitious owner can have a dog develop the disease. But, some cancers can be avoided and others can be minimized.

Messonnier considers a healthy diet the cornerstone of cancer prevention. He suggests minimizing animal and plant by-products as well as limiting or eliminating chemical preservatives. He says a homemade diet is best, and a holistic, organic, processed food a good second choice.

Another belief is minimizing vaccinations. This means a less-frequent protocol and doing only what’s necessary for the individual dog. For example, if your dog lives in an apartment and goes out only on a leash, there is little point giving him a Giardia vaccine, which protects against a disease picked up by drinking water from a stream or ditch. Similarly, Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks, so that vaccine is unnecessary if there is no tick threat.

There is also the option of using titres to decide if vaccines are actually needed. These blood tests measure the amount of blood antibodies against specific diseases, telling you which antibody levels are low and which specific vaccines are required.

Toxic chemicals should be avoided; this includes medications. If your pet has arthritis, Messonnier suggests using alternative medication such as glucosamine rather than conventional painkillers. (Of course, this will depend on the severity of arthritis and what is required to manage it.) If insecticides are used for flea or heartworm prevention, their use should be limited to the time of year the parasite is a threat.

There are also ways to prevent specific cancers. Spaying and neutering can help avoid cancer in the mammary glands and prostate. Limiting sun exposure in light-haired pets can decrease some types of skin cancer.

If cancer does arise, early detection is far better than diagnosis at an advanced stage. Regular veterinary visits should include blood and urine tests to help detect abnormalities. Every lump should be checked with a needle aspirate to rule out cancer.

If your dog is diagnosed with cancer, there are several steps you can take to offer the best chance of survival and good quality of life. The key is to combine both conventional and complementary therapies. Using one without the other can mean inferior results.

For example, dogs that are diagnosed with lymphoma (often called leukemia) respond well to chemotherapy. To shun this treatment and rely solely on complementary therapies would mean a rapid progression of the disease and a shorter life.

On the other hand, by using conventional treatment alone, you are treating the tumour, but not the dog. To win against cancer, the patient must be as healthy as possible. This can be accomplished with what we term holistic methods the best nutrition combined with specific supplements.

Dogs suffering from poor nutrition can’t metabolize chemotherapy drugs properly, predisposing them to toxicity from the medications that are supposed to help. Weight loss is common in cancer patients, so appetite must be maintained and the dog provided with a diet high in calories. Studies show that dogs fed a diet high in fats had longer remission periods than dogs fed high-carbohydrate diets. Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils), in particular, can improve weight gain, but also boost immune response and metabolic function for a better clinical outcome.

A commercial diet made with this in mind is Hill’s Canine n/d. Studies confirm it increases survival time in dogs with lymphoma. Although there is no evidence that it helps with other types of cancer, many veterinarians recommend it as a general ‘cancer’ diet.

For dogs that won’t eat n/d or can’t tolerate it (diarrhea is common), Messonnier suggests a holistic brand of canned cat food. As well, owners can prepare a homemade diet. He provides recipes in his book.

Of course, supplements are also recommended. According to Messonnier, dogs undergoing cancer treatment should receive antioxidants, vitamin E, coenzyme Q-10, arginine and glutamine (both amino acids), medicinal mushrooms, and fresh vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cabbage and garlic.

Messonnier says we should not vaccinate dogs that have cancer. The fear is that dogs may come out of remission when vaccinated. The only exception is dogs with benign skin tumours. However, rabies vaccines may need to be administered if required by law.

In addition to limited exposure to insecticides and drugs, dogs with cancer should not be exposed to tobacco smoke, a known carcinogen.

Messonnier is a strong proponent of combining conventional and complementary therapies. He does not see the sense in refusing surgery, chemotherapy or radiation just because it is not holistic. If surgery will cure your dog, have the surgery done. If chemotherapy can increase longevity, use it. And, use holistic treatments to enhance the body’s ability to kill cancer and minimize side effects of other therapies.

Listen to all the options provided by your veterinarian before making a decision. Although a cancer diagnosis can be frightening for dog owners, learn all you can, keep your mind open, and work with your veterinarian for the best outcome.

We extend thanks to the Oncology Department at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ont., for granting us access to photograph their brave cancer patients and dedicated veterinary staff.

So with such a significant incident, what was learned and what has changed? In Canada, the results are rather surprising. Nothing has changed. Martha Wilder, Executive Director of the Pet Food Association of Canada, replied to my query regarding any new regulation since the 2007 recalls with the following:

“There have been no regulatory changes in Canada, with the exception of the Enhanced Feed ban (July 2007), which includes pet food, and the new import rules for pet food imported from the U.S.A. Neither piece of legislation is as a result of the 2007 pet food recall.” (The import rules relate to mad cow disease.)

One hopes that if there wasn’t legislation, there was at least clarification. In March 2007, as the recall was still being investigated, Canada’s agricultural minister, who oversees the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, stated that he had no purview over pet food, saying, “The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s job is to look after human food safety and production.” He said the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association monitored and regulated pet food. But the CVMA responded that they simply provide nutritional guidelines and have no regulatory powers at all. So just who is in charge of pet food safety in Canada?

This isn’t an issue likely to go away any time soon, at least not as long as ingredients continue to be globally sourced. A May 2009 brief in Petfood Industry noted that hydrolyzed leather protein (a known carcinogen) was found in batches of dairy products in Jinhua City, China, after an anonymous letter tipped off authorities to the illegal adulteration (again, to boost the apparent protein of the product). Leather protein is similar to melamine but harder to detect because it is a real protein, but toxic.

In the United States, the recall generated a much bigger response. The Pet Food Institute (PFI), a trade association for U.S. pet food companies, formed the National Pet Food Commission after the 2007 recalls. Its recommendations led to the Model Commercial Pet Food Manufacturing Principles, covering sourcing of materials, processing, sanitation, plant security, consumer relations, and record keeping. The model principles are voluntary, considered as guidance only (the PFI is not a regulatory body), but companies can choose to adhere to them and state so publicly. Duane Ekedahl, president of PFI, commented, “The PFI board addressed changing consumer attitudes on food safety by developing these documents for one of the most highly regulated of all food products: pet food. These documents are the product of a careful assessment of industry practices and are intended to provide added assurance of the safety of pet food products.”

Official U.S. regulatory agencies also responded. Congress passed and the president signed into law the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA).

Though much of the bill dealt with human medicine, the dozen or so pages devoted to food safety made specific references to pet food and brought major changes. The FDA was charged with improving its response to all food contamination incidents. For pet food in particular, the FDA was given one year to develop a surveillance and early warning system. The FDA Reportable Food Registry went live online in September 2009. Manufacturers must report any food or feed product incident within 24 hours after learning that a product might sicken or kill animals.

In conjunction, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched a new website to provide up-to-the-minute information on food safety and recalls, including pet food.

In addition to the websites, the FDA is working with AAFCO (a non-regulatory organization) to establish pet food ingredient standards and definitions and processing standards. They will also update labelling standards regarding nutritional and ingredient information.

But nowhere does the bill address increased inspection of food or ingredient imports or new import feeds to support such a program. So is pet food safety going to be improved at its roots?

A 2009 survey by the Center for Science in the Public Interest revealed that confidence in food safety (for both humans and pets) is in a downward spiral. Slightly over half of those surveyed reported having little confidence in the food inspection systems in place. Nearly three-quarters did not believe food was any safer than it was a year before. The increasing globalization of food (not just pet food) means the supply chain is exposed to more potential hazard points, contaminants, spoilage, delays, and third-party participants. Ingredients are traded via brokers and distributors rather than being delivered by the primary producer direct to the manufacturer.

Even making your own pet food won’t necessarily save you from this sort of risk. Ingredients largely don’t have to be labelled for country of origin, and items such as vitamin mixes may actually have up to 20 ingredients involved.

For the present, your safest option is to buy only from primary producers or product manufacturers whose reputation you trust. And for improved safety in the future, push government regulators to do a better job of ensuring food safety.

Dog shows began as a way to compare and evaluate dogs for breeding, but there is also prize money, prestige, ribbons and points. People love to show off their dogs and take justifiable pride in their beauty and accomplishments.

Some people will say that dog shows are a useless waste of time – political, stressful, unfair and just a beauty pageant. Dog shows are no more or less unfair than any other judged sport. There are good judges and bad judges, good venues and lousy ones, and there are good sports and bad sports in the dog fancy.

Each breed has a written standard that describes a perfect example of that breed. Reading the standard should give you a visual picture of the breed. There is a particular way each breed looks and acts, an attitude and presence that we refer to as breed type. If a dog of any breed is ‘typey,’ it is instantly recognizable as that breed. A judge’s job is to compare each dog in the ring to that picture of perfection, then place the dogs in order from first to fourth according to how closely each conforms to the breed standard.

We all love our dogs, but it makes sense to breed only the dogs that look and act the way that’s correct for the breed. If a dog can hang around calmly in an area with crowds of people and dogs, trot around a ring soundly and allow complete strangers to run their hands all over its body, that is a decent test of character. A judge giving the dog a ribbon and placing it at the head of the class is usually an indication that the dog looks like a pretty nice example of the breed. If that happens a few times under different judges, it is fair to say the dog is a fine example of what the breed should look like and probably has a stable temperament.

Each breed is judged separately by gender starting with the males, which are brought into the ring and trotted around so the judge can see the way each dog moves. This is an indication of proper structure, which is important for health as well as function and looks. Each dog is then stood so that the profile presented to the judge shows the breed’s correct outline. The judge examines each dog individually, checking things such as head shape and that the teeth are properly aligned, proportions, shoulder and pelvic angles, topline, length of ears and tail, height, and in the case of male dogs, whether they have two testicles. The dogs are then gaited individually and together so the judge can compare them.

First into the ring are the Junior Puppy Dogs (six to nine months old). The judge looks them over and places them in order of preference to fourth place.

Next is Senior Puppy Dogs (nine to 12 months) and the judge places these as well. After that comes 12 to 18 Months Dogs, Canadian Bred Dogs, Bred by Exhibitor Dogs and Open Dogs. Then the winner of each class is brought back into the ring to compete for Winners Dog. Once the Winners Dog is chosen, the dog that placed second in the Winners Dog’s class returns to the ring to compete for Reserve Winners Dog. (If for some reason The Canadian Kennel Club disallows the Winners Dog’s win, the points will be allotted to the Reserve Winners Dog.)

Then it’s done all over again with the females.

So far so good? Now we move on to Specials Only – dogs that are already champions compete against other champions (“Specials”) and the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch for Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex. Best Puppy in Breed and Best of Winners are also chosen at this time. One dog could receive multiple awards – for example, Best of Winners could also be Best of Opposite Sex or Best of Breed.

The Best of Breed of each breed goes on to compete at the group level. There are seven groups based on the Canadian Kennel Club’s classification of dogs: Sporting, Hounds, Working, Terriers, Toys, Non-Sporting and Herding. The judge looks at all the Best of Breed winners in their group and decides which ones most closely resemble their own breed standard and places them from first to fourth. The winner of each group then goes on to compete for Best in Show.

The Best Puppy of each breed competes in the Puppy Group (but there’s only one placement). Best Puppy in Show is judged after Best in Show.

A championship certificate is awarded when a dog earns 10 points under three different judges; at least one win must be worth two points. A dog is awarded points only if it has competition, so the only representative of a breed at a show would get no points unless it won a group placement.

The number of dogs competing determines the number of championship points allotted to the winner, up to a maximum of five points per show. Earning a championship is sometimes referred to as “finishing” a dog.

You shouldn’t talk to a handler who is waiting to go into the ring or who just came out. Never touch a freshly groomed dog, and always congratulate the winner, even if you think another dog should have won.

A few simple proactive measures can help everyone enjoy your beloved pet, and help you fulfill your responsibilities as a dog owner.

One very fine family leaves their dog in the backyard when they go out for the day. The dog does not start barking until they leave and stops immediately upon their return.

In between, the dog barks continuously, but the owners have no idea. As a responsible pet owner, do your silently suffering neighbours a favour and ask them if your dog barks when you leave it at home. If he does, than you need to do something about it. Even if he barks outside while you’re at home, you can be sure your neighbours are less than thrilled.

When walking a dog in a park not designated as off-leash, owners occasionally let their dogs run free. This terrorizes some people. Sometimes dogs get excited and run, jump up on, or sniff other visitors to the park. While some people enjoy the opportunity to pat a friendly dog, many do not and feel it is an intrusion into their own enjoyment of the park.

Similarly, with the advent of lengthy retractable leashes, owners sometimes allow their dogs to wander out of reach, blocking the path of other pedestrians with the extended leash.

Dog owners enjoy their pets and like to see them happy, but sometimes forget that their dog’s behaviour may be perceived as disruptive by others. A well-trained and controlled dog is a joy to walk and a credit to its owner. People who want to meet your pet will feel free and safe to do so if it has been well trained.

In his comic The Far Side, Gary Larson had a cartoon, What we say to dogs… What they hear. To modify it just a bit: We say, “Stop barking Rover, be quiet and get off the nice lady Rover!” Dogs hear, “Blah blah blah Rover.” Your dog does not understand your yelling or issuing an order it has not been taught to obey. Don’t tell your dog to stop barking; train your dog to stop barking.

The same goes for walking your dog and controlling his behaviour on or off leash. Don’t tell your dog to stop unwanted behaviours; train it to stop unwanted behaviours.

Many people love dogs, even those who don’t own one. With a bit of training you will enjoy your pet much more, your neighbours will be happy and everyone else will feel safe to enjoy their time outdoors as well.

And how do we manage this? Well, we all know that we transmit those nerves right down the leash, so the first step is to let the dog relax in peace, to save up the energy he’s going to need. So into the crate (or car) he goes.

This doesn’t mean there should not be a warm-up, but you have to plan it so it helps you. We often see beginner handlers warming up all day long before they go into the ring. Unfortunately, all this working out does not help, as the handler is usually very anxious, so the dog ends up anxious and exhausted. So keep it short. Don’t try to completely retrain the dog an hour before ring time.

It is not only beginners who make things worse in their warm-up. Too many people go off and practise the wrong thing. For example, let’s say you have a problem with the retrieve, so you find a practice area, remove the leash, get the dog into a sit at heel, throw the dumbbell and then send him. If he goes off and gets his dumbbell, well and good, but what if he chooses not to go? Or what if there’s an ‘attack crate’ lurking near the dumbbell and he gets a scare? What if a few spectators walk by and he goes to greet them? Have you accomplished anything other than setting the dog up for failure and making your own nerves worse? No. So it is very important to plan your warm-up. If I have a problem exercise, I would probably opt to practise it beforehand, but I would usually keep the leash on so I can control the situation. This not only gives your dog the idea that he has no choice in the matter, but it also shows him that he can succeed. And it certainly helps the handler’s nerves to have the dog do it correctly.

The mental preparation is just as important as the physical. So the next step is to take control of your thoughts. Of course, it’s normal to watch the dogs in the ring and think of all the ways there are to fail, how many of them your dog has already figured out, and how many new ways he’s likely to find in the very near future. But a little of this self-indulgence goes a long way. Instead, spend a few minutes visualizing yourself and your dog performing the routine, exercise by exercise.

Should you chat up the other exhibitors? Whether it will help to distract you or just make you more flustered depends on the individual. But whichever way works for you, set aside time for yourself shortly before you go into the ring, to focus and put yourself in a proper (and positive) frame of mind. As for chatting up the judge, while there’s no harm in this, and it might help to relieve a bit of your stress, don’t overdo it. Once in the ring you need to focus on your dog and your routine.

Have you ever tried to reassure your dog when he’s nervous? The trick is to distract him by giving him something else to think about. The same method can work for us. Instead of thinking all those negative thoughts, think about your job.
Your job is to be the very best team member you can possibly be. Your job is to help your dog in every legal way you can. Your job is to be smooth and clear in your handling, so the dog knows where he’s going and what he’s supposed to do. So use that nervous energy to study the routine and plan your strategy.

The judge calls for the signals quickly? Plan to wait a second or two before responding. There isn’t much room to do the fast? Plan to be ready to do your transitions right away so you won’t have to do your about turn in the ring entrance. Where do you have to turn to make it down the middle mat for the Signals? Should you throw your dumbbell a little to the left or a little to the right? Once you are in the ring, concentrate on those details, one exercise at a time. You probably won’t remember everything, but it will give you something positive to think about and take your mind off the pass/fail concept.

Once you enter that ring, you are somewhat at your dog’s mercy (admittedly a scary thought). But don’t worry. Your training is done, you are as ready as you can possibly be, and no matter what happens, there will always be another dog show. So take a deep breath, relax smile, and enjoy the moment.

“The program has given me a second chance. If it wasn’t for COPE, I would have dropped out of school by now,” wrote grade 10 student Alex, in a display that hangs on the classroom wall at Nantyr Shores Secondary School in Innisfil, Ont., one hour north of Toronto. Fifteen-year-old Wyatt, also in grade 10, is midway through his second year in the program. He says that working with ‘Charity,’ a yellow Labrador Retriever pup, is his favourite part of the school day. “The dogs don’t judge you if you have flaws,” he explains, adding that the best part of the program is knowing that he’s helping someone with a disability.

COPE, which stands for Canine Opportunity People Empowerment, is a charity that trains service dogs for people who have disabilities. But what sets COPE apart is that it also engages high school students who are at risk of leaving school. “If I’m here every day, I get to keep working with this dog,” explains 16-year-old Gary, a grade 11 student, as he sits with ‘Rusty,’ a four-month-old Golden Retriever. “If my absences get high I lose my dog, and I don’t want that to happen.” Although Gary wasn’t sure he would like the program when a teacher suggested it to him last year, Boake explains that he’s very engaged now. “He understands how his mood and approach travel down the leash,” she says.

The students spend one period a day with Boake and the dogs, learning theories of behaviour that are as applicable to humans as they are to dogs. After Boake’s lecture, the class takes time to practise the 90 commands that their dogs need to learn, and socialize them by working in the corridors and common areas of the school. Once the students have bonded with their dogs and are working well together, they are matched with a reading buddy at a nearby elementary school. “The kids read out loud to the dogs,” Gary says, explaining that Rusty sits attentively and listens to the stories.

“Some people look at at-risk kids and don’t know what to do with them,” Boake says. Some have learning disabilities that make school difficult for them, leading them to skip classes as a way of avoiding the frustration. Others have behavioural problems that result in suspensions. But Boake sees COPE as their chance to shine. “They take advantage of the opportunity. They love to show what they can do.” Like 17-year-old Brittany, a grade 11 student who confesses that she was struggling with a lot of things at school before she joined the program in grade nine. “I wouldn’t be able to go to class if I wasn’t in the program,” she says. “Now everything is different. COPE has given me strength, knowledge and hope.”

But the high school students and their reading buddies are only the beginning. After two years of training, the dogs are ready to be placed with their Life Partners, helping them cope with the challenges of living with a physical or medical disability.

Seven-year-old Krysta was born with agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), a rare birth defect in which the bridge of nerves connecting the brain’s two hemispheres fails to develop. Krysta’s mother, Cindy Rossit, explains that Krysta has fine and gross motor skill delays as well as emotional and behavioural challenges. “It takes her longer to process things,” Cindy says. “Her brain is like a bad filing system. She can’t always retrieve the information that she needs. And if she’s having a bad day, she’ll have lots of meltdowns.” Because Krysta loves animals, Cindy began researching the possibility of getting her a service dog a couple of years ago. She chose COPE because they were local, and because they were open-minded about training a dog to assist with a broader range of disabilities.

Last June, Krysta was teamed with ‘Ben,’ a Golden Retriever trained by Brittany at Nantyr Shores. “Ben is Krysta’s best friend,” Cindy explains. “She’s getting to the age where she knows she’s different from the other kids, but Ben loves her no matter what. If she’s having a bad day, he’s always there for her.” In addition to helping diffuse her meltdowns, Ben has helped Krysta reconnect with her family.

Krysta has trouble coping with noise, so she used to eat her meals by herself. But with Ben lying under the dining-room table, Krysta now feels comfortable joining her parents and siblings, Talie, four, and Thomas, three, at mealtimes. “Ben has helped the whole family,” Cindy explains. As a testament to his place in the family circle, Ben is featured front and centre in this year’s Rossit family portrait.

Krysta isn’t yet able to handle Ben on her own, so every day at 8:30 a.m., Brittany walks across the street from her high school to Krysta’s elementary school. There, she spends the morning acting as Ben’s handler – a co-op position that gives Brittany academic credits and work experience while helping Krysta remain focused and calm in class. “Brittany has just been fantastic. If Krysta is having a trying day and doesn’t want to get ready for recess, Brittany will get Ben to bring her her coat,” Cindy says.

Ben is so popular with the other students that Brittany takes him out front at recess so Krysta can play without the other children getting jealous. But every Friday, for a designated 15 minutes before he leaves, all the children are allowed to pet and socialize with him. He may be Krysta’s service dog, but Ben, like the other COPE dogs, has a knack for spreading goodwill and happiness wherever he goes.

She had always been leery of fire, but the incessant barking of the dogs and knowing that the caged puppies were close pushed her further inside.

Crawling alongside her were two men she had never met – nor has she seen them since. The pair appeared out of nowhere just before midnight on that stormy night, and were able to break down the door to the Midland & District Ontario SPCA shelter when, in a panic, Dool couldn’t get her keys to work. They clawed through the deep haze just as determinedly as Dool, but when the trio realized they were jeopardizing their own safety, they had to retreat without the pups.

“We still don’t know who those guys are. All I remember is they were two young guys and they were in a Mustang or something,” Dool notes as she recounts the events that unfolded on August 2, 2006. “I can remember they were helping me and once the fire department arrived I lost track of them.”

It had been about 11 p.m. when Dool, the manager of the shelter, received a phone call from the security company telling her the alarms had gone off at the facility just outside Midland, Ont. Initially thinking it was a break-in, she was shocked to arrive and see smoke billowing from the historic farmhouse that held more than 60 dogs, cats and other, smaller, animals.

Panicked, and with only the headlights of her car offering a dim light in the blackness of the night, she couldn’t unlock the door. She ran the 200 feet to the OSPCA Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre to grab a cell phone, then returned to the blaze to find the two men who were able to break through the door.

Adding to the chaos was a power outage in the area that not only killed the lights but affected land lines and cell phone reception. Dool was able to call 911 but couldn’t reach many of her staff.

“I finally got hold of our chief inspector, who was in bed, and started screaming at him, ‘I need help!’” she recalls. “It was horrible.”

As smoke choked the trio, the sky was eerily still – in stark contrast to the lightning storm that had raged earlier that evening, downing trees, causing chaos on the roads and igniting several buildings in the area. Charlene Parent, an animal-care attendant who works at the shelter, remembers going outside her home at about 8 o’clock, staring into the tumultuous sky and thinking it was one of the worst storms she’d seen in a while. She wouldn’t find out until just after midnight that the animal shelter was struck by lightning at about that time, and the slow burn began.

It wasn’t until firefighters arrived that the two puppies Dool and the men had tried to reach, as well as four dogs and 30 cats, were rescued from the blaze. Sadly, 29 cats perished. A kitten and four dogs that were taken to Heritage Animal Hospital in Midland, later died.

“I remember it like it was yesterday; I don’t think that will ever go away,” Parent, who arrived shortly after midnight, says softly. “It was our responsibility to care for those animals. It wasn’t our fault but we still think it’s our job to protect them. That is not what was supposed to have happened.”

As firefighters fought the flames and pulled live animals from the building throughout the night and into the next day, volunteers and community members continued to arrive. Some helped to crate the cats that were being taken out, or searched for the frightened animals that ran. Others stood silent as emotion over-came them.

Emotion continued to pour in from the community in the weeks and months following the tragedy, as staff and volunteers came to grips with the loss of the animals.

“For the first little while, people would meet you on the street and they would hug you and start crying,” recalls Dool. “It affected everybody.”

It’s this deluge of support – not only from the local community but also from thousands of people throughout Ontario – that she credits for the success of the rebuild campaign that saw almost $1.5 million raised through donations and fundraising events in less than two years.

The new 4,622-square-foot building is now open on the site of the former farmhouse shelter and is a testament to the good that can happen when a community pulls together in the face of misfortune. Equipped with 10 roomy in-door/outdoor dog runs, as well as separate isolation, intake and treatment rooms, and an outdoor exercise pen that’s accessible from the inside runs, the state-of-the-art animal-care facility boasts separate ventilation systems, as well as stainless-steel caging, shelving and countertops to reduce the risk of disease transfer. It also features two cat group-housing rooms, two cat intake/holding rooms, a small-animal room, grooming room and two outside cat enclosures.

The property also boasts the community’s first off-leash dog park and a memorial garden commemorating the animals that died in the fire.
“The building was built with the animals in mind; that was the important thing,” says Dool, as she scans the inside of the building in its final stages of construction. “Peter Archer did a lot of research and he really did a great job.”

Born and raised in the area, architect Peter Archer of Peter Archer & Associates lent not only his time and expertise to create the architectural plans for the project for free, but took extra care in creating a cost-effective shelter that includes geothermal heating and cooling. An internal corridor that features big sky-lights to allow in natural sunlight, and on-demand water heaters, will also reduce costs.

The rebuild couldn’t have happened without the generosity of Archer and other Midland-area businesses that donated thousands of dollars worth of materials and/or labour. There are really so many to thank, including people from outside the community, notes Dool.

“The people who came forward were totally amazing. Our own community has always supported us very well, but we could never have pulled this off without all the other support.”

Some mornings driving into work, Dool swears she can still see the old farmhouse perched on the hill. In her heart, she knows that what stands there now is much better, but she will never forget that August night, nor the animals that lost their lives.

Originally intended to be a gift for a girlfriend, Manous now accompanies her owner year-round as he pursues small game such as grouse, waterfowl and rabbits. In the winter, she accompanies him on his trap line.

Incredibly, Manous has never received any formal training for her role. First taken into the field at the age of six months on a duck-hunting excursion, she never showed fear of firearms and, just as remarkably, demonstrated a Chesapeake Bay Retriever’s affinity for water. Capitalizing on these innate traits, Boucher fashioned his puppy into not only a first-rate sporting dog, but the finest of companion animals.

When Boucher goes out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence in pursuit of ducks, Manous is there with him, although care is taken to ensure she doesn’t dive into the often-treacherous waves to bring the birds to the boat.

In lakes and rivers of the mainland, however, she has proven to be – despite her minute size – a keen retriever of ducks and geese, always seizing them by the head (the only place small enough for her to get a grip) to bring them to shore. Her size, while a handicap in retrieving game that is her own size, does not prohibit her from fulfilling what she sees to be her job.

On land, she demonstrates all the abilities of traditional bird dogs. Grouse are a specialty and she is especially adept at locating and flushing them. In these circumstances, her tiny size offers her an advantage over larger breeds, such as Springers, for she is able to find her way into tight thickets to flush the birds. And, on the rare occasions that a bird has been wounded but not killed, Manous has located and held the birds until they could be humanely dispatched.

Contrary to the stereotyping and (mis)perceptions of Toy breeds as purely decorative, Manous has an exceptional nose, considerable grit and much intelligence. On the trap line and when hunting, she clearly distinguishes between old tracks and new ones. Boucher can read her behaviour like the proverbial book, and when he sees her perk up and move with her nose to the ground, he knows that she is on a fresh scent. Her memory is likewise sharp, and her owner says that she recognizes and remembers where birds were shot five years earlier.

Winters are bitterly cold in this part of Quebec and the snow can be hard on a dog’s paws, so Boucher often parks his truck on the side of the road and snowshoes to his traps, leaving Manous in the vehicle. Sometimes, though, her skills are needed. In several instances, she has located trapped game under a metre or more of snow after blizzards had covered the landscape. Her memory, coupled with what has been proven to be an exceptional nose (as well as her ability to walk on the crusted snow without breaking through), make Boucher’s job much easier.

The bond between the 30-something hunter/trapper and his tiny partner is strong. Boucher made a sweater for Manous out of an old toque that serves to not only keep her warm (although her natural coat is quite thick) but help other hunters spot her when she’s in the bush. This winter, he’s trying booties to see if they’ll help her cope better with icy conditions.

And, when they’re not in the bush together, they are the best of friends. In addition to being a hunter and trapper, Boucher holds down another job. Manous can discern when he’s going to his day job and when he’s preparing to go into the wilderness. She perks up, and when he says “La chasse!” she assumes her indispensable – but highly improbable – role as a hunter/trapper’s dog in northern Quebec.

The reasons we love our dogs range from the simple to the complex. Here are some comments readers offered when we asked “Why do you love your dogs?”

The man regards his dog with a smile as she pulls herself along. Among his friends, there are mixed expressions. For some, there is thinly veiled disgust; for others, pity; and for another, a shared smile. Once Flower is done, the man cheerfully scoops her up. “I’d better take her out and express her” he says, which means that he has to empty the dog’s bladder for her by placing pressure on her abdomen. She is unable to eliminate on her own anymore, and should urine build up, it could lead to a life-threatening medical condition. He shares stories of treatments and medications, yet despite all he’s done, Flower’s con-dition is largely unchanged.

After he leaves, his friends argue. “It’s unconscionable,” declares one. “He should have let her go a long time ago.” Another disagrees. “He’s doing his best by her, a lot of folks would have given up on her.” I sit on the periphery, considering the dialogue while the dog’s expression haunts me. It is the saddest set of eyes I’ve ever seen, and my heart breaks for her. How can he not see that? What could possibly drive him to continue with the treatments, the constant therapy, the medication and care? Could there be a darker side to his seemingly unconditional devotion?

Munchausen’s syndrome, named for the legendary 18th-century liar Baron von Munchausen, was first recognized by psychologists in the 1950s. The story goes that the Baron would make up myriad illnesses and ailments and, buoyed by the sympathies and attentions of others, continually appear to come down with new symptoms to maintain their concern. People afflicted with this disorder may lie about symptoms, mutilate themselves or even ingest poisons to make themselves sick. They go to great lengths, and will even subject themselves to unpleasant and potentially dangerous medical procedures to maintain their psychological reinforcement from the medical and lay communities.

By the 1970s, a new variation had been identified – Munchausen’s by proxy (MBP). It is, however, not without its detractors. While Munchausen’s syndrome has been recognized as a mental disorder, Munchausen’s by proxy has not. MBP is the extension of attention-seeking behaviour to others – for example, the child who is sickly despite the parent’s best efforts; the dog that cannot recover despite the owner appearing to be the world’s best client.

Researchers feel that this syndrome is more common than suspected, but goes undiagnosed due to ignorance.

In one community, a mother shaved her child’s head and maintained that he had cancer. She would give him sleeping pills to make him woozy and disoriented, which she claimed was the result of chemotherapy. By the time she sent a note to her child’s school filled with medical errors that revealed her deception, an entire neighbourhood had been sucked into the ruse.

The payoff for the caregiver is the continued attention and sympathy of family, friends and doctors. Most cases today involve mothers who deliberately harm their own children or cause them to get sick, so they can bathe in the role of doting caregiver and glean attention from doctors and society at large.

In 2001, researchers identified a subset of this condition, involving pets, not children, as the primary victims. In the case of the pets, the animals presented with contrived illnesses or injuries, inflicted by the owner. In a study in the United Kingdom, up to four per cent of pet illness and injuries were suspected of being related to this disorder, with others suspected but not confirmed. In one case, a dog suffered multiple incidents of poisoning at the hands of his owner. Further investigation by authorities revealed that several of the owner’s other pets had died under mysterious circumstances.

Interestingly, the perpetrator is often described as a veterinarian’s dream client. Predominantly female, they are generally of above-average intelligence, and have a keen grasp of medical terminology. They have researched medications or ailments, and can speak easily with the vet about their animal’s condition and the various treatment options available. After dumbing down diagnoses all day, being able to speak concisely and frankly to a client is a relief to many.

Another common feature is veterinarian shopping. If the client doesn’t get the desired level of concern or attention from their own vet, they go to several other doctors until they find satisfaction. They also tend to book appointments with increased frequency, even booking multiple appointments in one day. The goal is to maximize the owner’s interactions with the vets and their staff. One such owner bragged on the Internet about the amount of contact she’d had with the vet, and was pleased when he gave her his home address and phone number in case the next incident occurred after business hours. Unsurprisingly, it promptly did.

So what can be done? This is the crux of the issue, especially when it comes to dogs. In humans, MBP is characterized as abuse, and diagnosis is made in one of two ways: either the child is hospitalized in a room equipped with hidden video cameras, or the child is removed from the parent and their recovery is observed and documented when away from the parent’s care. Unfortunately, due to both legal and monetary issues, installing hidden video cameras is out of the question for most vets.

Another problem is the lack of concrete evidence. Even in cases where the veterinarian is virtually certain the owner is at the root of the illness, making an accusation against a pet owner will almost certainly destroy the doctor/patient relationship and could land the vet in civil court.

Perhaps for the veterinarian, the takeaway point is to maintain balance in all client relationships. Be compassionate but not cloying, and know some of the common indicators. Better communication between social agencies and vets may be needed as an outlet for vets who suspect clients of causing harm to their pets or withholding proper care.

If you suspect someone is suffering from this, or causing harm to their pets or children, how can you help them? This area is surprisingly lean on information. In Great Britain, veterinary students now have courses to educate them on the symptoms of this and other abuse disorders, yet in North America, the veterinary schools provide little information. Even more chilling is one researcher’s summation that there is no known successful case of treatment.

The answer, however, is that we can reach out to those with psychiatric conditions by enabling and encouraging them to avail themselves of the resources at their fingertips. Counselling, help phones and family physicians are all places to get help.

Fortunately, the disorder – at least in this manifestation – still seems relatively rare, and most clients do have their pets’ best interests at heart. Many chronic conditions have symptoms that wax and wane, and jumping to conclusions is never a sound plan of attack. Stepping back from a relationship enough to view it objectively may be all that’s needed to help a friend, and save their pet as well.

Tips? If you spot an error or omission, please email us.

10 Ch Shireoak Caniscaeli Windsong

23 Ch Reidwood Red Alert

9 Ch Fishercreek S A Star Is Born

17 Ch Littleriver’s Brynwood Celtie

18 Ch Wolfhaven Aint No Fool To Olugh

35 Ch Torquay Be Nice To Me

15 Ch Windstorm Shalom Cabaret

33 Ch Wagswell’s Ray Of Cambria

64 Ch Grandgables Ms Stripey Brown

31 Ch Radozny Aviann Opium Asgard

18 Ch Strider N Leinenstones Katalea

19 Ch Aerdenhout’s The Fifth Element

12 Ch Avatars Try Try Again

5 Ch Rus Maknalis Shtorm Of Arbat

18 Ch Cranmoss Finbar Of Colinca

6 Ch Efbe’s Merci Pour Le Poivre

15 Ch Manoir’s Match Pointe

5 Ch Darwyn’s Webslinger

25 Ch Foxmore Xtraordinary

11 Ch Ogura Ivanwold Riversong Miss Destiny Child

7 Ch Pekeden Ringmaster Lorricbrook

7 Ch Poarott Back To Black Lorricbrook

23 Ch Mojito’s Desilu De Solana

8 Ch Nuuktok’s Atka Inukshuk

23 Ch Robobull Fabelhaft Im On Fire

19 Ch Dawin Spitfire

8 Ch Pikkinokka Badgr Sir Barksalot

21 Ch Classique Scaramouche

6 Ch Pikkinokka’s This Girl Rockz

9 Ch Jayenn’s Ivan Of Tsankawi

14 Ch Quiche’s Demetrius

9 Ch Larska’s Halldora

17 Ch Uneeda Last Minute Wish

Thus began life with St. Bernice. She was found by a rescue agency, wandering the city streets in a -40˚C cold snap. It turns out she’s also 100-per-cent hearing impaired.

Being adopted by an animal is one thing – being adopted by a four-month-old deaf St. Bernard pup is quite another. Luckily, ‘Duchess,’ our nine-year-old Great Pyrenees, has given us plenty of experience with gentle giant breeds. Duchess has also been an apt assistant in training Bernice to learn our hand signals and daily routines.

When we proudly announced our new addition, reactions ranged from unbridled enthusiasm to “What would they want a dog like that for?” Surely the naysayers had only our best interests at heart when contemplating Bernice’s pending full-grown size and extra requirements.

Being raised by a pet that will be the same size as a Shetland pony is challenging at the best of times. Throw in a special-needs scenario and we’ve got ourselves a busy household.

Since we cannot gain Bernice’s attention with our voices, we must consistently jump up from the table, couch or bed to redirect her curious nose from our crotchety old cat, fascinating garbage cans, and our other dog’s food. Bernice has indeed become our full-time fitness program.

Bernice befriends and teaches everyone she meets. We recently visited with friends and explained to their six-year-old son that Bernice isn’t able to hear but has an increased sense of smell to figure out the world around her. He nodded solemnly in understanding.

Later that afternoon we all took Bernice for a walk, and were stopped by several people who wanted to shower her with attention. Our little friend wisely explained to Bernice’s admiring fans that she cannot hear them speak to her like we hear with our ears – Bernice hears through her nose.

To help us refine our communication skills, we are grateful to have found an animal behaviour specialist who teaches us to gain and keep Bernice’s attention so we can add to her bag of tricks and keep her active mind occupied. It turns out Bernice is extremely food-motivated and eager to please – a double bonus for those of us who don’t speak dog.

As a matter of fact, we speak to Bernice as if she’s a hearing dog – animals by nature read each other’s body language for behavioural intent and domesticated canines are no different. Bernice may be blissfully oblivious to sirens, heavy-metal music and screaming neighbourhood kids, but she’s hyper-aware of where my husband and I are at all times, watching us for established behaviour cues.

Perhaps humans could learn a thing or two by hearing less and listening more.
For now, my husband and I are content to continue being trained by our gentle and growing beast, happy in the knowledge that our marriage now has just the right amount of spice.

What causes this disease to erupt is largely unknown. We know that, in a small number, it is tied to a co-existing infection or administration of drugs. Isolated families of dogs have also been affected, but a genetic basis has not been established. Studies repeatedly show that females have a higher incidence of IMHA than males, and the mean age of affected dogs is five to six years (the range is one to 13 years).

The clinical signs associated with IMHA are caused by the anemia it creates. There are an insufficient number of red blood cells (RBCs) in the bloodstream to transport oxygen and the tissues starve for this vital nutrient. Dogs are lethargic, inappetant (do not want to eat) and weak. They cannot tolerate exercise and tend to breathe heavily and fast, even at rest. Heart rate is markedly elevated. Some collapse with the slightest exertion.

Pale gums is the first sign that would make you suspect IMHA. This is the hallmark of anemia, often referred to as “thin blood.” The only other condition that causes pale gums is heart failure. In some dogs with IMHA, the gums have a yellow tinge from the breakdown products from hemoglobin.

When a veterinarian suspects IMHA, she does tests to diagnose the disease and determine its severity. This begins with a quick in-hospital test called a packed cell volume (PCV). A blood sam-ple is put into a tiny tube and spun to pack the red blood cells (RBCs) at one end. The space taken up by the RBCs at the bottom of the tube is expressed as a percentage. Normal is between 40 and 50. In IMHA, the number drops to dangerous levels. Twenty is a grave concern; 15 is critical; 10 is life-threatening. Untreated PCV this low is fatal.

Another test veterinarians do is a complete blood count (CBC) to look at the cells in the blood. This tells us if the bone marrow is responding to the anemia by pumping out more RBCs. Veterinarians can sometimes spot clumped masses of RBCs on a blood smear. These are caused by the antibodies forming bridges between the cells. Their presence strongly suggests IMHA.

Further tests are often done once IMHA is discovered. This is to look for infections that may have triggered the disease, and any other complicating conditions.

The treatment used in IMHA is individualized for each dog and depends on the severity of the condition. If the disease is caught early (the PCV is not too low), the dog can be managed as an out-patient. However, many dogs with IMHA are critically sick and need intensive hospital treatment.

The aim of IMHA treatment – stopping the immune reaction – involves immunosuppressive therapy. First, corticosteroids such as Dexamethasone or prednisone are used. These medications are thought to prevent destruction of the RBCs by reducing the amount of antibodies produced. Unfortunately, side effects are common, including excessive drinking and urination, increased appetite, panting, predisposition to stomach ulcers, and an increased susceptibility to infection.

If steroids fail to stop the loss of RBCs, or side effects of the medication become unacceptable, cytotoxic drugs (ones often used in chemotherapy) can be added. These include azathioprine, cyclosporine and cyclophosphamide.

Transfusions are required if the PCV falls low enough and oxygen transport becomes critical. Cross-matched blood is the best, to ensure compatibility and avoid reactions.

However, dogs don’t have pre-existing antibodies in their blood to foreign blood types. This means that a transfusion rarely causes a problem. If the blood is mismatched, the dog will create antibodies against it and a second transfusion of that blood type will create a reaction.

Anemia is not the only concern. Dogs with IMHA can also die from thrombo-embolism – blood clots form in blood vessels, impairing blood flow. Ultra-low-dose ASA has shown promise in preventing this.

The medications – steroids or other drugs – must be continued until the RBC count returns to normal. This can take a significant time (weeks or more). The steroid dose is then reduced about 25 per cent every three to four weeks.

On average, dogs need about three months of therapy to treat IMHA. After medications are finished, blood tests should be repeated quarterly for a year, then twice yearly thereafter.

Somewhere between 12 and 24 per cent of dogs relapse with IMHA. If this happens, medication is reinstituted at high doses and the tapering off is done more slowly.

Mortality from IMHA can be as high as 70 per cent. Most deaths occur with-in the first two weeks of diagnosis. Dogs that survive the first two weeks after diagnosis have a six-month survival rate of 92 per cent.

Much speculation has arisen about the role that vaccinations might play in triggering IMHA. There is a suggestion that a higher than usual percentage of dogs undergo an IMHA crisis within three months of vaccination. However, other studies on IMHA-prevalence fail to show such a connection.

Should dogs that have suffered from IMHA be vaccinated? There is no conclusive data that suggests vaccines should be avoided in these circumstances. It would be prudent to review these situations with your veterinarian if your dog has survived a bout of IMHA.

As a general rule, don’t let your dog chew or eat spring-flowering bulbs. Daffodils are especially dangerous – even squirrels won’t touch them. Other spring beauties like tulips, hyacinths, snowdrops, grape hyacinths and amaryllis can cause mouth irritation or messy tummy troubles.

The bulbs are usually the worst part of the plant, but even some leaves contain irritating sap.

St. Patrick may have driven the snakes out of Ireland, but his shamrock is no friend to canines.

The dainty three-leaved plant, sometimes with white or pink blooms, packs a punch of stinging oxalic acid. Don’t let your pet take a taste.

Other beauties to avoid are cyclamens and azaleas. Both are enchanting, but not meant for the doggy diet. They cause the usual troubles – drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea – and deaths have been reported.

Even people avoid touching hellebores (Lenten roses), because of their irritating sap. They are one of the first plants to flower in the garden, so make sure your dog doesn’t sample them.

Remember that florists’ flowers and plants have likely been sprayed with something nasty. It probably won’t do your dog any real damage, but if he devours a bouquet, call your vet for advice.

And even though we’re dedicated to dogs here, a word of advice to cat owners: Easter lilies can kill cats that eat any part of them. (Cats are the only species known to be affected.)

It sounds like an urban myth, but the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) warns that raw bread dough made with live yeast can cause troubles if a dog eats it.

The yeast expands in the dog’s warm stomach and can reduce blood flow and damage tissues. The ballooning stomach can also cause breathing difficulties.

If the yeast creates alcohol internally, as yeasts tend to do, your pet can become intoxicated, which is not fun for the four-legged.

Baked goods aren’t much of a problem, but pick out any raisins before sharing hot cross buns. Raisins have caused kidney failure in some dogs.

And certainly, all good dog owners know chocolate is forbidden. Keep it out of your pet’s reach, and have a happy spring.

Whelan’s practice is comprised of dogs, cats, horses and the occasional bird. He has also “vetted” sea lions, deer, elephants, kangaroos and wallabies.

Another function that ophthalmologists perform, one with which breeders are familiar, is Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) examinations. This program screens breeding dogs to prevent their passing on eye problems to offspring. It’s also used to ensure the eye health of service animals, such as guide dogs, and dogs for children with autism.

As well as physical examinations, there are now blood or saliva tests to detect a propensity to eye diseases. In certain breeds, these genetic tests can detect eye diseases such as PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) before they occur.

The array of diseases that Whelan consults on is almost endless, but a few come up repeatedly. For example, with the condition keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), more commonly known as dry eye, a lack of tear production results in irritated, reddened eyes, with crusts on the eyelids. A KCS eye caught early enough can be treated with tear stimulants such as cyclosporine or tacrolimus. If this is not successful, which can be the case if the disease progresses too far (a good reason to have any eye problem diagnosed as soon as possible), surgery can be performed to transplant a duct from the salivary gland to the eye. This replaces tears with saliva. Interestingly, each time the dog eats, the eyes are flooded with ‘tears.’

Distichiasis is a condition where extra hairs are present on the eyelids. These protruding hairs cause chronic irritation, resulting in excess tear production, and possibly red eyes and pain (revealed by partially closed eyes). The aberrant hairs can be removed or the hair follicles killed by electrolysis, laser or freezing, thus stopping hair growth.

Cataracts is another disease Whelan sees commonly on referrals. There are a number of causes for cataracts, but most are either inherited, or secondary to diabetes. In the latter case, high sugar levels in the blood cause lens damage, inducing a cataract to form. These can develop quickly, sometimes over a matter of days.

Cataracts demand a considerable amount of Whelan’s time. Whelan screens for cataracts in breeding dogs using the CERF test, in the hope of reducing the incidence of this disease in the canine population.

If cataracts are found, management begins by determining if another eye disease is present. For example, sometimes there is damage to the retina, the light-sensing layer at the back of the eye. If it is compromised, vision could be limited, and surgically removing the cataract will not return vision to the dog.

If a cataract impairs vision and the rest of the eye is healthy, the cataract can be removed and replaced by an artificial lens. The same surgical equipment is used in people and dogs; the implants are even identical.

Whelan finds the most challenging part of his job is figuring out what is wrong in an eye of a patient that can’t talk, and in some cases, can’t see. It may be just an eye problem, but the disease in the eyes could be a reflection of a disease elsewhere in the body. The reward is in seeing the return of vision, or helping to make the eyes more comfortable.

Whelan has several areas of interest. One is working on different ways to look at the eyes, such as using MRI and CT scans. He’s also looking at newer antifungal medications for the eye. His research now focuses on endothelial transplants in dogs. This allows regeneration of the cornea when it is severely damaged, but avoids a full-thickness corneal transplant.

Horizons in veterinary ophthalmology are continually expanding. Surgical techniques, such as retinal detachment surgery routinely used in people, are being used in dogs to restore vision.

Whelan sees our ability to identify animals carrying genes that trigger ocular disease increasing. This is driven by the increase in knowledge in detecting specific genes on blood tests or cheek swabs. Related to this, we may be able to correct retinal degeneration diseases (e.g., PRA) with gene replacement therapy.

On Whelan’s wish list is a better way to manage glaucoma, which is a painful and blinding disease in dogs.

Ophthalmologists are increasing in number and veterinarians have a greater ability to refer to them when an eye is in trouble. Breeders are using them more and more for assistance in their breeding decisions. Their role is increasing and, chances are, you may be taking your dog to see one of these specialists in the not-too-distant future.

Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts

Pet Food Association of Canada

The Pet Food Institute

Looking back, it’s plain to see that the dog’s role has changed radically. In the past, most dogs worked with people herding, hunting and carrying loads. The idyllic picture is of the faithful dog guarding the flocks at night, bringing home a rabbit for the pot by day and pulling the cart to market when necessary. But the reality was not always idyllic. In fact, life was pretty tough for everybody – human and canine alike. Hard work and grinding poverty made for sometimes appalling working conditions.

Animals were thought to lack emotions, so beatings, overwork and hunger were commonplace. Beating animals or children was considered the proper way to teach them courage and proper behaviour.

The treatment of cart dogs became a huge humane issue and by the mid 1800s England had banned dog carts nationwide. In many ways the idea that working was a bad thing for dogs stems from this time. It is fair to say that many dogs had good lives in partnership with humans, but the image remains that a dog at work is a dog being abused or exploited.

Today, only a small percentage of the canine population actually works. There are certainly dogs with jobs, but the majority live with their every perceived need met by devoted human caregivers. Pampered and catered to – it’s a dog’s life. Or is it?

Even though dogs adapt and thrive in our environment, their instincts and energy are at odds with it. Dress them in costumes, put bows in their hair and paint their toenails, but they are still dogs that pee to mark their territory, sniff each other’s anuses to say hello, roll in disgusting things, bark and dig and chase. Dogs living in an increasingly controlled urban environment are often smothered with affection yet starved for species-appropriate mental and physical stimulation.

Animal behaviour studies have shown that animals in unnatural settings, such as zoos or human habitations, are happier and healthier if their environment is interesting and a bit challenging. The environmental enrichment movement has revolutionized the way animals are kept in zoos, giving them a much more active and, I daresay, enjoyable life. Cages are a thing of the past; animals are housed in more-natural enclosures or environments with room to move and places to explore. Food is presented with a challenge, like being stuffed in a log or cut up and scattered.

This way, the animals are stimulated and interested; they have to work to get at their food. Interesting toys and different scents are introduced in the enclosures to encourage the animals to explore and engage their brains in problem solving. Social animals are housed together and there are even places where different species are kept in the same environments, allowing natural interaction.

So what does this mean for dogs? Somehow when we saved dogs from sometimes brutal work conditions, we forgot that some work is fun and overcoming challenges can give dogs a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. We humans once again fell for the if-some-is-good-more-is-better argument and came up with the idea that if you love your dog, you must save the dear animal from any hint of supposed exploitation.

Dogs and humans got a huge benefit from working together and though times were sometimes rough, the human-animal bond became strong and through it civilization was made possible. It’s a bit startling to see our furry friends sitting in doggy strollers; somehow they don’t look like civilization builders.

Many humans think they are doing their dogs a favour by sparing them from the rigours of training. We saved them from a terrible fate of overwork and under-appreciation, and now many dogs have become prisoners of affection. So, many dogs are showered in luxuries’ but confined in environments where natural canine instincts and behaviours are not allowed, and deprived of alternative ways to expend their mental and physical energy. No wonder so many dogs bark at nothing, dig through walls and chew on themselves, among other undesirable behaviours.

Fifty years ago, dogs met kids at bus stops or walked them to school, then took a tour of the neighbourhood, knocked over some garbage cans and chased some cats or bicycle delivery persons and probably pooped on somebody’s lawn… which explains why dogs aren’t allowed to run at large any more. It also explains why dogs are bored.

Our houses and yards are not set up to entertain, amuse and stimulate our dogs’ brains – they are set up to be comfortable places for humans. We humans have the option of manipulating our environment or leaving whenever we want to. Dogs don’t, and if they manipulate the environment we usually get mad because they don’t have the same priorities and aesthetic sense we do.

Dogs are unimpressed by gorgeous flowers or designer lighting; they like smells and digging, chewing and chasing. They are capable of making chaos out of a designer space in short order, trampling the plants, knocking the cushions to the floor and digging up the solar lighting.

There isn’t anything wrong with dogs working, but the average dog does not have much in the way of traditional job opportunities and some traditional jobs are best left in the past. If traditional jobs are unavailable, we need to give our dogs some other sorts of enrichment or find new jobs for them. Not everybody has the space or resources to create a go-to-ground playground for a terrier or supply a few sheep for a herding dog to practise with, but we all have the ability to give our dogs a problem to solve like getting their food out of a treat ball or even a cardboard box. Problem solving stimulates the brain and uses energy, leaving the dog less likely to use extra energy decorating the house canine style.

Spending time training, be it teaching the dog to sit on command or to find your car keys, builds the human-animal bond and stimulates the brain. Something as simple as hiding food or toys around the house or yard gives the dog a chance to think and work and succeed at finding them. This is much more interesting and satisfying than having it handed out for no effort at all.

There’s no need to hold back on the doggy luxury items; after all, if we have dog beds in the house they might as well match the decor. But if you really want to give your dogs something special, give them something to do.

The reason for my second dog was the most common: We didn’t want to find ourselves dogless. We didn’t want to come home to an empty house and have no one to accompany us on our daily walks.

My first second dog, ‘Preston,’ was a Border Terrier. He was chosen carefully. Size, coat, temperament and age were all a consideration. This dog was slated to compete in obedience and sports, be my constant companion and share in my life 100 per cent. I lost Preston when he was only two years old, and my world was shattered. Brum was 17 at that time.

My second dog number two was ‘Cruiser.’ He was chosen for his breed (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever), and his potential to participate in dog sports. He also happened to be quite opposite to Preston when it came to size, coat and temperament. There would be no room for comparisons. I am grateful to this day for the world he opened up for me. He also provided stimulation and excitement for Brum, who was with me until age 18, and seemed to have renewed life after Cruiser arrived. This is another common theme among dog owners considering dog number two. They want to provide stimulation and companionship for dog number one, especially in their golden years.

My third dog number two was ‘Levi.’ She came as an adult when Cruiser was an adult. Were they best friends? No, but they co-habited well. Companionship for some dogs does not mean physical interaction such as play.

Choosing dog number two has to be given the same thought as choosing dog number one. In fact, there are some additional considerations. You need to look at your family now. Are you more active or less so than when you added dog number one? Are there children in the family now? Do you travel and if so, will a second dog be welcome? By making a list of your needs and wants, your criteria should become clear.

Make sure you have the time to devote to two dogs, and that the whole family is on board with making the transition.

Two dogs means twice the expense on everything, including veterinary care, boarding, grooming, training and food.

I would suggest that it’s best to add another dog to your home once the first dog is organized. To me, this means he is out of the puppy stage, finished with toilet training, has the basic words under his belt and a full relationship with the family.

There is no perfect time. One of the trainers I know spent years searching for the perfect dog. She had her lists and had checked them twice. Should there be hair, or no hair? A boy or a girl? Puppy or adult? Large breed or small? These questions circled her head until she met her perfect puppy. She will say that her first dog was spur of the moment, and the second dog more planned. In looking closer, she simply had her heart open to the dog that was meant to be with her and it was a match made in heaven.

Training and sports are another reason people add dogs. Many dog-sport enthusiasts find a great deal of joy in the process of training. As they see dog number one creeping up in years, they often feel the urge to start the process again. The dog they choose will likely have an athletic body and a quick mind.

The number one reason for families to decide against adding a second dog is the issue of travel. Many find it much more difficult to find someone to take care of two dogs while they’re away. It’s well worth finding a good dog camp, and leaving your dogs in their capable hands while you’re on holiday.

If you are unsure of the commitment, consider fostering a dog. Many rescue organizations need temporary homes for the dogs in their care. You could end up with your perfect match before you know it.

It’s surprising to me the number of people who tell us their first dog doesn’t like the second dog and upon delving into it, we find out that the first dog had ongoing issues with other dogs in general. If this is the case, please seek the advice of a canine behaviourist to get dog number one on track before adding a second dog. Then give the dogs time to adjust. They might need a couple of meetings before they feel comfortable with each other.

Remember that dog number two will need his own one-on-one time with you. He needs to be trained individually and occasionally walked individually. It’s important to create a special connection with each of your dogs and know them as individuals.

Take a chance. Add dog number two, or three, and follow your bliss.

But before you start planning a series of long, romantic walks for just the four of you, take a moment to listen to Dr. Gary Landsberg, noted animal behaviour specialist, author of several books and a partner in two Toronto-area animal clinics.

“There are a lot of variables, depending on the animal and the situation. The first thing to consider – does your dog get along with new people, places, other dogs?”

Landsberg recommends having your new partner get together with just you and your dog before introducing the variable of another dog into the equation. If your pet is even a wee bit nervous or possessive, it might be a good idea to have that initial meeting take place on neutral ground – in a park or on the sidewalk, somewhere the dog doesn’t identify as exclusively his. You can then try returning to your home, where your now-more-familiar partner will be more welcome. Doubly so, if they happen to subsequently slip your pet a few treats and spend time playing with it and its favourite toy.

Just like the human experience, says Landsberg, first impressions with a pet are key. “Go slowly. Make sure a tentative dog gets positive experiences. Bring out the treats and toys every time you get together with your new partner, so the dog will form a distinctive association that whenever this person shows up good things are about to happen.”

If all goes well, step two is acquainting your pet with your partner’s pet. Neutral territory is again the best bet for this activity, ideally a dog park where both animals are accustomed to meeting and greeting newbies. When you return home, continue the fun with treats and toys, ensuring both animals receive similar attention.

These twin preliminary steps, of course, should be performed in mirror image, with you undertaking solo home-and-away visits and playtime with your partner’s pet. Over time, each pet should grow increasingly comfortable with the other and its owner. But if there are any difficulties – jealousy, resource guarding, growling or, worse, fighting and biting – you’ll want to consult a behaviour specialist, maybe even put your pups into therapy.

Let’s say the dogs are getting along just fine. There’s still one more hurdle to overcome: that big moment when you and your new mate decide to make it official and move in together. Ideally, you’d buy a brand-new home, one where a single dog’s associations wouldn’t be strongly imprinted. Chances are, however, that one of you will move into the other’s place.

Gary Landsberg says that structure is significant to this step’s success. Start by setting aside one or two rooms in the home that will be exclusive to the new resident pet. This is where you should set up the new dog’s crate or bed, and where it will find its comfort zone, full of familiar sights and scents.

Establish a daily routine to make your dog more at ease, and try to be there with it as much as possible, especially in the early days. Feed both dogs separately, even if you give them treats at the same time. And don’t leave them uncrated and unattended unless you’re absolutely sure they’ll get along fine.

Remember that heightened anxiety can lead to urine elimination in the house, so consider crating your dog when you’re away from home, at least for the first little while.

If accidents do happen, Landsberg suggests purchasing a Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) product, which is designed to soothe the dog with undetectable-to-the-human-nose biochemicals that mimic the scent of a mother canine’s breast. These relatively recent inventions are available through pet stores and online as both plug-in room diffusers and collar attachments.

Over time, both animals should settle down quite nicely. They will learn to adjust to the other’s traits and habits, as well as to understand what their limits are with your mate.

Landsberg still has two final recommendations for blending households and pets: proper training and behavioural awareness.

A strong believer in positive, treat-centred reinforcement, he is leery of the confrontational alpha-dog techniques. A dominance-trained dog might view an order from a person other than its “pack leader” as a challenge, one that “gives it two choices – back off or attack.

Imagine a dog coming into a new home where there’s a child [who’s trying to control it] and the child says ‘Ba!’… Well, a dog could come awfully close to nailing that child. Positive reinforcement, on the other hand, means the dog is trainable with other people and is more likely to obey their commands too.”

Contrary to the pack mentality concept of one dog always being in charge, new research shows that within a dog society, hierarchies are in fact fairly elastic.

“Dogs who get along often show appeasing gestures. Let that happen,” Landsberg suggests. “One might have a preferable sleeping area and be willing to fight over that, even though it might defer over toys and food. The question is who wants what more? Who’s willing to fight for it more? So let this dog have a few more treats, that dog have the couch – as long as your affection for them is equitable.”

Substitute a TV remote control and the last cookie in the jar and it all sounds, oddly enough, exactly like a human relationship.

Sometimes the problem isn’t with the pets, it’s with the owners. Linda G., a mid-40s Toronto professional with a Cocker Spaniel, spent a couple of years dating a man with a Golden Retriever. The two dogs adored each other; they even slept curled up together, their fur blending into one big, blonde ball. But the Golden’s dad never warmed up to the slightly hyper Cocker. That fact became obvious one night at his cottage when Linda woke up to “a popping farty sound… and then an awful, awful smell.” Her dog was experiencing explosive diarrhea all over the carpet, and the poor thing was not at all happy with the situation.

“The farting noise made her scared, so she was running all around in the poo. Finally, she jumped on the bed for safety – right into my boyfriend’s face.” He woke up with an oath, which made the dog race about the bed, leaving a stinky brown mess in her wake.

“It was all over the sheets, the new duvet, everywhere. My boyfriend did not offer to help clean up. I did everything while he showered for about an hour. The next day, I went out and bought a commercial steam-cleaner for the carpet. The steam-cleaner is still up at his cottage, but I’m not. That incident with the dog wasn’t the actual relationship killer, but things sort of went downhill from there and we broke up a couple of months later.”

There is a happy ending, however. Linda claims her new boyfriend “loves the Cocker more than he loves me.”

Humans tend to have a visceral reaction to food items that are beyond the norm of their experience. The Scottish dish haggis is viewed with repulsion by almost anyone who didn’t grow up eating lamb heart and lungs stuffed into a sheep’s stomach. Brains seem to be another taboo food item in much of North America, yet in his lecture on pet food myths, David Dzanis, D.V.M., Ph.D., D.A.C.V.N., showed a slide of a can of pork brains in gravy, intended for human consumption.

So ingredients we find repulsive can have a rightful and nutritious place in dog food, and shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. Some people readily eat liver, kidneys and intestinal casings, and it shouldn’t be a shock to find them in lists of dog food ingredients, though they may also be called simply “meat by-products.” According to the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) definitions, all such ingredients must come from the clean parts of slaughtered animals. No 4D (dead, dying, diseased or disabled) animals are allowed. And though the AAFCO has no regulatory authority in the United States or in Canada, most reputable pet food companies choose to follow their definitions and guidelines.

Wheat gluten became the champion of unappealing ingredients following the 2007 pet food recalls. But it’s important to remember, as Dzanis pointed out, that the ingredient for all the trouble was not wheat gluten at all, but wheat flour, and that it had been intentionally adulterated with melamine and related compounds to falsely raise its protein levels. There is nothing inherently wrong with wheat products, gluten products, or any combination thereof.

One of the lessons we can take away from the pet food recall is to worry less about the presence of an unappealing ingredient and much more about the source and trustworthiness of all ingredients.

Here, the issues are a little thornier, as specifics on both sides of the ingredients in question have some merit.

Flouride has long been controversial in human health, touted as preventing tooth decay and routinely added to drinking water and toothpaste, but also implicated in fluorosis and osteosarcoma. In 2008, Health Canada lowered its maximum allowable level for fluoride in water from 1.5 milligrams per litre to 0.7.

In 2009, fluoride suddenly became an issue in pet food, with the U.S. Environmental Working Group releasing a report on fluoride levels it detected in dog food. Trace amounts of fluoride are found in almost all foods, so it’s not surprising that the group detected fluoride. But the EWG claimed to have found levels 1.6 to 2.5 times greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum allowed concentration in drinking water.

There’s a bit of sensationalism going on here, because the EPA maximum for fluoride in drinking water is based on a safety margin 100 times lower than levels found to have an effect on people. The National Research Council 2005 publication Mineral Tolerance of Animals lists 180 milligrams per kilogram – 16 times the maximum level found by the EWG – as the lowest level necessary to produce a slight reduction in food intake. Still, if you’re on the “anti” side of the fluoridation issue, you may want to be aware of its presence in commercial dog food.

An uglier ingredient that has long been rumoured to appear in pet foods is the pets themselves. Critics of commercial pet food often point to the rendering of dogs and cats, often those euthanized at shelters, and the use of renderedproducts in pet foods, and consider their case made. But there are two types of renderers – an animal pick-up service (which does pick up euthanized animals from shelters) and a slaughterhouse-dedicated plant. There are many uses for rendered products other than in pet foods, and the products from the former type of renderer are of lower quality, so there is no incentive for pet food manufacturers to use them.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an analysis of a number of commercial pet foods and found no evidence of any dog or cat materials in any of them. Still, disturbingly, they did find residues of pentobarbital (a euthanasia drug), and could not determine a source. So the actual concern should not be that there are dogs and cats in pet food, but that there is pentobarbital.

Here, we do have something of a thorny issue. Pet food products can be tested for nutritional adequacy either by chemical analysis to determine if a formulation meets nutrient standards, or by feeding trials. Each method has some shortcomings.

With chemical analysis, the levels of nutrients in the food may be actually determined via analysis in the lab or by estimates of nutrient content based on the food’s ingredients. The results are then compared to the accepted nutritional requirements of the animal. Though this method has the advantage of being easily verifiable by regulators, it has the disadvantage of not being able to examine the actual bioavailability of the nutrients. A formulation can look good on paper but not provide the nutrients to the animal eating it.

Feeding trials are generally preferred by veterinarians and dog owners, but they also have their drawbacks. The pet food manufacturer often conducts its own feeding trials, with no oversight, so you are relying on the integrity and competence of the company. Questions have been raised about whether the trials are long enough or sensitive enough to actually reveal deficiencies in a food.

The two methods tend to counteract each other’s shortcomings. So your best assurance of adequate nutrition in a food is if it has been tested with both methods. Most products that declare having been through a feeding trial also meet the nutritional profile. That fact is even starting to appear on the labels of some foods, in response to consumer concerns.

Canine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the H3N8 influenza virus. It resembles the equine influenza virus so closely that researchers thought it may have mutated from the horse virus.

There are two clinical forms of influenza in dogs. Dogs afflicted with the mild form have a soft, moist cough that lasts for 10 to 30 days. It is often misdiagnosed as “kennel cough.”

The severe form is typified by a high fever and signs of pneumonia (a high respiratory rate and increased breathing effort). It has a fatality rate between five and eight per cent.

When canine influenza hit, dogs had no immunity to this new virus. Virtually every dog exposed became infected. About 80 per cent showed clinical signs. Thankfully, the mild form predominates and the severe form is rare.

Because influenza is caused by a virus and we don’t have virus-killing medications, there is no specific treatment. All we can do is support sick dogs. If they become dehydrated, we give them fluids. Antibiotics help control secondary bacterial infections.

Once the disease was recognized, researchers went on to confirm more infections. During the first five months of 2005, there were outbreaks at 20 Greyhound racing tracks in 11 states. What we now know, however, is that 2004 wasn’t the start of influenza infections. By analyzing stored blood samples for antibodies to the virus, outbreaks were tracked back to 1998.

The disease still continues to surface. As recently as June 2008, a new outbreak was discovered in Illinois, in pet dogs. A veterinarian became suspicious when he saw about 60 dogs with respiratory infections in just three weeks. Blood tests confirmed it was the virus.

As of June 2006, the virus had been reported in 25 states. Canada still seems free of the infection. A study in Ontario dogs up to the same date found just one dog (of 225 tested) with blood antibodies. The Greyhound that came up positive originated from a racing facility in Florida. So far, no clinical cases of canine influenza have been identified at veterinary laboratories in Canada.

Though cross-border transport of dogs is limited, it is possible for the virus to enter and take hold in Canada. We need to keep this in mind if there is an explosion of what is thought to be kennel cough in the dog population.

Veterinarians refer to Defalque when a skin disease fails to respond to treatment or they are having difficulty diagnosing the condition. A dermatologist’s expertise about skin ailments means he is much more likely to come up with a diagnosis and the most up-to-date treatment.

Dermatologists can determine which of the over 200 skin diseases a dog may be suffering from. Sometimes they use simple tests like skin scrapings and hair plucks to obtain a diagnosis. Sometimes clinical experience is an asset, but in other cases, a skin biopsy is needed to pin down the diagnosis.

Besides skin maladies, dermatologists are trained in ear diseases, onychology (nail disorders) and oncology. The last one is important because there are about a hundred different skin tumours in dogs.

Defalque notes that the most common disorder he sees in his practice is atopic dermatitis. It reportedly affects 10 per cent of the canine population, so he admits that dermatologists could be more correctly called allergists. They spend an inordinate amount of time with itchy, allergic dogs.

The main symptom of atopy is a chronic itch that makes dogs bite/chew/lick their feet, rub their faces, shake their heads and scratch their ears. Red, thickened, darkened skin is evident on the belly and in the armpits. This can affect dogs just six months old, but most begin showing symptoms much later than that.

According to Defalque, atopy is clearly genetic. He sees a high incidence in Labrador and Golden Retrievers, French Bulldogs, Shih Tzus, Pugs and West Highland White Terriers.

Atopy is due to a hypersensitivity (an exuberant allergic reaction) to an environmental allergen. In Defalque’s practice area (coastal southern British Columbia), house-dust mite is the number one allergen, based on his allergy testing, and it often causes symptoms in dogs all year long.

Other allergens incriminated are pollen (trees, grass and weeds) and cat dander. Dogs are exposed mainly through the skin, but also through the eyes and lungs.

Defalque notes that there is no cure for atopy. This means patients need long-term therapy.

A large portion of atopic dogs are treated without ever identifying the allergic trigger for the disease. Medications used include steroids, essential fatty acids, and cyclosporine. Because these dogs are also prone to skin infections, they often need antibiotics and antifungals in addition to medicated shampoos.

Defalque’s specialty is being able to identify the allergens affecting the patient. Two types of allergy tests are used, and each has its advantages and pitfalls. In skin testing, the flank is shaved and the dermatologist injects minute amounts of each allergen. A wheal (raised swelling) indicates a positive reaction.

Alternatively, blood tests can be sent to laboratories to detect antibodies to allergens. These tests have to be interpreted with the dog’s history – the season when the itch is manifested, and what exposure the dog has to allergens.

Allergy testing allows the owners to try avoidance (limiting exposure to the allergen) and consider immunotherapy. Also known as allergy shots and hyposensitization, immunotherapy, is the injection of a prepared allergen extract. These injections, given by the owner, reduce the allergy symptoms. Somewhere between 60 and 75 per cent have excellent results, according to Defalque.

Allergies are challenging, but especially so because we tend to rely so much on data from human studies. Defalque notes that pollen studies are based on collections taken several metres above the ground, where humans are exposed to the pollens. However, even the tallest dog is only one metre above the ground with its head raised, and most are very close to the ground, especially when sniffing. This means that dogs may be exposed to pollens that tend to settle on the ground (the heavy ones) and pollen counts may be inappropriate.

There is also the topic of food allergies. Our ability to diagnose a food allergy in a dog is poor. Only five allergens have been positively identified in dogs, including cow’s milk, beef, lamb, chicken and eggs. Grains (wheat, rice and corn) are suspected of being allergens, but not proven. Testing through skin trials or blood testing for food allergies is unreliable. The only way we can pin one down is to feed an elimination diet for 10 weeks. If the itch subsides by 50 per cent, a food allergy is presumed. It is confirmed if the itch returns when the initial food is fed.

A new area of interest for Defalque is using a video-otoscope for looking down ears. He is able to view the ear canal right down to the eardrum. The tool he uses has an endoscopic camera that enables him to see the smallest details. It also allows him to clean the ear, remove small tumours, and even get biopsies.

The field of dermatology is changing, with new research expanding the knowledge every year. Because of this challenge, it takes dedication to keep abreast of the information. This is where a dermatologist comes in.

As the door opened, two-year-old ‘Chase’ sprung into action, latching onto the second man’s right arm and pulling him off his partner. The determined German Shepherd dragged and kept the criminal away from Mounsteven while the police officer was able to get his suspect under control, but in the process, the canine received a brutal beating, suffering excessive damage to his chest, ribs and paws.

“The guy was stomping on his paws and kicking him in his legs and ribs. He got bruised ribs, lots of cuts and scrapes. He would have been black and blue if he didn’t have fur, I’m sure,” recalls Mounsteven who has been with the Durham Regional Police Service Canine Unit for 13 years. “He had chest injuries as well as soft-tissue damage.”

Chase was taken off the road to recuperate, then had to undergo further training, and psychological testing, to ensure he would not hesitate to engage another suspect in the future.

He was just two years old and had had only seven months’ experience on the job, but when the German Shepherd was called upon, he was always steadfast and reliable. Mounsteven believes that Chase and every other police dog deserve to be treated like any officer who risks his life to ensure public safety. Those who abuse or kill a police service animal should face stiff punishment under the Criminal Code of Canada, he says.

In March 2009, the Ontario government took a step in the right direction when the Provincial Animal Welfare Act (also known as the Ontario SPCA Act) was strengthened, making it the only provincial legislation in Canada that outlines a specific offence for causing harm to a law-enforcement animal. The legislation also introduces stiffer penalties, such as jail terms of up to two years, fines of up to $60,000 and a potential lifetime ownership ban, for causing harm or distress to any animal. The amendments mark the most significant changes to animal legislation in the province since 1919.

“Until the Ontario SPCA Act was revised, the majority of our charges were under the Criminal Code of Canada because the Ontario SPCA Act was in great need of being updated,” acknowledges Kristin Williams, Ontario SPCA spokesperson. “So, we’re now in a position of being able to utilize that act in a way we were not able to before because it wasn’t at the standard that the federal legislation was, at the time.”

Williams notes that the new legislation provides a broader definition of animal cruelty and the law no longer applies just to the breeding of cats and dogs.

“For us, it’s an opportunity to bring charges and investigate circumstances for animals facing cruelty, neglect and abuse in a variety of circumstances. We are able to present these cases to the courts and now the court has the discretion to deliver significant penalties as it relates to those crimes.”

While there have been charges laid under the new law since March, at press time, the cases had not yet been seen in court. Annually, the Ontario SPCA receives approximately 15,000 complaints that include allegations of cruelty, neglect or abuse.

“We resolve the majority through education and voluntary compliance,” says Williams. “In fact, out of the complaints we investigate, there are only upwards of about 230 that result in charges, either criminal or provincial.”

While Mounsteven says the changes to the Ontario SPCA Act are a first step, he believes that more must be done to protect law-enforcement animals across the country.

“The penalties are not the same [as a Criminal Code offence]. It should be a criminal conviction. You assault a police officer, it results in a criminal charge. If you assault a police animal it should be the same thing.

“From a penalty perspective, [the Ontario law] is not bad but ultimately, it’s just in Ontario. It doesn’t do anything to help anyone outside the province. We fought for federal legislation that was going to give people a criminal record for this.”

After the cruelty to animals charge was dropped by the crown attorney against the man who beat Chase in Oshawa in 1998, Mounsteven set out to create a federal law that would entail much stiffer penalties for harming law-enforcement animals.

“I knew in my heart that Chase saved me from serious injury and I just felt that I owed it to him. I didn’t think it was fair that he took that kind of damage [without consequences to the suspect],” Mounsteven explains.

Over the next eight years, he partnered with Sgt. Pete Nazaroff of the RCMP Police Dog Service, who was also trying to make changes to include police dogs in animal legislation in British Columbia. The pair worked tirelessly with help from John Scott, an Ontario crown attorney, the Canadian Police Association and several federal politicians. Their proposed law passed its first and second reading in parliament, but Mounsteven says interest dwindled in Ottawa after the Liberals lost the federal election.

Despite their law not going through, the Criminal Code was amended in 2007 to increase maximum penalties for animal-cruelty offences. Maximum prison terms increased from six months to five years; maximum fines increased from $2,000 to $10,000; an order to prevent animal ownership was introduced throughout Canada; and the courts can order restitution for incurred costs to animal-protection agencies, such as the OSPCA. But the bill does not include specific protection for law-enforcement animals.

“Though bill S-203 makes some amendments to increase penalties for animal-cruelty offences, it fails in a number of critical areas,” notes Alison Cross, another spokesperson for the Ontario SPCA. “Namely, it fails to close loopholes in the Criminal Code that make it difficult for enforcement agencies and the courts to convict animal abusers.”

The Oshawa incident wasn’t the last time Chase was brutally beaten while apprehending a suspect or saving Mounsteven’s life. Without hesitation, Mounsteven can rhyme off Chase’s impressive list of heroics, including saving his life in 2001 when he leaped on a man who lunged at Mounsteven with a butcher knife, and in 2003, when the duo encountered two armed suspects and Chase fought one man while Mounsteven had to shoot the other.

“He really got hurt on that one. He just got pounded for four minutes while we fought the two of them,” says Mounsteven, noting that Chase received an award for bravery for his efforts in this incident. The partners were also named Police Officer of the Year in 1999.

Chase had a long and illustrious career with the Durham Regional Police Service Canine Unit, faithfully working with Mounsteven until he was 9-1/2 years old; he passed away when he was 10.

“At the end of the day, I was trying to get recognition for [Chase] and the other dogs for what they go through and I just think it’s fallen a little short,” adds Mounsteven.

“I think at the federal level, they’ve ignored it.”

Pet lovers who prefer to keep their pets off couches but don’t have room for an additional pet bed can consider an ottoman with a special recess that can be fitted with a comfy mattress. End tables that double up as nightstands are another option to house a pet bed. And, if you’ve trained your pooch to use a puppy litter system, you can even hide the litter tray inside an end table. Made of wood, they are available in a variety of finishes and colours and will even fit nicely into a bathroom.

Other furniture items such as TV units, cupboards and bookshelves are being designed with access areas that can be considered useful dog space. A cupboard with a fold out bed inside is another clever option. If you have two large dogs, a double bunk bed with a sturdy wooden frame will make the most of allotted space.

If your dog is crate-trained, consider getting a stylish crate cover with matching pet bed and crate bumpers in a fabric that will blend with the color scheme of your room.

Pet steps are another good investment as they are not only functional but can double up as an interesting room accent. Once again, there is no shortage of designs and finishes from wood with wrought iron railings to high-density foam. In some cases, the steps even open up and can be used to store grooming tools, leashes and harnesses.

The advantage of foam steps is that they are lightweight and easy to move around the home to give your dog access to different surfaces. However, make sure the foam is firm enough for your pet to feel comfortable stepping on it. Foam steps usually have washable zip-off covers making them easy to maintain.

Pet steps are an excellent investment for small dogs as well as elderly and arthritic pets of all sizes that have trouble jumping on to places that have always enjoyed sharing with you.

It’s important to check the height on the item of furniture that you want your dog to access as these items usually come in different sizes to compliment everything from very high beds to standard sofas.

Because pet furniture items are bulky many pet stores don’t have space to display them. So once you’ve researched the specifications of the item, its best to shop on line and have it delivered to your door.

An automatic pet door will give your dog access to a safe enclosed outdoor area while you are away. The latest designs can be programmed with a special collar device to only allow designated pets outside and you can also control the hours of operation. The designs are slim and attractive and can be fitted into both a door or glass door.

Remember to leave toys in different rooms to keep your pets occupied when they are home alone.

Buy a digital thermometer from the drug store and label it “for dog use only.” Because you are going to put it in the anus, apply a little Vaseline or oil to the tip. Insert the metal tip as far as it can go, up to five centimetres. If it’s not in far enough, it won’t register the true body temperature.

Most digital thermometers beep once they have recorded the temperature. At this point, remove it and read the display. Normal body temperature for a dog is between 38 and 39.2°C (100.5 and 102.5°F). Clean the tip of the thermometer by wiping with a tissue. Sterilize it with a second tissue soaked with rubbing alcohol.

If the temperature is high, your dog has a fever or is suffering from hyperthermia. A low temperature means you are dealing with hypothermia. This can happen if a dog is chilled, but also with dehydration or severe illness.

The pulse rate is the number of heartbeats per minute. Of course, you can hear it with a stethoscope, but you can also feel it by putting your hand on the chest between the forelegs or feeling the pulse in the large artery that runs on the inside of the back leg.

Count the beats for 15 seconds, multiply by four, and you have the rate per minute. Most dogs have a pulse between 80 and 140. It rises if the dog is excited and slows down when he’s sleeping. Measure your dog’s pulse when he’s relaxed so you can determine his normal rate.
A high pulse rate can suggest a fever or heart disease. A low rate can also be seen with heart disease or a lack of circulation to the heart.

The respiratory rate (RR) is the number of breaths per minute. This is easy to measure – just watch the ribs or the abdomen rising and falling. Count how many times it does the up/down cycle in 15 seconds and again multiply by four. There is no normal range for RR because it differs with each dog. To get the normal rate for your dog, count the RR when he is at rest in a comfortable temperature. If it rises or drops out of this range, there is something wrong.

The RR can rise due to exercise, a fever or even anemia or pneumonia. The RR going down can indicate hypothermia.

If you pull your dog’s lip up to see the gums, you are looking at the mucous membranes. Colour can be an indicator of health. They should be a mild pink.

Excessively red gums can indicate a high body temperature (fever or overheating) or gum disease. Pale gums indicate anemia or poor blood flow from low blood pressure. Yellow gums suggest liver problems or hemolytic anemia. The membranes should also be moist. Tacky gums indicate dehydration.

While you’re lifting your dog’s lip, you can also do a capillary refill time (CRT). Find an area of unpigmented (pink) gum and press a finger on it to blanch it (turn it white). Remove your finger and count how many seconds it takes for the colour to come back.

The CRT indicates blood pressure and circulation. Normally, it takes less than two seconds to ‘repink.’ If it takes longer, circulation is poor, indicating dehydration or heart disease.

The last test you can do is a skin test. Grasp the skin over the shoulders and pull it up. Once you’ve ‘tented’ the skin, let it go and see how quickly it returns to its normal position.

If a dog is dehydrated, it takes longer to fall back down. Don’t go too high on the neck (toward the head) because a skin test there can make it look like a dog is dehydrated when it isn’t.

Monitoring vital signs is easy to do. To ensure that you can interpret them properly, take them when your dog is healthy. Do it today.

The Canadian Kennel Club has initiated a national program to bring focus to the real news: Most dog owners are responsible; most dogs are under control and well behaved; and most dogs and owners are a positive, beneficial part of the community.

It is called RDOG (Responsible Dog Ownership Groups). The concept is that CKC members and clubs put on events across Canada during National Responsible Dog Ownership Week in September, culminating in a National Walk of Support happening at the same time all across the country on RDOG Day. It is a way to make good dogs and responsible owners newsworthy and get some attention paid to dogs and owners that are not doing anything scary (like growling at children), or revolting (like leaving poop on the sidewalk).

The CKC has partnered with Canada Post, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, the Canada Safety Council, and provincial associations such as the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, as well as other professional services and like-minded businesses, making this a truly national program. At the local level, animal control services and veterinary clinics are also on board in many communities.
The dog-showing, -breeding and -owning communities have been taking it on the chin for some time. Anti-breeder and anti-dog sentiment makes us want to step out of the spotlight and try to hide so nobody will notice we have a dog or two. We stay in our own groups and since dogs are allowed in fewer and fewer public places, we tend not to bring them with us to the bank or the mall. The RDOG plan asks us to step into the spotlight and promote responsible dog ownership.

The Canadian Kennel Club states that, “The strength and purpose motivating the RDOG initiative is based on common and collaborative understanding that responsible dog ownership must be instilled in all dog owners. It must be consistent messaging and be promoted at every opportunity from every corner of the canine community. The cornerstone for success in year two and more importantly for continuing success in the future depends on local outreach, promotion and interaction.” Strong words coming from an organization that has been pretty much irrelevant and invisible to the average pet owner for years.

On September 26, 2009, CKC members and clubs rose to the challenge. Canada-wide, RDOG events drew active participation from hundreds of people and dogs and got some media attention as well. Seventeen mayors in towns and cities across Canada proclaimed September 19 to September 26, 2009, as Responsible Dog Ownership Week and September 26, 2009, as RDOG Day. The Calgary Associated Dog Fanciers Club held a walk and donated $5,000 to the City of Calgary Animal Services’ spay and neuter program; Valley Kennel Club had a picnic attended by the town reeve and councillors; 40 or so Saskatoon dog owners met for their second RDOG walk and attracted a lot of attention as they paraded along the South Saskatchewan River; the Peterborough and District Obedience Club set up in the farmers market and did obedience demos, agility relay races and a Canine Good Neighbour (CGN) test; the CKC sponsored free CGN tests and profiled some of our heritage breeds in downtown Toronto… and that’s just a sampling.

In RDOG’s inaugural year, 2008, just over 30 communities across Canada participated. In 2009, the number was up to 40 and the number of local events doubled. The momentum is building as evidenced by the increased media attention with television and newspaper coverage at many events.

While the main focus is on National Responsible Dog Ownership Week and the cross-Canada walk on RDOG Day, the RDOG program is ongoing year-round. The CKC Responsible Dog Ownership Committee has made new material available for members to use to educate the public about interactions with dogs. The RDOG Canine Safety Resources package has excellent information on safe and responsible interaction between dogs and kids, and between dogs and people who may come into contact with them in the workplace.

RDOG promotes CKC members as helpful, knowledgeable people, the go-to bunch for all things canine. “The value our canine friends bring to Canadian society will only be recognized and respected through our collective contributions and input to the communities where we live,” says the CKC on its website. “When we offer our skills, expertise and knowledge directly to our neighbourhoods we will be seen as proactive, positive contributors. We should be available to help and encourage those needing our information so we can explain the benefits we can provide as CKC members and dog experts.”
With anti-dog sentiment swirling around us everywhere, the RDOG program gives CKC members a way to bring positive attention to our canine companions and to ourselves as responsible and knowledgeable dog owners.

It’s time to start planning an RDOG extravaganza for 2010.

For information, suggestions and material to help organize and host an RDOG event, go to the CKC website or email rdogs@ckc.ca.

Either overweight or underweight dogs can be suspected of diabetes. Dogs suffering from undiagnosed Type I diabetes will lose weight even if they are eating far more than their usual ration. Overweight dogs are more at risk for developing Type II diabetes.
Owners should also be on the lookout for increased thirst and more-frequent urination. Dogs with diabetes may be lethargic, and the condition of their haircoat will suffer.

With Type I diabetes, insulin injections will always be required, but changes in diet can help keep blood glucose levels on a more even keel. Because dogs with Type I diabetes have likely lost weight before diagnosis, they may start out on a low-fibre diet to help them gain back weight, then switch to a higher-fibre diet for better blood glucose control.

For dogs with Type II diabetes, a weight-loss program will be an integral part of treatment. Insulin injections may be needed at the start of treatment, but will likely be phased out as the dog reaches a more optimal weight and is more able to self-regulate blood glucose levels.
In either case, careful continued monitoring is required to keep diabetic dogs healthy, and to continue providing the correct nutrition.

Protein is crucial to good nutritional balance. Excess amounts could lead to renal damage, yet enough must be consumed to offset any inefficiencies in digestion and utilization. As a general guide, protein should comprise 15 to 25 per cent of calories; digestibility should be at least 85 per cent.

Simple carbohydrates are rapidly digested and cause spikes in blood glucose levels, so should be avoided. Complex carbohydrates must first be broken down into simple carbohydrates before they can be absorbed, so they retard the flow of glucose into the bloodstream. They also slow the digestion and absorption of other nutrients, again helping to regularize blood glucose. The recommendation for a diabetic diet includes 50- to 55-per-cent carbohydrates.

Diabetic dogs have an impaired ability to metabolize fat and, as a consequence, have a greater propensity to also suffer from pancreatitis. So fats must be carefully regulated, providing less than 20 per cent of the calories in the diet.

Fibre can help with control of blood glucose levels by slowing digestion. Research has found more unwanted side effects with soluble fibre (including a brittle hair coat, diarrhea, and some potential for harm to the gastrointestinal tract), so fibre should be insoluble or a mixture of insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fibres include beet pulp, corn bran, rice bran, wheat bran, peanut hulls, soy hulls and wheat middlings.

Vitamins and minerals may be depleted while diabetes is uncontrolled, but should return to normal levels once control is established.

Keeping these considerations in mind, the nutrient levels shown on the dog food label should fall within the following ranges:

Diabetic dogs also suffering from renal failure should keep to the lower end of the protein range.

Prescription diets, in both canned and dried form, are available from such pet food manufacturers as Waltham/Pedigree, Nestlé/Purina, Iams and Hill’s. Your veterinarian will likely recommend a specific brand, but because these foods are less palatable than regular off-the-shelf foods and some dogs refuse to eat them, you should be aware that other options are available if the recommended food doesn’t work for your dog.

Caring for a diabetic dog requires dedication. Several small meals at regular intervals help avoid fluctuations in blood glucose. At least two main meals should be fed, eight to 10 hours apart. A smaller meal midway between the two meals can improve blood glucose control. For particularly hard-to-control cases, four small meals a day may be necessary.

If the dog is receiving insulin injections, they must be coordinated with the meals. It works best to first have the dog eat, then give the injection immediately afterward. Reversing the order – injection first, then feeding – leaves open the possibility of insulin-induced hypoglycemia if the dog should refuse to eat for some reason. If two injections are given daily – a normal treatment plan – they should be given with the two main meals. The injections are given subcutaneously, and can easily be mastered by most owners.

With the popularity of rewards-based training, some consideration must be given to treats for the diabetic dog. The simplest option is to use part of the dog’s regular diet, but some dogs may not find that rewarding enough to work for. Owners should discuss potential treats with their veterinarian.

To keep blood glucose levels as stable as possible, training should occur at approximately the same time every day, and using the same amount of treats. Other exercise should also be kept as regular as possible.

Diabetes is an ever-changing disease, responding to changes in body weight, activity level and food consumption. Owners must remain vigilant.

Once treatment begins, water consumption and urination should decrease to normal levels. As blood glucose levels come under control, the dog can utilize nutrients more effectively, and should stop losing weight (unless the dog is an overweight Type II individual and part of the treatment plan is to slim down).

Part of the owner’s responsibility is to monitor and record their dog’s weight by checking it every other week. As a backup, a body condition score should be performed every month. In some cases, owners may also be asked to collect a urine sample (a cup on a pole is commonly used for the purpose) and use a special test paper to measure blood glucose.

With care and dedication, a diabetic dog can enjoy a long, active life without adverse effects.

The Shetland Sheepdog Club of British Columbia Rescue received ‘Jess’ from a horrible life when she was 9-1/2 years old. After coming to us, she soon be-came a pet therapy dog, and has been giving joy to some older folks for over five years now.

Jess was always excited when I took the other dogs out to ‘work’ and I decided to get a PEN (Canadian Kennel Club Performance Event Number) for her at age 13 and try Rally-O. She got her CKC Rally Novice title but as she has some arthritis in a shoulder, I didn’t continue, due to the jumping that is required.

In 2008, at 13-1/2 years old, Jess began tracking. She was super keen. It was fun for her, and eventually I even began to consider the possibility of a TD. Unfortunately, she became quite ill in mid-July, and after recovering, just never seemed to track as well. I’m not sure why. She was given a clean bill of health, but seemed to track to the side more than on the track. She had good and not-so-good days, but every day was fun for her. She always wanted to go out; she would hop around and had an excited little cry, and so we continued.

I wouldn’t have taken a place in a test if I felt we were holding back an alternate. However, there was space in a test the first weekend in October, and I figured this might be her one and only chance, mainly due to her age. We entered on closing day.

Jess was only two months and one week short of 15 years old. She is also almost deaf. I work on the lower-limit length of line with her, and have to yell so she can hear me. I made sure the judge was aware of this.

Jess certainly did not do a stellar track. It was a struggle at times, and I was close to calling it a day more than once. However, we did persist. Her track took 41 minutes (a long 41 minutes!). She perked up considerably nearing the final (fourth) corner, and I realized that just maybe, we were really going to do it. Jess couldn’t care less about the articles; she just stops dead when she reaches one. I can’t even begin to express my feelings when I saw her stand still, looking down. I only remember gulping, running up, and bawling and hugging her for so long.

I hope that people will see that a rescued dog – and an old dog – can still work in tracking, perhaps giving them a purpose, and giving them a lot of joy. Jess has certainly given us a great deal of joy, and hopefully is an inspiration to others. She is possibly the oldest dog, or oldest Sheltie, to earn a CKC Tracking Dog title.

I hope Jess’s story will give someone else the push to try tracking with an older dog, just for the joy of it.

I love dogs, all dogs, all the time, or so I’d imagined. I’m one of those people who will stop the car and run out after a particularly fetching mutt. I can’t pass a dog without saying hello, and really can’t remember ever meeting a dog I didn’t like, in whom I didn’t find some redeeming quality.

And I’ve had dogs all my life.

As a child, there was ‘Lucky’ (a big doofus of a Boxer who routinely knocked me down when I came home from school) and ‘Mickey’ (a dear mutt with whom my late father, gentle soul that he was, slept on the kitchen floor after she was neutered in the butchered surgery that killed her). As an adult there was ‘Suzie’ (small, grey and affectionate), ‘Blux’ (a big black Lab cross my then-husband and I loved unreservedly), ‘Boo’ (a Vizsla cross we adopted after she was given up for being a “nervous urinator” and who soon was cured), and ‘Daisy,’ a wonderful small dog who looked remarkably like a German Shepherd someone had sat on (big Shep head and ears set on a short-legged frame).

But not until I got ‘Obie’ did I find The One.

He’s a white Bull Terrier, a breed whose legend I’d been raised on (my dad had had one) and which I’d always admired for its distinctive looks. Almost four years ago, after Daisy died, I suddenly decided I was going to get one – my first non-pound dog, and my first puppy, and my first dog as a single person – and upon the advice of a Bull Terrier-loving friend, found a great breeder in Pennsylvania, Mary Remer.

Despite his noble lineage – the dog has a much better family background than I do and certainly a vastly better-documented one – Mary named him O.B., which stands for Other Boy, the first male being called First Boy, though we spell it Obie.

I passed the hour-long interview and one day in the spring of 2006, just after I returned from my first trip to Afghanistan, my friend Pat and I drove down to get him.
I hadn’t a clue, really.

We arrived at this gorgeous estate set amid rolling green hills near Villanova, met Mary and were led to the palatial area where puppies from Obie’s litter, and I think two others, were kept. I walked into the enclosed yard and was immediately set upon by what seemed to be a small herd of baby land sharks, all leaping up with needle teeth. The next day, Pat and I returned, got Obie’s papers and instructions, and began the long drive home to Toronto.
He slept in my lap, alternately snoring and farting, all the way home, and my life hasn’t been the same since.

Mary had seen to it that he was brilliantly socialized, but he was also a naturally social fellow. She runs classes out of her place too, and every day dozens of people arrive for various lessons, and as soon as he could waddle about, Obie was apparently up and greeting visitors. But for a few months shortly after he turned three and was feeling his manly oats, he has remained exactly the same – friendly to all people, most dogs and his own cat.

And she told me too that despite his sturdy appearance and for all his confidence and ease, Obie was a sensitive dog, his feelings hurt by even a raised voice or a cheek turned from his kiss. It was an astute observation, a measure of what a good breeder she is and how well she knows her dogs, because Obie is indeed easily wounded and dislikes conflict of any sort.

Within a day or two, I was deeply in love, though at first he was so stubborn about walking (that is, he wouldn’t) that my long-time dog-walker quit in a snit, which turned out to be a great blessing because then I found the two women who ever since have taken care of him during the day when I’m at work and whenever I’m out of town.

He is not especially well trained, which is my fault, but he’s well trained enough; I like a cheeky dog. He can sit and shake a paw. He’s a pretty good walker now, except in the heat, and sometimes will bump the backs of my legs with his big head so much it’s like travelling around with my own personal rugby scrum going on right behind me. Except in the summer, he runs with me three times a week, his longest distance 17 kilometres.

And so long as there’s not a tennis ball around, he will stay and come; if there is one, he turns into a dog who is deaf and blind to all my entreaties and will dance around me, just out of reach, laughing despite the ball in his mouth.

He did this once when I had a plane to catch: It took a kindly couple, who had departed the park an hour earlier with their obedient dog and who from their balcony spotted Obie and I still in the park, me nearly weeping with frustration, to save the day. They came back down with a cold pizza, and thus we trapped him into dropping the ball.

Another time, it was a dead frozen squirrel he found, and carried around as about 15 adults and five kids chased him, grinning until the squirrel melted, at which point he began to eat it. I caught him only when he attempted to swallow the head, and mercifully stopped to throw up.

I no longer let him off leash. Now, we just do our runs, and walk longer and more often. At least four of his dog friends regularly come over for visits, and in the confines of the house, tear about where it’s perfectly safe.

Though I joke about him being a blockhead (the Bull Terrier ranks 66 of 67 breeds in The Intelligence of Dogs, which is why my brother, who lives in Quebec, calls him Soixante-Six), I don’t think he is and wouldn’t care anyway. He has a kind heart (he outweighs some of his dog friends by 50 pounds, but he routinely lets them win at tug-of-war), is completely unpossessive about his toys and food (though a tad greedy about the bed), is gentle and sweet with the little blind Italian Greyhound across the street, and altogether the best company in the world.

In the mornings, he will yawn and stretch for 30 minutes if allowed, those legs stretched out behind him, tail doing circles. He likes it when I sing and whistle to him as we walk, so I do it, non-stop. I can reassure him with certain songs, wind him up with others. He likes the cold and the wind, especially, and sometimes, when he’s very playful or bursting with joy, will gently nip the backs of my calves as we walk, just so I know how he’s feeling.

Near the house, he always stops by a particular bush to eat a leaf or two; he does it only so I will tell him, faux-sternly, that he is a wicked and ill-mannered dog. He likes to carry a stick as we go; I think he thinks of it as a job; we have a collection of well-carried sticks on the front porch.

I can’t get enough of him, in truth. I don’t love him because he loves me back, or anything like that. I love him because he’s him, and because he’s The One.

Many generations ago, our dogs grew up in the same environment. Now they are well fed, protected from disease and predators are gone, so they are living well beyond what is considered a natural life.

Unfortunately, we also know that as dogs age, their health declines. The key is to help the body maintain and repair itself. The following thoughts were presented at the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association conference in 2008 by Joseph Kincaid, D.V.M. He states that it all starts with nutrition.

What to feed is a hotly debated topic. There are divergent views between conventional-thinking veterinarians and holistic practitioners. The former group recommends commercial foods. The latter group often puts its faith in grain-free foods containing human-grade meat and no chemical preservatives. In addition, they suggest small amounts of raw meat and vege-tables as treats.

Supplements are also important in older dogs. We believe that older dogs cannot digest food as well as younger dogs can because, as they age, their ability to produce digestive enzymes diminishes. This means that geriatric dogs could benefit from digestive-en-zyme supplementation. Probiotics are also recommended to maintain the correct microflora in the gut.

Water is a nutrient we take for granted, but it’s required for all body processes and to rid the body of toxins. Older dogs with mobility issues may not make it to the water bowl as often as they should and therefore suffer from chronic dehydration. Put fresh water in convenient locations to encourage intake. If your water is chlorinated, consider bottled water.

Vitamins, especially the water-soluble ones (B and C), are lost in increased amounts when urine production rises with failing kidneys. The answer is to provide a vitamin source daily.

The liver and kidneys are the organs that detoxify the body. Silymarin (milk thistle) can help dogs with liver disease. For dogs with kidney issues, antioxidants like vitamin C, as well as omega fatty acids (e.g., salmon oil), are helpful.

Older dogs often suffer from arthritis. Common sup-plements include glucosamine, omega-3 fatty acids and boswellia (a pain-relieving herb).

Feeding a geriatric dog is more than just putting kibble in a bowl. It’s also more than identifying diseases and treating each one in isolation. It’s better to look at the body as a whole and support it with good nutrition. This is the holistic approach.

The first modern hospice as we know it was built in London and based on the philosophy of providing relief for all physical, psychological, social and spiritual pain. The first Canadian hospice was created in 1974, but it adopted the term ‘palliative care.’

Modern hospice care has morphed into a coordinated program utilizing professionals and volunteers for improving the quality of a patient’s last days. The primary goal is adequate pain control, but it also provides support to both the patient and the family.

Once hospice became established, it was inevitable that a corresponding interest in pet hospice would develop. Some hospitals wanted to offer hospice alongside traditional (immediate) euthanasia. For this reason, the First International Symposium on Veterinary Hospice Care occurred in March 2008 in California. The speakers talked about the advent of hospice and its incorporation into the veterinary world.

Like its human counterpart, veterinary hospice exists to manage rather than cure a patient’s terminal illness. At the same time, it prepares the caregivers for the end of the patient’s life. Unfortunately, virtually no books or publications have been written to train veterinarians in hospice care. However, much has been learned from experiences in human hospice and it begins with an understanding of the dying process. Without this background, we are bound to miss what qualifies for a peaceful passing (see sidebar opposite).

Many factors affect the decision to choose hospice rather than euthanasia. One of these is the owner’s personal fear of dying and the assumption that dying means suffering. Some people also look at dying as the culmination of an incurable disease rather then a natural endpoint to life.

There are financial and time considerations, as well as the caregivers╒ physical or emotional inability to care for a pet’s needs. There are also recommendations from people who do not have the same bond with the dog. They may voice their views as, “Don’t you think it’s time?” not understanding what the owner knows about their four-legged companion.

In some cases, the dog might have a physical disability that he accepts, yet to the owner, it is horrible. In these cases, it’s important to recognize the options. For example, consider a dog with hind-leg weakness. One of the speakers at the symposium suggested that this type of incapacity can be addressed by conventional techniques and providing firm, non-slippery floor surfaces to help weak muscles. When they fail, acupuncture can be considered. As well, some owners of paralyzed dogs consider customized carts and slings.

Another common issue in caring for dogs at life’s end can be fecal and/or urinary incontinence. This can sometimes be treated or managed with incontinence pads.
The decision to manage a dog with special needs depends on the caregiver. In contrast to human hospices where care is offered by the family, there are few owners who commit long-term to the needs of these dogs.

However, the overriding concern of most dog owners, and what often leads to euthanasia, is whether their animal is suffering. But, defining ‘suffering’ is difficult. It is also highly individual. Dogs may have a certain level of pain yet not want to die. Some tolerate it differently than others, which is also what we see in people.

The thing to remember is that dying by itself is not a painful process and many diseases do not generate pain. However, some do and it must be recognized and controlled.
Many medications are available to ameliorate pain, ranging from tablets (non-steroidal analgesics) to pain patches and injections. Pain management can sometimes be enhanced through holistic modalities. All these treatments aim to increase the dog’s comfort level.

A commonly asked question by people with dogs in their final days is, “How much longer does my friend have to live?” Just like human hospice, a valid prediction is rarely possible until very close to death. To many unfamiliar with the process, it takes a long time, but this is partially due to what we see on television. It takes time for a body to shut down completely.

If you have a dying friend, spend the little time you have left in a calm and quiet environment. Dogs in this stage of life can be startled by sounds and are sensitive to bright light. Remove food, as the smell can be nauseating. Touch, although desired by the caregiver, may not provide comfort to a dying dog in the last minutes or hours of life.

These changes are as individual as the dog and in the case of my fifth guide dog, a yellow Labrador Retriever named ‘Sunni,’ the decision to retire him wasn’t easy. I had retired the other four dogs for numerous reasons – health decline, age, and one dog that after only three years in the field had simply had enough.

Sunni has had arthritis for several years and has been on medication to alleviate his discomfort. The last year has been challenging as his strong work ethic and exuberance for his job has dwindled. Safety hasn’t been an issue; his skill in determining safety at all intersection crossings has not been impaired by the lessened range of motion in his shoulders. He is, however, slowing down and resistant to changes that just two years ago would have excited and challenged him.

Retirement for Sunni will be a transition into acceptance of a new dog in the home, something he may not conform to easily. It is common for the retired dog to feel somewhat offended by the actualization of a new dog handling tasks that they were adept at for so many years. Of course, Labs have big hearts and any feelings of betrayal will subside. He will soon realize that his new job is to enjoy his days as a full-time companion and driving buddy for my husband. The new dog will provide him with ongoing entertainment and will, for the first time, allow Sunni the luxury of being a beloved pet and family member who doesn’t have to get up early and accompany his owner to work.

The most difficult part of retiring a guide dog rests with the owner. The bond between owner and dog is profound and nearly unexplainable to anyone sighted. This dog has been a part of my life for almost seven years. As a young dog, he and I worked through the first-year break-in period together. Those first months are critical in bonding and the formulation of a true working team. Sunni unveiled talents not usual to guide dog training at his school of origin. He displayed an uncanny ability to take the longest route possible to my commands to find the door, and worked diligently to hone his tour-guide skills. Personality in tow, he found amusement in negotiating any obstacles with a crisp, flowing step, his heavy tail happily flogging my legs.

In our first month as a team, we travelled to Toronto on an urgent family matter. Sunni accepted the noisy subway, heavy traffic, pedestrian crowding and general metropolitan madness with ease. He lessened the burden of my attempts to remember to turn right or left outside the University Ave. subway station, and guided me confidently to the same door he had learned only once in the previous week. He accepted long days in a restricted-movement workplace, never complaining of his limitations and lying quietly until needed. To honour his own presence, he would occasionally strut in an authentic show-dog step throughout the work corridors, to exemplify his singular position as the only dog in the place.

I bragged of his ability to multi-task under these circumstances and was grateful he accepted all responsibilities required of him with optimism and a veiled vanity. He worked in all types of weather conditions and only once showed signs of discomfort, when the blackout of August 2003 impaired his guiding abilities. At the time, we lived in an apartment building and were thrown into total blackness in the windowless hall and stairway exits. This was my only opportunity for role reversal in our working life.

Guide dogs are not trained to pull their bodies lengthwise in front of their owners at street crossings, but Sunni naturally postured himself in this protective position whenever we needed to cross a street. I am aware of instances where turning vehicles have nearly taken both of us under metal and tires, but I’m alive to talk of it due to Sunni’s intuitive assessments of danger and refusal to follow the forward command. He was trained to deliberately disobey if he assessed a situation too dangerous. He has worked hard and earned every reward of retirement coming to him.

I will miss and long for the comfort of his confident stride in the months ahead. Living, working and being part of an active team so familiar and embedded into our mutual psyche will simulate the previous farewells with my other guide dogs. I am the other end of the harness, the one giving direction and commands. I am the one he is interpreting through voice and body language as happy or sad, along with the multitude of emotions that blend and evolve into the team of two. Our mutual respect and devotion to the other’s needs has been our success.

Taking initiative was always Sunni’s forte. He planned out his navigations through any barrier with built-in guide dog global positioning. His warm, loving and eternally optimistic personality was and always is his signature. The lake that runs from his drinking bowl to our living room is a constant reminder of how his enthusiasm passes from his work into even his drinking habits. The jowl factor has increased the water flow on the floor; it seems he retains most of his thirst in the caverns of the folds of his skin and releases them throughout various rooms. He abandons toys in mid-play, only to return with yet another to be sporadically distributed for easy retrieval later. He has power-chewed his way through hundreds of nylon bones and systematically removed the stuffing from even more soft toys.

Sunni will not receive a pension during his twilight years and since he will no longer be recognized as a working dog, any medical discounts will be cancelled. He will be cherished for the remainder of his time with me. I will emotionally release myself from our working life once the new dog has come home, but I will never forget the wisdom, devotion and love given by a yellow Lab named Sunni. I will miss you, boy.

Across the country, hundreds of dog-loving Canadians volunteer to raise puppies that will eventually be trained to work for people who have disabilities. Wearing special capes that identify them as future working dogs, these pups can be seen trotting alongside grocery carts, hanging out on the sidelines at kids’ soccer games, or napping quietly under desks during long days at the office. The Westgates’ foster puppies accompany Johnny to the University of Toronto, where he is working toward his Ph.D. in environmental chemistry, and tag along with Missy, a costume designer, when she visits the dance studio for fittings.

Volunteer puppy raisers take the pups home when they’re about eight weeks old. Over the course of the next year, they housetrain them, socialize them, and teach them good manners and basic obedience. “Without our puppy raisers, we couldn’t do what we do,” explains Linda Thornton, puppy-raising manager at B.C. & Alberta Guide Dog Services. “They are the foundation of guide dog training – you have to have good puppy raisers if you want to have good guide dogs.”

Volunteering to raise a puppy is a big commitment, demanding countless hours of work and endless patience. It takes a special kind of person to do it right – someone who is dedicated, patient and selfless. “The perfect candidate has children, lives a busy lifestyle and commutes with the puppy by public transit to a downtown office. They’re enthusiastic and patient with both the puppy and the public,” explains Sharon Andriash, puppy-raising supervisor at Pacific Assistance Dogs. “We want the families to take the puppy every-where with them and get them used to all kinds of environments, so that it becomes second nature to them,” adds Adrienne Forbes, who works in the breeding and puppy development program at Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.

Some families sign up because they want their children to experience volunteering on a different level. Many are retired people who don’t want the long-term commitment of owning a dog. Others are dog lovers who relish the opportunity to bring the puppies everywhere with them. All of them hope to give the gift of independence and companionship to a person with a disability. However, only the dogs that are best suited for the job go on to be trained for guide or service work.

Four of the dogs the Westgates raised have successfully completed the program, and the couple has been in the audience to celebrate at each of their graduations. “People always stop me on the street to tell me what a wonderful thing I’m doing, but it means so much more when I hear it from the person who is receiving the dog,” Missy explains.

Making the grade

There are several reasons why a dog might not be selected for training. Some don’t meet the stringent medical standards, which may include screening for problems like hip dysplasia and cataracts. Others lack confidence, or have far too much energy to endure the ‘hurry up and wait’ nature of guide work. Although puppy raisers understand that there are no guarantees, it’s still a disappointment to learn that the dog in which they’ve invested so much work did not make the grade. One day, frustrated after learning that a pup she had high hopes for had been disqualified, Missy had lunch with a woman whose guide dog the Westgates raised. “Seeing ‘Fenwick’ working in harness reminded me why I do this,” Missy says.

Although dogs that aren’t selected for training are usually offered to their foster families as pets, some find their calling working for other agencies. For example, dogs with boundless energy and a high ball drive are good candidates for detection work. Others are better suited to a life of leisure – like a Labrador Retriever named ‘Tetley,’ raised by the Westgates, who became the pampered pet of Toronto Blue Jays president Paul Godfrey. Unlike most foster families, the Westgates have not adopted any of their disqualified dogs, opting instead to devote their full attention to raising more puppies.

The question most often asked of foster families by the general public is: “How can you give them up at the end of the year?” But ask any foster family how it feels to see the dog that they raised provide independence, security and confidence to a person with a disability, and they’ll tell you that they’re not just raising puppies – they’re raising independence.

For the purposes of discussing nutrition, fibre is a specific type of carbo-hydrate, one that is “insoluble” (not easily digestible). “Soluble” (easily digestible) carbohydrates can be a source of energy in the diet, but insoluble carbohydrates – fibre – are not broken down by the enzymes in the small intestine and thus do not provide any usable energy. They may, however, have other benefits.

Fibre in dog foods comes mainly from the cell walls of plants or grains included in the food. Sources might include corn and corn by-products, beet pulp, bran, apple or tomato pomace, pectin, rice hulls, soybean hulls or peanut hulls.

These obviously do not sound like foods that wild canines would be eating, so why are they in dog food? On a practical level, the process of extrusion for manufacturing dry dog food requires a binding agent, and carbohydrates, whether soluble or insoluble, fill that need. But research has shown that low levels of fibre also provide some benefits to the dog.

Just as it does in humans, fibre can help ease symptoms of both diarrhea and constipation. Fibre provides bulk to the contents in the intestine, and has the ability to hold onto water. So it works to absorb the extra water in loose stools, and to provide water to help prevent constipation. This also helps slow nutrients that are travelling through the intestinal tract too quickly and speed up those that are taking too long.

Iams claims their research shows that crude fibre levels should be between 1.4 and 3.5 per cent for maximal nutrient digestibility. Joe Bartges, D.V.M., Ph.D., Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, points out, however, that crude fibre (the numbers shown on the dog food packaging) is only a rough, and generally low, estimate of the actual fibre in the diet. Overprocessing can also alter the amount and type of fibre. So numbers can be misleading.

Still, Bartges agrees with Iams that fibre can have a variety of beneficial effects. Fibre can help manage diabetes, play a role as an antioxidant and help prevent cancer. The moderation of both diarrhea and constipation has already been mentioned. Fibre can also promote colon health by virtue of its fermentability.

The lining of the gastrointestinal tract renews itself rapidly, and much of the energy for this constant renewal comes from short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are produced by bacterial fermentation of fibre. Iams research showed that a moderately fermentable fibre provided the optimum nutrition for the GI tract without causing diarrhea. Their publication Topics in Practical Nutrition (Vol. 4, No. 2, June 1994) provided the following table of fibre characteristics.

So both beet pulp and rice bran offered the low solubility and moderate fermentability their studies indicated as the best choice.

Humans seem to have a tendency to think that if a little is good, more is better, but this definitely isn’t the case with fibre. Some weight-reduction dog foods rely on greatly increased fibre content to ‘bulk up’ the food and decrease caloric content per serving. The dog has no choice about ingesting fewer calories, but studies have shown that the increased fibre does not help the dog feel less hungry.

Investigation continues on this subject. Higher fibre levels can result in a variety of unwanted side effects such as increased stool volume, loose stools and more flatulence. A potential effect owners can’t see directly is decreased digestibility of the nutrients in the food.

One of the most-studied diseases in relation to fibre is diabetes. In a small study of dogs with insulin-dependent diabetes, researchers found that a high-fibre diet using only insoluble fibre resulted in significantly lower mean and maximum blood-glucose concentrations. High-fibre diets have been a component of treatment of diabetic dogs for some time.

But dietary fibre can also contribute to improved nitrogen metabolism in dogs with renal dysfunction, through regulation of transit time. There is increasing evidence that fibre fermentation contributes to overall intestinal health, helping to avoid megacolon, colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. Fibre binds to potentially carcinogenic bile acids and may thus play a role in preventing colon cancer.

Dogs with separation anxiety cry, bark, whine and eliminate in the house, and that’s only the beginning. They will often chew the windowsills in an effort to escape, or crash through doors in an attempt to find their owners. These dogs are so bonded and dependent that they don’t understand they haven’t been abandoned. They want to keep their owner in sight and follow them from room to room. If left at home with a family member, they will still look for their preferred human companion, never really settling down until that person returns. These dogs frequently look distressed and will whine and pace. Some will simply stop all movement, standing as if frozen in place.

It’s important to keep all departures and arrivals very calm. Don’t make a big deal out of it or your dog will believe that it is a big deal. Getting your dog excited with an overly effusive greeting when you come home can bring on the added problem of anxious urination.
Go through your usual departure routine, get ready to leave but don’t leave him. Let him see you putting things together as you would to go to work or run an errand, but stay at home. You can practise picking up your keys and your handbag or briefcase without it becoming a cue that you are about to depart.

When he’s comfortable with that, leave him for only a few minutes at a time to condition him to the fact that you have to go out, but will always return. You can use a crate for short periods of time.

If you’re eventually going out for a longer period of time, set up a special room for your dog. Turn on a radio or television so he can hear voices or classical music, which can be calming. Put his crate in the room with the crate door open so he can come and go, napping in his crate with a snuggly toy and nice, soft bedding. Set up a separate potty area for him if you’re not able to return midday to take him out to eliminate.

Give him a special toy to occupy his mind. You can use a hollow toy with a biscuit inside so he has to work to get it out. Puzzle toys either hold food that your dog has to figure out how to release, or have parts the dog can remove and then put back.

If you’re dealing with severe separation anxiety, your veterinarian may suggest adding a therapeutic drug such as Clomicalm®, but it’s important to understand this is an adjunct to behaviour modification and is eliminated once the behaviour begins to improve. You cannot just give the drug and not do the work of changing the dog’s behaviour. The drug is just an interim aide. An “anxiety wrap” or a T-shirt might also help provide a sense of security.
If your dog had separation anxiety when he was young, it can return as geriatric separation anxiety when he is elderly. This is difficult for the owner as well as the dog. It’s important to understand why this is happening and what you can do to help alleviate stress.

Dogs, like people, develop the problems of aging such as loss of sight and hearing, and become more dependent on their owners. You can be standing a few feet away from your dog, but he now thinks you’re too far away. He wants to feel safe. This is no time to move the furniture because, as his vision fades, he needs to know that everything is in the same place so he can find his way around. As his hearing dims, it will be helpful if you stamp your feet so he will feel the vibration and know that you are approaching.

With these issues of vision and hearing loss, it’s easy to understand why separation anxiety can reappear. He’s more anxious and needs to know that all is right with his world. His owner is the greatest part of that world, the person he turns to for comfort, food and safety. If you leave, he becomes anxious. You will have to make some allowances and go through the same steps of leaving him for only minutes at a time. It’s important to return to the basics when you’re working with a dog that has separation anxiety as well as loss of sight and hearing.

As with any behaviour that needs changing, there is no magic wand; you have to be patient. But with patience, you can condition your dog to accept your departures. And there will still be those wonderful walks and other times shared together when you’re making memories to last a lifetime, during those special golden years.

CD is extremely hard to diagnose because we can’t test for it. We depend on clinical signs to pin it down. Symptoms of CD include disorientation, altered social interactions with owners and other pets, changes in sleep/awake cycles, loss of learned behaviours, and alterations in level of activity.

CD is more prevalent than we think. In one study, at least one category of signs was present in 28 per cent of dogs between 11 and 12 years of age. Sixty-eight per cent of dogs aged 15 to 16 were similarly affected. In another study, 75 per cent of dogs over seven years of age had one or more signs of CD.

Currently, only two therapeutic agents are available for treating CD. One is a medication called Selegiline that adjusts hormone levels in the brain. The second way to address this disease is to feed Prescription Diet® b/d® (an antioxidant-enriched diet).

A 2008 report in the Canadian Veterinary Journal reviewed a study that looked at the impact of a nutraceutical supplement on canine memory. The supplement evaluated was Senilife™, a product licensed in Italy for treatment of brain aging in elderly dogs and cats.

In the trial, elderly Beagles were split into two groups. One group received a meatball containing the supplement; the other got just a meatball. This continued for 70 days. In the next 70 days, the treatment groups were reversed.

Dogs received one capsule for each five kilograms body weight. Each capsule contained 25 milligrams phosphatidylserine, 50 milligrams Ginkgo biloba extract, 33.5 milligrams vitamin E, and 20.5 milligrams pyridoxine.

The ingredients in the supplement were chosen to augment nerve transmission, increase antioxidant defences, and possibly reduce amyloid lesions, all of which have effects on canine aging.

In the experiment, the dog was required to remember where a food reward was positioned – an evaluation of short-term memory. The dogs receiving the supplement performed significantly better. As well, dogs that were given the supplement in the first phase of the trial retained an increased accuracy in the second phase of the trial, even though the supplement was discontinued. It suggests there is a long-term benefit.

The researchers suggest that supplementation early in the course of CD disease would be the most beneficial to help retain brain function.

‘Jewel’ appears to be a German Shepherd/Corgi mix, or perhaps there’s some Basset Hound in her ancestry. She is an older dog of unknown age, with grey on her muzzle and flecked throughout her coat.

‘Stacey’ is an 11-year-old Golden Retriever. She is housetrained, good with cats, loves children and has a sweet face with a silver muzzle and kind eyes.

Although most of us would like to think that all well-loved dogs will live out their lives with their owners, that isn’t always true. Ellie, Jewel and Stacey are senior dogs who have lost their homes and need assistance; unfortunately, there are thousands more just like them.

Carol Hine of Mission, B.C., is the executive director and founder of Senior Animals In Need Today Society (SAINTS; saintsrescue.ca). She says, “Many older dogs are given up by their owners for health reasons; a dog may become incontinent or may have painful joints due to arthritis. The cost of veterinary care also causes some owners to give up their dogs.”

“We hear a variety of reasons for dogs being surrendered: moving, owner has passed away or had to go into a nursing home, divorce, new baby and some dogs we rescue were strays,” says Leslie Tilander, volunteer director of Furever After Small Dog Rescue Society (fureverafter.net) in Qualicum Beach, B.C. Some older dogs are given up because a child develops allergies.

Unfortunately, some people feel that pets are disposable. Annette Armitage, president of Animal Rescue Coalitions (animalrescuecoalitions.com) of Nova Scotia, says, “Some older dogs are given up because they are no longer useful for hunting or breeding.” Some people simply state that they don’t want the dog anymore.

No matter why these grey-muzzled dogs are given up, there is a huge need for rescue, veterinary and adoption services. Thankfully, many organizations in Canada and the U.S. are helping.

Ellie was rescued by Furever After Small Dog Rescue Society and is now in a foster home awaiting adoption. Tilander says her organization serves Vancouver Island and B.C.’s Sunshine Coast and Lower Mainland. “We do not have a shelter – all our dogs are fostered in the private homes of our volunteers.” She adds, “The majority of dogs who come into our care are eight years or more.”

Jewel was abandoned in her home, along with two cats, when their family moved away. The landlord brought them to a local shelter where SAINTS rescued her. She has received veterinary care and is being loved by the SAINTS volunteers. Hine says, “We usually have between 25 and 35 senior dogs in our care at any given time.” SAINTS offers a permanent foster program for the animal’s lifetime if that is needed.

Stacey was surrendered because her owners couldn’t afford her veterinary care. Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue (ygrr.org) in New England is providing her with a safe haven where she’s getting the veterinary attention she needs.

When thinking of adding a dog to their family, many people automatically plan on getting a puppy. Teaching people to consider dogs of all ages as potential new family members has always been a challenge for most rescue groups and shelters.

Many organizations have found that the Internet can be a powerful tool for providing educational opportunities as well as putting photographs and information about individual dogs where people can easily find it. The Senior Dog Project and Senior Mutt Match both use their websites to teach people about the benefits of older dogs as well as to provide listings of older dogs needing new homes. The Senior Dog Project also lists a number of organizations that specialize in older-dog adoptions.

Tilander says that Furever After also uses the Internet, “We advertise the dogs through websites such as petfinder.com, adoptapet.com and victoriaadoptables.com.” Susan Faria of Senior Dog Rescue of Oregon says her group uses petfinder.com, too.

Community newspapers can be a wonderful place to promote dogs. Sonya White, the Carla Cumming Sojonky Adoption Centre manager for the Bow Valley SPCA, says, “When we get an old dog in, we put the dog’s personal story in the local newspaper as the Featured Pet of the Week. We have a photo and we highlight the positive features of the pet.”

White adds that people visiting the shelter tend to dismiss senior dogs as too old, so the staff makes sure these dogs get out to meet people. This way the old dog becomes a real personality rather than just an age. Faria agrees that people need to meet the dogs, hold them and pet them so they can form a bond. To do this, her group holds monthly adoption events.

Loralee Nisbet-Papp, the foster coordinator for Misty Creek Dog Rescue, says, “The most effective thing we have found for advertising the benefits of a senior dog is their presence at any of our functions. They become the ambassadors of any event with their low-key, well-behaved demeanour.”

All the rescue group and shelter experts agree that old dogs won’t find new homes until people learn about them. People need to learn each dog’s story. Even better, people need to pet the dogs, and see their calm behaviour and desire to be a part of a family. When people meet the silver-muzzled dogs, they fall in love with them.

Several rescue groups and shelters have become quite original with incentive programs to aid in the adoption of older dogs. These, combined with the positive aspects of the old dogs themselves, can help convince potential adopters that an old dog might be the best choice for their family.

The Lillian Allbon Animal Shelter offers older dogs at a reduced adoption fee, while Litters ’n Critters waives their adoption fee. Misty Creek Dog Rescue offers six weeks of free health insurance upon adoption, and some dogs are offered at a lower adoption fee. Senior Dog Rescue of Oregon has an arrangement with a local veterinarian for discounted veterinary services for their rescues.

The Bow Valley SPCA doesn’t offer health insurance or veterinary discounts for their old dogs that are adopted, but they do take care of all of the dog’s veterinary needs prior to adoption. White says, “For example, someone might adopt an older dog who has just had fresh dental work done.” The dogs will also have had bloodwork done. Animal Rescue Coalitions of Nova Scotia offers the same thing: their dogs are treated for any health problems prior to adoption.

The bills for older dogs needing veterinary care might run into thousands of dollars, so a dog that’s been treated prior to adoption has a great incentive attached. In other instances, the incentives are not much – an adoption fee is usually not a significant amount – but when trying to find a new home for an older dog, even a small incentive might be enough to close the deal.

There are many reasons why older dogs make great pets and companions: they are housetrained, won’t chew your furniture, and are not as demanding as puppies. They settle into a new home easily and are usually grateful for your attention. When adopting an old dog, you won’t have to guess how big the dog will be or how much coat he’ll have; what you see is what you get.

But Carol Hine of SAINTS said it best. “Senior dogs live every day to the fullest. They do not count how many days they have left. After a lifetime of service to mankind, it would be nice if they could receive loving and responsible retirement care.”

Litters ’n Critters is an animal rescue group with members in Cape Breton and all parts of Nova Scotia.

The Bow Valley SPCA is a no-kill, no-cage adoption centre in Canmore, Alta. They serve the Bow Valley west of Calgary.

Lillian Albon Animal Shelter serves all of Cumberland County in Nova Scotia.

Misty Creek Dog Rescue serves the Calgary region.

The Senior Dog Project profiles older dogs needing new homes, lists shelters and rescue groups, and has information pertaining to old dogs.

Both techniques utilize a tiny camera at the end of a sterile tube. This is inserted through a small hole so that the surgeon can see into a body cavity. Special instruments designed for cutting, cautery, and sampling through a narrow-diameter tube are inserted down the same tube or additional ones, depending on the task at hand.

Laparoscopy is used extensively in human medicine for abdominal surgery. For example, a gall bladder removal can now be a day surgery, rather than major surgery with a recovery period of a month or more.

For a canine example, consider a dog with a liver problem where a biopsy is needed to determine the cause and how it can be treated. Routinely, a long incision is made along the belly midline so that the surgeon can look at the liver and take a biopsy. The biopsy itself is a minor procedure; the incision is what causes the pain and prolongs recovery.

An alternative is an ultrasound-guided biopsy. A probe emits and detects sound waves, allowing the surgeon to “see” the liver, checking for tumours or irregularities. A biopsy is then taken with ultrasound guiding the needle. Unfortunately, pathology can be missed because the image is only in two dimensions, and only small samples are available.

The solution is laparoscopy. A camera is inserted through a small incision in the abdominal wall. The belly is inflated with gas and working instruments are inserted through additional holes. The entire liver (and abdomen) can be seen, and samples are taken of areas that look abnormal. Excellent samples are obtained, very little tissue is cut, and the dog recovers more quickly.

According to Dr. Mark Smith at Canada West Veterinary Specialists (Vancouver), laparoscopy is used for far more than its diagnostic capabilities. If a dog is cryptorchid, the missing testicle can be found and removed. If there is a bleeding tumour in the sac around the heart, the pressure can be relieved by opening the sac.

Laparoscopy can also be used to perform common surgeries such as ovariectomies and ovariohysterectomies. By working through two (or three) holes, each ovary is grasped, its blood supply is cauterized and they are removed from the abdomen.

Prophylactic gastropexy is a surgery that is becoming more common in breeds such as the Great Dane. The idea is to suture the stomach to the abdominal wall to prevent the stomach from torsing. The procedure can be done by itself or at the same time as a spay. Combining the two avoids the long incision normally made to access the reproductive tract (which is at the back of the abdomen) and the stomach (at the front of the abdomen).

Arthroscopy is also done through a tube, but the instrumentation is much smaller. In fact, Dr. Thomas Sissener at the Calgary Animal Referral and Emergency Centre Animal Hospital has a scope only 1.9 millimetres in diameter. This can be used to look in the joints of dogs of all sizes, ranging from Toy breeds to giant breeds.

Arthroscopy has the advantage of utilizing a tiny hole rather than opening the joint surgically. It can be used to assess a lame shoulder, and if an OCD (osteochondritis dessicans) flap is seen, it can be removed using the arthroscope.

A lame stifle (knee) can be investigated to see if there is a ruptured cruciate ligament or damage to the meniscus. In some cases, the defect can be repaired at the time. In others, the arthroscope may be able to assist in the surgery so that a smaller incision can be used.

More and more of these minimally invasive techniques are going to be seen in the coming years. Some progressive hospitals have already changed to offering laparoscopic-assisted spays exclusively and have left the old technique behind.

Lipomas originate from normal, healthy fat tissue. For some unknown reason, a few microscopic cells suddenly decide to grow out of control. At first, the lump is undetectable. Eventually, it forms a solitary, small, soft lump. These tumours can be anywhere on the body, but most commonly you find them on the lower chest or abdomen.

Characteristically, lipomas are moveable – you can grasp them and move them around under the skin. However, if a lipoma grows under a muscle sheet, it can feel quite firm and hard to push around.

Lipomas rarely need treatment, but may need to be removed if they are in a bad location or too large. For example, if one grows in the armpit, it can cause the leg to angle out, stressing joints and triggering lameness. Also, if it’s so big that it doesn’t allow the dog to lie down properly, removal is the best option for the dog.

If a lump is detected, and even though you think it is a lipoma, it should be tested. A malignancy called a mast cell tumour (MCT) can feel just like a lipoma and, if it isn’t removed in the early stages, can cause death.

To figure out the type of tumour you’re dealing with, your veterinarian simply inserts a needle, pulls out a few cells, smears them on a slide, and sends the slide to a pathologist. This specialist can determine if it’s a lipoma or another tumour, and what risk it is to the dog.

Lipomas can also occur inside the abdomen or chest, hidden from view. Because these are usually missed until they are quite large, they can sometimes cause problems by compressing an organ or interfering with the blood supply.

There is also a rare aggressive variant of the lipoma. An infiltrative lipoma is still considered benign, yet it grows into and through muscle, nerves and even into joints. To eliminate this tumour, amputation may be required if it is on a leg, or complicated surgery may be needed if it’s growing on the torso. Radiation therapy can also be useful.

If you find a lump under the skin, for ease of mind, have it tested. This tells you if you can relax or if action needs to be taken.

Four years ago I got a German Short-haired pointer I named Buck Run Josey Wales, the first dog that didn’t just happen to me, the first purebred, and the first puppy I picked with a purpose – ‘Josey,’ you and I are going to hunt birds.

I’d been hunting for 20 years with a bow and arrow. I’d gotten used to my “buck fever” in the form of the quivering legs and pounding heartbeat at full draw. I remember the first time I felt the connection, the robin in the yard and Josey’s puppy legs shaking in his first point, him turning his head slightly and carefully to meet my eyes.
This thing, he was saying, I don’t know what it is, but my teeth are chattering, just a little.

I’d trained dogs to jog with me, pull me on cross-country skis, wear backpacks and hike behind me. As I tried to train a dog bred to hunt birds, I felt as if I were a coach in charge of, say, a top NBA prospect, a gifted athlete with all the tools to be great, if someone could teach him the game. I lived in a row house and Josey and I made do with sometimes unorthodox training – for example, the hunt ‘dead’ game consisted of me putting him on “Whoa” downstairs as I hid the pheasant-scented dummy in one of three bedrooms upstairs, then sent him to find and retrieve it. “Whoa” and “Fetch it” were taught indoors with plush toys and outdoors with a tennis ball.

Josey’s progress – watching him apply the word concepts from the house and yard training sessions to the actual bird hunting – was nothing short of amazing. His understanding of other concepts also amazed me, such as gun means we’re going hunting and no bird, she missed it (again).

We trained and trained and I couldn’t wait until fall. This was my plan: I would archery hunt mornings and afternoons and bird hunt during the day. I would tow a camper to Ohio, South Dakota and Illinois, hunting birds and deer, travelling with Josey.

And then, just after Labour Day, my mom was diagnosed with a fatal illness. I stayed home, going with her and my stepdad John to the cancer doctor, to the blood transfusions, to the chemo treatments and finally to the emergency room, where she was admitted to the hospital. A week later she said she wanted to go home, and “sleep away” in her own bed.

During those weeks, I came home only to sleep. As I got ready to leave each morning, Josey would go to the kitchen and stand in his best point, paw up and head focused on the place the door would open, in a mute plea.

“No,” I’d tell him, “you stay.” I’d have to put his biscuit on the floor, because he would be too disappointed to take it. I broke his heart again and again, and each time I came home he greeted me with happy kangaroo jumps and fetches from his toy selections.

My mom died on November 1, 2007, in her own room, with John and I on either side of her, each holding a hand. Later that day, with plenty of family there with John, I slipped home to let Josey out.

I did, and then sat on the couch. Josey put a tennis ball in my lap, pushed it into my leg with his chin and looked from it to my eyes and back to the ball again, so there could be no mistake, throw it. “No,” I told him, crying, “I can’t,” and he insisted with another chin push, throw it.

There aren’t too many things that can’t be made better by the sight of a German Short-haired Pointer rocketing across fallen red and yellow leaves on green grass in enthusiastic pursuit of a tennis ball on a sunny fall afternoon. An IV needle surrounded by bruised skin on your mother’s arm – that is one thing; and immeasurable others, all the pain and sorrow and confusion and anger that come when a truly kind and good person is taken by a horrible disease.

But somehow just for this afternoon it is no more complicated than this – throw it. Throw it and I will run across the dead leaves. I will leap, as a thing of athletic beauty, for the high hops. Throw it as the light shifts, from afternoon to twilight, from fall to winter. Throw it even when we are both tired, so tired, throw it even though it is just one small thing you can stand to do. Throw it, he insists, again and again, like he knows, it’s a place to start.

Before approaching the boss with this idea, do a quick survey of your co-workers. According to an informal poll I took among dog owners, allergies are the number one reason there are not more dogs in the workplace.The second most common reason dogs aren’t allowed in the workplace is cultural differences among the workers. One person I spoke to said he had a co-worker who was afraid of dogs, but she was willing to try to work through it. He put a sign on his door when his Jack Russell Terrier ‘Dante’ was in the office, and she would text him before entering. Over time, she became Dante’s biggest fan. Allowing her to take her time, and making sure Dante minded his manners, were the keys to success.

Your dog must have some training and good canine manners. You might think your dog is the cutest thing walking on four legs, but not everyone feels the same way. You’re more likely to get work colleagues on your side if Sparky doesn’t create a disturbance. A dog that jumps up or continues to bark after being told to be quiet will not be welcomed. In fact, the best office dogs seem to be those with a few years under their belt. The company that supplies my printing has a wonderful Brittany Spaniel that meets everyone at the door; after an initial greeting, she goes back to her bed to act as an observer rather than a participant.

Work time can be quality time

A trainer friend put it well. She said that as her dog ‘Rosie’ gets older, it is even more important to be able to spend time with her. She takes her on the transit system, which also provides stimulation for the dog. (If you use public transit, be sure to check the times dogs are welcome – it’s different in each city.) If you’re faced with an escalator, take the stairs to avoid caught paws. If your dog is not used to public transit, take small trips first and keep your dog enthusiastic with lots of treats and praise en route.

The good news is that the pros of bringing your dog to work seem to far outweigh the cons – not only for you, but for your dog and the workplace.

Dogs seem to be able to form connections and stimulate conversation. Dogs that accompany their people to work in places that deal with special needs or counselling services, sometimes take it upon themselves to create their own jobs, and are soon considered a valuable asset to the office.

A corrections officer noted that when her dog accompanied her to work, the workplace seemed calmer. A dog in the office can change the tone of the environment and make it much warmer.

Bringing our dogs into work daily, or even occasionally, means that they get stimulation and exercise during work hours. Many dogs seem more tired from being in the office than after an hour at the park. (I’m not sure what that means about the workplace.) For some workaholics, having their dog to tend to and take out a few times a day ensures they take much-needed breaks.

For many dogs, going to work provides much-needed socialization. The day-to-day office sounds and sights are a great way to expand your dog’s social experience and help him learn there’s more to life than the kitchen and local park. We can also provide education about responsible dog ownership to co-workers who might be thinking of adding a dog to their own family.

For some enthusiastic dog owners, having their dog at work turned into extra opportunities for training. A friend who works at a horse barn takes her Rottweilers to work and spends her breaks doing mini training sessions with them. Although they have over 100 acres to romp in, their favorite spot is the muddiest part of the field. In fact, her licence plate is “muddrotts”!

It does sound ideal, and most of the time it is. In saying that, the dog professionals all agree that the occasional day home alone is a benefit. Taking your dog to the office or on every outing doesn’t him give enough practice at being alone. Your situation might work well at this time, but always prepare for things to change. If you change jobs, or the situation changes, your dog may become anxious at being left alone.

Having our dogs more involved in our day-to-day lives only enhances our experience. Time with our dogs can be short, so let’s take advantage of every minute.

Dog Stars, Vancouver
Paws in Print & Media, Toronto
Canine Costars of Canada, Aldergrove, British Columbia

Social networking is definitely the new buzzword for dog lovers. Pets are getting their own pages on Facebook, MySpace and Dogster. Their antics are being viewed around the world on YouTube and pet parents on Twitter are tweeting what their dog is doing and blogging on a daily basis.

From a dog lover’s standpoint, it’s about making new friends, gleaning interesting information about the latest grooming tools, calorie-conscious dog treats, aromatherapy shampoos, hotels that have comfortable dog beds and, of course, trendy places to hang with your dog. And if you need to know something, just ask and someone will answer within minutes. They could be anywhere – in your neighbourhood or on the other side of the world.

“The information highway used to be a one way street,” says Agatha Thaller, an account executive with a public relations company that handles FURminator, a range of pet shedding tools and accessories. She and her team spend hours every day on different social networking sites, reading about what people in the dog community are interested in. They also manage a variety of social networking sites for their client so that they are on hand to answer any dog-related questions and comments with good, solid information.

“These days people want to have a conversation about everything. It’s all about interacting and instant answers. And dog people who treat their dogs as family members make up a very passionate and involved community. And they really enjoy getting involved from their pet’s perspective.”

It’s difficult to keep track of the number of followers dogs have on Twitter because it literally changes on a daily basis. A Sheltie named ‘Dusty’ is the perfect example. At the last count he had nearly 3,000 followers. He’s a rescue, so his pet parent Jeffrey Smith gets Dusty “involved” in fundraisers and adoption drives called pawPawties with other dogs from around the world. He also has his own web site and page on and a new book out about his life in the agility ring called Dogged Pursuit.

Apart from raising money for pet charities, social networking sites are also a great place to get free samples of new products and discuss them.

They also give dog lovers the opportunity to start a group based on anything; dogs that love peanut butter, or dogs that love picnics. You can even use them as an outlet to form a social group in your own area and actually hold real doggie picnics in the local dog park. This way your dog gets real new friends, apart from his ever-growing list of cyber pals.

Social networking sites all offer easy, step-by-step instructions on how to sign up and create a profile. To post videos, it’s worth investing in a Flip video? camera that has a built-in USB connection and software that automatically helps you launch your videos onto sites such as YouTube, Facebook and much more.

Of course, to be truly active on dog networking sites, it helps to have a dog!

Links to get you started:
Facebook
Twitter
Petplanner.ca

The smallest by far of our three dogs, Gromit exerts a profound psychological hold over the other two. ‘Dixie’ (a loyal, fanatical, ball-chasing Border Collie cross) and ‘Milly’ (a devoted, happy, hopping pup) are Gromit’s resident dupes, mere pawns in her master plan to maximize attention, sympathy and treats.

While Gromit tends to focus more on personal comfort than, say, world domination, she’s not above a little sadistic sideline or two. She regularly denies Dixie a ball she desperately needs merely by delib-erately sitting near it and openly gloating. She repels with confusing, menacing growls Milly’s cheerful attempts to settle down with her. And she consistently dupes both of them out of their rare, precious rawhides. She’s perfected ‘charade barking’ to convince the other dogs that strangers are at the door, followed by a comprehensive sweep of dropped balls and chew toys as they rush off to defend us. If Gromit could chortle, those are the times you’d hear it.

Gromit’s an equal opportunity manipulator, conning dogs and humans alike. For example, having won the battle of sleeping in bed with me and my husband, she’s now clearly plotting to get rid of me. You can see it in her face. It’s a subtle campaign of wedging between us, grumbling at any movement, and taking my place instantly when I get up.

Having caught her several times under the covers with her head on my pillow, I’m not sure how it’ll work out.

We’ve seen through Gromit’s cover as adorable, head-tilting pup for years now, and have loved her unwaveringly nonetheless. I say that not only because she might be reading this, but because it’s true. You can’t live with a personality that big, and intelligence that sharp, without appreciating them. Being a cuddly, pretty little thing with big, long eyelashes doesn’t hurt her either.

Other people seem chained to the cute-equals-sweet equation. Cute little Gromit plotting and scheming? Using her powers for evil?

Please. But even professionals get careless. She slipped up one evening when we had family over for dinner. After a minor feeding scuffle (the dogs, not the people), Gromit appeared to be grievously wounded. Squealing piteously, trembling and limping, she was al-most certainly guaranteed sympathy, treats and possibly reprimand for the other dogs.

The glitch in Gromit’s plan was that three witnesses to the incident swear that the other dogs weren’t anywhere near her when she launched into her virtuoso performance. She’d fabricated the whole thing, whether in an improvisational or premeditated way, no one can say for sure. I felt sorry for her being busted so publicly. It had been uncharacteristically clumsy; usually she’s just so smooth.

Undaunted, she’s carried on lobbying for treats, toying with the other dogs, psychically willing walks and peering into our very souls. You have to marvel at her. Even when you’re sleeping on the floor.

But it’s the neighbourhood exposure that I’d really forgotten. When he was just a bumblepuppy – eight weeks of fluff with a bobbling tail and a pink laughing mouth – not one of all those we encountered on our neighbourhood walks failed to smile. Most cooed or oohed. How many syllables does the word “cute” have? A teenage girl swoops the word up and down the scale. Even sullen boys let a little smile escape when the little guy plops down, pink tongue hanging and nose wiffling the air.

Grown-ups surprise me. A car brakes and backs up: “How much for that puppy?” A van stops at the curb and a whole family tumbles out. “Can we pat him?” A distinguished-looking woman watering her flowerpots puts down her Hawes and scoops up the whole squirming bundle. “Aren’t you a wonder?” she murmurs. “Will you come this way tomorrow to see me?” she says into his floppy ears before she puts him down and turns away.

“Do you know what you’ve got yourself into?” asks a stout man in a varsity athletic sweatshirt. “Those dogs need a lot of attention.” I assure him that I’m a veteran owner and that my little guy is a sweetheart. When the little guy sits on command to cross the street – and the stout man applauds – we all feel good about ourselves.

A young man with grimy clothes and a ball cap has just got home from his landscaping job. We nod hello.

“I see you at this corner every day, and I was worried about the broken glass on the pavement,” he says. “I bought a broom yesterday and I swept it up.” No one in this rental townhouse has ever before visibly cared about the property. I am touched. The little guy sniffs the grimy pant cuff, and the young man smiles. “I didn’t want him to hurt his paw.”

It’s a bit like having a baby in a stroller. Unsolicited and contradictory advice is freely given, but somehow I don’t resent it the way I resented the busybodies who told me my infant was too warmly wrapped or too lightly clothed. The puppy seems to bring out the goodness in people rather than their righteousness.

As we make our neighbourhood rounds, we knit neighbourhood into community. Strangers become acquaintances, and acquaintances, friends. Our morning group formed 12 years ago – three women with dogs of much the same age. We have walked our circuit together most workday mornings for all those years: the same three women, though now with different dogs. Whole families have grown up on our street hearing, “Hurry up or you’ll be late for school! The dog ladies have gone by.”

And the dog ladies have a friendship that began with dogs and expanded to enfold every dimension of our lives: we have groused and rejoiced together about our dogs, our partners, our children and our co-workers; we have seen each other through successes and losses, celebrations and bereavements.

The bumblepuppy is a little lankier now, a little less immediately adorable. But his confidence that everyone will love him is unshaken, and his gift for coaxing smiles, undiminished. Puppies are unselfconscious Pollyannas: cynicism stands no chance in their vicinity.

I think I’ll take the little guy out again right now.

I saved him when he was 11 months old and needed a home. I changed his world for the better, and he did the same for me. I taught him how to trust a person, and in return he continues to give me everything he has to give. When he was five, we moved from southern Ontario to Texas and started our early morning runs together. We’ve run down every street in the neighbourhood, we’ve trained for marathons together, we’ve been skunked twice (his idea, not mine), we’ve chased rabbits, possums and even armadillos (mostly him, I’m just along for the ride), and then, early one morning, he saved me, too. A woman alone is a target, but a woman with a Doberman by her side is someone to avoid. I’m the person I am today because of him, we ended up saving each other.

I’ve never had a better running buddy; he’s never late, he never complains and he never backs out of a run. Sure, sometimes we have to stop for him to use the facilities, and sometimes I have to carry the bagged item to the next garbage can, but that’s a small thing compared to what I get in return. I hate running alone. I need Danny by my side because through him the run becomes more fascinating with every step. I watch him enjoy the simple things – his favourite pee stop (he never misses it), another animal, a turtle, a toad, just anything that peaks his interest, and every day the landscape changes because he is with me to point these things out.

I have learned so much running with Danny. He takes joy in every moment, he runs with an exuberance that I sometimes envy, and he’s always ready for the next mile. He’s taught me it’s important to stop and smell the flowers, it’s critical to put birds to flight even though you have no hope of catching one, and it’s necessary to bark out a greeting to others at this early hour. So many miles together and so many memories, and I don’t want to face life without this dog.

He’s months away from his 12th birthday, but he doesn’t know he’s old. He doesn’t question why his legs don’t work that well anymore, or why the run is now a walk. He still tackles life joyously and at top speed, but the graceful gait he once possessed has been replaced with an awkwardness that threatens to break me. The hours of running together are in the past, and today as we wander through our neighbourhood, I am once again overcome with the knowledge that one day soon I will lose my boy.

All my dogs have given my life pleasure; this dog has given me my life.

According to Click to Calm author Emma Parsons, who specializes in working with aggressive dogs and their owners, you will hear aggressive vocalizations such as growling, snarling or agitated barking. “This dog is usually lunging at the end of the leash, dragging his owner behind him while breathing quickly with dilated pupils. His body can also be tight and his movements jerky. His handler, afraid of the explosion, is also rigid and barely breathing,” she notes.

Avoiding such situations is optimum. Parsons suggests walking your dog at a time when there is less dog traffic. Staying away from areas where dogs are running off leash is also important if you suspect aggressive dogs will be there or if your pet is dog aggressive.

“Curve around an oncoming dog and handler instead of walking forward where dogs would encounter each other head-to-head,” she advises. “It’s wise to speak up and tell those around you that while their dog might be friendly, yours is not!”

Yes, you want to have a peaceful walk but what can you do to cushion your dog against attacks? You can train certain behaviours that will be invaluable on a walk.

Parsons advises teaching your dog to stay behind you as you deal with the difficult situation. She adds that some people carry an animal-deterrent spray, while other owners carry gadgets in case they need to shield their dog from another dog. The gadgets Parsons indicates include air horns and umbrellas that open quickly. “Sensitize your dog to these objects before using them,” Parsons reminds owners.

Many people enjoy dog parks, but preparation is essential. I suggest that owners go to the dog park, without their dog, at various times of day to see who’s there and how the dogs and owners interact. Do the owners make sure their dog isn’t causing problems? Is there a dog-park bully? If you have a small dog, is he likely to be in-jured by roughhousing larger dogs? Find a time when the park is quiet and responsible owners are present.

Taking toys to the park might not be a good idea because they can precipitate a fight. Children should not be inside the dog-park enclosure because the park is for dogs, not children. Kids can be loud, move quickly and swoop down on dogs – any or all of which can startle a dog. Children need constant supervision with dogs.

Beyond dog parks, you will also have to be aware of your surroundings in recreational areas, cities and on suburban streets. No matter how carefully you plan, un-expected things can happen, but preparation will give you the advantage you need and want.

Time outdoors with your dog should be pleasant and safe for all concerned. A little consideration, thought and planning will go a long way toward giving you and your dog a wonderful experience and some happy summer adventures.

I picked up ‘Maggie’ four weeks after losing Katie. At five years old, Maggie was retiring from breeding to come live with me. Her resemblance to Katie was startling enough to make my heart lurch with longing – the same curly, tan coat with grizzled saddle, the same button ears. Closer inspection revealed differences, but I was not in a state of mind to notice. She was my Katie returned to me.

I should have paid attention. Katie’s tail had tapered to a point, sedate and stately as it pointed heavenward, as a Lakeland’s tail should. Maggie’s, though properly upright, was thickly furred. It resembled the solid digit of a trucker giving a middle-finger salute, splendidly insolent, an outward manifestation of the personality within.

Then there were the hindquarters. Katie’s had been square-cut, trim and virginal. Not Maggie’s. She had a plump, rounded behind that she waggled provocatively as she walked. No inexperienced maiden, she seemed to broadcast, she had been around and was not to be trifled with.

Strangely enough, Maggie is Miss Congeniality with people. As they coo over her and ruffle her curls, she stands, looking quite pleased with herself, her bushy tail doing a metronome tick-tock. But always, there is that glint in her eyes and a sense that inside is a wild thing waiting to be released.

This creature surfaces as Maggie plays with her toys. Her teddy bear, almost as big as she, is clenched pitilessly in her jaws and shaken until Maggie is content that its neck is broken. Her other toys fare no better. Picking up body parts is one of my household chores.

Nor am I spared. Maggie shares my bed, but not curled contentedly at my side as Katie had. Maggie takes up position braced against my feet, facing out against any danger she imagines might approach in the night. Any movement of my feet brings grumbles of admonishment from her. If I just will not keep still, she leaps from the bed with a growl and spends the night in an easy chair.

But it is at the park that Maggie reveals her true nature. Katie never met a dog she didn’t like; Maggie never meets a dog she doesn’t like to dominate. Dogs, expecting Katie’s friendly nose-to-nose greeting, are sent reeling in shock as Maggie sets upon them, her jaws close to their hindquarters, chasing them until they concede her top-dog status. Larger dogs, Labs and Dobermans five times her size, do not faze her.

Maggie hurls her 17-pound body at their faces, voice at full throttle. Fortunately, to date they have been too startled to respond. Maggie doesn’t seem to care that she could be mutilated, cost me hundreds of dollars in vet bills, even bring on a lawsuit. On walks I carry insurance in the form of a sturdy leash, which I snap on her harness at the sight of a large dog.

Maggie has been with me a year now. A lesson has been learned. Mother Nature does not do clones. Katie was not to be duplicated, just cherished in memory. And Maggie, the independent, combative little rascal, is mine to provide for, to protect, and to love. And I do.

Dry food can be made by baking or pelleting, but nearly all of it is actually manufactured by extrusion.

In the extrusion process, all ingredients are first ground to a uniform consistency so that mixing can take place effectively. For all nutrients to exist in the proper proportions in every bite of food, thorough mixing is essential.

Once mixing is finished, the batch of dry ingredients goes to the extruder, where it is mixed with wet ingredients and possibly water or steam. A screw mechanism pushes the dough through the machinery, as a high-temperature process quickly cooks the mixture.

This high-temperature cooking engenders some of the oft-heard criticism of dry food – the temperatures destroy some nutrients. As much as a quarter of the Vitamin E present may be lost, and Vitamin A is affected nearly as badly. Thiamine is also vulnerable to the heat.

Manufacturers counter the criticism by pointing out that they compensate for the nutrient losses by including proportionally more of the heat-sensitive ingredients. And the heat does destroy harmful microorganisms and helps prevent rancidity.

At the end of the extruder, the dough is forced through a die. Think of it as a large-scale cookie press. This is where the food takes the triangular, circular or other shapes you see in the finished bag. As the mix comes out of the extruder and hits room temperature and regular air pressure, it expands and becomes porous. At the very end, a knife cuts the extruded shapes to the desired thickness.

The kibble then rides a conveyor belt to be heated and dried, an exacting process because the inner portion must dry most of the way before the surface dries completely, or moisture can be sealed inside, causing the kibble to crumble or grow mouldy. Before the food is packaged, fats and flavourings are usually sprayed on to enhance flavour. That necessitates a great barrier on the inner side of the packaging.

Baking is largely reserved for treats, but you can find a dry food or two made this way. For baked products, the ingredients are ground separately, then mixed together. Liquids are then added to form a dough. The dough can be cut into shapes and then baked, or baked in a single flat sheet, then broken into random bits. The dough mixture is denser, with no air whipped into it, and can be baked at lower temperatures. Some feel this allows for better preservation of nutrients and thus a more healthful product.

Canned foods are cooked in a two-stage process. First the ingredients are blended and steam-cooked, with temperatures lower than in the extrusion process. Then the mix is sealed into cans and pressure-cooked to kill any possible microorganisms. Some nutrient losses, particularly thiamine, occur.

Canned foods are more than half water, ranging as high as 85 per cent in some cases. They are generally higher in fat than dry foods, making them highly palatable and a good choice for ill, anorectic dogs. Loaf-type products contain more carbohydrates to bind them together, and gravy varieties rely on gums or starches as thickeners.

The marketing of dog food is rather loosely regulated. Canada’s Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act requires that the packaging state that the product is dog food, declare its net weight in metric units, and include the manufacturer’s or importer’s contact information. That’s certainly not a lot to ask.

The Guide for the Labelling and Advertising of Pet Foods is a voluntary guide, which recommends that the packaging also provide the ingredients listed in descending order by weight, feeding instructions, and a guaranteed analysis showing the minimum and maximum percentages of protein, fat, fibre and moisture. Member companies of the Pet Food Association of Canada all comply with the guidelines.

Ingredients must be listed and identified by their common name. This is quite different from U.S. products (which can be imported into Canada provided they have an official export certificate), where the Association of American Feed Control Officials produces many pages of their guide to define dog food ingredients such as hemicellulose extract, wheat red dog, or fish digest residue.

But of course dog food producers go well beyond these guidelines in their promotion and advertising to try to entice dog owners into choosing their products. They promote their protein ingredients, such as lamb, as more “healthful.” But there is nothing inherently better about lamb as opposed to beef or poultry or bison or any other protein source. It was simply introduced as a protein source for dogs suffering from allergies, as most hadn’t consumed lamb at the time. With the huge popularity of lamb-and-rice diets, it has lost that distinction.

“Bad ingredients” such as soy or corn or preservatives are advertised as absent from products. A food might be designated as “natural” or “all natural,” though these terms have no official definitions in Canada or the U.S. The term “organic” does come with some requirements, as previously discussed in this column (last month, and July 2007).

Some foods are advertised as lower in cost. But though the bag may cost less than similar-sized competitors, that may not represent a savings. Lower-priced foods may require larger amounts to be fed to supply the dog’s nutritional needs. So food prices should be compared on the basis of cost per week or month – that is, how much of product A times its cost, versus how much of product B times its cost, must actually be fed to the dog.

As with most products, most advertising appeals to the emotions. So dogs are shown happily wolfing down some brand of food, or enjoying an active life in their older years after consuming some particular brand for years, or winning dog shows because of their gleaming coats and high health. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a testament to how much we love our canine companions.

It’ll be a Saturday morning, nothing out of the ordinary, and I’ll think – let me repeat, just think that it’s a nice day to take the dogs to the off-leash park, their closest place to heaven. Making no announcements or sudden movements, I’ll casually wander upstairs past sleeping dogs to dress in old jeans and a sweatshirt.

Moments later as I come down the stairs, all three dogs are waiting for me, eyes intent, vibrating with excitement. And the celebratory anticipation begins. The youngest begins her distinctive “going to the off-leash!” barking/baying party song. The middle one drops her habitual ball to sidle up excitedly, conspiratorially. Her eyes are eloquent: “Is it true? Really true? Yes? Are we going?” The eldest and littlest dances wildly.

She’s the one I suspect of winking and nudging the others into a keen awareness of this huge event.

What signals could I possibly be sending out? It’s clear that, even in spite of experimental efforts to thwart their mind reading, I am positively screaming “off-leash!!!” I’ve worn different clothes, coats and shoes. We’ve gone in every season, on weekdays and weekends, morning, afternoon and evening. Nothing predictable.

But they know. They know before I’m even dressed, before any words (let alone the W one) are even spoken. No, the moment they know we’re going is when I think it.

To a dog, it’s probably painfully, embarrassingly obvious, an accumulation of extremely clumsy human cues. I imagine them explaining it all very casually, over their shoulder while they’re eating, perhaps: “Well, you looked outside, and just kind of got that off-leash look on your face, and then you shut the newspaper in that crisp, off-leashy way you have, and then you walked upstairs in that elaborately casual off-leashish way. Obviously we were going…”

I had no idea we are being monitored so closely.

Monitored, or directed? That’s what I wonder about now. The more I think about it, I’m starting to doubt that the off-leash park has ever really been my idea in the first place. Could it possibly be that, without me knowing about it, my mind periodically capitulates to their concentrated canine willpower?

Well, no matter who thought of it first, it’s a nice Saturday morning at the off-leash park. As the dogs canter on ahead searching out friends, I feel furtively in my pocket, hoping that I’ve remembered their treats.

Three heads swing around expectantly.

They’re at it again.

When I was taught about the human glandular system, I was given the acronym PTA for pituitary-thyroid-adrenal. But to be more correct, that acronym should have come with a stutter, P-PTA. Then it would have added parathyroid, which sits, logically enough, next to the thyroid. The para-thyroid produces parathyroid hormone, or PTH, which works to regulate calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood.

As with most minerals, calcium and phosphorus interact with one another and also with vitamin D (calcitriol). The small intestine requires vitamin D in order to absorb calcium, so insufficient vitamin D can result in low calcium levels. Either a deficiency of calcium or an excess of phosphorus causes the parathyroid to produce more PTH. The PTH triggers removal of calcium from the bones to try to get bloodstream levels back to normal.

The optimal ratio of calcium to phosphorus for dogs is given as a range from 1.2 to one, to 1.4 to one.

To answer the question posed in this column’s title, meat is largely deficient in calcium. Organ meats are particularly bad, as they are not just low in calcium but also high in phosphorus. So all-meat diets are actually disastrous for dogs.

So, if meat isn’t the answer, what is? Good sources of calcium include dairy products such as cottage cheese, ground eggshells, ground oyster shells, and bones. Note that the dog has to actually ingest the bone, not just gnaw on it, so ground bone is more likely to meet requirements.

Dogs can manufacture vitamin D if they have suffi-cient exposure to sunlight, the same as humans. But note that dogs with kidney disease often show altered vitamin D metabolism – they have a decreased synthe-sis of the active form of vitamin D, and can suffer from impaired intestinal calcium absorption. Both can ren-der them more susceptible to increased levels of PTH production and hence to removal of calcium from bone. (This is known as primary hyperparathyroidism.) Higher calcium and lower phosphorus diets may be necessary for dogs with kidney disease.

High levels of phosphorus are found in meats, especially organ meats such as heart, liver and kidney, and in many grains.

If you are feeding a home-cooked or home-uncooked diet, or a commercial diet not certified by a governmental or non-governmental regulatory body (such as the Pet Food Association of Canada or AAFCO in the United States), you should take care that the calcium and phosphorus ratio is within the recommended range and that sufficient vitamin D is provided. Recipes that are provided by veterinary nutritionists should present no problems as long as they are followed relig-iously. You can’t just leave out a specified mineral sup-plement because you forgot to pick it up at the health food store.

Uncertified commercial products could be unbalanced and harmful, and may remain on the market for a substantial time even after they are brought to the attention of government agencies. Investigation and prosecution can take months to years and unless some form of emergency cease and desist order can be im-plemented, the product can remain on the market all that time.

Symptoms vary based on the age of the animal. In puppies, the detrimental changes in bone density can create abnormal growth. Puppies might be reluctant to move or stand splay-legged. The long bones in the legs may fracture just from normal movement and play.

Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism has gained the nickname “rubber jaw syndrome” because of the symptoms exhibited by adult dogs. The jaws seem to be particularly susceptible to calcium loss, with the result that calcium is resorbed, exposing the roots of the teeth and leading to tooth loss. Swelling occurs in both the upper and lower jaw, and they have a soft, rubbery feel. The jaws also become susceptible to fractures under the stress of normal bite pressure.

Both a CBC (complete blood profile) and urinalysis can be used to examine calcium levels. X-rays of the leg bones, spine or jaws can reveal bone loss. In severe cases, the bones will appear as vague ghosts on the radiographs, having lost most of the density that causes them to appear on film. Tomo-densitometric examination (in which a computer algorithm is applied to X-rays to reconstruct an image) may be recommended.

Puppies suffering from nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism should be kept quiet, to try to avoid spontaneous bone fractures. In general, treatment consists of placing the dog on a balanced diet. Over a period of several months, bones should increase in density and approach or achieve normal structure. Any skeletal deformities incurred during growth, and tooth loss in the adult, will be permanent.

Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism was a much more prevalent problem in the 1960s, when “all-meat” canned dog foods were popular. Pet-food manufacturers have since learned that all-meat is an inadequate diet for dogs (and yes, for cats as well), and commercial foods following recommended guidelines do not cause such problems. But it appears that perhaps consumers have not yet learned this lesson.

Some of the more popular non-commercial diets were initiated and popularized by people who are not veterinary nutritionists. Some claim that there is no need to follow a specific diet as things will balance out over the long term. Maybe, but maybe not. And do you want to risk the health of your dog in this way? Commercial dog food, raw diets and home-cooked diets can all be healthful if they are well formulated. But nu-trition is a convoluted and tricky topic, and not one to be taken lightly.

Since then, I’ve learned a lot about canine blindness, including how the condition can affect dogs and the people who love them.

The following are some practical guidelines for helping your dog cope with blindness.

In Jazz’s case, a dilated pupil was an obvious clue. But often, the signs of blindness are more behavioural in nature. “Your dog might be reluctant to go out at night, when vision will be most compromised,” Whelan explains. “He might seem hesitant to go up and down stairs, bump into things or have trouble catching a ball.” With an acute onset of blindness, dogs can start bumping into things rather suddenly, so the symptoms are more obvious.

If you suspect a problem with your dog’s vision, contact your veterinarian immediately. He can perform some basic tests and refer you to a specialist.

It’s important not to wait. For many dogs, blindness is irreversible. But there are cases where vision or partial vision can be restored. In those cases, time is of the essence. “Err on the side of caution,” Whelan advises, “and get your dog in for a checkup right away.”

It’s not easy to hear the news – something Caroline Levin knows firsthand. Levin was an RN with a decade of ophthalmology experience when she saw an ad for a job at a veterinary ophthalmology clinic. Eager for a change, she jumped at the opportunity and worked there for years. Her experiences led her to write a comprehensive book, Living With Blind Dogs.

“I noticed that almost every time someone’s dog was diagnosed with blindness the owner left in tears,” says Levin. “Feelings of grief and loss are common – and perfectly nor-mal reactions.”

Whelan’s experience is similar. Some people even talk of euthanizing their dogs because they can’t envision their dog coping, Whelan says. “What I say to people is, look, your dog couldn’t read, write or drive a car, anyway. He’s already got four other senses that are better than yours. As long as you take good care of him, he’ll be okay.”

“The across-the-board answer is that there is no across-the-board answer,” says Levin. All dogs are unique and each dog’s response to this change in lifestyle will be determined by a number of factors.

Onset and overall health. Generally speaking, a dog that loses its vision gradually will have an easier time adjusting. Young, healthy dogs have an advantage on the one hand, but pose challenges in some ways – young, energetic dogs might be more apt to run into things, for example.

Training. The transition might be easier for a dog with basic training. He’ll know how to focus on you and listen to you.

Personality and pack position. Levin points out that, in multi-dog households, a factor in the adjustment period is how his pack mates react. “There can be challenges for dominant position in the pack,” she notes. “It all depends on the mix in your household. Sometimes a dog’s pack mates help him adjust.”

Your dedication. Your dedication and involvement in this process can be a make-or-break aspect of your dog’s transition.

Canine behaviour expert Jean Donaldson notes, “Most blind dogs will cope very well; in fact, they cope better than most people do. There is none of the ‘this shouldn’t have happened to me’ stuff that people experience. Dogs tend to just accept it and move on.”

If your dog is blind or becoming blind, his world is changing. It’s up to you to identify ways to make his life easier. You can help by making some day-to-day adjustments.

First things first: keep your house in order. “Regardless of whether it’s an acute onset or a gradual deterioration, get in the habit of putting everything in its place and don’t move furniture around,” Donaldson advises. “Animals are pretty good at spatial mapping – memorizing what is where. Get in the habit of doing things like pushing chairs into the dining room table.”

Next up: training. Training is a good idea for your dog, at any age. It may not be physically demanding for him to learn certain things, but it will be mentally stimulating. And when your dog becomes blind, training can become a safety issue. Teaching your dog to stop on command can help him avoid unforeseen obstacles, for example. Donaldson suggests the way to teach Stop is to watch your dog closely and if he’s about to bump into something, put the warning cue right before he makes contact, using a command like “careful.” Levin advocates regular, everyday training. “Every moment can be a training opportunity for you to show your dog how to do a different task. In the few minutes it takes for the rice to boil, you can teach him something.”

With blind dogs, a positive approach is critical. “There is no room for punishment when you’re dealing with a blind dog,” says Levin. “That’s only going to result in setbacks as far as the dog’s confidence.”

Donaldson goes one step further. “There is no place for negative training any time, anywhere. There is simply no call for it because you can get everything you want or need from your dog without it. We’re supposed to be a dog’s best friend – well, I’m not much of a best friend if I educate you by scaring you.”

Which brings us to the subject of patience.

“In general with dogs,” laments Donaldson, “people can be catastrophically impatient – people want things now, now, now. Your blind dog is just trying to get through his day.” His pace may slow down with a loss of vision, but Donaldson doesn’t see that as a negative. “Dogs get us moving at biological time, which is a good thing,” she says. “ It’s good to slow down and get outside of yourself for a bit. This is an opportunity for you to nurture your dog.”

Blind dogs need reassurance. Your dog won’t be able to see you but he can hear you – and the sound of your voice should be reassuring.

Levin suggests using a regular phrase, like “You’re okay,” specifically for calming your dog down if he seems agitated or uncertain. You might also be able to take his mind off any an-xiety by distracting him with a toy or something to chew on.

Blind dogs may become less active. It’s important to monitor your dog’s weight and adjust his food if necessary in response to weight gain. It’s also critical for you to continue providing him with physical and mental stimulation.

“If your dog’s exercise options become limited,” says Donaldson, “there is a possibility for him to become under-stimulated.”

Some of your regular activities may need to be reconsidered and this can be quite a loss for both you and your dog. My heart aches for days when I could head deep into a local forest preserve and let my dogs run off-leash. But where Jazz could once navigate obstacles with amazing agility, she’d now be at a greater risk for an injury.

“Focus not on what they can’t do,” advises Donaldson, “but on what they still can do. They can still learn tricks, play hide-and-seek, go for walks, etc. Identify activities that are safe and fun for your dog.”

Many owners of blind dogs would be the first to say they find their dogs inspiring. “Their ability to bounce back, adapt and carry on is remarkable,” says Levin.

I would agree with that. I’m proud of little Jazz. She has changed. Once fiercely independent, she does need more reassurance these days. But she’s still fit and active and feisty. Her world may be getting darker, but I don’t think most people would ever know it. She trots confidently along on our walks and manoeuvres around the house and yard perfectly well.

There is so much to admire about dogs, not the least of which is their ability to bounce back from adversity, adapt and carry on. For us, the onset of a pet’s blindness might seem like a heartbreaking diagnosis, but for the dogs we love it’s just another challenge to overcome. And they do.

‘Manous’ is a Pomeranian/Papillon cross that is the hunting and trapping partner of Jeffrey Boucher in northern Quebec. She fulfills many roles, including flushing and retrieving birds, accompanying her owner on the trapline in winter, and tracking game. In September 2009, Manous and Jeffrey set out on their annual moose hunting trip. As Jeffrey was slashing brush to set up his camp, he noticed that Manous seemed more excited than usual. She typically gets excited when a hunting adventure starts, often trembling in her eagerness, but this was exceptional. When he turned to check on her, she was nose to nose with a red fox, not more than four metres away. Fearing for his dog’s life, Jeffrey reached for a gun. The fox, though, seemed more interested in Manous as a companion than as a meal.

Still unconvinced of the fox’s intentions, but not wanting to kill it, he threw rocks and sticks at the animal. Still, the fox – a male – did not retreat. Throughout the rest of the day, the fox remained around the camp. He played with Manous, but also entertained himself. For over two hours he played with an aerosol can that contained a moose lure, tossing it in the air and catching it. Sensing that he meant no harm to Manous, Jeffrey threw dog treats to the pair. When the fox attempted to take Manous’ treats, she reacted with raised hackles, growling and barking. The fox retreated.

The fox has reappeared on subsequent visits to the camp and has spent time with Jeffrey and Manous. It appears to enjoy the dog’s company and, at the same time, to be entertained by the presence of both Manous and Jeffrey.

How can we explain this most curious encounter? This is a wild fox and, more important, a northern, rural wild fox, not an urban wild fox that might be found in a park in Toronto or Montreal. We cannot assume that it is familiar with people and their dogs. Jeffrey is knowledgeable about the wildlife of northern Quebec and believes, based on its size and behaviour, that the fox was whelped in the spring of 2008. It is, then, relatively young, and might be looking for companionship.

As Disneyesque as it might be to imagine a happy ending to this wonderful story, Jeffrey thinks there could be a more sinister conclusion if he weren’t there – that given the opportunity, the fox could and would kill his dog. Unlike wolves and coyotes that occasionally breed with dogs, foxes cannot. With winter approaching, what appears to be a warm and fuzzy encounter in the bush might be more than it seems.

Most educated dog trainers of this decade are using treats and rewards to indicate correct behaviour. Behaviourists also use food to help change dogs’ minds, rather than using force to push them into submission. When we know better, we do better.

A treat needs to be something that your dog will work for. It can be his daily kibble or a special tidbit. A wide assortment of food and treats is now available for dogs on a special diet or with allergy restrictions.

Treats can be used to teach a skill, then weaned off once the dog is proficient. There are many articles about random reinforcement and proper timing. It’s nice to know that the when of treat training is becoming common knowledge to dog trainers and the informed public.

We use food to train our dogs and modify their behaviour because it is clear and concise information. Dogs will work for the food initially and continue to comply if the treats are weaned off properly. And, it’s a lot of fun for dog lovers to use treats, praise and toys to motivate and teach their canine buddies.

That brings us to the last W.

Where will the dog receive his reward and where will the treat come from? When teaching a dog to lie down, we often use a reward to lure the dog into position. As the pup is lying down, we reward him as soon as we can’t see light under his belly. Most people will do this correctly, but it’s easy to see where it falls apart.

Once the dog understands “down,” we graduate to the down-stay. You ask our dog to lie down, leave him to stay and all is well. But, it’s not uncommon for the dog to get up as the owner returns. Many people, delighted that their dog was at least partially in position and not romping around the room, treat the dog. Now the dog thinks he’s being rewarded for sitting up when his owner comes back.

Clarity is one of the most important concepts in teaching. When you return to your dog, bend and reward him while he’s in the down position before he pops up into a sit.

This principle can be applied to all basic dog-training words, but the dog’s position is only the tip of the ice-berg. The position of the treat also needs consideration.

Holding a treat in your left hand when teaching your dog to walk beside you on a leash will improve his ability to understand what you’re asking him to do. Although it might feel awkward having your hands full with your leash, clicker and treats, it’s just a matter of practice. By using a treat in your left hand, you can indicate that your dog is correct by using a clicker or “Yes” and treating him every few steps. You can then start to ask for more steps from your dog, while still having his focus. Once that is mastered, you can periodically use food in the left hand, then none at all.

If your dog has become used to treats arriving from your left, he is more inclined to stay on the left. Of course, there are reasons to reward from your right hand. In competitive obedience, the judge is looking for a dog that heels on the left side, shoulder in line with the handler’s left leg. For dogs that tend to lag, using treats in the right hand to motivate the dog to keep pace is a good training option.

The position of the treats can also be used to the handler’s advantage when teaching a skill like jumping. Once you have taught your dog how to jump, it’s important to help him understand where he should land. You can use the position of the treat or reward to keep your dog centred. Place a reward slightly further away from the jump than the estimated landing zone. Practise sending your dog over the jump to get his reward in the correct place, and he will continue to jump straight out.

Your positioning with the reward can be utilized in many areas. If you are running with your dog rather than sending him to jump, you’ll want to have him run centred. During training, you’ll need to meet him with the reward in his landing zone. If you reward him outside the landing zone, he’ll soon cut the corner off the jump to meet up with you faster.

When you’re teaching your dog to go over a jump and return to you, you would not meet him in his landing zone. Send him over the jump, and encourage him to come around it and back to you. His treat will come when he is in position.
We can benefit from considering where the treat is from the dog’s perspective, and where the dog is when rewarded. Just some food for thought.

A typical lick granuloma (LG) is on the front surface of a foreleg, often around the carpus, but they can occur on any leg and anywhere on the body. It is demarcated by an area of thickened skin denuded of hair. The thickening can be appreciated by a pinch test – pinch a skin fold in an unaffected area, then do the same where the LG is. It’s often four times the normal thickness.

An LG exists because of the licking. The tongue rubbing on the skin surface stimulates nerve endings, triggering a greater itch sensation. The dog keeps licking to alleviate it, but that creates more irritation and continuation of the cycle.

The saliva on the skin promotes the growth of bacteria, which penetrate into the hair follicles. The infection causes hair to fall out. The multiplying bacteria also produce toxins that generate an intense inflammatory reaction.

It takes persistence and a lot of work to get a lick granuloma under control and keep it away. Just putting a bad-tasting substance such as bitter apple on the lesion is not going to solve the problem.

The first treatment needed is an antibiotic because all LGs are infected. This kills the bacteria in the skin that perpetuate the licking. Some bacteria are resistant to common antibiotics, so skin cultures may be needed. Medication is often needed for a month or more.

The challenge to veterinarians is finding out what caused the LG in the first place, and why the irritation continues. In some, the licking can be traced to boredom or stress. Other times, it is a wound or foreign body (e.g., splinter) that starts the cycle of licking.

Determining the root cause of the lick granuloma provides the best chance of resolving it. Blood work and urine tests can reveal an underlying disease – thyroid deficiencies or Cushing’s disease can be a trigger for LGs.

Mites are sometimes a complication, specifically demodectic mites. Every dog is thought to harbour these mites. They reproduce in compromised skin, such as the inflamed skin of an LG. An easy-to-perform skin scraping can reveal their presence.

Because boredom can be a contributing factor, some dogs benefit from having more exercise. Others require a more varied environment to keep them busy.

Dermatologists tell us that a high number of dogs with lick granulomas suffer from atopic allergies – reactions to allergens in the air. Whether the allergens are inhaled and create a skin reaction or trigger a response by being on the skin surface is still unknown. Atopy causes intense irritation that triggers licking and biting, mainly on the feet. The ears and face can also be affected.

There are two ways to diagnose atopy. One is by a dermatologist doing allergy testing – injecting allergens on the flank – to see if the dog is reacting to specific substances. Because of the cost of testing, most veterinarians do a trial treatment. This may consist of prednisone, cyclosporine or antihistamines to blunt the allergic response. Reduction of the itch by this treatment implies an allergy is at the root of the problem.

The presence of atopy can be the reason for reappearance of an LG. Atopy medications can be used as preventive therapy so the vicious cycle of licking doesn’t start.

A new product that helps with LGs (and also hot spots) is a specifically designed liquid called Calm Gel. Applied in a spray, it forms a healing dressing that protects the lesion. The product is also an anti-inflammatory that contains antioxidants to promote healing.

The key with a lick granuloma is to be aggressive and don’t stop therapy too early. It can be expensive with ongoing medication, but persistence provides the best chance of success.

Unless you’re one of those brave souls who will strap on cross-country skies to glide through the neighborhood, the safest place to be is indoors.

How can you keep your dog exercised indoors? There are activities that will keep your dog from being bored and teach him to use his mind as well as his body.

Dogs have wonderful olfactory systems. The nose that can sniff out so many things can be put to good use in a game of Find Your Dinner. If you feed kibble, you can hide some in various places and allow your dog to discover each piece, or a few pieces together as a jackpot. That will keep his mind and body moving.

Lore I. Haug, D.V.M., who owns Texas Veterinary Behavior Services is a proponent of environmental enrichment. Dr. Haug favours food-dispensing toys that move, such as Kibble Nibble, Buster Cube, etc. We’re fortunate that today there are some wonderful puzzle toys for dogs. These will keep your dog busy taking pieces out and putting them back into place. I know of one little Chihuahua who was very good at removing the toy birds from the birdhouse but rather than replace them, she insisted upon putting each one into her water dish as if it were a birdbath.

Playing with your dog with a clicker will also produce some interesting and fun results. Interactive activities help you strengthen the human-animal bond. You can play Karen Pryor’s game of 101 Things to Do with a Box, where you click for each thing the dog does with a cardboard box, whether playing with it, getting into it, etc.

Dr. Haug suggests round robin recalls in the house as another good activity that incorporates the entire family. “Multiple family members can call the dog back and forth through the house. This gives the dog some interesting exercise and also helps to refine the dog’s Recall skills.”
You can teach your dog various moves – such things as backing up, spinning on cue, weaving or praying (front paws together).

Then there are the practical things that will keep your dog busy and moving. Have your dog help you with the laundry, picking up towels and taking them to the hamper. Teach him to pick up your keys and bring them to you. If you live in an apartment, you can teach him to ring for the elevator.

A little dog can get a lot of exercise playing fetch in an apartment or condo. Tiny dogs don’t need a lot of space in which to exercise, but dogs of all sizes need to keep their mind and body active. The little ones also benefit from games that challenge them mentally as well as physically.

Larger dogs, too, can benefit from a fetch game. “For dogs that like to chase or fetch, I often recommend owners toss pieces of food down a long hallway or up or down a staircase,” adds Dr. Haug. “This can also be combined with training by asking the dog for a behaviour and then, rather than handing the treat to the dog, the owner throws the food reward so the dog can chase it.”

Think about setting up a small, informal agility course, especially for your little or medium-sized dog. You can use chairs, tables, etc. Your dog can go under the chairs and tables, weave through chairs set up in a row. You are hampered only by your imagination.

Your can play Hide and Seek with your dog indoors. One person hides and you send the dog to “Go find…” adding the person’s name. Most dogs will relish this sort of game. Since the dog’s nose and hearing are so acute it may not be a huge challenge, but it will be fun.

Be sure that all games involve thinking, not brute strength, wrestling or mindless play that can only teach your dog to be unruly. The point is to be creative and work with your dog to learn new things – fun things that you and your dog will enjoy doing and showing off to friends and family.

I suspect we have a world full of very bored dogs that aren’t making full use of their minds as well as their bodies. Use the inclement weather to ensure that your dog isn’t one of those.

Exactly what kind of information do dogs receive from their pee-mail? And why does my dog sometimes eat yellow snow? Veterinary experts offer advice to help us go with the flow.

“That’s not really a proper description,” says Andrew Luescher, Associate Professor of Animal Behaviour at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, “because domestic house dogs don’t have an exclusive territory – there are lots of dogs in their home range. They mark because of brain priming. Males in utero produce a testosterone spike shortly before birth, which has an organizational effect on the brain. It disables the mechanism for female fertility cycles and programs certain male behaviours, such as the motivation to roam, leg lift, perform sexually and be aggressive to other males. Dogs then don’t develop any more testosterone until puberty, at the age of six to 10 months. Leg lifting is one behaviour that usually kicks in around puberty.”

“It has been argued,” wrote noted zoologist Desmond Morris in Dog-watching, “that males are fascinated by other dogs’ smells and never shy away from their scent-marks in fear and trembling. But the fact that these marks are not directly threatening does not mean that they fail to label the area as ‘occupied.’ A special modification of this idea is that the real basis of scent-marking is one of time-sharing. If, in the wild state, groups of dogs are to live near one another with the minimum of conflict, it helps to know when and how often neighbouring groups pass by.”

“Females, almost all of them older bitches,” says Luescher, “will ‘squat-raise,’ literally squat and pee while raising one leg. This is a form of marking – and it’s usually near where a male has marked.”

“A dog’s sense of smell is 100,000 times more accurate – depending on the chemical – than a human’s,” says Benjamin Hart, Professor Emeritus of the University of California’s School of Veterinary Medicine. “We can only guess what they’re getting from urine, but we assume certain things, such as what species, male or female, familiar or unfamiliar, how fresh or recent.”

“We suspect,” Andrew Luescher adds, “they get information on individuals – their confidence or stress levels, their reproductive status, and so on. Plus it’s their version of vision. Humans sight faces and dogs smell scents to answer questions like do I know this guy? Do I like him?”

“Humans have a large brain and a relatively thin skull,” says Hart, “so surface electrodes work with them. A dog’s huge temporal muscles, thick skull and small brain make it much more difficult. Plus, the pyriform lobe [the cerebral centre that governs the sense of smell in lower animals and complex emotional behaviour in humans] in a dog’s brain is tucked into the ventral area and is much harder to access. Theoretically you could do it with an MRI, but since the subject has to remain quite still you’d have to drug the dog, which would defeat the purpose.”

“Yeah.”

Hart again: “They are carnivores and get their food rather quickly, so they have a lot of time to lie around, walk around and smell stuff. If it’s identified as their territory and there’s fresh urine [on upright markers], the first thing they want to do is cover it with their own. If their mark is getting old, they want to freshen it up.

“The frequency of peeing may have to do with whether it’s settled territory or new. A home range in nature might overlap, so there’s competition, a kind of back-and-forth contest.”

“Wild horses do the same thing with faeces,” Luescher says, in an aside. “Feral stallions will poo in one particular place in non-territorial areas, such as at a waterhole. A new stallion will smell that dung pile and poop on the other one’s poop.”

“My suspicion,” says Luescher, “is that they keep it at nose level, because big dogs who could mark really high up often don’t. Small dogs really raise their leg – they kind of want to get up to the same height, I guess.”

“Dogs can pee when they’re stressed,” Luescher says, “which is why they may do it on meeting a new dog.”

“We don’t know what’s going on in the dog’s mind,” concedes Hart. “It could be ‘It’s my territory, but you’re welcome to be here.’ A lot depends on individual breeds and their genetic differences from the Asian wolf. Wolf-like dogs – the Shiba Inu, Alaskan Malamute, Chow – are the most closely related to the wolf, genome-wise, and are much more aggressive compared to dogs bred over time for herding and retrieving, like Shetland [Sheepdog]s, Collies, Labs, Goldens and your own Poodle.”

“The vomeronasal organ is in the roof of their mouth,” says Luescher. “It features chemo receptors that can detect certain chemicals, including pheromones. That’s probably the info they get from eating yellow snow or licking pee. They chomp their jaw and move their tongue in and out to get the substance into their vomeronasal organ.”

The goal with oral care differs between dogs and people. Dentists for humans try to keep the teeth in our mouths as long as possible. In dogs, we want the mouth free of pain and infection. Extracting a dog’s tooth is an acceptable procedure and can often dramatically improve oral and overall health.

Canine oral care should begin in puppyhood. The idea is to recognize tooth issues early, before they have a chance to cause disease.

A persistent deciduous (baby) tooth is the most common dental problem in puppies. If an adult tooth has erupted through the gum, the deciduous tooth should already be out. If it isn’t, it needs to be removed without delay so the adult tooth will end up in a desirable position.

An example is a retained lower canine tooth. If the deciduous tooth is still present when the adult emerges, the adult tooth may be located too far toward the midline where it makes a hole in the palate. The best time to look for persistent teeth in dogs is at five months of age.
Malocclusion means that the teeth are not in the standard position. It needs attention if it is causing discomfort or preventing the jaw from moving properly.

Small-breed dogs, especially brachycephalic breeds, can suffer from dental crowding with their teeth growing sideways or overlapping. Selective extractions of less-important teeth allow the remaining teeth to spread out, creating a functional mouth.

Teeth are sometimes missing in dogs, most commonly in the lower jaw. In most cases, nothing needs to be done. However, un-erupted teeth (ones that haven’t penetrated the gum tissue) can be a problem. A hidden tooth is prone to developing a dentigerous cyst that can destroy the bone around it, ending in fracture of the jawbone.

Pups that have missing teeth at six to eight months of age should have a dental radiograph. Any un-erupted tooth found should be extracted to prevent the formation of a cyst.

Deformed teeth are another issue. It may be a tooth with poorly formed enamel. This occurs if a puppy suffers from an infection during the tooth-forming process. These teeth are prone to cavities and rapid tartar buildup.

Other teeth may have roots or crowns fused together, creating a situation where an abscess is likely. Some deformed teeth require extraction.

Thankfully, most dogs start out with healthy teeth. Unfortunately, they collect plaque, which then mineralizes to form tartar. This acts as a source for bacteria and can lead to gum infections, but more importantly, secondary infections in the liver and kidneys, and on the heart valves. When veterinarians do blood tests on dogs with “dirty” mouths, they can often spot elevations in enzymes that suggest liver damage.

With the pathology that veterinarians see in dogs’ mouths, it’s obvious that preventive care is lacking. The solution is home care – removing plaque daily. The best way to accomplish this is daily brushing. As well, various diets, treats and chew toys can help the process. But, the thing to remember is that home care does not eliminate established disease in the mouth. It is essential to start with a clean, healthy mouth. Care must start in a puppy, or in an adult after the mouth has been professionally cleaned.

Hopefully, you can consider teeth care in your 2010 New Year’s resolutions. Begin by having your dog’s mouth evaluated by your veterinarian. Then, start your preventive program. This will maximize oral health and keep the body healthy, but more importantly, prevent your dog from suffering mouth pain.

Kathy Kendall describes Holly as the queen bee of her pack, and “mother to everyone and everything.” At the age of 13, Holly is still willing to venture out and have fun.

Holly had major back surgery three years ago after slipping on some ice. Having taken advantage of hydrotherapy, and no doubt some pampering from Kathy, Holly is able to go for hour-long runs and has no problem keeping up with the young ones of her pack. “The more I keep her moving,” Kathy says, “the better she is.”

Holly is a very active senior dog. Until this year, she competed and earned titles in disc dog and she still competes in agility and flyball. Holly also recently discovered a new love – dock diving – proving that old dogs really can learn new tricks.

Susie Bell describes Keeper as a true lady – very stylish, quite a looker and, yes… a bit of a diva. After Keeper underwent TPLO surgery, she started hydrotherapy to help keep her in shape. Susie notes a distinctive youthful bounce in Keeper after her treatments. Apparently Keeper’s favourite activity is something Susie calls “break dancing” – rolling on her back and looking for big rubs and cuddles – but there is another side to this senior dog: she’s a tough competitor!

Even after her TPLO surgery, she went on to earn her Master Obedience Trial Champion title, and Rally Excellent in two countries. She also earned her AKC Utility Dog title at the age of 10. She still enjoys running in the Veteran classes in obedience – winning High in Trial at last year’s Viviane Champagne Veterans’ Celebration at the St. Catharines and District KOC trials, as well as both the Veteran classes at the Labrador Owners Club specialty. Take a look at all her titles – Keeper’s registered name is Bda. & Can. Ch. & MOTCh. Pinebank’s Dat Girl’s A Keeper WCX, JH, Can. & Am. RE, Am. UD, CGC, Bda. CD.

Owner Tracey Wilkinson thinks her dog’s nickname, ‘Hooch the Mooch,’ suits him perfectly. “He loves his food and everyone else’s, too.”

Hooch has been through quite a bit in the past few years with cruciate and MLO surgeries. He continues to amaze Tracey with the improvement of his mobility since starting his underwater treadmill physiotherapy. Susie credits much of his recovery to his happy-go-lucky attitude.

Tracey has been taking Hooch for weekly therapy treatments for almost a year. She notes that his activity level is up and he clearly acts younger. The low-impact exercise is safe for him, and he obviously enjoys it.

While his physical activities have slowed down, Hooch still enjoys walks, romps around the backyard, playing fetch, rolling in the grass and lying in the sun. In the fall, he loves to chase ‘frogs.’ “They’re really only leaves that blow in the wind,” says Tracey, “but he thinks they’re frogs.”

His favourite activity, though, is eating, although Tracey notes that a close second would be his happy dance – “lying upside down, legs in the air, rolling in the grass” – and living up to his status as a true character.

A rescue from a puppy mill, Gerry’s age is estimated at around 11 years. Owner Briggitte Dimrock brings Gerry to the clinic for conservative treatment for cruciate issues. He benefits from both the underwater treadmill and laser and heat therapy.

For the first 10 or so years of his life, Gerry lived in a cage at a puppy mill and knew only hardship at the hands of humans. Now, he’s the apple of Brigitte’s eye, a dog she describes as “a precious gift – truly a gentle old soul.”

Gerry’s favourite outdoor activity is going for off-leash walks around the farm and he’s often in the lead. Brigitte notes, “One day he gave chase to a flock of turkeys. Another day he found a skunk and was quite proud of himself! But we were not so happy about that.” They tried Gerry at an earthdog test last summer, but he wasn’t too interested.

An interesting side note – Gerry was the subject of a story published in Dogs in Canada. To read it, click here.

Stone Barrington, more commonly known as ‘Wienerman,’ spent the first six years of his life in a puppy mill, before Leslie Woodcock rescued him. In spite of the hardships of his early years, Leslie refers to him as “the happiest guy – the Walmart greeter dog.” He is the king of meet-and-greets at Woodcock’s veterinary clinic, and walks like he owns the joint – which, in a sense, he does.

Wienerman loves to ride in the car – or better yet in the golf cart at horse shows, with his sister ‘Blueberry’ by his side.

The hydrotherapy treatment wasn’t a huge success with Wienerman, who probably would have been the first to point out that while the retrievers love the water, pint-sized Dachshunds… not so much. But give us an opportunity to put a Dachsie in a lifejacket and bring out the camera and we’ll do just that.

Dogs are living longer lives these days, but while old age is prolonged, dogs need not suffer because of it. Leslie Woodcock, D.V.M., a veterinarian in Aberfoyle, Ont., says that 70 per cent of her business is therapeutic treatments, affording a sense of well-being to geriatric canines. “The chief problem is osteoarthritis,” she says. “It’s similar to people: use it or lose it. Older dogs tend to walk less, are less fit, and get stiff. It’s important to get and keep older dogs moving.”

Kim Smith, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Technician at Petworks in Dartmouth, N.S., concurs. “People think they shouldn’t push an older dog to be active, but one day of doing nothing results in three days to get the level of activity back. It’s not just about muscles and joints; movement is good for cardio-vascular health, too.”

Offering a range of services that soothe the elderly canine, Dr. Woodcock includes cranio-sacral therapy and chiropractic treatments. She states that combatting obesity is one area in which dog owners can make a difference. “Diet needs to be modified; many older dogs are overweight, and much of this is attributable to over-doing treats,” she explains. “Veggies are the best treat! Green beans are fabulous and low-calorie.”

One treatment offered by both Woodcock and Smith is underwater treadmills. Because the dogs are buoyed by water, they can enjoy the warm water and low-impact exercise. This treatment is especially effective for heavier dogs with joint issues. The treadmill provides wet heat (Smith keeps the water at about 88°F) for the dog, rendering it more mobile.

Do dogs really take to the water? “Few dogs dislike water,” Smith says. “It’s like a hot tub; they can float and relax, be content. If they are a little nervous about the water the first time, I take it gradually. Most of them really look forward to their time in the warm, relaxing water.”

The water treadmill is especially good for dogs that enjoy swimming. They are secured into a lifejacket, and float for a while, as a relaxation technique. Once they are comfortable, they’re encouraged to dog paddle; because of the density of the water, their steps are like prancing – excellent exercise in a controlled, safe environment.

Another boon to stiff and sore dogs is joint yoga, something Dr. Woodcock uses by applying pressure to specific points on the dog’s body. An ice pack applied to inflamed, painful joints – hips, knees, elbows and shoulders – helps, too, and works to prevent micro-trauma to those areas when a dog exercises. She suggests owners get their dogs to stretch before exercise, just as they might do before playing a round of tennis or going for a jog.

In cases of acute pain, where it hurts to move, and a joint might be fused, Woodcock has seen success with acupuncture to manage pain. She reminds dog owners that keeping their dogs’ nails trimmed helps with good posture and therefore with mobility – a small aspect of care with potentially big benefits.

There is a psychological uptick to ensuring older dogs stay mobile, and Woodcock says this is achieved through bonding. “It benefits owner and pet,” she says.

“Get out and get physical – dog and owner working out together. It gives the dog a great feeling – ‘I am special, I am with my person’ – and becomes a shared event dogs look forward to on a regular basis.”

Petworks handles canine rehabilitation by working to ensure that a dog with reduced function can return to relatively normal capacity, and claims that age does not affect the outcome of physical therapy. While most of Smith’s patients are there for rehabilitation, and initially attend by veterinary referral only, she sees a substantial number of geriatric canines for on-going maintenance, “A doggie spa day,” she laughs.

Among the therapies Smith offers are massage and acupressure. “They don’t wriggle as much as you’d think,” she says. “Most of them lie on their sides and fall asleep; one snores right through it!” Massage therapy for older dogs helps with pain management when the brain reacts to the new stimulus, thereby raising serotonin levels.

Dr. Woodcock and Kim Smith offer a Zen-like state to older dogs that not only need it, but deserve the comfort in their respectable old age.

Learn more about the dogs in these photos

Collisions with birds are a major hazard to aircraft during takeoff and landing, with the potential to shatter windshields, damage fuselage and cause catastrophic engine failure. Aircraft that sustain serious damage must dump their fuel before returning to the airport for an emergency landing, disrupting air traffic, polluting the environment and delaying passengers for hours. In 1960, an Eastern Airlines flight out of Boston crashed after flying through a flock of starlings. It was the worst bird strike accident in aviation history, resulting in the loss of 62 lives.

Toronto Pearson International Airport has one of the most sophisticated wildlife control programs worldwide. And one of their newest tools is Tucker the dog, faithful sidekick of wild-life control officer Rob Shevalier.

Tucker and Shevalier have their work cut out for them. Pearson has zero tolerance for bird activity within an eight-kilometre radius of the airfield – a 4,500-acre area that encompasses surrounding fields and farms.

Patrolling the airport grounds in Shevalier’s truck, Tucker keeps a sharp eye out for any bird activity. When bird presence is suspected, Shevalier lets Tucker out and the dog runs through marshes and across fields, harassing the birds until they take off. He’s also trained to locate nests, and will keep aggressive birds like Canada Geese at a safe distance while Shevalier deals with the eggs.

Shevalier isn’t Tucker’s only partner, though. Several times a day, the dog works with a two-year-old falcon named Flash. Flying at speeds of up to 250 kilometres an hour, falcons prey upon small birds in flight – so their mere presence makes other birds dive for cover. Tucker’s job is to flush the birds into the air so Flash can chase them out of the airfield.

Shevalier, who was looking for a family dog that he could hunt with, originally purchased Tucker as a pet. The young dog excelled at basic obedience, and had an easygoing personality that meant he was welcome to join Shevalier at work when no one would be home with him during the day. On one such occasion, Tucker surprised Shevalier by retrieving a downed gull without any prompting. “A lot of it is his instinct,” Shevalier explains. “I just got lucky with a great dog.”

That instinct, combined with dedicated training from Shevalier, turned Tucker into a valuable member of the Falcon Environmental team, harassing nuisance birds, seeking out nests, and retrieving wounded or dead birds off runways before they become a hazard to aircraft.

In addition to their individual training, Tucker and Flash had to learn to work together as a team. “Falcons will flee from dogs if not accustomed to them,” Shevalier explains, and Tucker had to learn that Flash was not a bird to be retrieved or harassed. “Somehow, they understand each other,” Shevalier says. Tucker also had to get used to the noises, aircraft and people who work around the airport.

As for the difference between his falcon and his dog, Shevalier says that falcons must be hungry if they’re expected to return to the lure.

“There’s no loyalty like you have with the dog. There’s no love. It’s just about the food,” he explains.

After hours of gleefully chasing birds at the airport, Tucker goes home with Shevalier at the end of the day. “He loves going for walks and swimming in the Grand River,” Shevalier says. And though he occasionally goes duck hunting with Shevalier, when he’s off duty Tucker’s heart really belongs to Shevalier’s girlfriend and daughter.

The day before, he had been taken from a puppy mill. He had been the stud dog. He had lived his approximately 10 years in a cage in a barn. He had never seen daylight or walked on grass.

The day after I picked him up, I took Gerry to the vet. In the 45 min-utes we were there he peed three times. I was embarrassed. I thought he was ‘slow.’ He had so many medical problems. His skin was crawling with fleas and lice. His teeth were black. His left eye had a corneal ulceration and was badly infected, oozing with pus. The vet said that he might lose the eye. It took about six weeks to stabilize his medical conditions. I didn’t think anyone would want to adopt him. I thought we were stuck with him – and I was not happy about that.

After a few days of quarantine in the shed, we brought Gerry into the house and introduced him to ‘Pearl.’ She ran around him, nipping at his ears, trying to get him to play. He just stood there. Then, when she calmed down, he tried to mount her. She quickly put him in his place.

We took them for walks around the farm. He would walk behind us, never running, never sniffing anything, just plodding along with his tail between his legs – completely indifferent to the world, like a Stepford dog.

About three weeks after his arrival, Pearl, Gerry and I were out in the yard practising Recalls when Gerry ran for the first time. This break-through was the first of many. Gradually, his tail came up and he began to take more interest in everything around him. He learned to play with Pearl. Pearl doesn’t play with toys, but we have plenty around and Gerry began to play with them. Gerry was an adult when we got him, yet he still went through all the phases of puppy development. Now on our walks he is usually romping ahead of us.

Last summer Gerry developed a taste for cherry tomatoes growing in the garden. First thing in the morning, he would head to the garden for the tomato plant. Last fall we all took a two-week trip to Nova Scotia. When we got home, Gerry got out of the car and headed straight to the cherry tomatoes.

My wife and I never discussed keeping Gerry, we just did. And, we are so glad we did. He has been such a delight. He continues to learn, to discover new things and always has a happy disposition. I guess af-ter living in a puppy mill, everything else in life is good. It is amazing to see how this dog, who for so many years had known only hardship from humans and been denied love for so much of his life, now has so much love to give.

Across Canada, specially trained detector dogs help police officers find hidden guns, drugs and missing persons. At our borders, they detect narcotics, firearms and agricultural products, and single out individuals carrying large amounts of cash. They also keep air travellers safe by screening aircraft, terminals and baggage for explosives, and keeping the airfield free of potentially hazardous bird activity. And throughout our vast wilderness, they help locate lost adventurers and catch poachers.

Despite technological advances, detector dogs are widely regarded as the most efficient, cost-effective and reliable detection tool available to law enforcement officers. Relatively inexpensive and easy to train, they make quick work of locating evidence that officers might not otherwise find. Sgt. Shawn Campbell, Canine Training Coordinator with the Ontario Provincial Police, sums it up with an anecdote about his first canine partner, ‘Ki.’ “Officers had searched the vehicle of a suspected drug trafficker but were unable to find anything, so Ki was brought in. It took him 15 seconds to indicate on the back seat, and the drugs were found hidden in the seat cushion. That’s the value of the dog.”

The dog’s sense of smell is so sensitive that it can detect blood on laundered clothing, and can find a shell casing buried in a snow-covered field in a matter of minutes. They also have the ability to discriminate among countless scents. “Humans smell a concept, dogs smell in layers,” explains Doug Coghlin, a handler with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s explosives detector dog program. “A human thinks ‘nice stew,’ but a dog smells meat, potatoes and carrots.”

With their amazing capacity to locate and discriminate scent, a well-trained detector dog can do the work of several officers in a fraction of the time. But finding the right dog for the job is the key to success. Sources include breeders, rescue groups, and other working-dog organizations – many detector dogs were once potential guide dogs that had too much energy, or potential police dogs that lacked the necessary aggression.

“I look for a dog that wants to play fetch,” explains Brian Morrison, head of the Canine Services Unit for Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources. “If it wanders off, picks up a stick or comes back without the ball, I won’t test it further.” Campbell looks for similar qualities when assessing dogs. “Candidates must have good ball-drive, high energy, and a willingness to search,” he explains.

Training a successful detector dog takes several weeks of intensive work. For example, OPP explosives detector dogs spend one month bonding with their handlers, then undergo a 10-week training program that includes obedience and agility as well as detection training. Likewise, OPP cadaver dogs undergo six weeks of initial training, then return later for an additional six weeks to learn how to detect remains that are under water.

Whether training dogs to find narcotics, explosives or agricultural products, the principle remains the same – find the scent, get the reward. “To the dog, it’s a game, it’s fun and they love it,” explains Coghlin. The dogs are also taught how to indicate: passive alert dogs (used for explosives and some narcotics detector programs) sit to indicate that they have found something; active alert dogs, on the other hand, scratch and dig at the source.

Once the dog understands the pattern of “search, locate, indicate and reward,” trainers begin to introduce additional target odours. Research conducted at the Canine Detection and Research Institute (CDRI) at Alabama’s Auburn University studied how many different scents a dog could be trained to detect (Johnston, 1999). After training 10 different substances, they found that there was no systematic reduction in performance as more target odours were learned. In fact, the dogs actually learned better once they had mastered the first few odours.

Another study showed that dogs learn to identify a substance using only a few compounds (Johnston, 1997). The term “bomb dog” is actually a misnomer – the dog is not trained to find a bomb, but rather the explosive component of a bomb. “If I’m training a pie detector dog,” explains Coghlin, “I don’t train it to find apples, blueberries and cherries. I train it to find crust, because it is common to all pies.”

A needle in a haystack

Detector dogs must also be adept at disregarding environmental odours like vehicle exhaust and food, as well as odours intentionally introduced by criminals in an attempt to mask the target scent. To help prepare them for such distractions, specific distraction odours are introduced during training. A study at the CDRI examined the dog’s ability to discriminate between target odours and non-target odours (Waggoner et al., 1998) and found that they were able to detect the target odour even when the non-target odour was so concentrated that it was overwhelming to humans.

Although research has shown that trained dogs could go for up to four months between training sessions without any deterioration in their detection abilities (Johnston, 2000), OPP teams nonetheless return to Gravenhurst for a week of refresher training every six weeks – ensuring that both dogs and handlers stay sharp, and that their testimony will stand up in court.

After all is said and done, detector dogs remain the most widely used, accurate and efficient means for uncovering illegal substances. “Detector dogs get narcotics off the streets and eliminate areas in bomb sweeps,” explains Campbell. “They keep commerce moving, keep schools open, protect witnesses and keep officers safe.” And they do it all for a quick game of fetch and a few words of praise from their handler.

Depending on the nature of the job, the dog may be able to work until seven to 10 years of age. However, health problems such as seizures or allergies sometimes force them into retirement much earlier.

Like every dog, a guide or service dog becomes a member of the family, and occasionally a handler may wish to keep their retired partner as a pet. Unfortunately, things don’t always go smoothly if a new working dog will be stepping in to take over. That’s why, in most cases, retired dogs go on to live with members of the handler’s extended family or circle of friends. If that’s not possible, then the dog returns to the organization where it was trained, and is typically offered first to the foster family that raised it.

All guide and service dog schools operate adoption programs to place dogs that, for one reason or another, aren’t able to work. The vast majority are pups that have health problems or whose temperaments aren’t suited to the job; but occasionally, a retired working or breeding dog finds itself in need of a home.

Interested families are asked to complete an application form and, if accepted, are placed on a waiting list. The ideal family has someone home during the day – since working dogs are accustomed to being with their handlers 24/7 – and has the ability to pay for potentially extensive veterinary care. Be advised that waiting lists are often long and there is an adoption fee, with the money going to support the organization’s continued work.

If you’re interested in learning more about adopting a retired guide or service dog, start by contacting one of the following organizations for information:

Natalie Ann Comeau is a freelance writer with a special interest in working ca­nines. She lives in Oakville, Ont., with her family and two unemployed dogs. Email her at nacomeau@cogeco.ca.

(This article is a web exclusive for dogsincanada.com. To learn more about our print edition click here)

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/adopting-a-service-dog/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/saints http://www.dogsincanada.com/saints#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:11:37 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=873 Carol Hine jumps onto her king-size bed, followed by a pack of senior pooches. “When I first moved here I had a double bed, but we soon outgrew that,” she says, laughing. “These guys don’t have a clue they are old; they think they are still vibrant and young.” Almost every resident at the Senior Animals In Need Today Society (SAINTS) sanctuary shares the credo: I may be old but I’m not dead.

When 51-year-old Hine started SAINTS, she expected that elderly dogs would be well behaved, all sleeping nicely in their beds. Wrong. “They rip up the garbage, they steal cat food from the counter, they open the fridge and steal human food (just last week they found the pizza). But I get home to happy dogs.”

Meeting the dogs

Hine takes a few dozen of her charges and me for a walk on her three-acre property in Mission, B.C. Surprisingly, they all keep up the pace, although a few are obviously on their last legs.

“This is ‘Dusty,’ she came from the local pound. Her owners couldn’t deal with her medical issues,” says Hine. “And old ‘Cleo’ never left the farm so her world is scary. And here is ‘Lucky,’ blind from a breeding fault; the owners surrendered her when they divorced.”

And the introductions continue: ‘Daphne’ is at the end stage of renal disease; ‘Casper’ needs insulin and the owners couldn’t administer his meds because he bit them. Fourteen-year-old ‘Lucas’ was rescued by the SPCA under cruelty seizure and little ‘Doris’ was horribly matted and blind when she arrived at SAINTS. Now she has some vision back.

“We call ‘Susie’ the land shark, Hine adds. “She also had biting issues and we appreciate that she is evil, but she doesn’t have to prove it so now she is nice.” All the dogs appear to be best buddies; no one seems aggressive. But Hine adds that many dogs at SAINTS have biting histories; she will accept them as long as they do not bite humans or hurt another dog.

The list goes on

‘Max’ needs meds three times a day for arthritis. Amazingly, Hine has a full-time day job: she is a home health nurse and works with seniors in palliative and post-operative care. She is well qualified to look after the old-timers at SAINTS. Hine says she gives out more than 300 doses of pain meds a month and her vet bills this year are about $60,000. Flea season alone costs $600 a month, donations aside. Fortunately, she isn’t charged for veterinarian office visits.

The sanctuary is like a maze: it comprises seven closed-off rooms with three cat runs outside and four yards for the dog. Several bunnies, a llama, horse and cow also call SAINTS their home. “I bought the property in 2004 and have been renovating ever since,” she says. “At first I had 12 dogs, 18 cats, a horse, three sheep, two rabbits, four chickens and some ducks.”

A safe place

Today Hine has 100 animals on the site, admitted by priority – animals from the SPCA or animal controls are seldom refused; if not, most of them will be euthanized because they are deemed un-adoptable due to age-related illness or disabilities. She will also shelter dogs with behaviour issues, such as dementia, or dogs with single biting histories – such as Susie the land shark. Next in line are calls from vets: usually a senior citizen can no longer care for their pet.

At the end of our walk we arrived at the Memorial Garden. I could hear it before I saw it: 150 wind chimes were tinkling in the breeze. “Sometimes our guys get adopted and can go to permanent foster care,” says Hine, “but when they stop having fun and the vet says it’s time, they are euthanized here; they don’t have to be afraid.”

Photos: Jane Mundy

(This article is a web exclusive for dogsincanada.com. To learn more about our print edition click here)

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/saints/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/dogs-on-duty-blitzen-the-hearing-ear-dog http://www.dogsincanada.com/dogs-on-duty-blitzen-the-hearing-ear-dog#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:50:20 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=908 Name: ‘Blitzen’
Breed: Retriever cross
Age: Six years
Job title: Hearing Ear Dog
Place of work: Halifax
Trained by: Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides
Handler: Robert Tupper

Job description

Robert Tupper was only three years old when he began to lose his hearing; by the time he reached adulthood, he was completely deaf. Unable to hear the doorbell, a smoke detector, or a friend calling his name, Tupper didn’t feel safe in his own home. But thanks to his Hearing Ear Dog Blitzen, Tupper has been able to maintain his independence, confidence and security.

Blitzen wakes Tupper up when his alarm goes off in the morning. She alerts him to the kitchen timer, calls his attention to the doorbell, and lets him know when someone is calling his name – or when someone is walking up behind him. She tells him when the telephone is ringing, and even lets him know when it’s off the hook. And when the smoke detector sounds, she dashes about, telling Tupper that it’s time to get out right away.

When working outside the home, Blitzen wears an orange harness that identifies her as a Hearing Ear Dog, ensuring that she gains access to public places – a right guaranteed by law for all service dogs. She loves to work and travel, Tupper says, adding that she has an extensive sign language vocabulary and has learned 23 signs so far.

Selection and training

Tupper selected Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides in Oakville, Ont., because he felt they were best able to meet his needs. The school has three programs – Hearing Ear Dogs of Canada, Special Skills Dogs of Canada, and Canine Vision Canada – that provide trained service dogs free of charge to Canadians with disabilities.

“We look for dogs that enjoy working, are a little bit inquisitive, and not too difficult to handle,” says Rhonda Workman, head trainer of the Hearing Ear and Special Skills programs. Because the dogs alert by making physical contact with their handler, smaller breeds are preferred. Most of the dogs come from the Foundation’s own breeding program while others, like Blitzen, are donated. She and her littermates – Rudolph, Dasher and Donner – got their “reindeer names” because they were flown in from Germany the night before Christmas.

Raised by a volunteer foster family who socialized her, and taught her good manners and basic obedience, Blitzen returned to the training centre when she was a year old. After passing rigorous medical and aptitude tests, she underwent six months of intensive training – learning to respond to specific sounds by pawing at her trainer to get her attention, then leading her to the source of the sound. “Blitzen was very smart and always tried,” recalls Workman.

Many variables are considered when matching clients and dogs – the dog’s activity level and size, the client’s lifestyle, and whether there are any family members with allergies. Clients stay at the training centre for two weeks, bonding with their dogs and learning how to care for them. Specially equipped rooms allow trainers to observe the new handlers practising with their dogs in a simulated home environment.

On graduation night, Tupper was chosen to speak on behalf of his class. He also had a chance to meet the family who raised his dog, and the Lions club that sponsored them. “I was excited and could not wait to get home,” he explains.

Off-duty activities

Hearing Ear Dogs are on duty round the clock, alerting to the sounds they’re trained for, whenever and wherever they may occur. When it’s time for fun, Blitzen enjoys going for walks, swimming, and riding on the Sea-Doo with Tupper.

Natalie Ann Comeau is a freelance writer with a special interest in working ca?nines. She lives in Oakville, Ont., with her family and two unemployed dogs. E-mail her at nacomeau@cogeco.ca.

Photo: Walt Norris

(Originally appeared in our September 2008 issue. Click here to subscribe)

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/dogs-on-duty-blitzen-the-hearing-ear-dog/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/dogs-on-duty-bandit-the-police-detector-dog http://www.dogsincanada.com/dogs-on-duty-bandit-the-police-detector-dog#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:37:10 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=909 Name: ‘Bandit’
Breed: English Springer Spaniel
Age: 12 years
Job title: Police Detector Dog
Employer: Toronto Police Service
Place of work: Toronto
Handler: Sgt. Paul Caissie

Job description

Since 1989, Toronto Police Service has used specially trained dogs to assist officers with locating lost or wanted persons, apprehending criminals, and sniffing out guns and drugs. There are currently 28 dogs in the unit – most are German Shepherd Dogs, trained as General Service Police Dogs, whose main responsibilities are tracking and criminal apprehension. The rest of the team is made up of Detector Dogs – Labrador Retrievers, a couple of Springer Spaniels and a Golden Retriever – trained to sniff out drugs, guns, explosives and cadavers.

Sgt. Paul Caissie is one of the few handlers who works with two dogs, and although both are with him at all times, they have very different roles. ‘Iron,’ a German Shepherd, is a General Service Dog. Bandit, a Detector Dog trained to locate drugs and guns, has no aggression training. “He’s cuddly, loveable and weighs 35 pounds,” explains Caissie. Canine units are not assigned to a specific division – they respond to calls across the city as needed. When not on a call, Caissie concentrates on catching speeders and pulling over reckless drivers. And if he suspects criminal activity, he’ll put Bandit to work searching the vehicle for drugs or guns.

Selection and training

Caissie first learned about the use of English Springer Spaniels for detection work while at a conference in Quebec in 1995, where handlers from the U.K. told of their success with the breed at London’s Heathrow Airport. Their compact size makes them ideal for searching confined spaces, and their boundless energy means they’ll keep searching long after most dogs have called it quits. Handlers and their dogs train together for four months at the Toronto Police Service canine facility. With verbal praise and the promise of a Kong or tennis ball, Caissie taught Bandit to detect several types of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, hashish, marijuana, CHAT, ecstasy, MDMA and crack cocaine. Bandit also learned to locate guns and ammunition – he can even determine the exact location of a shooting based only on the gunpowder residue.

Career highlights

The first spaniel to serve as a police dog in Ontario, Bandit has been credited with the seizure of more than $2 million worth of contraband and cash, as well as more than 50 handguns. “Not bad for a dog that cost $600 plus the price of kibble,” his handler says with a grin.

Bandit’s biggest find was in 2003, when he helped investigators locate a suspected grow-op in a 23-storey apartment building in downtown Toronto. Rather than have officers go door to door, Bandit was dispatched to do a walk-through. He hit on three doors, and search warrants were obtained. Inside, police discovered a highly sophisticated grow-op with elaborate masking devices. They seized 280 plants worth $1,000 each, and $45,000 worth of electrical equipment.

Information from the searches led to warrants for three additional apartments in the same building, netting a grand total of $650,000 worth of drugs and equipment. “They never would have found it without Bandit,” says Caissie. For his part in the bust, Bandit was recognized with an award from the United States Police Canine Association.

Off-duty activities

Like all Toronto Police Service Dogs, Bandit goes home with his handler at the end of his shift. He sleeps in an outdoor kennel, and loves to play with Caissie’s two children.When asked about plans to retire the 12-year-old dog, Caissie says he’s tried but Bandit just won’t have it. “He loves to work, and doesn’t know when to take a break.”

Natalie Ann Comeau is a freelance writer with a special interest in working canines. She lives in Oakville, Ont., with her family and two unemployed dogs. Email her at nacomeau@hotmail.com.

Photo by Natalie Ann Comeau

(Originally appeared in our December 2007 issue. Click here to subscribe.)

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/dogs-on-duty-bandit-the-police-detector-dog/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/high-tech-gear-helps-search-and-rescue-dogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/high-tech-gear-helps-search-and-rescue-dogs#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:30:06 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=915 Because collapsed buildings are inherently unstable, rescuers risk becoming victims themselves if they rush in. But it can take days for crews to stabilize the structure and make it safe enough for rescuers to enter, so it’s critical that they know exactly where victims are located to have any hope of reaching them in time.

The best tool for locating victims in disaster situations is an urban search and rescue (USAR) dog, and four of them are on the front line of the Ontario Provincial Police Emergency Response Team, a specialized unit created in the wake of 9/11 to respond to terrorist threats. “Without the dogs, it could take days or even weeks to peel away the debris in the search for survivors,” says Staff Sgt. Wayde Jacklin, head of the OPP canine unit. “Dogs use human scent to pinpoint the location of victims, allowing searchers to focus rescue efforts and resources.”

A brilliant idea

Normally a search dog will stay with the victim, barking until its handler arrives. But if rescuers don’t have clearance to enter the structure, the best they can do is direct their efforts toward the area where they heard the dog bark. Once the dog returns to its handler on the outside, rescuers have no way of knowing exactly where the victim is located.

Information about the victim’s condition, and what obstacles they will encounter during the rescue, could take them days to ascertain. That is, until a computer science professor from Toronto’s Ryerson University came up with an idea that was as improbable as it was brilliant.

Alex Ferworn, director of research for Ryerson’s Network-Centric Applied Research Team, was familiar with robots designed to search disaster scenes and transmit information wirelessly to rescuers on the outside. “But robots never manage to penetrate the rubble pile, while dogs can go in and find victims in minutes,” he reasoned. What if there was a way to combine the abilities of the dog with the technology of robots?

Teaming up

Ferworn contacted agencies across Canada with his idea, but although there was interest, no one could commit to the years of research and development. Then OPP Const. Kevin Barnum replied to Ferworn’s e-mail: “Tell me what you need and I’ll be there with my dog.”

In October 2005, Barnum and his black Labrador Retriever ‘Dare’ (which stands for Disaster Assistance for Rescue and Evacuation) made their first visit to Ferworn’s lab. Sensing that the professor needed a better understanding of how USAR dogs work, Barnum invited him to play the part of victim during a day of search training at a demolished building. “I came away with an excellent sense of what their needs were,” Ferworn recalls. And he went back to his lab to begin work on Canine Augmentation Technology (CAT).

Made to order

One of the requests Barnum and his fellow handlers had was for a system that would allow the dogs to carry supplies in to victims. They had tried attaching water bottles to their dogs’ collars using Velcro, but victims were unable to remove them. “What I need is something like a garage door opener,” Barnum explained to the professor. “I want to be able to press the button and have something drop from my dog’s harness.” Ferworn had the prototype ready within a week.

Testing the CAT

Two years later, at a structural collapse training exercise, Const. Denis Harkness strapped the latest version of Ferworn’s design onto his German Shepherd Dog ‘Darby.’ He loaded medical supplies and a radio into a waterproof, fluorescent pack – dubbed the “underdog” because it hangs under the dog’s chest – and attached it to a remote-release clasp between her shoulders.

“Search,” Harkness instructed, and Darby made her way into the rubble pile. Within minutes she began to bark and Harkness pressed the button on the remote control, dropping the underdog pack within the victim’s reach. Moments later, an EMT doctor was able to establish radio contact with the victim.

Darby exited the pile and Barnum slid a different harness onto Dare, this one sporting a remote-operated, infrared camera on each shoulder. He powered up the cameras, then gave Dare the command to search.

As the dog made his way through the pile, the cameras transmitted live video footage of what rescuers would soon be facing. When the barking began, Barnum used the fluorescent orange underdog that Darby had dropped as a visual guide to focus in on the victim, who appeared to be trapped beneath a fallen wall. A mere 30 minutes after the search had begun, rescuers had located their victim, delivered life-saving supplies, made radio contact and gathered enough information to direct their efforts towards extricating him as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Ongoing developments

Back in the lab at Ryerson, Ferworn and his researchers continue to refine their designs. Their most recent development triggers a WiFi node to drop automatically from the harness when the dog begins to bark, providing an instant wireless access point over which CAT can communicate. Graduate student Cristina Ribeiro is putting the finishing touches on a system that uses sensors incorporated into the harness to estimate the dog’s body position, allowing handlers to see a computer-generated model of what their dog is doing. Ferworn has also received a grant to develop a canine brain sensor that will measure the dog’s physiological reaction to conditions in the rubble pile.

How big an impact does this have on USAR operations? “CAT makes it possible for us to do reconnaissance in areas where searchers don’t yet have access,” explains Const. Mike Dolderman. “It allows us to make contact with the victim and share information with engineers and doctors within minutes instead of days,” Barnum adds.

Shortly after Ferworn and the canine handlers had finished their testing, the rest of the rescue team began the painstaking job of searching in the conventional way, by digging their way through the rubble pile. It took 65 searchers 33 hours to make contact with the same victim.

Natalie Ann Comeau is a freelance writer with a special interest in working ca?nines. She lives in Oakville, Ont., with her family and two unemployed dogs. Visit her online at natalieanncomeau.ca.

Photos by Natalie Ann Comeau

(Originally appeared in our March 2009 issue. Click here to subscribe).

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/high-tech-gear-helps-search-and-rescue-dogs/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/when-dogs-grieve http://www.dogsincanada.com/when-dogs-grieve#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:12:43 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=888 Research has begun to prove what all dog owners have known since we domesticated the species: dogs have emotions. They’re tail-wagging happy one moment and sad the next. And they grieve a loss in similar, yet different, ways than we do.

For humans, there are the well-documented psychological seven stages of grief:

1. shock and denial;

2. pain and guilt;

3. anger and bargaining;

4. depression, rejection, loneliness;

5. upward turn;

6. reconstruction and working through; and

7. acceptance and hope.

Is it possible that dogs react in this way? Given that dogs emote, but don’t rationalize to the degree that humans do, we can assume that they: feel shock, but are not capable of formulating denial; endure pain, but are not wired to understand guilt; and feel depression and loneliness.

Pack pecking order

One of the elements of grief that dogs endure is a displacement in the hierarchy of the pack when another member dies. How does the rest of the pack know when a leader or follower in the pack is dead and not just temporarily absent? They probably don’t, unless the deceased member was clearly ill or very old and seen to be weakening; dogs can sniff that out easily.

The memory capacity of dogs tends to be short and the pack will compensate for the missing member fairly quickly. A dog owner can expedite that process by becoming the new leader or follower, and helping to restructure the social order of the other dog’s or dogs’ life.

Giving comfort when you’re grieving, too

One of the hardest things to do is step outside your own misery when you are in grieving, and help another. Whether your dog has lost a littermate, a favourite cat or a human member of the family, he may grieve deeply, even to the point of becoming lethargic or ill.

Despite your own emotions, stay positive, never be punitive to the mourning dog, and do things with your dog to solidify your bond. The surprise result is that your own grief will lessen as you focus on your pet.

Forgive a grieving dog if he becomes clingy; exercise patience and remember that time does and will heal the pain.

Healing the wound of grief

Owners can comfort a grieving dog by increasing the number of outings, and by staying close to the dog as a form of reassurance. Since dogs are lifelong learners, introducing new rituals will give them something else to focus on.

The comfort of familiar things helps, even allowing them to sleep on a deceased friend’s doggie-bed or snuggle with a human parent’s sweater; scent matters more to dogs than it does to us.

Provide distractions. Chasing a ball or Frisbee is fun and great exercise; a long walk makes for a healthy pastime and your dog will enjoy the smells along the way. Invite the dog’s favourite human friends over and let him be social with people and animals he enjoys.

Go slowly with replacing the dead pet. Disloyalty is an issue with some dogs. Gauge your dog’s grief level, and wait until he appears to have adjusted to the new normal.

Never doubt your dog’s emotions; they are pure, uncalculated, and real to your dog and to you. Because dogs cannot speak (well, not English, anyway), they demonstrate their feelings. As a dog parent, your greatest gift is to respect and nurture your dog’s feelings, be they joy or sorrow.

Pamela Delaney is a widely published, award-winning writer. She recently finished her satirical memoir Lives Have Nine Cats and Other Tales of Pet Motherhood. Pamela lives in Wolfville, N.S.

Photo: Getty Images / Jim Doberman

(This article is a web exclusive for dogsincanada.com. To learn more about our print edition click here)

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/when-dogs-grieve/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/swimmer-puppies http://www.dogsincanada.com/swimmer-puppies#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:25:01 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=920 Swimmer puppies are easy to spot. They crawl around like seals, legs out to their sides, making clumsy, futile attempts to get up. Though the disorder normally self-corrects, another more serious condition can accompany it and lead to complications.

What it is

Swimmer puppy syndrome (SPS) has been described in small breeds like the Dachshund, Yorkshire Terrier, West Highland White Terrier and English Cocker Spaniel. It’s also seen in breeds with large chests and short legs – the Pekingese, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Basset Hound, and French and English Bulldogs. It seems that no breed is immune to the condition.

SPS isn’t detectable until a litter is two to three weeks old – when puppies start to walk. It can afflict just the forelegs, just the hind legs, or all four legs. At one time, slippery floors were thought to be a cause for SPS. We now know that shiny floors aggravate the problem and prevent weak, unsteady pups from getting up, but it is not a trigger for the condition.

There is no specific test for SPS. Bones and joints are formed correctly. The neurological examination is also normal – the pup has proper reflexes and he feels pain as he should. The pup simply has an inability to get his legs underneath and stand up. It looks like lack of coordination.

Complications

A complication common to swimmer puppies is dorsoventral (top to bottom) flattening of the chest. This pectus excavatum (PE) narrows the chest cavity, so much so that these puppies may have trouble filling their lungs. The consequence is that they breathe with their mouths open, and if breathing difficulty is severe, have bluish mucous membranes.

PE is detected by feeling the sternum between the forelegs. The bones ‘cave in’ rather than forming a smooth line. To understand this condition, imagine your breastbone being pushed inward toward your spine (through your chest). PE is confirmed by taking a chest radiograph.

The link between SPS and PE is heavily debated. Some veterinarians and breeders believe that having PE makes the pup prone to SPS because the legs don’t have the leverage to get the pup up. On the other hand, some believe that a pup with SPS, having constant pressure on its chest, falls victim to PE.

Treatment

If a pup has PE and is asymptomatic (shows no signs), no treatment is required. In this case, the defect is cosmetic only. If breathing is compromised, the condition needs attention. Regular compression of the chest from side to side, and encouraging the puppy to lie on its side, can induce the chest to deepen, correcting the abnormal shape.

If the PE is severe, surgery is needed. The veterinarian applies an external splint that is used to anchor sutures passed around the ribs. These sutures pull the chest out to a normal position. This works because the bottom of each rib is made of cartilage and very pliable at this age.

What you can do

Swimmer puppies that don’t have PE usually self-correct. Some veterinarians suggest hobbling the legs together to prevent a splay-leg stance. Rubbing the paw pads with a toothbrush can increase tactile sensation, supposedly stimulating the nerves and getting the pup to use its legs more forcibly.

Food should be restricted in SPS puppies to prevent excessive weight gain (if the pups are on solid food). Fat puppies always have a harder time getting up. Physiotherapy can also be attempted to boost muscle strength. Move the limbs for 10 minutes four to five times a day.

A multi-published writer, Jeff Grognet, D.V.M., runs a veterinary practice in Qualicum Beach, B.C., along with his wife, Louise Janes, D.V.M.

This article originally appeared in the December 2009 edition of Dogs in Canada. Subscribe now and never miss an article.

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/swimmer-puppies/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/shock-wave-therapy http://www.dogsincanada.com/shock-wave-therapy#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:24:25 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=922 You might have heard about people lying in a bath of water and having their kidney stones blasted with shock waves. These high-energy, focused sound waves also promote healing of fractures and speed the resolution of tennis elbow and plantar fasciitis. In veterinary medicine, they were first used for alleviating lameness in horses (such as tendon damage). Now, lame dogs are benefiting from this technology.

Healing waves

The technology is simple. After the skin over the area to be treated has been shaved and smeared with contact gel, the probe is applied perpendicular to the skin surface and the sound wave applied. Energy released at tissue interfaces (e.g., muscle and bone) generates compressive and tensile forces.

Obvious pain relief might not be evident for up to four weeks. Side effects include tiny hemorrhages in the skin surface, swelling, and short-term aggravation of the problem.

How does it work?

How shock waves alleviate musculoskeletal pain is poorly understood. In the short term, it could be from the release of endorphins. Long-term, we think that the shock waves modulate pain signals on the cellular level and initiate the healing process.

The options

There are two forms of therapy – extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and radial shock wave therapy (RSWT). ESWT is noisy, which scares dogs, and is painful when applied, requiring the dog to be heavily sedated or anaesthetized. RSWT is milder and can be done with a conscious dog.

With ESWT, one treatment usually suffices, although administering a second treatment two or three weeks later can generate even further positive results. Annual retreatment may be necessary to maintain the effect.

Practitioners using the technique report that 70 per cent of arthritic dogs improve “remarkably.” Another 15 per cent show some benefit, and a further 15 per cent have no improvement. Shoulders, backs and hips showed the best response, knees the worst.

More research is needed

A paper in the journal Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology reported on a study where ESWT was used for treating osteoarthritis of the stifle (knee) joint. Dogs in the study had persistent lameness that failed to respond to conventional surgical or medical treatment. Treated weekly for three weeks, four of seven dogs put more weight on the treated leg. Range of motion improved. However, clients couldn’t see a difference between the treated and placebo groups.

Shock wave therapy is a new tool. We sorely need research into this technique so that veterinarians can be convinced to justify the expense of the equipment, and use it on their patients.

A multi-published writer, Jeff Grognet, D.V.M., runs a veterinary practice in Qualicum Beach, B.C., along with his wife, fellow veterinarian Louise Janes, D.V.M.

This article originally appeared in the November 2009 edition of Dogs in Canada. Subscribe now and never miss an article.

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/shock-wave-therapy/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/barks-frozen-turd-wars http://www.dogsincanada.com/barks-frozen-turd-wars#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:35:31 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=921 ‘Apollo’ was a tall, black husky in my yard of 18 sled dogs when we lived in Thunder Bay, Ont. He was dominant, and took his job of marking very seriously. He was the only dog I’ve known to pile his excrement into impressive towers so high they toppled over with a thud when kicked. Apollo would do this with great pleasure everywhere he could, and usually while I wasn’t looking. On top of his overturned dog dish, or on the back bumper of the truck. This unique display of possessiveness happened on a regular basis but I was always surprised by his flair for the dramatic. “What the… Apollo, how the heck?”

On one unfortunate occasion, he had marked the side of the trail with a steaming pile of doo. We were about to give a dogsled ride to my neighbour, Lisa, who sold Mary Kay cosmetics for a living. I was showing her how much fun this was and hitched up eight dogs for extra power. “Okay, keep your hands and feet inside the basket… all set? Ready guys? Let’s go!”

The start did not go well and we ended up dragging down the trail for 50 metres on our side before I could get everyone to stop. I could hear the muffled screaming of Lisa as we plowed snow. “Whoa! Whoa there Apollo!” I yelled while frantically hanging on and pushing down on the brake. We finally jerked to a halt and I ran to dig out my passenger.

“Are you okay, Lisa?” I bent down to pick up the sled. “Oh, you’ve got some… in your hair there, um, it’s in your ear… You might want to… Let me brush this off your lap… Wow, that’s ripe, eh?” She never did come out with us again.

In the yard, Apollo would hang icy yellow curtains in the doorway of his doghouse. He also played a game on his overturned dog dish. He would erect a tower, then urinate on it. It would freeze into a standing ‘poopsicle.’ When I came along with my shovel, Apollo watched with a mischievous grin as frozen chips flew by my head while I tried to knock it off.

One day, I briefly forgot about Apollo’s twisted sense of humour. He caught me in an awkward moment – demonstrating to a grade six class how to harness a sled dog. I was using a polite little female named ‘Soho,’ but failed to notice she was tied to the truck next to Apollo. I had just put the harness over her head when everyone started to laugh. Suddenly, I felt warmth in my left mukluk. “Apollo!” I said. Too late. He had a captive audience and flashed me a look of true comic genius.

Apollo marked every important item in his world. Since this included me, I just wished he had some other way to show his affection. But as I chipped away at his latest masterpiece, I had to join him in smiling. No one could give an ode to the turd like Apollo.

This month’s Barks was written by Terry Lynn Johnson, a freelance writer in Espanola, Ont. She is currently working on her second novel featuring the antics of her quirky sled dogs.

Illustration by Nick Craine

This article originally appeared in the December 2009 edition of Dogs in Canada. Subscribe now and never miss an article.

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/barks-frozen-turd-wars/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/help-animal-legislation http://www.dogsincanada.com/help-animal-legislation#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:04:42 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=926 Coming soon!

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/help-animal-legislation/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/cruciate-injury http://www.dogsincanada.com/cruciate-injury#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:43:29 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=919 Next to hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament injury is the most common orthopaedic condition seen in dogs. The cruciate ligaments are strong bands connecting the femur (upper thigh bone) to the tibia below. When a ligament breaks, the stifle (knee) becomes painful, unstable and prone to arthritis. The joint needs to be re-stabilized; however, besides controversy about what surgery is best, there is debate over whether surgery is needed at all.

Risk factors

Aruptured cruciate ligament can happen to any dog, large or small. It is reported most often in middle-aged dogs, but there is a recent trend of younger dogs developing the condition. Specifically, Rottweilers younger than four years of age seem prone to injury because of inherent degenerative changes in their ligaments. Obese dogs with sedentary habits are also at an increased risk.

Understanding the cruciate ligaments

Two cruciate ligaments, termed cranial and caudal, hold the knee joint together. They get the name from “crucifix” because they cross inside the joint. The cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is the one that breaks most commonly in dogs. It prevents the tibia from moving forward in relation to the femur. This important fact aids in diagnosing a rupture.

The breaking strength of a cruciate ligament is approximately four times the weight of the dog. This makes it unlikely that a healthy ligament will break unless it’s under tremendous strain.

Damage done

Researchers have found that many dogs over five years old have some degeneration of their CCL. In more than 80 per cent of ruptures, there is pre-existing damage. Ligament deterioration has been tied to conformational abnormalities such as patellar luxation, bow legs, straight stifles and hocks. It has also been linked to the presence of immune-mediated arthritis, which progressively weakens the ligament and culminates in a break.

When a CCL ruptures, it is sometimes accompanied by damage to the menisci – cartilage plates that form a cushion between the femur and tibia. The bones can move so far out of place during a rupture that a meniscus is torn or bends. A recent study showed that 37 per cent of small dogs and 42 per cent of large dogs sustained a tear in a meniscus along with their ruptured cruciate ligament.

The pain of an acute CCL rupture can be so severe that the dog is three-legged lame. However, if only part of the ligament tears, the lameness is much milder. The chronic discomfort could be missed for a long time.

Diagnosis

Veterinarians use several tests to diagnose a damaged CCL. Pushing the tibia forward relative to the femur tells veterinarians how much laxity there is in the ligament. Excessive movement – a drawer sign – means the ligament is broken or stretched. A second test is a tibial thrust in which the hock is flexed while the tibia is felt for forward movement.

Most veterinarians use a combination of these tests to make the diagnosis of a CCL rupture. Sometimes they must be done under sedation or anaesthetic to allow sufficient relaxation of the muscles to permit joint evaluation.

Radiographs may also be taken to assess the joint for arthritis and evidence of a damaged cruciate.

Treatment

CCL damage is treated either medically or surgically, depending on the weight of the dog and the degree of instability. Eighty-five per cent of dogs under 15 kilograms, given rest only, become clinically normal within six months, or improve sufficiently to allow adequate function. In contrast, only 20 per cent of dogs over 15 kilograms improve with rest.

Given time, the joint capsule thickens and forms fibrous tissue. In small dogs, this is sufficient to stabilize the joint. Different methods have been used to speed or augment this process. Rest helps lessen strain and stretching of the joint. Cartrophen® injections reduce inflammation and speed healing. Acupuncture and chiropractic techniques have also claimed success.

For larger dogs, surgery is the preferred option for optimal long-term function. Surgery stabilizes the joint, speeds the rate of recovery, and minimizes degenerative changes in the stifle.

Surgery

Surgical options for CCL rupture abound, but most repairs belong to one of two groups – either implantation of a false ‘ligament’ that mimics the action of the ruptured CCL, or changing the anatomy of the stifle joint itself.

In all techniques, the stifle joint is opened and inspected so that the CCL rupture can be confirmed and the menisci checked for injury. Damaged menisci are removed, eliminating a source of pain. The joint functions well without them. If a damaged meniscus is not discovered and treated, it will continue to cause discomfort and inhibit mobility.

The torn ligament cannot be repaired by simply suturing the ends together. The severed ends retract into the joint and are impossible to suture. Instead, the remnants are removed and a prosthesis is sewn into place to mimic the ligament’s action. In an intra-articular (inside the joint) technique, a strip of the patellar tendon (or other material) is passed through the joint, exits on the back side, and is anchored in place.

Extra-articular repairs

In extra-articular (outside the joint) repairs, a strong implant such as nylon is placed on the outside surface of the knee, connecting the femur to the tibia. It again mimics the CCL function and stabilizes the joint. A fibrous band eventually forms on the surface of the suture, adding strength to the repair.

Success of the surgery is based on how well the lameness resolves post-operatively. In one study involving an extra-articular repair, lameness more than two months after the surgery was seen in 23 to 30 per cent of large-breed dogs and seven to 11 per cent of small-breed dogs. In a newer study, 15 per cent of dogs had lameness two months postoperatively. This reduction could be due to a better technique or a more experienced surgeon.

Tibial plateau levelling osteotomy

The latest surgical technique to be used for cruciate ligament rupture is the tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO), which changes the joint’s anatomy. Instead of replacing the function of the cruciate ligament with an implant, a TPLO changes the forces in the joint that originally caused the CCL to rupture.

In a normal-standing dog, the natural slope of the top of the tibia (the tibial plateau) makes the tibia tend to slide forward with pressure from the femur. This puts constant strain on the CCL. When the stress becomes too great, the ligament ruptures.

In a TPLO, the top of the tibia is cut and rotated to change the angle of the plateau. After the surgery, when weight is put on the leg, the tibia tends to slide backward and does not need the CCL for stability.

The TPLO is a relatively new surgery and its merits are still being debated. A survey of 29 dogs that underwent a TPLO and were evaluated one year after surgery was reported in The Canadian Veterinary Journal. All the dogs were over 15 kilograms (considered large-breed dogs). None of the dogs was visibly lame at a walk or trot one year after surgery. Another study indicated that 7.3 per cent had lameness more than two months after surgery.

Surgery does not mean that arthritis doesn’t progress. Seventy-six per cent of the dogs that underwent a TPLO had measurable progression of arthritis in the affected joint. In extra-articular techniques, up to 100 per cent have arthritic progression on radiographs.

However, the degree of radiographic change correlates poorly to clinical function. Some dogs with horrible arthritis walk quite well.

Either technique, done by an experienced surgeon, can give satisfactory results. Which one is chosen depends on availability of a surgeon, and economics. A TPLO is approximately twice the cost of an extra-articular repair.

A multi-published writer, Jeff Grognet, D.V.M., D.Sc.(Agr.), runs a veterinary practice in Qualicum Beach, B.C., along with his wife, Louise Janes, D.V.M.

Image: A stifle joint after TPLO surgery. Louise Janes, D.V.M.

This article originally appeared in the December 2008 edition of Dogs in Canada. Subscribe now and never miss an article.

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/cruciate-injury/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/when-good-dogs-snap http://www.dogsincanada.com/when-good-dogs-snap#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:16:55 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=923 It can be a young puppy on his first visit to the veterinarian lashing out as he’s lifted onto the table; the family pet that has decided that the living room carpet is his toilet; the retriever that has grown up with a gaggle of kids and suddenly snaps at a neighborhood child; even the elderly spaniel that has always tolerated everyone but is suddenly grumpy when awakened. These scenarios are not uncommon to many dog professionals, but their impact on the families they affect can be devastating.

Dog people see their dogs as companions, confidantes and friends. When shown a different side, they feel betrayed and that can undermine the once-perfect relationship. But, while the behaviour seems to arrive out of the blue, that is rarely how it happens. Some of these problems might be avoided if dogs learned some rules and boundaries. It is not only what your dog does, it’s what you do in response to his actions.

Be aware

Every so often, our dogs show a side of themselves that can either be taken into account, or ignored. A few years ago, a veterinarian acquaintance called to tell me that her dog had bitten her niece on the cheek. The bite had come out of the blue. She had seen her dog stiffen when children were around, but had thought nothing of it. Her dog had growled, and they had the children stroke him anyway. Her reason? So her dog would get used to them. She had sought no professional help. The dog continued to look uncomfortable around children, but they thought they knew their dog, and that although he was uncomfortable he would never bite – he never had in the past.

On the day of the incident, her one-year-old niece was playing in the living room with the dog nearby. For some reason, the dog had been encouraged to sniff the child, and when the child reached for the dog, she was bitten. Most of you reading this are likely rolling your eyes in judgment, thinking that you would have made a very different decision. The reality is that there are many stories like this filling up the in-boxes of dog trainers everywhere.

Learn to predict

Nothing happens until it happens. Some problems surface years into living with your dog. My dogs were playing with a sheepdog one day at our local park. A young Beagle arrived, and seemed to be playing nicely. Suddenly, the dog started to chase the sheepdog in a different manner. He began nipping at the heels of his playmate, and she clearly didn’t like it. The Beagle owner called his dog, but was ignored.

The sheepdog owner called her dog to her, and as she started on her way, the Beagle chased her down and bit hard enough to break the skin on her leg. The Beagle owner loudly stated that his dog “was not like that.” While we checked out the sheepdog, he continued to tell us how well socialized his dog was. I told him I work with dogs and that his dog may have not been “like that” a few months ago, but is now. He seemed unconcerned as he left the park.

Past behaviour will predict future behaviour unless it is dealt with. If you see your dog acting in a way you don’t like, seek some help and address the issue immediately. By letting his dog continue to play with others in the park in the following weeks, the Beagle owner will be increasing the chance of his dog repeating his outburst. In fact, if left unattended, this dog will continue to practise his bad behaviour and will simply get better at it over time.

If you feel your dog’s behaviour is out of the blue, think again. The housetrained dog that starts urinating in the house needs attending to. First, seek out the advice of your veterinarian – perhaps your dog has a bladder infection. If all is clear, it’s time for you to do some supervising to get your dog back on track.

Dogs that start growling or showing signs of aggression should also be checked by the vet for any underlying pain, especially if they are approaching their senior years.

Unexpected behaviour could be a sign of aging or illness.

Continue training

If your dog doesn’t seem to be following your rules any more, take a look at yourself and make sure you are being consistent. Perhaps seek out an obedience class as a refresher to keep both of you on track. We all slide sometimes, and this might be the wake-up call you need to do more work with your dog. Many dog owners think that one dog-training course will do the trick, but dogs are like kids that never grow up. It’s best to keep up the training.

One of my favourite clients took many classes with her dog, and when ‘Kunde’ was 12 years old, she called to get into a class that her dog might like, just to have some fun. She had a great dog, and they had a great time working together.

Things happen. The only thing we know for sure is that change will occur. If your dog shows you his true colours, seek professional help and don’t wait for the next time. Let’s not lament that his behaviour is out of the blue. Set up the future for success.

The director of Who’s Walking Who (Toronto and Ajax), and co-author of the book Citizen Canine, Gillian Ridgeway has been working with family dogs for over 35 years. She can be reached at www.whoswalkingwho.net.

This article originally appeared in the December 2009 edition of Dogs in Canada. Subscribe now and never miss an article.

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/when-good-dogs-snap/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/barks-lost-and-found http://www.dogsincanada.com/barks-lost-and-found#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:40:27 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=895 The first night my dog was lost, I called and whistled for him from the back door most of the night. He didn’t belong out there in the woods alone, but at home, with me.

‘Oakley’ had lived with me for five years, a rescued Border Collie mix who thrived on my acreage in the forest. He was my eager companion as I did yard work, skied or walked in the woods. He often had a stick in his mouth, hoping for a game of toss.

That day we had been exploring the woods as snow softly fell. Oakley sniffed around a dilapidated shed and ambled happily after rabbit tracks, returning to me every few minutes.

We started home. Oakley stopped at the old shed and I went on, knowing he would be along momentarily. I called a few times as I walked, and again upon reaching the house. No mental alarms sounded when he didn’t come; he’d be back soon. Even when he hadn’t appeared after I’d had a snack, I expected to find him at the shed, staring intently at something.

But he wasn’t there. My stomach began to churn. I called, whistled, be-gan following his tracks. Again and again I scrabbled through the bush only to find I had followed yet another loop. Daylight waned; my anxiety rose. Helpless, I went inside.

It started to rain. I called, whistled, strained to see through the wet, primordial dark from my back door. First light saw me back at the shed. Oakley’s tracks had washed away and I turned helplessly, not knowing where to search. Any direction could be the wrong direction, and it was impossible to cover the entire vastness before me.

I called, whistled, listened. I hung a sweatshirt on a low bush so he could catch its scent if he came close enough.

For days my life consisted of calling, whistling, lis-tening. I skied the snow-crusted woods, drove the road, scanning for a black and white dog, dead or alive. The temperature plunged. There was a blizzard.
A week, more, passed. I began to look askance at Oakley’s bowls, beds, toys. Was it time to put them away? I found myself calling for him less frequently, and I no longer went into the woods to search. Ten days passed, then 11.

On the 12th afternoon, a familiar yip sounded from the front porch. I raced to the door.

Oakley made a wobbly beeline to his bowls, into which I put a little food and water. He soon finished, then came to say hello. He was horribly skinny.

Several porcupine quills stuck out of his cheek, and he hardly reacted when I removed them. He fell asleep with his head on my lap. I felt gut-deep contentment; my dog was home.

The next day, the vet suggested adding puppy food with its higher caloric content to his diet, to help him regain weight, and said that beyond mild frostbite on his paws he was fine.

Gradually, with frequent small feedings, Oakley began to look and act like himself again. How had he gotten lost? Maybe following a porcupine. What was important was that he was home again. And what was somewhat shaming was that I had given up my search for him, but he had not given up his for me.

Hanne Armstrong is a long-time dog owner and freelance writer based in New Brunswick. She lives with her dog and two cats in forested tranquility.

Illustration by Nick Craine

This article originally appeared in our November 2009 issue. Click here to subscribe.

]]> http://www.dogsincanada.com/barks-lost-and-found/feed http://www.dogsincanada.com/making-nail-clipping-more-enjoyable http://www.dogsincanada.com/making-nail-clipping-more-enjoyable#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:33:38 +0000 staffdogs http://www.dogsincanada.com/?p=892 My dog doesn’t like having his nails clipped. What can I do?

Many dogs don’t like having their nails clipped, or their paws touched. For this reason, I always recommend touching a puppy’s paws and nails frequently so he gets used to it.

There are many things you can do to improve the situation. First, let’s discuss technique. If your dog won’t hold still, you are more likely to injure him, so having an assistant will help. A small dog can be cradled in your helper’s arms. Place a medium or large dog on a grooming table if possible. Dogs don’t move as much when they’re not on the floor.

Stand beside your dog and grasp the paw nearest you. Gently take his paw and try to relax – if you’re nervous, your dog will be, too. Push away any hair that is covering the nail so you can see the entire nail. Try to keep your dog’s paw in a natural position and not too high off the table – he’ll pull away if he’s uncomfortable. Grasp each toe individually. The nail that is about to be cut should be held between your thumb and forefinger. Attempt to clip the nail only if your dog is not moving.

You or your assistant can try distracting the dog while you clip. Have your assistant offer very small tasty treats, one at a time, so he stays focused on the treat. If you’re working alone, use a toy that can be filled with treats and let him start working on it before you begin clipping.

rewarding as you go – every time you successfully clip a nail, give your dog a special treat. Hopefully he will begin to associate nail clipping with a reward. You can also try clipping only one or two nails in a session. Follow each session with a tasty treat.

The next thing to look at is your equipment. The nail clipper should be the right size for your dog and the blade should be sharp. Using a dull clipper (or a clipper with a worn spring) may result in the nail not being clipped properly and the nail may split.

There are basically two types of clippers on the market: a guillotine style (where the blade comes forward and slices the nail), or the pliers-type (where both blades come together and cut the nail). Try both types of clippers to see which style you and your dog prefer. Your dog may tolerate a nail grinder instead of a clipper. The grinder gradually grinds down the tip of the nail.

Some dogs will put their mouth on your hand or the clipper when you try to clip their nails. Some dogs may growl or bite. Y