Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Holiday Pet Safety

Holiday Pet Safety
By Robert Forto, PhD

My name is Dr. Robert Forto and I am the training director of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. I am asked all the time about holiday do’s and don’ts from pet owners. While I always offer an article right around Christmas about training Christmas puppies I thought it would be wise to offer some tips to pet owners on holiday safety before the season’s festivities reaches a crescendo. While most of this is common sense, it is the little things that we overlook during this busy time of the year that can turn a joyous season into a nightmare for your pet if you do not take some steps to ensure their safety.

The holiday season can get pretty hectic, and with the decorations and extra goodies around the house, there is a lot your pet can find to get into. Here are a few safety tips to help keep your pets safe and happy during the festivities:

Christmas trees
Firmly secure the tree in its stand, and consider wire or twine ties attached to the wall to help secure the tree. You’ll want to make sure the tree doesn’t topple over if, or more likely when, kitty tries to climb the tree.

Dogs and cats will often try to drink water from the reservoir in the stand. The sap from the tree itself may irritate your pet's stomach, and preservatives added to the water may be toxic. Devise a cover to fit around the base of the tree—even a towel wrapped around the trunk covering the stand will do.

Research also shows that the chemicals used in producing artificial trees contain chemicals that can be harmful or even fatal if ingested by your pet. While there are many pro’s and con’s to having a natural versus an artificial Christmas tree, this fact alone should make the decision a little easier.

Ornamentation is very attractive, especially to kittens, cats and puppies, but may be deadly. The tinsel, ribbon and glitter can cause intestinal blockages. Protect your pet by placing these items high enough to be out of reach. Packages under the tree may offer the same threat—the ribbons are just too hard to resist, and your pet may end up chewing on them while playing.

Those wonderful goodies
Holidays are the time for lots of baking, and receiving of baked gifts. These items smell just wonderful to your pet. Your dog may help himself to the candy, cookies, or part of the holiday meal if you are not looking. Eating people food may lead to indigestion, diarrhea, or worse. Remember, items containing chocolate can poison a dog, even if it is a small amount.

Remains of the holiday meal left on countertops, tables, and even in the garbage will entice your pets. If there is a way to get to it, be assured your dog will certainly try. Bones from turkey, a roast, or ham may splinter if eaten. Older garbage may even contain enough bacteria to poison a pet. Be careful where the trash is held while waiting to be disposed of.

And of course I don’t need to remind you that begging at that table can cause major behavior problems in the future…

Other Decorations
Plants, especially poinsettias, are often used for decoration in November and December. Some of these plants contain toxins that can irritate your pet’s gastrointestinal tract if chewed on or eaten. Eating enough of some plants may poison your dog or cat. In some cases it may be the leaves, in others the stem, berries, or roots. Your veterinarian or behaviorist can help guide you, or you can do a bit of research at the library or online to see if any of your holiday plants may be harmful to your pets.

Toys
On Christmas morning when all of those toys are being played with (and soon forgotten, I might add) they contain many hazards for pets. Small toys, balls, marbles, board game pieces, BB’s from the Red Rider BB gun with the compass in the stock that your son just had to have!, and electric cords are all dangerous to your cat or dog.

Taking a few minutes to set some family guidelines and spot potential safety hazards could keep this holiday season from having serious consequences for your four-footed family member.

In the coming weeks Dr. Forto will be publishing and article on training Christmas puppies. His position is that you should never give a puppy for a Christmas present but thousands are given as gifts each year. In this article Dr. Forto will discuss when to train your dog, how to properly care for him and who should be in charge. Just remember that shelters are full of dogs that were once bundles of Christmas morning joy that grew up too fast and were not trained. Dr. Forto and his certified trainers at Denver Dog Works are here to help.

This article is provided as a general overview of the topic. Always consult your veterinarian or behaviorist for specific information related to diseases or medical care for pets.
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Dr. Robert Forto is a canine behaviorist and the training director of Denver Dog Works in Colorado. He can be reached through his website at www.denverdogworks.com

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Competition between Dogs

Competition between Dogs
By Robert Forto, PhD

When animals live together in close social groups such as a sled dog kennel, they often compete for limited resources and dominance of the dog pack. These situations create the need for social communication systems. If the dogs in the kennel do not communicate with each other, the competition is unregulated and uncontrolled. If there is no control over the competition the dogs waste time in pointless fighting and the risk of injury is greater for those dogs competing for those resources. One of Robert Forto’s dogs, Muffassa, would constantly be getting into fights over the daily food ration. It came to the point where human intervention was required to save this dog’s life. Communication systems have been developed for regulating such a conflict. Techniques such as threat and submissive displays make fighting less frequent, less disruptive, and less severe. If fighting is a problem in a sled dog kennel, then it will be the musher’s number one priority to find a solution to this problem. If the dogs fight at home, then they will surely fight at a race, which can cause severe consequences to both the musher and the team.

When dogs live in large social groups, such as a sled dog kennel, they can present significant problems to their environment. To prevent such problems, groups develop a territory for themselves and organize their groups with a definite hierarchy. The groups are maintained by a variety of auditory, visual, and olfactory signals.

Establishing a Territory

Wolves in the wild look as if to establish a territory and define an area through urine marking and vocalization. Sled dogs appear do the same thing. As males mature they begin to mark their kennel areas and their places on the dog truck to define their space.

If the wolves detect other wolves intruding on their territory they will threaten or attack the intruder if necessary. Establishing and defending a territory helps wolves to spread themselves over a wider geographical area, thereby preventing over-hunting, which results in a reduction in the number of prey animals.

Competition between individuals in the same group is regulated through the use of threat and submissive displays. The most easily recognized social communication displays are those associated with threat and submission. With sled dogs, threat displays may involve alpha takedowns, growling or snapping, and urinating in the water bowls and other the more subordinate dog’s faces.

Establishing a Dominance Hierarchy

Establishing a territory in the wild puts some distance between groups, which in turn helps to regulate excessive competition and conflict over environmental resources. Establishing a dominance hierarchy within a sled dog kennel will put distance between the individual members in terms of social rank or status. Social harmony between animals living in groups depends on a fine balance between competition and cooperation. Excessive conflict and strife between members of a social group will gradually cause the group to dissolve. Communicating through highly ritualized threat and submissive displays allows competitive animals to interact and cooperate with one another in relative harmony.


Forto, R., Interview by James Myers 16 May 2005. Interview 1.
Forto, R., Interview by James Myers 16 May 2005. Interview 1.

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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director for Dog Works Training Centers and is the host of a weekly radio program, The Dog Doctor Radio Show, every Saturday. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Monday, December 7, 2009

Canine C.P.R.

Canine C.P.R.
By Robert Forto, PhD

My name is Dr. Robert Forto and I am the training director of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. We specialize in canine sports and working dogs. Our training school is not like any other in the Denver area. We train your dog after he already has manners (well, we train for that too) and provide you and your dog “fun” and “challenging” avenues to build the human-canine bond. It is my opinion that every dog needs a job to do. Whether that job is competing in agility, working as a service dog, hiking in the mountains with you, just being a couch potato, or just fetching the morning paper, they need something to occupy their time. With that, dogs can get themselves into trouble, sometimes life-threatening, and you should know what to do in case of an emergency. Denver Dog Works is one of the only schools in Colorado that teaches a canine first aid and C.P.R. course. It not only teaches you how to respond in an emergency, but certifies you too!

In this article I am going to talk about canine cardio-pulmonary-resuscitation. Knowing this procedure could mean life or death for your best (furry) friend and I will attest I have used it several times on dogs over the years and it does work. I am sure that many of you have been certified from time to time in human C.P.R. at your local Red Cross chapter if you were a life-guard, a boy/girl scout, a babysitter, and myriad other jobs, but did you ever think that your dog may need this life saving procedure too? The steps in canine C.P.R. are very similar to the human counter-part but I do not advise you to expect that the techniques you learned when you were a scout will just magically come back to mind when your dog is in dire distress.

I urge all of you to read this article and sign up for our course in canine first aid and C.P.R. it could be the best decision you ever make for your dog. For more information on upcoming classes check us out at www.denverdogworks.com or give us a call at 303-522-1727 anytime.

As I said before, providing C.P.R. to a pet is very much like giving C.P.R. to a human. The same steps are followed:

A. Airway
Is there an open airway from the mouth to the lungs? Can you feel any breath passing in/out of the nose or mouth? Check the mouth by opening the jaws and pulling the tongue forward, and look for any blockages or foreign objects. Remove any foreign objects and check again for breath. If the airway is still blocked, and the pet’s mucous membranes (gums) are blue, then you may need to perform a Heimlich-like action to loosen any object that may be farther back in the throat.

B. Is the animal breathing on its own?
If no objects, food or mucus are obstructing the airway, you may begin artificial respiration. Lay the animal on its side, and gently tilt the head back. Pull the tongue forward. Close your hands around the muzzle to form as airtight a seal as possible, and place your mouth over the nostrils of the pet’s nose. Blow 4-5 breaths rapidly, then check to see if the pet begins to breathe on its own. Smaller pets will need more breaths per minute (20-30) than a large dog that requires only 15-20 breaths per minute.

C. Circulation
Can you feel a heartbeat or pulse? An animal that is alert and responsive, even if it can't get up, will not require compressions. If there is no heartbeat, then you may begin chest compressions. Lay the pet on its right side, find the point of the pet’s elbow and place it against the ribs. This is where your hands need to go. Compress the chest 1/2 to 1 inch (slightly more for a giant breed or really large dog), and provide a breath every 5-6 compressions (have a second person do the breathing if available). Check for a pulse. Repeat the process if no pulse or heartbeat is detected. Transport the pet to a veterinary hospital as soon as possible; if after twenty minutes your efforts are not producing results, then you have done your best under difficult circumstances.

This article is provided as a general overview of the topic and not meant to be used as instructions at the time of an emergency for your dog. If you would like more information on our canine first aid and C.P.R. classes please give us a call. Always consult your veterinarian for specific information related to diseases or medical care for pets.

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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director for Dog Works Training Centers. Dr. Forto hosts a weekly radio program, The Dog Doctor Radio Show, every Saturday at 9:30 am MDT. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com