Here’s what Adam Katz has to say:

“Pretty much everybody is familiar with the concept of
consistency as it relates to dog training. But frequently,
dog owners don’t keep it clear in their head. Consistency
means that your dog perceives the same outcome to a behavior–
every time he does the behavior– until we’ve burned it
into his brain as a conditioned response.

Example: While you’re getting ready for work, your dog gets
excited and jumps up on you. And you use one of my techniques
to correct the behavior.

Later in the day, you’re talking with a neighbor while your
dog is running around in the front yard. You’re so engrossed
in your conversation with your neighbor, that you don’t
realize your dog has come over to you, jumped up with his
front paws on your gardening pants, and now you’re scratching
behind his ears… still engrossed in your conversation with
your neighbor.

Unfortunately, your dog will never extinguish this unwanted
behavior, because he’s not receiving clear communication
from you. One time, he’s getting corrected for jumping up.
Another time, he’s getting his ears scratched for jumping up.
Your dog can’t tell the difference. In his mind, he’s willing
to give it the “old college try” because he figures there’s
at least a 50% chance you’ll rub his ears if he jumps up.

Now, you may be asking, “But Adam… what if I want my dog to
jump up on me at certain times?”

Well, the answer to that question is: First we need to teach
your dog that an unwanted behavior is always unwanted.
Unless, of course, we tell him it’s okay, first.

But we need to be consistent about only letting the dog
jump up when we first tell him it’s okay– and with a
command that is the same, every time. If your “it’s okay to
jump up on me” command is “Jump up,” … then you will now be
consistent about correcting your dog for jumping up on you,
if you say any other phrase or if you make any body movement.
Even if you say the words, “Jelly Bean!” – You’re still
going to consistently correct your dog every time he jumps up…
because you haven’t given the “it’s okay to jump up on me”
command, first.”

Enjoy your dog,
- Adam Katz

Very often the word “lump” brings the word “cancer” to mind. However, there are many other causes of lumps. A skin growth or mass may be a malignant or benign tumor, an abscess, a cyst, a hematoma (blood-filled mass) or a reaction by the skin to an allergen (hives). Lumps are often benign accumulations of fat called lipomas. However, all lumps should be evaluated for the possibility of malignancy.

What to Watch For

Any new lump or bump should be evaluated right away, especially a lump that is rapidly growing, is warm or painful, is ulcerated or bleeding, is irregular in shape or is well attached to the tissues under the skin.

As a responsible dog owner, you should do everything in your power to protect your dog on this night filled with loud bangs, pops and sizzles.
Since fireworks typically only happen once or twice a year, the sounds and lights are likely to catch your dog off-guard, confuse him a bit (or a lot!), and possibly make him nervous and on edge the entire evening.
Remember, your dog’s hearing is 10 times more sensitive than yours!
If you want to enjoy the fireworks and you have a dog, here are your options:
#1 If you’re thinking of taking your dog outside to watch the fireworks with you…
Think again! You and your dog will have a much more enjoyable evening if you leave the dog at home.
Plus, wherever there are fireworks displays, there are usually people setting off their own personal fireworks — including sparklers and firecrackers. Aside from the danger associated with your dog being in the wrong place at the wrong time (dogs & fire simply don’t mix), the mass hysteria, loud noises and repeated flashes of light are likely to have a traumatic effect on your dog.
Whatever you do… don’t leave your dog in the car!

#2 If you live close to a location where the fireworks are set off in your town…
Your best bet is to keep your dog indoors (preferably in a crate, if he’s already accustomed to spending time in a crate). Leave your dog indoors somewhere where he is likely to do the least amount of harm — to himself, and your house!
You should also turn on the TV or a radio — with the volume turned up loud — to make it less likely that he will be able to hear the fireworks outside.
Since the flashing lights can scare your dog just as much as the loud noises, be sure to close all the curtains and blinds inside your home and turn ON all the lights in the room. This will make the bright lights from fireworks less noticeable to your dog. Plus, closed curtains and blinds offer a small degree of sound-proofing in your home, lowering the high pitched sounds a tiny bit.

#3 If you’re staying home with your dog…
Without a doubt, the best place for your dog on this night is inside the house. Preferably your house — a place that your dog is already familiar with and a place where he feels comfortable.
Ideally, you would be in the room with him to monitor any stress or anxiety which might arise. Odds are, there will be none, and you’ll simply be enjoying a night at home with your dog. But you never know.
Some dogs exhibit no signs of fear in their early years, then as they get older suddenly become terrified by the loud noises and bright lights. (This is often due to a change in their hearing, as different tones & pitches begin to sound differently to them.)

Following are some great tips for things you can do beforehand, and things you can do on-the-spot the moment you notice a change in your dog’s stress level…

Some Things You Can Do Ahead Of Time To Prevent Anxiety

Here are a few precautions you can take way ahead of time to prepare your dog for this stressful night:

Make sure your dog has his collar and ID tags on. In the worst case scenarios, dogs have been known to chew through crates, doors, and even jump out of windows due to their anxiety.
Spend some one-on-one time with your dog in the hours leading up to the fireworks. The more personal attention your dog receives from you, the less likely he will be to resent being left alone later that evening.
Let your dog outside to “do his thing” right before it gets dark and people start setting off their own fireworks.
Exercise your dog by taking him on a longer-than-usual walk or by participating in some active play with your dog. This will tire him out and make him less likely to over-exert himself later if/when he becomes stressed from the sound of fireworks.
Give your dog a relaxing rub-down or doggie massage an hour or so before dark. This will put him in a calm frame of mind early, which will help him to handle whatever stress might come later.
Give your dog a bath (assuming that your dog finds baths an enjoyable experience). Better yet: use an aromatherapy dog shampoo in a scent that is calming to dogs. (My favorite: Spa 4 Paws)
Play a rigorous game of catch or fetch with your dog in the early evening hours, to give your dog a chance to burn off some energy and tire him out a bit. This way, he’ll have less drive (and energy) to become overly excited later, once the fireworks start.
Add some cooked (plain) potato or white rice (plain) to his regular meal that evening. Just like with people, carbohydrates will make a dog fuller and sleepier than usual. A tired and well-fed dog will be less anxious.
Plug in one of those popular in-home air fresheners that release calming aromatherapy scents into your home. Or, use some other type of aromatherapy tools (candles, home diffusers, heat lamps, etc.) to fill your home with a relaxing aroma with the addition of Essential Oils. Some good choices: Lavender, Juniper, Chamomile, Bergamot, Frankincense, Sweet Orange. (More about dogs and aromatherapy.)

If you plan enough in advance, you can ask your vet for some dog anxiety medicine, or order something like Pet Calm pills or spray.

How To Calm A Nervous Dog On The Spot

The moment you notice that your dog is becoming overly excited or anxious by the loud noises and bright lights, try one of these:
• Distract your dog with some of his favorite things. Your best bet is to pull out that one special thing that your dog only sees a couple times a year. It will be such a welcome surprise to him, that he’ll become fixated on it, and less on the loud noises and flashing lights. (For our dogs, that would be a pressed rawhide bone — a rare treat in our home.)

• Interact with your dog in a low-key game of indoor catch. The interaction with you, and the act of participating in a a dog-friendly activity will likely distract him from the fireworks.

• Give your dog a KONG toy, stuffed with goodies. If it’s tasty enough to your dog, he will likely lose interest in the noises and lights and become fully focused on this special dog treat. Need ideas for new things to stuff inside?… Try these one-of-a-kind Kong recipes!

• Try introducing a brand new toy or treat (hopefully, a long-lasting chewy one!) to your dog. Perhaps he’ll be more interested in the surprise smells that are in his face, than the surprise sounds that are in his ears.|
• Do not soothe your dog too much or “baby” her in times of stress. This will probably only make the problem worse. Instead, be cheerful and in control. Also, don’t punish your dog, as this will only make him more anxious and nervous.

You could also try some basic aromatherapy for dogs. Or stick some ear plugs into your dog’s ears.

THANKS TO THE FUN TIMES

Please tell every dog or cat owner you know.. Even if you don’t have a pet, please pass this to those who do.
Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. The dogs loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn’t acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company’s web site,
this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey’s, and they claim that “It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won’t eat it.”
*Snopes site gives the following information:http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp *

Is your companion itchy?  Does she have digestive difficulties?  These are some of the most common issues that cause guardians to seek veterinary care for their companions.  Sometimes it is difficult to get to the bottom of those troublesome itches and tummy upsets.  They may be a sign of food allergies or sensitivities. 

The most common symptoms of allergies are:

• excessive scratching
• licking
• paw chewing

Additional symptoms of allergies:

• chronic ear infections
• respiratory symptoms such as coughing or nasal congestion
• eye discharge
• vomiting
• loose stools & diarrhea
• inflammatory bowel disease

Many holistic veterinarians also believe that seizures, arthritis, asthma and chronic urinary tract infections can be caused or complicated by food allergies.

If you and your veterinarian have ruled out other causes of your companion’s itchiness such as fleas, mange, ringworm or infection, then changing the diet may help alleviate the itch.  If tummy troubles are the predominant symptom, a diet change may help this as well.

Controlling Allergies with a Raw Food Diet

Many dogs with food sensitivities and allergies have seen dramatic improvements by switching to a raw food diet.  It’s a good idea to stick with one protein source when you begin the new diet, and then switch to another if symptoms do not begin to subside after 10 days on a raw food diet.  Often the change to raw food and elimination of grains is all it takes to begin to see improvement.  If symptoms persist, however, then switch to another protein source for another 10 days.  Duck, buffalo and turkey are often good proteins to use for an allergic animal.

If you typically mix kibble with raw, it is best to eliminate the kibble component of the diet until symptoms subside.  Then find a high-quality kibble, preferably grain-free, that contains the same protein you are feeding in the raw diet.

Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) supplementation with high quality fish oil can be beneficial for both itchy skin and digestive troubles.  EFA’s aid in reducing inflammation and support the health of both the skin and the lining of the digestive tract.

Keep in mind that any secondary bacterial or yeast infections must be treated during the switch.  Hot spots must be closely monitored as infection can easily ensue.  These must be controlled with bathing and topical treatments while the animal’s immune system is recovering.

Resources:

Natural Veterinary Medicine by Susan G. Wynn and Steve Marsden

Herbs for Pets by Gregory L. Tilford and Mary L. Wulff

I found this to be informative and felt a need to share it.  My dog has allergies,  but not from his food, from something that is air born. I know this because his constant scratching starts the minute I walk out to my car and see the yellow pollen on the windshield.   A vet can do an allergy test on your pet but it is very expensive and some vets don’t even offer the service. (Mine does not)

So I am now on a quest to find out what works for my dog. Of course each dog is different but if you can offer any advice regarding non-food allergies PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT. I tried Children’s Benadryl ( which my vet told me to continue using) but it didn’t help.  Last year I used a hard to find Shampoo, NuSal T and it seemed to work but I only found it at the end of the pollen season. I’m starting the use of this shampoo again and we’ll see what happens.

So, as of now, no more trips to the groomers for a while I’ll be doing the washing. Brooklyn will love that!  He doesn’t like to go to the groomers and besides he can pay me back for that bath that he dislikes so much. And pay me back he does. Shaking water on me as many times as possible until I’m wetter than he is. I swear he’s smiling as he watches me jumping back to TRY to avoid getting wet.

Below are a few of the symptoms of allergies:

• excessive scratching
• licking
• Red Eyes

Why are children more likely to be bitten by dogs than adults? A child moves faster than an adult; fast movement stimulates a dog’s prey drive and can sometimes elicit its chasing instinct. Children talk in higher pitched voices than adults, which can sometimes startle a dog and make it fearful. Children may frustrate a dog with rough play and teasing or inadvertently inflict pain with the pull of a tail or a poke in the eye. Younger children are closer to a dog’s eye level, making it easier for a dog to feel threatened by eye-to-eye contact and for the child to be bitten in the face. It is also much harder for a child to read and understand a dog’s body language; they can miss vital signals that would warn an adult to back off.

Remember to teach your child to always ask the owner if they may pet a dog. Let your child know that tail pulling is a BIG “no no”. When it comes to young children education is always the best. You tell your children not to talk to strangers then tell your child not to approach a dog that is a stranger. The “Act Like a Tree” is always good if an angry dog approaches. Teach your child to plant their feet firmly on the ground, not to move, and avoid eye contact with the dog. “Act Like a Tree” is the “Stop, Drop, Roll” (used in teaching children if they catch on fire) for behavior that needs to be used with aggressive dogs.

If you really think about it, once in awhile you come across a person who knocks you off your socks…legitimately. Maybe they have a fantastic outlook on life, even during difficult times. Maybe they are really humble, although they are extremely gifted. Maybe they make you feel special. All of these are good.

Below, I’ve listed some of the traits I admire most in people. Although I could probably list a dozen characteristics, I thought I’d list those that seem to be the rarest or most difficult to find.

1. Selflessness: In a world where many people don’t have the time or the interest in others, selflessness is a quality that seems to be less and less common. People can be selfless in the time they give, the ability to listen, their level of patience and the love that they give. Those who are giving and generous in nature have the power to make others feel loved, appreciated and special. While those who are self-absorbed tend to do the exact opposite.
2. Tolerance: Those people who are tolerant make us feel comfortable with who we are and special as individuals. All of us are different, and many of us have quirks and idiosyncrasies. After all, these differences make the world go round. Having the ability to accept people for who they are and not expect them to be who we want them to be is important in life, happiness and in the health of our relationships.
3. Genuineness: Having the ability to be real, authentic and honest is unique in a world where we put so much emphasis on the superficial. Feeling comfortable in one’s skin and being true to one’s self is one of the most beautiful traits one can possess. To have a REAL relationship with someone requires honesty…it requires hearing and giving input or feedback that may not always be popular…it means having the strength to tell it like it is and to not be afraid to face the consequences for doing so…it means loving people for who they really are…deep down…and not for what they appear to be.
4. Sensitivity: So often we are focused on what is important to ourselves that we can forget about those around us. Those who are sensitive are often thoughtful, appreciative and loving, in a way that makes you feel understood, valued and respected. Often, sensitive people are also self-aware, making them mindful of how they impact others with what they do and say.
5. Integrity: I think this characteristic is especially difficult to find. In a time when people will do things that are underhanded to make an extra buck (Bernie Madoff…can you hear me?), expose their personal lives to the public so they can be famous (balloon boy’s dad and any other reality TV mongers) , integrity is a characteristic that is especially unique today.
6. Humility: Whether someone is super-smart, extremely talented or drop-dead gorgeous, there is something extra special about them if they don’t come across as though they know it all the time. Humility in those that possess extraordinary traits make others feel special too.

Oh boy the list could go on! What characteristics do you admire in others? Are there any that you want to cultivate?

Partially Originally published on Sheer Balance