A 2 month old Pug whose motor skills are not developed is up for adoption. The puppy as of now is believed to not develop the motor skills later on in life also( but with my experience i have my doubts :) ). The pug is otherwise healthy and rolls and moves around in his crate.
Everyone please spread the word. I will post some pictures tmmrw.
Interested people can contact me on : vishakha.ganjoo@gmail.com or call me 9845033965.
Showing posts with label special needs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label special needs. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Dealing with your dog’s fear of firecrackers
Let’s face it, for most of us Diwali is an occasion to be looked forward to with dread more than any other emotion. The sight of one’s pet trembling, hiding, refusing food, trying to run away and generally getting stressed out of his mind does not inspire joy, to put it mildly.
I asked canine behaviour consultant Shirin Merchant how to make the whole experience less traumatic for our dogs (and ourselves!) She sent me an excellent chart which I’ve posted here.
• It is not uncommon for dogs to be hesitant, or even frightened by loud noises.
• Often a dog will react to a noise as a direct reflection of his human companion. If you show fear, act nervous or scared of a loud noise, your dog will pick up on your subtle signals and learn that loud noises are to be feared. It can take only one incident for a dog to get scared of loud noises. A dog’s ears are sensitive, and loud noises can hurt them.
• Do not praise your dog when he shows fear of loud noises. If you do, you are not only praising him for being frightened, but you are making it more likely that he will be frightened the next time a loud noise happens. Many well-meaning dog owners increase their dog's anxiety by stroking, cuddling, and saying "It's OK" when their dogs act nervous. Instead spend some quality time with your dog being fun and playful. Try and distract him away from the noise.
• If your dog is already afraid of loud noises, then a process of desensitization will help. Desensitizing your dog involves exposing your dog to low-volume noises. Gradually increasing the noise level while giving him something pleasurable such as praise and a food treat. Over a period of time your dog will get used to the noise. This process is best carried out under the supervision of a canine behaviour counselor.
• Dogs instinctively seek out confining spaces when frightened. If your dog hides under the bed or behind a cupboard don’t drag him out in an attempt to comfort him. Instead put some clothing or towels with your familiar scent next to the dog for reassurance. It would also help if you play soothing, easy listening music relatively loud to help drown out the fear-producing noise.
• In severe cases of the dog being frightened, drugs and homeopathy can help your canine companion. You MUST consult your vet before attempting to give any drugs to your dog.
• Firecrackers can harm pets. Be extremely cautious when lighting firecrackers around animals. The gunpowder in firecrackers is potentially toxic to pets if they eat it. Also, there is always a danger of a dog getting hurt or burned if fireworks are accidentally shot at them.
For more information contact “Canines Cane Care” at k9cancare@hotmail.com
Note on homeopathy: We've found the remedy Borax 1M useful in reducing fear of loud noises. I described how to use it in my earlier post on homeopathy.
I asked canine behaviour consultant Shirin Merchant how to make the whole experience less traumatic for our dogs (and ourselves!) She sent me an excellent chart which I’ve posted here.
• It is not uncommon for dogs to be hesitant, or even frightened by loud noises.
• Often a dog will react to a noise as a direct reflection of his human companion. If you show fear, act nervous or scared of a loud noise, your dog will pick up on your subtle signals and learn that loud noises are to be feared. It can take only one incident for a dog to get scared of loud noises. A dog’s ears are sensitive, and loud noises can hurt them.
• Do not praise your dog when he shows fear of loud noises. If you do, you are not only praising him for being frightened, but you are making it more likely that he will be frightened the next time a loud noise happens. Many well-meaning dog owners increase their dog's anxiety by stroking, cuddling, and saying "It's OK" when their dogs act nervous. Instead spend some quality time with your dog being fun and playful. Try and distract him away from the noise.
• If your dog is already afraid of loud noises, then a process of desensitization will help. Desensitizing your dog involves exposing your dog to low-volume noises. Gradually increasing the noise level while giving him something pleasurable such as praise and a food treat. Over a period of time your dog will get used to the noise. This process is best carried out under the supervision of a canine behaviour counselor.
• Dogs instinctively seek out confining spaces when frightened. If your dog hides under the bed or behind a cupboard don’t drag him out in an attempt to comfort him. Instead put some clothing or towels with your familiar scent next to the dog for reassurance. It would also help if you play soothing, easy listening music relatively loud to help drown out the fear-producing noise.
• In severe cases of the dog being frightened, drugs and homeopathy can help your canine companion. You MUST consult your vet before attempting to give any drugs to your dog.
• Firecrackers can harm pets. Be extremely cautious when lighting firecrackers around animals. The gunpowder in firecrackers is potentially toxic to pets if they eat it. Also, there is always a danger of a dog getting hurt or burned if fireworks are accidentally shot at them.
For more information contact “Canines Cane Care” at k9cancare@hotmail.com
Note on homeopathy: We've found the remedy Borax 1M useful in reducing fear of loud noises. I described how to use it in my earlier post on homeopathy.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
WSD Healthcare Tutorial: Maggots
How to treat maggot infested wounds and skin disease from wsdindia.org.
Excellent tutorials by the wonderful folks at wsdindia.org...especially useful for volunteers and stray dog guardians.
Warning: This section contains images of a maggot-infested wound being treated. You may find them unpleasant.
Excellent tutorials by the wonderful folks at wsdindia.org...especially useful for volunteers and stray dog guardians.
Warning: This section contains images of a maggot-infested wound being treated. You may find them unpleasant.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Can dogs get along with cats?
We have a question from Anjali...:)
I have a 2-year-old Golden Retriever (her name is Ammu) who is an only pet (quite like an only child). I was thinking of getting a cat too, but dont wanna do it unless they can get along well together. Ammu has never been exposed to cats. Back home in Kerala my dad's cat and dogs used to get along well together; buit then Boris (the cat) was the oldest and bossed over the dogs from the time they were puppies. Anyone having cats and dogs together at home?
x-posted at catsofbangalore blog
I have a 2-year-old Golden Retriever (her name is Ammu) who is an only pet (quite like an only child). I was thinking of getting a cat too, but dont wanna do it unless they can get along well together. Ammu has never been exposed to cats. Back home in Kerala my dad's cat and dogs used to get along well together; buit then Boris (the cat) was the oldest and bossed over the dogs from the time they were puppies. Anyone having cats and dogs together at home?
x-posted at catsofbangalore blog
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Understanding aggression of stray dogs..
Thanks to Rajashree Kahlap, I posted a link that included a FAQ from Mumbai based canine behaviour specialist, Shirin Merchant.
I sent her an email asking her about the puzzling behaviour of community stray dogs that sometimes turn aggressive towards the milkman, postman etc. And I got an answer!!!
emphasis, my own.
This is what I wrote..
i came across your excellent faq about bringing home stray dogs in rajashree's indianpariahdog blog. although this question is not directly related to bringing home stray dogs, it is about stray dog behaviour itself. i was wondering if you have any thoughts on these two cases from our blog,
http://adoptstrays.blogspot.com/2007/09/jumble-in-our-midst.html
[..]
Lately there's been some trouble, though. He's begun to guard our house a bit too well -- he barks at people who come to the gate, and so the post lady and garbage collector are too afraid to do their work.
and
http://adoptstrays.blogspot.com/2007/09/these-very-naughty-dogs-need-home.html
[..]
Very proud to belong to a proper home, they welcome anyone who visits Shibani and Monita as long as they are friends. God help those who are not. Included in the hate list are the milk man, the newspaper man and any delivery man. Sometimes they even run up to strangers and bite them, just like that. The dogs do not live inside the house, but just within the gate and have the run of the road.
[..]
as you can see, its a repeating pattern. i can hazard a guess that these dogs do feel threatened or traumatised by the not so friendly people on the streets. but unfortunately, it is working against them. is there any way to calm them down or make them less aggressive? even neutered/spayed dogs can get aggressive when they are on the streets. maybe it is pack behaviour or maybe they are being defensive or territorial..whatever it is...for all those who ask us how come the street dogs are so aggressive, how should we advise them to behave in the presence of these strays?
Shirin's reply!
What a pleasure to hear from you. Regarding your questions, territorial behaviour is an innate instinct in all dogs. It’s just that in most of our pet dogs it remains dormant as they feel no need to display the behaviour.
With territorial behaviour, a dog is not guarding a place or an area, but resources within that area - for e.g. his bed, bowl, biscuit box, etc.; or things that belong to people (like the owner's bed, etc) that he considers as his.
It is perfectly normal for a dog to run to a door or gate and bark at the person when a doorbell rings, but when the owner comes over, he should stop and relinquish charge to the owner. However, if a dog thinks he is the pack leader, he will continue to bark or maybe even growl at the person. This is because it is the Pack leader's duty to check who goes in and out of the property. If this is the case, a simple programme demoting the dog in the pack soon puts right the problem.
In some stray dog cases, they have seen abuse at the hands of people such as milkman, garbage collector, etc. whilst living on the streets. Even if they haven't been abused or threatened, if they see another stray barking at such people, they will soon pick up the behaviour.
Once the dog forms such an opinion - especially if it is an adult dog -it is difficult to remove the prejudice he may have against such people. In such cases, a little bit of training will get an owner to have some authority over the dog - and then the owner should exercise that authority to tell the dog he doesn't appreciate such behaviour. The problem however is that people enjoy a dog behaving like this. So they encourage the behaviour. It is a dangerous behaviour to encourage, because at some point the dog will decide for himself who he considers a threat and who he considers a friend -then he may growl equally at the mailman or even a relative. It is better to encourage a dog to be confident and friendly around all people - such dogs make the best watchdogs and are a pleasure to have around. A growling dog soon becomes a liability to own.
Regarding how people should behave with strays, the answer goes into a lot of detail. I have attached a small article which I had put together for my magazine, which should give you a few answers.
I hope I have managed to answer your questions. There is a lot more I could say and each case is individual, but I have tried to generalise it so you could understand the behaviour better.
Goodluck with your work!
Shirin
So true!! I have the article as an attachment, but because it is for her magazine, I am not sure if we should publish it here in the blog. I will get the name of the magazine or it's online url.
If people who feed and take care of stray dogs pay heed to Shirin's words, I think the streets will be much safer for all..milkman and dog.
I sent her an email asking her about the puzzling behaviour of community stray dogs that sometimes turn aggressive towards the milkman, postman etc. And I got an answer!!!
emphasis, my own.
This is what I wrote..
i came across your excellent faq about bringing home stray dogs in rajashree's indianpariahdog blog. although this question is not directly related to bringing home stray dogs, it is about stray dog behaviour itself. i was wondering if you have any thoughts on these two cases from our blog,
http://adoptstrays.blogspot.com/2007/09/jumble-in-our-midst.html
[..]
Lately there's been some trouble, though. He's begun to guard our house a bit too well -- he barks at people who come to the gate, and so the post lady and garbage collector are too afraid to do their work.
and
http://adoptstrays.blogspot.com/2007/09/these-very-naughty-dogs-need-home.html
[..]
Very proud to belong to a proper home, they welcome anyone who visits Shibani and Monita as long as they are friends. God help those who are not. Included in the hate list are the milk man, the newspaper man and any delivery man. Sometimes they even run up to strangers and bite them, just like that. The dogs do not live inside the house, but just within the gate and have the run of the road.
[..]
as you can see, its a repeating pattern. i can hazard a guess that these dogs do feel threatened or traumatised by the not so friendly people on the streets. but unfortunately, it is working against them. is there any way to calm them down or make them less aggressive? even neutered/spayed dogs can get aggressive when they are on the streets. maybe it is pack behaviour or maybe they are being defensive or territorial..whatever it is...for all those who ask us how come the street dogs are so aggressive, how should we advise them to behave in the presence of these strays?
Shirin's reply!
What a pleasure to hear from you. Regarding your questions, territorial behaviour is an innate instinct in all dogs. It’s just that in most of our pet dogs it remains dormant as they feel no need to display the behaviour.
With territorial behaviour, a dog is not guarding a place or an area, but resources within that area - for e.g. his bed, bowl, biscuit box, etc.; or things that belong to people (like the owner's bed, etc) that he considers as his.
It is perfectly normal for a dog to run to a door or gate and bark at the person when a doorbell rings, but when the owner comes over, he should stop and relinquish charge to the owner. However, if a dog thinks he is the pack leader, he will continue to bark or maybe even growl at the person. This is because it is the Pack leader's duty to check who goes in and out of the property. If this is the case, a simple programme demoting the dog in the pack soon puts right the problem.
In some stray dog cases, they have seen abuse at the hands of people such as milkman, garbage collector, etc. whilst living on the streets. Even if they haven't been abused or threatened, if they see another stray barking at such people, they will soon pick up the behaviour.
Once the dog forms such an opinion - especially if it is an adult dog -it is difficult to remove the prejudice he may have against such people. In such cases, a little bit of training will get an owner to have some authority over the dog - and then the owner should exercise that authority to tell the dog he doesn't appreciate such behaviour. The problem however is that people enjoy a dog behaving like this. So they encourage the behaviour. It is a dangerous behaviour to encourage, because at some point the dog will decide for himself who he considers a threat and who he considers a friend -then he may growl equally at the mailman or even a relative. It is better to encourage a dog to be confident and friendly around all people - such dogs make the best watchdogs and are a pleasure to have around. A growling dog soon becomes a liability to own.
Regarding how people should behave with strays, the answer goes into a lot of detail. I have attached a small article which I had put together for my magazine, which should give you a few answers.
I hope I have managed to answer your questions. There is a lot more I could say and each case is individual, but I have tried to generalise it so you could understand the behaviour better.
Goodluck with your work!
Shirin
So true!! I have the article as an attachment, but because it is for her magazine, I am not sure if we should publish it here in the blog. I will get the name of the magazine or it's online url.
If people who feed and take care of stray dogs pay heed to Shirin's words, I think the streets will be much safer for all..milkman and dog.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Bringing home a dog from the streets - some tips.
Bringing home a Pariah dog: Tips from Shirin Merchant, canine behaviour consultant
15 questions!
Q1. Are there any basic temperamental differences between pariah dogs and mongrels and purebreeds?
Q2. What must I expect if I adopt an adult stray dog who has lived a while on the street?
Q3. Can such a dog be taught to be obedient? Will he accept human direction after being used to an independent life?
Q4. Up to what age could a dog be trainable? If I adopt an older dog, what are the chances of his grasping house-training for instance?
Q5. Street dogs are used to passing urine and stools whenever they need to, in a place of their choice. How will they adjust to being taken out only at fixed times? What would be the most humane, healthy way to tackle this problem?
Q6. Many street dogs seem to dislike chains and leashes. How should we introduce them to being walked on a leash?
Q7. A dog who is used to life on the street experiences a lot of freedom and variety. Won't he get bored living in a flat? How can we prevent that?
Q8. We already have a dog and we want to adopt a second dog from a shelter. Do you think they may fight?
Q9. Adult street dogs don't play with toys or have possessions. What toys would be best for them?
Q10. Will they be more territorial or aggressive than purebreds? Are they likely to attack guests for instance?
Q11. Children are often cruel to strays. Are rescued/adopted dogs likely to be scared of children? Will they be aggressive with them?
Q12. What are the advantages and disadvantages of adopting an adult dog, as opposed to a puppy?
Q13. Do street dogs have a greater hunting instinct? Can they be trusted around smaller animals or birds?
Q14. What about rehoming an abandoned purebred? Will the dog have behaviour problems?
Q15. Does inbreeding make some purebreds unpredictable and nervous? Would street dogs be more or less free from this problem?
I dont want to cut and paste directly from their blog...please visit the link above!
For those who want to ask specific http://indianpariahdog.blogspot.com/2007/09/bringing-home-pariah-dog.htmlquestions..
You can ask Shirin Merchant questions on dog behaviour on this blog (mail the questions to rajashree.khalap@gmail.com). If you wish to consult her directly, write to Canines Can Care on k9cancare@hotmail.com
More stories here.
This space belongs to the Indian Pariah Dog Club, a Mumbai-based canine club whose membership is restricted to pariah dogs and mix-breeds only. We have two aims: to create awareness about the primitive natural breed cynologists call the Indian Pariah Dog, and to encourage a sense of pride and community in Pariah dog owners. The Club is the first and probably the only one of its kind in India.
Link courtesy: Vishaka. Thank you!!
15 questions!
Q1. Are there any basic temperamental differences between pariah dogs and mongrels and purebreeds?
Q2. What must I expect if I adopt an adult stray dog who has lived a while on the street?
Q3. Can such a dog be taught to be obedient? Will he accept human direction after being used to an independent life?
Q4. Up to what age could a dog be trainable? If I adopt an older dog, what are the chances of his grasping house-training for instance?
Q5. Street dogs are used to passing urine and stools whenever they need to, in a place of their choice. How will they adjust to being taken out only at fixed times? What would be the most humane, healthy way to tackle this problem?
Q6. Many street dogs seem to dislike chains and leashes. How should we introduce them to being walked on a leash?
Q7. A dog who is used to life on the street experiences a lot of freedom and variety. Won't he get bored living in a flat? How can we prevent that?
Q8. We already have a dog and we want to adopt a second dog from a shelter. Do you think they may fight?
Q9. Adult street dogs don't play with toys or have possessions. What toys would be best for them?
Q10. Will they be more territorial or aggressive than purebreds? Are they likely to attack guests for instance?
Q11. Children are often cruel to strays. Are rescued/adopted dogs likely to be scared of children? Will they be aggressive with them?
Q12. What are the advantages and disadvantages of adopting an adult dog, as opposed to a puppy?
Q13. Do street dogs have a greater hunting instinct? Can they be trusted around smaller animals or birds?
Q14. What about rehoming an abandoned purebred? Will the dog have behaviour problems?
Q15. Does inbreeding make some purebreds unpredictable and nervous? Would street dogs be more or less free from this problem?
I dont want to cut and paste directly from their blog...please visit the link above!
For those who want to ask specific http://indianpariahdog.blogspot.com/2007/09/bringing-home-pariah-dog.htmlquestions..
You can ask Shirin Merchant questions on dog behaviour on this blog (mail the questions to rajashree.khalap@gmail.com). If you wish to consult her directly, write to Canines Can Care on k9cancare@hotmail.com
More stories here.
This space belongs to the Indian Pariah Dog Club, a Mumbai-based canine club whose membership is restricted to pariah dogs and mix-breeds only. We have two aims: to create awareness about the primitive natural breed cynologists call the Indian Pariah Dog, and to encourage a sense of pride and community in Pariah dog owners. The Club is the first and probably the only one of its kind in India.
Link courtesy: Vishaka. Thank you!!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Teething Woes - This Too Shall Pass!
You bring home an angelic pup and it turns out to be a gnawing monster that wants to bite everything. And by everything, I mean leather shoes, the bottom most wooden shelves of your favourite bookshelf, books, stinky socks and dangerously electrical wiring and phone cords. He will chew through your house and wont even spit it out.
You look at the creature with a mission and wonder where that adorable bundle of joy disappeared! Well, dont worry...he/she will come back. When you get a puppy, the teething woes are a package deal. It can start as early as 4 months old and go on up until a year. The pup will want to chew his way out of your house, but you really dont have a choice but to wait it out!
Remember how it felt when you were teething as a babe. In all likelihood, you wont because milk teeth comes out when we are really young. Usually it also involves side shows such as projectile vomit and high fever. It is quite a bargain when you have a pup instead of a teething toddler because all you need to do is follow a few rules:
1. Keep teething toys ready at hand. There are any number of chewtoys, gnawables available at your friendly neighbourhood petstore(yes, I meant Glenands) for your puppy's joy. This is important because you are essentially saving your furniture and wiring by spending a few bucks on his toys. Also, it can be dangerous to have exposed live wires.
2. Short of baby proofing or pet proofing your house, you cannot really protect every inch of the house. So, try to confine your puppy to a certain area in the house. Of course, this doesnt mean that you have to tie him up. Let him be free, but make sure that he knows that certain areas are out of limits...which brings us to obeidence training. Your pet should always..ALWAYS....know that you are the master and he/she is the pet. Do not confuse the pet with different tones. Give precise and firm orders(dont scold..be matter-of-fact so he knows that you are the dominant one in the relationship) such as NO! or STAY! or DOWN! so he/she knows when to back off. Even my cats understand the tone of my voice. And dogs certainly can!
3. When the tooth cuts his gums, it will probably hurt the pup a bit..so rubber teething rings that can be frozen ought to ease the pain a bit. There are also hollow teething bones that can be filled with cheese or peanut butter so that he gets a little treat that oozes out everytime he bites. So he knows that there is a reward at the end of biting a teething bone. It helps him to know that there is no reward whatsoever at the end of chewing your favourite pair of shoes.
Remember, when it comes to a teething pup and your wallet(or purse or shoes or cell phone or..), the pup ALWAYS wins.
4. It is also important to train your pup about bite inhibition. When a pup is with his mother, she will teach him proper biting etiquette. Ever seen littermates playfight with each other. They are very gentle. They learn the right amount of pressure while sinking their teeth into their siblings' soft fur. If there is no Mama Dog around, it is upto you to play the part!
If leather shoes and wooden shelves are no big deal, how do you think your skin will fare. It will also look deliciously familiar. Unfortunately, they dont know and they wont unless you teach them. So, when they put their mouth on you or when they attempt to bite you, you have to be VERY FIRM and convey that it is inappropriate behaviour. If you dont do this at an early age, the pup will grow up to be an adult dog who doesnt think its a big deal to sink his fangs into human flesh. You will be the most unloved person in your whole block and you can forget about those potluck dinners, mail, milkman, visiting relatives(waitaminute..hmmm) etc.
Redirect the pup to a teething toy when he exhibits mouthing behaviour or lack of bite inhibition. It is upto you to teach him that toy is OK and hand is NOT OK. Sometimes, it helps to take the pup to a puppy play group or a dog park to play with other dogs/pups so he learns proper socialisation. It is just like raising a child. The pup will learn how to behave with another dog and with more exposure to different kinds of people, he will know how to interact with other human beings. This is also a valuable opportunity to train him to obey your verbal commands. Socialisation is also very important if your pup, on the other end of the spectrum, is scared of everything/everybody. If this is the case, he will learn how to approach different people/animals.
I think I have run out of things to say!! If anyone has Puppy-Teething stories, let us hear about it. I am sure it will be educational and all tips/tricks about socialisation/obedience training/potty training/bite inhibition etc will be welcome to the new pet guardians visiting our blog.
You look at the creature with a mission and wonder where that adorable bundle of joy disappeared! Well, dont worry...he/she will come back. When you get a puppy, the teething woes are a package deal. It can start as early as 4 months old and go on up until a year. The pup will want to chew his way out of your house, but you really dont have a choice but to wait it out!
Remember how it felt when you were teething as a babe. In all likelihood, you wont because milk teeth comes out when we are really young. Usually it also involves side shows such as projectile vomit and high fever. It is quite a bargain when you have a pup instead of a teething toddler because all you need to do is follow a few rules:
1. Keep teething toys ready at hand. There are any number of chewtoys, gnawables available at your friendly neighbourhood petstore(yes, I meant Glenands) for your puppy's joy. This is important because you are essentially saving your furniture and wiring by spending a few bucks on his toys. Also, it can be dangerous to have exposed live wires.
2. Short of baby proofing or pet proofing your house, you cannot really protect every inch of the house. So, try to confine your puppy to a certain area in the house. Of course, this doesnt mean that you have to tie him up. Let him be free, but make sure that he knows that certain areas are out of limits...which brings us to obeidence training. Your pet should always..ALWAYS....know that you are the master and he/she is the pet. Do not confuse the pet with different tones. Give precise and firm orders(dont scold..be matter-of-fact so he knows that you are the dominant one in the relationship) such as NO! or STAY! or DOWN! so he/she knows when to back off. Even my cats understand the tone of my voice. And dogs certainly can!
3. When the tooth cuts his gums, it will probably hurt the pup a bit..so rubber teething rings that can be frozen ought to ease the pain a bit. There are also hollow teething bones that can be filled with cheese or peanut butter so that he gets a little treat that oozes out everytime he bites. So he knows that there is a reward at the end of biting a teething bone. It helps him to know that there is no reward whatsoever at the end of chewing your favourite pair of shoes.
Remember, when it comes to a teething pup and your wallet(or purse or shoes or cell phone or..), the pup ALWAYS wins.
4. It is also important to train your pup about bite inhibition. When a pup is with his mother, she will teach him proper biting etiquette. Ever seen littermates playfight with each other. They are very gentle. They learn the right amount of pressure while sinking their teeth into their siblings' soft fur. If there is no Mama Dog around, it is upto you to play the part!
If leather shoes and wooden shelves are no big deal, how do you think your skin will fare. It will also look deliciously familiar. Unfortunately, they dont know and they wont unless you teach them. So, when they put their mouth on you or when they attempt to bite you, you have to be VERY FIRM and convey that it is inappropriate behaviour. If you dont do this at an early age, the pup will grow up to be an adult dog who doesnt think its a big deal to sink his fangs into human flesh. You will be the most unloved person in your whole block and you can forget about those potluck dinners, mail, milkman, visiting relatives(waitaminute..hmmm) etc.
Redirect the pup to a teething toy when he exhibits mouthing behaviour or lack of bite inhibition. It is upto you to teach him that toy is OK and hand is NOT OK. Sometimes, it helps to take the pup to a puppy play group or a dog park to play with other dogs/pups so he learns proper socialisation. It is just like raising a child. The pup will learn how to behave with another dog and with more exposure to different kinds of people, he will know how to interact with other human beings. This is also a valuable opportunity to train him to obey your verbal commands. Socialisation is also very important if your pup, on the other end of the spectrum, is scared of everything/everybody. If this is the case, he will learn how to approach different people/animals.
I think I have run out of things to say!! If anyone has Puppy-Teething stories, let us hear about it. I am sure it will be educational and all tips/tricks about socialisation/obedience training/potty training/bite inhibition etc will be welcome to the new pet guardians visiting our blog.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Feeding dogs: Some dos and don'ts
Please please read this as it can be life saving for your pooches;
- Chocolates are a BIG NO NO pls.
- Dogs should not be fed with too much of fish as that can cause vitamin A toxicity, which affects muscles and bones.
- Avoid tomatoes as they can cause tremors and abnormal heart rhythms.
- Grapes or raisins given even in a small amount can damage their kidneys.
- Oily food like French fries and pizzas can cause inflammation of the pancreas.
- Food containing onions or garlic can damage red blood cells and lead to anaemia. It can even lead to liver damage.
- And lastly feeding your dogs raw eggs can decrease the absorption of Vitamin B.
The best option is a broth with roti, 3-4 vegetables like carrots and gourd and daal.
Source: www.ibnlive.comMonday, August 6, 2007
Some care tips for Blind dogs
Though I have never owned a dog that needed special care but I had done some survey some time back when I was considering adopting Sunshine.
So here I am dedicating a blog to Sunshine and helping many other Sunshines in the process.
Most dogs adjust well to blindness at a later part of their lives and lead happy near-normal lives. All they need is a lot of love, some help in the form of training and lots of patience in their owners. Give him/her time to adjust and gain confidence and not before long you will be amazed at what a blind dog can do.
Some tips on how to train blind dogs:
- Learning to vocalize him is the most important thing. A couple examples would be:
- WATCH - When he goes to bump into something it makes him stop and veer away.
- STEP - He knows he's at the steps and starts feeling and smelling for them.
- JUMP - He knows it's ok to jump off the couch or when he's at the top step.
- Throwing rugs and mats around help him. A blind dog feels them with his feet. Have his bowls on a welcome mat and have rugs leading to the front door. When they get disoriented they go to the rugs and starts over again. (This is from a real life experience.)
- There are days when the dog will get confused and loses his confidence. The worst thing you can do is pamper and baby them (I know it's hard not too!)
- If you start carrying them around or bringing things to them, you'll be doing it permanently. Every time a blind dog does something right-no matter how small- he should get a GOOD BOY! You can see how proud the dog will be of himself.
- How to find water: Or another suggestion is to scent the mat you put the water dish on. Some fragrances listed were floral, citrus, herbal, woody scents. Also air fresheners, body deodorants, and furniture polishes.
- When you take him for a walk. Try tying a bell to your shoe. J.
- When you are teaching him anything try using toys that make a constant noise which will focus his attention.
1. Don't re-arrange your furniture if your pet is mostly indoors. If your pet is an outdoor pet, don't plan major landscape projects!
2. If you have a hot tub or pool, a cover or barrier is necessary. Your pet could fall into the water, not find the sides and drown.
3. Don't let your pet play in traffic. If you have an outdoor pet and no fence, please check into an "invisible fence".
4. If you live in a house or an apartment with a balcony, be sure that your pet cannot walk between the vertical supports and fall to the ground. If necessary, plexiglass should be applied or the vertical supports modified to prevent your pet from getting through.
5. Feed your pet and keep its water dish in exactly the same place each and every day. Also, try to have your pet sleep in the same area on a routine basis. These areas will then become reference sites if your pet becomes disoriented.
6. Until your pet learns about stairs, you will need to place a barrier to prevent him/her from falling down the stairs. The same is true for stair landings.
7. Most clients remark that going up and down stairs is the most difficult of all things to "re-learn". Be patient, your pet is trying to do its best.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Vegetarian Dogs
After Snowflake/Vinay's predicament, I asked a few of my friends who have vegetarian pets to give their insights/tips. I think we can place Snowflake in a home that can give her a meat based diet..no problem there..so she doesnt have to worry about changing her food habits now after so many years of meat munching...but this is mostly for future reference to those who want to raise pups as vegetarians..I suppose it is easier when they are trained from the time they were pups to dine on veggie food..
Here is one from Lekha of Bangalore who has a 10 year old Black Lab who is entirely vegetarian!!
I am cutting and pasting her mail entirely..
(begin mail)
[..]
deciding to get sophy to become veg was suggested by the vet who delivered her and her siblings - in his experience, he said that veg dogs have far less problems relating to worm infestations, skin problems, odour, digestion, considering the way meat is stored and cooked in india. it may be more difficult if one is changing the diet of a dog that's already been used to non-veg to veg but not vice versa!
dogs are not strictly carnivores - unlike cats. they can and do eat and relish a variety of food, so it's not going against their nature to restrict pets' diet to veg.
regarding the diet specifically, we have to ensure that she gets plenty of water - apparently a veg diet tends to produce more alkalinity in the urine, which in turn can cause urinary tract infections and kidney stone problems - so we keep giving her liquids in various forms (though it's a pain in some ways - she's pissing all the time!) like diluted milk, buttermilk, tea.
it's important to vary the veg diet - esp the lentils/legumes - and check whether they are properly digested - some of them pass thru the tract undigested - mashing them is important.
so also vegetables - like us, they have their likes/dislikes - and it's better to introduce veggies one at a time so that you know what their preferences are - include leafy veggies too. as a dessert you can give carrot sticks or something crunchy to get the teeth clean.
we use the same rice that we eat ourselves - some dogs cannot bear the stink of less expensive varieties of rice - if you're giving chapaties sometimes, make sure they're soaked in water while mixing into the dal/veg - our dog tends to wolf down chapaties and starts a big naatak of coughing and retching after that!
not too much milk - but when she was a pup, we substituted with complan or horlicks (not choc flavour) - biscuits and bread are treats.
[..]
(end mail)
also, here are some of her insights in a different communication to someone else..
(begin)
yeah, i do have a vegetarian dog - she is a black labrador - ten years old this month. our vet recommended that we keep her on a veg diet though her mom was fed meat, but since i'm vegetarian this has worked well for us, though initially we all went through some soul-searching - is it cruel to deprive a dog of its natural food etc.
what we give her is two large meals - one at about 10 and one at about 6.
she doesn't drink as much water as she should so i mix cup of watery, milky, sugary tea into a full bowl of water and give her two biscuits/a bun at 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.
her morning meal is about 2 liters of rava kanji with milk and a vitamin supplement and a calcium tablet and lately a tsp of something called "glossy coat" - some kind of oleogineous stuff. i know some friends who add a spoonful of vegetable oil in the food too.
the night meal is a big bowl of 1 cup rice/1/2 cup dal or soya flakes and 1 cup mixed vegetables (anything including bhindi, palak and karela) cooked with a pinch of turmeric, mixed with a cup of curd - i add the vitamin/calcium/glossy coat too. after she's done with this, i give her some carrot sticks or chunks of papaya, banana or chikoo which she adores. the carrot helps to keep her teeth clean.
she gets a little bored with this after a few months so i switch the rava (sooji) to ragi and add a little spicy sambar or sabji i've made for myself.
she's very particular about the quality of rice - so i give her the same that we eat.
besides this she shamelessly begs for scraps when we're at the table and keeps a sharp ear for sounds like the fridge or kitchen cabinets opening - she sleeps in my room and angles herself so that she can spot people in the mirror that faces the bedroom door - so she gets bits and pieces of toast, chapati, idli, dosa, cake or halwa too. when my kids were younger she was permanently stationed under the table and their plates became suspiciously clean very quickly. on one memorable occasion my daughter declared in a voice choked with emotion. "ma, you're so mean .... you just see, in your next birth you'll be born as sophy and sophy will be born as you and she WON'T GIVE YOU ANY ICE-CREAM"
no chocolate, not too much salty/spicy stuff, bread only when she's a little under the weather, a boiled egg sometimes. i don't think she will refuse non-veg if she's given it, but this has turned out fine.
(end)
I think it should be easier if there is a chart of sorts that lists all the necessary components and that way, it should be easy to mix and match for variety. A list of supplements too. It seems that dogs eat pretty much what we do..and probably better food considering that it is more balanced than our pizzas/burgers/french fries/ice cream/chocolate diets!
Here is one from Lekha of Bangalore who has a 10 year old Black Lab who is entirely vegetarian!!
I am cutting and pasting her mail entirely..
(begin mail)
[..]
deciding to get sophy to become veg was suggested by the vet who delivered her and her siblings - in his experience, he said that veg dogs have far less problems relating to worm infestations, skin problems, odour, digestion, considering the way meat is stored and cooked in india. it may be more difficult if one is changing the diet of a dog that's already been used to non-veg to veg but not vice versa!
dogs are not strictly carnivores - unlike cats. they can and do eat and relish a variety of food, so it's not going against their nature to restrict pets' diet to veg.
regarding the diet specifically, we have to ensure that she gets plenty of water - apparently a veg diet tends to produce more alkalinity in the urine, which in turn can cause urinary tract infections and kidney stone problems - so we keep giving her liquids in various forms (though it's a pain in some ways - she's pissing all the time!) like diluted milk, buttermilk, tea.
it's important to vary the veg diet - esp the lentils/legumes - and check whether they are properly digested - some of them pass thru the tract undigested - mashing them is important.
so also vegetables - like us, they have their likes/dislikes - and it's better to introduce veggies one at a time so that you know what their preferences are - include leafy veggies too. as a dessert you can give carrot sticks or something crunchy to get the teeth clean.
we use the same rice that we eat ourselves - some dogs cannot bear the stink of less expensive varieties of rice - if you're giving chapaties sometimes, make sure they're soaked in water while mixing into the dal/veg - our dog tends to wolf down chapaties and starts a big naatak of coughing and retching after that!
not too much milk - but when she was a pup, we substituted with complan or horlicks (not choc flavour) - biscuits and bread are treats.
[..]
(end mail)
also, here are some of her insights in a different communication to someone else..
(begin)
yeah, i do have a vegetarian dog - she is a black labrador - ten years old this month. our vet recommended that we keep her on a veg diet though her mom was fed meat, but since i'm vegetarian this has worked well for us, though initially we all went through some soul-searching - is it cruel to deprive a dog of its natural food etc.
what we give her is two large meals - one at about 10 and one at about 6.
she doesn't drink as much water as she should so i mix cup of watery, milky, sugary tea into a full bowl of water and give her two biscuits/a bun at 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.
her morning meal is about 2 liters of rava kanji with milk and a vitamin supplement and a calcium tablet and lately a tsp of something called "glossy coat" - some kind of oleogineous stuff. i know some friends who add a spoonful of vegetable oil in the food too.
the night meal is a big bowl of 1 cup rice/1/2 cup dal or soya flakes and 1 cup mixed vegetables (anything including bhindi, palak and karela) cooked with a pinch of turmeric, mixed with a cup of curd - i add the vitamin/calcium/glossy coat too. after she's done with this, i give her some carrot sticks or chunks of papaya, banana or chikoo which she adores. the carrot helps to keep her teeth clean.
she gets a little bored with this after a few months so i switch the rava (sooji) to ragi and add a little spicy sambar or sabji i've made for myself.
she's very particular about the quality of rice - so i give her the same that we eat.
besides this she shamelessly begs for scraps when we're at the table and keeps a sharp ear for sounds like the fridge or kitchen cabinets opening - she sleeps in my room and angles herself so that she can spot people in the mirror that faces the bedroom door - so she gets bits and pieces of toast, chapati, idli, dosa, cake or halwa too. when my kids were younger she was permanently stationed under the table and their plates became suspiciously clean very quickly. on one memorable occasion my daughter declared in a voice choked with emotion. "ma, you're so mean .... you just see, in your next birth you'll be born as sophy and sophy will be born as you and she WON'T GIVE YOU ANY ICE-CREAM"
no chocolate, not too much salty/spicy stuff, bread only when she's a little under the weather, a boiled egg sometimes. i don't think she will refuse non-veg if she's given it, but this has turned out fine.
(end)
I think it should be easier if there is a chart of sorts that lists all the necessary components and that way, it should be easy to mix and match for variety. A list of supplements too. It seems that dogs eat pretty much what we do..and probably better food considering that it is more balanced than our pizzas/burgers/french fries/ice cream/chocolate diets!
Dogs and Eye Problems
I met sunshine_n_fleurs who works for Poncho, the Spaniel, through Petnopolis(btw, if you havent joined petnopolis....where have you bee?) sent me the following..
This one is for you, Sunshine..
eta: and oh..sunshine_n_fleurs is now Snowflake's new mommy..:)
(begin sunshine_n_fleurs' mail)
We all love and have dogs. But purebred dogs unlike mixed breeds are predisposed to specific genetic disorders. Like a Cocker Spaniel for instance is susceptible to dry eye, cataract and glaucoma. Would it have changed the way we feel...NO WAY! But would we have liked to be equipped with this knowledge beforehand. Yes only so we’d know what to expect and look out for.
In case of an eye problem a verbal description of the eye can never convey the nature or severity of the problem. It’s advisable to take your dog to a Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology for any of the following conditions:
* Red eye
* If he’s squinting, pawing or rubbing his eye.
* Watery eyes
* Cloudy Eyes
* Blood in or around the eye.
* Sudden Vision Loss
* Dilated pupil or swollen eye.
A few eye problems that some breeds are genetically predisposed to:
GLAUCOMA:
Breeds – Cocker Spaniels, Terriers, Poodles, Beagles & Basset Hounds
Symptoms: Cloudy pupils, Large Pupils and redness
*A dog with glaucoma needs to have the same emergency status as a dog hit by a car. Delay in treating glaucoma could lead to permanent blindness.
CHERRY EYE:
Breeds – Spaniels, Beagles, Poodles, Mastiffs, Basset Hounds, Bull Dogs, Lhasa Apso, Pugs and Pekingese
Symptoms: A red looking bump growing out of the corner of the eye.
CATARACTS:
Breeds– Spaniels, Labradors, Poodles, Retrievers, Beagles, Terriers, Pekingese, Dachshunds n German Shepherd’s.
Symptoms: Cloudy white appearance.
DRY EYE:
Breeds– Cocker Spaniel, Pug, Lhasa Apso.
Symptoms: redness, cloudy dull cornea, sticky yellow discharge.
ENTROPION:
Breeds-Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Great Danes, Pomeranians, Poodles, Pugs, Rottweilers n St Bernards
Symptoms: Blood shot eyes, Discharge, Squinting
ECTROPION:
Breeds: Labradors, Rottweilers n St Bernards
Symptom: Permanently watery eye.
RETINAL ATROPHY:
Breeds: Spaniels, Boxers, Dachshunds, English Setter, German Shepherds, Poodles
Symptoms: Decrease in vision during the night. In some dogs lens of the eye may appear opaque or cloudy.
CHRONIC SUPERFICIAL KERATITIS:
Breeds – German Shepherds
Symptoms: Pigmented Cornea.
In case you’d like a list of genetically common disorders specific to your breed do click on the link http://www.raot.org/information/genetic.htm
This one is for you, Sunshine..
eta: and oh..sunshine_n_fleurs is now Snowflake's new mommy..:)
(begin sunshine_n_fleurs' mail)
We all love and have dogs. But purebred dogs unlike mixed breeds are predisposed to specific genetic disorders. Like a Cocker Spaniel for instance is susceptible to dry eye, cataract and glaucoma. Would it have changed the way we feel...NO WAY! But would we have liked to be equipped with this knowledge beforehand. Yes only so we’d know what to expect and look out for.
In case of an eye problem a verbal description of the eye can never convey the nature or severity of the problem. It’s advisable to take your dog to a Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology for any of the following conditions:
* Red eye
* If he’s squinting, pawing or rubbing his eye.
* Watery eyes
* Cloudy Eyes
* Blood in or around the eye.
* Sudden Vision Loss
* Dilated pupil or swollen eye.
A few eye problems that some breeds are genetically predisposed to:
GLAUCOMA:
Breeds – Cocker Spaniels, Terriers, Poodles, Beagles & Basset Hounds
Symptoms: Cloudy pupils, Large Pupils and redness
*A dog with glaucoma needs to have the same emergency status as a dog hit by a car. Delay in treating glaucoma could lead to permanent blindness.
CHERRY EYE:
Breeds – Spaniels, Beagles, Poodles, Mastiffs, Basset Hounds, Bull Dogs, Lhasa Apso, Pugs and Pekingese
Symptoms: A red looking bump growing out of the corner of the eye.
CATARACTS:
Breeds– Spaniels, Labradors, Poodles, Retrievers, Beagles, Terriers, Pekingese, Dachshunds n German Shepherd’s.
Symptoms: Cloudy white appearance.
DRY EYE:
Breeds– Cocker Spaniel, Pug, Lhasa Apso.
Symptoms: redness, cloudy dull cornea, sticky yellow discharge.
ENTROPION:
Breeds-Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Great Danes, Pomeranians, Poodles, Pugs, Rottweilers n St Bernards
Symptoms: Blood shot eyes, Discharge, Squinting
ECTROPION:
Breeds: Labradors, Rottweilers n St Bernards
Symptom: Permanently watery eye.
RETINAL ATROPHY:
Breeds: Spaniels, Boxers, Dachshunds, English Setter, German Shepherds, Poodles
Symptoms: Decrease in vision during the night. In some dogs lens of the eye may appear opaque or cloudy.
CHRONIC SUPERFICIAL KERATITIS:
Breeds – German Shepherds
Symptoms: Pigmented Cornea.
In case you’d like a list of genetically common disorders specific to your breed do click on the link http://www.raot.org/information/genetic.htm
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