ANIMAL WELLNESS
For a long, healthy life!
BEACH
TOP TIPS FOR
etiquette
TRAINING TREATS
FOR DOGS
How NUTRITION affects BEHAVIOR
Prevent dog bites
BY LEARNING TO READ CANINE BODY LANGUAGE
Why you should supplement with
ENZYMES 4 common
behavior problems & fun ways to fix them
Mishka
the Talking Husky
This canine DIVA can mimic human speech, and it’s made her WORLD FAMOUS!
JUNE/JULY 2016 Display until July 13, 2016
$6.95 USA/Canada
VOLUME 18 ISSUE 3
AnimalWellnessMagazine.com
BONUS INSIDE!
Contents June/July 2016
30
40
Features
18 4 GAMES FOR FIXING
UNWANTED DOG BEHAVIORS
From begging to pulling on the leash, any dog can develop behavioral issues. We look at four common behavior problems and how to solve them – using fun and games.
22 REDUCE THE RISK OF DOG BITES
Understanding why dogs bite, and how to recognize even the subtlest signs of unease in your dog, can help prevent injury.
24 FOXTAIL BARLEY – A
DANGER TO YOUR DOG
This long feathery grass looks beautiful, but foxtail barley seeds have tiny barbs that can attach to your dog’s coat and burrow into his skin, ears and nose.
28 ENZYMES AND YOUR
DOG OR CAT
Enzyme supplementation not only supports your pet’s digestive health and enhances nutrient absorption; it also reduces inflammation and boosts overall wellness.
30 SHOULD MY DOG CHEW STICKS?
She talks, she sings – this canine diva is gorgeous and talented, and has millions of adoring fans!
44 DOES SLEEPING WITH PETS DISTURB YOUR REST?
Many people love having their dogs and cats sleep with them. But if you’re being disturbed by a noisy, restless or bed-hogging pet, it may be time to make some changes.
46 BEACH ETIQUETTE FOR DOGS
Making sure your dog minds his manners when he’s at the beach helps keep things fun and safe for everyone.
52 CAN DOGS FEEL GUILT?
It seems a natural thing to do, but it can also be hazardous. Learn why dogs like chewing sticks, and how you can curb this behavior.
We’ve all seen dogs acting “guilty”. But behaviors like avoiding eye contact, hiding, or creeping don’t mean the dog knows he did something wrong and wants to reform.
34 TOP TRAINING TREATS FOR YOUR DOG
56 ACUPRESSURE FOR DOGS IN HOSPICE
Treats for training need to be bite-sized, convenient, and easy to carry and handle. They should also be healthy and nutritious – and not contribute to weight gain.
38 ARE YOUR FLOORS TOO
SLIPPERY FOR YOUR DOG?
Dogs can be injured by slipping and falling on smooth flooring. Take these steps to keep him from getting hurt.
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40 MISHKA THE TALKING HUSKY
Animal Wellness
Used in hospice or palliative care, acupressure is a wonderful way to alleviate discomfort and help dogs pass more easily when their time comes.
62 NUTRITION CAN INFLUENCE YOUR DOG’S BEHAVIOR
Find out how certain dietary nutrients and calming supplements may curb aggression, anxiety and other unwanted behaviors in dogs.
78 4 WAYS REIKI CAN HELP SHELTER ANIMALS
Shelter dogs and cats are under a lot of stress. Reiki can relieve their discomfort and even make them more adoptable.
83 DOG FOR DOG
Each time you buy dog food or treats from this company, an equal amount gets donated to a shelter or rescue.
90 CHINESE HERBS FOR FELINE HYPERTHYROIDISM
Hyperthyroidism is a common disease in cats. Chinese herbal medicine is showing promise as a holistic way to treat it.
92 ARE YOUR CATS ATTACKING EACH OTHER?
It could be redirected aggression. Here’s how to help your cats stop fighting, or prevent it in the first place.
94 CATS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
Does your cat chew on your houseplants or eat your garden flowers? Many plants can make him sick, so know the toxic from the non-toxic.
96 COOPER: PHOTOGRAPHER CAT
This friendly feline goes out once a week with a small camera attached to his collar. His photos have attracted the attention of fans all over the world.
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24 18 Columns
12 Yakkity yak 64 Passages 68 Rewind 78 To the rescue
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87 Tail end
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Social media Tips, contests and more! AnimalWellnessMagazine News, events, and tips! @ AW_magazine Tips, pet photos, and more! AnimalWellnessMagazine Crafts, laughs, and more! AnimalWellness
Departments 8
Editorial
50
Product picks
60
Animal Wellness resource guide
75
The scoop
82
Social media
84
Events calendar
84
ClassiďŹ eds
85
Marketplace June/July 2016
5
REDUCE
THE RISK
OF
By Lisa
Evans
DOG BITES Understanding why dogs bite, and how to recognize even the subtlest signs of unease in your dog, can help prevent injury.
Millions of people, mostly children, are bitten by dogs each year. Not surprisingly, bite incidents increase in the summer as more stranger-dog interactions take place in parks and on beaches. Having your dog bite someone is a traumatizing experience for everyone, and can have serious repercussions that may lead to legal action and the dog being euthanized. But understanding why dogs bite, and taking the proper precautions, can prevent your dog from becoming another statistic.
• Freezing • Ducking away • Lowering the tail or tucking it between the legs
While biting is a form of aggression, only a small percentage of dogs that bite are actually aggressive, according to Jonathan Klein, a dog behavior specialist. “Almost all the aggression we see is based on some form of fear (see sidebar opposite); the dog is trying to protect himself or protect resources,” he says. Biting at the veterinary office, for example, is often a reaction to the vet breaching the dog’s personal space before he’s ready.
PREVENTING BITES
DO YOU KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS? The problem is, many people don’t recognize the warning signs dogs give us when they’re afraid. “Typically, a dog is going to demonstrate at least some signs of being uncomfortable in a particular situation,” says animal behaviorist Dorothy Litwin. Some subtle signs of discomfort in dogs include:
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Animal Wellness
More obvious signs that a dog is upset include growling, snarling and baring the teeth. While these signs may not mean the dog is definitely going to bite, they do mean the owner needs to intervene in order to avoid the situation turning sour.
Often, preventing your dog from biting means being an advocate for his best interests, and watching and understanding his cues. • Understand your dog’s body language. “Most people are not well-versed in dog body language,” says Dorothy. Learning to interpret the subtle signs of discomfort listed earlier (freezing, ducking, tail tucking, etc.), will help you interpret what your dog is trying to tell you. “If people become better listeners to what their dogs are trying to tell them, they’ll be able to become more effective at mitigating potential problems,” says Dorothy. • Avoid giving in to social pressure. Although it can be difficult to tell people that your dog isn’t friendly, Dorothy says this is the
best way to prevent a negative incident from happening. Often, strangers feel they have permission to pet any dog in the street, but being your dog’s advocate means letting people know that touching your dog is not acceptable. If you feel bad saying that your dog isn’t friendly, change your language, and say something like: “She doesn’t like to be touched by new people” or “She’s really shy.” • Ensure he’s properly socialized. “The biggest cause of dogs that bite is improper socialization,” says Jonathan. Socialization occurs in the first 12 weeks of a puppy’s life. Exposing puppies to various environments, sounds, people, places and objects helps them as they grow up. Lack of socialization is often why grown dogs are afraid of umbrellas, for example, because they didn’t see umbrellas as a puppy. If you have adopted an older dog that wasn’t socialized, you may have to do some counter-conditioning in order to help change his perception of certain things or people from fearful to positive, or at least to neutral. When it comes to dog bites, prevention is the best route to take. A dog that bites isn’t necessarily aggressive or “bad”; he may just be fearful, protective and/ or poorly socialized. Understanding why dogs bite, learning how to read canine body language, and taking steps to prevent situations that could lead to biting, are proactive and effective ways to avoid this behavior.
THREE REASONS WHY
DOGS BITE 1. FEAR
Unless your dog is aggressive by nature, biting typically results from fear. A well-meaning neighbor may reach his hand out to pet your dog – but the dog, not wanting to be touched, or frightened by the stranger’s hand, may snap at him. “Quite often, people think they can just pet dogs on the head, taking for granted that dogs like to be touched,” says Dorothy.
2. POSSESSIVENESS
Whether your dog is possessive about food, a toy or territory, trying to take the thing he’s protecting away can result in signs of aggression, including biting. “What not to do is prove you’re stronger than the dog and take his stuff away,” says Jonathan. If your dog is possessive over food and shows aggression every time you approach his bowl, for example, Jonathan advises showing the dog that you’re going to make things better by adding a treat to the bowl. That way, he’ll come to associate your approach with something positive. Swapping one toy for another or trading a treat for a toy can help a dog overcome toy possession.
3. PAIN OR OTHER MEDICAL REASONS
If your dog is experiencing pain or discomfort, she may bite when someone touches her in the painful region. For example, you may not realize your dog has an ear infection until you touch her ear and are surprised when she snaps at your hand. Dorothy recommends that you always try to find a physical reason why your dog has started biting, especially if this is unusual behavior for her, and that if you can’t see anything obvious, to take her to the vet for a checkup.
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