Worth a watch PBS’ Dogs Decoded

Did you know that 99.8 percent of a dog’s genetic make-up is identical to that of a gray wolf?
Or that scientists have mapped the Boxer’s genome, found the marker that makes Boxer’s prone to cardiomyopathy and expect the research will help cure human diseases?
Perhaps most interesting of all, do you know there are studies going on proving that dogs read our facial expressions to help them communicate emotionally with us, and that humans are rather adept at figuring out what different dog barks mean?
Considering wolves rarely bark, except as a warning, the fact that our dogs have such variety in their vocal cords really speaks to the changes that have occurred during our co-evolution (most refer to this as ‘domestication.’ I take issue with that term. Read why here and here.)
All this information and lots more was presented in last night’s airing of Nova: Dogs Decoded on PBS.
I encourage all dog owners to check out the program. The DVD costs about $25 (order here) or you can check out the program posted on the website (click here).
It takes a look at where dogs came from, when their partnership with us formed, how the process of evolution changed wolves into dogs and had a heavy emphasis on showcasing all sorts of really cool research being done around the world.
For instance, there’s a study going on in Russia that’s been taking place for about 50 years now. The study is whether silver foxes can be ‘domesticated.’ What the researchers have found is that the answer is yes, but it’s purely a genetic thing — nature, not nurture.
By selecting the foxes with the most tame temperaments and only letting those foxes breed, they noticed in three generations a difference in the behavior of the foxes — they began showing affection toward humans, giving more eye contact, etc.
And those same foxes also began showing some very unexpected physical changes — as the generations of foxes became tamer, they also began having different colorings, curled tails and even floppy ears.
So if you’re wondering how we got from a Gray Wolf to a Chihuahua, there’s a big hint. Breed for behavior and physical changes shall follow.
I don’t know what was more interesting to me — the ‘domestication’ piece, or the piece on research being done that proves humans and dogs can communicate with eachother.
Don’t think you know what your dog’s bark means? Well, don’t sell yourself short. Most people can read a dog’s emotions in its bark — anxiety, playfulness, fear, etc. You can test yourself by clicking here.
The show also features a border collie who is incredibly smart. The dog can actually look at the picture of a toy and understand she is supposed to go get the actual toy and bring it to the person holding the picture. How amazing is that?
It warms my heart to see shows like this being produced because it presents our dogs as wonderful, interesting, smart creatures in their own right, as dogs. Our society needs more shows like this and less shows that present the dog as little humans in furry suits.
The more we can respect and enjoy our dogs for being dogs, and the more we understand what makes them a dog, the more we’ll be able to truly enjoy one anothers companionship.

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Why Some Dogs Need Winter Coats to Stay Warm

By Linda Cole

My first dog, Jack, was an American Eskimo. He had a thick undercoat that kept him toasty warm through even the coldest winter blast. Most of my dogs have been large with warm coats, and I never thought much about winter coats for dogs until my two Jack Russell Terrier mixed siblings, Sophie and Kelly, got older. Our Midwest winters can be harsh, with snow and subzero temperatures. Both Sophie and Kelly took the cold in stride when they were young, but as they aged I discovered they got cold when we were outside. Some dogs do need winter coats to help keep them warm!

Winter coats, sweaters or booties are to some people nothing more than an owner pampering their pet. I’ve had people stop me and actually complain because I had a winter coat on my dogs. Some people think dogs dont need anything on because they already have a perfectly good, natural winter coat. Sometimes, however, a dogs natural coat isnt enough to protect them from winter weather. There are reasons why you may need to put warm clothes on your dog.

Older Dogs

I had an older dog, Rex, who would get so cold his teeth chattered. He loved playing outside with the other dogs, and putting both a sweater and coat on him helped to keep him warm and made it possible for him to enjoy being outside – without shivering so hard his teeth chattered. Older dogs can have a harder time generating and holding body heat. Putting a sweater and/or coat on your dog when hes outside is a practical way of dealing with colder weather. Its important to keep an eye on an older pet to make sure the cold isnt bothering him.

Another consideration to keep in mind is even inside the house, an older dog can become chilled. If you need a sweater because your thermostat is turned down to conserve energy or theres a chill in the house just before the furnace comes on, your older dog may also need a sweater.

Medical Conditions

Dogs with arthritis can be helped with a warm winter coat to help protect their joints when they are outside. Wearing a sweater or light jacket inside the house can also give them more comfort. Cushings disease, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, hypoglycemia, respiratory problems, diabetes, a thinning coat, or recovering from surgery, as well as other conditions can contribute to how well a dog is able to maintain his own body heat and handle cold weather.

Smaller Dogs, Toy Breeds, or Dogs with Short Coats

I use to laugh when Id see little dogs dressed up in fancy coats and booties. I changed my tune when I discovered that my small dogs got cold, and they loved wearing their winter coats. They understood the coats made them warmer, and waited patiently for me to dress them.

Some dog breeds dont have a heavy enough coat to keep them warm. Obviously, hairless dogs need coats, inside and outside, when its cold. The Greyhound, Whippet, Chihuahua or any breed with a short single coat may need something on to stay warm in winter. A good combination is to layer a sweater, T-shirt, sweatshirt or lightweight coat under a fleece lined outer coat for maximum warmth. When its really cold or snowing, a waterproof/windproof coat or dog blanket will keep your dog toasty and dry. A lightweight coat or sweater works well for keeping a chilly dog more comfortable inside.

Consider the Dogs Natural Coat

Even dogs with an appropriate natural coat can benefit from a winter coat that helps keep them dry. Hypothermia is a winter danger that can affect humans, pets and wildlife. Its important to stay dry to keep body heat trapped where its needed. Dogs with a warm undercoat, like Huskies, can do well in extreme winter weather, as long as they stay dry.

Proper grooming is an important part of keeping a dog warm, as well. A wet, dirty or matted coat loses its ability to properly insulate the body, and it cant trap body heat. Along with grooming is a proper diet. A premium quality dog food like CANIDAE helps your dog maintain a healthy coat which will keep him warmer.

Dog Booties

Dogs lose body heat through their paws and ears. Winter can be hard on a dogs paws, and winter paw care can help keep your dogs feet healthy. A good pair of booties can not only help keep your pet warm by keeping his feet dry, they also keep dangerous deicers used on roads and sidewalks off your dogs feet.

If your dog is shivering, thats a sure sign hes cold. Sometimes a dog really does need a winter coat to stay warm.

Photos by Jon Hurd

Read more articles by Linda Cole

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What a feeling — helping rescue dogs get adopted!

On Friday, my friend Allison and I headed to K-9 Stray Rescue League in Oxford to walk some dogs for them. We are so glad we did it!
The last pair of dogs we were walked were adult labradors named Duke and Gracie. They were sharing a pen together and we asked what their story was.
"Their owner died," a volunteer told us. "They were surrendered to a shelter and the day before they were scheduled to be put down, K-9 picked them up."
Can I just say, "Whew!"
Those two definitely deserve better.
Walking rescue dogs is no easy task. No dog that stays penned up for any period of time can be expected to do anything less than tug and pull and be totally wild when let out on leash. We had plenty of dogs that were ready to pull our arms right out of their sockets, but not these two sweethearts.
They walked together, side by side, smiling and happy to be out and about, tails gently wagging. They didnt pull at all.
As we walked, chunks of old fur were flying off them in the wind. They were shedding and in need of a good brushing, so before we left K-9, we sat down on the deck and brushed out all that soft lab fur.
We talked about them all night, hoping to hear theyd been adopted.
On Saturday, we got the news we were looking for while stopping by Pet-A-Palooza at The Palace in Auburn Hills.
Carole Powell, founder of K-9 Stray, stopped us when we walked into K-9s area.
"You two brushed those labs out so nice they were the first ones to get adopted this morning!" she said.
Allison and I erupted in cheers and high-fives. What an incredible feeling it is to know youve helped two great dogs find a great new home after first losing their owner and then coming so close to losing their own lives as well.
Powell filled us on in the adopting family.
"Theyre just wonderful," she told us. "A nice family with children and a new baby. The dogs are going to do great there."
And I have no doubt that they will.

Video of Allison and I walking Duke & Gracie

Dusty still needs a home! 
Also on Friday, I met Dusty — a chocolate labrador and pit bull mix who is absolutely gorgeous. He really stole my heart.

See Dustys Adoption Profile

Again, you expect penned dogs to pull like crazy. Dusty didnt.
Sure, he pulled a little bit, but he was very interested in what I was doing — thats a great sign, from a dog trainers point of view. If I stopped, he stopped. If I said his name, he was at attention immediately. Having a dog that is very focused on and motivated by human attention is a huge bonus. It makes training so much easier.
Dusty needs some four-on-the-floor training and probably some work with mouthing too. He didnt really mouth me at all, but in playing with a potential adopter who encouraged the mouthing, he quickly delved right into it.
Either way, hes got great energy and excellent training potential. He is a total lover and wants to bond with every human he comes across. Top it all off with his attractive looks and youve got yourself a great dog, so what are you waiting for? Adopt Dusty!

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How To Train A Guard Dog Instructions

A guide to training your dog to obey German dog commands.

Learn about the advantages and disadvantages guard dogs provide you. ... are naturally protective of their owners, while others require specific training .... Your life will be much easier the sooner the dog is fully trained and follows instructions.

Rotary tool files dog nails gradually; Protective plastic guard helps to keep ... According to the instructions, I filed each nail for 3-5 seconds, alternating nails and repeating the process several times. ... 10 Essential Steps for Training Your ...

Stop Dog Barking Device As Seen On Tv Taurus Dog Training Reviews Age Applicable Chore Charts for Ages 2-18 – Housekeeping – Using this report of age relevant chores you’ll have the ability to evaluation some tricks to make use of when …. Make sure you institute a "teaching interval" with new chores the place you’re … the suitable canine teaching dvd critiques strategies

Do You Really Want a Guard Dog? It may come as a surprise to learn that guard dogs are actually friendly when their owner is not under threat. It is only when that ...

how to train older dog to poop outside how to train your dog to come when called stop dog barking app iphone stop my dog barking at night animal behavior college dog training review how to train a dog to come home

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Potty Training for Apartment Dogs Adult Dogs

We have a solution for all your dog training needs...There are several apartment buildings in the south part of Beverly Hills and house soiling is one of the most common behavior problems reported by dog owners.

House training an adult dog is not an easy task, specially if the dog lives in an apartment or condo and the owner is gone for several hours. To successfully potty train a dog of any age, we recommend creating a schedule for the dog and being consistent, this is something that is very difficult to accomplish by dog owners who work during the week and have no financial capacity to hire a pet sitter or dog walker. Using a crate is not an option for an adult dog left alone several hours because it can increase stress levels and the dog can develop major fears and even separation anxiety. Unless the owner has the time to properly train the dog to get used to being inside a crate, crate training is not recommendable.

One option we offer to dog owners is buying the patio park which is a small patch of grass with a built in drainage system, designed to contain pet waste in a designated area. We can teach the dog to learn to go to "the park" in just one lesson.

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Bulldog cuddles up on pile of ice in hot weather

Some people hate email forwards, some people thoroughly enjoy them. Count me in as part of the "thoroughly enjoy" crowd.
This adorable photo was forwarded to me with the following caption:

"This is Elliot, a British (English?) Bulldog, and this is an un-posed picture (trust me, you couldnt actually make Elliot do anything) of said pooch trying to beat the Texas heat after his owners emptied their cooler in the driveway in Sachse, Texas."

Is that darling or what?
So, a couple things to note from this photo and caption ...

Keeping your dog cool in hot weather
While not every dog will be willing to lie down in a pile of ice, this picture makes a whole lot of good doggie sense.
Ive written before that cooling a dogs paws and belly can have the biggest impact on cooling down your dog overall.
Aside from panting, dogs can regulate their overall body temperature through their paws and belly. Have you ever seen a dog dig down underneath a tree or bush on a hot summer day? Hes digging to reach cooler earth, and simply lying down on top of a cooler surface will do wonders to help cool down the whole body.
When my dog gets really hot, Ill dip his paws in ice water or drape cold rags over his paws and belly. It works like a charm.

Read more about how to help your dog out in the hot weather by checking out these posts and articles: 

• When is it too hot to take your dog with you?
• Kiddie pools can be great for water-loving dogs
• Veternarians warn that with high temps, heat stroke can be fatal for dogs

The caption is true: Bulldogs are notoriously stubborn
I thought it was cute that the email noted "Trust me, you couldnt actually make Elliot do anything."
Im sure Bulldog owners would find no surprise in this.
English Bulldogs are often referred to as stubborn and difficult to train.
Personally, Ive never worked with one before, but I dont doubt the rumors.
Id argue, however, that as with training any dog, success comes in knowing what motivates your dog. If the dog is not motivated by treats or toys, training will be a challenge.
With Bulldogs, Id guess that reading the dogs mood from one moment to the next is also imperative to successful training. Many Bulldogs are quite content with whatever theyve got going on — say, chillin on the sofa or stretched out on soft sod — and if the dog appears to be really enjoying his chill time, youre probably not going to have a whole lot of success starting a training session.

Wait until your dog is acting playful to engage in training, and most importantly, remember to shape behaviors by rewarding off the cuff for any behaviors you do like.
No dog is impossible to train, some are just more challenging than others. Theres nothing wrong with that!

One last note: lets remember that dogs with smooshed-up faces (Bulldogs, Boxers, Pugs, etc.) have a difficult time breathing, period. Heat and humidity make it that much more difficult for them, so please remember to keep your smooshed-face dogs cool!

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Ride on a dog sled and learn to skijor with your own dog

Snow Bound Adventures in Grayling

This sounds like a really cool event, and your dogs are welcome.
From noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30, Oakland County Parks and Recreation will host dog sledding demonstrations at the Orion Oaks County Dog Park (located on Joslyn Road just south of Clarkston Road).
You can pay a nominal fee to be taken for a ride on the dog sled and, you can bring your own dog and take part in workshops teaching you how to sled and skijor with your pup.
Snow Bound Adventures, a Grayling business, will be giving the presentation.
The Rileys, who own and operate the business, look like a relatively young couple who have been able to make a decent living from their kennel, breeding dogs, and alternately getting the dogs involved in events like the one coming up at Oakland County. From what I see, it looks like they also host groups frequently and do some canoeing in the summer. Oh, the life.
It sounds like they genuinely enjoy what they do. In a blog post from earlier this week, it was written: “Glad to see so many folks interested in getting out with the dogs. Truly fun to watch someone get on the runners and experience this for the first time. I wonder if anyone will jump right into the lifestyle like I did so many years ago after Russ and Sherry hooked up that first team for me.”
Will you be one of those to take the jump? Find out for yourself by heading to the event and giving dog sledding a try.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re going to go:
The workshop — where you’ll learn how to team up with your own dog to take part in sledding and skijoring — will be from noon to 1 p.m., followed by sled rides from 1-2 p.m. Another workshop will be from 2-3 p.m. and the day will wrap up with more sled rides from 3-4 p.m.
If you miss the event on the 30th, don’t worry — the same event, same schedule and all, will come back to Lyon Oaks County Park from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13.
And, this is the same group that does the demonstrations at Rochester’s Fire and Ice festival on Saturday, Jan. 29.
Another need to know: Even though the events are being held at the dog park, your dog needs to be on a six-foot leash for the event. Another area of the dog park will be available for your dog’s off-leash needs.

What the heck is skijoring?
I’ve heard a lot about this sport in recent years. If I had the money to buy a pair of cross country skis, you can bet Sensi and I would be a skijoring like mad. I can’t imagine anything he’d like more (OK, actually, I can think of lots of things — swimming, juicy dog bones, tanning on the deck ... but whatever, he’d still love to skijor!)
Basically, skijoring is when you use an appropriate harness on your dog, strap a leash to it, pull on your cross country skis and go — your dog pulling you, of course.
Doesn’t that sound exhilarating?

One more event at Lyon Oaks in Wixom
If you’re not so keen on the dog sledding and skijoring stuff, check out the Lyon Oaks Dog Park in Wixom for a more laid back outing at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22.
Dogs and their owners are invited to take part in the “Happy Trails Dog Walk” — a group fitness walk heading through Lyon Oaks. Meet at the small parking lot near the park office.

What does it all cost?
A daily pass to Oakland County Parks costs $5 or you can pay $30 for an annual pass.
Other than that, the event is free with the chance there may be a “nominal fee” to ride the dog sled.
Equipment, training and practice will be provided during the workshop, so don’t worry about dragging out your own skis.

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