How to Help Your Dog Adjust to Change

By Langley Cornwell

Many dogs don’t respond well to change. Our skittish pup gets knocked out of her frame if we move furniture around, so I dread the day when we move into a new home – for that reason only. I’m really ready to move to a place with a bigger yard, but that’s another story entirely. Back to the dogs… when we do move we will have to take her sensitive nature into consideration. In preparation, I’ve studied up on ways to make the process easier for her. And looking ahead, there will be other changes in store for her as our lives progress. Here are tips for helping your dog adjust to changes that may come your way.

New Home

Before anything else, please remember to have your dog’s tags updated with the new address and telephone number, and keep the tags on them at all times. They may slip out the door and get lost in the new neighborhood. You have to do your part to keep your dog safe.

If it’s possible, take your dog to the new neighborhood before you move, and let them walk around and become familiar with the surroundings. The more you can do this, the better. During the move itself, determine where your dog’s bed or crate will be immediately, ideally before your dog ever enters the new house. Do the same with the food and water dishes. Have your dog’s food dish full of CANIDAE dog food and have their water dish full of clean, fresh water when they arrive. Make sure there are plenty of familiar smells around the new place, things that smell like your dog and things that smell like you and your family. 

When your dog comes to the house for the first time, talk soothingly to them and allow them to explore the place at their own pace. In the past, I’ve ‘seeded’ the house with CANIDAE TidNips treats for my dogs, putting some on the sofa, some in their beds and random other places for them to find. As the dogs explored their new accommodations, they happened upon a treat here and there – and got a sense that this new home was a good place.

The Life of a Certified Service and Therapy Dog

By Ambassador Doc-Barker

My name is Ambassador Doc-Barker. I’m a 2 year old Chocolate Labrador Retriever and Team CANIDAE Member.  I am a service dog certified through Canine Support Teams, Inc., a therapy dog registered thru Delta Society®, and a Canine Ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America through the Wishes Forever® endowment campaign, as well as my family’s loving pet.  I have eaten CANIDAE dog food my whole life! I started out eating the All Life Stages (ALS) formula, and for the past year I have eaten Grain Free pureSEA, and I love them both. 

As a balance and mobility service dog, I help my mama do many things. I pick up items she has dropped like her car keys, money, credit cards, etc. I help her by pulling her wheel chair or scooter and a grocery cart, which is a huge assistance to mama. I also help her get up from chairs and up and down stairs and inclines. Because I am a therapy dog, my fur needs to be soft, shiny and petable for all whom I visit, and my CANIDAE food keeps it that way.

As a canine ambassador, I travel around the country accompanied by my family, bringing awareness about service and therapy dogs and the important jobs they do, and also bringing awareness about a children’s charity through a canine connection. Ambassador Barker, my mentor, was mamas first service and therapy dog as well as a canine ambassador. He ate CANIDAE All Life Stages (ALS) too!

Are Your Home and Yard Free From Poisons?

By Linda Cole

March is poison prevention month, and it's a reminder to reflect on what you have planted in your yard, and what you have stored in the garage, basement and around the home. It's also a good time to think before you plant dangerous garden plants in areas your pets have access to. The time you take to check for poisons in and around your home can save your pet's life. Make sure your home and yard are free from poisons.

Poison prevention month is meant to bring awareness to the dangers of accidental poisonings, not only for pets, but for humans as well. On September 16, 1961, Congress designated the third week in March as National Poison Prevention Week. Every year, poison control centers from across the country report more than 2 million incidents of accidental poisonings with over 90 percent happening in the home. Although the majority of victims of nonfatal poisonings are children, pets are also at risk of accidental poisonings because there are a lot of toxic products and food in our homes that pets have easy access to.

Thousands of pets are poisoned every year, with an up-tick in cases reported during the holiday season when cats and dogs have more people food available to them that can be toxic and kill them. Chocolate, alcohol, walnuts, fatty meats, grapes and raisins are on a long list of people food that can poison pets. The best way to keep your pet safe is to avoid giving people food altogether, and just stick with a high-quality pet food such as CANIDAE or FELIDAE. A pet's begging eyes may be hard to resist, but an emergency trip to the vet after an accidental poisoning could be expensive and heartbreaking.

Antifreeze is extremely toxic to pets. It doesn't take much to poison a dog or cat. The dangers with antifreeze are that it has a sweet taste pets are attracted to, and it's pretty easy for pets to find little puddles of antifreeze in driveways or on streets. If you spill antifreeze while adding it in your car's radiator or if your radiator boils over, clean up the spill immediately to keep your pets safe as well as any neighborhood pets that may wander onto your property. Snow globes contain a small amount of antifreeze in the liquid, but it's enough to poison pets and children if a globe is broken or cracked. For more information on antifreeze poisoning, visit the Pet Poison Helpline website.

Breed Profile: the Energetic Entlebucher Mountain Dog

By Langley Cornwell

I’ve never met an Entlebucher Mountain Dog in person. In fact, I’d never heard of this dog breed until I learned they were one of the six new breeds that competed in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in February. The pictures I’ve run across show good looking, tricolored dogs with wonderfully expressive faces. I wanted to know more about these beauties.

About the Entlebucher Mountain Dog

A native of Switzerland, this dog breed is also known as the Entlebucher Sennenhund or the Entelbucher Cattle Dog. They are the smallest of the four AKC Swiss breeds. The original purpose for this easily-trained dog was herding and guarding, and they were highly valued for their strength, vitality and work ethic. These days, Entlebucher Mountain Dogs are usually kept as an energetic companion animal.

Appearance

Medium-sized and muscular, this dog looks square and sturdy. They have a well-proportioned head with a strong skull and a long, powerful jaw. Their smallish eyes are brown and their triangular ears are black. Some Entlebuchers have a congenital bobtail.  They all have a smooth, close coat with balanced black, tan (fawn to mahogany) and white markings. The coat is white on their chest, blaze, toes and the tip of their tail; the tan color always separates the black from the white. It’s the tricolored markings on their faces, however, that drew me in. Those symmetrical markings give their faces so much expression; these dogs look extremely intelligent and responsive. Regarding their size, male Entlebucher Mountain Dogs are between 17 to 21 inches and females are between 16 to 20 inches tall at the shoulder.

What Would You Do to Protect Your Pet?

By Linda Cole

I remember when I got my first pets and took them to the vet for their checkup. They handed me a questionnaire concerning how I wanted them to care for my pets. One of the questions was along the lines of “How much money was I willing to pay?” I thought that was a stupid question. The first choice was “Cost is not a consideration,” and I checked that box. They weren't asking if I could afford it, they were asking if I wanted my pets treated no matter what the cost might be. I accepted the responsibility of caring for my pets the day I took them into my home, and that included any and all medical care. Vet care is one way we protect our pets, but there are other situations when pets need our help. How far would you go to protect your pet?

The thing about accidents is that we can't anticipate when one will happen. No matter how hard we try to protect ourselves or our pets, sometimes the worst case happens and we find ourselves in a sticky situation. I read a story about a woman who pushed past firemen to try and get into her burning home to save her dogs. Thankfully, they had already been saved by the firemen, but she didn't know it and was willing to run into her burning home to save her pets.

We can't really know how we would react an emergency situation until it's staring us in the face. When forced to make a quick decision, some pet owners may not stop to think about the danger to themselves. I think most of us who love our pets would do what we needed to do to protect our pets, if at all possible. Sometimes there's danger involved, and sometimes it's giving up a home in order to keep a pet.

Last December, a 79 year old women living in Oklahoma was forced out of her home by a landlord who decided her mobile home was too old. It didn't matter that she had nowhere to go. She wasn't able to find a landlord who would rent to her because of her pets, so she chose to live in her car with them. For her, getting rid of her pets was not an option.

What Does Your Pet Food Really Cost?

By Julia Williams

If a bag of pet food (let’s call it Brand A) sells for $20, and Brand B sells for $26, which one actually costs more? Most people are going to say the obvious answer is Brand B, right? Not necessarily! Now, we all know that $26 is more than $20, so how can that be? It’s because there is more to figuring out how much your pet food really costs than just the price of the bag or can.

One of the most common misconceptions about pet food is that it costs more to feed a high quality food like CANIDAE. People come to this conclusion because they are only comparing what one bag of pet food costs versus another brand of similar weight. I have seen this time and again, most recently when a pet owner reviewed CANIDAE dog food on their blog. Their dog did really well on the food, and both owner and dog were very pleased with the food. However, she said it wasn’t something she could afford to purchase to keep her dog on. A reader commented, “It's a shame that it's too expensive for you to buy all the time.”

It makes me sad to know she found a food her dog loves, but she didn’t keep her dog on it because she thought she couldn’t afford it. Moreover, that food was helping the dog with its sensitive stomach issues, but now it would be going back to eating an inferior pet food solely based on the price of Brand A versus Brand B.

Instead of looking at the cost of each bag, a better way is to consider how much it costs to feed your dog or cat per day. This is a real eye-opener for many pet owners. A bag of lower-quality food will obviously cost less by the pound, but here’s the catch – you will have to feed *much* more of it every day! Better quality foods like CANIDAE don't include all of the fillers, so what you're buying is just the good stuff. This means you feed your pet much less food than lower quality brands. The end result is that a bag that costs more per pound is actually less expensive to feed!

How Pets Help Children with Autism

By Langley Cornwell

Most people who share their life with a pet enjoy talking about how strong their connection is with their animal. They like to discuss how much they delight in spending time with their pet. They share stories that illustrate how well their dog or cat understands them. I’m one of those people; I can talk about the power of the connection I have with my dog and my cat for hours. I am completely convinced that living with pets is good for my mental and physical health. What’s more, I know living with a cat has helped my mother-in-law tremendously. My husband and I are amazed at the positive influence a little gray tabby cat from the local animal shelter has had on his 87-year-old mother’s life. It’s as if she’s awakened from a long sleep. She and ‘Skeet’ are a perfect match, and getting her this cat is one of the best things we’ve ever done for her. 

With this in mind, it’s not a far leap to believe that being around domesticated pets can be a helpful, positive and enriching experience for children with autism.

How animals help autistic children

First hand testimonials from parents and documented reports from clinicians confirm that interacting with animals (sometimes called animal-assisted therapy) offers emotional and physical benefits to autistic children. Structured programs like horseback riding or swimming with dolphins are beneficial, but the animal interaction doesn’t have to be that organized to be helpful. Something as simple as having a dog in the house can have a positive influence on a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder; it helps with their physical development by improving their coordination and strength. Additionally, a joyous relationship with an animal will help an autistic child develop more self-confidence and a deeper sense of well-being.

Colleen Dolnick, a Missouri mother who has a 10-year-old son with autism, tells Everyday Health: “Animals can be amazing for children with autism. Animals can relate to these children. And these children, who have a hard time relating to peers, can really relate to animals.”      

Jacqueline Rennebohm and Her Seeing Eye Dog Dexter

By Linda Cole

Jacqueline Rennebohm was diagnosed with Cone-Rod Dystrophy, a degenerative eye disease, when she was nine years old. However, she hasn't let a little thing like failing eyesight stop her from pursuing her dreams. I had a chance to speak with Jacqueline via Skype and I'm proud to introduce to you an energetic and positive young lady and her German Shepherd seeing eye dog, Dexter. They are the newest Special Achiever team sponsored by CANIDAE.

Jacqueline attends the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, majoring in environmental health. On top of her studies, she's also a 100 and 200 meter sprinter in track and field, training to hopefully nab a spot on Team Canada and represent her country in London, England at the 2012 Paralympic games in September. A human guide runs beside her when she's on the track and guides her. Dexter sits on the sidelines and roots her on. His job is to aid Jacqueline off the track.

Dexter received his training at Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation in Bloomfield, Connecticut, and Jacqueline was matched with him last August. His training began two years earlier at the age of eight weeks when he was placed with a volunteer foster family for a year and a half. He was socialized and taught basic skills. The next six to eight months was when he learned how to be a guide dog. Dexter's training required two years, and Jacqueline had to learn the basics of working with Dexter in just two short weeks. Guide dogs can take some time to bond with their owner, but Dexter and Jacqueline hit it off right from the start. You can hear the love and respect she has for Dexter when she talks about him.

Jacqueline has been feeding Dexter CANIDAE All Life Stages and has been impressed with the results. “The food works for him so well. He has the right amount of energy and his coat is so soft. We were at a function last night and there were other guide dogs there, all German Shepherds, and a couple of the owners asked, 'What are you giving your dog? His coat is so soft.' They are all blind, and they're feeling the dogs and they started to notice the difference; they could tell Dexter's coat was the nicest. It is, and I'm spreading the news about CANIDAE because he's so chipper and looks really healthy and lean. I can truly say he's being fueled properly and is able to keep up with my pace with ease, so he's on the right food, for sure.”

Why Do Cats Meow?

By Langley Cornwell

Our cat has a very specific language and I know what he is ‘saying’ almost every time he meows. My husband marvels at how well I interpret our cat’s sounds, but it seems natural to me. I spend a lot of time with the little guy and tend to his needs. We understand each other. Moreover, he’s extremely communicative.

Jack, a neighbor’s cat, and our cat are best friends. They hang out on front porches and patrol the neighborhood together most of the day. If our cat is out and Jack isn’t, he’ll go to Jack’s door as if to say “can Jack come out and play?” and vice-versa. Their interactions provide entertainment for the whole neighborhood; everybody tells “Jack and Jet” stories. In total, I’ve probably watched these cats for more hours than I care to admit. One thing that stands out to me is that these two never meow to each other. All of their communications –of which there are many– are primarily inaudible. This observation got me thinking about how well my cat communicates with me through meows and why I never hear him and his buddy meow to each other.  

In researching this, I learned that cats only meow to people, not to other cats. Cats communicate with one another through scent, facial expressions, body language and physical touch. Think about it. You’ve probably heard a cat caterwauling for mating, hissing to scare off intruders, screeching when he’s hurt or fearful, or chattering when he identifies prey, but I bet you’ve never heard a cat meow to another cat. They save that for humans.      

According to Cornell News, only a mother cat and her young kittens meow to one another. A kitten mews to get attention from her mother cat and once the kitten is grown, they stop. This begs the question, why do cats meow to people? Cornell University did an evolutionary psychology study and determined that cats meow to people because it works. Cats have figured out how to get what they want from humans.

Since we evidently don’t understand the scent-messages the cat leaves us, and most of us are not entirely fluent in cat body language, cats have to resort to some manner by which to communicate with their humans. Because our cats are dependent on us in every way, they have to meow to get what they want. So cats are bilingual – they speak cat language to one another and they’ve developed a second meow-language to communicate with humans. Brilliant!  

How to Pick the Right Dog Trainer

By Linda Cole

Dogs need to be educated so they understand what you expect from them. If they misbehave, it's not because they are bad; it’s because they don’t know what you want. It's not difficult to train a dog, but it does require time and a commitment. If you have no idea how to train your dog, that's where a qualified dog trainer can help. With all of the trainers advertising for your dollars, how do you pick one, what can you expect from a trainer, and what kind of questions should you ask?

When hiring anyone to interact with your dog, whether they're a dog trainer, animal behaviorist or even your vet, you need to feel comfortable with them. If at any time you don't like how a trainer is handling your dog, don't like their training techniques or special collars they use, or feel they're being abusive, you have the right to stop them. How your dog is handled should always be your decision, not theirs.

What can you expect?

A dog trainer's job isn't to actually train your dog. They teach you how to train your dog. It has to be done by the owner and no one else can do that job for you. A good trainer helps you learn how to communicate with your dog, teaches you the basics and assists you in your dog's training. It's then up to you to work with your dog at home every day. A good trainer shouldn't give you a guarantee of success because if you don't follow through with their advice and instructions, your dog will have trouble learning. However, they should make sure you're satisfied with the service they provided. You have to be committed to your dog's training for him to learn.

How to Spoil your Cat

I am trying hard to look innocent

By Rocky Williams, Feline Guest Blogger

Let me just say right up front: I am a privileged cat. I know I’m spoiled, and I don’t apologize for that because really, it’s a blessing. The day the Warden took me out of that flea-ridden shack, I didn’t have many hours left. I call that my lucky day – I won the cat lottery, because I came to live with someone who spoils me.

Now, sometimes that word ‘spoil’ is seen as a negative thing, especially when it pertains to children and even at times, dogs and cats. The Warden used to get upset when her mother (not an animal lover!) accused her of spoiling her cats. It stopped bothering her when she realized it was true, but wasn’t something she should be ashamed of. Spoiling your cat is a good thing. I speak from personal experience.

The Warden spoils me by letting me sleep pretty much anywhere I want, even if that’s on her chest and she can barely breathe because I’m such a strapping lad. When I leave my luxurious black fur on her light-colored couch, she doesn’t care. Ditto for whatever she’s wearing. She knows that walking around town covered in cat hair is a badge of honor. She spoils me by stopping whatever she’s doing when I demand my petting time. She believes, and rightly so, that no boring human task could ever be more important than spending quality time with her cat.

The Warden spoils me because when I am naughty, which is often – pretty much every day, all day long – she doesn’t get mad. If I put my paw on her dinner plate hoping to snag some chicken, she just laughs and pushes it away. The day I actually snagged something but unfortunately it was mustard and that promptly got deposited on the couch, she didn’t scold me. Furniture can be cleaned, she says. When I crawl all over her trying to distract her so I can do the grab-and-run with her food, she doesn’t mind that I get cat hair in her mouth or on her plate. It’s edible, right?

One day I swished my big floofy tail in her Caramel Macchiato, and then I flicked the caramel foam all over the carpet. She laughed especially hard that day. The Warden spoils me because she thinks of me as comic relief, a stress buster in kitty form. The Warden knows that being naughty is just my nature, and she loves me in spite of it. Or is that because of it?

How to Know if Your Pet is in Pain

By Langley Cornwell

Years ago I was away on a business trip and had a pet sitter stay at my house to help with my two dogs. When I got home, one of my dogs was acting funny. Her energy was low, she wouldn’t eat, and her breathing was labored. Even though there were no visible signs of an injury, I knew immediately that she was in pain. The problem was, I had no idea why (or for how long, the pet sitter hadn’t noticed). Because it was after-hours, we went straight to the overnight emergency clinic. The veterinarian agreed she was in distress but couldn’t make an immediate diagnosis. Because she was also dehydrated, my sweet Lab was put on fluids and pain meds. I was frantic with worry but did take comfort in knowing that she wasn’t in acute pain any longer.  

As hard as this is to imagine, there was a time when veterinarians thought pain was good for animals if they were hurt. The logic was that the pain kept the animal still and quiet, which helped expedite the natural healing process. Fortunately, that belief is antiquated and, as in the case with my dog, vets now practice the opposite.

Pain management for animals is an important issue in veterinary medicine. An animal’s pain is now managed until the pain is believed to be completely gone. The American Animal Hospital Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners both support the theory that pain management improves an animal’s recovery process in all cases including injury, illness and surgery. Moreover, since pain management reduces the stress an animal feels and increases their sense of well-being, it may help a pet live a longer, more comfortable life.