Take Your Dog To Work Day 2010

It's coming.  It's almost here.  Yes, June 25, 2010 is officially Take Your Dog to Work Day (TYDWDay)!

Take Your Dog to Work Day was created in 1999 as a way to promote the humane treatment of our furry friends, and to promote dog (and cat) adoption.  This event has been celebrated every year since, and has become a way for dog-lovers to celebrate that special human-canine bond.  When this event started in 1999, only 300 companies participated.  By 2005, that number had increased to 5,000!  It just goes to show that dogs are popular. 

However, even though this is for a great cause, many employers will still say, "No."  Below are some very convincing arguments to sway your boss.

According to a recent survey conducted by The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), nearly one in five companies in the United States allow pets in the workplace.
The survey, which polled working Americans 18 years of age and over, showed some strikingly positive opinions towards pets in the workplace:
According to the survey:

• 55 million Americans believe having pets in the workplace leads to a more creative environment
• 53 million believe having pets in the workplace decreases absenteeism
• 50 million believe having pets in the workplace helps co-workers get along better
• 38 million believe having pets in the workplace creates a more productive work environment
• 32 million believe having pets in the workplace decreases smoking in the workplace
• 37 million believe having pets in the workplace helps improve the relationship between managers and their employees
• And, 46 million people who bring their pets to the workplace work longer hours

Source: APPMA 2006 Survey

Oh, and don't forget to mention that having a dog in the office could be great publicity!

Have Some Fun in the Sun

As we are now reaching the end of spring, hot summer air is on its way.  While we may be enjoying time off, going on vacations, and catching some rays by the pool, our best friends may be miserable with their winter coats.  Not only that, but summer brings bugs, parties, fireworks, and food.  Follow these simple guidelines to keep your pet happy and healthy all summer long.

1) Water, Water, Water!  Always leave water out for your dog, no matter how long you plan on being gone.  If your dog tends to drink water too fast, feel free to fill a bowl with ice instead.  Ice will keep your dog hydrated without allowing him to drink to the point of getting sick.

2) Provide Shelter. Ideally your dog will be indoors and in air-conditioning during the heat of the day.  That's the best way to keep her cool.  Either way, though, she should have some shade to seek some relief under.

3) Check your lawn products. As we fertilize and till, many of us put down products that may not be so great for our furry friends.  After walking on the lawn, these fertilizers cling to our pets' feet, and if they lick their paws they end up ingesting these products.  Of course, this can be quite dangerous for your dog or cat.  Other products such as certain kinds of mulch and bug repellents can be just as dangerous.  Try to choose pet-friendly products for your yard, and if necessary keep your pooch on the porch for a few days.

4) Protect against fleas, ticks, and other bugs.  Yes, warm weather brings about the creepy-crawlies.  Find a product that is safe for your pet and treat him every month.  Personally, I use Frontline for fleas and ticks, and Heartguard to protect against heartworms, but those aren't the best choices for everyone or every dog.  Search around and find what's best for you.  Avoid bug repellents made for people (such as OFF!).  These are NOT safe for your pet. Note: Protecting against bugs and heartworms should actually be a year-long practice, not just for the summer.

5) Practice fire safety.  Keep your pet away from tiki torches, citronella candles, and fireworks.  Needless to say, ingesting these items is probably not a great idea.  Oh, and when you light those fireworks, try to keep your pet inside.  Many pets get lost after running away from the sound of the fireworks.  Avoid that stress, and keep your pet safe.

6) Learn to swim.  While we may love a good romp in the pool, it's often harder for our dogs to swim.  While I am by no means saying your dog shouldn't get in the water, I am saying to be safe about it.  Always supervise your dog when in the pool, and consider putting on a life vest if needed (especially in rougher waters like the beach or river).  Our trips to the river always include a life vest as a just in case.

7) Avoid a feeding frenzy.  With so many parties during the summer, a lot of dogs (and cats) are fed random scraps of food from the various guests.  Not only can this cause stomach upset, but it can also lead to an inadvertent poisoning.  Make sure to keep your pet away from harmful foods such as grapes and raisins, onions, and avocados.

8) Be aware of others.  Having so many people (and dogs) in one location can be a somewhat stressful situation for your pet.  An agitated or stressed dog can quickly become an aggressive dog.  Or an overly-excited dog can cause unintentional injury to guests (especially small children).  Be aware of how your pet reacts to all the new sights and sounds.  Does she seem stressed or anxious?  What about over-excited and uncontrollable?  In these situations, it may be best to put your pet up or keep her on leash.

Following these simple rules can easily lead to a fun, safe summer.  There is one, last rule, though.  HAVE FUN! 

USPS Stamps to the Rescue

So, I'm not sure if y'all have heard or not, but the USPS is doing something really cool.  Starting today they're selling stamps that feature five different cats and five different dogs.  The goal in mind is to encourage people to adopt a shelter pet.  Not only that, but they've paired up with Halo to provide 1 million meals to animals in shelters.  That seems like a pretty good cause to me.  Since I was out of stamps anyway, I made sure to swing by the post office and pic some up.  They're pretty cute!  To see the adorable pets and to learn more about their story visit http://stampstotherescue.com/thestamps.asp.  Feel free to wander the site and and learn even more about the offer.

Canine Hypothyroidism

One of the dogs I'm fostering has more things wrong with him than I can count on one hand.  He has allergies and ear infections, he gains weight easily, he's extremely slow to learn, he has anxiety issues as well as aggression issues, and he's just all around weird.  From time to time he'd display other issues, but evenutally I just quit counting.  Being a trainer, I always have to cinsider the possibility that the behaviors are medically driven, but I couldn't seem to find one condition that matched all of his behaviors.  Heck, I couldn't even find just two.  And, honestly, I don't think any dog is that unlucky.

Initially, I overlooked hypothyroidism.  Obviously, I knew it could cause all of the above syptoms, but it generally also presents with hair loss, skin discoloration, and bacterial skin infections.  That's when I started looking at borderline hypothyroidism.

What is canine hypothyroidism?
Canine hypothyroidism  is a disorder of the thyroid gland.  This affects the dog's metabolism and the regulation of the dog's metabolic rate.

Can my dog have hypothyroidism?
 While it is possible for any dog to suffer from hypothyroidism, it is more common in medium to large dogs.  There is often a genetic factor to the disease, so it is more common in the following breeds:

• Golden retrievers
• Doberman pinschers
• Greyhounds
• Irish setters
• Dachshunds
• Cocker spaniels
• Airedale terriers 

Males and females are typically affected equally, although spayed females tend to be affected more than unspayed females.  As far as age is concerned, hypothyroidism typically affects dogs between 4 and 10 years old.

What are the symptoms?
There are quite a few symptoms, and your dog may have one or many.  They include, but are not limited to:

• Lethargic behavior such as a lack of interest in play, frequent napping, tiring out on long walks
• Weight gain, sometimes without an apparent gain in appetite
• Bacterial infections of the skin
• Dry skin
• Hair loss, especially on the trunk or tail (“rat’s tail”)
• Discoloration or thickening of the skin where hair loss has occurred
• Cold intolerance/seeking out warm places to lie down
• Slow heart rate
• Chronic ear infections
• Severe behavioral changes such as unprovoked aggression, head tilt, seizures, anxiety and/or compulsivity
• Depression 

How do I know if my dog has hypothyroidism?
The best way is to have your vet run a thyroid panel (a simple blood test).  Many vets, however, have not yet recognized border hypothyroidism as an issue.  Luckily, my vet did.  I was told that technically normal levels fall between .9 and 4.0, but that it's best to see somewhere over 2.0.  It is generally accepted that the higher side of normal is preferred.  So, consult your vet, but if your dogs levels are below 2.0 it might be best to try a low dose treatment.

How do I treat hypothyroidism?
There is no cure for hypothyroidism, but it is treatable.   Most often, veterinarians will prescribe a synthetic hormone replacement called thyroxine, but regular blood tests will be required to test the effectiveness and to make sure the dosage is correct.  Also, dogs with proper treatment tend to lead normal, long lives.

Is the medication dangerous?
Just as with any medication, some dogs can have reactions.  However, side affects with thyroxine tend to be low, and with proper monitoring it is consider to be quite safe.  Also, thyroxine is fairly inexpensive, so it's also safe for the budget!

So, all in all, if you think your dog may have thyroid issues talking to your vet certainly won't hurt anything.  And, certainly, don't be afraid to consider that his behavior issues are actually thyroid-related.  You could end up helping your dog in more ways than one.

Why I Became A Trainer

Yesterday was a good day.  For those of you who have seen me recently, you know that I just closed on my first house this week.  Instead of supervising movers yesterday, though, I went with my clients and friends, Jean and CJ, to support them as they took their CGC (Canine Good Citizen) and TDI (Therapy Dog International) tests.

When I first met Jean and her husband (and as I worked with them) I was told, "We really do believe that CJ was meant to be a therapy dog.  He was meant to help people."  So, we had our goals, and we were off!  Jean was wonderful with CJ.  I enjoyed watching her become more confident with her CJ, and I especially enjoyed watching CJ start to respond to her.  They were really developing a special bond.

Admittedly, CJ and Jean had tried for the CGC once before.  CJ was fantastic and did great on 9 out of 10 steps, but on the 10th (reaction towards other dogs) he just became too excited.  He's definitely a dog who loves to play!  It was hard to watch Jean's reaction to the news.  Of course, she loves her dog, but she was obviously disappointed.  She was disappointed in herself, in her dog, and whether she's willing to admit it, I'm sure she was a little disappointed in me.  To be honest, I was a little disappointed in me too!

Luckily, though, she's not a quitter.  We reevaluated what was going on and got right back to work.  Obviously he'd be a great therapy dog.  He loves being loved and he loves other dogs (even the dogs who don't love him).  He just needed to learn how to control his excitement.  We took CJ to the dog park, and we brought dogs to him.  We worked on techniques to keep his attention focused on Jean, and we worked with Jean to ensure she knew how to handle any situation that came her way.  By yesterday, I was confident he'd pass with flying colors.

I was confident, but that doesn't mean I wasn't nervous.  I didn't know if I could handle that sort of disappointment again.  After 45 minutes of testing, however, Jean and CJ were given the news they'd done wonderfully and had passed.  YAY!!!  I took pictures as Jean did a happy dance and CJ, realizing that work was over, tried to find a dog to play with him.  I was happy for them.

It wasn't until we got back to their house, however, that I realized how wonderful the situation was.  I watched Jean interact with CJ.  Of course she was thrilled, and CJ just soaked up all the love and affection she could give him.  I watched Jean give CJ kisses, walk away, and then walk back just to give him more kisses (multiple times).  I watched as she hugged CJ and told him what a wonderful, fantastic boy he was.  I watched CJ as he wagged his tail and gave kisses back.  I watched until I couldn't watch any more and had to join in the fun.

The entire time I was watching, though, I was thinking, "This is why I'm a trainer.  I love seeing this!"  I became a trainer to help people build and develop that special bond with their dogs.  I want to see them reach their full potential and not just get along with their dogs, but really enjoy them too.

Congratulations Jean and CJ!  You deserve it.

If Only I Had a Trampoline

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Vaccines

Vaccines are Making Our Dogs Sick

The above link talks about the hazards of over vaccinating.  It says that, yes, dogs do need vaccinations but they don't necessarily need them every single year, and that such a schedule only benefits drug companies and veterinarians, but may harm our dogs (and cats).

I wasn't completely convinced by the article, but I thought I should ask my vet anyway.  Here's what Dr. Lori Pasternak from Richmond, VA has to say about the issue:

I do have my own opinion about vaccines, although it's not black/white. I see many dogs still die of parvo and less often distemper. I've seen a few cases of leptospirosis in the past 3 years and kennel cough is very common (I think of it as the equivalent of doggie flu). So yes, vaccines are very important. The big question for me lies in, how often? And that is where the veterinarian needs to talk with the owner to determine an individual pet's risk for these diseases. Not every animal needs every vaccine out there. A pet's lifestyle, where they live and go should determine what diseases they are at risk for. I do think all puppies should be vaccinated and boostered until they are 16 weeks, after that, it should be determined by a conversation between client and vet as to what the pet needs. Just like with my kids, I educated myself about the diseases my kids were to be vaccinated for and made an educated decision about what vaccines were right for them. Pet owners should do the same. I must admit, I do not vaccinate my pets annually but they are very low risk as they are old and never leave my property anymore.  Drawing blood for titers is an option, but it is costly. The vaccines are labeled my the manufacturer to only be effective for 1 year, but I'm sure in some/ most animals they may last longer. The only way to know from animal to animal is to run titers.  Once I did run a titer on a dog after 1 year post vaccine and that dog had a strong titer for distemper,  but no titer for parvo. Interesting, but really confuses the issue. I hope this makes sense. Not very cut and dry, but nothing about vaccines is.

So there you have it.  The vaccination issue isn't completely cut and dry.  It may not be in your best interest to vaccinate every year, but seven years may be too long.  One thing you should keep in mind, though, is that the yearly vaccinations also allow your vet to do a general health check, checking on eyes, ears, and general overall well-being.  If you do decide to vaccinate less, I still encourage you to keep regular vet appointments.  It is important to keep the conversation open with your veterinarian.  Talk to your vet and together the two of you can come to an agreement on what may be best for both you and your beloved friend.