(Note: When you ask a question or comment to a post, please don’t advertise your wares or your business. I give those comments to the dogs, they don’t get any air time at The Dish. If your comment attacks a reader, I’ll delete your comment. Please make your comment sensibly and honorably for your readers and mine. Thanks! Darcie)
Darcie might not reply or comment back to any comments left about articles or posts unless there is a question directed to her. She will answer questions and comments to Ask Darcie. Hugs to Your Dogs!
[Dear Pam, search for barking at The Dish. I think you'll find some great help with some of my articles. Thanks! Darcie]
Dear Darcie, I have two 5 year old miniature schnauzers that are brothers. We travel in our RV often. They are pretty well behaved except for barking or howling while we leave them there alone. Is there any way to prevent that or stop it? We have had a couple of complaints made recently about them but we have no idea what to do. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Pam
Dear Darcie, I have an 8-year-old black Lab boy (neutered). Although I have been somewhat lax with his training in recent years (I rescued him when he was 2 – we did a lot of obedience and some agility classes at the beginning), he is for the most part very well-behaved and obedient. I feed him a mix of good quality kibble and canned food, with a fatty acid supplement for his coat. I just don’t have the time or budget for raw food. He seems healthy and happy most of time. He has a friendly and quiet personality and immediately goes up to strangers to say hello. Unfortunately, he likes to greet people by sticking his nose in their crotch or up their shorts, which many people seem to find quite offensive (imagine that!). I can’t figure out how to communicate to him that it is OK to sniff people but not in that one area. I don’t really have dog-savvy friends that I can ask to help in training him, just in-laws who don’t really “get” or dogs. Do you have any suggestions?
On an unrelated note, we do a lot of fostering for Lab rescue. Although my boy gets along with dogs in general, and used to like his foster brothers and sisters, and enjoyed playing with them, we recently have had to stop fostering males because he has become aggressive with them. With the females he now mostly ignores them but growls if they come too close to him when he is eating or next to us or is just laying about, relaxing. This seemed marginally acceptable, but I just saw him attack our latest foster girl for what seemed like no provocation at all to me. He went to the door to investigate a noise and she came up beside him to see what was going on. He immediately turned and bit her ear, tearing it a little. Of course she screamed and ran. Now they are both lying on the floor in front of me about five feet apart. I think as a senior-ish dog he likes his peace and quiet and to have his people and stuff all to himself, and I think he deserves it. He really does seem happier and more interactive when we are foster-less. I don’t know if I should stop fostering entirely or try to change his attitude, and if so, how to approach it. Do you have any thoughts? THANKS, Lauren
Dear Lauren, A couple of questions. What brand are you feeding? And has he been hurt lately? Jumping, wrestling, fall? A good chiropractor visit might change it all back to happy. Let me know. It sounds like this kind of happened overnight sort of, it’s why I ask what kind of food and did he get hurt. Have you just opened a new bag of food, that’s another question. Let me know. I’m really tired tonight and going to bed. The crotch sniffing can be put on cue and stopping can, too. Clicker training is the fastest way I know to do that. Thanks. – Darcie
I recently went through something similar. I’m sure there will be controversy over the finale results-which worked in 2 days. I tried all sorts and means, using a crate (even covering it) from water bottle to slapping my hands to throwing a Pepsi can with pebbles in it to startle and interrupt the noise. I’d crate him, leave the house and come in the back door and try correcting the behavior. You see I can’t go to the bathroom or to bed if I am out if his sight. This has gone on over a month. I am sorry to you who thinks this is cruel, but I went and got and electric “shock” collar. I’d say no bark while pushing the button that makes the collar BEEP. Then step behind the wall and wait. Bark and howling starts, “No Bark” with the beeping. The third time while saying no bark I push the shock button. Just a very quick push. This is done twice then when I step behind the wall it is only for a moment or two and I come back out and release and praise like crazy so we end on a good note. I did this twice a day for two days and I know longer have the problem. Occasionally he will bark at me when I crate him and all I have to do is say “No Bark.” I don’t think it is cruel, no more so than gentle leaders or training collars. It is all in how you use tools that makes the difference. I wish you luck as you only get so many warnings from the police or animal control or HOA’s.. Rene
Dear Rene, I’m sorry that you couldn’t have found a better way. I suspect one day your dog will pay for it. – Darcie
[Dear Shannon, Take a look at these two at The Dish, http://thedish.sitstay.com/2009/08/01/ding-dong-barking-dogs and http://thedish.sitstay.com/2009/07/08/barking-what-to-do I think you'll like them both. Darcie]
Dear Darcie, How in the world did you get Dancer to stay quiet with the “thanks Dance” command? We have a beagle who gets focused on whatever he’s barking at and will not stop. We can lure him into another room, run him thru his “parlor tricks” for 10 minutes and when we’re done he’s right back barking at whatever he was focused on. It’s a real pain when the neighbors are in their back yards or people are walking down the street. We have managed to keep him from uncontrolled barking most of the time, but with the garbage truck all bets are off. He just doesn’t even hear us. Suggestions? Thanks. Shannon
[Dear Jennifer, Take a look at my article here at The Dish, "Ding Dong! Barking dogs. http://thedish.sitstay.com/2009/08/01/ding-dong-barking-dogs , Thanks. Darcie]
Dear Darcie, My border collie is generally very well behaved and polite (waits for permission to enter a doorway, etc.) My problem is his barking at the door when someone approaches. How can I convince him to give an alert, then accept my judgement that the visitor is no threat and that he should hush? This is driving us nuts. Jennifer
Thanks for the suggestions. I’m starting TODAY!
Dear Darcie, Your blog is a very good read and very helpful to dog owners like myself. I also really admire you as a dog owner because you seem very responsible, knowledgable, and passionate with your “pack.” Surprisingly, not all online dog supplies store owners are actual experts in what they preach or in what they sell. I just read your blog entry about 3 of the most important things to teach your dog when you begin training it, and I was surprised you didn’t emphasize the “come” when called. From my own personal experience, as well as what dog trainers seem to always teach as “the most important thing you can teach your dog,” I was curious why you didn’t mention it. Great website in SitStay by the way, it has replaced PetFoodDirect as my new favorite. Vast selection of top of the line products at great prices…Gracias. Zachary
[Dear Zachary, I didn't add the Come to the list of three because if she always keeps her dog on leash, it's not one of the most necessary to live well with her dogs. I agree that Come is a life necessity and she'll get to that when she has success with these three things, the Come may even happen as she trains these other things, Come is cool like that. She asked for three things so she could get started and in my opinion, there is nothing more important than: Sit, which gives her control. Good Potty manners, which insures a healthy house. And walking on a loose leash, which will insure exercise for the dogs and a healthy body for her. With those three things, she and her dogs will live together without scenes, in a healthy house, and with her shoulders and back in tact at the other end of a happy dog on a loose leash. She'll have great success with her dogs with these three things and when she does, she'll move on to the rest. Isn't it good how that happens? Thanks for writing! Darcie]
Hi Darcie, We have a 6 y.o. female Lhasa Apso adopted in February 2008 from a rescue mission. She absolutely loves other dogs and always wants to go visiting so she can play. We’ve treated her like a queen since we rescued her. What are your thoughts about us getting another dog for her? If you think it’s a good idea, would you do a puppy or older dog? My fear is that she has had a hard enough life and will get upset about bringing another dog in the house. Thanks, John
[Dear John, She sounds lovely. Everybody wants puppies, they are usually easily placed in new homes. It's the older dogs that have troubles finding new homes. If I were in your shoes, if it was me? I'd rescue another dog close to her age, temperament, and activity level and let them greet, see how they get along. If she likes the new dog, stay with neutered or spayed please, take them both home and live happily ever after. Rescue dogs, in my experience, have great big hearts, they are grateful for being saved. She sounds like a solid dog and should get along famously with another rescue. Please do spend at least three hours with a dog you suspect that will be your next before introducing them, to be sure it's the dog you'd like to have. If the rescue center will let you see the new dog play and be around some other rescue dogs, that will tell you a bunch about the new dog. Then bring your girl to visit the new one and see how it goes. Most rescues will have a special room for outside dogs to come in to greet. If they get along with each other, go for a nice long one hour, on leash walk with both dogs so they can start bonding as walking partners. Then get on home and enjoy your bigger family. Bless your heart for saving the dogs. Darcie]
Hi Darcie: I am a volunteer with Big Dogs Huge Paws. While I was at your home, you mentioned a book that will cure dog pulling in one day.
What is the name of that book and does SitStay.com carry it? THanks. Kaywin
[Dear Kaywin, Yes, we do! The book is by Turid Rugaas. It's titled My Dog Pulls. Find it at http://www.sitstay.com, search for it with the words 'my dog pulls'. The Store will show it to you. I love Turid and this book! Give Mr. Lincoln a hug for me. Thanks, Darcie]
Hey Darcie, thanks so much for your wisdom and insight into dog-land! I’ve learned much here and started my 3 border collies (yes, all rescues) on a raw diet this summer. What a difference – “no” to doggy breath and bad poo, “yes” to shiny coats, nice teeth and positive energy. I’ve got a great idea for a bumper sticker: “Let your inner wolf shine – feed raw!” lol. thanks again, mostly from Haley, Sundance & Ted. Jen
[Dear Jen, I am so happy that you're sharing your good results with raw food for your dogs with everyone. The difference is amazing, isn't it! Feeding our dogs the way Nature intended is so perfectly smart. Thank you! Darcie]
Hi Darcie! I just read Kent’s review of the SnooZZy OrthoAir Inflatable Dog Beds. I laughed so hard when I read “Oliver likes to claw at his bed so the cover ends up next to the bed. He then digs at the bed itself.” My dog does the same thing. She really gets into this routine and sometimes snorts. Then she lays down with the most contented sigh. It’s hilarious. Any insight into why some dogs do this and others twirl a few circles and plunk down? Great to know my dog isn’t the only one who does this before she sleeps! Amy
[Dear Amy, I don't know why some dogs do the circle and make the bed thing. There is some speculation and of course some will tell you that it's a instinctual thing. My Dancer loved to make her bed before going to bed. Tilli just lays down and calls it a day. Frankie sometimes makes her bed but mostly she's on the lookout for a reason to get up again, Black Lab Border Collie, high energy. Oliver does make his bed most of the time. There have been a few times I've seen him lay down and go to sleep with no making at all, usually that's right after a good day play session. I think it's probably more of a personal issue. Like us, do you sleep on the whole bed or your half, do you plump your pillows or let them lay, do you wiggle around to get comfortable or do you just go to sleep? I'm like my Dancer was, I usually get the bed just right, then I fall off to dreamland. Thanks, Darcie]
Dear Darcie, How can I cure my 8 month old beagle/??? mix from chasing cats? She killed a baby kitten that came into the yard. We now have 2 kittens about 10-12 weeks old. They live in the barn but I can’t trust Bella anywhere near them. Where do I start to train Bella to leave the cats alone? Spanking and locking her in her cage has not helped. Her sister is not nearly as aggressive or interested in the kittens, but will go after them when Bella does. Thanks for your help. Pat
[Dear Pat, Yes, usually violence doesn’t work, it just creates more violence. In your case, against cats. Karen Pryor probably says it better than anyone I know. Here’s a link to her article on how she stopped her dog from chasing and hurting the cat. Karen’s article is really good and I know her so recommending her to you is easy for me, click here for Karen’s article.
Please read it and then buy your clicker training supplies from http://www.sitstay.com You’ll like our SitStay’s Getting Started Clicking Kit, it has everything you need and treats. I think you’ll even get a free treat in your order! Thanks, Darcie
Hi Darcie, do you happen to remember the name of the dog you write about in your post on the shock collar and scat mat? I’d really like to see it but trying to watch the current episode on the NG site I only get the lady from the Biggest Loser and her dog. Thanks! Laura
(Laura, It’s in that same episode. The woman from the biggest loser really surprised me, she seems so practical with people. It’s common sense for me not to let a dog run amuck with no manners like hers was. She did a lot of yelling at the dog but didn’t go to get the dog so nothing she said was being taken seriously by the dog. Her assistant did have control of the dog, I’d guess because she put in the time with him. Putting a leash on the dog was the perfect solution for a dog out of control, then training sit, stay. I liked how Cesar portrayed this one. Of course we all know that the dog had been exercised a lot when they started showing the film, and a tired dog is usually a good dog. It was still a pretty good one, I didn’t see any hurt happening. Thanks, Darcie)
Dear Darcie: I was reading on the ASPCA’s Facebook page about Oreo, a pitbull they are euthanizing. Several comments related to “Call Caesar Milan because he’ll help”. I feel the need to comment on why NOT to call Caesar. I am struggling to keep my post appearing sane and leading people to investigate his methods vs. becoming defensive of what they do not realize about his methods. What advice can you share on how to reply? Or in the future to explain to people why Caesar’s methods are not to be praised or followed? Thank you. Amy
(Dear Amy, I wish there was an easy answer. I and many others have been working for years to change minds and it’s been successful, a person and a dog at a time. Changing minds about how to care for and train animals can be difficult. As humans, we like to think that we know best so no matter what our choice of method is, we don’t like to change. If we’ve had some success with harsher treatments, we believe that it works and we’ll stick with that until hell freezes over. No matter that there are much better ways. It’s hard to say I’m sorry I was wrong and it’s harder yet to forgive one’s self for having done it badly. It usually finally takes a person working with a dog that they love, from puppyhood and having something go wrong in adulthood, seeing the harm they’ve caused, to change a mind. Sometimes by then it’s too late and a dog has been damaged beyond saving. The good news is that they then become advocates for positive, effective, no harm dog training and will shout it from the rooftops. Converts are often the strongest of most religions and of dog trainers and dog lovers. If you have to suggest who to contact for help with Oreo, you might consider Best Friends Animal Society, as far as I’ve seen they use only positive and get good results. They worked with some of the Vick dogs and good success. I’ve been told by the owner of a Rotti that Best Friends recently turned down helping that dog, it had been trained with Cesar’s methods and had turned into a biting, emotionally volatile dog. All seemed all right until the dog turned two, then something snapped in his brain, he had had enough, I guess. The dog was euthanized because no one believed they could turn around the damage that had been done with “touches”, stress, pressure, and alpha rolls. They may turn Oreo down if they think as the ASPCA does, that Oreo is beyond help at this point, and she might be. I don’t know what to tell you for sure. Pray or meditate about it. Find that quiet place inside yourself and the right answers will come. Keep it simple. Write something down and then let it sit for an hour if you have the time, then go back and finish it. Don’t use fighting words, they won’t work. Be helpful, write with love. I hate it and I hate to say it out loud but I believe there are times when euthanizing a dog is the only safe choice left, for the dog and for the people. If the dog is so mentally, emotionally, and physically destroyed by humans that no human can safely be around the dog and there isn’t anyone who wants to or can safely manage and pay for the dog’s care for the rest of it’s life, there aren’t many choices left. It sounds like Oreo was beaten regularly and then tossed off of a six story building. It sounds like she’s beyond any human help. I wish it wasn’t so. If I were Oreo and knew that I would have to live out my life in solitude and continuing emotional and mental anguish, I might at this point in my life, shattered, scared and scarred, wish to move on to where there is no pain. If we could stop bad breeding practices, abuse of animals, and bad training practices, there wouldn’t be stories like Oreo’s. Maybe in a better world. Some people would have you believe that they have the same “energy” and strength that Cesar Millan has and some of them do, “the force” is not specific only to him. Some would have you believe that using words like “behaviorist” instead of “trainer” gives a person the right to hang or shock a dog. I don’t agree. The trouble is that there are so many more people who don’t have a good energy to work with dogs. They lose their temper, they aren’t consistent, they discipline when there should be praise, they hang a dog on leash because that’s what they think the method is. Using Cesar’s techniques without good energy can and does cause emotional, mental, and physical harm to dogs and sometimes even if you have the good energy. It all depends on the dog’s heart. Will he still trust and respect you if you treat him like that? If you want Oreo to live and Cesar Millan is the only living human in the world who will try to help, he is your only choice. No, I don’t like some of what he does but I also don’t believe he’s evil. Ask the question, “Is death a better choice than Cesar Millan trying to make a difference in this dog’s life? Can he save her? Is there a possibility that he can without making her worse?” The answer would be another question. You know how he works with aggressive dogs, would he work with Oreo the same way he does with the dogs on the TV show given how she’s been so physically hurt? I don’t know the answer to that. I wish I could be a better help to you. Sometimes, like in the case of Oreo who is so badly damaged, there isn’t an easy answer. Let me end with this. I am glad that you are not being silent. Silence might be golden and only saying nice things might be good manners but they won’t change the world to a better place when things are drastically wrong. I hope you get the end you want for Oreo. I’ll pray for her right now. Darcie)
Dear Darcie, I have read your articles for puppy biting and anxiety and trust. My problem is we bred our Ridgeback and she had 13 pups. They all found homes by 8 weeks. One pup’s owner is having difficulty with lunging at face and she has bitten everyone. I just sent him your suggestions for stopping this but he may wish to return her. If he does, I will certainly try your methods myself. But, If I then find her a new home after fixing this problem, will she again revert to this behavior in a new home? Karen
(Dear Karen, I’ll answer this question as a regular post. This subject deserves more than a few lines. See TheDish. Thanks, Darcie)
Dear Darcie,
We have an 18 mo old Beagle/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix.
He is VERY smart,VERY athletic and VERY energetic, much more than we bargained for. He is also VERY sneaky when he wants to do bad. He is fixed, crate trained, and I have taken him to obediance classes and worked with him since he was 3 mos old. We’ve made it through Intermediate, but he won’t stay with me off-lead to go on to Agility or Advanced classes. He is house broken, except where other dogs have marked.
My biggest problem is I have to keep him gated in an area that includes a large kitchen and my office, where I spend most of the day. If he’s left unsupervised he tears up anything he can find or steal. He jumps up onto tables or climbs furniture to reach things. He wants to play ALL the time, and I have to get some actual work done some times. I’ve got Snappy Trainers everywhere, but the cats set them off. As soon as the coast is clear, the dog’s up stealing things to destroy. He will also attempt anything to get to the cats’ food.
We live 5 miles out in the country and there are no neighbor dogs, or anyone else to entertain him. My husband travels most weeks. I’ve thought of getting him a companion dog (NOT puppy), but we have four cats, two geriatric, and can’t afford any more vet bills. I’m also afraid of doubling the trouble I already have. How can I calm him enough to let him be part of the family? Cathie
(Dear Cathie, I’ll answer this in a regular post. I have lots of ideas of you and we’ll need more room than we have here! -Darcie)
Hi Darcie: The place we board our dog recently began carrying a dog product called PetzLife Oral Care Gel. While I like the idea of keeping my dog’s teeth healthy, I’m concerned if the ingredients are safe for a dog, particularly the grain alcohol. What is your opinion on this product? And what do you think is the best way to keep from having a dog anesthetized for a teeth cleaning? Thanks!! Amy
(Dear Amy, Without saying anything bad about somebody’s product, let me take you in a different direction. Take a look at PlaqueOff at SitStay.com, I think you like the ingredients much better and it works! Natural supplements when you need them and a good diet are the best things you can do for your dog’s teeth. I like a raw food diet for my dogs. If you like the convenience of commercial foods, take a look at the foods we carry, they are some of the very best. My best advice is to stay away from corn based food and supplements for dogs. I wrote an article about that not to long ago. Search The Dish for “Is Your Dog a Corn Dog?” And make sure your dog gets plenty of time for chewing. If you steer clear of that awful white rawhide, you should do great. We have a really nice and long line up of chews, too. Thanks. – Darcie)
Dear Darcie,
We have 3 wonderful dogs, a 7 year-old beagle, a 2 year-old beagle and a 2 year-old shih tzu. While all 3 dogs are fantastic, we have some big issues. I would love to try clicker training, but I’m honestly not sure how to train 3 dogs at once. If I take 1 dog out in the yard to work with them, the 2 in the house bark and carry on. How do you work with multiple dogs? Thanks so much! Kelly
Dear Kelly, Dogs are really smart about when they are working and when another dog is working. Just start. Pay complete attention to only one dog. The other dogs have to lay down on the couch or someplace comfy to wait their turn. Our three Belgians and one Golden were pros at this after just one session. Keep your session with each dog to about five minutes to start. I used to say, “Who’s next?” and they dogs chose who got to be next. They were wonderful. I am so glad you’re starting clicker training. You’ll find out how easy it is to work with several dogs at once and with one at a time although everyone is in the room. Thanks, Darcie
Hi Darcie, I wanted some more information from you regarding tripett. I read the little article from one of your customers saying how much they liked it. I used to feed it to my wolfhound but for some reason I quit. Even though the article starts out with “Why feed tripe” it doesn’t really tell you why, or what it does for the dog. If I feed kibble how much of the tripe do I need to feed him to benefit him, and if I add to his dry, how much of his dry do I not give him. Could you email me back with the information. I also wanted to take this opportunity to tell you how much I love shopping on your website and your customer service is fantastic!!! Wish you had a store in Colorado!! Susie
Dear Susie, Tripe is basic good food for dogs, nutritious and healthy. It’s as close as you can get to what the dogs would eat if they didn’t have you cooking for them…Nature’s food. You can feed tripe every day with kibble or you can feed only Tripett as it’s own meal for a few meals a week. Go to http://www.sitstay.com and search for the word ‘Tripett’ to see all the flavors and the suggested daily feeding instructions. The SitStay Dogs get Tripett several days a week. Oliver is almost 90 pounds and gets two to three cans for a tripe only meal. The girls are 62 pounds or so and they get one can. I hope that helps. You should see some fast changes in your dogs if you’re feeding only a dry kibble now. The Tripett is wholesome and the dogs love, love, love it! – Darcie
Dear Darcie, I stubbled upon your site recently looking for “hearing dog apparel”. My dog’s vet wrote a letter “certifying” our dear “Token” as a “hearing dog”. My doctor then backed it up saying I needed a “hearing dog” because I am hearing impaired. What are some other techniques I can teach him to “alert me” of other things,ie:phone ringing. (I’m not totally deaf deaf, but incredibly hearing impaired) He does notify us when someone is at the door (What dog doesn’t!!!??). He originally was a “rescue dog”. Someone abandoned him on the side of a country road leaving him for dead. Let me tell you he is amazing! He does seem to “notice” when someone is ABOUT to knock or ring the doorbell. Thank you. Patti Martin, Rogers, AR
Dear Patti, I love it when rescue dogs become service dogs, it’s so perfect in the circle of life. Please check with http://www.ada.gov , search for ‘service dog’ to see the current regulations. I like clicker training, it’s fast and it’s fun. Go to http://www.sitstay.com and search for ‘clicker training’ to find the book, DVD or Kit that you like best. You can teach anything with clicker training. Hugs to you and your dog. – Darcie
Dear Darcie,
!) Patricia
Another question, I was recently apartment hunting and asked the owner of an apartment complex what her policy was on service animals. She said AND I QUOTE,”Oh it isn’t one of THOSE THERAPY DOGS IS IT?! They don’t count! AND if your hearing impaired how can you talk on the phone!?”(It’s called VOLUME CONTROL LADY!!! Plus after having to say,”Pardon? Excuse me? Can you repeat that please?” 50 times she would have gotten the hint!) She was so “snotty” about it and I was actually speechless! I did answer her politely not wanting to rattle off the service animal disability act or cuss her out or even send Guido over there to break her legs!(JK on the Guido part). In my mind after I informed her that my dog was a hearing dog, I was thinking What a B***H! Can someone in a position such as this legally be all like that towards service dogs even if they ARE therapy dogs?! Wait til she sees what I say on my facebook about her!(ok she probably won’t see it, but ooooh, I am ticked! Please advise Darcy. Thank you!(PS my HEARING SERVICE dog is my therapy too! and he’s right next to me right now keeping my feet warm!
Dear Patricia, Therapy Dogs are not covered by the ADA regulation. Service Dogs are. If your dog is a Service Dog according to ADA, your dog can live and be with you anywhere. Go to http://www.ada.gov search on ‘service dog’ to get the current regulations and explanation of what a service dog is.
Your best revenge against her is no revenge at all. Generally people who like to cause ill will for others feed on hearing bad things about themselves from those others and when they hear it, feel vindicated knowing that they were right about those others. If she’s the owner of the complex, you may want to strongly consider not renting from her, you’ll probably not find peace there. If I were you, I wouldn’t mention her by name or business on Facebook but only as a problem that you encountered while looking for a place to live. It would be a “she said, she said” and she could sue you if your written word hurts her business. Take a deep breath and let it go. I’d guess it wasn’t personal anyway, she may have had problems with dogs in her building in the past and that can be hard for a landlord to get over. If it was personal, she just doesn’t understand compassion yet. She will one day. Pray for her instead.
I hope this helps. – Darcie
Hi Darcie, We would like two of the scent pouches please. One in blue, one in pink. If they make purple, we’d like the pink one in purple instead. Just asking…..Thanks very much! Do you know of any trackers in the Boulder, CO area so we could have that info on hand quickly? Laura
Dear Laura, Having a tracking contact number on hand is extremely important in case of emergency. And if your dog goes missing, that’s an emergency. Check with your local tracking or search and rescue teams for a solid contact phone number then store that number inside the Pouch. Brush your dog and fill the baggie full of hair. You might consider changing the hair out every few weeks to have fresh scent for your tracker. SitStay.com will make your order for a blue and a pink (sorry, no purple yet) and email you for payment. They’ll probably ask if you want to use the same card you used for your last order. These Scent Keepsake Pouches are so beautiful and well made. Thank you very much! – Darcie
Dear Darcie, I am interested in the scent and keepsake pouches. Am I at the right place? Is the quantity limited? I’m witing an article about finding lost pets and would like to include info on them if hey will be readily available to the public wh may be interested. I’ll look for your reply here, or in my emailbox! Thanks! Beth
Dear Beth, Yes, this is the right place. The quantity is not limited. We’ll have them available at http://www.sitstay.com very soon. The designs are mine. Here’s the write up that will be with the Scent and Keepsake Pouch online, you can quote me for your article if you’ll reference me, Darc, and my store, SitStay.com:
“This Scent and Keepsake Pouch comes to you and your dog from my love for my dog Dancer. In her honor and memory, I offer these beautifully made Scent and Keepsake Pouches to you. If your dog goes missing, is stolen, gets confused, ill or lost, you will have what I didn’t have. You’ll have the scent specific to your one dog to find your dog again.
My old Dancer went missing last June. We’d gone for a walk in our beautiful prairie home, her most favorite thing in the world to do. She was an explorer and often left the trail to follow a scent and then would come back to me to tell me happily what she’d found. This day, this walk, she left the trail and then she disappeared. She’d was right behind me and in a heartbeat, she disappeared as if she’d never been. I called and called but only my voice came back to me. The air was still and quiet, a light rain was falling. She didn’t come. Something was terribly wrong. Our friends, our neighbors, our family and we looked high and low and thought we had covered every inch of our property and we still couldn’t find her. The heartbreak of knowing that she must have left the trail and died, that in those few minutes her life ended without me, left me grief stricken, my heart was breaking. The pain of knowing that she was all alone sent me to my knees sobbing in prayer and grief over and over that day. “Where are you, Dancer? Where are you, Girl?” A tracker said that old dogs often get dazed and confused and walk away to die. I couldn’t believe that my Dancer would leave me but what if it was true? What if she had lost her mind and was somewhere walking where no one would stop to help her? What if she had waded into the water and couldn’t get out? What if she’d fallen and I wasn’t there to help her? We called tracking dogs in but they could not find her. The only scent articles we had were things that she’d shared with the other dogs. All the dogs’ scents were mixed up and the prairie was filled with scent from all of them, criss crossing each other’s trails. The prairie was our own private and special playground, it was filled with a mixture of all of them. The tracking dogs became confused, there were too many scents, they couldn’t pick up the scent they were supposed to follow. They walked in circles and sat down. They did not have a scent that was solely Dancer’s and they could not find her among the heavily dog scented grasses. They tried so hard but her scent was mixed up with all the other dogs. If we would have had a scent article specific to her, they would have found her quickly.
We did finally find my old Dancer girl not far from where she’d left me. She’d picked up the scent of something interesting and followed it just like she’d done a million times. Dancer left the trail just like always but this time the end of her life met her before she could come back to me. She put her head down, curled her tail around herself and went to sleep, cradled deep in the prairie grass that we both loved, the rain falling softly on her shoulders. I wish I could have been there.
DESCRIPTION:
Beautiful, hand made Scent and Keepsake Pouch. Each pouch has a plastic picture frame on the bottom for quick recognition by your tracker. Fill the specially prepared bag inside with your dog’s hair. Write down your local dog tracking organization or club’s contact information and store it inside the Pouch. The Pouch is about the size of a small apple when it is puffed up. It will lie flat to store in a purse or pocket. If your dog goes missing, you are ready.
Rescue dogs tend to jump fences and run away before they bond with their owners. Old dogs can get confused and walk away from home. Dogs in a car accident might flee the scene in terror. Playing puppies who squeeze through the fence get lost and don’t know how to come home. Don’t lose your dog! Be ready. Have your Scent and Keepsake Pouch ready so you can call for help immediately. A tracking dog can follow the scent right to your wayward one.
Buy yourself the gift of peace of mind.
If your dog disappears, you will have the absolute best scent article stored and kept in a safe place.”
Thank you for spreading the word, Beth. I really appreciate it and I know that everyone who loves their dog will appreciate it, too. – Darc
Hi Darcie. I rescued my 1 year old dog about three months ago and after having him settle in some, we began taking obedience training. He wasn’t initially keen on it, but he’s smart and responds well to having a task (and to getting a treat!)I would like to continue on with our training and hope to have him be a therapy dog. Now, I am fortunate enough to live in an area where there are several therapy dog organizations. Each seems to be different, with variations in overall structure, rules and regulations, and fees. Since you are an advocate of therapy dogs, I was hoping you could help. Do you have any advice on how to choose the right organization to join? Teri
Dear Teri, Meet the people. The dogs are all going to be about the same but the people in the org might be different. Ask if you can come as a guest to two meetings for each club. Leave your dog at home for the first meeting and take him for the second meeting if you wish to return. I’d go as a quest to each to see how they run their meetings, how they treat their people and newcomers and how they treat their dogs. Stay after for coffee, there are usually several people who stay behind to visit, these will be the people who are running things. These are the people you’ll want to feel you can bond with. Most therapy dog clubs do the same things, they take their dogs out to do good things for people. So how you choose which club to join really boils down to where you are comfortable, accepted, and assured that the people running the org or the club are basically good people who do it out of love for dogs and for people who can’t have dogs with them right now. Money, rules, and color of vests and where you visit are second to finding a place you want to stay with for years to come. Just a note. If there are one or two overbearing people in the club and everyone has to walk on eggshells around them, you might want to avoid that club, there will not be peace. You want a club where you can be involved and help, not a club where you start looking for reasons not to go to the meetings. If you and your dog are having fun and doing the good thing, you’ve made a wise choice. New friends are just the bonus. – Darc
Dear Darcy, I’d like to switch to raw food but I have two or three major concerns. First, the reason I’d like to switch is because I agree that fresh food can be better than commercial dog food, is certainly more natural and can be be better controlled. But I do worry a little about keeping a dog’s diet balanced, especially since I have a picky standard poodle. He eats kibble only as a last resort, so I’ve been cooking chicken and carrots for him–he doesn’t seem to like pork very much and I haven’t tried beef. He’ll eat some raw vegetables when I am preparing dinner for myself or making salads, but he seems to be eating them because his buddy the doberman does and because I give them to him by hand, like a treat. He often ignores them or eats around them when they are in his food dish. The one time I gave him a piece of raw chicken, he played with it and left it uneaten. So he is one concern. My other concern is that the doberman is an aggressive chewer and I feel I cannot give him raw bones. He’s already had one of his upper premolars (the biggest tooth in his head) crowned when he broke it chewing on rawhide. The veterinary dentist said he should have “nothing harder than you can mark with your fingernail”. This specialist is a good guy and is one expert I’ve come to rely on to help my dog but who has a very real problem with a diet of raw meaty bones. Otherwise, the doberman is a very hearty eater and also a very easy keeper. He actually gets by on less food than the poodle. What can you tell me about my situation? Ellen
Dear Ellen, If they were my dogs, I’d take them to a raw diet. There’s nothing wrong with feeding kibble if you choose the high quality kibble like those we sell at SitStay.com. We will never steer you wrong. I carry these in the SitStay store because they are some of the best available. But fresh is always better. Raw chicken bones are soft and pliable, easily chewed and digested by dogs so that’s in line with what your vet has requested of you. Find a vet who does like to see dogs eat what Nature intended for them to eat, they’ll be a good support for you. Here’s a SitStay link that will really help you http://dogrun.sitstay.com , there’s a wonderful resource for feeding raw food.
I’d suggest that you get one of our books on raw food to help guide you. Go to http://www.sitstay.com and look at the books for diet. They are, one and all, great.
I’m glad that you’re moving to a better diet for the dogs. Feed them the way you should eat, only don’t cook it. Balancing doesn’t have to be by the day, it can be by the week, it’s really not hard to do. Really it isn’t. In another six months, you’re going to be telling everyone you know to make the change for their dogs.
I had a comment this week that was kinda funny. She said, “What are you doing? Don’t you know that you’re getting people to stop buying dog food from SitStay? Aren’t your sales what support you? Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose business and money? What are you thinking?” My answer? No, I don’t worry about SitStay. We have only wonderful stuff and our customers are extremely loyal to us because we care for them and their dogs. Lots of people will continue to feed kibble so I offer them the best choices that I can. Why wouldn’t I urge people to feed their dogs fresh food? I love dogs and I want them to be well and happy and live the longest life they can with the people who love them. I can’t ship fresh food so the next best thing is to tell them how to do it. I love dogs. Being wealthy might be nice but I’d rather have every one of you living the best life you can with your dogs than to line my pockets with your lunch money. When you’re not giving all of your money to the vet any more because your dogs are well, you can buy them more toys and stuff at SitStay. I’ll love that! LOL! – Darc
Hi Darcy -
I have a question I’ve wanted answered “forever” and I’ve had lots of answers, just none that satisfied me so far.
Every dog food brand recommends a certain daily amount of their food according to their weight and that amount differs from brand to brand. They are all very close to the same amounts but they still differ.
We like to use kibble and top it with a dollop of wet food
( approx 2 T ) w/a squirt of water to mix, then warm it up a bit in the microwave. I know all the above is probably more to our
psychological tastes than his but still we enjoy doing this.
Our 1 year old bearded collie is 40 lb and his average
daily exercise consists of a 1-3 mile somewhat leisurely walk
w/my husband and 1 day per week at Doggie DayCare where
he plays for 1 hr, then goes to his kennel to rest for 1-1 1/2
hr, then back to playtime again (3X).
Finally, my question :
What amount of dry kibble, wet food, and lest not I forget his doggie treats ( healthy but still treats just the same ) should
he be eating per day ?
Again, I realize all dry and wet food ( & treats ) are not equal,
but do you have some sort of calculation that you could share
and would help me better able to figure the amount of food he should be eating for a healthy diet ?
Thanks ever so much ;0) Christie
Dear Cristie, I’ll post my answer to your question. It might take me a little room and it will answer some other questions I’ve received, too. Thank you. – Darcy
Dear Darcy – I have an 13+ y.o. male GSD(+husky?)/Lab mix. He’s my absolute heart dog and still very healthy overall. Ideal weight is around 62 lbs and he is what I would consider barrel chested. We are seeing some hearing loss, joint stiffness and weaker back legs these days.
My questions revolve around what I’m seeing with friends’ dogs as a tendency for older, male, large dogs in getting bloat and what type of diet or routine could help prevent bloat? Do you believe there is a relationship in this happening? I’ll be honest, it terrifies me… 2 dogs I know were saved by emergency vet surgery, the other was lost just 2 weeks ago.
I feed 2x per day, about 10 hrs between a.m. and p.m. times. We have been kibble since day one, with leftover (unseasoned) veggies added randomly as we have them. (loves those broccoli and cauliflower stems!)
Since about 2002 we’ve exclusively fed Solid Gold. We walk about 3/4 mile shortly after the a.m. meal before I start my day. Evenings (when not winter in MN) we get about 5-10 good ball tosses in (not his choice, I limit him these days)
Would love your thoughts on this topic of bloat.
Thanks!
Stacy & Guinness
Mpls, MN
Stacy, I’ll answer in a post, there’s not enough room here. Hugs to your boy. – Darcy
Dear Darcy,
Just putting it out here…
A male terrier looking dog all covered and caked in ice and snow followed my son and dog home(Which is rare my dog will SELDOM if ever “befriend” another male dog.
He’s small, black and white with a little bit of “brindle” colouring on his face and snout. Looks like his tail has been “docked” a little(?).
He was found in Rogers, AR
I have posted this on several websites trying to get the word out. I will be calling animal shelters and vet clinics in the morning(They were closed today and yesterday).
Thanks!
Patti Martin
Darcie,
My husband has fallen in love with your “dome home” and wants to build one here in Louisiana. Where can I get more info? He google’d dome homes but they are all above ground. Kelley
Kelley, Go to http://www.formworksbuilding.com , Tell Dale that I sent you. He answers email quickly.
Darcy
Hey Darcie, Do you have any posts/articles on Separation Anxiety? I’m working with someone who adopted a husky/lab, about 2 yrs old, female, this is now her 4th “home” not including at least 2 foster homes in between. She’s very sweet, but incredibly needy. The new owner thought crating was out of the question, but has finally been able to have success using the crate (prior to crating, she was gated in a room where she ate walls and couches). She’s using vet prescribed sedatives, not sure what kind, but I told her that should be an absolute last resort and to try some herbal remedies first and since the vet meds have done zilch for this dog, she needs some help. I did a quick search for separation anxiety, but nothing came up on the site. I’d like to have some articles for her to read possibly to help verify what I’ve been telling her. She is determined to keep this dog, the kids even want to try dock dog sports with her, but until they can get through the mess in her head and the separation issues. Biggest issue being she LOVES other dogs, but cannot contain herself and will break through her Invisible Fence to see them. She lives with an older greyhound/lab who is very active and will play with her, but even when staked out, or on leash supervised, she gets fixated on the dogs passing by and gets tunnel vision! Any help you can pass along for her would be appreciated, thanks! Lindsay
Dear Lindsay, Thank you for turning her away from drugs. What most people don’t understand is that with a lot of those drugs the dog’s mind doesn’t stop feeling fearful, scared, or anxious, their body just can’t react. They may look calm on the outside but inside they are still working that fear. It can be terrifying and certainly makes matters worse. Explain it like this: I am going to put you in a straight jacket so you can’t react, tape your eyes closed so I can’t see your fear, tape your mouth shut so you can’t scream and drop you into a pool of water with blocks tied to your feet. You can’t move or cry out or save yourself, the fear is still there. You might look peaceful floating to the bottom of the pool but…
Yes, I have great stuff on anxiety and separation anxiety. Click on this link Anxiety Fear Exercise
If it was me, I’d dump the invisible fence, it can raise anxiety in dogs in a lot of different ways. Staking out a dog is never a good thing in my opinion, it can cause so many problems in dogs who aren’t perfectly happy to be still. Get the dog to a chiropractor, search The Dish for all of those articles. And yes, get the dog into activities now, don’t wait until the separation anxiety is solved. A dog getting exercise and playing sports will be a more stress free and confident dog.
And clicker training, get that from SitStay.com It’s amazing what it can do for a dog’s attention and calming influence. I watched a current It’s Me or the Dog on TV last week. She took a biting dog, dog was a bad, bad biter of all people, holding on to a child’s face and hanging on biter and who was attacking other dogs and turned it quickly into a dog who turned it’s attention away from those things and calmed. No alpha rolls or holding the dog on it’s side, no jerking, just plain old showing the dog what’s good and then the dog gets to decide to work with the people. I see it happen over and over and over again. The dog you’re talking about is sweet and wants to play but same thing, need to change the focus. Have your friend tell us how it goes. Thanks, Darcy
Hi Darcy,
I am confused about feeding amounts. I read in one of your posts raw food is 2% of body weight.
I have 5 dogs-4 around 12 pounds, one around 15 pounds.
I think I may be overfeeding them.
I recently started feeding Honest Kitchen Preference (And I haven’t checked with them yet)and ground beef.
I would say my dogs are less active.
The feeding recommendations say
up to 10lbs 1/4c: 1/4c for less active
10-30 lbs 1/2c: 1/2c for less active
I have been feeding twice a day using the 10-30 lb guidelines:
12pound dogs 2% would be 3.84 oz
1/4c beef weighs 2 1/4 oz
1/4c preference weighs 5/8 oz
1/2 cup water weighs 3 oz
———–
total 5 7/8 oz
Daily would be about 11 3/4oz
They scarf the food down and then act like they are starving.
Oh, I also give them a pinch of Source seaweed a day.
To me, it looks like I should cut their feed in half at least. If I am understanding the 2% correct.
They are:
Jazz 12 yr old schipperke
Gandhi 8-9 year old Chinese Crested
Dylan 8-9 year old Chinese Crested
Valerie 14 yr old Chinese Crested
Teddy 3 yr old miniature toy/poodles
They were all rescues. Darcy, thanks for sharing your expertise. Linda
Linda, I’ll reply as a post, this will take a bit to answer. Thanks, Darcy
Hi Darcy, First I just want to say that I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog. It’s been a huge help for me and our new addition (Riley, a 4mo coonhound mix). We’ve recently switched to raw–and he’s doing great. We had tried Orijen for a month or so and never a solid poop (yuck!)–so I figured why not; with all the “small, firm poop” talk, who can resist? But I just have a few questions…
1) When do you consider a puppy no longer a “puppy”, or when should I stop feeding him 10% of his bodyweight?
2) I’ve been using the Nature’s variety frozen food to start, but ultimately I’d like to do some sort of combination of frozen and fresh meat. Where the patties are balanced as far as meat/bone/organ go, do you have an suggestions as to how to keep the fresh food in balance with those ratios (80% meat 10% bone 10% organ)? Thanks! Lindsey
Dear Lindsey, When a puppy is no longer needing 10% depends entirely on the puppy. Bigger dogs take longer to grow up and they often go through spurts of needing more food, then less, then more again, just like a human child. You don’t want a rolly polly puppy. Lean from puppyhood is best, in my opinion. Feel the ribs every day and adjust food a bit as you need to. You’ll get the hang of it quickly.
Nature’s Variety is a good food and can be used as the only food for most dogs. I liked to add more veggies and fruit, too. Lots of people feed only that.
I can’t give you everything in a short answer. You’ll want more info and lots of hands on experience, and you can ask questions too, go to the SitStay Dogrun Forum, it’s linked at SitStay.com. And check out the books on raw diet at SitStay.com. Really, if you can feed yourself and you’re in tune with Mother Nature (what would your dog eat if he was catching it himself), you’ll do great.
I’m so glad you’ve gone to raw. Let us know when your dog comes to thank you for that. It happens with every single one. – Darcy
Hi Darcy, I have a 6 year rescued greyhound (1 of 4) that seems to be a compulsive licker. It seems that once she gets a nick or scratch she licks it until it is a major wound. The other greyhounds do some licking but not as obsessively as Hannah. The area she is licking now has been healed up twice using an E-collar and topical creams. Once we think the area is healed and remove the E-collar within 48 hours she has the area raw again. Do you have any ideas about what else we can do? She is a registered pet therapy dog with TDInc and does a few hours of pet therapy a week so I would like to keep her as “wound free” as possible. Thanks, Patrice and Hannah Kearney,Ne
Dear Patrice and Hannah, If she was mine, I’d get her to a vet chiropractor. It’s possible that she has some nerve or alignment issues going on which make her lick. If they can calm those things, it can calm her emotions, too. It’s pretty amazing what chiropractic and acupuncture can do. Darcy
Hi Darcy – I love receiving “The Dish,” all your excellent advice, and the wonderful SitStay products you carry.
However, I was VERY distressed tonight to learn on one of my dog-lists about the Nature’s Variety Frozen Raw Chicken recall. Not nearly so much about the recall, but in learning about their current testing procedures. We feed the raw chicken medallions, thankfully the two bags I’d just purchased have an October 2010 use by date, but I’m not at all pleased with this company.
Their web site recall information says that as part of their corrective action “Nature’s Variety raw frozen products will now undergo a “test and hold” period before being released for sale.”
WHAT??? The stuff is FROZEN!!!! They couldn’t hold it until they had the PATHOGENIC bacteria test results before shipping out for consumption?? Sounds like a Company truly concerned about the health of my animals – no more Nature’s Variety for me!!
Has Nature’s Variety become just another garbage dogfood Company concerned ONLY about the bottom line?? Barb
Dear Barb, I’ll post my answer to your question to the main part of The Dish. It’s too long to put here. – Darcy
Dear Darcy
I have 2 rescued disabled dogs (One is blind in one eye and one is 3 legged- all human inflicted)) and I “babysit” the neighbors rescue for a total of 3 dogs. All have come from very difficult backgrounds. They are really great guys except when they see another dog. They go CRAZY-it is very difficult to hold on to them let alone to try to teach them anything when they are acting out-When it is over I can’t correct them as they wouldn’t know why. I know that they need socialization -but how can I accomplish that if I can’t get them around other dogs?
Any help you can suggest would be so appreciated. My goal with my two is to get them into therapy work with the Veterans Hospital here in my area.
Thank You for being there for us Chastain
Dear Chastain, If you like TV trainers, watch Victoria Stilwell’s It’s Me or the Dog. She often trains just this thing. Or find someone local who will help you, only positive please, no choking, electric or shock collars, or pulling. It’s not hard, it might take a little time, but in the end your dogs will be great on the street and everywhere else. In my opinion, steer clear of Cesar Millan type trainers, their training isn’t fun, will teach your dog to mistrust you, and more often than not, it doesn’t last. – Darcy
Hi Darcy:
Amy
I was flipping through tv yesterday and watched part of an infomercial for The Perfect Dog. http://www.theperfectdog.com.
The training collar is described as “The Command Collar® is NOT an electronic collar, shock collar, or noise emitting collar. It is manually operated and it is simply designed to emulate a mother dog’s natural corrective process. It is safe to use, lightweight, attractive, and effective.”
How does this actually work and what are your thoughts? I’m not interested in trying it, but am curious how this functions…Thanks for your insight.
Amy, I’ll answer in a post, this is going to take a few words.
– Darcy
Hi Darcy, I have been reading your posts about dog food and tried to do my own research. The tool that made me think about my recent dog food was the scoring system where you add and subtract points for different ingredients in your food and then come up with the score either below (bad) or above 100 (good). If that scoring system is legit, it makes me sick to see what dog foods are promoted by vets and advertised for on animal related tv channels. Do you know where that scoring system originated and if it is a legitimate tool to evaluate your dog food? Thanks! Nadja
Dear Nadja, The dog food industry is a mega billion dollar industry and everyone wants in on the action. There are so many things out there that just aren’t necessary to determine a good food. I’ve seen several of these scoring websites, some are probably legit, many are not. If the scoring system insists that you sign up first, know your source; they may want more from you than to find a dog food, expect spam and your info sold for money. And unless you know that who is behind the scoring understands nutrition and ingredients, you’re not going to get good answers anyway; how do you know it’s not one of the dog food makers who you would never buy from or someone being paid to entice you into buying bad food? Money drives a lot of people, be aware of that when you trust.
I’m more practical than most. Instead of trying to figure this out with a scoring system, I’d say it’s better to learn how to read a label and understand how some dog food makers can and do fudge their labels. It’s pretty safe to say these days that if it’s at the vet or the grocery store, I wouldn’t feed it to my dogs. Instead of a scoring system of foods, know how to read the labels, understand ingredients, talk to the makers or the stores selling the food, if they don’t give you good answers and won’t do it in writing, don’t buy from them. If you want good dog food, I only carry the good stuff at SitStay.com and although our food list is not yet a complete list of what I do like, it’s a great place to shop with trust. Your own fresh or raw food is the best way to feed your dog. When you choose the food, you have complete control. If you can feed yourself, you can feed your dog. I hope this is helpful. – Darcy
Hello Darcie, I have been reading a lot about dog food and appreciate very much the help sit stay gives us. My question. I have been feeding a good dog food but thought I would stsart using two kinds end change every bag. Yesterday I gave my greyhounds a very small amount of the new food with their regular food and they both had very loose stools today. Does this mean that the new food will not agree with them or that they need time to adjust? Should I continue small amounts of the new food? thanks, sharon
Dear Sharon, Generally for most dogs if you move from a good food to another good food, the dogs won’t show any difference in stools. Variety of proteins is a good thing in my opinion. What is the new food? Brand and name. – Darcie
Dear Darcy, I was wondering if you had any suggestions or tips for feeding my little dog that had teeth removed. Previously the vet removed ten – yes ten and I was upset. This time he went for his dental and she removed the incisors plus a premolar and a molar. Everyone seems to say dogs learn to eat minus teeth but he is having problems – he can’t chew his food well at all now. He is a hairless Chinese Crested and I realize this breed has more than its share of mouth problems but I am very concerned about him. Nance
Dear Nance, Any good quality canned food like SitStay.com carries or raw ground up food will be doable for your dog, either will be easy for a dog who doesn’t have teeth any more. Your dog needs really good nutrition, I’d stay away from vet and grocery stores foods, they rarely carry the good stuff. Why did the vet remove his teeth? – Darcy
Hi Darcy – True to this breed Storm being a hairless has the primitive mouth. He had his regular dental appointments after I got him. However previous to that time he had abscessed teeth and gum irritation. It makes me sad watching him struggle with his food as he loved to eat – that was the highlight of the day for him. He is only 6 years old. Now that Dr. Kate removed his incisors he is experiencing problems keeping his tongue in his mouth and that upsets him also. I never have fed the grocery store variety of food – showed dogs for over twenty years – big ones – Afghan Hounds and Old English Sheepdogs. Now in my retirement have had to get the smaller guys. I will be checking out the ground up food once he gets his moth totally healed. The vet didn’t want any soft food going up into the cavities until it all healed over. He actually has some trouble holding the food in his mouth at this stage of the healing process – it just drops out. It is frustrating for both of us. Thank you Darcy. I just love your site – in fact way back in the olden days your store was the first one I ever ordered from on the web and that has been many years ago. Nance
Dear Nance, Yes, SitStay.com was the first or at least one of the first pet supply stores online in the history of the Internet. We never could find anyone whose start date was before ours but we can’t prove they weren’t there either. I count my blessings every day.
I’ve said a prayer for both of you. I wish it was different for you guys. We have to go with what we have right now, can’t change the past. Live in the moment with him, stay cheerful and love him to pieces. Dogs are fantastic at learning to cope with what life throws at them, all we have to do is stay light hearted to help them along. Let us know how it goes. Thank you so much for business, your kind words and sharing your dog with us. I really appreciate it. The more we learn, the more we can help others. I wish I knew everything. – Darcy
Dear Darcy, I HAVE A QUESTION. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND TO STOP A 4 MO OLD WEIGHT 4-5 LB. PUP FROM EATING HER OWN POOP? SHE WON’T LET ME SEE HER POOP NOR CAN I CATCH HER EATING IT. YOU SEEM TO BE SO GOOD AT PRESCRIBING AND GIVING ADVICE ON SEVERAL SUBJECTS. LIBBY
Dear Libby, The best way to keep it from happening is to pick it up immediately after the dog poops. The way to do that? The pup must be under complete supervision until her house manners and potty manners are perfect. This means she’s either in her crate, in a play pen, or on a leash attached to you or someone else in the family. She will not have a chance to do something without you seeing it. Puppies who get free rein of the house will start bad habits. Read and follow this advice and routine and you’ll have great luck: House Breaking Some dogs, especially puppy mill dogs (did you buy her at a pet store or did she come from rescue?), have a life long habit of coprophagia, those are the dogs who will need a lifetime human partner when they poop, you’re there to pick it up. Wish I had better news for you. Please don’t use tobasco or pepper or anything like that, those things can hurt her. Simply be there to pick up after her. – Darcy
Hi Darcy, I have heard (or read) somewhere that if you feed your dog pineapple that by the time it gets through the GI tract it makes the poop taste really bad. I have the poop eating problem with only 1 of my dogs, so I was wondering if this was an option in a multi-dog house hold. I can’t always watch all of them to see where they poop. Patrice
Dear Patrice, I’ve heard of it, I’ve never personally seen it work. Generally dogs who eat poop by habit don’t care what it tastes like, I don’t think it’s like desert or something, it’s a habit or they were the bed cleaner in the litter. There are lots of theories why. The best thing to do is go out with your dogs and pick up the poop right away. They only poop once or twice a day if they have a good diet. That’s not to hard to do.
Thanks. – Darcy
Hi Darcy,
I noticed you do not carry any of the Wholistic Pet (http://www.wholisticpet.com/) products. I learned about them on some raw food discussion groups – especially their Canine Complete supplement. Have you tried them and decided against it or have you not tried them yet? Thanks Kimber
Kimber, they are in our lineup of products to test and try. If we love them, we’ll add them to the Store. I wish we had more time and twice the staff to make these things go faster! That’s what we get for being a small family business. We love it. Thank you so much for your support and for asking. We fill our store with the products we love and things that you love, too. Everyone, stay in touch with us and tell us what you want. Thanks, Darcy
Hi Darcie,
I am compiling a list of “must read” articles and posts and will create a “note” on my Facebook page. Of course, most of them are from sitstay.com!!! Thanks for all the wonderful info over the years – I could read sitstay all day!
I just now saw that you answered my question – any updates since then? Did you get to try them yet? In March I switched my four dogs to a raw diet. I bought a Sam Baere grinder and a kitchen scale. I created a spreadsheet to tell me how much (lbs) to feed of meat and of my veggie / fruit frappe (fed through the food processor) each meal. I weigh every portion every meal for every dog. Before I start weighing the portion for each dog, I look at that dog and see if they need more or less based on if they look like they are too thin or too heavy.
Now I’m on the bandwagon to get all my friends to feed their dogs either fresh raw or purchased frozen or dehydrated raw. Because of my A-type personality
Thanks, Kimber
Dear Kimber, I don’t remember what we were talking about. What is your question about? – Darcie
Kimber
Darcie, I was asking about wholisticpet products and you said they were on your list to try…Kimber
Kimber, I’ll ask the guys if they were able to check on these. If the products were different or better than what we already carry, they’ll be on a list to add. If they are the same as our tried and true products, we probably won’t add something that is exactly the same. If they have been added already, you’ll be able to search on them at http://www.sitstay.com. As you know, I’ve been gone for a while and getting back into the swing of things around here. I wish I could live on vacation and talk to everyone around the country who loves dogs! That was so great. Was there something special in the wholistic line that you needed? Let me know. – Darcie
Hi Darcie,
I think I searched already and didn’t find them. I use these products but since you don’t sell them, I was concerned if they were 1) any good, and 2) worth the price. I first came upon them in some forums on raw feeding a few years back when I first started learning about raw. Their “Canine Complete” product came up time and again as a good supplement to ensure your raw fed dogs have all the nutrition they need. They also have a product called “Run Free” for joints. Kimber
Dear Kimber, Take a look at the video of Tilli at SitStay.com (on the home page, scroll down a little). It’s more than amazing the difference that Advanced Cetyl M made for her in such a short period of time. I am so happy to have found this product, it’s made a life difference for TIlli. Check it out for your dogs. Thanks. – Darcie
My dog Mackenzie and I are proud Pet Partners registered with Delta Society. Recently, there was an article in the New York Times about unscrupulous people ordering Therapy Dog vests and Service Dogs vests online for dogs who are not registered or trained. One woman blatently bragged that she ordered a red vest online and convinced her doctor to write a letter so that her dog would be allowed where pets other than working dogs are not allowed. These people want the “perks” of airline travel and other allowances made for working dogs. I have always admired your high standards. Why are you offering Therapy Dog and Service dog vests for sale on your site? You are not requiring any proof that the customer actually owns a registered dog. Delta and other recognized organizations sell their own vests and patches. The facility where we volunteer provides a vest with the hospital logo. Offering vests to the general public is a disservice to those of us who gave our time for training and registering our dogs. Our dogs are evaluated every year or two years, including health certification. Your vests would not fool a hospital but would you want to be traveling on a plane or train with an uncrated dog who may not have his vaccinations and might be aggressive? People misusing working dog vests ruin it for those of us who volunteer our time with our dogs. Lynn
Dear Lynn, I know that you mean well but you might not be completely informed.
I’m not sure how a dog wearing a vest could ruin your service and life with your dog. If you’re talking about a dog who isn’t well mannered in public, that dog can legally be ousted from the premises and does not reflect on you and your dog at all.
I won’t even get into what I think of vaccinations and how many veterinarians are staring to come out against them. They are finding that more and more dogs are sick and dying due directly to vaccinations. If your dog is vaccinated, you shouldn’t have to worry about other dogs not being vaccinated. Your dog is “protected”.
As you know, the ADA does not require that Service Dogs be registered or certified and most of them are not. I hope it never happens that a dog has to go to an organization of training to become a Service Dog. If it does happen, you’ll see orgs and businesses pop up who claim they can train but they won’t produce the dogs who can help. So many disabled people won’t be able to get dogs because they don’t have enough money, they won’t be able to live their lives outside their homes. Including veterans and children of families who don’t have enough money to have their dogs trained. That would be a travesty, wouldn’t it? Especially because many dogs train so easily to help people, they don’t have to pay thousands of dollars to have a dog bred to be a Service Dog and pay for the training as well. Rescue dogs are being trained more and more and they are being trained by normal, regular people without a huge cost to the disabled person.
Therapy Dogs don’t have to be certified or registered to do their work. There is no law that says they do.
When was the last time you flew or rode on a train with an aggressive dog? It’s never happened to me. I don’t think you’re going to see a normally intelligent person trying to pass an aggressive dog off as a Service Dog. If that bad person you’re talking about does take their aggressive dog out into public, vest or no vest, they’ll have to go to court just like anyone else would. It’s not a good argument for dogs not wearing vests.
SitStay has sold high quality, well made vests for Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs, working dogs, and clubs who have special needs for vests for several years. It’s a service that we will continue. I’m sure that you’re not asking me to quit selling vests to people who need them because some people would be dishonest by putting a “Service Dog” vest on their dog. I’m sure you know, too, that there are many unscrupulous businesses who are selling vests for huge amounts of money with certifications that aren’t worth the paper they are printed on. Go after those guys, please, if you feel you have to make a stand against this, they are stealing right out of the pockets of the people you are trying to protect.
I get a letter like yours about once every five years. It’s usually from someone new and on fire for the program they’re in and who may not have all the facts of who needs a Service Dog and who gets one and all the reasons vests are used in the dog world. I appreciate your letter and I wish you the very best. – Darcy
There is not a hospital in New York that is allowed to accept a dog as a Therapy Dog who is not registered by a recognized organization. Same applies in our public libraries. Sorry, but that is the State requirements in NY. As for cost, the hospital where we volunteer offers on-site Delta training, subsidized by grants, for those who cannot pay the cost of the training course. The organization who registers the dog carries our liability insurance, not the hospital. TDI will evaluate and register a dog without classes. Mayor Bloomberg fought long and hard to get Therapy Dog programs in all major teaching hospitals in NY. Lynn
Dear Lynn, Yes, most hospitals do want a dog to go through Therapy Dog training before it’s visits a hospital, nursing home, or school. That training insures that the dog will be calm and good during the visit. Therapy Dog organizations and clubs usually do have some sort of certification or diploma for finishing the course or joining the club. Therapy dogs are usually pets of the people who volunteer with them. I think there may be some confusion about the difference between Therapy Dogs and Service Dogs. Service Dogs are not Therapy Dogs, they are not considered pets, they do not require certification or registration, they do have to be trained. Thanks. – Darcy
Dear Darcy, First, I want to thank you for your reply to Lynn’s letter about Service Dog Vests. I appreciate you providing information that clarifies what is and what is not legally required of Service Dogs. I am amazed at how many businesses do not know the law, let alone the everyday people who are unaware! I am privately training my Service Dog with the help of professionals and frequently have to deal with the uninformed. For example, I just made reservations at a hotel and, out of courtesy, informed them that I would have a Service Dog with me. They are ‘requiring’ a certificate upon check in. I have one of those ‘not worth the paper they are printed on’ certificates that I got when I first adopted Cura which I will bring in the event that they insist, but I plan on having a little informative chat with the manager in the hope that it will benefit someone who tries to stay there in the future.
Now, on to my question . . . I frequently read your recommendations on feeding and would love to move my dog to a completely raw or frozen raw diet. But, I have done the research and, with her size and food requirments, to do so would be prohibitively expensive. Instead, I have settled for a high quality, no grain, kibble that is HEAVILY supplemented with fresh and frozen fruits, veggies, fats, and starches — in healthy proportions. She is thriving on this compromise. But I wanted to know if you were aware of any raw diets that were not geared toward the small dog owner. Stephaie
Dear Stephaie, An adult dog will eat about 2% of it’s good body weight in raw food each day, puppies will eat 10%. That’s really not so much. That’s less than 2 pounds of raw food for a 90 pound dog. Two pounds of food is about 4 cups, tightly compressed. If your dog is doing well on a good quality kibble with fresh foods, you’re doing fine! Which dog food did you choose? Just curious.
The ADA states to businesses: “The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.” And “Some, but not all, service animals wear special collars and harnesses. Some, but not all, are licensed or certified and have identification papers. If you are not certain that an animal is a service animal, you may ask the person who has the animal if it is a service animal required because of a disability. However, an individual who is going to a restaurant or theater is not likely to be carrying documentation of his or her medical condition or disability. Therefore, such documentation generally may not be required as a condition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal. Although a number of states have programs to certify service animals, you may not insist on proof of state certification before permitting the service animal to accompany the person with a disability.”
Please note that so far, the ADA does require that the animal be trained before it meets the description of a Service Dog. If you’re still in training, your dog may not qualify. Nebraska, where I live, is trying to pass legislation so dogs in training will be allowed in public to insure and proof their training. You might check with your state to find out what they require. The best way to encourage managers about Service Dogs is, with a kind heart and a smile, give them a print out of the ADA info. You can find it here, ADA info page. Have a great trip. – Darcy
Darcy, I was surprised to hear that some states do not treat Service Dogs in Training the same way as fully trained dogs — after all, how are they going to get trained if they can’t be given the necessary experiences? Fingers crossed that Nebraska will manage to pass that legislation. Fortunately, that is not the case in my state — though I will definitely keep that in mind when traveling out of state! Great to have the information ahead of time — thank you! BTW — we use Taste of the Wild. Though I am going to try a brand that I just encountered called Earthborn which claims to be both holistic and grain free. I want to have some choices in case for some reason, my preferred food becomes unavailable for some reason.Stephaie
Stephaie, Just FYI, Diamond Pet Food and Taste of the Wild have the same home address. Diamond has had some troubles in the past, perhaps they have that all figured out now. I haven’t made the move to carry foods made by Diamond. I do like Whole Earth Farms and all of the foods we have SitStay.com. If you’d like to go a bit more natural, choose some of the freeze dried raw to add to your dog’s diet. SitStay’s dog foods list Thanks. – Darcy
Dear Darcy: Thank you for all the past dog feeding advice you’ve shared. I am a little confused on grains though. I realize that dogs do not need grain and do not necessarily digest them well. But I do notice your wonderful sitstay.com does sell dry kibble containing grain. So is it a general rule that unless your dog is allergic to grain, it is ok to feed a food containing grain (minimal and quality grain)? We’re in transition of food and boy, is it confusing to read labels and sort out quality ingredients. Thanks! Kennedy
Kennedy, I’ll answer you in a post, this is a much longer discussion than we can fit here. See Dog Food Ingredients. – Thanks, Darc
Why do dogs love to roll in poop? Carolyn
Carolyn, it seems to me that fox poop is the most popular around here; it must be the best perfume. I don’t think anyone knows for certain why dogs roll in stinky stuff. There are theories; masking their own scent is the biggest one. There is the idea that dogs roll in dead stuff to mask their own odor so they can hunt prey. In all my years, I’ve never known a prey animal who doesn’t avoid something that smells dead…because it smells like death…so that doesn’t work for me entirely. Sharing information about something they found is another one. I’ve even heard that the stinkier the dog, the more power they have “in the pack” which I think is completely ridiculous. The SitStay Dogs don’t seem to care what the other one rolled in and they aren’t hunters so none of these theories hold water for me. See, nobody knows for sure yet. I guess they do it because they like it and it probably is some long ago instinct which is rooted deep in their brain somewhere. If your dog is rolling in dog poop, time to start cleaning up after them immediately. I’d say that would have more to do with a puppy mill dog, bad beginnings, or a mental or emotional challenge. Best to clean up and manage when you have this problem, I don’t know if there is a cure for it other than management. – Darc
Dear Darc, Saw a great dog on TV the other day (Denver)…they were doing demos for Sit means Sit (a training organization) so I thought -wouldn’t this be great- being able to walk dog and dog not responding to distractions around him. Then I decided to check into their training program and they apparently use this “Special sit means sit collar” Sounds like another shock collar. Have you heard of this training program ? and am I right about the collar? Thanks, Karen
Dear Karen, Yes, it seems to be so. I’ve never met Fred but have heard many stories about the training, it’s not all good. Once the “trainer” goes home with the dog and the shock collar things tend to go badly for a lot of dogs. Most of us don’t have the perfect timing that it takes to make the collars work effectively without ruining a perfectly good dog, experts when honest will tell you that they’re ruined a good many good dogs. It’s not that dogs can’t be forced to do things with an electrocution collar (that’s what they truly are, e-collars), it’s that it’s not necessary to use force to teach a dog anything. The only trainers who have to use shock collars are those who don’t know how to communicate with dogs. Of course many of them disagree with me because they find that a shock collars gets them what they want and they don’t have to understand dogs. It’s an “easy” way to get something done, well not so easy for the dog is it? Really, isn’t the best trainer the one who can train without abuse of any kind? Get SitStay’s Clicker Training Kit or any of our clicker training products. It’s fun and you can teach your dog anything, including ignoring distractions and walking by your side without a leash. I can’t find it again, but there’s a video on YouTube.com of a woman teaching her dog to walk on it’s front legs. She taught the dog to back up onto a stack of books and as she clicked the dog learned to lift it’s back legs without the books as help. It was all done without touching the dog, no shocking and no collar at all, and all with clicker training. The dog loved it and learned quickly.
You know, in some places on Earth dogs are so revered that the people believe that if you do something bad to a dog, something bad will happen to you. I believe it, too. The last man who told me that he used a shock collar on his dog is deeply in debt, nothing seems to go right for him, he just can’t figure it out. Just saying….. – Darc
Hi Darc, a friend of mine just asked me what I give my dogs for flea and tick prevention, because I usually research the things I give my dogs. However, I have to admit i have not looked into flea preventatives, yet. What do you guys give the SitStay dogs? Are there any issues people should be aware of? Nadja
Dear Nadja, The SitStay Dogs use Frontline, it’s reportedly the one with the fewest side effects of all. I hate having to do anything with chemicals but we live in an area where ticks are very happy to be. We will not live with ticks and fleas. We’ve tested some of the natural remedies like Sergeant’s Sentry, which at the time was brand new and touted as natural and safe, it was a terrible test, it almost killed Tilli. The best thing that you can do is feed as natural a diet as you can, the dog’s body will naturally repel parasites as best as each individual dog can. Dog’s systems seem to be different. Tilli rarely ever had a tick, I had to sit with Dancer after every walk to hunt through her hair and take them off, I got really good at it. These dogs have never had fleas, except for Oliver who had them when I went to pick him up in Texas. You might like these two articles about Fleas and Oliver’s flea story. Garlic, in moderation, too much can be harmful, seems to be a good supplement, it seems to repel the little creatures. I wish I had better news for you but generally if you’re in a tick and flea infested part of the world, the spot ons make a difference. I wish it wasn’t so. – Darc
Thank you for your time.I wish people wouldn’t continue to make a living off of these inhumane ways of training.
UPDATE! Shootag refuses to offer samples to us or to anyone for testing. That in itself tells me that they do not believe in their own product. Why? My guess is that it doesn’t work like they say it will or they would have samples into every retailer’s hands! Do note that it “works up to 4 weeks”, that can mean that it might work for an hour or even a few minutes. If it doesn’t work, you don’t get your money back, you get another tag. Why? This usually means that you gave them your money, now it’s their money.
At this point, I’d say it’s a scam. Sorry. We’ll have to keep praying for something else to keep ticks and fleas away. – Darcie
Darcie, The Honest Kitchen just posted a reference including a link to http://www.shootag.com/. Do you have any experience with this product?
Thanks Linda
Dear Linda, I know of this product, the maker has asked us to carry their tags. I love quantum physics and natural medicine, I’m willing to give this a try and a test. We are in the process of getting these to test, I’ll be the guinea pig, mosquitoes and ticks love me and they’ll be here soon. If it works for me, we’ll try them on the dogs, too. I have tested two products that say they work like this, they did not work. Until we test them and know they really work, I won’t carry it. My big question is, what does the energy field do to our and the dog’s natural energy field? We all have one, will it be disrupted and what problems could that cause? I’d think it would be better than drugs definitely but if it doesn’t work like it should, we’ve all just been parted from our money and at what cost? If the testing goes well, we’ll carry them. Thanks! – Darcie
Darcie,
I just read your comments on the ShooTag product and was curious about what your findings were on Sentry’s ‘Natural Defense Flea and Tick for dogs’ that PawNaturals sells. Since moving to PA 4 years ago, Libby has become a tick magnet and is extremely sensitive to them (red blotches in ears and on belly). I have held off on chemicals until I could boost her immune system but, after the winter we have had, I feel I have to be prepared.
Thanks Mary Anne
Mary Anne, I’ll answer you in a post so nobody will miss this. It’s not good. Thanks. – Darcie
Dear Darcie, I’m wanting to make my own liver treats for a while now, but i have a friend telling me that a poster at her vet lists liver as dangerous for dogs. There are loads of liver treats on the market. What’s the story behind that? Nadja
Dear Nadja, My best guess is that her vet wants to warn her against sick or damaged livers in food and treats or feeding too much liver, not that liver is bad for dogs. Liver is rich in nutrition for both humans and dogs, that’s been know for years. Liver has brought dying puppies back from certain death, given new life to lethargic dogs, and injured dogs seem to recover faster when liver is added to their diet a few times a week. You certainly don’t want to give a diseased liver to your dog or eat one either. Think about it this way, if you think about what a rabbit is made of, what amounts of which parts should your dog be eating? The stomach contents vary, the liver is a bit smaller than than the heart and kidneys combined but not as big as the bones and the rest of the meat so if you feed your dog like Mother Nature would, you’d have all the parts in the whole rabbit in the right quantity for your dog. If you’re not feeding whole animals to your dog, give attention to how much of what foods you are feeding so your dog is getting a more natural balance of food. If you’re using liver as treats, don’t add more liver to your dog’s daily diet. Too much of anything isn’t good for us or our dogs, including liver which is high in vitamin A. If you stick to the old saying “All things in moderation”, including food, and shop only where you get safe and healthy food, you’ll be good. Remember that Mother Nature knows what your dog should eat and one of those things is liver. I suggest to people all the time to feed natural foods in natural quantities and do not over supplement, over supplementing is asking for trouble. A dog who eats a lot of liver and also gets a vitamin A supplement will be getting too much vitamin A. See what I mean? Ask your friend what the poster says exactly and let me know. I’d be surprised if it was anything more than this. Thanks.
dear Darcy,
love your site and blog.Here is my question.I am getting a second puppy in a couple weeks and am wondering if clicker training to housebreak etc is apropriate for a young dog.He will be 10 weeks old. Thank’s! Priska
Dear Priska, Clicker training will work for anything but I normally don’t use it to potty train. I urge you to use routine for potty training instead. It’s fast and you never have to remember where you left your clicker in case of a hurry. Search The Dish for ‘house breaking’ or go to the article here, it’s really good and detailed to get you through the potty training: House Breaking Have fun! Potty training time can be a very worthy, fun, and bonding time. – Darcie
Darcy, I’ve decided to start my 6 year old chow mix rescue on some agility training. Eddie has always been a great dog to work with, always willing and eager to learn. I decided to start with clicker training after having read about it in your blogs. I was excited to begin when I received the Sit Stay Clicker starting kit, and i read the book and watched the video. In our first session, just familiarizing him with the concept of the clicker, he ran away every time I clicked! He had the same demeanor that he has every time he gets his toenails clipped or his glands expressed – he looks like I just hit him with a board. I stopped after 3 tries as I was concerned about what was clearly a negative experience for him. Do you have any ideas for me as to what other noise maker I can use instead of the clicker? I hate to give up on this idea so soon! Jane
Dear Jane, It sounds like your dog might be sound sensitive or you might be leaning toward him too much when you click so it’s more like a reprimand type of action than a good thing. First use really, really fantastic treats, something your dog loves very much. You can warm up the treats in the microwave but just so they’re warm not hot, that will bring out the smell. Or warm baked chicken meat is one most dogs can’t turn down, that could get you started again. Or baked liver, that’s always a treat! Go easy on the liver though, too much organ meat can cause loose stools.
This is what I suggest. Put the clicker into a sock and hold it behind your back or at your waist at the side, not really hiding it but moving it away from your dog. The sock will reduce the sound. Toss treats onto the floor a ways from you, about three feet or so. As your dog picks up each treat, click instantly as each treat goes into his mouth. By the time you feed him 15 treats this way, you should be able to hand feed the treats as you click, still with the muted clicker.
If he is still afraid of the muted clicker sound, go outside and try again. Dog on leash. The sound will be more absorbed into the outdoor air.
If that is still too much for him, use a ball point pen clicker. That’s a soft click.
Do make sure that you’re not concerned about anything when you start your training sessions. Laugh and have fun. Don’t forget to breathe. When we are relaxed, our dogs tend to relax, too.
If your dog isn’t food motivated, you can use a toy toss as the reward.
I’d strongly suggest that you go for a nice happy walk before starting clicker training. The walk helps your dog deplete some of that energy that might be causing his fear reaction to the sound of the clicker. Remember, it’s a game so keep a smile on your face and don’t lean or stand right over your dog.
Let me know how it goes. I’m so proud of you! All dogs will learn clicker training quickly, with some we have to find a way around their regular fears to get started. You’re going to do great. – Darcie
Darcie, I have a feeding question. Every so often I research dog foods and have decided to switch to a grain free product. According to the analysis ‘Taste Of The Wild has a lower protein content than most of the others which makes me think it won’t be quite as rich and more suitable for my Westie. I am getting my new puppy next week and am wondering if grain free would be suitable for him as well. Since he will be another terrier and not a big breed puppy would it be ok? I’ve read a gazillion reviews and am sooooo confused at this point. I have also started adding the Tripett to my dogs food and he loves it. After reading some reviews I was almost afraid to open the can for fear of what I would smell but its not bad at all-very pleased I can give him something that’s so good for him. Thanks Darcy! Priska
Dear Priska, I haven’t decided to carry TOW, there’s some history behind it that still concerns me and the reviews have been mixed. I do like the foods we have at SitStay.com, I think you’d be happy with any of them.
I do like grain free diets for dogs. I especially hate that most dog foods are made of corn, it’s killing dogs and filling veterinarian’s pockets. In Nature, grain matures in the fall, right before winter and cold time. Grain adds fat and weight to dogs. If the dog isn’t going to have to fend for himself and try to keep warm in the cold outdoors, he doesn’t need extra fat. My dogs have almost all lived inside the house with me, a few ranch dogs preferred the barn and they did get some extra carbs in winter. Extra fat can mean heart and kidney disease, stress on the bones increasing problems with hip dysplasia, and an uncomfortable dog. Dogs who are lean and healthy are easier to train and happier dogs. If your dog will be an athlete and run or work hard all day long, putting a lot of physical effort into his day, day after day, select grain as carbs is okay, they’ll burn it up. Think human runners, they eat a lot of pasta. If I did that I wouldn’t be able to get up off my little butt much less feel good about it. Same for most dogs.
Feeding dogs at home is pretty easy and especially economical for smaller dogs. In my opinion, your own good raw food is your best and wisest choice. Then fresh home cooked (no cooked bones please), then high quality canned food, then dry foods. Why? Because raw food is what Nature intended for dogs. I see it this way, even if the dog food company starts with the best raw ingredients, they are still processing with heat and having to add back the vitamins, minerals, and taste to the food because they’ve cooked it all out. Why not just start with the good raw stuff of your own or buying a high quality raw food? SitStay.com has just added some new raw dehydrated foods, this is excellent because it gives you raw food with the convenience of dry kibble dog food. They’ll be online very soon. See Dog Food in the left hand menu, click on Addiction.
You want your puppy to get good food so he can grow slowly, stay lean, letting his bones form properly and his body mature normally. Some of the puppy foods on the market are geared to fast growth and fat pups, it’s not good for them and can cause real troubles later in their life.
Tripe is an excellent food. Tripett is the best canned tripe that I know of, the nutrition is retained through the canning process and that’s excellent. I’m happy that you’re feeding it.
If your pup was mine, I’d feed raw food, adding high quality canned for variety of proteins, and continue the tripe several times weekly or even daily. If you like the convenience of packaged foods, take a look at our canned foods and the new dehydrated raw Addiction foods (the new Addiction foods are here in house, we’ll have them online soon!). If you like kibble dry foods, please choose the highest quality. I know that the foods I choose to be in the SitStay.com store are some of the very best.
I’ll add a caution about where to buy food. Before you buy, look at the other products the store is carrying. Do they sell shock collars, metal collars, and bleached rawhide? Foods that are made of corn and corn syrup? Foods that were rotting before they were made into treats, chews and food? All of these products are partially responsible for dogs winding up in rescue or euthanized. Dogs who eat bad food are harder to train, can become aggressive, and they can suffer for most of their lives with ill health. Those stores either don’t know about the harm these products cause (I don’t believe it for a minute) or they are more interested in the profit made on these types of things without care for you or your dogs. A lot of people shop with those stores only because they don’t know what is really better for a dog. Please choose to support the stores who won’t harm a dog by the choice of products they sell. When you support the good guys like SitStay.com, the bad guys will eventually go out of business and you will be saving millions of dogs from illness, disease, abuse, rescue and euthanasia.
Don’t forget that your pup needs to chew. Raw bones are best in my opinion and high quality bully sticks and other really high quality chews for inside the house. A dog who chews is a happier and more mentally stable dog. Shop at SitStay.com, we’ll never steer you wrong. I hope this helps.
Read Pete’s story here at The Dish. A perfect example of a raw fed dog getting well again. It’s an excellent reason to start with raw in the first place. Thanks. – Darcie
Thanks for your answer Darcie.Would you tell me what your issues are with TOTW.Compared to other grainfree foods this had the most positive reviews and the dogs generally tolerated it very well.With the Orijen for example I came across a lot of comments that it was too rich for the dogs-told you I was confused-smile.
I so hear you about the raw food and understand the benefits of it but I am not ready to jump in so for now I’ll try and do the best I can with a good dry food and a small portion of tripe with each meal.That doesn’t mean that I will not keep educating myself re the raw food and I may start feeding at least some meals that way.I love the idea of the freeze dried food but its really cost prohibitive for me at this time.The same goes for some of the other foods I can only get online.The shipping costs just make it that much more expensive.
If I go get some bones at the butchers what should I ask for?I think my terriers would really love that. Thanks again and I will be back to stock up on tripe. Priska,
Priska, I really don’t want to get into any legal issues or turn people from TOW. It doesn’t meet my high standards, at least not yet, that’s all. You can do a search on “Taste of the Wild Diamond” to see the old press and problems.
Knuckle bones from the butcher are good, they’re usually too big for the dogs to chew up and swallow but they can get the marrow out. Raw chicken and turkey bones are always good for the dogs to consume. Dogs need to eat bones, most foods don’t have the bones in it. Consider cooking your own food for your little dogs and then moving to raw later. Just no cooked bones, please. Adult dogs will eat about 2% of their weight daily in fresh food. Puppies 10%. 25 pounds times 2% is only a half pound, that’s one cup of food. That won’t cost you much and it’s way better than some foods out there. And you’re using your own good ingredients. Save money and know what your dogs are getting.
– Darcie
Great-thanks Darcie.I’ll do some more research and also will go get some bones.I’ll definitely look into preparing some of my own food as well.
Priska
Love, love, love your Sit Stay newsletters/columns/suggestions. My question is my Labradoodle puppy -
4 months old – gets car sick. I have tried Rescue Remedy; very short car trips, etc. but would appreciate suggestions. Thanks, Darcie. Darla
Dear Darla, Tilli used to get so car sick when she was younger so I know what you’re talking about. We went to get her when she was 4 months old, it was a long ride home from Wisconsin to Nebraska with her being sick the whole way. When we got home, we changed her to a raw food diet right away and gave her ginger just before we got into the car to go any where. You can use ginger snaps just watch the sugar content. She also moved from the back of the car to the front, that really helped. Today she rides in the back seat and for years, no car sickness. What are you feeding as a regular diet? Sometimes a lack of nutrition which doesn’t feed the brain properly can cause thing like this, most dog foods don’t have the nutrition they say they have. I’d also suggest that you find a vet chiropractor. We’re finding out more and more that when a body is out of alignment, lots of things can happen…even car sickness. Let me know about the food and if you see the chiropractor. Thanks. – Darcie
Dear Darcie, Do you have a particular brand of dog food that you would recommend for a Greyhound and a Jack Russell? I know they would probably fare better with different kinds. What do you recommend? Thank you, Vivian
Dear Vivian, There are so many ideas about what’s right for a particular breed of dog…and those ideas are usually dry dog food types, protein quantity this or that. If your dogs were mine I’d feed them real food that you have in your own kitchen, feed it raw the way Nature intended for dogs to eat. If you want to feed processed dog food, use canned for best nutrition. If you like dry dog food, choose a good quality like the ones we have at SitStay.com. I would veer totally away from anything with corn, in my opinion it’s why dogs are so sick and tired these days. I’ve written many articles on Feeding, take a look here at The Dish. We have some really good raw diet books in the store, too, if you need a little help. The main thing I tell everyone is, if you can feed yourself, you can feed your dog and no, it doesn’t cost a fortune to do it. I hope this helps. – Darcie
Hi Darcie, I am just venturing into raw feeding and I know you guys all feed raw and you are living not too far from me (I live in Manhattan, KS) I was wondering if you know of any meat wholesalers or mind sharing where you get the meat and bones for your dogs? THANKS! Nadja
Dear Nadja, I’m so glad you’re moving to raw food. Your dogs are going to love you for this. About eight years ago, I designed the raw food that Nature’s Variety makes. The recipes have changed a bit over the years but still the same good food with the bone inside. Kent likes the convenience and feeds it to his dogs, Frankie, Oliver and Tilli. You might be able to find it in your local store but you can feed your own good food. Ask your grocer for free raw bones and also ask them if there is a meat wholesaler in your area, your grocer should know the answer to that question. Also, become friends with hunters. They usually toss the meaty bones and organs away, ask them if you can have them instead. You’ll need a freezer or a locker. A cold storage locker where they cut meat is another place to talk to; ask for beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, you might even find rabbit if you’re lucky. Check around to see if anyone is raising rabbits, I think they must be God’s answer for a canine’s perfect meal, if it wasn’t so, there wouldn’t be so many of them. You might get lucky and work out some low cost bones and meat. You’re a good person to do this for your dogs. For veggies and fruit, talk to your local growers and buy what they couldn’t sell at the farmer’s market. They might even just give it to you. Take it home, pulp it up and freeze it. Thanks! – Darcie
me again. Among other raw books (some from your store) I just read Pet Food Nation. I don’t find her reasoning against raw (and for cooked) food very solid, but one thing got my attention. She talks about the risk of bacteria, especially salmonella and trichinosis. Do you see those as valid reasons to decide against raw food? And doesn’t meat and veggies loose at least some of their nutrients through cooking? Thanks for all you do! Nadja
Dear Nadja, I know there’s a lot of scary information out there, I’ve heard that same argument over and over for years, that raw food is not only not good for dogs but dangerous. It’s really too bad, too, because people are being scared into sticking with poor quality foods simply because they are made by “trusted” dog food makers and their stuff has a label on it that says “dog food”. Just because the label says ‘dog food’ is not indication that there is anything good in some of those packages. My Dancer ate a road kill squirrel that had been lying in the road basking in the sun for days, it was pretty ripe with all kinds of bacteria, I’m sure, and of course had started decaying and smelled awful. Dancer’s regular diet was raw food, the squirrel meal did not phase her except for one loose stool. If it was poison to her, she would have died or become ill after having ingested so much. The only concern I would have with feeding raw food is with a dog who is very ill, I’d start them with fresh cooked foods to begin the change of diet. If their system is compromised by poor quality foods and illness, they need a little more help changing to a raw food diet than a dog who is in a more normal health. In my whole life, I have never had one person tell me after changing to raw food that it was anything short of miraculous for the dog…that’s a long time for something untoward to have occurred. Will it ever happen? I can’t say, I don’t know the future.
We do worm our dogs regularly because I think it’s a good thing to do. Heartguard and Interceptor type heartworm meds take care of all that should a problem ever arise, so far it never has. There are some natural remedies but I haven’t had a lot of luck with those. We live in an area, like you do, where mosquitoes are naturally in the outdoors and they carry heartworm, preventative for heartworm is smart and the bonus is, it kills other worms and parasites should they be introduced into the system in any way, like eating road kill squirrel. Our dogs don’t get pork simply because I don’t eat it regularly.
Yes, fresh foods start to lose nutrients when you start processing them, like in cooking or being stored for long periods of time. In my experience, dogs who eat a raw diet are rarely over taken by things like salmonella because they have such a cast iron constitution, they are healthy and can ward off lots of things, they have very short digestive systems so nasty stuff doesn’t have time to get a really good foothold before it’s processed through. I was told by a vet who does necropsy that salmonella is found naturally occurring in all dogs stomachs, not that a compromised dog couldn’t be affected but that all dogs already have it there, even healthy dogs who’ve died of old age or in an accident. Salmonella was present in the stomach but it wasn’t what killed the dog. If that’s true and I have no reason to believe it’s not, that means that salmonella in a normal population in the dog does not kill dogs. Unless a dog is very sick or otherwise health compromised, getting to a fully raw diet might take a little longer. Know where your food comes from and handle it just as you would for yourself, that means keep meat cold until it’s time to eat.
So to answer your question, dogs naturally deal with stuff like this all the time, a healthy dog doesn’t get sick from it other than maybe some diarrhea or vomiting if they get into something really nasty like a melting road kill squirrel. Dogs eject stuff from their bodies in those two ways, it’s supposed to work like that, it means their bodies are rejecting what shouldn’t be in their system.
I’m not a scientist or a doctor or even a certified nutritionist. But I know what has always been good for my dogs. I’m a practical girl who has lived in the country and off the land for most of my life and seeing dogs do what they do and eat what they naturally eat. In my opinion, they know what’s right for them. I’ll continue to feed my dogs the way Nature intended for them to eat and keep telling others about the real good that comes of feeding animals what they are made to eat.
Thanks. – Darcie
Hey, Darcie, I commented almost a year ago that I’d taken the big leap and started my 3 BC’s on a raw diet. I had them all at the vet last week (living in South Louisiana we’re deep in mosquito / heartworm territory) and my Sundance has lost 22 pounds! Yes, he was overweight at 77 pounds and is now down to a svelt 55 (he is a big-boned boy BC). He’s never been hungry (well, he’s a dog and I suppose if you asked him that question he’d say he was ALWAYS hungry
and has never looked nor acted better. The other 2 BC’s started last year at 32 lbs~ and are the same weight this year. I think the thing most interesting to me is the equalization – that on the natural diet, the fat dog’s weight went down dramatically while the normal weight dogs’ weight stayed the same. If that isn’t proof that this is the right path, I don’t know what would be. Thanks again for the great information you provide – you probably added years to my guy’s life! Jen
Dear Jen, Yay! It’s amazing how that works, isn’t it? When the body and brain are being fed the way Nature intended, good things happen. I love hearing success stories and with raw food I’ve never yet heard any but success stories. I am so glad for you and your guys. Thank you so much for writing to share. Your story will help someone else and they and their dogs will be blessed, too. – Darcie
Hi, Darcie. My two dogs (a 10-year-old smooth collie and an 8-year old chow mix) and I live in Concord, MA. March and April were very wet months around here with record rainfall. The problem is that as the weather warms up, biblical-size swarms of mosquitoes have emerged all around our neighborhood and in our backyard. (I truly have never seen anything like it!) We live in a very woodsy area, so I’ve been driving into the town center where it is not woodsy and taking the pups for walks there after work and in the evening. It is, however, impossible to avoid the backyard in the early morning/late at night for necessary potty breaks. I get swarmed and bitten but Max and Maddy (the pups) get eaten alive. They look so incredibly miserable and uncomfortable even as they rush to get to business, so we can go back inside. Can you recommend anything that would help the pups fend off mosquitoes during these unavoidable times in our mosquito hell? Gina,
Dear Gina, Maybe I can help. I’ve had good luck with Best Shot Bug Spray get it at http://www.sitstay.com , for the dogs and for myself too, to repel mosquitoes. I think it has a nice smell. I spray it on the dogs and me and I’ve been pleased with the results. I don’t remember ever being bitten with the spray on.
Advantix spot on says it repels mosquitoes and ticks, and kills both of those and fleas for up to 4 weeks. Many of our customers have had great luck with using it. If you have cats, you don’t want to use Advantix, it can hurt the cats.
I’m thinking about doing this: The shoo!Tag test failed us for dog and human against ticks but I still have the Tags. I didn’t throw them away. I think I’m going to test it against mosquitoes. Just to clarify any use it may or may not have. Watch The Dish by Darcie for the results of that. I have to wear it for 24 hours before putting myself out there for a blood meal and I have plans for the next several days where I don’t want to wear that Tag…so it’s going to be next week before I start that test.
I hope this helps. Thanks. – Darcie
Dear Darcie, I am currently raw-feeding my third dog now, and I wonder if you could give me your input on dental wear based on your own experience with your raw-fed dogs.
To date, my vet has commented on the excessive wear on the teeth of all three of these dogs. My first dog came to me as an adult pound rescue, I was told she had “chewed her way through cable tie-outs and a chain” before she came to me. My vet noted her worn teeth from the day he first examined her – so I’m pretty sure her dental wear had nothing to do with raw bones.
My second dog was raised by me from a puppy and had no dental trauma at all – but was a major tennis ball addict before I was ever made aware of how much damage the rough exterior of a tennis ball could do to teeth. My vet started commenting on his worn teeth by the time he was 6 or 7 years old. Again, I’m not sure whether the dental wear was caused by the tennis balls or the raw bones, but he’s 12 now and his teeth are pretty worn down.
The third dog, also an adult pound rescue, actually was re-homed to me by his adopter who was also a raw feeder; and we’re guessing he’s about 5 now. My vet has already mentioned that his teeth are showing quite a bit of wear.
My question to you is, in your opinion is this just a normal consequence of aging in a raw-fed dog? Aging in any dog? Or is accelerated dental wear a genetic thing, or just something no one really knows?
Did your raw-fed dogs have excessively worn teeth as they aged? The first dog I ever had was fed a sub-standard kibble diet (I didn’t know any better at the time), and I don’t remember any vet ever telling me that her teeth were worn.
(Not that it would have mattered to me, given all the other major health problems she had due to what I was feeding her at the time.)
thank you,
Kathy B.
Dear Kathy, I’ll answer you in a post to the main part of The Dish. I think this is important. Thanks. – Darcie
Hello again and as always thank you for your column and your great sit-stay reviews/store. I was wondering if you have had any experience with a product for plaque control I have recently seen. I’m fairly sure it is called “Plaque-attack”, it comes in a small spray bottle. The advertisement claims a couple of sprays on your dogs teeth is all it takes. When things are that “simple” they always raise a red flag to me. Thank you in advance! jb
Dear JB, I haven’t seen that particular plaque product. There are some on the market that can work. SitStay.com carries a few and they do work. Thank you! – Darcie
Hi JB: I’ve been using PlaqueOff powder from sitstay.com for a couple of months mixed in with my dog’s dinner. Her breath is definitely sweeter. Teeth tartar looks better. And she doesn’t even notice the powder in her food. The description on the site does note simple. It truly is simple and for our dog, has worked very well. I tried one other product not on sitstay.com’s site, and my dog’s breath smelled and she did not like the product. Tossed it away. Amy
Amy, what was the product that didn’t work? I need to know why it wouldn’t work for all dogs so the most info you can give me about using it would be great. Thanks. – Darcie
Just wanted to say thank you Amy for your kind reply…Since my staffordshire terrier doesn’t seem to thrilled with brushing I am looking for an alternative. I tried the finger tip style as well as toothbrush style, he’s not thrilled (ha,ha.) He’s still only two so his teeth are great and I’d like to help keep them as good as possible. Thank you.
jb
Hi Darcie: The product was PetzLife Oral Care Gel. It smelled ok, but my dog did not like the smell or the taste (and she’s a hound). It didn’t do anything to reduce or control tartar. In fact her breath, which wasn’t bad before I used the Gel, got smelly. I also didn’t feel confident about the ingredients in the Gel. The PlaqueOff powder is a substantially better and safer product, and she isn’t turned off by it in her food–and I see and smell positive results. Amy
Hi Amy, We don’t carry PetzLife Oral Care Gel. You did get the Plaque Off from us. I think maybe you have us mixed up with another store.
Thanks. – Darcie
Hi Darcie! I wrote that the other product was not on sitstay.com’s site.
It was at a doggy daycare I used and after the results, immediately went to check what sitstay.com carried. I’ve not ordered a product from sitstay.com that didn’t do what is promised. Great to have shopping reassurance! Amy
Amy, Oh good! I’m sorry! You’re right! Thank you!
– Darcie
Darcie,
I have a yorkie that will be turning 16 in June. I have promised him if he will just live long enough to make it, I will make it a very special party for him. I wanted to make a cake that he can eat along with 3 other dogs. I would also like it to be good for the cats if possible. Do you have any good recipes? The humans don’t have to be able to eat the same cake. I can buy one for us. Thank you in advance for any input.
Melinda
Dear Melinda, We do have cake at SitStay.com. Go to http://www.sitstay.com and search for ‘cake’, you’ll see both the cake mix and the really cute pans. Thanks. – Darcie
Thank you so much! I didn’t even think to look..even though I know you have everything. Are any of the flavors you sell cat friendly or should I just stick to the dogs? Melinda
Dear Melinda, Yes, we have stuff for cats for our customer’s convenience. One of the favorite customer treats for cats is Wildside Salmon. A favorite supplement to diet is Tripett. Click on Cat Supplies in the left menu at http://www.sitstay.com Thanks! – Darcie
Dear Darcie: I have a very heartbreaking dilemma. My male dog has yet again bit someone. He is food aggressive, toy aggressive and dog aggressive. When we adopted him from a shelter over 6 yrs ago we had no idea he had these issues. We have taken him to trainers in the past that have only made him worse and less trusting of people. He will sit next to someone that is over and if they pet him he growls and yesterday for no reason at all as a friend was standing up to leave the dog jumped up and bit his thigh and butt area. He also bites and intimidates my other two female dogs. I’m at the point of no return and considering having him put down for fear he will hurt someone else. Please help I have no idea what to do.
Let’s talk for a minute. It can be hard to have a dog who needs constant management…it doesn’t mean the dog has to be killed. I know sometimes when you’re scared or at your wit’s end, it can seem like the best thing is to euthanize the dog…hang on before you make yourself feel worse and put a dog to death that may be able to be saved.
Dogs don’t usually bite for no reason, unless they are mentally and totally unsound, they have a reason for the action. It’s definitely his reason, whatever it is, and you have to figure it out to get him to change his behavior. There’s something happening that he knows that you don’t. Let me ask some questions. How old is he? Is he neutered? What breed? How are you dealing with the aggression and biting? What did the trainers you used do with him? What kind of bites: single bites, multiple biting in the same bite action, deep or surface, any stitches?
I’m so sorry that you’re having these problems. The shelter should have been able to test him for aggressive issues along with guarding and a lot of other stuff, too. Then they should have tested you to find out what your level of understanding and training for dogs was. Could you handle a dog with those tendencies should have been their first question. Many shelters don’t do that testing and the person who winds up the dog can have a very rough time of it. Before you put him down, please find some positive help for him. I’ll suggest you see if you can talk to Jean Donaldson or Ian Dunbar. If you can’t contact them, go online and search for ‘ADPT trainer’ or email them explaining the problem that you have, they may be able to hook you up with the perfect help: information@apdt.com These trainers and behavior modifiers are not all created equal so you’ll want to interview and get references. Do not use anyone who will use force, pressure, choking, jerking, yelling, or a shock collar…you’ll probably be asking for more trouble than you have now.
If he was mine, I’d put a muzzle on him and get him to a vet chiropractor immediately to make sure that his body doesn’t have pain in it, that makes anybody cranky. Yes, he could be suffering from something that happened to him a long time ago, like broken bones in his neck from someone jerking him. I know it sounds almost too simple but dogs have made wonderful turn arounds when their bodies are working properly. If the body isn’t balanced, the brain can’t be balanced. It’s a great place to start and doesn’t cost a lot. Here’s a video of our Tilli getting an adjustment and links to vet chiropractors for you.
Let us know what the answers to the questions are or what you do from here. Unless he is biting and causing great damage, you may be able to salvage this guy. Before you put him down, see if you can find someone who will take a dog with his problems. There are lots of people out there who will. Talk to your vet, they are wonderful references.
In the meantime, put a muzzle on that boy so no one else gets bitten. Thanks. – Darcie
Darcie, thanks for your prompt response. To give you a little more background on my dog he is neutered, almost 7 yrs old and seems to be a pit/husky/shepherd mix around 70lbs. We adopted him at 7/8 months old- the shelter was unsure of his age. His food aggression is very extreme- you can not even hand him a treat because you will lose a finger. He also is separated with a baby gate from my other 2 dogs while eating because he will attack them if they make eye contact with him. I have never had this type of training issues with any dog I’ve had. I grew up with an 80lb rottie that we found as stray and a husky that was also a stray and were able to train them. The two other I have that my male dog currently lives with are a female greyhound and female doberman who are both trained and sweet as pie to all people and dogs they meet.
A trainer we took him to used a jerking Caesar like method that only made him more aggressive/fearful- which was about 4 yrs ago. The trainer also owned a boarding facility so every time the dogs need to be boarded he would now see this man and submissively urinate.
I’m not going to put him down I was very upset this morning when I wrote you the email. I definitely feel constantly challenged with my dog. He has some days where he sweet and lovable and a joy all day. Then the next day it could be he growls for no reason or attacks one of my other dogs. And the person he bit yesterday was someone he had met before and never showed any aggression toward. He bit the person multiple times but not hard enough to constitute stitches. He has bitten in the past mostly with food- I was just simply putting his food down for him to eat once and gotten bitten almost clear through my hand. I feel like he is Je I will not give up on him and I will take your advice and get him to a chiropractor and see if that helps. I will also look for a trainer in my area that can help that does not use hurtful methods. Thank you.
Yes, that Cesar Millan stuff can cause a lot of problems on top of the original problems that don’t have to be. I sure wish that Cesar would change his tune completely to purely positive training so trainers like the one you used would stop trying to copy what he does. It’s causing biting dogs and dogs who bite harder. And of course, you’ve found a new boarding facility.
It sounds to me like frustration, fear, and simply not knowing what else to do instead of going off….mixed with guarding behavior which can be cured for most dogs. A good trainer will be able to help you move his mind and his actions to the good place.
A multiple bite is bad, that’s often beyond biting for a reason, it’s into biting to cause harm. When I’ve seen it, there seems to be a level of agitation for the dog, like he told the person what to do and they didn’t do it so he bit several times in one bite…out of frustration. I watched a dog do this one time and I swear it was like a man shaking his fist, not just once but several times. The difference, teeth. That doesn’t mean that’s what’s going on with your guy.
Muzzle him, please. It won’t hurt him and it will keep your dogs, your family, your friends, and your pocket book safe. The good news is that if he meant to damage your friend when he bit multiple times, he would have. A dog who bites multiple times in one bite can cause a great deal of damage to human skin. Because he didn’t, I feel like you have time to work with this dog and get the behaviors changed around to good behavior.
A good truly positive trainer is going to be your best help. Thanks for getting him to a chiropractor, it probably won’t solve all the issues, they are too deeply ingrained in his darling brain, but it’s a great place to start to help make sure that he’s well. Acupuncture can help with tension, too. Your vet will know best. Stay in touch so we know how you did.
In the meantime, lots of walking on a leash, no pulling, no stopping to mark or pee or sniff or anything…just walking. If he’s a puller, get the book My Dog Pulls, it’s great! Everybody going the same direction for at least an hour a day, more if you can. Thanks. – Darcie
I have a 2 year old GSD Dakota who has started to exhibit some aggressive/fearful behavior. She has been difficult to train but we have not given up. At times she will show me teeth and will growl and snarl when I put her in her crate. I have not harmed her in any way and am responsible with her training, socialization, and exercise. On the other hand she is extremely close to me and tends to favor me over my husband. We have two other dogs in the home who do not have these issues. It seems as though we have to treat her differently than every other dog in the home. She has snapped at the puppy during feeding time so we have adjusted their feeding schedule and areas. What are some things I can do to break her of the fear/aggression before it gets out of hand. I want my dog to trust me and at times I feel she does not. We have two females (2 y/o GSD, 9 week old Rottie) and one male (9 month old GSD) and from what it seems Dakota is the alpha female of their pack) Melissa
Melissa, Ah, a new puppy in the house. Something changed. It’s not unusual to see changes in behavior when the household changes.
Because it sounds like this has just started, get her to a vet chiropractor. She may be hurt or ill. That could solve everything. Here’s an article that I wrote some time ago with video of Tilli’s first adjustment and links to vet chiropractors.
Clicker training will show you that training is not only fun, it’s fast and the dogs get it. It sounds to me that you’re not communicating with this dog and treating her differently may be causing more problems. Get your supplies and training material here at SitStay.com.
Please don’t use traditional jerk and pull methods with your girl. Steer clear of TV shows that do any of that or put pressure on a dog to change behavior. If you use the methods that Cesar Millan teaches, you could wind up with a biting dog. Cesar is trying to move to the good and positive but he’s not there yet so not doing what he does will be a lot better for your dog and your family.
Find a positive trainer. Try contacting Jean Donaldson or APDT for help.
I hope this helps. When our dogs are no challenge, we don’t learn more about dogs. Read everything you can that’s written by a positive trainer, like Jean Donaldson. The more you know about your dogs, the better trainer you will become.
It’s entirely possible that you’re accidentally training her to act fearful and aggressive. Get out a video camera and film everything for the next few weeks. You might even find that she isn’t the problem at all, it could be one of the other dogs affecting her and making her act like that. Video is powerful. We get to see what really happened by slowing down the footage and we get to see how we reacted, too. – Darcie
Hello Darcie;
I have a 2 year old Yorky with a flea problem and need help controlling his fleas without over medicating, bathing daily, and dusting the house carpet weekly. I use Ortho Bug-b-gone all over the yard. I have not found a flea product that works. I serched on your site for flea control articles and only got mosquito control articles. I’ve not had a mosquito issue here in Largo, FL. any ideas are welcome. Norman
Dear Norman, I’ve answered your question in a post at The Dish by Darcie. See it here Fleas! Dang it! Thank you. – Darcie
Hi Darcie,
I am very interested in dog training, I am taking classes to become certified and train myself and am trying to talk to and watch as many trainers as I can. I am in love with clicker training and positive methods but I am also a bit sceptical about how well it works to treat truly aggressive dogs. A friend of mine has such a dog, very messed up by a really bad trainer he had during his first months of his life. They are awesome in dealing with him and wouldn’t give him up for the world. With my own dogs and my fosters I have only had minor aggression issues that I could resolve with good leadership and obedience training. But her case and many others are something I have not yet experienced, but I would love to understand it. So long story short. In an old show I heard Victoria Stillwell say that the very source of aggressive behavior is fear. I have never thought about that way, but it makes sense to me. My friend with the aggressive dog disagrees. We are not fighting about things like that, we are both learning and trying to help each other learn. So I was wondering if you could maybe throw your own opinion into the mix to help us learn. I realize that aggression is still very misunderstood and little researched… I am just looking for opinions to help us open our minds.
Thanks so much for all you do! Nadja
Dear Nadja, Good for you! That’s wonderful.
Yes, in my opinion aggression is caused by fear. Your friend may not see the fear the way that she understands fear for herself. Use a video camera then watch it back in slow motion. Watch the eyes and the body language. Fear is often the first reaction, then aggression is used for protection. When the problem is fear, clicker training will help your dog understand that he can do something else in response to the fear and the fear can go away. Aggression feeds on itself. When the dog finds that aggression works to control his environment, of course he uses it again and again, escalating as his anxiety increases. When we can help our dogs find a new response to the fear, the aggression ends.
I’m sure there are several reasons for aggression in dogs. One is bad breeding, not breeding for temperament. Another is mental illness which can be another result of bad breeding. I know that a big source of aggression is bad food and especially those containing corn. I haven’t yet met a dog with a case of aggression who wasn’t eating corn.
One source of aggression is ill health, even physical misalignment. When the brain is so busy taking care of an out of balance body, how is it expected to take care of how we think about things or help us recognize a real threat from a fear realized threat? Same thing for our dogs. I suggest strongly that your friend get her dog to a vet chiropractor. Adjustments and acupuncture are working wonders for dogs who have aggressive tendencies. Here’s a video of Tilli’s first adjustment and some links to find a vet. Tilli is not aggressive but she was snapping at the pups because her body hurt so much. She’s 13 1/2 and she’s doing great.
I hope this helps. – Darcie
Dear Darcie
Have been training my own chi dog for my hearing inpaired husband. Their are some many different scams and programs for tags to cards that everytime I research one it is a scam just opening up the site. I have trusted both sit stay and your information on sho tags and training tips that I thought you could give me a guiding hand on or direction to find a legal and legit program or testers. The dog is an owner trained one and all I have found is frustration. Could you help not only me but many otheras who have lost money on bogus scams from the internet. Thank you Cindy
Take a look at my article here, I think it will answer all your questions. Service Dog Scam
Dear Darcie, I read in one of your previous posts about a dog of yours that had a pink nose and when you changed him to a raw food diet, his nose went back to black. I have a 5 year old Golden Retriever and her nose turned pink when she was around 2 years old. Right now she is being fed Wellness Core but prior to that she was on a veterinary diet due to digestive issues. Does diet have an effect on nose color? Is there anything else that affects nose color? Just curious if hers will ever go back to black and I don’t know if I’m ready to try a raw diet at this time. Thanks, Cheri
Dear Cheri, a nose turning pink could be natural. I’d say your dog is too young for that but I could be wrong. Do a search online for the words ‘dog nose pink’ to see a lot of ideas of why it happens. It could be one of those things that nobody knows for certain, sometimes it can be a medical condition, sometimes it’s aging. With Bruno, it was a definite lack of nutrition. When he started eating right for his species and his body, his nose turned black again.
We have several dehydrated raw foods that are easy to prepare. Take a look at the freeze dried foods here, especially Addiction for your girl to start with. I really like all of our foods. And is your girl getting any raw bones to eat and digest, like chicken and turkey? Dogs need bones. Nature’s Variety has the bones ground in, it’s my recipe from 8 years ago. You can’t go wrong with any of these. Addiction or any of the dehydrated raw foods would be a good way to add some raw food to her diet and see if it makes the change back to black for you. Let me know. – Darcie
Dear Darcie, we just got a new dog, shes 6yrs old and a full bred husky(mariska). we already have a 3 yr old basenji/terrier(roxie, whom we’ve had since she was 9mnth). theirs no question to the dynamic of the house, roxie is my dog, and mariska is suppose to be my husbands. every time i call for roxie to lay with me mariska gets in front of me and blocks roxie from even entering the living room. How do we get mariska to bond with my husband and stop her from blocking my dog from getting to me? K
Dear K, have your husband do everything for Mariska. Hand feeding is the first step. He should do the training, the letting her outside, the exercise and walks, the games. Your job is to leave Mariska to him. If Mariska blocks Roxie from you, walk through Mariska, don’t hurt her, simply body block her out of your way. The less you look at her or commune with her, the more she will turn to your husband. Watch Roxie to make sure that she’s not causing any of the trouble. Often, the wrong dog gets blamed for stuff like this.
Let us know how it goes. The less attention you give to Mariska and the more your husband does, the more she will be his dog. Do make sure that she minds you if you ask for something, but do it with body language not with food or treats. – Darcie
Darcie,
I’ve been searching for the post you did a while back about growing up and hand feeding one dog but not the other. At the time, you couldn’t figure out why the other dog either wouldn’t come to you or was not as bonded to you. Then you figured it out…
I wanted to share it with someone I know – but can’t find it. Thanks, Kimber
Kimber, Is this this one? http://thedish.sitstay.com/2008/04/07/how-best-to-train-my-dog/ – Darcie
Darcie,
Do you know of another way other than the spot on treatments to get rid of canine lice on dogs? My Belgian, corgi, and Pom have the biting lice and they’re going around town. I tried Adams over-the-counter shampoo with pyrethins and it didn’t get them all – they came back. I’ve heard of a cedar spray for dogs. Have you or anyone used it with any credible results? Thanks, Blue Raven
Dear Blue, Ick. I know you must hate that! I hate to say it but the info I have is that Frontline or Advantix should take care of it. Take a look at http://www.sitstay.com search for ‘flea’ to find these. I have no experience with canine lice and I’m sorry that you’re dealing with it. Canine lice are rare in the US according to everything I’ve read. Diet can have a lot to do with the pests that bother our animals. A raw diet is the best bet, any good diet will help. No corn, for some reason pesky ticks, fleas and bugs like a dog who eats a food made of corn. Aside from the fact that corn isn’t good for dogs, having uninvited critters around just isn’t fun. See your vet if you don’t have better luck soon. I know that Dawn dishwashing soap in warm water will kill fleas, maybe it will work on lice, too. The Dawn bath and clean rinse won’t cure an infestation but it kills the bothersome fleas on the dog. With bugs, it usually takes an ongoing fight against them for several months until they are completely eliminated. Dogs can pass lice to each other so make sure that your dogs and their friends are all being treated. Wash bedding and beds often. I wish I could be better help. Please do come back and tell us how you eliminate them. I’d think a vet would be the best help here. – Darcie
Hi Darcie,
I’m hoping you can help with my situation. I rescued my (very large neutered male, has passed CGC) dog several months ago and I think he’s just the most beautiful dog in the world. Unfortunately, it seems I’m not alone in this line of thought, as that’s where my problem comes in .
I live in the city, and every day my dog is exposed to lots of sounds and smells and people. Ordinarily that’d be a good thing, he takes it all in nicely. Bicycles, big scary sounds, random things, and folks going by are no problem at all. However, some people will just be so taken with my dog that they just reach out and grab at him to pet him. Now, if someone asks, and approaches gently, and interacts with me, it’s just fine. But when people don’t ask, reach straight for his head, lean over him and get in his face, he barks (loudly) at them! Often this happens so quickly, the person (almost always a guy for some reason) is already learning over my dog by the time I take stock of what’s going on.
It’s upsetting for everyone involved, and I walk away humiliated and disappointed, too – people will think that my dog is a bad dog and I’m a terrible owner. I’m a very soft spoken, nonconfrontational individual, and I don’t know how to handle this. Please Darcie, if you have any advice, I could really use it. M
Dear M, Sorry I’m so late answering your question. We just got back from our trip across the western US. I couldn’t use all of the features of the blog while I was gone, I couldn’t access some of the questions. Okay….We have a dog who doesn’t like anyone in her face. She doesn’t bite but her bark is huge and it scares some people. The control for her is that we pay special attention when anyone nears her, don’t get in her face, we say. It’s not always easy to be right there when someone invades her space but we try. “Tilli, say hi”, we croon. She wags her tail and sniffs them. It works. Work with a behaviorist to see if you can put the control on a command. For instance “Sit” or “Chill” means do not commune with strangers no matter what they do around you or to you. Find someone who uses only positive reinforcement, clickers are my choice. Let us know how it goes. – Darcie
Darcie, I have a 7 month old shepherd mixed puppy who is starting to get aggressive towards my other 3 dogs at breakfast and dinner time. I feed them in the basement together, in the laundry room, and within the past 2 weeks the puppy is growling at the other dogs while I’m getting their food ready. The other dogs are 1-1/2 years old, 3 years old and 9 years old. I make them all sit and wait, then give them their food, and he’s fine with that, but during preparation, he’s growling and is trying to go after them. I know I have to stop this quickly. Other than during the preparation of the food, he plays with all of them, and shows no aggressions towards any of them….they play with toys together, sleep together, get along great. It’s only during mealtime. Do you have any recommendation? Tammy
Dear Tammy, Seven month old pups seem to be like pre teen boys, finding their “weight” and if they can throw it around. Patience may be a virtue but the excitement of food coming can raise energy which can come out like aggression. Generally it takes a little understanding on the dog’s part that you don’t get to act like that or you don’t get what you want….like food.
First try to find out for sure that it really is the pup causing the trouble. A video camera set up and played back in slow motion is an excellent way to see if one or more of the other dogs could be doing something to make the pup growl. It happens all the time that we blame the wrong one. When you know for sure who it is or if it is the pup, you can solve it from there.
In the meantime, if it was me, I’d make certain that everyone had a great walk or run for an hour before the meal prep, drain that energy. I’d put them all on down stays or sit stays during prep, waits are too easy to break when they are excited. If anyone acts up, they have to leave the room…alone. Shut the door behind them and they don’t get to come back for a full 15 seconds to start, then 30 seconds, then 1 minute. Let them back in after each time out and try again. Act as if it’s normal: You growl, you go into another room. We mind our manners in this house. Put the dog out gently but quickly so going out is attached to the bad behavior, no harshness, no spanking, no yelling. It’s really best if you don’t talk at all except to say “Uh oh!”. Put the bad dog out. Let them back in. Good behavior means they get to stay, bad behavior, out they go. The bad guy may miss a few meals if the behavior doesn’t improve quickly. It won’t kill them. Loss of attention, food, and company means a great deal to a dog, if used right, it can be a great teacher.
Some trainers would advise that you walk out of the room and don’t come back for 15 seconds. Someone growls, you say “Uh OH!”, stop preparing food (make sure no one can get to it, that’s the trouble with this method), flounce out of the room, no need to shut the door just go do something else. Get a drink of water or a bite of something to eat for yourself. The dogs will more than likely follow you to see what the heck you’re doing. Nobody gets to eat if anybody is bad. I’m not against that either. And in some instances, it works.
Whichever one you try, keep it up. Don’t cave by feeding too early and “Uh OH!” instantly when the bad thing happens. Timing is important.
Dogs don’t like to be separated from us or our food. Making company, attention, or food unavailable often works to fix these little problems. Let us know how it goes. – Darcie
Darcie – I tried your approach tonight. It is indeed the puppy growling at the other dogs, who are just looking at us as we prepare their meal. I put him out of the laundry room, and he was not happy at all….but then he started trying to break the door down by scratching. Not sure how much the door can handle. Any thoughts on how I can handle that, since he’s in the other room? I think this may work…but I don’t want the door scratched to pieces! Thanks – and you have a great store and web site! Tammy
Dear Tammy, The good news is that he doesn’t like being put out by himself, that’s good. Doors are expensive so let’s try something that will be easier on this hyper pooch and the door. I’ll give you two things, choose one and be consistent.
1. Start dinner. When he growls, you say “Uh OH!” in a quiet voice but mean “now you did it, you ruined dinner for everybody”, show your disappointment on your face and in your body language, don’t over act, dogs pick up on small actions and sounds easily. You go to the door and turn your back to all the dogs. You have stopped the meal procedure. Make sure that you can still see the food so nobody turns into a thief. Do not look at puppy. No attention at all. Do not scold for growling. Say nothing to the other dogs. The instant the pup stops growling, and he’ll probably do it fast, “where are you going? don’t you know you have to feed me?”, turn and go back to the food. The reward for his stoppage of growl is that food preparation has started again. Growls again? Same thing, over and over as long as it takes. Nobody eats until he is quiet and waiting with everyone else. The risk with this way is that his high energy may turn into a fight with another dog. You’re the only one who can gauge what he might do. You and the food are in this mix, remember he doesn’t growl at the other dogs when there is no food. So, the question is, is it you or the food or both that cause the growl? Some dogs seem to think that if they growl, they’ll get their way…whatever that is. We have to nip that behavior in the bud as quickly as we can.
2. Put a leash on the pup. The instant he growls, take him quickly, without jerking, outside the door so he can’t see the other dogs or the food. The instant he is no longer growling, take him back. Sit Stay with everyone else. Growls again? Same thing. He leaves the room if he growls.
You’re teaching him that growling gets him taken away from the food and the dogs…immediately. You may want to seat him closest to the door at meal times so it’s easy to take him out quickly, you don’t want to be tripping over other dogs. A down stay is better than a sit stay, it takes more energy to get up.
Either way you choose to try, it may take you a long time to feed dinner for a few meals but stick with it. No food for anybody until you have quiet manners from the pup, that doesn’t mean he can’t make some noise at first, just no growling or aggressive behavior. You’ll be glad that you put in the time. Dogs generally “get it” fairly quickly if your timing is good.
The big reward is dinner and a nice quiet “Good boy.” No special attention though, not a lot of petting or heaving praising, that can back fire, it’s too much attention.
What you’re doing is pretty much what a good parent will do with a child who is misbehaving. Don’t make a big deal of it, simply show that you don’t get what you want by acting with bad manners.
Away from meals, teach pup a perfect down stay and sit stay. Practice often and every day. His stay should be without fail no matter what is happening around him. Don’t forget energy draining exercise before meal times. Being a herding dog, you might want to enroll him in a sheep herding activity…dogs who do the things they were bred for are better and happier dogs. If you can’t take him herding, find someone who will.
One last thing. You might want to at first make meal preparation happen more quickly until pup understands how long it can really take. Perhaps all dogs stay outside until you’re just about ready to feed them. Bring them all in, stays all around, and bring food faster than usual. As he behaves better, then the food can take longer and longer and you’re back to the old ways. Only until he gets the manners thing. For a hungry pup, a few seconds delay can mean the difference of going hyper or showing aggression because of lack of patience. He’ll soon learn that patience gets him anything he wants. As he grows older, you’ll have taught him patience. Patience can come more slowly to a pup so don’t ask more of him than he can stand.
Let us know how it goes. – Darcie
Welcome back Darcie! Very happy you and J had a safe and adventurous trip. I have a question about how to help fellow dog walkers understand why not to jerk their dog’s leash or swat the dog’s hiny to sit down. Last night we were walking our happy hound. We encountered a neighbor with a very sweet yellow lab. The lab simply walked less than 3 feet from his owner, and was looking for a sniff with our dog. We were happy to endulge the dogs until the owner literally jerks the dog’s long leash and the dog flies into the air. Thankfully he landed on his feet. My mouth dropped open at this ridiculous behavior. The man said Get over here! to his lab. I was stunned. There was no need for that type of violence. He felt it was necessary. I did not. How do you approach someone who isn’t asking for advice, but is doing something harmful to his dog? He must not think the dog can be hurt this way or it is the proper way to train. The dog’s eyes were so sad and confused.
We also saw a man with an incredibly sweet pit. He was working on walking and sit/stays with the pup. We kept on our way to not interrupt their training. The pit really wanted a friendly sniff which again we were happy to indulge. The man kept saying his dog has no manners to which we replied he’s doing good and looks happy with his treats for sitting. The man then straddled his dog to attempt him to not see us and then gave him a swat on the butt to sit. This caused the dog to struggle against his leash for a view and let out a little growl to its owner. When he could see, he was fine with his sit. Again, how does one approach this behavior when the owner is not asking for advice, but could use a little help?
My soul feels so sad and afraid for these dogs not being handled well. Amy
Dear Amy, It’s not easy to talk to people who are upset that they aren’t getting the results they think they should get. Nobody wants to look like a fool in public. Some will never listen or try anything else. What is the definition of insanity? “Keep doing the same things over and over, expecting good results, even when they never work.”
Jerking and pulling is taught on TV and armchair trainers want to try it, too. It’s pretty hard to convince some that if it’s on TV and it looks like a miracle, it isn’t necessarily true. Someone or some information makes these people believe that a dog should be solidly obedient 100% of the time. There are many, many book available that teach in the abusive manner, it’s old school and it didn’t work then either. Dogs aren’t robots. A person can’t be 100% all the time, why would they expect their equivalent of a two year old child will be?
I wish it was different. Rescues are full of dogs who’ve been “trained” by these people. The best advice I can give you is to find a way to help without making them mad. Turn them on to a positive trainer or to this blog. If you can, strike up a conversation, become a helpful friend, encourage them to let the dogs play together, then go back to positive training. Those little bones in the neck can’t take much punishment without injury. The growling will move into biting one day. Spanking is a great way to teach your dog not to trust your hands. – Darcie
Darcie – I wanted to give you an update regarding my puppy who growls during the preparing of food. We’ve tried the first approach again (where, when he growled, we put him outside the laundry room where we were preparing the meal), and he’s not quite as upset as the first time we did this and isn’t pawing the door! Now he’s barking, which is better than destroying doorways! He is doing suprisingly well – we still have to put him outside the room periodically – but when he comes back in the laundry room, he still barks in excitement, but rarely now will growl! I have been reading a book lately about understanding your dog, and there was a few paragraphs about a person who had the same issue while preparing meals in their kitchen. One of her dogs sat by her & growled & wouldn’t let the other dogs in the kitchen. She gave the exact same approach, which helped the dogs understand it was “her” kitchen and not theirs to protect. It was surprising to read this same example from another author, also with great results! Thanks again Darcie for your help!
Darcie – I’ve been reading your posts on hand feeding your dogs. Interesting! I have a few questions. 1. How do you do this with multiple dogs? I have four dogs (one is the puppy I mentioned in the previous post), one is a rescue who is extremely timid and will not eat in front of anyone, so he gets fed in a hallway away from the other dogs. I’ve had him for 7 years, and at 9 years old, he still only periodically will eat a treat! He even backs down from the cats, so this is the only way we’ve gotten him to eat. The other three I could possibly hand feed, but how do I do this with 3 dogs together? 2. How would you hand feed honest kitchen, or meal that is fairly liquid? If I hand fed them some nights, and my husband didn’t (not sure if he’d do that, and he usually feeds them before I get home from work), would that cause any issues? Thanks again! Tammy
Dear Tammy, Hand feeding one dog or multiple dogs is done exactly the same way, one dog, one bite at a time. Just like if you had three friends or kids at the fair, here’s your ticket, go ride a ride. Here’s your ticket, go ride a ride. And here’s your ticket, go ride a ride. Next time, mix it up. The best kid or friend gets the first ticket. Even at a dinner party you’re hosting, you can only place one plate at a time. Usually your human dinner guests will wait until everyone is served…your dogs won’t, they’ll swallow immediately and wait happily for another bite.
I’ve had up to four dogs at one time, one gets a bite, then another gets a bite. Mealtime is still pretty fast even when you do it this way. Don’t use a routine like Joe gets the first bite, Jill gets the second, Bruno the third, and around again. Joe gets a bite. Then Jill gets a bite. Then Bruno. Then Jill. Then Bruno. Then Joe. If you develop a routine, the dogs will expect that and it can cause an argument. I like to ask the dogs for a trick or sit or look at me or something, the food bite is their reward. Training multiple dogs gets pretty easy when you get the hang of this. And the cool thing? They try to out do each other, faster sits, better roll overs, longer “look at me”. It can be really funny. I generally laugh and smile a lot during a meal, sometimes loud, sometimes quietly. Dogs love happy people no matter what your style. Don’t let your dogs crowd you. It’s your food, you give it when you’re ready at the distance comfortable for you. If anyone crowds, block them with your body, dogs understand this. If you have a dog who crowds you, take them out of the room for a time out or simply block them with your body and they don’t get another bite until they behave, relax. Some dogs have to miss several bites and even get less for that meal until they understand. Most dogs learn very quickly what get them another bite.
Do remember that the dogs come to you for the food. Don’t take it to them, don’t put it into their mouth except the rescue who is afraid of food, read on.
Liquid foods are hard to feed by hand, a bowl is best for that stuff. Every dog at my house has to sit and wait or they do not get their bowl set down in front of them. They eat when I say “eat” and not before. “Wait”. Start to put bowl down. If dog moves, bowl goes back up. Try again until dog is still and sitting quietly. Bowl on floor, dog looking at you or waiting patiently. Then say “eat”. Dog eats. Generally at my house, all dogs were served soupy stuff and had to wait until everyone had their bowl. People were amazed. “How do you get them to do that?” “I ask,” I reply.
Canned, freeze dried reconstituted or thicker wet foods can be fed with a spoon. My dogs loved eating out of a spoon and even off of a fork. Think your dog won’t do it? Start with a little peanut butter on a spoon to teach them what a spoon is. Fascinating what a dog will do for dinner. I have fed wetter foods with my hands but it does get messy. The good thing is then you have a dog licking your fingers to get all the goody. Each to his own, you’ll have to decide if you like that or not.
I like to have a large bowl or pan with the food inside or you can put the food into separate bowls and set them on a table or the floor, it’s easy to handle that way and you know how much each dog gets. Watch out, no thievery, don’t let anyone steal. I put the food into piles or separate them somehow in the pan so each dog gets the right amount for age and weight. It works out best for me when everyone gets one last bite at the end of dinner and then it’s all gone, no so one gets several bites at the end, if you do, do it toward the end of the meal so everyone is nearing almost all of their food but before dinner is complete.
If your dogs are only eating one meal a day and your husband won’t hand feed, you’re out of luck unless you make the dogs wait until you get home, that’s doable. If you feed twice a day, feed the first meal by hand, anything is better than nothing.
I start dinner with a word or two. “Dinner time.” Or “ready to eat?” End each meal with “That’s all, Everybody. Good job.” Or “All gone.”
Isn’t it amazing how many rescue dogs guard food, eat with amazing light speed, or are afraid of food? Most dogs who are turned over to rescue have had owners who don’t understand dogs, not even the simplest things, like meal time.
Oliver was afraid of food…all food and treats…and chews. I’d guess his sister was the stronger of the two pups when they were found as nearly drowned babies and he didn’t have a chance against her when they were finally fed by their rescuer. The way I understand it, the food bowl was filled, the garage door was closed because the dogs were riddled with worms, mange, and whatever else…the pups had to fend for themselves against each other. Perhaps if the rescuer had hand fed them from the beginning, Oliver wouldn’t have had that problem. He learned to be shy of food the way it was done. (In their rescuer’s defense, she hadn’t rescued a dog before that, she did the best that she could, Bless her for saving those dogs). It took several months of quiet encouragement to get him to eat without urging. I remember rubbing the back of his neck while offering a tiny piece of food, actually poking it into his skinny little mouth, he would not take a big piece. Now he sits and eats, bite by bite, with Kent’s other two dogs. He eats 2 full pounds of raw food each day, all hand fed.
Read Oliver’s Story here, this is Oliver Part I. – Darcie
Dear Darcie, I recently adopted a Schnorkie, Lucy. I’ve tried walking her on a harness – she pulls hard. A retractable leash, which only allows her to lunge at people or other dogs. She’s learning the “leave it” command, which is a godsend, but “heel” means nothing to her if she hears a bird or sees a squirrel or – god forbid – a rabbit. So I purchased a “Gentle Leader” head halter after hearing lots of people speak so wonderfully about it. I take Lucy on about a two mile walk every day, weather permitting (if it’s going to be an extraordinarily warm day, I wake up earlier). She tries to paw the leader off at first, a few times, but a call to her in a happy voice, “Let’s go, Lucy!” and we continue on. By the last half of the walk, she’s not struggling against the leader at all. She can bark, eat, drink, pant, etc. There is no discomfort for her at all.
I don’t know why, but I seem to need a second opinion. I asked our obedience class leader what she thought about it, and how soon Lucy might stop fighting it altogether, and she VERY strongly said, “Oh, they ALL hate it. They have no control; it’s like they are horses. You go right, they have to go right. You go left, so do they. You stop, they have to stop.” Am I doing a bad thing by Lucy? I love her dearly and she has brought nothing but happiness to my mother and me. Please let me know. Thank you, Christina
Dear Christina, You’re doing the right thing. A dog who can’t be walked by their person is no fun at all if you want to go where a leash is necessary. Your class leader is right that the dog has to go with you (that’s the idea whether or not a leash is used, it’s your walk) but wrong about the hate thing…dogs don’t hate stuff when it’s coupled with good stuff. Gentle Leader means that she gets to go out walking with you. It’s a good thing. A happy voice goes a very long way to a happy dog, no matter what you are doing with them.
Let me give you this, too. My Dog Pulls, you can get this book at SitStay.com. Get the book and use it. Soon you’ll be able to put the Gentle Leader away. The Gentle Leader is a tool, it’s used to get you some control while you teach the real deal. Have fun teaching your girl not to pull and let us know how it goes. – Darcie
Dear Darcie,
Can you comment on the recent events with pet therapy groups and the raw food diet? In case you are not aware….Delta Society has banned any dogs fed a raw food diet from belonging to their group. My local pet therapy group has just instituted the same policy. We have been visiting for 5 years and now no longer can. They claim the evidence is overwhelming that dogs fed raw food carry salmonella in their stool and are therefore a source of contamination. I respect your thoughts and ideas on your site so I am curious about your thoughts.
Thank you, Lois
Dear Lois, I’ll answer you in a post to The Dish. It’s a long one.
Thanks. – Darcie
Darcie, I wanted to send you an update. I have found a wonderful trainer who uses ONLY positive reinforcement. You’d really like him. He’s patient and kind and I love watching all the dogs in the class respond to him. I think this might be a second career for him, but I’d say he’s really found his calling.
The trainer has told me to develop a script so that when people approach, the words can just flow out of my mouth without me thinking (aka worrying) about it. He said that when I tell folks that “Sorry, my dog is in training”, that most people will respect that and not get in his face. He has heard me describe scenarios that happen where people will still not stop their approach, and he told me that it’s okay to say he’s in service dog training then. That should stop even the more stubborn people from continuing to reach out and pet. I told him that I felt guilty about using that, but if it works to keep my dog calm and everyone else happy and not barked at, I’m willing to do it.
I’m trying to do my part by making sure everything is going well – lots of exercise, socialization with other dogs, healthy good food and treats (what you sell at SitStay.) And lots of love – even though this situation makes me sad at times, I believe we’ll get through it. My dog is worth the effort. M
Dear M, Absolutely worth the effort. Don’t feel guilty for looking out for your dog and for the rest of the world. I’m glad you found someone close to help. Support and encouragement from someone kind that you trust is worth it’s weight in gold! Keep up the good work. Remember to keep the leash loose and breathe so you’re not tensing up telling your dog there’s trouble….a breath mint will help you cover any scent from your mouth that tells your dog you’re worried. Keep us updated.Thanks! – Darcie
Hi Darcie, Tucker our 6 month old Westie/Scottie mix is one of the funniest cutest dogs I have ever met BUT he is also very smart and uses it to get what he wants.He manipulates his older brother as well as me and my husband by going into a horrible high pitched loud bark.Whenever our older dog gets a toy to play with Tucker will go up to him and bark at him until Bart just tosses the toy at him and walks away.Its kind of funny to watch because its like Bart is saying-here take it this isn’t worth listening to.Tucker does the same when he wants to play with him or for anything else he wants.I can tell him to be quiet and he understands but it lasts for two seconds and he does it again.I’m afraid now he has figured out that its a way to get a treat as well.You know he barks-I tell him ‘quiet’ -he shuts up for two seconds-gets a treat and then does it again. He is Terrier all the way and I read before we got him that they can be almost criminally intelligent-well I believe it now-smile.Any ideas?? Thanks.By the way I have started to mix in ‘Embark’ dehydrated food with their kibble.Its great stuff and they both love it. Priska
Dear Priska, Try the time out, it works quickly with most dogs. Put a collar and leash on Tucker. This will be better with two people. Tucker drags leash around the house. When Tucker barks, is told to be quiet and barks again, one person says “Uh Oh!” and takes Tucker to another room and closes the door. NO talking to the dog, no attention at all, you are simply the person on the other end of the leash putting him in a time out. Count silently to three, come back to action. Barks? “Uh Oh!” Back to the back room with door closed, this time for five seconds. (If Tucker barks behind the door, he does not get to come back out. With a shorter time out, he will probably just wonder what’s going on and will not bark.)
If barking does not stop after the third try, Tucker is put into the other room alone. Say “Uh Oh!” and off he goes, no other talking but that. Start with a silent three count. Do not open door when he is barking. The instant he stops barking, let him out on leash. (If you are worried that he will scratch your dog, use a crate in another room for the time out.)
There are different ways of dealing with a barking dog. When it comes to the shrill, insistent barking “Give that to me now!” stuff, I find it’s best to say with actions, not with words, “You don’t get to play and be a part of this if you’re going to do that. That’s no fun for the rest of us.”
Be patient and keep at it. For most dogs, it takes a time out or two to get it. Terriers are smart and they are high energy so it can take a little longer to get the point across. Never give in to the barking and step in for your other dog when it happens to him. Bart should never have to give up his stuff to a little mouthy bully. Any attention to the shrill barking at all, other than the time out, will increase it’s happening and decibel range. Nobody likes bleeding ears from being in the same room with these guys.
Reward non barking with play. He’s a Terrier. Do make sure that he is getting an hour morning and night of leash walking, no dawdling, no stopping to pee unless you say so, no sniffing, just walking with you. Drain that energy as much as you can. You might want to get him into some Earth Dog games, too. Do a search at http://www.google.com to see more about Earth Games.
Consider giving a treat any time that he is not barking. Say, “No barking, good boy, Tucker.” Pet him and say that same thing to him when he’s laying down for a nap or laying quietly. You’ll be reinforcing the no barking.
And last but not least, use Treat and Food Dispensers to help him drain more energy, we have video to help you choose. Get yours at SitStay.com. Let us know how it goes. – Darcie
Great advice Darcie-I will use the time out and let you know how it goes.THANK YOU!
Hi Darcie: Do you have (or could you create) a short video on clicker training? Especially to show the “aha” moment when to click/reward?
Thank you! Amy
Amy, You can’t mistake the “aha” moment when you see it. It’s when you’re waiting for the dog to realize that something is new and the dog goes, “hey! I get it” and does what you asked. That moment usually happens early on when I first start clicker training a dog. Most of them have that “aha” moment, it’s when they first realize that we can communicate with each other, they understand what you want. Some dogs do it more than once, some do it once and from then on it’s pretty much full speed ahead. If I can get it on video with somebody’s dog, I’ll share it with you. The SitStay Dogs have all had theirs already. LOL!
Use your clicker like a camera. You’re taking a picture of the exact instant the dog does what you want. For instance, the sit. When that butt hits the floor, click! Your agreement with the dog is when you click, you reward. Even when you click wrong and that’s okay, it’s going to happen. A click means a reward….treat, toy, game, whatever reward you choose. Find out what makes your dog tick and use it! – Darcie
Darcie,
Thank you for your wonderful advice about the “My Dog Pulls” book from SitStay. I’ve been working on it with Lucy and it is helping quite a lot.
I have a more pressing problem, and I feel terrible. Lucy is sick. I thought at first it was ear mites. She has been scratching incessantly at her ears, although I clean them daily with ear cleaning solution I bought at a pet store locally. Instead of dropping the solution directly into her ear, which she hates, I get a cotton ball good and soaked and then rub it all the way into her ear. She sits nice and still for this, and seems to like it. It, unfortunately, doesn’t stop the scratching. Then, this past Saturday night, I noticed little black dots on the front of her chest, which is butterscotch colored (she’s a schnorkie). When I carefully turned her over onto her back, I thought I saw one or two moving lower down on her tummy. As the vet’s was closed, I discussed this with my niece, who has a European Doberman, and she told me sometimes mites migrate, especially after ear cleanings.
I called my vet first thing this morning, after the Labor Day holiday here, and spoke to the secretary about my fear it might me mites. She listened, and when I told her about the dots, she said, “Do you think it might be fleas?” Well, I don’t know what they look like, and I said, “But I use Frontline religiously! I’m very careful about that, because I don’t want her to suffer.” She said, “Dogs can still get fleas with Frontline, it’s just that they will die as soon as they bite.” AAAARRGH. So I have an appt this afternoon at 6:30 with my favorite vet, an older man. But I’m SO confused. My other niece, who also has a rescued dog, gives her Lola a flea shampoo bath once a week, because she spends so much time outside. Is that safe? I know that flea dips can be unsafe, but is a flea shampoo okay?
Lucy goes on long walks with me, and when I let her out to potty in the backyard, on retractable leash, she often likes to roll around on the grass. Could she pick up fleas that way? I’m so concerned. I don’t know how this could happen. Do I need to bomb my house?
(
helplessly concerned,
horrible owner,
Dear Lucy, Pests don’t make you a horrible owner so give yourself a hug and don’t think that way. Your vet is the best one to diagnose the problem for you and to tell you how to remedy it. Fleas can be a tough nut to crack but it can be done with the right stuff and a good cleaning routine. Let us know what your vet says. I could advise a lot of things but until you know what the problem is for sure, it’s not much help. Hug your sweet Lucy for me, too. – Darcie
Christina
Hey Darcie,
Yes, it turned out to be fleas. The vet said he’s never seen anything like that when a pet is on Frontline. He said it is most likely that she has (can’t remember his exact words, but sort of like built up an immunity to Frontline?), and the best thing to do would be to invest in K9 Advantix, give her a flea shampoo bath, as well as buy a flea mist that I can give her a few times a week and also spray on her bedding, the carpeting, couch, other places. . . On a good note, her ears are squeaky clean. *rolling my eyes* All this cost me $52, not counting the shampoo and flea mist. But Lucy was sooo good at the vet. He didn’t even need an assistant, because she sat so good and sweet for him, even with him poking around and looking in her ears. She’s my pride and joy. She’s sleeping at my feet right now, and has slept uninterrupted since her flea bath over two hours ago. I’m relieved, and exhausted from the worry. Is there anything else I should be doing? Christina
Dear Christina, I’m surprised your vet would ask you to use all of these things on Lucy, that’s a lot of poison in a short period of time. Please get another opinion. Ask about Comfortis and if it’s right for Lucy. In infested areas of the country, it can be a real help. It’s not without side effects just like every other concoction man seems to be able to come up with.
Here are a few flea articles that you might find helpful: Pete’s Progress, Fleas Dang It!, and Oliver’s Story Part I, II and III.
I’m glad you’re feeling better. It can be a shocker to realize that there are fleas in the house and most of us tend to panic a little bit, you’re in good company.
– Darcie
Thank you Darcie,
I, too, was rather surprised at my vet’s response. For one, he didn’t even LOOK at the live fleas that were moving on Lucy, near her chest and legs. He only looked for evidence on her back for what he thought might have been dirt or flea “poop” for lack of a better word. Then he took it in back to look at it, came back and said it was indeed, residue of fleas. He seemed absolutely amazed, and yet, I just yesterday read another story of a woman whose dog had developed an immunity to Frontline.
He didn’t tell me what to do about my house. I didn’t think to ask, because I was too busy reassuring my trembling Lucy that it was “All done!” “Going home soon; what a gooood girl!” She doesn’t know a gentle vet from a mean one. To her it all means poking and prodding. She may sit very still and behave well, but it’s still frightening for her, and she KnOWS the way out better than I do. Heh.
But, no. Nothing about whether I should bomb the house, rewash her bedding, the blankets in her crate, etc. On the flea mist I bought, it has instructions to spray the cracks of the door, the windows, etc. That sounds very preventative.
I lost some confidence in my vet, who is usually so good to me. I’m on disability, studying to be a vet assistant, and should be finished by Christmas of this year. He knows I can’t afford a lot, yet he charged me full rate, PLUS the price of 1 dose of K9 Advantix. Well, live and learn.
I read everything you referred to me, Darcie. i appreciate all your help. I think I will have to try the flea pill, even if it means borrowing money. But then – what about ticks? peace to you and your dogs, Christina
Christina, Yes, the pill won’t take care of ticks. The best defense against the pesky critters is a natural diet for your dog, raw food is the most natural. And clean often, vacuum the house and wash bedding. Learn more about the flea cycle to stop them, if my articles didn’t give you enough on that, search for “flea cycle” at google.com, all of that info is pretty good on the life and death of fleas. Or ask your local pest control, they should be able to help, too. I wish I had a magic answer for you, it just takes some doing and more doing to get rid of them. – Darcie
hello darcie.
appreciating your info.
i’ve heard from several folks who are disabled and training their own service dog, that the Manners Minder can be very useful tool. it seems like it might help me and my rescued miniature poodle. wondering what you think of this for training? i’m not finding it on your website?
curiously and gratefully, kendra
Dear Kendra, I did get a sample of the Manners Minder and gave it a test. In my opinion, it sure costs a lot for the same training you can do with a $2 clicker, a bait bag, and some clicker know how. Sorry, it doesn’t get my vote. I just can’t take your money for something you can easily do without this remote control machine. Thanks so much. – Darcie
Hi Darcie,
Thank you for taking the time to share with all of us out here.
I am a failed Foster several times over (I kept the critter.). One of the dogs looks like what knowledgeable people would call a classic Pit Bull at 45 pounds.
A friend saw her being thrown from a moving car on a country road 1 1/2 years ago. She was very thin, had no hair on her back, was dripping milk, and in heat. We later found she had 4 kinds of internal parasites and the Vet estimated her age at about 2 1/2 years. She was probably used as a breeder and her undercarriage will always dangle. Our local Humane Society did a temperament test on her after she had been with us for only a few days. They concluded she was food, dog, and cat aggressive which I could not understand having watched their tests.
Now she is absolutely gorgeous and healthy on a Raw diet which she eats within 1 foot of all our other critters with my hand in her bowl. She is a Registered Therapy Dog and has passed the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen test. Her house mates are an elderly Rough Collie, an airborne Portuguese Water Dog, and turbo cat (Maine Coon mix).
Since Ohio law classifies all Pit Bulls as vicious simply because they are breathing, I decided to have her blood DNA tested to find out just what she is. The test looks at attributes of 170+ breeds. It came back saying she is a mixture of a Miniature Short-haired Dachshund, Scottish Deerhound, Boston Terrier, and Miniature Bull Terrier. How accurate do you think these tests are?
I can think of many combinations of various breeds that would result in a Pit type body. It is sad that so many people think they can accurately judge a dog’s temperament by simply looking at their body type. They probably tell blond jokes too!
I would love to send you a picture but I can’t figure out how to do it here. She’s a cutie! Thank you for all you do for us and our furry friends! I LOVE Sit Stay!!! Robin
Dear Robin, Excellent! I’m so glad that she’s found a home with you. I’ve never given up a foster either…I had good intentions but they always seem to stay. The DNA tests, some people swear by them, others think they’re bogus. I wish I knew the truth. Either way, if you have it and your local authorities will honor it, she’s not a problem. Right? GBG Thanks so much for sharing! – Darcie
I know you are probably tired of evaluating every dog food out there, but . . . I bought a bag of Nature’s Recipe Breed Specific Food for Terriers. I have a terrier mix and thought I’d see what she thought. She’s not one to instantly gobble her food, and will leave it until later when she’s really hungry. She’d much rather play than eat. She likes it about as much as anything else I’ve fed her. This particular formula did not have corn or wheat. What do you think? Jamie
Dear Jamie, Del Monte makes Nature’s Recipe and Gravy Train and PupPeroni and Milk Bone and Meaty Bone and Kibbles and Bits, just to name a few. Sorry, I can’t carry them. – Darcie
Dear Darcie, One more question about dog food, if I may. What are your thoughts on Primal Pet Products raw foods? The packaging states that the meat they use is free of hormones, antibiotics, etc.
Thanks. Mary Anne
Dear Mary Anne, I don’t know them personally and have never talked to anyone who works inside the company so I don’t have any inside scoop for you. Everything I know about them sounds good. Matt Koss still owns the company or is a partner, it’s his name on their integrity statement. Primal started business about 10 years ago. Call or write to them. Ask them if they test every batch before they send the food out to market. Going directly to the source for written integrity statements and getting quick response is going to tell you a lot. Share your info with us. There are a few bad reviews posted at different places online…Primal states that these people never contacted the company about problems. No matter who you are, if you touch food, you’re liable to have problems. It’s the guys who are doing their absolute best to make it safe, high quality, and respond quickly who I think we need to support.
Primal Pet Foods video dated 2010
Primal Pet Products
109 South Boulevard
San Mateo, CA 94402-2446
(650) 570-7400
(866) 566-4652 toll free
http://www.primalpetfoods.com
Nature’s Variety is the company that I talked into making raw food for companion dogs many years ago. I designed the recipes and took them to the owner who I knew personally. I still like this company. The reason I went to them? They are across the street from SitStay.com in Lincoln, Nebraska.
I’m all for the raw food makers who are doing it right. Please do remember, it’s easy to make your own raw food at home. Know your food and you and your dogs will be well. – Darcie
Hi Darcie, Would you comment on Newman’s Organic Dog Food? It has no corn . . . we feed our Maltese mix (a rescue) part of this plus some cooked chicken breast (along with pure chicken jerky). As a side, my husband is Active Duty Air Force and we are stationed in Germany–and we’re just kind of disconnected from the homeland–having to buy whatever we can on base or order from the States. Thanks so much! Susan
Dear Susan, Aside from a few of their foods being pretty high on the seed and grain side, I like Newman’s own. It does contain Sodium Selenite as a lot of foods do, this can be a potential risk form of selenium. I believe that the company has it’s heart in the right place and does the very best it can. – Darcie
Darcie – What are your thoughts on dehydrated food, such as Sojos complete, Wysong Archetype or Grandma Lucy’s Dog Food? I currently also feed Honest Kitchen, but I’ve looked at the ingredients of these foods and don’t see many preservatives and I’m impressed. I’ve been trying them to see if my dogs like it, and so far, all of my dogs love it (even my 9 year old, which is pretty picky). What are you thoughts on these foods? Thanks! Tammy
Dear Tammy, I like most of the dehydrated foods. We still look for only the best quality ingredients. I like Lucy’s and Honest Kitchen and carry them at SitStay. Thanks. – Darcie
Dear Darcie, I have a 3 year old rescued dog that likes to bark at people walking or biking around our culdesac. I’ve had her since she was 1-1/2 years old. She can seem a little intimidating, but if someone comes into the yard, she will bark, but then stop and walk away. I’m a little concerned that someone will complain about it. She will not go into the street – she knows her yard. I have 3 other dogs, and they run to the boundary with her, but just look and run back and forth with her – they won’t bark. If I go to the front of the house and call her to me, she comes back with tail wagging high and a happy smile on her face. What bothers me is she’s become very sensitive. I’ve scolded her twice and she’s started to look very hurt, and go into the garage to go into the house. Then she gets very clingy and won’t go outside without me around…like she doesn’t know what to do. She is a very special girl (lived on her own in northern Minnesota for her first 1-1/2 years of her life. A rescue found her and her small puppies – who were very fat. She was skin and bones. She lived on her own until that time, raising puppies). She has changed into a very special dog, but I’m not quite sure how to stop this without yelling at her. She does come when I call her (always happily), but if she sees or hears someone in the front of the house, she’ll run as fast as she can and start barking again. I’ve had a neighbor stop and come into the yard and give her treats…but she still does it. Not sure what to do…especially since she seems more sensitive now. Any thoughts on how I can help her stop this? She likes treats – but that doesn’t seem to stop her from continuing this behavior. Thanks! Tammy
Dear Tammy, Yelling at her doesn’t tell her anything, you probably sound like you’re barking at her and with an angry face, I’d probably wonder what you want, too. She knows you’re unhappy with her but you’re not telling her what you want her to do instead of barking. I wouldn’t scold and yell at her any more. It doesn’t work any way.
First thing, don’t leave her out in the yard to bark. When she goes outside, go with her and find out at who and why she’s barking. Dogs bark for a few reasons. Find out hers. Barking is like talking for us, we have to do it sometimes…just try to shut me up when I have something to say.
I’d caution your neighbor not to treat her when she agitated or barking, that reward is a pretty big one. Find out why she is barking and at who. Then decide what you want her to do instead of barking. Then work with her to do that instead. Please don’t ask her to quit barking altogether. You may want her to bark at strangers and save your house from a burglar some day. What you want is to have her bark but to stop when you ask her to. She’s a barker, don’t take that pleasure away from her altogether. Management is the key.- Darcie
Thanks Darcie! I get caught up in what other people are telling me to do (or do themselves to their dogs) that I need someone to bring back some common sense, and steer me back on the right way to do things! Thanks!!
Tammy
Dear Darcie:
Thank you for your time and sharing your knowledge. Amy
Recently I ordered from sitstay.com a bag of Merrick Senior Medley. My dog loves it and is doing really well on it. I was looking on Merrick’s site and noticed they list protein at 24% vs. the 20% on sitstay.com and what the bag reads. I e-mailed Merrick and they said they changed the formula and it now reflects 24% protein. I replied asking what the change was and they replied “With making the change from canola oil and adding animal fat, this increased the levels. Animal fat is proven to feed better.”
Because I whole-heartedly trust you on anything dog-related, could you explain what exactly is this “animal fat” and where does it come from? I’m a little leary of the generality of the term. Looks like we may be switching to Prairie.
Dear Amy, Every once in a while a maker will change ingredients without telling us. I’ll check on this and let you know what I find out. I don’t like it when they don’t alert us to changes, it’s all part of what we try to keep up with….I don’t like it. Darcie
Thanks Darcie! We will await your findings. Amy
Dear Darcie, I recently read your article about service dog scams (thank you so much – I almost fell for it!). From what I understand (and please correct me if I’m wrong…), is that any dog can be a service dog and don’t require certification/papers/ID/badge/etc. The service dog badges and other materials sold at SitStay.com are not “official” (because there are no official standards, I presume) but if your dog is wearing one, it is likely to be easier and more hassle-free to move about with your dog (in stores, trains, etc.). Is that right? My dog is very well behaved and I want to start to practice bringing her on the subway (in NYC) but I am hestitant to do so without some kind of identification of service dog status. Once I am satisfied with her skills, I hope to volunteer with her (through the Delta Society or similiar group) so she can help others as well as me.
So, after all of my research, I think I have learned two major things (below) but I wanted to pass them by you to make sure that they are true (and that I have not been mislead along the way).
- My dog does not require any official licensing or paperwork to be my personal service dog. Badges from SitStay.com will make it more obvious that she is a service dog.
- For my dog to also be able to help others (i.e. visit hospitals, nursing homes, etc.), she will have to pass a specific test given by societies/groups that organize this kind of volunteer work.
Thank you for your time and help. I know this post is a little confusing (but I’m confused as well!). I look forward to hearing from you. – Amanda
Dear Amanda, Check with your local and state authorities to see what they require for a service dog. Many states and cities are changing their laws to more closely regulate service dogs and some are now requiring professional training. (I personally think that’s wrong, people who are disabled should not have to pay to train their own dog to work as their service dog.) Your local officials will be able to tell you if your dog can be considered a service dog, not all dogs are. For instance, if a woman is heartsick because she recently lost her husband and can’t go outside without her dog, that is not considered a disability covered by the ADA laws. But if she has a medical condition and the dog is trained to help her, the dog is considered a service dog.
Therapy dogs don’t have to be registered or even have training if the places they visit don’t require it.
SitStay makes vests and patches available to service dogs, therapy dogs, working dogs, or for any reason a dog will be wearing a vest. Recently a man bought several orange vests for his dogs and a young deer, he has hunters around his property and a vest will help flag the pets as “please don’t shoot me, I’m not a deer”.
SitStay doesn’t condone people putting vests and patches on their dogs and pretending that their dogs are service dogs so they can go where only service dogs are allowed. So far, most cities don’t have a law against it but for me it’s a moral issue, not a legal one. I hope that answers your questions. Thanks. – Darcie
Dear Darcie, I have a 5 year old Standard Poodle, Juliet. She is one of the healthiest dogs I have ever had. She eats a raw diet, she is my first dog to ever eat raw. She was fed raw food from the breeder, I researched at it made sense to me. I don’t think I’ll ever feed anything else.
My problem with Juliet, is she stops eating for a couple of days. Then she vomits bile, naturally her stomach is empty. We go through this constantly. Last December I decided to get her a companion (from same breeder). Chrissy has absolutely no problems with food. They are both energetic and happy dogs. My plan is to take Juliet to a holistic vet and see what recommendations they can give me. Have you or anyone you know had these issues with the raw food. I have given her Bravo, Aunt Millies, Stella and Chewy, Natures Variety. I have the same pattern of eating since she was a puppy. My vet suggested I give her Pepcid 1/2 hour before each meal. Thanks, Myra
Dear Myra, I haven’t had a problem like that. Getting a good holistic vet’s opinion will be a good thing. The yellow bile is generally empty stomach, just like you say. A dog not eating for a day or so isn’t a big deal….usually. That’s not to say that something isn’t wrong, it could be. Your vet will probably start with a blood test to see what’s going on or if any thing is. Dog creatures can often go for a few days without eating if they have to, it’s we humans who insist that they eat every day and more than once a day. If our dogs didn’t have us to feed them regularly, they would eat when they could and fast when they can’t catch something. Coyotes and wolves do it all the time, as do wild dogs. Let me know what you find out. I do hope the holistic vet will sway you from the medication and find a little something of food that will put something in her tummy instead, even if it’s a little warm sweet potato or something. You might try some Geneflora instead of Pepcid. I wish I knew everything.
– Darcie
Hi Darcie, I have never posted here before, so I hope that I am in the right place. We have three collies, all microchipped. I’m not sure if you can use the company names…but two are with Home Again, and one is with Avid. The Avid chip was never registered, and it took us almost three days to just get a registration emailed to us so we could fill it out and return with payment. We called with the number to change our address since we moved, and were told it wasn’t registered. OOPS! the breeder forgot to tell us that. No problem, let’s get that registered. They were supposed to email the registration, and we waited and waited. No email. So I called again, the next day, and told them I wanted a registration paper. I had to go thru the whole thing again, with the chip number, just to get the form. I told the person I just did this yesterday, give me the form. She said that they have to get the chip number again to make sure it wasn’t registered. “It isn’t registered! I just called yesterday. I can assure you that it hasn’t been registered in the last 30 hours.” I know it seems like a small inconvenience, but come on…they were wasting my time to tell me something I already knew. When I tried to call back to complain, I was on hold for over 10 minutes, and no one came to the phone. Their website is practically useless, and now I am worried that if I do lose my dog, what will the outcome be when no one bothers to answer calls?
The HomeAgain people (which I microchipped myself), were wonderful, changed my info and it took 5 minutes at the most.
Have you had any problems or complaints about Avid? Thanks, Sharon
Dear Sharon, I haven’t used Avid so sorry, I can’t help. Any comments to help Sharon, any one? Thanks. – Darcie
Hi Sharon,
We use AVID with our rescue dogs (they are chipped before they go to their forever homes) and haven’t had any issues with it. I was able to switch my own dog over from the rescue to myself with the mail in form and got confirmation back, I think about a week later. We really like their syringes better than others (sturdier-which makes it a quicker process). It’s too bad that you aren’t getting someone on the phone. Sorry you’ve been having trouble with them.
The chips have always read well – we had a family a few years back who forgot to switch the registration over to their names, their dog was picked up and our rescue was called. Some people also leave the rescue on their registration as a second contact number.
Hope that helps a little,
Jessica
(P.S. If I had an extra form I would send you one!)
Oh, sorry. Between the phone calls was an email to the website asking for the form, explaining the phone call request that hadn’t been taken care of. Their responding email was NOT the form, but a request for the chip number. Nowhere on the form did the company need to put in the chip number
Darcie, the supplement Call of the Wild that I am thinking of using with boneless lightly cooked meals includes wheat grass powder, barley grass powder, and ground sesame seeds. Are those ingredients good for most healthy dogs? Are many dogs allergic to them? I know that it is best to avoid the grains wheat and barley in dog foods because so many dogs are allergic to them, but the wheat and barley here are not grains; they are grass powders. So I have no idea if that makes them okay or not; good or bad. Thanks, Greg
Dear Greg, I don’t sell Wysong and haven’t looked at them too closely. You’ll want to ask them if they use 4 D meats or euthanized pets in their foods. If their food is good, clean food, you should be okay. The biggest problems I see are corn and wheat flour. Barley isn’t on my radar. The only time grain and seeds would be available to your dog is harvest time, just before a long winter. Something to think about. – Darcie
Hi Darcie!
It was great meeting you and Kent and the pups last weekend! I really enjoyed talking to you.
I talked to you just a bit about food. I am going to be switching from what Kyla is on now (‘mid-range holistic’), to Orijen as we get through with this current bag. I’d love to try all raw but do not have the funds or time right now to do so. (We do use Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried patties for Ky’s agility trial jackpots – I break the patty into a small container and then add a little water to it right before we run – she thinks that is pretty awesome! ^_^ ).
I was just reading about Gibbs’ chicken wings and think that would be a great addition for Ky. My question is, how often do you give your dogs the raw chicken wings? OR better question, how often should I give my dog who is on a dry (soon to be grain-free) diet chicken wings?
Thanks!
Jessica and Kyla
Dear Jessica and Kyla, It was wonderful meeting you, too. You’ve done a wonderful job with Kyla. You can feed wings, necks, or backs as a meal every day if you like. There’s no magic number. Kyla would probably be happy with a neck and a wing, or a back for a meal. I like to feed raw meals separate from dry, raw digests more quickly. Come back and see us. I’m hoping for a SitStay in Omaha. I have my fingers crossed. Wouldn’t that be fun! – Darcie
Hi Jessica and Kyla: Jealous you live close enough to go to the sitstay.com retail store. Fun! I understand the funds/time dilemma to feed only raw. I found the Nature’s Variety medallions to be affordable and easy to use. I feed my large hound three of the medallions for one of her meals, and Instinct or Orijen kibble for the other meals. I know it’s not as perfect as all raw, but I feel good giving her some raw and excellent kibble. She has so much energy and spunk. I also give her some raw chicken or beef when I am slicing it for my dinner. Again, not perfectly all raw, but I hope that anything extra will benefit her. Hope your chicken wings are thoroughly enjoyed, Kyla!
Amy
Thanks Darcie and Amy! That helps
Kyla will certainly enjoy her raw chicken, and she will be on Orijen soon. She’s eating a bit with her current kibble every meal right now and thinks it’s pretty tasty! I picked up a can of tripett when we are down at SitStay, she’s been enjoying that bit by bit too 
Thanks Guys!
Jessica & Kyla
Hi Darcie, Our humane society is finally switching the dog’s food from Science Diet to hopefully Canidad. I know you guys sell it, the whole dog journal recommends it and we sell it like crazy at the pet store I work at. Now a girl at the humane society presses for looking into Iams because according to her knowledge the phosphorus and magnesium in canidae all life stages is way too high and would cause kidney problems if feed over a longer period of time. She didn’t provide me with an analysis but apparently her nutrition professor agrees. Have you ever heard of such a claim? Nadja
Dear Nadja, They did have some problems a year ago, and although I don’t remember the exact reason (life is too short and too fast for me to remember everything), it’s why I pulled them out of my store until it got better. Canidae is short on meat and long on the good grains, that’s what a lot of people want. The customers I have who feed Canidae like it, their dogs are doing good. The key to feeding dogs is the same key to feeding ourselves, all things in moderation. Too much of something is going to hurt us, too little won’t hurt us that much. Leaner is better. Less quantity is better. For all of us.
Personally I don’t like to feed grain to my dogs. I will feed it in the form of Honest Kitchen and maybe a treat or two here and there.
I don’t carry Science Diet or Iams. I’m a real food snob with excellent reasons.
Why don’t you guys check with your local Mom and Pop restaurants to see if you can get their leftovers? They might even separate the cooked bones from the other foods. If you pick it up at least daily, you’ll get good fresh food for the dogs. The lie about feeding our own good food from our own leftovers costs dog lovers a fortune. Dogs love what we consider ‘scraps’ and if we watch what we eat, they are great for the dogs. After all, if you ate it, it wouldn’t be a leftover. Just like setting a place for your dog only not at the tables. Then post for your donors which foods you want to feed the dogs and they can donate the good foods. Those two things will give your dogs great coats, happy eyes and faces, less anxiety for being “caged” and I use the term loosely, there’s not a better way to keep them safe in a shelter that I know of, and healthy dogs. – Darcie
Hi Darcie:
For the past few months, I have fed my Walker Hound the Nature’s Variety raw for lunch and Prairie Kibble for breakfast and dinner. She did/is doing awesome on this combination. A couple of weeks ago I switched to Instinct kibble and kept the raw for lunch. She’s become gassier and has softer stools than when I fed her the raw/Prairie combination. I tried to mix the Prairie and Instinct, but that didn’t reap any better results. Is it possible that for her the raw and Instinct are too rich for her belly? I wholeheartedly agree with you that dogs don’t need grains, but what I’m seeing with my hound is she does better with a bit of good grain…Any advice? Thank you!! Amy
Amy, some dogs do better with some good grains, especially it seems, the dogs who run miles a day. I think it’s because they burn all it off in a day or so. All grains are not created equal. I carry the Prairie because some dogs thrive on it. Instinct is great, too. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Our dogs tell us, sometimes in not so subtle ways, farts and all, that the food we’re giving them isn’t the right one. Stick with the trusted companies and find the right food inside that company for your dog. It sounds like you have. Thanks. – Darcie
I’ve been following The Dish for quite some time now and am a customer of your online store. After reading all of your wonderful posts about dogs, I recently decided to start feeding our black lab a better food (though I haven’t made the leap to the raw diet). I think the food we WERE feeding him was the better of the bad (he generally smelled good, with the exception of his ears and had a great coat, but he also had itchy feet). After online research and discussions with our locally-owned pet food store and due to his chronic ear problems, I chose a grain-free food. The first one we chose was made in Canada and as it turned out was sometimes difficult for them to keep in stock. They recommended a second one and now that we’re on our second bag I’m noticing his ears are almost cleared up and his coat is even softer and shinier than before (and I didn’t think that was possible)! I know that you can’t carry every kind of dog food in your store and I find the information online can sometimes be overwhelming. Can you tell me what you think of California Natural Grain Free Lamb & Rice?
Thanks for your constant education and entertainment! Lisa
Dear Lisa, California Natural is produced by Natura, a company owned by Proctor and Gamble, if I have my facts right and they haven’t sold it. It’s late and it’s been a long day. Proctor and Gamble also owns Eukanuba and Iams. Sorry, I can’t carry it. Thanks. – Darcie
Hi Darcie, I have a household with 3 dogs and very different ages…14 yrs..7yrs..and 1yr. (2 Aussies and 1 Sheltie)
I have been feeding “Canidae All Life Stages” formula which includes all four proteins (chicken, turkey, fish & lamb). It seemed convenient to be able to have 1 food for all the varying ages and needs. I noticed you do not sell that “exact” formula and wondered if it was not “Darcie Approved” and why?? Is it one of the formulas that could have to high of protein levels?? Do you only like the Chicken or Lamb and Rice Formulas? Please let me know if I should continue using All Stages or switch to a single protein and rice and should I continue feeding the same formula for all 3 different ages?
I am sure there are a lot of Multiple Dog Households out there that are wondering the same! Thanks, Sue and Max
Dear Sue and Max, I don’t have room for all the foods in one brand, I don’t check on the ones that I’m not going to carry unless I have ample free time…not so much lately…I’m so busy. I don’t carry any food if one of the labels isn’t any good so this food is in my store. Read the label, if you like it, continue. If there’s something about it that you don’t like, if the dogs aren’t all doing splendidly, change it. Variety is the spice of life, mix up your proteins with each new bag. Dogs need as much variety as we do. It sounds to me like you’re doing okay. – Darcie
Dear Darcie:
I’ve been reading about the advantages of a raw diet in your blog. I would like to try it for Ruby, 4 year old rescue reputed to be Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier – Old English Sheepdog mix. She has been on Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance kibble, salmon and sweet potato limited ingredient variety. She has a sensitive stomach. I recently tried Canidae Grain-Free Salmon kibble; maybe I introduced it too quickly, but it didn’t agree with her (she threw up multiple times). Ruby’s beautiful coat has become dull and dry, her teeth have tartar buildup, and she has bad breath. She has been with me less than a year and I’m working up to having her teeth cleaned (I hate the idea of general anesthetic), but first I want to be sure I’m feeding her the best diet possible. I checked your breed-specific food guides on sitstay.com but didn’t see one that was an obvious fit for Ruby. What brand do you suggest, do you recommend frozen over freeze-dried, and how would you recommend introducing it? Thanks so much for your help, Suse
Dear Suse, Frozen will be cheaper by the pound than freeze dried. I like the dried for traveling and if someone else should have to take care of my dog and they don’t like to touch raw food. Who are these people anyway?!
I like Nature’s Variety because I designed the food years ago. It’s changed some but still great food. Any good quality raw is good or you can put your own together. Take a look at this book Raw Dog Food. Have fun. Relax. Take a breath. It’s a lot easier than it sounds. Glad you’re going to wait for the teeth cleaning. Give her a knuckle bone instead. Thanks. – Darcie
Thanks, Darcie! I’ll try the Nature’s Variety frozen, and I’m ordering the book you recommended from sitstay.com now. — Suse
Dear Suse, Let me know how it goes. I’ve seen some wonderful things these past few weeks when turning dogs onto raw food. The first thing is that the dogs love it, the next is that they are getting well and becoming normal dogs. What a blessing.
– Darcie
Hi Darcie, I’ve been feeding my Italian Greyhound Orijen for a while now but thought that I would like to start home cooking for him. I’m not ready to go raw yet but some crock pot cooking I can do. Right now he’s going through a bit of diarrhea and I’ve been fixing him chicken and rice which he loves. Can you recommend any resources for balanced recipes for home cooking? Michelle
Dear Michelle, The only problem with home cooking is that the dog doesn’t get any raw bones which are essential to good health…in my opinion and in the opinion of Nature. But home cooking is next best. Think of the best meals that you could fix yourself, use only foods that rot, and you can’t go wrong feeding your dog. There are some cooking diet books at dogwise.com. I don’t know the authors of some so use your best judgment when ordering. Do some online searching and use your gut instinct whether the recipes are right for your dog. Sorry, it’s all I’ve got. I like raw.
– Darcie
Dear Darcie, help, our chocolate lab has to pee every time she gets excited and squats to greet us… how can we break her from this…. no problem outside, but she has never pee’d in the house, even as a baby, she is so smart and so willing to please but this one trait is very annoying and i can’t always get her to go downstairs to squat, before she has to greet us… Connie
Dear Connie, what are you feeding her? That could be the biggest problem and if it is, good because that can be changed. Where did you get her? More info, please. Thanks. – Darcie
Hi Darcie:
Are there any raw meaty bones you advise NOT to feed to dogs (for big and small dogs, please)? Turkey necks, chicken necks, chicken wings, chicken backs–all good, right? So what would not be so good or easy to digest as far as bones go? Thanks Darcie–you’re our most trusted authority on feeding. Arroooo! Amy
Dear Amy, The larger bones like femurs, skulls, long bones are not bones I’d feed…they are recreational bones…if your dog can’t crush them into tiny bits, they can’t digest them easily. Hope that helps. – Darcie
Simple advice, easy to understand. Focusing on the crush factor. Thanks Darice!
What about bone-in w/skin chicken breasts? Too meaty? Amy
Dear Amy, Unless your dog does about 10 miles a day and has a great metabolism, you may not want to do breast very often. Breakfast at my house for 4 big dogs years ago was a 4 pound chicken cut into 4 pieces. Each dog got a different quarter every day, so breast every other day. They did good on that, highly active dogs. Yes, bone in. The bones are essential to the dogs wellness. Thanks. – Darcie
Hi Darcie–First full day on raw. The order I hoped to pick up was delayed, so after a few moments of frustration, I purchased two whole chickens, quartered them and we’re good for a few days. I have to say it was pretty darn fun quartering them and it took me less than 10 minutes. I wasn’t even sure what I was doing, but the parts looked familiar. Bailey had a blast after figuring out she could chomp vs. lick the chicken. She’s been in a happy chicken/bone zone all night. A bit gassy, but she’s got some detox to do! Looking forward to non-smelly gloppy poo and less shedding. Thank you for your wonderful knowledge and sharing it with us. This is SO EXCITING! Amy
Dear Amy, Good for you! Cutting up chickens will go faster with practice. I can do one in about three minutes but I grew up with that kind of thing. Thanks so much for sharing your experience, it will help the next person make the choice to go natural for their dog. Hugs to Bailey! – Darcie
Hi Darcie–An FYI for you, if you like. Don’t want to inundate you with updates! Bailey has been on raw for a couple weeks and doing great! She was with my parents for a few days and I did pack pre-mixed raw patties for easier feeding, with no transition problems. She’s a great chomper vs. gulper to my delight, and has learned the word “chicken” quickly. lol. So far we’ve focused on chicken backs and leg quarters and will order a few turkey necks if all goes well this week. I’m so excited that it’s hard not to order all protein types from our butcher now! Bailey was always a happy dog, but even spunkier and more loving on raw. I can’t wait for the shedding to decrease. Poops are already smaller and no smell! The only drawback–every time the fridge opens, Bailey assumes it’s chicken time.
Raw really is better! Amy p.s. I’ve also figured out I can feed her for 2 months on raw for way less than 6 weeks of kibble (1 premium bag). WOW! – Amy
Dear Amy, Isn’t it the best! The dogs are happier and their energy is good and so cool that poop doesn’t stink. It’s amazing to me that most people think it should. Thanks for letting me know. I really appreciate it. Hugs to you and Bailey! – Darcie
Hi Darcie, You always have such great information on what foods, etc, are good for dogs, I’m hoping you can help me out. I have a 3yr old siberian that I feed a ‘home-made’ raw diet (nothing prepared, eg Nature’s Variety, since we are trying to determine what food(s) he is allergic to). He gets a limited variety of veggies and proteins, and while he does get some turkey or pork necks, I will not give him any bones larger/harder than that as he cracked a molar in half (had to have it pulled) about a year ago chewing on a deer shank bone. My question is, how much bone (ie, calcium) should a 50lb, moderately active dog get each day or week? I know too much isn’t good for him, but neither is too little. He does get Dr Harvey’s herbal supplement each day, but that does not have any added calcium. Are there any other vitamins or minerals I should really pay attention to and make sure he gets on a regular basis? Thanks!!! Andrea
Dear Andrea, Less instead of more is always better, even for humans. I know I feel better when I’m lean. If you feed him the way Nature intends, it will be a lot easier for you. Over supplementing is one of the biggest mistakes made with any diet. They really don’t need it unless they were desperately health compromised by bad food or there’s something in their bloodline that is askew. Some say that the Husky is allergic to beef. I don’t know if that’s true. If my memory serves me correctly, the Husky is a pretty good hunter. The foods available to them in their historical birthplace were reindeer and other deer, goats, seal, ermine, birds, ducks, geese, mice. The same things that all dogs eat. I’ve never yet seen a dog move to completely raw food and still suffer allergies. It could happen, I just haven’t seen it yet. Is he getting fresh eggs? There are healing properties in eggs. Feed him like he’d catch food. Look at the rabbit or the bird and see how much bone and meat to all the other things in that prey body. Then you’re doing it right. I hope that helps. – Darcie
Hi Darcie, thanks for your reply. Coincidentally, he does appear to be allergic to beef, chicken too, but he does get venison, fish, turkey (but I think he’s allergic to this as well), and pork. This past week, he sampled some goose and quail that some friends were cleaning out of the freezer – he seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. And yes, he’s an excellent hunter, having caught several songbirds and a few rabbits in our backyard this year alone. I haven’t given him eggs because I’ve read a couple places that dogs shouldn’t get the yokes, only the whites; is this the case, or could he have a couple eggs a week, just cracked into his dish? Or, could I give him the whole egg and let him eat the whole thing, shell and all? I didn’t know if the shell would cut his gums, etc? If you could please clarify the egg issue for me, I’d appreciate it. Thanks again for all your help!
Andrea
Dear Andrea, My dogs get a cracked egg shell and all.
– Darcie
My husband and I will be looking to add another member to our furkid family sometime next year, and are seriously considering a tervuren – your favorite breed, I know. I was hoping you could give me a little insight into the breed as well as hopefully recommend some good breeders that have dogs sound in both temperament and health. We don’t want a show dog. We live in Wichita, KS, so a breeder that’s not on the other side of the country would obviously be preferred, but for a good dog, we would be willing to travel. Thanks so much!!
Andrea, Talk to the club, they’ll be able to guide you. http://www.abtc.org/ – Darcie
Darcie,
I have 2 young herding dogs, a 2 1/2 yr old male GSD and a 3 yr. old female Red Heeler. I have always fed my dogs a premium kibble and usually mix it up 2-3 times a year for variety. They have been on Taste of the Wild Salmon kibble which is 23% protein. Prior to that they were eating Solid Gold Millenium, a beef-based kibble. I have also fed them Natural Balance. There has been a noticeable change in their behavior since eating Taste of the Wild. Both are more easily agitated with one another: like bickering siblings. And their behavior overall is more rambunctious. They weren’t like that with the Solid Gold or Natural Balance. Do you have any other suggestions besides switching them off of their current diet? Joyce
Dear Joyce, Of course you know I’ll say to feed them a raw food diet and the majority of the problems will dissolve almost like magic. With a raw food diet you never have to worry about what might have happened in a processed (cooked) batch of dry dog food. Did you call TOTW yet to see if something weird happened to that lot of food? Do that and let us know what they say. I let TOTW into the store fairly recently and most dogs are doing well on it according to my customers. I’m so picky about what I let in, sometimes I allow some foods because so many of my loyal customers want it. That what happened with TOTW. Give them a call and let us know what they say. In the meantime, if you think it’s the food, and it probably is, food is where most weird behavior comes from, stop feeding it. If the behavior changes back to normal, you have your answer. – Darcie
Thanks Darcie. Yesterday I stopped at the store where I buy my food. It’s very much like yours: quality food, knowledgeable owner, etc. etc. I ended up buying a large chub of raw food and was given samples of the SoJo veggie and fruit supplement to mix with it for a balanced diet. I am feeding it to my young GSD for the time being. Everyone else is off TOTW and back on Solid Gold until I can do more research on best raw food, cost of raw vs. dry, etc. I have 5 dogs: 3 seniors and my 2 youngsters. This is the first experience I’ve had with a food related problem but it has certainly put a raw food diet in the forefront of diet choices. Thanks so much. Joyce
Darcie,
Are there any reliable boundary training methods that would stop a dog from leaving her property through an open gate when there is no one there to supervise? This is a 2 or 3 month old Great Pyrenees. I am frustrated because the obvious answer to me is to CLOSE THE GATE! The puppy is not finding a way out of the yard when the gate’s closed. She started leaving the property when she followed an older dog who also runs. Now she’s venturing out on her own and getting lost. The owner is now talking about using an invisible fence. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Annie
Dear Annie, They don’t call them Disappears for nothing, these dogs love to roam. Make friends with the owner and offer to help make sure the gate gets closed. Sorry, I don’t have a lot of help for this one. – Darcie
Thanks anyway, Darcie. I really didn’t think it was possible – or fair – but just wanted to make sure I wasn’t overlooking something.
Annie
Thanks anyway, Darcie. I really didn’t think it was possible – or fair – but just wanted to make sure I wasn’t overlooking something. BTW, I love the “Disappears” comment. I have 2 Pyrs of my own, but they DO stay home. We have to make sure we have a lock on every gate because our Oliver knows how to flip the latch so he and his sister, Lily, can follow us out to feed the livestock – and he checks it every time. Thanks for your time.
Annie
Dear Darcie,
I hope you can help me figure out what our Reilly is trying to communicate. He is a three-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. For the past year or two, when walking on a leash, he barks very excitedly and pulls on the leash when he sees another dog on leash even if it is a block and a half away. The confusing thing is that his tail is wagging like crazy in contrast to the aggressive sound of his bark. I have tried turning to walk the opposite direction, kneeling down with my body between him and the other dog and picking him up and holding him until he calms down. If the other dog is calm and close enough to talk to its person, I ask if Reilly can come meet them and reassure them he is not at all aggressive. He is excited but fine when sniffing and greeting but starts to bark again when we try to move on. I find it interesting that he usually ignores dogs barking at him from their fenced yards.
About three months ago we started construction of an addition to our house and had to take down the fence in the back yard. As a result, we can no longer play and exercise back there so I have been taking him to the off-leash area of a nearby park. Our first time there, he did his usual barking thing when he saw all the dogs through the car window. When we got inside the fence and off the leash, he ran from dog to dog and had a great time romping with them without barking. After that first time, he no longer barks in the car or on the way to the gate and he even walks to the gate on a loose leash. At the park, he is friendly with other dogs and people but not overly excited off-leash and never barks. However, he still behaves the same old way when we walk on leash in the neighborhood.
Can you help me figure out why he reacts so differently in these two situations? I really want him to be comfortable meeting other dogs when we walk and to be calm enough that others are not afraid of our little guy.
Thanks, Ralph
Dear Ralph, it sounds to me like he sees the neighborhood dogs differently than all those outside the hood, but you know that. I know what you’re talking about, I had a dog who used to do that, too. This is what I did. Got some high powered treats and some much loved toys and went out and stayed in one place until that dog wasn’t an issue any more, then moved on to the next place until the next dog wasn’t an issue any more. Dog coming, feed feed feed or play play play. Dog goes away toys and food goes away. I talked to my dog. “Yep, I see him. That’s our buddy.” Buddy became the word for friend, no fear of our friends. You might ask your neighbors if the dogs could have play dates. Dogs who know each other tend not to agress at each other. Hope this helps. – Darcie
Thanks, Darcie. I will give your suggestions a try.
Ralph
I have a food question. I am trying to gradually change my dogs over to raw food. You had suggested Natures Variety Instinct. I bought some, & I see it is only for intermittent feeding. I have been sprinkling it on their kibble, but I need something that I can feed them all the time. I’m also concerned about too much protein. I tried putting them on a grain free kibble one time and they both started losing their hair. My 12 year old has had allergies for a long time. Allergy shots worked for awhile and then it was like she became immune to them. I have tried everything except raw food. So that’s my last resort. Thanks! Sandra
Dear Sandra, What do you mean intermittent feeding? Where are you seeing that? Are you talking about the raw frozen food? – Darcie
Oh I must have gotten the wrong stuff! I got freeze dried. Well, no wonder….. LOL
Ok I’m confused. All I am seeing on your website in the Nature’s Variety is the freeze dried raw food that I purchased. It says on the package that it is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only. Is there another one that I am missing? Thanks! – Sandra
Dear Sandra, Yes, sitstay.com does not carry the raw frozen, only the freeze dried. Check with naturesvariety.com to see who might have it close to you. At SitStay.com we carry wonderful canned and dry foods, better than that most other foods. We don’t have all of the good ones, maybe someday we’ll have room for all of them. – Darcie
Thanks Darcie! I need advice on another issue. We have children who live a ways away, so when they come to visit they bring their puppies. My 12 yr. old (Sweetie) & 10 yr. old (Gizmo) do not have much patience with the puppies. Sweetie, the 12 yr old has never been good with other dogs. We adopted her when she was about a year and a half, and she had been found on the street, had been hit by a car, and had her 2 puppies with her. After we adopted her we took her to training, but I have never been able to totally trust her with other dogs. We got Gizmo when he was a puppy, and she treated him like HER puppy. So they have gotten along great. When she is at home and other dogs visit she gives warnings if they get too close to her. But she has also been known to lunge with no warning (while on her leash) at strange dogs at the park. Anyway, the puppies who visit often are part Chesapeake Bay Retriever and part Rotweiller. They are growing at an alarming rate. They are going to be HUGE when they are fully grown. So far, I have kind of let them work things out without getting too involved. But now I am getting worried, because I believe the male puppy is beginning to show some aggression. He no longer backs down to Sweetie when she sets boundaries with him. My concern is what is going to happen when he is way larger than Sweetie? She has arthritis and I certainly don’t want her getting injured. Any suggestions as to how to keep these dogs from fighting? Sweetie is part Basenji and maybe part German Shepherd. She weighs about 50 lbs. Gizmo is a Yellow Lab mix and weighs 88 lbs. We believe the puppies might be 100 lbs. when they are full grown. Oh and we also have a Cavalier King Charles grand dog who Sweetie tolerates and who will also be here from time to time with the giant puppies.
– Sandra
Dear Sandra, I know what you’re talking about and it’s not an easy answer. I’ve always found at my house that letting the dogs figure it out is usually the best way. Older dogs have a way of making the pups back off until the pups get bigger, then it’s the other way around. Puppies lose their “cuteness” to older dogs by the time they are about 6 months old. Kind of like human kids, it’s cute and acceptable at first and all we do is growl, but when they get older and obnoxious, it’s time to swat the behind or something to get their attention. I don’t mean you should be swatting the dogs, I mean that the dogs have to figure out what causes the other dog to cut it out. If the male isn’t fixed, it could be a problem…if he is fixed, not so much, I’d guess. If it was me, I’d probably make sure that they all get a chance to rest from each other but let them mingle, too. Not to crowded, that’s where things can get rough, give everyone plenty of room. And plenty of exercise. When we eat right and we get enough energy depleted, we are more apt to relax and enjoy the stuff that’s happening around us. No tight leashes…that increases aggression, I like to drop the leash when I can and go the other way. In my experience, and granted I haven’t had red zone dogs, dogs who aggress do it out of fear. If nobody stands with them, they generally back down and come along with me. I wish I had a better answer for you. Try it and see how it goes. Let us know. – Darcie
You are right about giving them plenty of room. Sweetie growls when the puppies get within about 6 ft. of her.
The puppies are about 5 months old now, and I’m hoping they will get bored with trying to get the old dogs to play with them eventually. I have noticed that when they are ready to nap, the puppies sleep on the living room floor, while Gizmo & Sweetie are on the family room couch. I guess I was hoping they would all get along, but I will probably have to be happy if they just learn to tolerate or ignore each other. 
I just don’t want them to all be stressed out. Oh and the puppies have already been fixed. Dixie, the female is more thin and wiry built, but Oso, the male has a thick build & is very strong. I’m sure that is the Rottweiler in him. I don’t like the aggression that I am seeing in him but the kids think he is just “talking” when he growls. My instinct is telling me otherwise. I guess time will tell. Thanks for your advice!
Hi Darcie! I’d like to send you some information on some exciting changes to the (SNIPPED NAME) line of dog food. Can you tell me the best way to reach you? Thanks!
Megan (SNIPPED LAST NAME)
on behalf of (SNIPPED name of dog food)
Dear Megan, If the dog food has corn in it, I think you make Rachael Ray’s Nutrish according to your website which did have corn listed as an ingredient, I’m really not interested. If I’m wrong and your website has that incorrect information on it, please contact me again. Contacting me here is good. Thanks. – Darcie
Dear Darcie,
I have a friend who trains his hunting dogs with shock collars. With all of my heart, I would love to see him training his gundogs with a clicker: I know it has been done before, and I’m sure it wouldn’t take long for him to be converted (he is a very sweet, gentle man). The only problem is that I’m not quite sure how to start. Should I start by lecturing him on all the bad things about shock collars? Or would he even believe me? Would it be easier if I asked to work with one of his dogs, and started the dog with a few basic concepts at first, before trying to explain the evils of a shock collar?
I am at a loss on how to explain this to him: all I know is that my heart wants to break thinking of his sweet dogs being shocked when there is a better way
Why is it that so many hunters believe that the only way to train their dogs is with a shock?
Thank you in advance, Anna
Dear Anna, You might start by asking him why the shock collar? Then show him what you can do with a clicker. And pray for him first.
– Darcie
Thank you, Darcie!
I will let you know how everything turns out
Hi Darcie,
I was hoping to have both dogs on raw food, because it is hard to feed it to one but not the other. Do you have any suggestions or ideas as to why it might not be working for Gizmo? Thanks! – Sandra
I have talked to you about raw food, and I finally got the courage to try it. I bought Natures Variety Instinct (beef) , which you recommended. I started transitioning them VERY slowly. Sweetie, the Basenji mix, has done well. However, Gizmo, the Lab got very sick on the 4th day. This was while you were moving, so I took Gizmo to the vet and we talked about raw food. My vet suggested I try even smaller portions, and that I try a different flavor which might be more easily digested. I have been trying chicken, but after about a week Gizmo once again isn’t feeling well….. Sweetie is doing fine, although it hasn’t helped her allergies so far. But she is still getting a small amount of kibble. I have noticed her coat is changing. It seems thicker and her hair more wavy.
Dear Sandra, I don’t believe in the slow transition, it doesn’t work all that well in my experience. For adult dogs, I like to fast for one day then start the regular raw diet. We don’t fast puppies, just start feeding raw. Chicken does seem to be more easily digestible than other proteins. When you move completely from kibble to raw you’ll more than likely really start seeing what it can do. Some of my customers do feed raw at one meal, kibble at another to help them save money. That’s okay but you probably won’t see the full potential of the diet. I don’t feed raw and cooked at the same meal. It could be the mixture of the kibble and the raw is leaving her with a tummy ache. It’s still cold in my office, trying to add some fire, I’ll get online as often as I can. – Darcie
Thanks for yor reply! Now that you mention it, one of the clerks at the store where we bought the food said I couldn’t mix raw with kibble. Then another one said it was ok. I guess they are still learning too….. I will try going all raw but I’m nervous about it now that I have made the poor guy sick twice. I took Sweetie completely off kibble now, and she seems to be doing great. Hoping her allergies will get better…. So far I notice she has more energy and her hair is softer than it’s ever been. And of course there is the benefit of tiny poop. LOL Plus NO smell! Have you ever experienced a dog not responding well to raw food? Hoping I can get Gizmo to digest it…. THANKS AGAIN! You are educating me and in turn I am educating lots of people including my vet! Sandra
Dear Sandra, Many people choose to use raw food and kibble (dry food) to help keep food costs down. That’s okay. I don’t like to feed them at the same meal, they digest at different speeds and can cause a tummy ache, ever eat grapes and a donuts at the same sitting? Ugh. Belly hurts. There have been a few dogs that we’ve had to work with to get the right mixture of raw food into them and after we find that, they do great. – Darcie
Hi Darcie, is it ever a good idea to get a second dog to help with the first dog’s separation anxiety? We would like to help our dog Max get over his anxiety about being left alone and spare our wood doors and trim anymore damage. He does fine at doggie daycare, but not when he’s left home alone for more than an hour. He gets a buster cube, stuffed kong, bully stick and all the toys his heart could desire. We’ve tried video taping him and he howls as if he’s dying. It breaks my heart. Someone suggested getting a second dog to help him feel like he’s not alone. Is this a good idea? Thanks so much, – Jamie
Dear Jamie, Sometimes it’s a food related thing, sometimes it’s accidental training. I think I called you yesterday (we’ll talk). Another dog might help. Find a dog that you can use for a test. See what they are like together when you leave the house. Only use a calm, steady, solid dog. That will tell you if you should get another dog to help solve the problem. – Darcie
The local TV station did a story on dog food. They talked with the nutrition experts at the local vet school. One thing they recommended was to see if the dog food label lists that it meets the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles. What’s your take on AAFCO guidelines? – Jamie
Dear Jamie, Oh, I don’t know. If all of the dog foods were good foods for dogs, then it would mean something to me. – Darcie
Hi Darcie,
I submitted a question a few days ago but not sure if it took so here it goes again.First I just read some of your blog-you really did have a rough year-so sorry about that but you sound like a strong woman and will bounce back and how cool about Gibbs-despite the hurt of having to give him up.
I recommend your site to all my doglover friends and will certainly continue to buy from you.
Anyways the question once again is about my Westie/Scottie mix Tucker. You advised us before to use ‘time outs’ for his bullying our 4 year old Westie-Bart about toys.This has worked great-Tucker is very smart and catches on quick.They do get along great-except when it comes to treats.They are fine eating their regular meals-they are fine if we hold a bowl for them to lick taking turns BUT when we give them each a treat-they first go off in separate directions -all is well but then Tucker gobbles his up and comes running back to take whatever Bart has left away from him and there is the fight.Bart gets really shook up by this- he is not an aggressive dog at all. Tucker never ever shows any sign of aggression towards me or my husband-we can take anything at all away from him without him resisting and we continually reinforce the fact that we do outrank him. We are very careful in how we give them treats now to avoid the confrontation but I would like to know if a ‘time out’ will work for this as well. I read about Scotties being somewhat tenacious but I sure know what they mean by that now-its all -me-me-me-mine-mine-mine-VBG. I do think I can fix this issue if I just know the right thing to do.Tucker and Bart are good friends other than that-they playwrestle and sleep together etc and if Bart was a little more dominant this probably would have resolved itself.As it is I think we have to step in and give some guidance.Any advice would be greatly appreciated.Thank you so much and hang in there! Priska
Dear Priska, All dogs know “mine”, it’s why it’s so effective for us to train using that word and understanding and body language. I tell my dogs, “That’s mine”, even to claiming another dog “He’s mine”, and they leave it alone. Always step in and guide your dogs just as you would your children. I do it with love, persistence, patience and good communication. If they don’t know what we want, they can’t do what we want. Your question did post and I had a few suggestions for you. Please take a look at those. Thanks! – Darcie
Darcie-sorry-I feel like real dummy but where do I find your suggestions re my question ? I looked everywhere but can’t find it.
I will try the ‘mine’ command right away for sure though-I didn’t know it could be used in terms of another dog-thanks.
Priska
Dear Priska, You should see my suggestions posted with your comments. Look back at those.
– Darcie
Darcie-all I can see in ‘Ask Darcie’ is the second post I wrote in and your response to that. The first one never showed up thats why I wrote in twice. If I am looking in the wrong place for it please let me know.I really really want to read your suggestions.Thanks! – Priska
Dear Priska, I’m sorry, I don’t remember the question. LOL. Are one of these the answer?
Dear Priska, If it was me, I’d put Tucker on a leash in the house and supervise his every move around food. Sometimes it’s all about saying no with our body and our control of the food, gently of course. When Tucker guards or tries to take food away, all food goes away, he does not get to bully Bart. Food comes back, if all is well, they both get to eat. Bullying starts, food goes away. Make a plan to practice many times a day. Let me know what happens. – Darcie
Dear Priska, All dogs know “mine”, it’s why it’s so effective for us to train using that word and understanding and body language. I tell my dogs, “That’s mine”, even to claiming another dog “He’s mine”, and they leave it alone. Always step in and guide your dogs just as you would your children. I do it with love, persistence, patience and good communication. If they don’t know what we want, they can’t do what we want. Your question did post and I had a few suggestions for you. Please take a look at those. Thanks! – Darcie
Dear Priska, Try the time out, it works quickly with most dogs. Put a collar and leash on Tucker. This will be better with two people. Tucker drags leash around the house. When Tucker barks, is told to be quiet and barks again, one person says “Uh Oh!” and takes Tucker to another room and closes the door. NO talking to the dog, no attention at all, you are simply the person on the other end of the leash putting him in a time out. Count silently to three, come back to action. Barks? “Uh Oh!” Back to the back room with door closed, this time for five seconds. (If Tucker barks behind the door, he does not get to come back out. With a shorter time out, he will probably just wonder what’s going on and will not bark.)
If barking does not stop after the third try, Tucker is put into the other room alone. Say “Uh Oh!” and off he goes, no other talking but that. Start with a silent three count. Do not open door when he is barking. The instant he stops barking, let him out on leash. (If you are worried that he will scratch your dog, use a crate in another room for the time out.)
There are different ways of dealing with a barking dog. When it comes to the shrill, insistent barking “Give that to me now!” stuff, I find it’s best to say with actions, not with words, “You don’t get to play and be a part of this if you’re going to do that. That’s no fun for the rest of us.”
Be patient and keep at it. For most dogs, it takes a time out or two to get it. Terriers are smart and they are high energy so it can take a little longer to get the point across. Never give in to the barking and step in for your other dog when it happens to him. Bart should never have to give up his stuff to a little mouthy bully. Any attention to the shrill barking at all, other than the time out, will increase it’s happening and decibel range. Nobody likes bleeding ears from being in the same room with these guys.
Reward non barking with play. He’s a Terrier. Do make sure that he is getting an hour morning and night of leash walking, no dawdling, no stopping to pee unless you say so, no sniffing, just walking with you. Drain that energy as much as you can. You might want to get him into some Earth Dog games, too. Do a search at http://www.google.com to see more about Earth Games.
Consider giving a treat any time that he is not barking. Say, “No barking, good boy, Tucker.” Pet him and say that same thing to him when he’s laying down for a nap or laying quietly. You’ll be reinforcing the no barking.
And last but not least, use Treat and Food Dispensers to help him drain more energy, we have video to help you choose. Get yours at SitStay.com. Let us know how it goes. – Darcie
Thanks Darcie-yes the food question got answered-smile.We will practice.My thoughts are with you-stay strong.
Hey Darcie,
I read in your newsletter today that you are hoping to get another Tervuren; good luck with that, I hope it works out for you both. If by chance this dog is not ‘the one’ for you, contact Melody of MAJIC kennels (in Fairbury, NE); she’s got a wonderful, sweet 4 1/2 yr old female named Kelsi available. We were hoping to take her, but she did not get along well with our 3 yr old Siberian when we went to visit Melody last weekend (their 7 month old, Doppler, did though; we’re going to do a trial run at our place this coming weekend). I do think, though, that she would be a great dog for you and would blossom in your home. Just wanted to pass the suggestion your way in case you were interested.
Andrea
Dear Darcie,
We have four rescue dogs, Am Staff/Au Cattle Dog, 11 y.o sweet female, our Alpha; a Dobie mix, 10 y.o, sweet and submissive; a female lab/retriever, 6 y.o., sweet but can be a bully to the Dobie and to our newest addition, a male Am Brindle Mastiff, about 1.5 y.o. , very, very shy of people, very dog friendly. very sweet and docile. Some of my questions about his puppy playfulness sometimes getting to be overbearing for the older dogs were addressed in your responses to other people. Thank you for sharing! Also, any suggestions, specific to his breed, on how to train him to sit/walk on loose leash? About Gracie, any suggestions re: her “bullyish behavior?” Looking forward to your suggestions. Thank you in advance! Mary Donovan-Popa
Dear Mary, I don’t let my dogs bully each other. You’d be surprised what happens when you simply don’t allow bad behavior. Talk to them, expect they will obey, and they will. The book My Dog Pulls is a great book to teach a dog to walk on a loose leash, get it at SitStay.com Thanks. – Darcie
Hi Darcie,
I am new to this site, so please bear with me! I have a 6 year-old schnoodle who we got from the pound as a puppy. He was excellently trained as a puppy by my brother, but with my brother now out of the house, some of our discipline is lacking a little bit. He is certainly the baby of the house and is normally such a good dog that we don’t have too much cause to discipline him much.
Our problem is this: lately, he has been starting to show signs of aggression – something he has very rarely exhibited before – but only when in his crate. He will often run into his crate of his own accord; this is often because he either senses something in us (e.g. he senses it is time to go to the groomer) or because we are playing with a toy or he has a bone and he clearly wants to protect it.
While in the past, there has never been an issue with reaching into the crate, and taking his toy away from him (he has always been very passive), or grabbing him out of there, in the past few months, he has started to growl and bare his teeth and will even snap at you if you reach into the crate to grab the item. I cannot see any negative situation that would have caused the dog to start doing this.
My question is this: I understand that his behavior is born out of fear, but how do we prevent and treat this behavior? I have young nephews and would like to ensure that when they play with him, they will never see the dog become aggressive or snap at them in any way, considering how docile he is the rest of the time.
Many many thanks for your help!
- Jennifer
Dear Jennifer, The first thing I would do is shut the crate so he can’t go in of his own accord. Start with that. Guarding is a behavior that when it gets out of control can cause a lot of grief not only for the dog but for the people, too. Dog guards something, trade for something else so the guarded item starts to lose it’s value. – Darcie
Dear Darcie,
A friend recently told me of a product called “Anxiety” made by HomeoPet. As the name suggests, it is supposed to reduce your dog’s anxiety in stressful situations. Do you know what is in the product? Is it safe? Any information would be helpful.
Thanks for all you do to help us keep our furry friends healthy! Terri
Hi Terri, It does work for many dogs. You’ll find it at SitStay.com , search for HoomeoPet I list all ingredients for everything I carry. – Thanks, Darcie
Hey Darcy, do you know anything about an ingredient in pet food called “Pork Protein Concentrate”? Exactly what is it? And is it a good, viable source of protein? Thanks, Jess
Jess, This is all I could find online with a quick search. “Simple Definition: concentrated protein obtained from pork tissue using acid solubilization”. Email me at help@sitstay.com so I get your question at work. I’ll check with some food makers and see what they’ll tell me. Thanks. – Darcie
Dear Darcie,
I went to the store today, hoping to see you. I’m sad I missed you, but I know you’re a busy woman. I wanted to give you a hug–I think you need a good hug.
I have a few suggestions for puppy names
Though Les Mis is also one of my favorite musicals, my all-time favorite is Fiddler on the Roof. A few of the female characters are Hodel (the second daughter), Tzeitel (the eldest daughter), Golde (the mother), Chava (the third daughter), and Yente (the matchmaker).
My personal favorite character is Hodel. Mostly because of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNHnmanxwdA&feature=related
Hugs, Darcie!
Anna
Dear Darcie,I have two miniature schnauzers, one is a female & 7 months and the other is male and 5 months. The question that I have is regarding the the male puppy, Whiskey. He is a normally a very docile dog and just enjoys being able to sit on your lap to nap. Walks are very easy and even off the leash he follows very close to my feet and does not wander at all. He doesn’t growl when toys or food are taken away. He does however growl, bears his teeth, and comes close to biting when anyone puts a hand in his crate while he is in it. Getting him into the crate is pretty easy and he goes in on his own accord. When he was younger he used to go into Doudou (the female’s) crate and we used to move him out and put him into the other, but it was never a struggle. Could this be the reason for the growling? Or maybe it’s the relationship between the two dogs. It seems that she is the dominant one between the two. I’d love to hear your feedback. Thanks, Sandra
Dear Sandra, Hmmmm. It could be a lot of things. Guarding the crate, accidental training, and because it works. This is one of those things I’d have to witness to see what’s really going on. Set up a video camera well before the dog goes into the crate and don’t take it down until the dog leaves the crate so you get the complete action play by play. Play it back slow. Where does the growling start? Watch the eyes and body language. Is it someone leaning over the crate or reaching inside? Remember back to when it started. Dogs are pretty specific about things, it started in a split second…that’s usually the way. I rarely see a dog grow into a behavior, of course it can worsen, but it’s usually something that happened in a moment, it worked (in the dog’s mind) so he kept doing it. Breaking that chain of what happens is the key to solving it. Sorry, unless I can see this one, I’d rather not tell you how to try and fix it. That can get us into a lot of trouble. Find someone local to you who understands dog body language, that is going to be your best help. I’ll give you this…put the dog into his crate 5 minutes before meal time. Call him for dinner, “Are you hungry? Dinner’s ready!”, open the door and go to his food. Hand feed. You might find that this is enough to change his mind about someone coming to the crate and nobody is going to get hurt. – Darcie
Hi Darcie, My family is getting ready to adopt a Great Dane puppy. Our first Dane, who we adopted at age 6 passed away a few years ago. I fed this Dane a raw diet. I was planning on feeding the puppy a raw food diet, but have been scared off by the Dane books I’ve been ready. The books state that I should stick to a high quality dry commercial food due to the puppy needing exact protein levels, etc. Any idea if this is true? Do I need to wait until the puppy is full grown? Heather
Dear Heather, Well, let’s think for a minute. Who is right: Nature or people who want to make money processing raw food into something that is shelf stable labeled “dog food”? Why would dogs be born with teeth and the digestive system able to easily digest raw food and bones if they aren’t supposed to do just that? Look at what processed foods are doing to people; do you really want that for your dogs, too? Just saying…..at my house, I’ll keep feeding what I know keeps a dog healthy and at the end of their life, gives them an easy transition to the Rainbow Bridge. Raw food. My pup will eat raw and I am happy to announce the breeder feeds all of her dogs raw food…this puppy already has the best start. – Darcie
Dear Darcie,
I have a 5 year old male boxer that I’m not quite sure what to do with. I got him when he was 2 years as a rescue who had a horrible life before I found him. I don’t know if he had ever had been off a 10 foot chain for the first 2 years of his life. I easily house trained him and taught him all the basic commands. He instantly became attached to me and would not leave my side. This led to a severe separation anxiety problem. More specifically, he would destroy the last door he saw me walk through, tear out the blinds, window screens, whatever he could do to try to get out. He has never destroyed any of my personal things or soiled the carpet. My vet recommended medication to calm him down, but he was only on that a short time as all it was put him out and he didn’t do anything. I have learned to modify my life so that its not so destructive (leave the blinds open, take out the window screens, etc). And at the last house I lived, he was really good. I lived there for almost a year and I was so happy I thought he was all better. We moved to a new house 3 months ago, and it hasn’t went well. At first he was only destructive one day a week or so, but sometimes he would be good for 3 weeks at a time. Recently, he tore out all the door and window screens, most of the blinds, and scratched the front door all up. I can’t afford to keep fixing the house every week.
We go for walks during the day and I have tried some training tricks for separation anxiety such as desensitize them by practicing picking up your keys, leaving for very brief times and returning, distracting him with toys/food, etc. He refuses to eat anything when I’m gone (even raw meat!) and doesn’t really care about toys. A few months ago I switched him to a raw diet from your store, and he really loves the food and is at a healthy weight (he had been underweight since I rescued him and had a hard time gaining it back). He loves going to my parents house in the country where he can run freely. I don’t let him off the leash in town, but we do get run quite a bit in the backyard. Do you have any suggestions? I’m getting to point where I can’t keep doing this, but couldn’t picture my life without him. Thanks, Jennifer
Dear Jennifer, Can you afford a doggie day care? I like Camp Bow Wow here in Lincoln, Tom is a great guy and his staff will take good care of your boy, if not every day, then a few times a week. Sometimes it’s more about the right kind of exercise than it is about anything else. You’re doing raw food, I like that. Mental exercise and the right kind of adventures will help change a dog’s brain function, attitude and behavior. As we know, separation anxiety can be simply a habit…and habits can be broken…even in dogs. I always like to see people try before they give a dog a new home…it’s hard for us because we feel our love so deeply…but sometimes it is the best thing for the dog. Can your parents take him? It sounds like you’re not in a place to move to the wide open spaces yet. If you don’t have a wonderful off leash place to play a couple of times a day, stop and consider what is best for the dog. Now, that said, you may not want to give up at all or …. yet. And sometimes we need someone else to tell us it’s okay to rehome a dog. I’m all for it, when the match isn’t right, it just isn’t right and it’s time to start thinking strongly about what’s best for the dog. Now…try a few things. Join an agility group, there are a few in the area. You might find that a job, playing hard, is just what the doctor ordered. Dogs with high energy need to work and play. Go biking with him. A walk or a short timed run are probably not enough to change his energy into positive. If we can find what triggers their peace, we can make the difference for our dogs. And before you give up, try Click to Calm, it’s a book in the SouthPointe Store. – Darcie
We do go to Camp Bow Wow at least once a week and he loves it! I think it breaks up his week and usually keeps him good. We go to the dog park so he can run sometimes, but he doesn’t always play well with the little dogs so I have to watch him very closely. Every now and then he just has a “bad day” and is really destructive. We will keep working at it. Thanks and enjoy your puppy!
Hi Darcie:
Went to the Sit-Stay store and inquired about doggie classes and it looks like you have one coming up that is full. How could I get on a waiting list? I e-mailed you before about my cockapoo who is 1 and 1/2 years and she really needs obediences classes or one on one class. When do you think with your shedule you would have time?? Or could I put my name on a waiting list in case someone cancels?? Thanks Sue P.S. I only buy the food in your store for both my dogs. Love your new pup pictures.
Dear Sue, I’m going to try for a small class soon. If you need something quickly, give me a call. My cards are at the Store. We’ll work something out. Thanks. – Darcie
Dear Darcie,
My husband and I are at a bit of a loss about our boston terrier. Three times in as many days, she has bit or tried to bite strangers. We adopted her from a rescue group back in October when she was about 8 or 9 months old (now probably a little over 1 year old), and though she has always been wary of strangers entering the house, she wouldn’t be if we were out and about (e.g. we were at a barbeque last week and she curled up on someone’s lap for a nap inside her hoodie.). She has always been a wonderful dog, and until recently we had no apprehensions about taking her out in public. There hasn’t been any change to her diet (we feed nature’s variety kibble, but can’t afford to feed raw right now), she doesn’t seem to be in pain in any way, and there aren’t any other environmental changes in the last week that would account for such a drastic behavior change.
We moved a little over a month ago from Lincoln to Denver and into an apartment complex. Because of this, we are guaranteed to meet people in close proximity. For example, the first incident was when we were in a common stair well and she aimed for a guy’s leg. Thankfully, she only got the bottom of his shorts. The other times she was out on the common sidewalks out for a potty break and someone walked by. There have been no warning signs that she was going to bite anyone any of these times. No growls, no raised hackles, nothing. Just standing there then bam. And its not just one air snap. She means to hit and does with this snarly snap-snap-snap thing.
The other thing is that it doesn’t happen every time she encounters a stranger or any particular kind of stranger. The ones she has attacked were both men and women of various ages. But at the same time she’s met others this week that she didn’t try to bite. Needless to say, this all is very worrying and she is quickly becoming a liability. We don’t really have the money to spend on a one-on-one trainer and we’re not really sure if there is anything we can do to rectify the situation.
Any thoughts on how we should handle this? Thanks, Abby
Abby, People tell me all the time that raw is too expensive to feed. It’s not true. You can share your own good food with her. Kate has raw meat and bones and part of a raw sweet potato for dinner tonight. It cost me about 30 cents. An adult dog will eat about 2% of their body weight daily. That’s really not very much. One pound of raw food and bones is 2 cups. That’s what an 80 pound dog would eat. Try it, I think you’ll find some good in it. If you can feed yourself for health, you can feed your dog for health. Don’t let the dog food marketers scare you away from a great diet. It sounds like something changed, she may be having pain which won’t allow her brain to work right. Get her to a chiropractor. Then write back. I wish you the best. – Darcie
Dear Darcie,
I’m really hoping you have some suggestions for me. My dog Max is about a year and a half old now. We had a few training sessions with you and they were just awesome! We are now living on a farm and everything has been really great. We have an assortment of chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese. I should say we HAD turkeys, because Max has killed almost all of them. We’ve caught him in the act a couple times and he’s chewing on them just like he does with sticks. We are at our wits end. Everything I’ve read says the next step is a shock collar and I do not want to go there. He’s been shocked by our electric fence around the cattle and I can see the fear and anxiety in his face when he gets too close to the fence. Others recommend hitting him with the chicken or tying the dead chicken to his collar and letting it rot off. Max loves dead things so I can just imagine what a great treat that would be for him on his collar…:) Hitting him with a chicken won’t work either.
The birds are contained within a fence. He is not getting into the pen, they are getting out and he’s waiting for them. It’s so frustrating to keep finding dead chickens and turkeys and it’s really made me resentful of him. If it came down to the chickens and Max, I would pick my dog hands down. Is there anything else I can try to get them to live in peace with each other? Thanks in advance, Jamie
Jamie, the dead duck or chicken around the neck never worked for anybody I knew. I wouldn’t do it, it’s probably asking for some really weird behavior later. My best advice is to teach the dog to “leave it”, everyone should be teaching that immediately when they bring a dog home. And keep the dog on a leash when outside, get your clicker training started. Management and fun training may be the only way you’re going to solve this. As you train and manage, as he gets older, the behavior will become less and less. In my experience once a dog kills a duck, chicken, turkey, it’s harder to turn it around. Your Max is a great guy. Try to understand how his mind is working and you’ll forgive him more readily. Keep your head in the right place, keep your frustration to a level zero and keep working with him. He should be with you when you are around the chickens, learning to leave them alone. It will happen, it might take a long time, but you’ll get it done. – Darcie
Dear Darcie,
I have a few questions to ask with reference to my two year old maltese. Her name is Sophie and she makes me smile every single day. I love her! This is why I have to ask your honest opinion about tick control and fear of sounds.
I have been using First Shield Trio for tick control and it hasn’t been working. Yesterday, I pulled 5 ticks from my precious Sophie’s skin. I need something that will work for her. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Now, since Christmas, Sophie has been extremely frightened by sounds. Our daughter received a video game at Christmas and played it non-stop for quite a while. The sounds coming from the game seemed to scare Sophie and she would shake and want to be held. Since then, many loud sounds scare her. Storms being one of them. She had stainless steel bowls she ate from and once her collar hung on the lip of one and she refused to eat from it anymore because of the sound it made. What can I do to help ease her fears of sounds?
One last question: what type of bowl is the best to feed her from as I am trying to keep that staining from happening around her eyes.
Thank you in advance for any and all suggestions you have. I am desperate to help keep her healthy and secure. Melissa Owen
Dear Melissa, Try Frontline Plus if you’re in an area of infestation, it’s reported to have the least side effects of all of them. It does work. Any bowl and lots of different bowls are good, dogs should learn to eat and drink from many different dishes. Little dogs should eat little animals. A breeder in the UK told me long ago that little dogs should eat two footed and smaller animals. If you’re feeding beef, bison, venison, expect staining. Thanks. – Darcie
hello darcie,
i am writing to you today about my 9 month old, 5 lb morkie, nala. nala is our first puppy and we got her when she was 5 months old, the center of our world. she started off on science diet and when we got her i transitioned her to wellness puppy, after a month i transitioned her to sojo’s complete turkey which is freeze dried raw. she did well on this and seemed to eat it all up. when the turkey ran out my husband wanted us to try beef since we didnt want her to get bored with having turkey for a whole month.
about two weeks after we switched her over our baby got pancreatitis. the cause of this we are unaware of and the vet said she might have gotten into some fatty treat or food, were not sure though. we are now scared the freeze dried raw food is what caused it, because she get freeze dried treats as well.
our vet suggested us to not give her raw anymore because of salmonella. i spoke to sojos and they said there is and has never been a case. They also reassured me that the food is checked 3 times before it comes to be sold. i personally do not believe it was caused by the raw food, but i am at a loss. we went to see another vet and she suggested taste of the wild, duck flavor.
i wanted to know what your opinion would be and if you have any suggestions of what we should feed her and what kind of treats to use. i just want to make sure im feeding her the best possible way i can.
thank you in advance and i hope you could help guide me in the right direction. Margarita
Dear Margarita, Generally speaking small dogs do better without much beef or bison. It’s reasonable that they would eat smaller animals, poultry, rabbits, mice. If she was mine, I’d stick to the raw food. And find a vet who will support feeding your dog the way Nature intended. Thanks. – Darcie
Dear Darcie, Seven weeks ago one of my husky mixes gave birth to six puppies. Together we have almost got them weaned. During the day she is outside all day long in the kennel with her sister who we have had since they were two weeks younger than the puppies are now. We keep plenty of food down for both of them as well as our other two dogs all of which we rescued. Maggie a full blooded husky Katana a full blooded doberman who is my husbands Service Dog in Training. My husband is a disabled army veteran and Katana really seems to love working with him. Tundra and Drizzit are just a little over a year old and they are husky wolf and something else not sure what. The problem we have is that Tundra although she is eating a lot and has been dewormed recently is not gaining any weight. She looks like she is too thin. I took her out of the kennel today and put her on a tie out which she doesnt mind at all. We used to put her on a tie out when she was younger to feed the two sisters apart because Tundra would keep Drizzit from the food. In the kennel there are four metal bowls that are kept full of food. Tundra knows that tie outs = food and free time from the pups as well. She has a plastic bowl full of food an auto waterbowl that keeps fresh water down for her all the time and a fridge drawer that is full of food as well. Could she just still be trying to recoup from the whelping? I keep getting scolded on other dog sites for keeping her outside when she came in heat. First off she never showed signs of being in heat and second the house we lived in when she got bred was once used as a meth lab before we moved in and it made her very sick as well as making Maggie sick. Maggie has been 37 days well now and Tundra longer than that. Also one other question. One of Tundra’s puppies Cheveyo was born tail first and where he should have been pink such as his ears, muzzle, and pawpads, were blue. he was not breathing and had no heartbeat. I helped Tundra get the birthing sack off him and took him into a different room to get his heart and lungs going. Do I need to worry about any health problems with him ? I talked to a vet and the vet told me he might be a little slow but he seems to be the smart one out of the litter. When the other pups were still crawling around on their bellies after they opened their eyes Cheveyo was still eyes closed but up and walking on his paws. He was the first one to figure out how to use his paws but the last to open his eyes. He is very bonded to me and so he doesnt get to be rehomed the other five will be going to new homes soon though. Carolyn
Dear Carolyn, I don’t breed so I can’t help you much with this. If you’re feeding her raw food and bones, she’ll gain weight as she should. It doesn’t sound like you have much to worry about with the pup, sounds like he’s doing good. – Darcie
Dear Darcie,
We rescued Pearl, a maltese puppy who recently turned one year old, in late March. She’s been tossed around from home to home (seven in eight months), has been in the shelter, and has the obnoxious habit of barking.
She barks when the doorbell is rung, when a new person enters the door, when a knock is heard at the door, when we’re out walking and she sees another person/dog, when the garage door goes up, and sometimes when there is no apparent reason at all.
Dad is finally fed up with it. We’ve had a few fights about it, and he is now insisting that I use a spray bottle of water.
I really don’t want to spray Pearl with water when she barks, but at this point I really don’t have a choice. Will this hurt her in any way? Will it even work? Is there any better method that I can try? I need something to work fast, before things get worse. Thank you. – Anna
Dear Anna, I’m with you. A spray bottle may cause more problems. Ian Dunbar wrote a booklet called “Barking” and Turid Rugaas wrote a book called “Barking, the Language of a Dog”. I like them both and they’ll help you solve the barking problem. – Darcie
Hi Darcie! I have questions…..
I have struggled with Sweetie’s allergies for many years. They used to be seasonal, usually May through August. After trying everything through our regular vet, I took her to a dermatologist. He did testing and found she was allergic to many trees, grasses, fleas, dust, etc… We gave her allergy shots for a couple years & then they gradually stopped working…. In the meantime, her allergies have gotten worse and seem to be a year round problem now. Changing her diet to Instinct raw food was a last resort to hopefully help her allergies….. it didn’t work at all. I was keeping her and Gizmo both on it anyway, but now she will no longer eat it. I have no idea why, but I have been giving her dry food with a little canned as I used to. Not feeling good about it, because I believe raw is the best…. but she absolutely won’t eat it! So now she is back on a very small dose of steroids, but she is on them more often than not. Everytime I give her one I feel like I am killing my little girl. Now they have come out with a new drug called Atopica. Have you heard of it? I have read the potential side effects and it doesn’t sound any better than steroids, just different…. I am at my wits end. If I don’t keep her on steroids her itching is bad, her stomach gets so upset she won’t eat, and sometimes she coughs and sounds like she is choking. HELP!I don’t know what more to do. Thanks! Sandra
Dear Sandra, I’m sorry for the late reply. It’s crazy over here! If she was my dog I’d keep trying to find the right raw diet for her. If she doesn’t like Nature’s Variety, find a different one. Stella and Chewy’s, Darwins, Oma’s Pride…search the web to find more. If you feed processed food, your dog cannot balance her mind and body, she throws allergy type symptoms trying to tell you that it’s not good for her. I don’t like drugs for dogs, they cause more troubles than they solve, just like in humans. Hugs to you and the dogs! Darcie
Dear Darcie,
I have enjoyed reading your blog and reading all of the wonderful advice you give other about their dogs.
Me and my husband have a year and half old shepard mix female. Her name is Jade and she is beautiful! We have had a lot of struggles with her because she is very fearful and unsure of everything. We have tried clicker training to strengthen our bond, but she didn’t seem to respond to it, or maybe we just wern’t doing it right.
We just want out sweet girl to be happy and balanced and she is full of anxiety and fear (she was a rescue at a young age).
I would love to hear any advice on how to help her with her fear. We take her in public, to dog parks, on walks, but she is still so scared.
Thank you for taking the time to read this!
-Kelle
Dear Kelle, Some books you might find extremely useful. Click to Calm and Scaredy Dog. You might find them in your local library. Darcie
Hi Darcie! I have a mini schnauzer and she has a very restrictive diet. The vet said to keep her on the Natures Variety Venison and Millet as it is a pure protein and a solid grain. So my questions are about the shelf life of dry food. My girl eats about 5 lbs in a month. It would help my wallet GREATLY if I could get a 15 lb bag each time but I fear it could spoil. Does dog food go bad? I’m assuming it does at some point but what is that point? What is the rule when it comes to how long to keep it, how much to buy, etc.? I can’t find a straight or clear answer anywhere. I don’t want to buy in bulk for my girl if it is going to lead to problems. Kate
Dear Kate, all foods have a use by or an expiration date. Just like all food if you keep it in a cool dry place, it will store well. If your dog was mine, I’d go to raw food and give up the processed canned or dry dog food. Hope that helps. – Darcie
DEAR DARCIE, WHY DON’T YOU SELL VACCINES? I KNOW SOME PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE IN THEM BUT UNFORTUNATLY THEY ARE REQUIRED BY LAW. I WOULD RATHER BUY THE SAFEST VACCINES FROM YOU THAN FROM PEOPLE THAT DON’T CARE ABOUT THE DOGS AND CATS HEALTH. THANKS SHERRI
A vet has to be on staff to sell vaccines. – Darcie
Hi Darcie
I am desperate for some help! I have a spayed 20 month old shiloh sheperd named Sheridan. I have had her since 9 weeks of age and exercise her daily with long walks, usually about 60 minutes. She spends the day with my parents3 shiloh sheperds. The past 2 months, she will not go for a walk. She goes along our street ( or my parents street) which is where she usually potties and then if I try to go further she refuses to walk, I mean it is as if her paws are glued to the pavement! I tried coaxing her with food, I tried waiting her out ( with a stubborn sheperd I waited 20 minutes for her to take 2 steps!!) I dont know what to do, I feel terrible beacsue I know she needs exercise. I am not aware of anything that has scared her and she does it both at my house and my parents house. Could this just be a phase? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. Keri,
Dear Keri, This is not a phase. Something happened. Talk to all who may have ever walked her along this route. It doesn’t really matter that you ever know, you can help her move past this if you keep working at it. What happens when you run past that point? If she was mine, I’d start clicker training and help her get confident again. Go to agility class, too, one of the best forms of gaining confidence. Talk to a local clicker trainer, see if they can give you a hand. – Darcie
What do you think of the new ADA Laws on service dogs 3/15/2011 I would also like to know what other people think. I think its a good Law. Why to many people been bring in any type of animals in to public place and saying its a service animal when real it just a pet. The old ADA law said no matter what type of service animal it is,if the person said yes it is a SD you had to let them in. It makes a better law. Still needs to work on a new ADA law on service dogs so they have to wear a uniform and patches out in public. People say they do not want a vest and patches on SD because then people will know they are disability, They will still know you are when the dog comes inside a grocery store or into the mall ect. You can’t hide it.
Dear Darci,
After finding your website (and loving it) I can’t seen to find any information elsewhere regarding the raw food diet. I’m switching my Maltese to 1/2 Natural Balance and 1/2 raw broccoli or spinach. They loved the veggies! My question is, can they have a raw egg? Many years ago I had a yellow lab, and gave her a raw egg once a week to keep her coat shiney. Can I do the same with the Maltese? Are there any other raw foods to avoid giving them? Thanks for your help.
Martha
Dear Martha, We don’t carry Natural Balance dog food. You won’t want to do only broccoli and spinach any more than that’s all that you would eat. Get the book Raw Dog Food from SitStay.com , it will be an easy read and a lot of wonderful information. Kate eats raw eggs, yes.
– Darcie
My dog Ginger exhibited a behavior that I haven’t seen before and I wanted to ask about it. A friend and I were walking our dogs around the neighborhood. My dog Ginger is a terrier mix around 38 lbs. and very friendly. My friend’s dog Daisy is a mix around 20 lbs. She is also very friendly. We came across a lady and her dog during our walk. The other dog was a big male dog. He barked, but wasn’t aggressive and seemed friendly. Daisy jumped up and greet him. Ginger acted scared and seemed intimitated. She turned and faced the opposite direction wanting to leave and held her tail down. She has a curly tail that is always up, even when wagging. She eventually let him sniff her a little, but she stayed close to me and was ready to leave. Her tail stayed down for another five minutes, even after the lady and her dog were out of sight. Ginger has met other dogs while walking and if the owner says the dog is friendly, we’ll go meet the dog and owner. She also goes to doggie daycamp occasionally, which she dearly loves, so she is used to playing with other dogs. The behavior with the tail down is a first. I didn’t think it would even bend straight out since it is always curled up and wagging. Any thoughts on this behavior? I did notice that the woman we met had a choke collar on her male dog. Maybe Ginger was snubbing her and not her dog. – Jamie
Dear Jamie, Holding a tail down and turning away can simply mean that she was intimidated by that guy or she didn’t trust him or what he might do. I’ve done that to a few guys in my lifetime too ! – Darcie
Hi Darcie, I have two little Yorkies, Lucie 9 yrs & Maddie 7 yrs. I’m hopelessly devoted to them and try to do everything that is best for them. But, sometimes, I don’t know if that’s what I’m doing at all. I just read the answer to the question you responded to regarding “why you don’t sell certain foods & treats”. Lucie and Maddie have been on prescription diets most of their lives. Started when they both developed crystals in their little bladders at a young age. So they were on Science Diet, then Royal Canin Urinary SO. We would go back and forth from one to the other because they would get tired of eating one. Maddie is currently on Royal Canin SO and is generally a healthy little girl (except she takes a natural thyroid pill daily). Lucie, however, has been an unhealthy dog since 2 weeks after we brought her home (they are not from the same parents). I’ll skip ahead to one year old, when we made a near fatal mistake of treating her with Bio Spot after a walk in the woods left her covered with ticks. We weren’t sure we got them all off, the vet’s office was closed and we did not know the dangers of Bio Spot. This made her very ill and our vet literally saved her life, but her liver function has been compromised as a result (this was 8 years ago). Then, she developed what was diagnosed as “allergies”. So every time I’d take her in with itchy, red skin, the vet gave her a steroid injection. After so many, she started being symptomatic the next day after the shot. Pretty soon, she started acting sick, lethargic. Developed a really oily, unhealthy looking coat of fur, which was thinning. I took her to a different vet who diagnosed her with Cushings. I didn’t want to treat the Cushings with traditional medication he described…it sounded horrible and supposedly she would die anyway. So he was willing to communicate with the holistic vet I found in a bigger city 45 miles away. After 10 months of acupuncture, herbs and natural supplements, Lucie’s lab work showed her to no longer have Cushings. To be honest, the original diagnosis of Cushings was not “cookie cutter” to begin with, but whatever she was plagued with, I was just happy she was feeling and looking better. She did well for maybe a year, which I’m beyond grateful for. However, at the beginning of this summer, Lucie started slipping again…very lethargic, the oiliness and the biggest issue…NOT EATING! So, back to the local vet we went. This time Lucie was diagnosed with stage 2 renal fail. So, of course, another diet change…Royal Canin Renal lp Modified (good grief). We tried Science Diet kd first, but Lucie didn’t find that to be palatable. I am doing subcutaneous fluids at home and along with the diet change, her kidney values have stabilized for now. The biggest challenge we face is Lucie frequently refusing to eat. She may go 2 or 3 days without eating, then we’re at the vets, tripling up on fluids, then she’s okay again. It just never stops and I am determined to keep my sweet little Lucie going. Darcie, I have questioned for years if these prescription diets have been the right way to go. I feel like I have good, smart vets and they do not recommend I go off the prescription foods to do the “homemade” thing. And, I would be afraid I don’t know what I’m doing anyway. And, of course, now both dogs have different diet needs, so I stay with what I’m told is best. I really don’t know what to do. If I thought I could turn around this renal issue with a diet change, I would absolutely do it. Do you have any recommendations? Lucie also has arthritis in her lower back and rear legs. I can’t even treat her for the pain because she is so sensitive to all things (I believe as a result of the liver issue I explained). I just don’t feel like I’m doing her justice. What is her quality of life with chronic pain. There are days she doesn’t want to get out of her bed and watching her hobble is so very sad. Any suggestions regarding something natural I could do for the pain? No more steroids, obviously…and she can’t take anything typically causes stomach upset. Cosequin and those like meds aren’t recommended for dogs with kidney issues. Help. We don’t go to the holistic vet anymore, because Lucie hates to travel and gets very anxious. When she was diagnosed with renal failure, I decided her traveling days would be over. Btw, Greenies were mentioned in the article you wrote. Is there an issue with them. Lucie and Maddie love Greenies and it is the one “junk food” item I allow. Do I need to stop? Thank you very much. Sorry for droning on & on, but I wanted you to have to big picture, so you might help me. I won’t give up on Lucie, but sometimes I feel like I’m hanging out there alone, without good information & direction. – Darla Perkins
Dear Darla, I hear this same story over and over again. This is my best help: Our dogs will not be well until we feed them what Nature intends for them to eat. Processed foods have caused so much harm and there are times that the dogs simply can’t come back from that. I don’t see it too often that things can’t be turned around but it does happen. Processed means any raw, simple healthy food that grows in nature changed into dry or canned food. Greenies? I refuse to carry them along with the brand names you mentioned. What we learn from the things that go wrong are what make us teachers of wellness. Talk to your holistic vet again, there are some who are having great luck with Chinese teas. Give yourself a hug and when the time comes, if you don’t find that good help to turn this around, let your girl go to where there is no pain. I wish I had something better for you. Sometimes I just don’t. And that makes me cry. – Darcie
Thanks for your heartfelt response, Darcie. I cry with you. All that being said, is there a commercial food that you know of (and endorse), that would be appropriate for Lucie and Maddie? Taking into consideration that both dogs require a low protein diet and Lucie has stage 2 renal failure (albeit stabalized at this time). So she also requires a low sodium factor in her diet. Or, would you be able to direct me to someone who would have a homemade diet that would be appropriate for their needs? I realize that I made need 2 different foods/diets, because of Lucie’s renal disease. I would cook for Lucie and Maddie daily, for the rest of their precious lives, if I had the right recipe. You suggested giving the holistic vet one more try, and I may do that in regards to Lucie’s arthritis pain. However, he has never been able to help out as far as a homemade diet. In fact, he sells the same brand prescription dog foods I currently use. Thank you once again, Darla
Dear Darla, If your dogs were mine, I’d be feeding them raw food. More veggies for one but certainly raw bones and meat too. I like all of the foods that we carry at SitStay.com , come on over and have a look. Thanks. – Darcie
Hi Darcy, Thanks you for creating Sitstay.com as well as this blog. It has been a great help and I plan to make purchases from your store in the future. That being said, I’m having lots of trouble with my Bull Terrier (Oliver). He is 10 months old now and I’ve had him for the past 5 months. I socialized him as much as I could for the first 2 months I got him by taking him to the dog park a few times a day (which I now learned is not the best place to take a dog). He got along so well with dogs and other people. But one day, he attacked a dog, broke his skin as well as mine when I had to separate them. Since then, I had gotten him neutered, enrolled him with a behaviorist and really just avoided situations where he may attack. This has now progressed to human based aggression and is much more frightening since he is quite big and strong now. The issue we’re trying to resolve the most now Oliver’s aggression towards my girlfriend and I. We take him on walks and he never seems aggressive when people pass by with/without dogs. He gives them a look and moves on. But it seems that with the people he tends to know pretty well and spend the most time with him, he gets aggressive with. For instance, for the past 2 weeks at least once a day, Oliver snaps at my girlfriend when he is lying down in his crate. My girlfriend may be walking back and forth near his crate just organizing or cleaning the house. Living in a fairly small studio apartment, he can see and hear every move. This doesn’t generally happen to me, but if I agitate him when he’s already agitated, he will snap at me. This has also been known to happen while I’m driving him in my car locked up in his crate. He will wake up all of a sudden, give our other male dog a stare, and begin barking at him/showing teeth. But this doesn’t happen only in the crate. When he’s tired and/or gets home from a long walk, we immediately put him into his crate. The other day I tried keeping him out while my girlfriend and I were watching television. He soon tried to fall asleep but as soon as I moved my leg (which he was sleeping on) he’d give me a look, and immediately go after my girlfriend. Fortunately, we had both a muzzle and leash on him. For the crate situation, we’ve been told to tell him to quiet when he’s barking at us and being aggressive, and to stand in front of his crate calmly until he stops. Here’s a video clip of my girlfriend doing this the other day. Do you think this is the correct thing to do? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuEVS2riRIY&feature=youtu.be Like I said, we’ve talked to a behaviorist and spent quite a bit of money. Unfortunately, this particular one is no longer responding to my emails after I had paid him. As a college student, I’m on a bit of a low budget otherwise I would seek more professional help, but I just can’t do it right now. The thought of giving him up to the Humane Society always runs through my mind, but I don’t think I could ever really do it, nor would I want to. I’m just at a loss at how I need to handle this. He’s a great dog most of the time, but when he is agitated, he will get very aggressive and do damage. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, John
Dear John, No. Saying “quiet” over and over, sometimes getting a hush and usually not, is not telling the dog anything, it’s simply putting pressure on him and that is not good. Standing over him and staring at him in the crate is more than likely making it worse. If you were my kids, I’d suggest that you find someone to take this dog. Someone who knows more about dogs and can and will work with aggression problems. There is definitely something here that sounds like fear, when I listen carefully to the sound of his voice through the video. I hear frustration too, I don’t blame him for that in this particular instance…he wasn’t getting clear guidance to help him change his behavior and absolutely no reward when he did. A fearful aggressive dog can turn into a dangerous dog. Keeping a dog in a crate and putting so much pressure on him is going the wrong way, it makes things worse. It would be good if you knew his parents and grandparents, it this something he was born with and may not change enough no matter what you do. I’m sorry that you’re not getting help from the person that you paid, you might report that particular person to your local dog trainers…see what they have to say about him. Try to get your money back, talk to your local Better Business Bureau. Find someone local to you, perhaps your Humane Society, who will temperament test this dog…it’s not 100% accurate for aggression all the time but it can tell them if he can be worked with successfully. In my personal opinion, without you and your girlfriend learning quickly how to manage and train this dog and getting excellent expert help, you’re in for some tough times ahead and someone is going to get hurt, perhaps badly bitten…and if he does bite you’re going to lose him and probably most of what’s left in your bank account. Did you notice that the other dog left the room? Now, the question is, did the white dog start the problem or did he leave because of the problem? I can’t possibly know that. I make it a practice not to work with aggressive or biting dogs, I’ll leave that up to those who are much more qualified than I am. I hope this helps. Sometimes it’s simply not a good match. There isn’t one person worth their salt who would insist that you keep this dog simply because you started out with him. Sometimes it’s good to know when you’re in over your head and do something about it. Unless you’re ready to put in the time to learn how to live with this dog…and that generally means money for classes and education…you’ll be managing him until the day he dies…that takes a lot of fortitude and time. I wish I had better news. – Darcie