Now… imagine your dog with his “lotto ticket.”  How much is it worth to the dog?  Why (in the dog’s point of view) should he give it up?  Is there a possibility of not getting the item back?  Is it fun and non-threatening to relinquish the item?

Always remember the dog is always a good dog for giving up anything he has!  If the dog drops his toy you should have the same reaction if the dog drops the TV remote control he was just chewing.  Be happy and REWARD the dog for giving things up.

Step #1:  Your dog feels comfortable with you around him when he has something in his mouth.  (Ask about resource guarding if you are not sure about this.)  When your dog has something, walk toward your dog, say, “drop it” and drop a treat on the floor beside the dog, and keep walking.

Step #2:  Your dog feels comfortable with you talking to him when he has something in his mouth. Walk toward the dog, say, “drop it” and drop a treat on the ground.  Stand near the dog.  Let the dog eat the treat and just praise the dog.  Walk away.

Step #3:  Your dog feels comfortable with you petting him when he has something in his mouth.  Walk toward the dog, say, “drop it” and drop treat on the ground.  Pet and praise the dog.  Walk away.

Step #4:  Your dog will give up what he currently has temporarily to get something else, and is allowed to go right back to the item he had.  Stand near the dog.  Say, “drop it” and wait for the dog to “spit out” the item.  Click the moment the dog gets the object out of his mouth.  Throw treat on floor away from the item (about 3 feet.)  Allow the dog to eat the treat.  Repeat.

Step #5:  Your dog will give up what he currently has to get something else while you reach for the item (but not pick it up.)  Stand near the dog.  Say, “drop it” and wait for the dog to “spit out” the item.  Click the moment the dog gets the object out of his mouth.  Throw several treats on floor away from the item (about 3 feet.)  Allow the dog to eat the treats as you touch the item.  Repeat.

Step #6:  Your dog freely drops items in his possession to get something else.  Doesn’t try and race you back to the object, you can now pick item up without any objection from the dog.  Same as step #5, except you are now picking up the item instead of just touching it.

• Remember to practice with items you can give back to the dog.
• If you are working with a “resource guarding” dog, there are safety precautions that are necessary.  Ask your trainer.
• This is an exchange exercise in the dog’s point of view.  Remember to give your dog something good for giving up his “lotto ticket.”

I’m adding the finishing touches on my seminar for this Saturday, “Practical Solutions for Practical People.”  And as I created this presentation I remember all the clients I have helped over the years and even milestones I have overcome with my own dogs.  It’s pretty cool to share this information with a roomful of people.  (You can register for our seminars HERE.)  It makes me realize reinforcement is in the eye of the beholder.  You see, I actually like public speaking.  I look forward to it.  I feel all giddy and think, “this information could touch the lives of so many people and help so many dogs!”  And the simple fact of getting positive reinforcement training methods to the public that can solve so many common problems just makes me smile. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, and I’d love to hear any comments.

Chocolate was in the TOP 10 Pet Poisons for 2009.  And continues to be a main culprit in pet poisoning.  Dogs seem to be listed more than cats.  Not because chocolate is any less bad for cats, but because cats just don’t eat it as much.  Thankfully, cats just don’t have the sweet tooth dogs have.  So the good news about cats is they generally don’t want chocolate, the bad news is when they do it’s big trouble.  Their small mass is far more susceptible to toxic levels compared to your average size dog.

The entire reason chocolate is bad for pets is because of the toxic compounds called methylxanthines, specifically theobromine and caffeine.  Dogs (and cats) don’t have the same enzymes or metabolism we do, so chocolate is extremely difficult for them to digest.  The half life (once ingested) in dogs is estimated at 17.5 hours.  The lethal dose of theobromine for dogs is between 100mg to 200mg per kg of bodyweight.  However, according to the ASPCA’s Poison Control Center, symptoms appeared at 20 mg/kg, with severe symptoms at 40–50 mg/kg, and seizures at 60 mg/kg.  The amount ingested, type of chocolate, and your dog’s body weight will determine your particular dog’s fate.  See this Chocolate Chart for a better idea between the difference of: white, milk, dark, semi-sweet, bakers, & cocoa, and how it compares to your dog’s weight.

Estimated Theobromine Per Ounce of Chocolate

• White chocolate = 1 mg/oz
• Milk chocolate = 44–64 mg/oz
• Dark chocolate is = 150–160 mg/oz
• Semisweet chocolate is = 150–160 mg/oz
• Baker’s chocolate = 450 mg/oz
• Cocoa powder = 800 mg/oz

Symptoms can be seen after four hours but can sometimes take as long as 24 hours and range from vomiting, diarrhea, frequent urination, hard (to the touch) stomach area, sensitivity in the stomach area, hyperactivity, cardiac arrhythmia, seizures, and death.  Eating chocolate is very serious and you should call your vet or the ASPCA’s Poison Hotline (888–426-4435, fee applies) immediately.  Since there are so many variables, there is no specific treatment for chocolate poisoning.  Usually your medical professional will advise you to induce vomiting by hydrogen peroxide (one teaspoon per ten pounds of body weight) or syrup of ipecac, if it has been under two hours since initial ingestion.  I’m no vet but I do know hydrogen peroxide should be used sparingly in extreme emergencies because this can cause esophageal ulcers.  I would call death by chocolate a reason to use it myself, it’s the greater evil.  Activated charcoal is said to also help absorb toxins.  Your dog may have to go in and be put on fluids, treated for seizures, and/or monitored for heart failure.

If your dog gets a hold of one M&M don’t panic.  Chances are he’ll live.  Me?  I’d rather have my dog (or cat) eat zero parts per million of a known, deadly toxin.

For more information on theo­bromine and why chocolate is harmful to pets see:

“Chocolate intoxication” by Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, DVM, PhD

Merck Veterinary Manual — chocolate

“How Chocolate Can Poison Your Dogs,” Vet Info

“Leave The Chocolate Out of Rover’s Celebrations,” FDA

Hershey’s Nutrition Page — Theobromine

IARC Monographs VOL 51

Are your pet’s teeth a regular part of routine care?  They should be.  Did you know that oral hygiene can also affect  internal organs?  We had a Chocolate Lab client who had to postpone training because he got sick from what was initially thought of as a stomach problem.  Turned out it was the bacteria in his mouth he was swallowing that was making him so sick.  A trip to the vet for a professional cleaning was all he needed to make a full recovery.

When you take your pet for a dental cleaning, the vet has to anesthetize him.  Don’t get me wrong, I know loads of people who take their pet in once a year for a professional dental cleaning and all goes well.  Usually everything is fine, and in all my years of working with animals I have only known one person to lose their cat to a routine dental, due to complications with the anesthesia.  And for me, one is enough.  My personal opinion is if there’s a way to prevent it, then prevent it.  Why put your pet under if you don’t have to?  And when you think about this, older pets are the ones who usually have dental problems — and older pets have the highest risk under anesthesia.  Why take the chance?

Thankfully oral hygiene for dogs and cats has become more popular.  These days there are products out there to  combat tarter and gum disease with enzymatic toothpaste, pet toothbrushes, finger brush, dental chews, dental rinses, toys, treats, and starter dental kits. (All these links pertain to dog dental care.  There are also a ton of products out there for cats as well.)  My dog’s favorite dental toy is the Nylabone Double Action Chew. I put his doggie poultry flavored toothpaste in the groves and he goes to town!  He also loves to get his teeth brushed.

There is a very easy way to introduce your dog or cat to teeth brushing which has worked for every single person I have ever met.  (The video is at the bottom of this post for your viewing pleasure.)  Here is a brief re-cap for you.

Step #1.  Get a species appropriate  flavored toothpaste your pet likes.  (Use dog toothpaste for your dog, and cat toothpaste for your cat.)  Most brands have poultry, beef, malt, and even seafood

Step #2.  Put the toothpaste into the bristles all the way down to the base of the toothbrush

Step #3.  Hold out toothbrush in front of your pet as still as possible.  You want to be non-invasive.  Let the pet come to the toothbrush, don’t charge it down his throat.

Step #4.  Let your pet really get chewing and feel comfortable before you manipulate it around his mouth and start actual brushing.

One last piece of dental advice I will leave you with is be careful about what type of food you feed your dog.  If you give your dog pizza crust, make sure the bread isn’t stuck rotting in the back of your dog’s mouth.  Avoid sugar sweets, and always check with your vet if you have any questions.

If you are having trouble playing the video, go straight to You Tube HERE.

Click to play…

Chewing on a favorite stuffed squeaker toy

Chewing is a natural dog thing to do.  It’s an all around favorite pastime for just about every dog I have ever met.  Cassie is no exception.  She gets herself into this memorized methodical chewing rhythm and closes her eyes.  (I’m sure it’s doggie bliss.)  And she can do this with any toy, she’s not picky.  Typically she is not offered stuffed toys.  This is simply because she surgically de-squeaks them and the inner fluff guts are shared throughout my parent’s entire home.  Don’t get me wrong, she has plenty of other toys to play with at her home and is in no way toy deprived.  Fluff toys that squeak however, are a delicacy when she visits my house.

Some dogs are simply not OK with stuffed, fluff toys.  Instead of leaving a giant stuffing mess, they prefer to eat it.  Which means a possible blockage and possible surgery in your dog’s horoscope.  Thankfully there are a zillion toys out there right now you can choose from for your dog’s chewing pleasure.  Some are safer than others, however there is no such thing as a 100% “safe toy! I can not stress that enough.  Especially when you’re talking about puppies chewing.  Those wonderful little monsters will chew anything and everything to try and pacify painful teething, explore the world, and get energy out.

My favorite are interactive toys like the Buster Cube, the Kibble Nibble, or the Kong.  But that’s just because I am a behavior dork and like toys that require some brain power.  My personal opinion is the Buster Cube is the toughest, while the Kibble Nibble is the easiest to clean.  And if you don’t know what a Kong is, you need to buy one right now.  The Kong is one of the best toys out there.  There are “Kong stuffing recipes,” but you can use your imagination.  Just use common sense too.  Don’t fill it with chocolate covered raisins, or anything else “doggie toxic.”  My dog’s favorite is to put the leftover mac-n-cheese in his Kong and throw it in a bag in the freezer.  The other thing I love about the Kong toy (and no, I’m not getting paid for this blog post from Kong), is you can throw them into the dishwasher!  Presto!  Cleano!  However, I do still give my dog credit for the pre-wash, because he’ll work on it until it’s empty.

Regardless of what toy you want your dog to play with, remember that the dog’s opinion counts too.  Just because the toy is $20 at the fancy hoity-toity store doesn’t mean the dog will like that over your empty bottled water bottle.  Just make sure he doesn’t eat the shiny new empty plastic bottled water bottle.

One more trick I will leave you with is to rotate toys.  Usually people keep 1/3 on the ground, and 2/3 hidden away.  Each week just rotate them.  It’s funny how toys seem new, fun, and exciting this way.