Separation Anxiety

It’s been said that dogs look up to you; cats look down on you, but pigs treat you as equals.

Cats, therefore, don’t miss you much when you’re gone. Dogs do, however. If you're traveling for the holidays and leaving your canine pal behind, you may want to keep that in mind. Many dogs suffer from separation anxiety, and some may be willing to act out to demonstrate how much they miss their masters. They’ll howl or bark, scratch the furniture, leave smelly presents, or even hurt themselves if they feel that’s the only way to get your attention.

Separation anxiety can be a result of a dog’s background. If you adopted your dog at a shelter, there’s a real possibility that dog was abandoned or neglected by its previous owner, which may manifest itself in the dog’s current behavior. Dogs also may have difficulty adapting to a drastic change, such as a move to a new neighborhood. If kids have some trepidation about making new friends, imagine how difficult it is for your dog.

There’s no silver bullet to cure separation anxiety, but there are ways to establish patterns to help your dog feel comfortable and confident. Dogs take their cue from you, so if you’re relaxed and at ease in the new environment, they are more likely to be the same. Try to downplay their extreme behavior when you leave or arrive at home. When the dog finally calms down, reward them with a treat or a toy. Positive reinforcement of good behavior does wonders to set the tone for a dog’s long-term well-being.

Exercise helps tremendously, too, both for dogs and for people. Running with your dog allows him to spend time with you and work off some stress, too. Apparently, some doctors seem to think that exercise is good for you. I’m still not convinced, but I pass the suggestion along just the same.

Another technique that helps is the idea of the “gradual departure.” In other words, grab your car keys and give the impression that you’re about to leave, and then don’t leave. Or leave for a few seconds and then come back. If your dog shows signs of anxiety during these mini-departures, be sure to wait until he’s calmed down before rewarding him. Many pet owners will feel the instinct to comfort the dog while he’s overreacting, but that simply validates the anxiety and exacerbates the problem.

Of course, you can always get a pig.

If Your Dog Fears Fireworks

As the year comes to a close, more and more people are celebrating by adding a little bit of July to early January via fireworks. This is already big holiday tradition overseas, and it's start to get traction here in the good ol' U.S. of A. 

Fireworks, however, can often create a rough time for many dogs. People like the big explosions, bright colors, and loud noises that accompany such celebrations, but they just serve to confuse the dogs. They don't know what's going on, and singing "Auld Lang Syne" doesn't really help. 

If you're not going to be home when the fireworks begin, make sure your dog is in a secure place. Animal shelters report that fireworks time is a very busy one for them, because dogs bolt from their natural surroundings and then get lost after running away for awhile. In any case, your dog should be wearing tags so he can be easily identified in the case of a fireworks-inspired emergency.

If you and your dog are sharing fireworks together, do everything you can to make your dog feel at home. One dog owner suggests putting on a loud movie, preferably a violent war flick where rockets and bombs are going off all the time. Your dog has likely learned to ignore the television, so when the real fireworks start, the dog won't distinguish between fact and fiction. Others put on mellow sounds and spend soothing time with their dog. The important thing to remember is that your dog is looking to you for guidance - if you're calm, he's more likely to be calm, too. Panicky overreactions filled with pleas of "it's okay, it's okay" will likely stress your dog out more than comfort him.

There are also medical alternatives, but if you can handle this fear in an organic way, life will be better and easier for everyone. But it in extreme cases, it might be wise to consult a vet to determine what other options are available.

In the meantime, have a Happy New Year, whether you blow up anything or not!

Massage Therapy for Dogs?

I'm not exactly sold, but the folks at petplace.com seem to be. Here's what they have to say about massage therapy for your canine companion:

The aging processes take a toll on your pet. Arthritis, joint problems, torn or over- extended muscles and ligaments, injury and surgery are some of the more common ailments that can benefit from increased flexibility and reduced physical and mental stress. The massage itself will promote socialization of your pet, enhance the human-animal bond and help maintain the health of a pet that is kenneled. During a period of confinement or restricted movement, the body is at rest and the muscles are inactive or stiff when activities are resumed. Massage improves the flexibility of these muscles and aids to prevent injury. Many of the healthy pets we have are part of a competition, whether in the show ring or performing agility, tracking, herding, flyball, ... or playing chase or Frisbee. They use and abuse muscles frequently. Massage relaxes the muscle, reduces strain and helps avoid injury.

My guess is that it probably is a rewarding experience for both people and puppies. I just don't think it's an adequate substitute for genuine veterinary care. And as dogs age, they become prone to arthritis and start to snap if the massage gets deep enough.

You can read the rest here.

The fact of the matter is that I wouldn't know where to begin. I wrestle with my dogs a lot. I pet them. I hug them. I scratch behind their ears. Isn't that enough?

Well, I admit, if a masseuse did that to me, I'd probably ask for my money back.

Gabriel's Angels

Gabriel, a large gray Weimaraner from Phoenix, Arizona, died on May 17, 2010. He was 11 years old.

When a beloved pet dies, most of the world pays no attention. But Gabriel’s death prompted over 400 emails, several flower arrangements, and dozens of cards.

Gabriel was a therapy dog and the initial inspiration behind Gabriel’s Angels, a non-profit organization in Arizona that provides 150 dogs who comfort children in need in the Tucson and Phoenix areas.

Gabriel was adopted by Pam Gaber, who would entertain children from the Crisis Nursery in Phoenix with stories about the puppy’s shenanigans. Finally, Gaber decided to bring Gabriel to meet her friends, and she dressed him up as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for the occasion. The kids loved it, and so did Gabriel. He was a sweet-tempered dog who enjoyed all the attention that the children were happy to give him.

The concept of therapy dogs goes back to World War II, when a dog names Smoky was invited to visit patients in the famed Mayo Clinic. It wasn’t until 1976, however, when training for therapy dogs became regimented and use of them became more and more widespread in nursing homes and hospitals.

Gaber wanted to expand the reach of therapy dog programs, and she saw a particular need for Gabriel-style attention among abused and neglected children. Gabriel’s Angels now serves a wide variety of shelters, schools, treatment centers, and recreation programs. The program visits over 13,000 children every year in 100 facilities.

Therapy dogs have proven effective in helping children overcome any number of challenges, from emotional disorders to speech impediments. Children who fail to respond to traditional treatments often discover that unconditional canine acceptance provides the confidence and compassion necessary to overcome even the most daunting challenges.

Gabriel was especially good at his job. He dressed up as a biker in leather to wow the kids, or as leprechaun on St. Patrick’s Day. When he finally lost his bout with cancer, hundreds of children contacted Gaber to express their condolences and pay their final respects.

You can learn more about Gabriel’s Angels here:

Separation Anxiety

It’s been said that dogs look up to you; cats look down on you, but pigs treat you as equals.

Cats, therefore, don’t miss you much when you’re gone. Dogs do, however. Many of them suffer from separation anxiety, and some may be willing to act out to demonstrate how much they miss their masters. They’ll howl or bark, scratch the furniture, leave smelly presents, or even hurt themselves if they feel that’s the only way to get your attention.

Separation anxiety can be a result of a dog’s background. If you adopted your dog at a shelter, there’s a real possibility that dog was abandoned or neglected by its previous owner, which may manifest itself in the dog’s current behavior. Dogs also may have difficulty adapting to a drastic change, such as a move to a new neighborhood. If kids have some trepidation about making new friends, imagine how difficult it is for your dog.

There’s no silver bullet to cure separation anxiety, but there are ways to establish patterns to help your dog feel comfortable and confident. Dogs take their cue from you, so if you’re relaxed and at ease in the new environment, they are more likely to be the same. Try to downplay their extreme behavior when you leave or arrive at home. When the dog finally calms down, reward them with a treat or a toy. Positive reinforcement of good behavior does wonders to set the tone for a dog’s long-term well-being.

Exercise helps tremendously, too, both for dogs and for people. Running with your dog allows him to spend time with you and work off some stress, too. Apparently, some doctors seem to think that exercise is good for you. I’m still not convinced, but I pass the suggestion along just the same.

Another technique that helps is the idea of the “gradual departure.” In other words, grab your car keys and give the impression that you’re about to leave, and then don’t leave. Or leave for a few seconds and then come back. If your dog shows signs of anxiety during these mini-departures, be sure to wait until he’s calmed down before rewarding him. Many pet owners will feel the instinct to comfort the dog while he’s overreacting, but that simply validates the anxiety and exacerbates the problem.

Of course, you can always get a pig.

Dogs Are Good For You

Two British guys named Mugford and Comisky performed an experiment back in 1974. They divided up a group of elderly patients and gave half of them their own bird. The other half got their own plant. I’ll leave it to you to decide which one got the better end of the deal.

Looking at the results, it’s pretty hard not to side with the bird people. Those with pets now had a new subject of conversation to share with visitors. Consequently, they became more engaged in discussions about Polly wanting a cracker instead of their aches and pains. They also demonstrated a significant increase of visitors to their nursing facilities, because they were more anxious to engage with other people as a result. Plants, apparently, can brighten up a room, but they don’t make for very good company.

Similar studies with dogs tell an even more powerful story. (that makes sense to me - nobody has ever accused a bird of being Man’s Best Friend, even if their vocabulary exceeds that of the average dachshund.)

According to a 1990 study, dog owners were far less likely to have minor illnesses then cat owners or those with no pets at all. They showed marked improvement in psychological well-being, in confidence and security, and were far less concerned about being victims of crime.

They also exercised more as a result of walking the dog on a regular basis. The study came to the conclusion that “pet ownership can have a positive impact on human health and behaviour, and that in some cases these effects are relatively long lasting.”

More recent studies confirm what we already knew – dogs are good for you. They help you stay strong physically; they provide unconditional emotional support, and they can even provide a sense of purpose to those who think that life has passed them by.

So, if you’re feeling down, you can spend an awful lot of money and pay some psychiatric guy to talk to you for hundreds of dollars an hour about your childhood, or you can run around the block with your dog.

Psychiatrists slobber less, but dogs have the advantage everywhere else.