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By jnavary, February 28, 2010

Many pet owners won’t neuter their male dogs. Some transfer their emotions about the procedure onto their dogs, and decide that it’s a cruel and inhumane act.  But most avoid neutering their dogs because they’ve heard one or more of the many misconceptions about neutering. Despite all these rumors and myths, neutering is a responsible procedure that won’t harm the health of your dog.  Here are some of the  misconceptions that keep many from having their dogs neutered.

Your dog will not become depressed for lack of sex. Dogs aren’t humans, and don’t feel the same way about sex that humans do.  They won’t miss the intimacy or the romance, like some people believe. As much as some people seem to think otherwise, dogs are animals, and their drive for sex is only instinct.  Not having sex will not harm, or depress, your dog.

Your dog will not become weak or effeminate. Neutering does not affect a dog’s physical abilities or strength.  In fact, neutering removes the sexual instinct that has some dogs climbing the walls. Neutering can correct many behavioral problems caused by the sex instinct in some dogs, especially in households with one or more pets and in a household with female dogs.

Your dog won’t get fat or stop being active:  If you don’t overfeed your dog and neglect to take him for walks, your dog can’t suddenly bloat up after being neutered. This is a popular misconception because it does happen sometimes—but it’s not because of the surgery, but rather the habits of the owner. Just be sure to feed your dog the proper amount of food, and make sure he gets plenty of exercise.

Your dog will still bark at strangers, if it does now.  The belief that a neutered dog will no longer make a good guard dog is ridiculous.  It’s a clear case of humans passing off misguided beliefs about masculinity and strength onto dogs. If the dog happened to be born sterile, would that make it less a dog, or less suited to be a watch dog?

36th Exposition Canine de Briard

Framed Art Print

Doigneau, Edouard

26.375 in. x 20.375 in.

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By Tristan Andrews, December 28, 2009

It’s very likely that just about all puppies have chased their tails at some point. For a puppy, chasing his tail is as common as a child spinning in circles. Puppies seem to become aware that they have tails and, therefore, they are something to try to catch. Who hasn’t had a laugh at a puppy spinning around trying to catch his own tail?

Many dogs continue this behavior as they get older. It’s a playful behavior and dogs seem to enjoy it. Of course, it may also be a sign that your dog is bored and is looking for some way to entertain himself. If the behavior bothers you, try to provide your puppy or dog with lots of fun toys and safe things to chew on so he will have some other options.

It’s possible that some dogs continue to chase their tails after they are adults because it amuses their owners. They have learned that chasing their tail gets them attention and causes their owners to laugh and give them affection, so they chase their tails to get this positive attention. If you don’t want your dog to chase his tail it’s not necessary to punish your dog or to be harsh with him. Simply stop giving him the positive feedback. Stop laughing at his antics. Encourage him to do something else. Play with him with some toys, for instance. Throw a ball for him. Play frisbee with him.

Some dogs may chase their tail if there is some kind of physical problem concerning their tail. In these cases it only looks the same as a dog who is chasing his tail for fun. For example, your dog may have a flea bite at the base of his tail and it may be driving him crazy. He may spin, trying to reach the place that’s itching, but he can’t reach it. So, it looks like he’s chasing his tail. You can help your dog by checking to see what’s bothering him. This kind of spinning and chasing actually does look different from tail chasing. With tail-chasing a dog is trying to catch the tip of his tail (usually). When there is a physical problem a dog is often trying to reach the base of his tail or his body. Try to notice the difference and see what’s bothering your dog so you can help him.

Impacted anal sacs or problems with worms can also cause dogs to chase their tails.

Tail-chasing can also occur after physical trauma, surgery or illness. Bull Terriers and German Shepherds seem to be more prone to tail-chasing than other breeds.

In some cases, tail-chasing can become a compulsion as in an obsessive compulsive behavior. There is some evidence to suggest that this OCD tail-chasing behavior may be linked to high cholesterol in the diet.

Dogs with anxiety problems may also engage in compulsive tail-chasing. About two percent of the canine population is estimated to have canine compulsive disorder.

If your dog does develop this compulsive tail-chasing behavior you will need to talk to your veterinarian. He may recommend drug therapy for the problem. The most common treatment is Prozac for dogs. You will also need to work with your dog on behavior modification. In case you think this is extreme, dogs who chase their tails compulsively may do so for hours a day, so it really is necessary to help them.

Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes about dog information and dog training.

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DogBurg’s Daily Art Spot

Basset Hound Puppies Sleeping

Framed Art Print

Black, Keith

17.6875 in. x 21.6875 in.

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By jnavary, December 22, 2009

Dogs that aren’t being bred should be spayed or neutered, for many reasons. The health and behavioral benefits alone can prolong your dog’s life and reduce the risk of certain diseases and infections. Neutering also avoids accidental pregnancy, and reduces the potential burden on local shelters that are forced to euthanize millions of unwanted and unplanned animals each year.

For female dogs, spaying before her first heat virtually eliminates the risk for developing breast cancer later in life. After four heat periods, spaying offers no protection from breast cancer, so unless you’re going to breed your girl, spay her at 6 months of age.

A female dog who has many heat periods is at risk of developing a potentially fatal uterine infection called pyometron. In this condition, the uterus fills with pus and the dog becomes seriously ill. She must be spayed urgently, but due to her illness, there are more risks associated with a general anesthesia. Neutering male dogs completely eliminates the risk of testicular cancer.

Spayed and neutered dogs are less aggressive, and if they spend any time outdoors, they will be less likely to roam or get into altercations with other dogs. Male dogs who are neutered as a youngster are less likely to mark their territory by urinating on every upright object.

A puppy may be sterilized as young as eight weeks of age, but most veterinarians will wait until they are around six months old. They are spayed and neutered under anesthesia, and using sterile equipment. Post-operatively, they may stay overnight, to allow them to completely recover from the anesthetic, and to make sure they don’t pull at their sutures.

Spaying a female involves removing the uterus and the ovaries, so after they are spayed, the female will no longer produce eggs or have heat periods. This is a more involved procedure than neutering a male, and the abdominal surgery requires a recovery period where the dog must remain quiet.

Neutering a male dog involves removing both testicles, and because there is no abdominal surgery involved, he has a shorter recovery time. For those people who don’t care for the sight of a neutered male, there are silicone implants called Neuticles that can be implanted after surgery. That way, the male dog still looks like he has testicles.

Some male dogs have testicles that haven’t descended into the scrotum. These must be removed as they can become cancerous later in life. The veterinarian will have to look inside the abdomen to find these testicles, so recovery is longer, as with a female dog spay.

As with any elective surgery, there are risks and potential complications from spaying and neutering. Dogs can have adverse reactions to suture material and anesthesia, and some incisions are slow to heal properly. There is also modern research that suggests that sterilization alters a dog’s appearance by slowing the closure of the growth areas of the legs. This means that dogs who are neutered as youngsters tend to be taller and leggier than their entire counterparts.

Hormone changes in spayed and neutered dogs can contribute to a slower metabolism and weight gain in some cases. This means that owners need to watch closely the food intake of their neutered dog, and make sure they get plenty of exercise, to keep their waistline trim.

Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes about advantage flea for dogs and dog supplies.

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DogBurg’s Daily Art Spot

Four Dogs Lust after Their Owners’ Food

Framed Giclee Print

Moody, Fanny

24.5 in. x 27.25 in.

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By jnavary, November 8, 2009

In addition to his basic requirements of food, water and shelter, a dog needs social interaction, positive attention from his human companion, exercise and mental stimulation. Several of these additional  needs  can be met by just taking your dog for a walk. Walking your dog daily provides him with the attention from you that he needs. Possibly more than anything else, our pets simply want our company. Even when you remain at home during the day, a lot of your time is spent doing household tasks rather than interacting with your family pet. When leaving for your walk, take along a plastic bag or similar container and be sure to clean up after your pet.

A walk permits you to reinforce obedience skills with your dog to increase the reliability of training. Going over the basic commands also will increase the advantages of a walk because your dog isn’t merely ambling along, but is also performing extra tasks. Walking your dog keeps him mentally alert through territorial examination. With nose to the ground and alert to the sights and sounds of his surroundings, your dog gathers evidence about how his territory has been altered since the last outing.

Together with the emotional benefits, there are physical advantages. Taking your dog for a walk is the most effective method to exercise a dog that may not be very active in your home or even in your yard. Older dogs must be kept as lively and fit as possible. However, he may not be disposed to exercise without some motivation. Whether or not your pet is active in your yard, it is certainly more active during a walk. Merely sharing an activity with you is one of your dog’s greatest motivations to exercise.

If you pass by another dog or person during your walk, your dog has the chance to socialize. Dogs are social animals. It is natural for them to investigate unrecognized individuals. Puppies ought to be encouraged, from the very beginning, to appropriately respond to and get along with other dogs and people while on walks. These friendly experiences help the puppy learn to behave appropriately when meeting visitors to your home, or when he is with you anywhere else. If a dog does not have the opportunity to socialize, it will not understand how to interact correctly with other people or dogs.

Walking your dog is among the the best means to prevent behavior problems. At least one walk each day will help prevent elimination problems, destructiveness, separation anxiety and other frequent behavior disorders. Take your dog for a walk soon after every meal, as this is often the time it’s most likely to urinate or defecate, and you’ll be able to direct your dog to an appropriate location. Praise must be given immediately to be effective. If you merely let your dog go out in the yard, you miss out on a great opportunity to bolster good behavior.

Allowing your pooch to wander freely is hazardous both to your dog and to other pets and people. It also gives the unsupervised dog freedom to revert to unacceptable wild behavior. Your dog’s life might depend on his obedience to your commands. Not permitting some activity cannot be viewed as unkind when considering the possible unfortunate outcome.

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DogBurg’s Daily Art Spot

101 Dalmations

Framed Art Print

10 in. x 12 in.

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By Chuck ODonnell, November 3, 2009

The most important thing to know about barking is that it is a normal dog behavior. At appropriate times and levels, barking is even considered to be a useful behavior. Many people obtain dogs because they want them to bark when someone is either coming to the door or prowling around at night. But when barking becomes excessive, the noise can be a real headache for owners and their long-suffering neighbors. According to the Cornell Animal Behavior Clinic, up to one-third of behavioral complaints involve nuisance, inappropriate, or excessive barking.

Before things get out of hand, take steps to teach your dog when it’s okay to bark and when she should stop or remain quiet. If you want her to bark when people approach the house, enlist your kids, spouse, or a neighbor to help with the training. Ask the helper to come to the door and knock or ring the doorbell. If your dog doesn’t bark at the noise, encourage her by excitedly asking, “Who’s there? Is someone at the door?” Praise your dog when she barks at the sound.

Once your dog is barking to alert you, the next step is to teach her when to stop. After she has given a couple of barks, hold up your hand and say a code word or command, such as enough or quiet. Give the command in a firm, quiet tone of voice. If you yell, your dog will simply think you’re barking back at her, and she’ll just bark more. If your dog stops barking, praise her, “good quiet!”, and pop a treat into her mouth. Be sure you give the praise and treat only when the dog is quiet.

Often, showing the dog a treat may be distraction enough to stop the barking. Say, “quiet,” and give her the treat after several seconds of silence. As your dog starts to learn what the word quiet means, extend the amount of time between saying the command and giving the reward.

Some trainers recommend wrapping your hand around your barking dog’s muzzle, or snout, and saying, “quiet” or “no bark.” That works sometimes, but you have to be careful when trying that technique. If your dog is barking frenziedly, she may accidentally bite you when you try to wrap your hand around her muzzle.

A safer way to get this effect is to keep a halter collar on your dog while you’re at home. This type of collar has a loop that wraps around your dog’s muzzle. When your dog barks more than once or twice, give a quick pull on the lead to tighten the loop around the muzzle. As soon as the dog is quiet, say, “good no bark” or “good quiet,” and reward her with a treat.

Another way to stop the barking is to call your dog to you or give her a down command. Calling your dog to you usually interrupts barking. And a dog hardly ever barks when lying down. Choose a command such as come or down and use the same one every time. Offer praise for silence and then reward your dog with a treat.

Be sure you don’t unintentionally reward your dog for barking by hugging her or saying soothingly, “It’s okay, Sweetie.” When you do that, the dog thinks she must have been right to bark. This simply encourages her to bark more the next time a similar situation occurs.

About the Author:
Chuck is currently working on Words and Links.

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DogBurg’s Daily Art Spot

Clinique Cheron, c.1905

Framed Art Print

Steinlen,…

20.25 in. x 28.125 in.

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By jnavary, October 8, 2009

This video is from several years ago but it’s an amazing, heart-warming story. Even if you’ve seen it before, it’s worth watching one more time.

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DogBurg’s Daily Art Spot

Dogs Rule

Framed Art Print

Matos, Anthony

42.625 in. x 18.375 in.

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By jnavary, September 29, 2009

DogBurg’s Daily Art Spot

Border Collie Puppies, Sat Amongst Straw Bales

Framed Photographic Print
Hamblin, Mark

31.125 in. x 44.5 in.
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