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to subscribe: www.whl-dg-jnal.m cpgh 2007, blv Mda Gp, LLc THEWHOLEDOGJOURNAL

Jl 2007

the Whole Dog JournalTMfeatures

A monthly guide to natural dog care and training

also in this issue

2 e n24 Pc exp rc

3 r C Ownerswhocooktheirdogsfoodathome sharetheirtipsandtricksforpurchasing, preparing,andstoringingredientsand meals.

10 P Q Howtoachieveanearlybark-freehome andevenaquietneighbohood!

16 a ab Rescuinganolderdogcanbringmuch joytoallinvolvedpartiesthedog,most ofall.

20 o-l a Atsomepoint,afteralotofpreparation andpractice,youhavetotakeadeep breathandunsnaptheleash...

22 Cc up

$5.9

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NUmbER7

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. . . 22

L l . . . 10

Pht b / ts St Hshm, DVM

Respondingtothemail regardingpastarticles onbloat,coconutoil, lemonbalm,canine chiropractic, vegandogs, andmore.

Cllll l

. . . 16

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editors noteeditors note

No revelations about commercial petfood in the past few weeks, thankgoodness. Still, pet food industryexecutives are hard at work, makingchanges to their ingredient sourcing

and quality control protocols. Ive beeninterviewing some of these folks about thelong-term fallout (positive and negative) ofthe pet food recalls, and will present excerptsfrom these interviews in next months issue.

One preview: Expect higher

prices on all pet foods soon,especially top-quality products.Consumers who are paying topdollar for what they expect to be top-quality products have been exerting more and morepressure on the makers of super-premium pet foods to disclosetheir ingredient sources, or at least,prove their purity and quality. Onecompany owner told me ruefully, Now allthe people who said they use top-qualityingredients but, in actuality, dont are out

there trying to nd and buy those ingredients,and the supply is small enough that the pricejust keeps going higher and higher.

Im sad to report more losses to our caninemodeling squad in recent weeks though

of course, the lossesto our friends, of theirbeloved companions,

are exponentiallymore signicant.

By nanCy kerns

ne deOur dogs cost a lot, facially ad emotioally.

THe WHole Dog Journal

(ISSN #1097-5322) is published

monthly by Belvoir Media Group,

LLC, 800 Connecticut Avenue, Nor-

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nancy Kerns

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CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Lisa Evans

THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL makes every eort toprovide inormation on dog health, care, and treat-ment that is authoritative, reliable, and practical.It is not intended, however, to replace diagnosisor treatment rom a veterinarian or other qualifed

dog proessional. THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL doesnot assume any legal responsibility. Readers shouldalways consult qualifed healthcare providers orspecifc diagnosis and treatment.

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Mission stateMent:WDJs mission is to provide dog guardians with in-depth information on

effective holistic healthcare methods and successful nonviolent training. The methods we discusswill endeavor to do no harm to dogs; we do not advocate perpetrating even minor transgressionsin the name of greater good. We intend our articles to enable readers to immediately apply

training and healthcare techniques to their own dogs with visible and enjoyable success. All topicsshould contribute to improving the dogs health and vitality, and deepening the canine/human

bond. Above all, we wish to contribute information that will enable consumers to make kind,

healthy, and informed decisions about caring for their own dogs.

Most recently, training Editor Pat Miller hadto say goodbye to Tucker, her cattle dog-mixwho had just passed his 14th birthday. I metTucker only once, but I can say this abouthim: when Pat shares information about train-ing issues shes had with her dogs, she neverhad the opportunity to talk about Tucker, thebenevolent leader of the Miller pack. He wasa good, good dog.

We also lost Tater Tot, the little ball offluff belonging to

Sandi Thompson, theBerkeley, Californiatrainer who fre-quently models forour training articles.Tater, too, passedaway in May at theage of 14 years.

Sandi teaches forSirius Puppy Train-

ing, and Tater was famous locally as Sandisassistant in hundreds of classes over the years;Tater would arise from her bed on a table in

the classroom to ring a bell at intervals duringthe classes, alerting students to retake theirseats after practicing various behaviors. Shetaught with Sandi for so many years thatSandi didnt have to cue her when the ap-propriate amount of time had passed; she justknew, and rang the bell.

I photographed Tater many times over thepast 10 years and her picture will continueto appear in WDJs pages for years to come.In fact, thats her howling in delight at a SanFrancisco Giants baseball game on page 13.

I offer my condolences to bothfamilies.

Tt Tt

T

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Bertes Zyme (digestive enzymes) wieach meal

500 mg calcium ( tsp dried, grouneggshell). Note that I do not add calciuwhen feeding canned sh with bones.

I cook, mix, and freeze one to twweeks worth of meat, organ meat, anveggies; I add dairy and supplements rigbefore feeding. I puree the veggies infood processor, and stay away from whipotatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and pepperas my older girl has arthritis. I have electto feed no grains or legumes.

When I make up the food, I cook thmeat rst, then puree the veggies, and theprepare the organ meat (my dogs will neat raw liver, so I now braise the liver anthen puree it in the food processor).

I bought a number of 9-ounce an14-ounce stackable plastic containers

By Mary straus

reity Cks

O

Owers share their home-cooked diet strategies ad recipes!

ver the past three months, weve provided rules and guidelines for feeding ahomemade diet, but getting started can still seem overwhelming. The recentpet food recalls have left many people wanting to switch their dogs quicklyto a homemade diet, at least short-term. Despite their fears about commercialproducts, however, many have hesitated to start feeding a home-prepared diet,

concerned that their diet would be less than perfect.Our advice? Dont worry about achieving the ideal diet from day one. Adult dogs

will do ne on a limited diet for two or three months. If you want to continue to feeda homemade diet for longer than that, or if you are feeding a puppy, it becomes moreimportant to ensure that you are feeding a wide variety of different foods in appropriateproportions to meet all nutritional needs. As you become more experienced with shopping

for and preparing your dogs food, and especially as you observe your dogs response tohis new diet, you can improve and adjust your recipes as necessary.

This month and next, well hear from owners who feed their dogs a homemade diet,and learn from them how they go about it, including tips and tricks for nding, preparing,and storing food.

Since cooked diets are less intimidating than raw diets for most newcomers, wellstart with owners who feed their dogs cooked foods. Next month, owners who feed theirdogs raw foods will describe their protocols.

nutritionnutrition

w y c . . .

Dont be araid to jump right in

and start eeding a homemade

diet to an adult dog, but take the

time to learn how to do it properly

i you want to continue long term.

Do what works or your dog.

There are many dierent ways to

eed, and what is optimal will varyrom one dog to another.

Make sure that youre supplying

the proper amount o calcium

with any homemade diet.

No matter what type

o diet you eed,

be willing to

make changes

i your dog is

not thriving.

rc p wcKaren Engman, of Murrieta, California,hasfour Boston Terriers and one Pug, ranging

in age from 5 to 12 years old. She decidedto switch her dogs to a home-cooked dietdue to fears about the recalls. Below, shedescribes her protocol in detail:

I began feeding my dogs a home-cooked diet a few weeks ago, after readinga number of diet-related books and web-sites and joining a dog nutrition list. My

dogs weigh about 25 pounds each, so I feedthem each 10 ounces of food (2.5 percentof their body weight) daily divided into

two meals. Each days ration consists ofthe following:

75 to 80 percent animal protein (7to 8 oz), consisting of 5 to 6 oz meat(beef, chicken, turkey, canned salmon, orsardines) and 2 oz yogurt, cottage cheese,ker, or one egg

5 to 10 percent organ meat, consistingof to 1 oz kidney or liver

15 percent veggies, consisting of 1 oz broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, sweetpotato, zucchini, carrots, dark leafy greens,and/or cabbage

I also give the following supplementsto each dog daily:

1 sh oil softgel (EPA 180/DHA 120)

tsp Bertes Immune Blend, tspBertes Ultra Probiotics, and tablet

k em ds hm-ddt t h fv ds, d8--d ov, bv. Th fth dts w mm dt.

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put a container on my kitchen scale andstart measuring in the different portions ofmeat, organs, and veggies until it totals 8ounces. Most meals will t in the 9-ouncecontainers, but occasionally I use the largerones for the bulkier chopped-meat meals.Each container has one days food for eachdog, which I feed half in the morning andhalf at night. I store food for two days in thefridge and pop the rest in the freezer.

I buy fresh meat (chicken, turkey, beef)and canned salmon at Costco. I buy veg-gies at Costco as well, usually splittingwhatever I get between the dogs and thehumans in the house, so one unexpected

benet is that we are eating a greater vari-ety and quantity of vegetables than we havein the past. I get organ meat from my localStater Brothers, which has a wonderful

butcher department. Ive had trouble nd -ing kidney, so Im just feeding 5 percentliver right now.

Two dogs had some problems withthe diet change, despite my doing a slowtransition. One developed loose stoolsfor a few days, but is now doing ne on100 percent home cooked. The other hasalways had a sensitive stomach and has hadproblems with regurgitation. She is still onhalf kibble/half home cooked while I try togure out what part of the new diet is notagreeing with her.

In the short time Ive been doing this,Ive noticed less gas and rmer stools,

and my oldest girls skin seems less aky

(she has had dry, aky skin since she cameinto rescue last August). They all love thenew food (other than the raw liver!) anddance for their dinner now. It really is notthat difcult; in fact, once I gured it allout and went through the process of doingit, I thought it was too easy and that I mustbe doing something wrong!

OurcommentsonEngmansdiet:Probioticsand digestiveenzymes

mayhelp preventdigestive problems

whenswitching diets. Probiotics are

alsohelpfulfordogswhohavebeenonantibiotics,or havehaddiarrhea. Its

notnecessarytocontinuetogivediges-

tiveenzymesunlessyourdogdoesbetter

withthemadded.Itsbetterto split thecalciumdosageandgivehalfwitheach

mealratherthangivingitallatonce.

C b Brenda and Joe Carriere,ofMinneapolis,Minnesota, have been cooking for theirtwo German Shepherds, eight-year-oldSarge and two-year-old Nikki, for about amonth due to the recall. Brenda describesher preparations:

I feed a diet that includes both grainsand legumes. Here is my basic recipe:

3 lbs meat (ground turkey, beef, or

pork; chicken thighs; or jack mackerel andsardines)

6 eggs (scrambled)

1 or 2 cups whole milk cottage cheeseor yogurt

6 ounces organ meat (beef liver, porkkidney, chicken hearts, etc.)

2 cups cooked brown rice plus 2 cupsveggies (carrots, sweet potatoes, yams,broccoli, peas, spinach, etc.), OR 4 cupslegumes (2 cups each green beans andeither lentils or pinto beans)

I cook everything separately, on thestove or, in case of the chicken thighs, onthe grill. After the thighs are cooked, I takethe meat off and throw away the bones. Isteam the veggies or cook the sweet potatoin the microwave.

I prepare food a few times a week, usu-ally in batches of two or three days, thenportion them individually for each dogand store them in the fridge. Everythingis mixed together and ready to be served.I feed each dog one and a half to two cupstwice a day. I microwave it for 30 secondsto take off the chill, and then add supple-ments at mealtime.

I give each dog 1,000 mg sh oil and400 IU vitamin E daily, as well as one tea-spoon organic apple cider vinegar. When

Wh tw--d n ws d bb dt, sh ws p dthsst bt h ms. Td, hm-ppd , sh dvs ht wth st!

ems z ts w ds wth hm-ppd ms, dts

bht b t ms, d mm z w dts. as sh sfd, em m tst h ds t hmmd w dt.

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not feeding canned sh, I add oneteaspoon crushed eggshell daily.They occasionally get fruit, such asbananas, strawberries, pineapple,and mangos, in addition to theirregular diet. They also get recre-ational femur bones two or threetimes a week, and I estimate thatat least 10 percent of their caloriescome from training treats, usually

chicken or cheese.We plan to continue home

cooking (there may be a dog coupdtatin my house if we go back!).Even in this short time, Sargescoat has become glossy with nomore dandruff, and he no longerscratches and nibbles at himself.He has also lost a few pounds,something we werent able toaccomplish while on kibble because healways seemed hungry. Nikki has becomeenthusiastic about meals, while before I

had to coax her to eat. Both dogs love theirnew diet: every time we go to the fridge ormicrowave something, they are right there,waiting expectantly for their new food.

Comments:

Legumescombinedwithgrainspro-

videmore completeprotein theneither

doesalone,soitisbettertofeedthemtogether, rather thanalternatingthem

betweenmeals.Legumes(includinggreen

beans)shouldalwaysbecookedduetoatoxintheycontainwhenraw(thoughsmall

amountswouldnotbeharmful).

u pLynn Byrd lives outside Marceline, Mis-souri. She developed her diets with aspreadsheet to ensure that they meet thecanine nutrition guidelines establishedby the National Research Council (NRC).Byrd has fed the following diet to her dogsfor 12 years, because, as she says:

I didnt like the idea of processed kibbleand my Bull Terrier was really gassy. Wenow have two Bull Terriers: Teddy, three

years old, and Triumph, about 11 years old,a deaf rescue who earned herCGC (CanineGood Citizen) using sign language.

We also foster rescues. These dogs areusually in pretty rough shape and I alwaysswitch them to homemade diets as soonas they arrive; none of them have had anyproblems with the switch. One foster dog,Kobe, had terrible mange and deep second-ary infections; he was skinny and terribly

weak. I doubt he would have made sucha complete recovery without his easilydigested homemade diet. Another foster,

Joe, had terrible teeth when he arrived,but he was also infected with heartwormsso the teeth cleaning was put off until theheartworms were treated, and by then histeeth looked great!

The diet I feed combines raw meat withcooked eggs, veggies, and rice. Here is mybasic diet for a 65-pound dog; the amountshere are for a three-day supply.

1 lb ground turkey

1 lb ground beef (80 percent lean)

1 can jack mackerel

4 large eggs

2 oz beef liver

1 cup (uncooked) rice

4 medium potatoes

1 cup/can vegetables (any)

2 TbspNOW bone meal (this provides3,500 mg calcium)

tspNOW potassium (provides 1,460mg potassium) optional

2 Tbsp sunower or safower oil

For variety, a 24-ounce carton of cot-tage cheese can be substituted for a can ofmackerel or a pound of meat. And of course

other meats such as venison, porchicken, etc. can be used instead the beef or turkey.

This recipe makes enough foofor three days. It can be frozen meal size portions. Its easy prepare:

1. Cook the rice. Then mix in toil, potassium, and bone meal.

2. Bake the potatoes and chothem up in their skins.

3. Lightly fry or scramble theggs.

4. Mix all ingredients and placea plastic shoe box.

5. Score into six equal portions if feeditwice a day.

To feed the liver, cut it with scissointo several small pieces, freeze, and feone piece several times a week (it doesndo well mixed with the other items, asgoes bad quickly). Give a human One-ADay-type multi-vitamin/mineral daily used One Source Advanced Multivitam& Mineral from Wal-Mart. It provides mg zinc, 3 mg manganese, and 45 IUvitamin E used to meet NRC guidelines

Comments:Thisdietusesalittlelessorganme

andalittlemorecarbohydratesthanIthiisideal,butitsstillagreatdiet.Increasin

theamountoforganormusclemeatjuslittlewouldmeetzincrequirementswitho

theuseofasupplement.

Thedietprovidesthe requiredmin

mumamountofpotassiumwithoutthsupplement,butLynn feels that addi

moreispreferredbasedonhernutrition

studies.

Notethat Joes teeth improved evthoughhisdietdidnotincludebones!

f , pc Jennifer Kuhlman, of Colorado SpringColorado, began cooking for Echo, hve-year-old male standard Poodle (5

pounds), and Cayenne, her ve-year-ofemale mixed breed (40 pounds), aboa month ago. Here is Kuhlmans homprepared plan:

Echo has always been quite thin, ana picky eater despite my adding fre

l Bds th--d B T, Tdd, wtspt t th tb hs hm-d d.

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foods to his kibble, while my rescue dog,Cayenne, is a little chubby, and will eatanything! I had considered feeding home-made several times, but the recall pushedme over the edge. I will denitely continue,as Im really enjoying it.

In the morning, they each get 4 ouncesof ground beef, chicken, or turkey, plus 1to 2 ounces of chicken liver, and the largerdog gets 6 ounces of cottage cheese, the

smaller 4 ounces.I add an egg about once a week; Echo

does not love them, but will eat them oc-casionally.

In the evening, Echo gets 12 ouncesof meat (beef, chicken, turkey, or cannedjack mackerel), and Cayenne gets only 4(due to her weight issues). Then they eachget about 4 ounces of a variety of cookedveggies (mostly sweet potatoes, steamedbroccoli, and canned green beans, butoccasionally whatever we are having fordinner), and a quarter cup of brown rice.

I supplement each dog with a teaspoonof Solgar Bone Meal Powder (1,000 mgcalcium) and a sh oil capsule daily. Cay-enne gets a teaspoon of Bertes ImmuneBlend but Echo doesnt like it, so he getsa vitamin E capsule.

All the meats are lightly cooked, eithersauted, or cooked (in patties) on a GeorgeForeman grill. I try to leave a little pink inthe center. I prefer to use free-range, anti-biotic-free, and usually organic meat.

I cook four or ve days worth of meat patties for breakfast, but usually I cook

their evening meal right when I serve it, asEcho gets more interested when he knowshis dinner is getting cooked. In the begin-ning, I tried to prepare a weeks worth ofmeals at once, and he stopped eating itafter three days. He is better about eatinghis breakfast though; he really likes liverand cottage cheese.

Its great to nally see Echo excited bymeals, with no need to be coaxed to eat.They are both doing great and Im havinglots of fun cooking for them. Their condi-tion has not changed much in such a shorttime, but the enjoyment they get from

eating has hugely increased.

Comments:

Itcanbeachallengetogetapickydog

toeataproperdiet.Itsimportantnottogiveinandfeedonlyafewfoods.Experi-

mentwithdifferentwaysofpreparingand

servingfoodsinordertolearnthetricks

thatworkforyourdog,suchasKuhlman

hasdiscoveredwithEcho.

u p c c bDee Davidson, of Redondo Beach, Cali-fornia, began feeding her 16-month-old,61-pound Labradoodle a home-cooked dietin early March.

Im using a pressure cooker for thebony meals and regular pots for the othermeat meals. I feed two meals a day, one

of meaty bones and one of meat, organs,eggs, dairy, etc. Ive also started giving mydog a raw meaty bone three days a weekto help keep her teeth clean.

I pressure-cook whole chickens, turkeydrums, or wings, or meaty pork necks forabout an hour, which results in most of thebones becoming crumbly soft. The largeturkey leg and wing bones may still berm in the center, so I crumble the endsand scoop out the marrow of the rm ones,throwing the rest away. I throw out the partof the pork neck bones that are not soft

enough to crumble as well. I also cookother meaty beef or pork bones in the pres-sure cooker, but most of the bones arentsoft enough to crumble and feed, so I throwout the bones and feed the meat with a halfa teaspoon of ground eggshells.

I usually add a cup of either brown riceor barley, along with a can of green beans,a couple of carrots, and leftovers of anyother vegetables, plus two chopped clovesof garlic, to the pressure-cooker.

I cook other kinds of meat in a regularpot, including any large cuts of meat, such

as those intended for pot roasts, or tongue,heart, and ground meats. I lightly braiseliver and boil kidney. Vegetables may beadded if the cooking is going to be longenough to make them digestible.

I add a couple of tablespoons of cottagecheese, plain yogurt, or grated cheesefour days a week to either her meatymeal, or as an evening snack. I feedone egg scrambled with spinach andcheese four days a week as part ofthe meaty meal.

Im giving her about a can ofsalmon weekly. I give her smallamounts in several meaty meals be-cause larger amounts seem to causea bit of loose stool.

After cooking and cooling, I putthe cooked food in 8-ounce portionsinto sandwich bags. I keep four orve in the refrigerator and put theremainder in the freezer. I have anaverage-size refrigerator/freezer, butso far this has worked satisfactorily.

I hope this helps someone who is juststarting and feels overwhelmed with theprocess. Its very easy. With the excep-tion of breads, crackers, and desserts, Imfeeding my dog almost exactly what I feedmyself.

My dog loves this new diet. She knowsall the signs and sounds of her food being prepared and does her perfect doggieroutine so I wont nd any excuse to delay

feeding her! After three months on the newdiet, I took her to a new vet last week andhis rst comments were, Ive seen other

Labradoodles, but she denitely looks thebest of them all. Shes in perfect health.

Comments:

Rememberthatwhenyoufeedcooked

bones,theymustbecompletelysoft,andyoumustbesurethereisplentyofmeat

orotherfoodsadded,asotherwisethe

cookedbone cancauseconstipationor

evenimpaction.

C ppp Pam Richard, of Portsmouth, New Hamp-shire,cooks a diet for her two Eurasiers:two-year-old Ruq and ve-month-old Tika.Shes been cooking for her older dog forabout a year and a half, after losing a dogto gastrointestinal cancer and starting towonder if nutrition might have been afactor. She was hesitant to feed her puppya homemade diet, but when the recallsstarted, she decided to jump in:

The big dog (55 pounds) gets about9 ounces of protein per meal (this varies between chicken, turkey, beef, pork,eggs, and fish, mixed with liver and/or kidney), plus calcium ( teaspoon

T, fv-mth-d es, s thm f t wh hws dw w tht sh s v d!

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ground eggshell). She gets avitamin (Thorne Basic CanineNutrients) and salmon oil withboth meals. In the morning, Igive her one spoonful each ofcanned tripe and yogurt with theprotein. In the evenings, I addabout 3 ounces of veggie mix:sweet potato or carrot, variousabove ground veggies, and

herbs (alternating between mint, parsley, and dill). I recentlystopped adding grains on aregular basis but previously usedbrown rice, oatmeal, and pearledbarley.

The puppy gets three mealsa day, of 6 ounces each. I amslowly adding the same varietyof protein sources, along withtripe and yogurt one meal, atablespoon or so of the veggiemix one meal, and a spoonful of

grains one meal. I split a teaspoon of SolidGold Bonemeal between the three meals. Ialso supplement with Bertes Daily Blendand salmon oil at two meals.

The meat is usually boiled, sometimesroasted, then chopped up and frozen inportions that last a couple of days.

Once I really got into home cooking, Ibought a chest freezer that has been won-derful both for freezing the cooked foodand storing pre-cooked meat. I cook sweet

potatoes in the microwave for ve minutes,while some of the other veggies are cooked

(steamed), and then all are chopped up nein a food processor. I keep the meat andveggies separate so I can mix and matchper meal/dog.

Tika, my puppy, was a slow eater withkibble and needed encouragement to nish.Now she is eager to eat and gobbles it alldown! I think that my pups eyes lookmuch clearer and brighter after changingfrom kibble, and I was using high-qualitybrands. Both dogs just look overall healthyto me, and they certainly eat with greatgusto!

Comments:

Theamountofcalciumaddedtoa

puppysdietisveryimportant.Thetea-

spoonofbonemealthatPamaddssupplies1,368mgofcalciumtobalanceout18

ouncesoffood,sothatsaround1,200mg

ofcalciumperpoundoffood.Thevitamin

supplementsheusescontainsvitaminD,whichenhancestheuptakeofcalcium,so

thisamountlooksjustaboutright.

hp cSally Gutierrez,of Long Beach, California,has been feeding a homemade diet to herdogs, who have many food intolerances,for almost two years. She started feedinga home-prepared diet when her 15-year-old Dachshund was diagnosed withpancreatitis. He lived another 18 months well past his veterinarians prediction and the improvements in his health helpedhim enjoy a good quality of life in his nalmonths. That experience led Gutierrez tohome-prepare all of her dogs food.

Currently, I have two rescue dogs:Smokey, a 7-year-old Chow/Lab, and CC,a 13-year-old Eskimo/Lab. Smokey gets 16ounces of food twice a day, and CC gets14 ounces twice a day.

Typically their meals consist of slow-cooked meat (e.g., pork, turkey, chicken,or beef, cooked in a crockpot for about 12hours), or Evangers canned Game Meats(duck, pheasant, buffalo, rabbit), or cannedsh with bones, such as pink salmon and

sardines. I try to give them the sh once aweek, and rotate the meats as much as pos-sible. Smokey has one poached egg withhis food every day. I dont give CC an eggbecause, for her, it triggers diarrhea.

Along with the meat I give them about40 to 50 percent vegetables. I feed a widevariety of veggies: creamed winter squash(their favorite! I buy it frozen and al-ready cooked and creamed, I just heat itin a microwave), summer squash, broccoli,cauliower, green beans, peas, carrots,

and occasionally spinach ancucumber.

I usually buy the veggifrozen and nuke them till theare barely warm (to retain moof the nutrients). I then blenthem with a meat broth left ovfrom the slow-cooked meat. Ocasionally I grate fresh produand add it to a broth soup.

The only organ meat ththey get is beef liver (organor grass-fed), usually smaamounts for about five dayevery other week. I give thesmall amounts to limit the vitmin A that is found in liver. Ooccasion, I add variety, such beef marrow gut, chicken heartand chicken gizzards. I woulike to add more organ meats bhave a hard time nding them

I originally added rice

their meals but discovered that it gave theboth diarrhea. I tried wild rice and Minurice and had the same results. They boappear to be lactose-intolerant, so they gno dairy products.

I provide them a vitamin suppleme(rotating between brands) and also ad teaspoon Kal Bone Meal Powder pmeal. I recently began wrapping thevitamins in a blob of nut butter it servas a sneaky treat!

Their diets are almost identical to mdiet (I have severe food allergies). C

has several food allergies and may havundiagnosed inammatory bowel disea(IBD). I have seen about a 95 percent rduction in scratching from my dogs sinstarting to feed them a homemade diCCs formerly watery stools are now rmand her stiffness and muscle weakness the rear are now gone as well.

Comments:Theamountof food these dogs a

fedmayseemlikealot,butalmostha

ofitisvegetables,whicharelowerincalo

ries.Bothdogsarealsoquiteactive,goinonhikesinthemountainswiththeirown

regularly.Theamountofbonemealinth

dietishigh,andGutierrezplanstoadju

theamounttoprovidearound1,000mgcalciumperpoundoffood.

a w- w pbmJanet Hughes, of Greenbelt, Maryland, hbeen feeding a low-fat cooked diet for th

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past 18 months to her elderly Collie-mix,who suffers from chronic pancreatitis.

Scampers is 18 years old and weighs 50pounds. Here is her typical daily diet, splitbetween breakfast and supper:

1 cup chicken breast, boiled, with allvisible fat removed

cup heart (usually beef, occasionallyturkey or chicken), boiled, fat removed

cup lean ground meat (beef, pork, orturkey), boiled and rinsed; beef kidney; orchicken gizzards

cup liver (pork, chicken, or beef)

cup cottage cheese, nonfat or lowfat

cup boiled veggies (approximatelyone part summer squash to one part collardor turnip greens, kale, Brussels sprouts,broccoli, or spinach)

cup starchy carb (sweet potato, oat-meal, or barley)

1 Tbsp coconut oil

tsp ground eggshell

She also gets lunch, which is a scram-bled egg with yogurt, or occasionally jack

I found the addition of the DigestionBlend keeps her settled. Prior to startingthat, shed have almost monthly are-upsof inappetence and diarrhea. The coconutoil also was a major boon for maintainingoverall bounce. Shes been eating thishome-cooked diet for over 18 months(after a couple of years of trying to resumea normal diet, then trying Hills and IVDprescription diets, which she hated).

Comments:

Thisisagreatexampleofhowahomemade diet can be modied to meet an

individual dogs needs. Whether specic

ingredientsneedtobeavoided,fatlevels

needtobeadjusted,orratiosneedtobetweaked,youhavecompletecontroland

canfeedwhatworksforyourindividual

dog.Coconutoilsuppliesaformoffat

thatismoreeasilydigestedbydogswithfatintolerances.

J w mCarol Boyle,ofthe greater New York Citymetropolitan area, has cooked for her GreatPyrenees for more than two decades!

I started with Pitcairn (Dr.PitcairnsCompleteGuide toNaturalHealth for

Dogs&Cats)as my guide, but thoughthe did not use as much variety as I wouldlike to use, so I began adding more anddifferent vegetables. I realized that I

would make chickenthighs for the dogs

one night, and thenroast breasts the nextnight for my family,and the light wenton. I began cookingwhole chickens andwe share them.

When I cook formy husband and my-self, we always startwith a salad, followedby a protein source,a vegetable, and a

carbohydrate. I serve the same or similarfoods to the dogs. I cook as though I amcooking for a large family.

Sunday was a typical meal. I put two5-pound chickens in the oven to roast. Theywere lightly sprinkled with garlic salt andlots of dried rosemary. I made rice pilafand broccoli. The dogs got the giblets (liverand heart, etc.) of the chickens, as well asthe dark meat. We ate the breast. We hada salad and the dogs got some shredded

mackerel (she cant tolerate much of it, anddoesnt care for whitesh).

I supplement daily with two or threesh oil softgels, Bertes Digestion Blend,and a geriatric vitamin tablet (Geri-Form),along with 400 IUs vitamin E three or fourtimes a week. She also gets medications for

pancreatic insufciency and arthritis.I cook, package, and freeze about

once a month, using an assembly-lineproduction over a few days.I boil the veggies all at

once, then cook the starchycarbs. I package the half-and-half mixture of thetwo with the coconut oiland eggshell so that hereggshell and coconut oilfor one day are in one cupof the veggie/starch mix. Ithen boil the chicken, cooland chop, then boil theheart and cut it into cubes.I cook the ground meat orgizzard, then the liver, andcube them.

I package each days ration into a singleGladWare container, stacking chicken,other meat, liver, and cottage cheese, withthe veggie mix on top.

Ive tweaked her diet over severalmonths to suit her. Too much broccoli ortoo little summer squash in her veggiemix and she gets burpy and spits up, forexample. She doesnt care for white potato,and lamb is too fatty for her.

Smps, c-mx, s std 18 s d! Sh ss m ptts,bt hs mpvd s stt t v w-t, hm-d dt. Smpsd s pstd vtd bw bs h b s wbb thws.

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carrots and cucumbers in with their foodtoo. There is one chicken and some riceleft for another meal for them.

Last night we had London Broil, baked

potato, cauliower, and some salad.Sharing meals has taken the drudgeryout of feeding something special to thedogs. Basically, we all eat the same food.The dogs get a higher percentage of meat( meat to veggie and carbo combo)than we do, and they do get some mealsthat are different from ours. Three times amonth they get liver; once a week they getcanned salmon or sardines. We go out orcall out for dinner when they get the differ-ent foods (neither of the dogs like Chinesefood, but pizza is another story!).

The dogs have done remarkably wellon this diet. My old Patou was ve yearsold when I started this diet, and he livedto be almost 15, an unheard-of age for aGreat Pyrenees. Our current crew consistsof Cajun, 11 years, and my new Patou,three years.

I make certain that everything is asfresh and wholesome as possible. We eatall different kinds of meats and vegetables,cooked simply and seasoned liberally with

suPPleMentsBts imm Bd, D Bd, ut Pbt Pwd, Zm d Dst Bd B-Naturals, b-naturals.com, (866) 368-2728

Sd gd Bm, solidgoldhealth.com, (800) 364-4863

S B M Pwd, solgar.com, (800) 645-2246

Th Vt Bs c ntts, thor ne.com, (208) 263-1337. Also available romwellvet.com, (303) 702-1986

Vt--Mx g-m, lloydinc.com/vetami.html, (800) 831-0004

BooksDr. Pitcairns Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats,by Richard Pitcairn, DVM. Available rom dogwise.com, (800) 776-2665

CoMMerCial dietsTh Hst kth, thehonestkitchen.com, (866) 437-9729

ub W, urbanwol.cc, (866) 530-0322

nt eVo, naturapet.com, (800) 532-7261

evs gm Mts, evangersdogood.com, (847) 537-0102

More inforMationSee the authors Web page (dogaware.com/dogeeding.html) or more inormation on home-eeding books, websites, and e-mail groups; supplements; pre-mies; commercial raw diets;and local raw ood co-ops and groups.

rc M t ac

herbs and spices (not hot). And thats it: 20years and three dogs. And lots of roastedchicken, steaks, pork roasts, and all kindsof vegetables. The only supplement I give

routinely is calcium in the form of egg-shells ( teaspoon ground eggshell perpound of meat). I believe that most of thenutrients we need are best supplied in thevariety from a natural diet.

Comments:Dogsdontdigestvegetables

verywellunlesstheyareeithercooked

orpureed,tobreakdownthecellwalls(gratingisntenough),thoughwhole,raw

veggieswilldonoharm(theyjustwont

contributetheir fullnutritional value).

Iwouldfeedlivermoreoftenthanthis,simplybecauseitissonutritionallydense,

thoughyoucanseethatdogscanthrive

withless.Oh,anddontassumeyourdogs

wont likesomethinglikeChinesefoodminehavealwayslovedit!

u p-mxDawn Lange, of Duluth, Minnesota,feeds commercial dog food pre-mixesto her senior Sheltie and four-month-oldminiature Poodle, Spike.

Lange describes her protocol:I have fed a mixture of homemad

and pre-mixes to my older dog for severyears. I currently rotate between The Hoest Kitchen Embark (which is approvfor all life stages) and Urban Wolf witheir Dietary Balancer for Puppies addeI occasionally mix in some Innova EVdry and use that as training treats. I adground beef, turkey, or chicken, and rota

oils, using peanut, olive, canola, sunowetc. I have a grinder so I do use organ meoccasionally and usually grind chicke

myself or just use chunkI cook the meat, as this what I am comfortabwith. I add salmon oil cato each meal.

I dont like the idea using kibble exclusivelbut when I got my pup, eeryone kept telling me nto risk doing homemade an

to use a puppy kibble for trst year. That just seemwrong. How could it be beter than fresh food? I cho

to use pre-mixes as a safe compromise.I am happy with my dogs coats an

their enthusiasm at mealtime. My vet happy because the pre-mixes meet AAFCstandards and that makes me feel mocomfortable, too.

Comments: Pre-mixes canofferpeaofmindforthosewhoworryaboutth

completenessofahome-prepareddietfopuppies.LikeLange,besuretouseon

those that are specically formulated fpuppiesorforalllifestagesaccordin

toAAFCOguidelines.

Remember that the right diet for yodog is the one that he does well on, and thyou are comfortable with. Each dog is aindividual, so what works for one may nwork for another. If your dog has problemwith what you feed if he doesnt enjohis food, or shows signs of digestive ups then try something else. Just make su

youre feeding a variety of different foodnot just his favorites. The beauty ofhomemade diet is that you can change an

part of it to t your dogs needs.

MaryStrausdoesresearchoncanin

healthandnutritiontopicsasanavocatio

Sheis theowner oftheDogAware.cowebsite.ShelivesintheSanFranciscoBa

Areawithher15-year-olddog,Piglet.

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By Pat Miller

Psitivey Qiet

T

How to achieve a ALMOST bark-ree home.

heres a lot of talk these days aboutthe fact that dogs are primarilybody language communicators. Itstrue, they are. But as anyone whosspent time with them knows, dogs

also have a pretty well-developed abilityto express themselves vocally. Dogs bark.Some bark more, some bark less, and afew dont bark at all, but most dogs barkat least some of the time.

W bAs the owner of four dogs, two of whomare very vocal, with a third quite willing toexpress himself on occasion, I can testifyto the domestic dogs ability to speak. In-terestingly, while wild puppies bark, wildadult dogs rarely do, at least not to thedegree our canine companions do.

Genetics plays a large role here, ofcourse. Over the millennia that we humanshave been selectively breeding dogs, wevepurposely bred some dogs to be loud, oth-ers to be quiet.

At the more end of the continuum,the scent hounds are programmed togive voice to announce the presence of

their quarry. Thus Beagles, Coonhounds,Foxhounds, and others in this group arequite vocal although they do tend tobay rather than yap. Most of the herdingbreeds are easily incited to bark. Skilled attelling a recalcitrant sheep or cow to backoff, these Type-A workaholic dogs alsodelight in playing the role of noisy funpolice. Many of the toy breeds also havea well-deserved reputation for barkinessas do the terriers.

In the less-barking category, theguarding breeds tend to reserve their formi-dable vocalizing for serious provocation.Sight hounds also lean toward the quietside, preferring to chase their quarry ratherthan bark at it. Then, of course, theres theBasenji a somewhat primitive Africanbreed of dog who doesnt bark but hesure can scream!

Another reason wild dogs bark lessthan our own furry family members isthat they are less likely to be subjected toenvironments that encourage barking, such

as fenced yards with potential prey objects(skateboards, joggers, bicycles) speedingtantalizingly past just out of reach; or hu-

w y c . . .

Determine what kind o barking

your dog is doing, and take

appropriate measures to modiy

the behavior.

Remember that eercise is an

important part o almost all

behavior modifcation programs,

including barking.

Dont yell at your dog, no matter

how much you want to! It doesnt

teach her anything.

I a dog in your neighborhood is

barking ecessively,

oer to help

your neighbor

understand how

to change her

dogs behavior.

mans who inadvertently or intentionally reinforce barking.

n b Dogs bark for various reasons. If you wantto modify your dogs barking behavior (ei-ther decrease it or increase it) its helpful toknow what kind of barking your dog is do-ing, how the behavior is being reinforced,and what to do about it.

alr/lrm brkg This is the dogwho saves his family from a re, tells usthat Timmys in the well, scares off therapist, barks at the dogs on Animal Planet and goes bonkers every time someonewalks past on the sidewalk outside the pic-ture window. Alarm barkers can save lives but sometimes their judgment about whatconstitutes an alarm-appropriate situationcan be a little faulty.

You can manage alarm barking by re-

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ducing the dogs exposure to the incitingstimuli. Perhaps you can baby gate himout of the front room, move the sofa awayfrom the windows so he cant jump up andsee out, or close the drapes.

Outside, you might consider puttingslats in the chain link fence to cut downon his visual access to the world surround-ing his yard (better yet, install a privacyfence) or put up an interior fence to block

his access to the more stimulating partsof the yard. Given that alarm barking willinevitably occur, its also useful to teachhim a positive interrupt a cue, other thanShut up! that you can use to stop him inmid-bark. (See The Positive Interrupt,page 12.)

However, your dog might be barkingbecause something really iswrong. Beforeyou use that positive interrupt, take a mo-ment to see what your dog is barking at.Perhaps your house really is on re.

Dmd brkg This behavioris more likely to annoy you than yourneighbors, but its annoying nonetheless. Ademand barker has learned that he can getwhat he wants usually attention or treats by telling you. It often starts as a gentle,

adorable little grumble, and can quicklyturn into insistent, loud barks your dogsway of saying, I want it,NOW!

Demand barking is easiest to extin-guish early. The longer a dog successfullydemands stuff, the more persistent hell beif you try to ignore him. However, ignoringhim is the best answer to this behavior. Notreats, no attention not even eye contact.The instant the demand behavior starts, ut-

ter a cheerful Oops! and turn your backon your dog. When hes quiet, say, Quiet,yes! and return your attention and treat to him.

Watch out for extinction bursts and behavior chains. When youre trying tomake a behavior go away by ignoring it,your dog may increase the intensity of hisbehavior I WANT IT NOW! This is anextinction burst. If you succumb, thinkingits not working, you reinforce the moreintense behavior, and your dog is likely toget more intense, sooner, the next time. If

you stick it out and wait for the barking tostop, youre well on your way to makingit go away. You have to be more persistent and consistent than your dog.

A behaviorchain is a series of behav-iors strung together. Your dog may learn

to bark once or twice to get you to tuyour back, say quiet, and feed him a treaHis short behavior chain is bark then bquiet. To avoid this, be sure to acknowedge and reward him frequently before hevenstarts barking.

Frur/rul brkg Oftconfused with anxiety barkers, dogs whhave a low tolerance for frustration w

bark hysterically when they cant get whthey want.

Unlike the separation anxiety panic atack, this is simply an I WANT IT! stytemper tantrum similar to demand barkinbut with more emotion, and directed at ththing he wants, such as a cat strolling brather than at you.

You can use the positive interrupt redirect a frenzy of frustration barking.you consistently offer high value treats the presence of frustration-causing stimuyou can counter-condition your dog

look to you for treats when the cat strolby (cat = yummy treats) rather than eruinto a barking t.

Brdm brkg This is the dowhos left out in the backyard all day, an

t nb BSometimes its notyourdog barking, its your neighbors! Thiscan present a challenge: your neighbor may or may not beinterested in xing the problem. How do you handle this?

What to doYour rst step is to gently inform your neighbor that her dogis barking excessively, and when. This is best done during theday, notwith an irate phone call when the dog wakes you up attwo oclock in the morning again.Assume shes not aware ofit, or at least not aware its disturbing to her neighbors.

If she seems receptive, show her this article to give hersome ideas about how to modify her dogs barking behavior.If youre feeling generous, give her a copy of Terry Ryansbook, TheBarkStopsHere,for more in-depth informationon barking.

Even if youve already had some negative interactionswith your neighbor over her dog, it may not be too late to tryagain, and mend fences. Approach her with an apology for anypast bad words, and let her know youd like to help with herdogs barking, if you can. Even short of doing actual behaviormodication, offers to let her dog play with yours (if theyrecompatible) or taking her dog for walks (if you can safely man-age the dog) may enrich the dogs environment and provideenough exercise to reduce or eliminate the barking.

If shes not receptive, or if your neighbor is such a threaten-ing presence from the dark side that youre not comfortable

contacting her, you can le a complaint with the animalauthorities in your community. Most will not disclose theidentity of a complainant, but you should double-check with

them to be sure. You may need to make follow-up complaintsif their initial contact with the dog owner doesnt effect anadequate change in behavior.

WhatnOTto doDo notattempt to work with a neighbors dog without thepermission of the owner. Even with your best of intentions,you could be bitten, you could be sued, and you could actuallyintensify the bark rather than reducing it. And do notinstallany electronic anti-barking devices. We are hearing reportsthat these can be quite aversive, perhaps even painful, forthe dogs at which they are directed.

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maybe all night. Dogs are social creatures,and the backyard dog is lonely and bored.Boredom barking is often continuous, witha monotonous quality: Ho hum, nothingelse to do, I may as well just bark. This isthe kind of barking thats most annoyingto neighbors, and most likely to elicit aknock on your door from a friendly AnimalControl ofcer.

The answer here is obvious, and rela-

tively easy: Bring the dog inside. Manyoutdoor barkers are perfectly content to liequietly around the house all day, waitingfor you to come home, and sleep peacefullybeside your bed at night.

If your dog isnt house-safe, use crates,exercise pens, a professional dog walker(or volunteer one youd be amazed athow many people would like to walk adog, but not own one!), lots of exercise,even doggie daycare to keep him out oftrouble, until he earns house privileges.You can also enrich the dogs environment,

by giving him interactive toys such asfood-stuffed Kong toys that keep his brainengaged and his mouth busy.

sr brkg Stress barkers arefearful, anxious, or even panicked aboutsomething real or anticipated in the envi-ronment, such as the actual approach ofa threat, or isolation distress/separationanxiety.

Separation anxiety (SA) is manifested ina number of behaviors, including nonstophysterical barking and sometimes howling.

This is a complex and challenging behaviorboth to modify andto manage, as true SAis a real panic attack in response to beingleft alone; the dog truly cannot control hisbehavior. SA usually requires the interven-tion of a good positive behavior consultant,and sometimes pharmaceuticals.

If your dog is barking due to stress,fear, or anxiety, consult with a qualiedprofessional behavior counselor who usespositive modication methods, and try tomanage your dogs environment to mini-mize his exposure to stressors while youwork on a program to counter-condition

and desensitize him.

Ply brkg This is a commonbehavior for herding dogs the cheerleadersand fun police of the canine world. Asother dogs (or humans) romp and play, theplay-barker runs around the edges, barking,sometimes nipping heels.

If youre in a location where neighborswont complain and the other dogs toler-

t P ipThe positive interrupt is a well-programmed, highly reinforced behavior that al-lows you to redirect your dogs attention back to you when shes doing somethinginappropriate, like barking. Ideally, you want your dogs response to the Overhere! cue to be soautomatic classically conditioned that he doesnt stop tothink whether what hes doing is more rewarding or interesting than turning hisattention toward you and running to you for a treat. He doesnt think he justdoes it, the way your foot automatically hits the brake of your car when you see

taillights ash in front of you on the highway.Heres how to program a positive interrupt:

1. ill h cu lw-drc vrm. Use a phrase such as Overhere! or Quiet please! as your interrupt cue. Say the phrase in a cheerful toneof voice when your dog is paying attention to you, then immediately feed hima morsel of very high value treat, such as a small shred of chicken. Repeat untilyou see his eyes light up and his ears perk when you say the phrase.

2. Prcc wh h cu lw-drc vrm.Wait until your dogis engaged in a low-value activity wandering around the room, snifng some-

thing mildly interesting then sayyour interrupt phrase in the same

cheerful tone of voice. You shouldsee an immediate interrupt in hislow-value activity, as he dashes toyou for his chicken. If he doesnt,return to Step 1.

3. Prcc wh h cu

lw-drc vrm.

th dd drc. Still inthe low-distraction environmentso you can control the distractionlevel, add moderate distractions one at a time and practice the

interrupt. Gradually move up tomajor distractions in the low-distraction environment. If you lose his automaticresponse at any step, return to the previous step.

4. Mv yur l vrm wh rl-lf drc. Go fora walk around the block with your dog onleash. Use the interrupt when hes snifng abush, or eyeing garbage in the gutter. Startwith mild to moderate real-life distractionsif possible, but if a major distraction presentsitself, including a stimulus that causes himto bark, give it a try!

5. U h pv cu rrup brk-

g. When your dog automatically turns hisattention to you in response to your cue whenconfronted with major real-life distractions,you have a valuable tool for interrupting hisbarking. Be sure you practice occasionallywith mild distractions as well; to keep thecue tuned up, and remember to thank himand tell him what a wonderful dog he is whenhe stops barking on your request.

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to subscribe: www.whl-dg-jnal.m cpgh 2007, blv Mda Gp, LLc THEWHOLEDOGJOURNAL|

ate the behavior, you might just leave thisone alone. With children, however, the behaviors not appropriate, and the dogshould be managed by removing himfrom the play area, rather than risk bitesto children.

If you do want to modify play-barkingbehavior, use negativepunishment wherethe dogs behavior makes the good stuffgo away. When the barking starts, use a

time-out marker such as Oops! Too bad!and gently remove your dog from the play-ground for one to three minutes. A tab ashort 6 to 12 inch leash left attached to hiscollar makes this maneuver easier. Thenrelease him to play again. Over time, as herealizes that barking ends his fun, he maystart to get the idea. Or he may not this

is a pretty hardwired behavior, especiallywith the herding breeds. You may justresort to nding appropriate times whenyou allow play-barking to happen.

Grg brkg Yay, Momshome! Moms home! Moms home! Ifyour dog hails you with hellos when youreturn after an absence, its time to shiftinto ignore mode. Stand outside your door

and wait for the cacophony to subside, thenenter calmly; no rousing hug-fests or Ilove you! I missed you! sessions. Whenyour dog is quiet, then calmly greet him.If he starts to bark again, mark the barkingwith an Oops! and ignore him again.

Youll need that calm response whenhis loud greetings are directed toward

arriving guests, too. If you use loud vebal reprimands you add to the chaos anarousal; your dog may even think youbarking along with him!

Instead, use your positive interrupt invite your dog to you, and calmly put hiin another room or on a tether then greyour visitors. You may want to tape a noto your door advising guests that you atraining your dog and it may take you

moment or two to answer the door, so thdont give up and go away.

Uncontrolled barking can be frustratinto humans. I know this all too well, wiseveral vocal dogs in my own personpack. However, our dogs sometimes havimportant and interesting things to say.

sm C W t W?Dogs do more than just bark. They whine, they whimper, they

grumble and growl, they scream, they howl . . . and each com-munication can contain messages that help you understandyour dog. When your dog is communicating out loud, take amoment to gure out what hes trying to say, and why, andwhat, if anything, you should do about it.

Whines and whimpers are usually related to stress and/orexcitement. Some breeds of dogs seem to whine more than oth-ers German Shepherds, for example, seem especially proneto whining. Often this behavior persists because its reinforcedby the natural human tendency to comfort a whining puppy.Like demand barking, its best to ignore whining and reinforcequiet. However, because its often stress-induced, if your dogsa whiner, you might want to evaluate his environment to see

if you can reduce the stressors in his world.Grumbles and growls can have several meanings. Somedogs grumble and growl in enjoyment at a butt-scratch or body massage. More often,a growl is an important warning I dontlike you (or whatever youre doing); pleasestop! (See The Gift of Growling, WDJOctober 2005.)

Do notpunish your dog for this invaluablecommunication! Its the most benign meanshe has of letting you know that somethingbothers him. Take away his growl, and a snapor bite is likely to happen without warning.Rather, when your dog growls in warning,step back to see whats causing him suchdiscomfort, remove the stressor, and gure outhow to give him a more positive associationwith the thing thats causing the growling.Aggression is not something to fool aroundwith; seek the help of a professional if yourdog is growling at everyday stressors suchas children, or routine handling. Meanwhile,count your blessings that your dog has the

good sense and inhibition to growl his displeasure rather than

sink his teeth into nearby human esh.Basenjis are a primitive breed of dog from Africa. They are

advertised as barkless, but what many people dont know isthat while they dont bark, they do scream, a blood curdlingsound that evokes images of a woman being murdered. Exceptfor this unusual breed, most dogs are in extreme distress whenthey scream. Investigate and rescue.

Who among us hasnt smiled at our dogs howling at thesound of a re truck siren speeding past? The howl, whichsometimes speaks of a dogs distress, is also a communalconversation. Dogs often howl in groups, and some ownersdelight in teaching their dogs to howl on cue, by howling orsinging themselves. Group howl is a popular activity of

wild dogs, and of many humans around the campre at dogcamps. Try it you and your dog might enjoy it!

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We tend to think of barking as a generally undesirable behav-ior. In fact, there may be times when you wantyour dog tobark. If you routinely walk or jog with your dog in areas whereyou might be accosted by unwelcome strangers, a controlledbark from your dog might serve as a useful deterrent. Youknow your dog is barking on cue, but the potential muggerdoesnt, and likely assumes your dogs willing to back up hisbark with a bite.

It may also be easier to teach your dog a quiet! cue if youteach him to speak when you ask, rather than just waiting foropportunities to present themselves. To teach him to bark oncue, nd a way to trigger a bark. Some dogs will bark if youact silly, tease with a toy, or knock on the door.

Find your dogs trigger, give your Speak! cue, then elicitthe bark. (If you want the bark to eventually ward off potentialaccosters, select a cue that will make sense in that context,such as Stop! or Leave me alone!)

When your dog barks, mark the desired behavior, withthe click! of a clicker or a verbal marker, such as the wordYes!, and feed him a treat. Repeat this until hell bark onjust the cue, without the trigger. Then practice in differentenvironments until the bark on cue behavior is well gener-alized. When his bark on cue is well established, you canfollow it with a quiet! cue, so youll be able to turn the barkoff when you want.

Caveat:Becarefulwhenteachingyourdogtobarkon

cue. Once he learns a bark can make you click! the clicker,he may try demand-barking and you may get more speakthan you want. For this reason, I dont teach my dogs to barkon cue unless they already tend to bark too much, in whichcase its useful for teaching quiet!

P p m cYou may have heard the suggestion that if you put a behaviorsuch as barking on cue and have it under goodstimuluscontrol,the dog then wont bark unless you give him the cue to speak.Here are the four rules of stimulus control:

1. The dog always offers the behavior when given the cue.(He always barks when you ask him to.)

2. The dog never offers the behavior when you dont givehim the cue. (He never speaks when you dont ask him to.)

3. The dog never offers the behavior when you cue a differentbehavior. (He never speaks when you ask him to sit.)

4. The dog never offers a different behavior when you cuethe behavior. (He never sits when you ask him to speak.)

It sounds good in theory, perhaps, but in reality, it doesntwork to stop a behavior. Think about it. Many owners havethe Sit! cue under good stimulus control the dog always,or almost always, sits when asked.

However, that doesnt mean the dog never chooses to sit ofhis own accord. Dogs sit all the time! The above rules applyonly duringactualtrainingsessions. Having a behavior oncue and under stimulus control does notmean the dog will

never choose to do the behavior on his own, or be triggeredto offer the behavior by some other stimulus.

In fact, as mentioned above, teaching your dog to bark oncue by reinforcing the behavior makes itmore likely your dogwill offer to bark, not less. Forewarned is forearmed!

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There was the time I was engrossed inwriting an article and our dogs were alarm-barking ferociously. Resisting the urge justto tell them to stop, I reluctantly got up toinvestigate. No, the house wasnt on re,

but I did nd our horses running down thedriveway toward the road.

You wantsome control over your dogsvoice, but dont lose sight of the valueof his vocal communications; he may betrying to tell you something important. Ifyou ignore him you might nd your horseson the highway, the house burned to theground, or Timmy in the well.

PatMiller,CPDT,isWDJsTrainingEditor.

MillerlivesinHagerstown,Maryland,site

ofherPeaceablePawstrainingcenter.She

isalsotheauthorofThe Power of PositiveDog Training andPositive Perspectives:Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog.Formoreinformation,seeResources,page24.

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By CJ Puotinen

ages ab

T

Rescuig a older dog ca be the source o much joy.

he nine-year-old Golden Retrieverwas a mess. Her nails were so long,they curved around and made walk-ing difcult, her coat was lthy, andher ears were so badly infected that

Angel received annual vaccinations andtreatment for ear infection are-ups, buttrips to the vet were her only outings.

In 2007, circumstances in the ownerslife changed and she was no longer able tokeep Angel. Through a relative, she turnedfor help to trainer Nancy Strouss at PeopleTraining for Dogs in Nyack, New York.

People are often judged harshly forgiving up a dog, especially an older one,says Strouss. But in some cases, suchas when their own life is in crisis and thedog is neglected, its the most loving thinga person can do. This was the case withAngels owner. I give her a lot of credit forwanting to nd Angel a better home.

As she often does, Strouss began

her veterinarian recommended surgery.Now she was being given up for adoption.Would anyone want her?

The odds were against it, but heres aholistic makeover story in which an olddog gets a new name, a new look, a new

home, and an exciting new life.The story begins nine years ago in

Rockland County, New York, northwest ofNew York City, when a man bought a pup-py and named her Angel. His wife wasnthappy because she preferred a clean house,so Angel spent most of her life in a crate.After two years, the owners wife beggeda friend to take the dog. The friend didntwant a dog, either, but she felt so sorry forAngel that she agreed to adopt her.

making inquiries among her students andacquaintances on behalf of the older dog,whom she had not yet met. She was alreadytrying to find a new home for anotherrescued Golden Retriever, a two-year-oldfemale.

The two-year-old was placed by theend of the week, Strouss says. Callskept coming in about her and each timeI said that shes been placed, I would askif the caller might be interested in a nine-year-old.

But almost everyone who had called toinquire about the young dog had recentlylost an older Golden. After tearfully tell-ing Strouss about their dogs, they declinedfurther information about the older dog,

Case history

w y c . . .

Consider adopting (or ostering) an

older dog!

Take your middle-aged or elderly

rescue dog or a thorough

veterinary eamination and

nutrition consultation.

Use an improved diet, herbs,

homeopathy, acupuncture,

chiropractic, massage, and gentle

eercise to improve the rescued

dogs health and outlook on lie.

Use positive training methods only!

Many neglected or

abandoned dogs

never had the

beneft o training

much less dog-

riendly training.

Case history

a (s t b -md a) d h w w, th fst d thw tth. e tht w, th d hd h fst pss md th d h dpt, vt xm.Pht b St Hshm, DVM

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saying they couldnt deal with the possibil-ity of losing another dog any time soon.

a Then a call came in from Mohit SantRam,a 32-year-old computer programmer/designer in New York City. He, too, wasinquiring about the two-year-old, but toStrousss surprise, he said yes, he wouldconsider the nine-year-old instead. We

talked on the phone and e-mailed endlesslythat week. I needed to be sure he wouldprovide a good home for her and he neededto be sure he was ready for the responsibilityand nancial commitment.

Angels veterinarian had recommendedsurgery at a cost of $300 per ear, pluspost-operative pain medication for severalmonths. However, the nancial burdenof the veterinary care that Angel neededwould not fall completely on the adoptersshoulders. After hearing her endlesslymention Angel in classes, three of Strousss

advanced students offered to sponsor An-gel by paying her veterinary bills. Theywanted to help make her more adoptable.

Note that neither Strouss (the dogschampion) nor Strousss students (thebenefactors), nor SantRam (the potentialowner) had met Angel yet! But there wassomething about the dogs story that deeplytouched them all.

All of Angels angels came together onSunday, April 22, 2007.

The owner and a friend broughtAngel to Strousss training facility for an

evaluation. When I saw her, she was lthy so dirty that I had to wash my hands afterpetting her, describes Strouss. Her hairwas falling out all over the oor, her coatwas very thick from not being brushed,and her undercoat ew all over the placewhenever I touched her. The dogs earswere so badly infected, inamed, swollen,and dirty that in one ear, Strouss couldnteven see into the canal.

Also, Angels nails were so long thatthey curved all the way around. I dontknow how she could walk, says Strouss.It must have been painful.

Within ten minutes of meeting Angel,Strouss was sitting on the oor cuttingher nails as the dog lay calmly beside her.She didnt mind at all, says Strouss.She just waited while I cut the nails onall four feet.

Angel might not have won a beautycontest, but she had a terric personality.

Cutting her nails was certainly a testof temperament, says Strouss, and then

I noticed how little she interacted with herowner. After I cut her nails, she followedme everywhere I went, always trying tocatch my attention with intense eye con-tact. She obviously longed for attention.

Later that day SantRam arrived, andhe and Strouss took Angel for a walk allaround Nyack.

Since Mo lives in New York City, shesays, we wanted to be sure Angel could

handle all the noise and activity of city life.It was a beautiful Sunday, so Nyack wasalive with all kinds of people and thingsgoing on.

Angel loved every minute of ourwalk. Noises didnt bother her, she lovedpeople stopping to say hello to her, andshe walked condently through crowdsof people on narrow sidewalks. We passeda couple of dogs and she looked at themwith interest but nothing more. We alsoobserved how well she walked up anddown the steep stairs at our school, which

was important because Mo owns a co-opthats a third-oor walk-up in ManhattansEast Village.

M bStrouss and SantRam put a plan into place.Strouss made arrangements for Angel to goto a groomer for a thorough makeover, andto be examined by a holistic veterinarian.If all went well, Angel would go straight

home with SantRam.On April 28, holistic veterinaria

Stacey Hershman examined Angel. A87 pounds, says Dr. Hershman, Angwas overweight, and I suspected she ha low thyroid condition. She had a coupof rubbery cysts, one on her back and onbehind her right elbow, both the size an olive, and four lick granulomas, onat the top of each foot. No doubt years

boredom combined with her skins itchoily seborrhea contributed to those raise brownish red granulomas. She also hsome pain in both hips, was slow to gup, and limped slightly.

Dr. Hershman took blood samplfor a panel of tests and gave Angelhomeopathic remedy for her ear and sksymptoms pending thyroid test resulShe told SantRam about the problems thcan result from the combination vaccinAngel had received so often, explaininthat many of her symptoms are commo

in over-vaccinated dogs.In addition to avoiding future va

cinations, she recommended that Angbe switched from her diet of inexpensikibble and canned food to a well-balancraw diet by gradually adding raw food what she was used to eating. Her improvdiet and increased exercise should help tdog lose weight.

Giving Angie an occasional bone chew would also help remove the plaquon her teeth. Dr. Hershman recommenda teaspoon of Carlson brand cod liver o

in the morning and a tablespoon of oganic coconut oil in the evening to suppoAngels immune system, skin, and ears

Angels ears looked awful, says DHershman, but she denitely did not nesurgery. Her right ear was worse than thleft. The right pinnae was thickened wiscar tissue and lled with a black, tarryeasty smelling exudate. The left ear wyeasty and brown.

Dr. Hershman flushed the right eand lled it with Pellitol ointment, as sdescribed in A New Old Ear Treatmen(WDJ June 2004). Dr. Hershman prefe

Pellitol to other ear cleaners because as thointment dries and begins to fall out, whictakes about a week, it painlessly takes edebris with it.

I showed Mo how to clean the oinment out after one week, she says, anafter that he will clean her ears twiceweek with Dermapet MalAcetic Otic ecleanser. I like Dermapet because itsgentle, hypoallergenic liquid that hel

St Hshm, DVM, hs hstvt hs pt nw y d nw Js, shmpth, pt, d thmpmt thps.

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keep the ears pH in proper bal-ance, which helps prevent thegrowth ofPseudomonas bacteriaas well as yeast and fungi.

For routine ear cleaning, Dr.Hershman does not recommendlling the ear canal with liquid andthen having the dog shake it out.

Shaking the head never re-moves all of the liquid, she

explains, and you want the earsto be as dry as possible. I showall my clients how to clean theirdogs ears by dampening the endof a cotton swab with cleaningsolution and using that to clean theears. This is the perfect follow-uptreatment after Pellitol lifts andremoves debris from deep withinthe ears.

The blood test conrmed Dr.Hersh-mans suspicion that Angelhad an underactive thyroid.

At our next visit, Ill recheck Angelsskin and ears and start her on Soloxine,a thyroid medication. I also recommendGlycoex III, a supplement containingglucosamine, MSM (methyl-sulfonyl-methane), green-lipped mussel, andother anti-inflammatory ingredients tohelp relieve her stiffness and hip pain. Ifnecessary, well start her on acupunctureor consider other alternatives.

Fortunately, the laundry list of sug-

gested treatments did not discourageSantRam, and following Dr. Hershmansexam, he happily loaded Angel into his carfor the drive to her new home.

a w w wTo make her transformation complete,SantRam changed her name from Angelto Angie although he sometimesaffectionately calls her Angie McTubbs a nickname that will probably fall by the

wayside as she loses excess weightand gains muscle tone.

SantRam works from home,which means that Angie has com-panionship most of the day. Sheseems to be adjusting well to hernew surroundings, he says.

I try to take her out as muchas possible. She loves to walk.Yesterday morning we walked

about two miles, over the Manhat-tan Bridge and back. She lovedlooking out at the river. I can tellshes a water dog. A friend ofmine walked her in the afternoonto Washington Square Park, andAngie pulled toward the fountainand rushed into the water.

Like most Goldens, Angieloves people. She gets excitedwhen I come home, and shesdisappointed when I leave, saysSantRam.

She already has a huge fan club amongmy friends. Some of them walk her andtake care of her when Im not able to.Were being careful not to overexert her.A friend gave me a water bottle that shedrinks from when we go out for walks.Everyone is making Angie feel welcomeand looking out for her.

After hearing about the dog from oneof Nancy Strousss students, Lorna Pax-ton, owner of Happy Tails Canine Spa inLos Angeles, sent Angie a gift of caninearomatherapy product samples, including

shampoos and conditioners (these productswere featured in Smell This, Youll FeelBetter, December 2004).

Now that shes been groomed, Angielooks and smells much better. SantRam

brushed Angie daily for the rst ten days,removing a mountain of dead hair. Ibought a new vacuum cleaner to keep allthe hair cleaned up, he says. Now hercoat seems to have settled down, and shesjust shedding normally.

Any change of diet can trigger symp-toms of detoxication, and to help Angiesbody adjust to its new fare, SantRam added

some of the supplements recommended inCanine Allergies and Your Dogs Health,May 2007, including:

scur, a deep sea fermented whitesh powder that is predigested, repairstissue, helps improve skin and coat, andspeeds the healing of leaky gut syndrome(a common factor in allergies and yeastinfections)

St J Hshm, DVM, cVH, cVa, Natural Vet or Pets, PC, New York/New Jersey.(914) 318-8923, naturalvetorpets.com

S a lss, DVM, veterinary chiropractor, runs monthly clinics in NY, NJ, PA, CT, andMD. (631) 423-9223, [email protected]

n Stss, Pp T Ds, Nyack, NY. People Training or Dogs is not arescue group. Strouss helps with the placement o dogs on an individual, selective basis.(845) 358-5121, peopletrainingordogs.com

HppTs c Sp l, Los Angeles, CA. Aromatherapy shampoos, conditioners, de-odorizers, and more. Lorna Paton, (866) HAPPY-20 or (310) 476-6314, happytailsspa.com

Pt otmt, manuactured by Veterinary Specialties, Inc., Barrington, IL

(888) 838-7732. Sold by ThomasVeterinaryDrug.com, (623) 936-3363,and VetAmerica.com, (866) 838-6337

Dmpt Mat ot ear cleanser, manuactured by Dermapet, (800) 755-4738,dermapet.com. Sold by VetAmerica.com, (866) 838-6337

S. Proper Nutrition, Reading, PA. Mention WDJ or a 10-percent discount and reeground shipping. (800) 555-8868, propernutrition.com

Wd Wt. Nutrition Coalit ion, Fargo, ND. Mention WDJ or ree samples. (800) 447-4793or (218) 236-9783, willardswater.com

rc M t ac

When Sue ann lesser,DVM, acac, cVSMT,is not providinghiroprti re for nims, she shows Dobermns inonformtion, obediene, ry, nd freestye.

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Willard Water concentrate, which canbe diluted in a dogs drinking water, andhelps improve the digestion and assimila-tion of nutrients, which (in turn) helps thebody heal itself

Prbc or friendly bacteria,which play an important role in the bodysimmune system, fending off pathogens andhelping to make the body a poor host for

yeasts, fungi, viruses, harmful bacteria, andparasites

a ccpFour weeks after Angies adoption, sheand SantRam returned to People Trainingfor Dogs, where Sue Ann Lesser, DVM,conducts a monthly chiropractic clinic.

Angies alignment was off in her frontleft elbow, reports Dr. Lesser, and herpelvis on the right side was high, with herhip jammed, and the stie and femur onher left side turned in.

Angie required some minor adjust-ments to bring her body back into balance, but all things considered, especiallyconsidering her history, Angie moves re-markably well. She has no major problems.Nothing grated or clunked when I checkedher over, she doesnt have serious arthritis,and her coat has a good quality color. Sheswhat horse people call good stock.

To help Angie develop muscle in herthighs, Dr. Lesser encouraged SantRamto continue taking Angie on long walks.She also showed him a simple exercise

that would help build Angies musclestrength and muscular awareness. With thengertips of each hand over her hip joints,SantRam pushes Angies hips gently to theleft and right and back again for 10 secondsseveral times a day.

We call this the hip sway, says Dr.Lesser. It doesnt look like much, but itsa neurologically powerful exercise thatbuilds both muscle strength and muscleawareness by stimulating mechanorecep-tors or proprioceptors, increasing her bodyawareness. In older dogs, this awarenessis especially important, as it helps prevent

injury.Dr. Lesser noted that problems with

the rst cervical vertebra and ear infec-tions often go together, so she expectsthat Angies adjustments will help herear problems clear up. She also explainedthat lick granulomas often occur whenan area tingles, aches, or is sore or out ofalignment.

Dr. Lesser showed SantRam how to

massage Angies feet daily by workingthe stiff areas and gently mobilizing thefoot. He already massages the area aroundher ears.

Im really happy that Angie is livingin Manhattan, says Dr. Lesser, whereshe has ample opportunity to exercise andalso receive the mental stimulation that thecity offers. Both are important for gooddog health.

rc wAnyone who has ever helped a dog nda new home knows how rewarding theexperience can be. In her 30 years as adog trainer and Golden Retriever owner,Nancy Strouss has helped place more dogsthan she can remember. Most were GoldenRetrievers, plus a few Labs, other breeds,and mixed breeds.

I evaluate the dogs temperament,assess any behavioral or health problems,counsel the current owners to see if I can

help them keep the dog, and then beginthe process of getting the word out, shesays. I return every phone call and answerevery e-mail. Its a lot of work, but ndingthe right home always makes the effortworthwhile.

Ive been fortunate to find someexceptional people to adopt these deservingdogs. One of the Labs that I placed a coupleof years ago had been living in a crate ina garage, the result of a divorce, and wasbeing given only two short walks per day.Today she is competing in agility, is titled

in the advancedclasses, and isone of the dogsto watch at trials!Whenever she seesme at trials, shedrags her ownerover to me and Ionly met her once,when I evaluatedher.

A little mixed breed lived withme for a short timewhile I taught herobedience commands and good housemanners. Eventually she became a hear-ing dog through special training at GreenChimneys in Brewster, New York, and shewas placed with a deaf person.

Strouss receives many photos of newlyplaced dogs sleeping contentedly in theirnew owners beds or favorite chairs, swim-ming in a pond or the ocean, running on

CJPuotinenisauthorofThe Encyclopedof Natural Pet Care, Natural Remedifor Dogs and Cats,andotherbooks(sResources,page24forpurchasingiformation).ShelivesinNewYorkwithh

husband,aLabrador,andatabbycat.

T n Stss s sttht d s ds b wth thtm, t, d m tht t m tt mpv th hth t.

the beach, or playing with other dogs kids.

Considering the dreadful lives most these dogs led before, it feels really gooknowing they are enjoying themselvand bringing so much happiness to thnew people in their lives. Many of therecently lost a much-loved older dog or some cases are living with a dog for thrst time. This is one of those things in liwhere feeling good is the best reward.

At the end of her adoption day, AngMo SantRam, and a friend left Nyack f

their new life in NeYork City.After lots of hu

and good wishes fall, says Strousthe freshly groomAngi e , wi t h hnew lead and collalooked beautiful anhappy. I admit thewere tears in my eyas they walked awand I saw Angie tuher head and look uat me. Just for a m

ment, it was like she was saying thank yoAnd Im sure she was.

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IcanempathizewithSusanAceti,authorofthearticlethatfollows.Priortobecoming

aprofessionaldogtrainer,I,too,hadadogaBullTerrierwholovedtorun,

andwhodidnthaveareliablerecall(despitehighscoresintheobediencering).

I,too,recognizedthejoymydogexperiencedwhenshehadtheopportunitytorunlikethewind.I,too,waswillingtotaketheriskofallowingCaperoffleash,inan

appropriatelylittle-traveledopenspace.Thankfully,Ineverhadcausetoregretit.

SomemaybecriticalofSusanfornotworkingharderatthatperfectrecallbefore

lettingherdogoffleash,orforherunwillingnesstousemorecoercivemethodsthat

mightensureamorepromptresponse,albeitattherisktorelationship.Notme.Iadmireher for her commitment to a dog with a difcult start in life, for the tremendous progress

shes made with Molly, and for her ability to weigh risks and make difcult but measured

choicesinordertogiveherdogthequalityoflifeshedeserves.PatMiller,TrainingEditor,WholeDogJournal

make sure I dont put her into situations

she cant handle.That management means staying awayfrom off-leash dog parks and most otheroff-leash areas. During the rare times I lether off leash in small wooded areas in thepast, I was tormented by the fear that shewould encounter someone and act aggres-sively or even bite.

Molly has never bitten anyone and offleash, is much more likely to run awaythen bite but I still worry. In addition,Mollys desire to chase prey can easilytrump staying with her loving owner. Icould be holding a raw, bloody steak andMolly would still dash after a deer withscarcely a look in my direction.

Since I dont believe in hurting my dog,using a shock collar to keep her with meis out of the question. And, if she began toassociate shocks with strangers it wouldquickly undo all of the tremendous prog-ress shes made.

So without a fenced yard, we walk miles and miles of walking as I try to

By susan aCeti

off-lesh agstPrepare, practice, breathe . . . ad the usap that leash!

Behavior

w y c . . .

See Come to Me, Run to Me,

WDJ December 2005 and Building

O-Leash Reliability, March 2002.

And look or a new article on o-

leash work in WDJ this all.

Follow all rules regarding dogs

when hiking in open space areas.

Reward your dog with high-value

treats and praise when she returns

to you ater running o leash but

understand that

running o

leash is more

valuable to

most dogs

than any treat.

y dog, Molly, runs like the wind.When she sprints at top speed,her normally upright ears ow back against her head and hertail balances her like a rudder

she was rescued from being locked in abasement with no food. As a rst timeowner, I was blissfully unaware of the be-havior problems that a severely neglecteddog can have. Some dogs can overcomea difcult beginning, but for Molly thecombination of a bad environment and afearful temperament created a dog whoprotects herself by aggressively warningoff any stranger.

During the past three years, Molly hasovercome some of her fear. I use positivereinforcement for calm behavior and I

on a boat. When I see her run, it is impos-sible for me not to appreciate the beautiful,graceful way she moves.

Until recently, though, it was not oftenthat I got to see her run. While some peopleare blessed with dogs who wiggle withhappiness at meeting strangers and otherdogs, Molly is different. At six months,

M

Behavior

M sss th dtp, j p t h ws pth, bss.

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