Dogs Define Home

Are our dogs really "ours"? One of the possessions our houses contain? Or do they actually define the space we call home?

"Mine", directed by Geralyn Pezanoski, aired on PBS the other day. Pezanoski told Independent Lens about her time in New Orleans filming the animal rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina, where custody battles were arising over other 'Katrina pets'....

One Katrina survivor described his dog as "the only thing I have left." His dog was not a "thing" to him, of course, but he had nothing left of his life and home before the storm, and the restoration of his dog would in turn restore some kind of continuity....

Dog Kills Ball

There are dogs that don't like to play fetch.

They prefer to chase and kill the bright red bouncy ball of a cute little tole-haired boy under the care of his nanny, as the case may be in Park Slope. Ah, what satisfaction to pounce on someone's else's ball, bite and puncture it, shake the air out of it,  watch it deflate completely under paw, a little pathetic wheeze emanating from its plastic wounds. 

Starting Over With the "Come" Command

My regular clients know that every week or so, their dog is going to get some kind of special treat - perhaps some off-leash time, perhaps an extra-long walk, perhaps a swim, or bike-ride (if that's what the owner wants).

Yesterday it was: "Iris!..... Iris!!!!....?.....IRIS!" Lesson learned: Make sure the owners know all they need to know about training their dog to return, before offering off-leash services!

So, here's some background on the issue, a mix of my own approach and some straight-up plagiarism from some good websites. Underlined is the essence of what I would advise you to focus on. If you skim down to the numbered section, then you'll see in what order this process will go. 

End of Winter Bath

Our dogs' hindlegs have gotten smattered with winter rock-salt and sand, their paws are perhaps a bit salty even after a good paw-washing, and their coats are all-around smellier than we want to admit. It's almost time for that end-of-winter bath!

A lot of us have gotten behind on washing our dogs because as soon as we wash off all the gunk and the instant they have that nice silky fragrant coat again, they go pouncing in dirty puddles and shovel their way through telltale yellow snow-banks. 

Stress, Boarding & Bloat

When we first got Jet -- my childhood black lab -- from the pound, his eyes were not so much pleading, as full of fear. He had a clear history of abuse and neglect, and was such a nervous creature that a year after taking him home we were hardly able to touch his nose without a snap! Since I was a kid, I was able to spend hours every day with him, investing the time he needed to trust humans again. After a few years, he finally let me stroke his paws and his ear-tips. Like even the most adventurous human, he needed a calming, consistent environment, a sure sense of home.

When I was twenty, my parents moved to Chicago and took Jet with them. When they went out of town they boarded Jet at a kennel in the city. This made me incredibly nervous, since Jet was a biter and did not like other dogs, and I knew the kennel kept him caged pretty much at all times. I just could imagine him barking for days on end (he would bark so much his voice would get hoarse) - and my parents were away for two weeks.

And yes, he died of Bloat in there. I don't mean to be alarmist, but I have a strong feeling that it was the stress of being boarded in a kennel that triggered the attack.

Raw Food for Dogs

Think about it: How long have dogs been eating dog food? About as long as we've been eating processed foods like Lucky Charms and Cheezits.

1978 

After World War Two, the same consumption patterns which took hold of our culture, took hold of our dog's foodbowls.

1963 

We have been feeding our dogs a lot of the same kind of junk we've been eating ourselves.

1982

Just like we ate raw, unprocessed foods for thousands of years, so did our dogs. There are countless reasons to feed your dog raw meat:

1. Raw food can greatly reduce the risk of your dog developing health conditions of all kinds, ranging from simple diarrhea to the greatest risk to dogs after cancer - bloat (see the next entry for more info).

2. Raw food is often less expensive than kibble. You need to feed your dog more kibble to satisfy her/his dietary needs. Over the course of a week, a healthy adult dog needs to consume about 15% to 20% of their body weight. If your dog weighs 20 pounds, you can expect to feed her/him 3-4 lbs of food each week.

3. Raw bones act as a natural tooth-brush, and fortify teeth with calcium. Adults love a good RMB - Raw Meaty Bone.

Blizzards and gizzards

With a blizzard coming our way tomorrow, our dogs are probably going to be trudging through lots of driveways smattered with what looks like green-blue snow. This winter, antifreeze is everywhere undertoe, and we as owners should remember once more, that dogs lick their paws. Antifreeze tastes sweet! Because it's tasty, animals go looking for it. More than a few dogs are accidentally poisoned with automotive antifreeze each year.

"Green" Dogtoys and Accessories

I've lived in places where -- not only do dogs eat butcher scraps and chew on regular-old sticks, but  -- people actually use what they own until it is completely beyond salvaging. Places where kids don't have stuffed animals, much less dogs. And here in New York, we give our dogs stuffed animals knowing full well that they'll rip them to shreds in twenty minutes, in search of the squeaky center!

With the heyday of the stuffed animal for doggies, even our dogs are generating lots of non-biodegradable waste. There's no need to involve our dogs in the mess we're creating of the planet.

Uncharacteristic "Pawz"

Does your dog usually tug ahead of you? Is s/he suddenly full of uncharacteristic pause, footdragging and whimpering on walks? 

Start Your Dog's New Year Off Right: Save Some Trees!

Happy first day of the year! In this last year of the first decade of the new millennium, let your dog's New Years resolution be: "This year, I will not pee on trees!"

Most people think the term "Curb Your Dog" has two meanings: 1. To keep your dog under control and out of trouble; 2. To pick up your dog's scat.

But why is it that you usually see "Curb Your Dog" signs near trees? Dog urine and leavings are poison for trees, grass and flowers. Saplings and young trees haven't got a chance against a barrage of neighborhood dogs marking their territory.