Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Poisonous Plants and Dogs….Day One Hundred and Twenty Five

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Earlier today I was reading an article about ten plants (that you might have in your yard) that are poisonous to dogs.  Of course I am aware of the common foods that dogs shouldn’t have; chocolate, coffee, onions, grapes and raisins, but I was surprised by a couple of them, for instance Black Walnuts, while the nuts themselves aren’t dangerous, if they drop from the tree and lie on the ground where they begin to rot; they grow molds which are highly toxic to your dogs.  The article is a quick read and it’s good to know simple things to avoid that will help keep your pets safe.

Of course once I read that mushrooms were on the list, (albeit only certain ones) I knew I needed to pay attention to what the dogs were doing when we were on the trail.  Tonight during our hike as we were descending down some rocks, we found some broken glass and lots of it.  I was concerned about an animal hurting themself on it, so Chet and I began picking up the pieces and putting them in one of the baggies I carry.  While I was tentatively making my way across the rocks, Delilah suddenly rushed forward and began digging furiously in a crevice in the rock. 

The Crevice

At first I was startled and I worried that she was onto a mushroom….but almost immediately a chipmunk shot over the rock and took off into the woods.  Thankfully, Delilah didn’t see the chipmunk but she was on the lookout with her nose to the ground for the rest of our hike.

Which way did he go?

We know Delilah constantly runs with her nose to the ground, but we could never figure out why.  Since we know basically nothing of her background (before she came to live with us) we don’t know if she was trained in hunting or retrieving.  We often wonder if she would make a good tracking or cadaver dog.  We’ve actually talked about taking a couple of items up to the trails with us; scenting and hiding them and letting her “do her thing.”

Medications, Vaccinations, and Vacations…Day One Hundred and Twenty Four

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How do you keep track of your pet’s medical history, his/her vaccinations, medications, formal training?  What do you do when you travel with your pet, are you prepared for any medical emergencies while traveling?

I keep Sampson and Delilah’s medical histories in a three ring binder.  They each have their own binder and the first page has their name, their date of birth, the name, address and phone number of our vet; as well as our emergency contact information.  Inside the binder in order by date, I have copies of their vet records showing dates for vaccinations, any illnesses they might have had, along with the medication they received, certificates for any obedience classes they attended and copies of their town licenses.  These are slipped inside sheet protectors (so I don’t have to punch them) and they are easy to move about, if you’ve got one out-of-order, or have forgotten one.  In the back of Sampson’s book, I have a print out of symptoms of bloat in dogs, as well as what to do should you suspect your dog has bloat.  Bloat is the 2nd leading killer of dogs after cancer.  Since I have two rather large dogs, bloat is always a concern for me, so I want to be prepared.

When we travel with our dogs, their binders go with us.  The dogs have their own bag in which I store, their food bowls, some toys, any medications they are on, some treats and their binders.  If a situation ever arises where I need to prove that my dog has had their rabies shot, I have copies of it.  When Delilah took ill in New Hampshire three years ago, I grabbed her binder and took it with me to the emergency vet.  In an emergency situation you may not always be able to think clearly enough to answer questions, but if all the information is at your finger tips, all you have to do is flip to the last couple of pages.

It probably takes me all of two minutes to add their latest records to their binders, and those two minutes are so worth the protection it provides my sweet babies.

Say Delilah...when was your last rabies shot?

Training, training, training…Day One Hundred and Twenty One

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Yesterday after I posted my blog, one of my friends left me a comment on my facebook page asking if I wanted to come and train her dogs.  Of course I would love to!  But at the moment finances prevent that.  The fact of the matter is that my dogs are fairly well-trained, but we are constantly, constantly training them.

This doesn’t mean that we do nothing but train our dogs; what it does mean is that when we are in the kitchen cooking something and the dogs are hanging around, we make them sit.  While we are preparing our plates, they are on their mats in the living room in a down position (at least Sampson is.)  When we are on the trail, we will call them to us and have them sit.  When someone comes to the door we (try) to have them sit at the top of the stairs to allow our guests inside.  Practicing your commands is also good if you are struggling with training your dog to do something in particular.

One of my friends has a dog that jumps on them, specifically when the dog wants to go out and they are trying to rise from their chairs.  I suggested she have the dog sit while she attempts to rise; if the dog jumps up, then my friend should sit back down and repeat her command.  Trust me; it won’t take long for the dog to realize “Hey…this isn’t working for me.”

Case in point, Delilah is a jumper, normally she doesn’t jump on people but when she gets excited (like when we are feeding her or coming to the door to let her inside) she jumps up and down like a Jack Russell Terrier!  Truthfully, we think its funny because she bounces backwards when we are bringing her food to her; but it really irritates me at the door, so I’ve started making her sit when I start to open the door.  If she starts jumping, I bring my hand back to my side and wait until she sits and then we try again.  I did this for about a week and this morning; she sat while I opened the door.

In my opinion, training is physically as well as mentally stimulating to your dog; and they should be stimulated both mentally and physically.  Besides…the more you train them the better they listen. Then in an emergency situation when you say, “Come” or “Sit” it will be automatic for your dog, and less stress on you.

That's right, I'm sitting; you got something to say about it?

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