Winter Wonderland: Part 1

Written during our vacation, though not posted until today due to lack of internet.
 

It's Wednesday afternoon, and we've been here since Saturday evening.

The dogs got excited before we even reached the lake, pacing in the back seat of the car and fogging up the windows. They somehow know when we're close to the cabin. As soon as they were released, they bolted into the woods for a game of chase. It was a challenge getting them both back (and still enough) to put their backpacks on for the trek in. Sadie announced our arrival to the world, barking at Maxwell when he stopped running away. They both tore down the road, investigating each cabin, eventually finding our neighbor to greet.

They've settled in now, spending all their time either tearing around in the snow or dozing by the fire.

The first full day, they both raced around like maniacs, stared down the snowmobiles, and played fetch on the frozen lake. I was proud of them both for not chasing the snowmobiles, not the least because I don't trust the riders to see the dogs. The pups did occasionally take off into the woods after wildlife, either real or imagined, and had a blast following animal tacks in the snow. For the most part, though, they hung out and played with us.

Back indoors, both dogs collapse on the couches for long naps. Sadie prefers to curl up on a person's legs, while Maxwell tends to stretch out on his own. He gradually gets too hot, and moves to the rug under the couch, then the wood floor under the dining table. Even then, a good distance from the fire, he sometimes starts panting.

Both dogs have gotten little toenail injuries from running in the snow. I noticed tiny specks of blood, inspected their feet, and found what I assume are small cuts from the snow packing in under their nails. They don't seem to bother the dogs at all, so I just keep an eye on them. Unfortunately Sadie had a real foot problem, but one that I don't know how to help. My boyfriend found this big lump between the pads of two front toes. It's definitely swollen, and has these weird little bumps on the top of it. It's not super hard, and doesn't seem to be filled with pus, so I'm at a loss. We will probably take her to the vet when we get home.

Because of Sadie's foot, we decided to boot the dogs for our hike today. We came back with seven of the eight boots, though only two were on a dog. Most important was that Sadie's bad foot stayed protected.

We hiked along the old state road (barely more than a trail now) to the lean-tos. We paused to let the pups explore a bit, then walked back along the lake. All told, I would guess we went 3 miles, though I'm not positive. It boggles my mind to think how far the dogs must have gone. They were constantly chasing each other through the woods, doubling back to hurry us along, and crashing down to the lake to explore. Even as we slogged through 5+ inches of heavy snow on the lake, they seemed to have endless energy.

They are burning so much energy here that I've significantly increased their food. They are getting 3 cups a day instead of their usual scant 2, and lots of "extras." Still Sadie acts like she's starving, and even Maxwell lights up at the prospect of treats. It's made recalls reasonably good outside, since I carry baby food and string cheese with me!

Now it's nap time for me. Everyone else is already snoring!

Flying The Furry Skies

Traveling with pets can be tough.

When driving, you have to ensure that your furry friends get enough time to potty and stretch their legs, plus deal with hotel pet policies. It drives me nuts when a hotel bills itself as ‘pet friendly’ but the fine print lists a 15 or 20 lbs limit. Or when they accept large dogs for a nominal cleaning fee, then try to stick you in a smoking room. At least you have nearly complete control over your own pets!

The same cannot be said for flying. I have never flown with a pet, nor do I intend to without a darned good reason. The horror stories of lost, sick, injured, and deceased pets are impossible to ignore. While some are surely cases of owner mismanagement (putting an elderly or sick dog in cargo during hot weather, for example), there are also numerous cases of airlines/airports being at fault. Crated dogs left out on tarmacs in the hot sun for hours. Cats put on the wrong connecting flights and ended up hundreds or thousands of miles from home. Animals simply lost somewhere between check-in and baggage claim. It’s enough to make me think long and hard about ever putting a dog on a plane.

And let’s not forget the cost! It boggles my mind that I could fly to Chicago, round trip, for roughly $150, but bringing Sadie with me adds another $200+ each way. Sure, I’m in economy class, but I get free water, climate control, and a bathroom. She gets a crate in a pressurized cargo bay. Why is her ‘ticket’ more than double mine? Yes, the airline needs to be more careful, and moving a heavy item requires more work… but $200 per flight? Charge me $75 and actually take care of the animal and I’ll think about it.

Now United has apparently put a whole new level of pet fees (see MSNBC article) into play.

Based on the article, most airlines book pets as excess baggage. United has changed the classification of checked pets traveling to and from Japan from ‘baggage’ to ‘cargo.’ And with that, the pet fees have apparently skyrocketed from about $300 per flight, to nearly $4,000 for a large animal. The airline says this is due to Japanese laws and freight fees, and the United does not see an extra penny. So I have to ask, if the airline doesn’t benefit and the customers suffer, why do it? This was a choice made by the airline, not a requirement by law.

Per the article, this will likely affect military personnel the most. With a contractual obligation to use United, and income that is insufficient to cover the new fees, there is the potential that military families moving to or from Japan will have to kill or abandon pets. Can you imaging living on a military base in Japan with your family and two long-time pet dogs, only to find out that you have to relocate back to the US and moving just the dogs will cost $6,000? It is potentially sad on many levels.

I decided to look into the United pet fees myself. Their policies are actually quite easy to find, including detailed charts of fees to and from various places. (With the caveat that you may have to do currency conversions to understand the actual costs.) The results of this research were rather fascinating.

A large dog, traveling within the US, costs $250 one way. That same dog, travelling from Japan to the US, costs 22,000 JPY, or $277 according to Google (see conversion). So that’s 700 miles (source), or $0.36 per mile for the Chicago trip, and 6,700 miles (source), or $0.04 per mile for the trip from Japan. Firstly, there is something completely wrong with that picture. Nine times more expensive for 1/10 the distance? Secondly, I could find absolutely no reference to the new fees and cargo designation (at $3,000, that comes to $0.45 per mile). I find it unlikely that the reported fees are fictional, since the article has statements from the airline, so I’m wondering when exactly they planned to inform people of these staggering fees.

Luckily, I have no reason to send my pups to Japan. Nor do I intend to put them in any plane in the near future. But for those of you who do intent to fly with a pet, please look anywhere but United!

A Thoughtful Diet

For several years, Sadie was pretty much a poster dog for ‘just a pet.’ She had basic manners and household training, went on walks, and lounged around with us. We thought she was in great shape at 75 lbs, getting about three cups of Iams Large Breed kibble daily, plus occasional people scraps.

Once I started agility training with her I learned that although she wasn’t fat, she was far from fit either. With a nudge from Mr. Trainer (who was terribly afraid of offending me by bringing up such a “sensitive topic”) we reduced her food and got her down to about 70 lbs.

As I learned more about owning a canine athlete, talked to enthusiasts at the club, and subscribed to the Whole Dog Journal, I realized that we were feeding her some pretty low-quality food. We switched her to Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul, which gets a thumbs-up from WDJ’s annual kibble reviews.

When we got Maxwell, I began thinking even more about what went into the dogs’ bowls. He was a scrawny, malnourished pup who needed every advantage possible to gain weight and grow a healthy coat. His foster family got him started on a puppy paste to boost his calories and a good kibble, but I wanted to make sure he kept improving. At the same time, I read some articles about long-term single protein diets contributing to canine allergies. I decided to move Sadie off a chicken-based food, which had been her main protein for years.

The pups now get Premium Edge kibble. Mostly they eat the salmon formula, but I mix it up once in a while with other non-chicken flavors. Maxwell is a healthy 42 lbs with wonderfully soft fur. Sadie is down to a lean 62 lbs and full of energy. Plus, her skin allergies seem to be somewhat lessened, though certainly not gone.

The most recent issue of WDJ got me thinking about additional goodies to put in the dog’s dinners. Apple cider vinegar got a whole article. While I’m skeptical of the ‘it cures everything!’ tone of the article, there was a ton of interesting information. Additional online research leads me to believe that addition of ACV could improve Sadie’s skin further and be a generally good source of vitamins and minerals. I bought a bottle of organic ACV, and am gradually adding it to their diets. So far, they love it splashed on their kibble. And it smells wonderful. A few sources of information are the Organic Pet Digest, Natural Dog Health Remedies, and For A Naturally Healthy Pet.

Another article in the same issue mentioned dogs that act hungry (starving!) even right after a meal. Since that absolutely describes Sadie, I was interested to read that increasing the percent of calories that come from fats can decrease hunger in a dog. Note that it did not say to increase the caloric intake, just to adjust where it’s coming from. The article recommended salmon oil as a healthy fat source, since it has lots of omega-3 fatty acids. I wasn’t able to find bottles of the liquid, but did buy gel capsules. Both dogs now get one capsule at dinner every other day. I’ll gradually increase the amount Sadie gets, probably to one capsule per meal. Since they don’t seem to contain very many actual calories (about 10 each), I may not reduce her kibble at all.

Maxwell thought the capsule was a fun treat. He snatched it, chewed it, spit it out, chewed it again, and finally must have broken the gel because it disappeared. Sadie doesn’t like capsules, so it’s lucky I recently learned a neat trick from an agility friend. I ask her for something easy, like SIT, then jackpot her with single pieces of kibble as follows: kibble-kibble-kibble-kibble-capsule-kibble- kibble. She just swallows each piece immediately, so she never notices the capsule!

I also try to give the pups more fruits and veggies. They particularly like broccoli stems, steamed asparagus, and bananas. I’ll toss them bits as we prepare dinner. They also like strawberries, which I cut up and put in their bowls to prevent red stains on the carpet. They also enjoy raw egg now and then, dropped right over their kibble. Egg is high enough value that my boyfriend or I always stand watch until they are both finished, to ensure Sadie doesn’t chase Maxwell away from his bowl.

What do you feed your dogs, either as the main course or as nutritious extras? I’d love to hear suggestions!

Go North, Young Dogs!

We're off to the great white North for a week, so I won't be able to post anything. However, I do have a few things up my digital sleeve. So look out for some canned posts, and I'm sure I'll have lots to say upon our return!

Scandalous!

I'd like to preface this post with the statement: This is pure rumor. I do not know the people or dogs involved, but think it is an interesting ethical question regardless.

I hear there is some controversy over the Westminster choice for one of the Best of Breeds. The rumor is that the winner is the pup of a blind and deaf double-merle sire. Further, said sire has never had a ‘normal’ litter, and many of his offspring have health problems. The BoB winner was apparently a singleton pup, though healthy.

The controversy arises of whether or not the BoB winner should have been given the award, considering his lineage. Most people consider a merle-merle crossing ethically questionable at best. Then to breed a blind and deaf double-merle seems downright wrong. So should such breeding practices be encouraged by awarding high honors to descendent pups?

(For the record, my little Aussie is a double-merle. He has blind and deaf sibling, but grew to be a healthy dog himself. Plus, most people mistake him for a tri-color!)

Now for my two cents. While I abhor the practice of breeding two merle parents, I have to think that the judge did the right thing. My limited understanding of breed shows is this: The judge is judging the dog in front of him. That’s it. In a perfect world, the judge wouldn’t know anything about the dog that they cannot see with their own eyes and feel with their own hands. So while breeding from the double-merle sire may not be ethical, his progeny should in no way be penalized in the breed ring for their heritage. By all means, refuse to use him as a stud, but the breed ring is about how each individual dog fits the breed standard.

So to all the winners, congratulations!

Um... Oops?

When I left the house to go to the shelter tonight I wanted to ensure the dogs didn't get into anything they weren't supposed to have, I put away the garbage and our lunch containers.

I kinda forgot that my boyfriend had taken the cake out of the microwave.

That is the beautiful red velvet cake that I made, from scratch, on Valentine's Day. It was delicious, and we'd eaten less than half.

On the plus side, we didn't really need all that cake...

A Letter To Local Business

As promised, here’s a draft form letter that you can send to businesses on your regular walk routes. I held off posting it since the weather has been so warm, but this weekend's dusting of snow means the sidewalks are once again covered in salt. If even one building switches to paw-friendly salt, then it’s a victory.

Dear (name of business),

I am writing you on behalf of all dog owners who walk along your sidewalk in the winter.

Every winter, salt is put down on roads and sidewalks alike to make them safer and less slippery. You may not realize, however, that most salt easily sticks in the paw pads of dogs who walk through it. The hard crystals are often sharp (as can be attested to by anyone who has ever gotten some in their boot) and can be very painful to the dogs.

Dogs can also become ill from licking the salt off their feet, or from the chemical changes that occur once the animal goes indoors. At indoor temperatures, salt can heat up to over 150 degrees Fahrenheit, burning paws, tongues, and mouths.

Please consider switching to a dog-friendly de-icer, such as Safe Paw. It is designed to be non-toxic, and it doesn’t build up in the dogs’ paws like regular salt. It is readily available, and melts ice at least as well as the usual salt-based products.

On behalf of your human and canine neighbors, thank you for taking the time to consider my request.

Regards,

(Your name)

Dog Parks Part 3: Assess The Situation

Better late than never, I suppose. Apologies for going AWOL for a bit!

*****

So you’ve got a friendly, social dog and a nearby park that is just perfect. Time to go play, right?

Not quite.

Just because your dog is park-appropriate and the facility you found is five-star doesn’t mean that it’s safe all the time. There are other factors to consider once you actually get to the park but before you release your hound. Are there adverse environmental factors? Who else is there today? What are the other humans doing? Let’s take them in order:

Are there adverse environmental factors?

If there has been a lot of rain lately, there may be big muddy areas. While not necessarily a safety concern, do you want Fido getting back in the car covered in mud? If there’s a lot of standing water during the summer, and it’s been a while since the last rain, might there be lots of mosquitoes? Dogs get bitten just like people. And neither enjoys it! If it’s winter, is it icy? Are there drifts high enough to allow a dog to hop the otherwise perfectly good fence?

Who else is there today?

This is probably the most important of the three questions, and one that needs to be answered not just when you arrive, but every time a newcomer enters the park. Look at which dogs are in the park. Spend a second or two to see how they are playing. Are there dogs there that you already know don’t get along with yours? If there are strange dogs, how are they interacting with each other? If you see anyone getting bullied, cowering, or posturing, you may want to take an on-leash walk around (outside the dog park) until the inappropriate dog leaves. When a new dog comes in, see how they greet everyone. Learn to read body language, because that will tell you a lot about the dogs in the park. Trust your instincts. If you see a dog come in that you don’t like, then it’s time for you to leave. Remember, it’s up to you to keep your dog out of a potentially bad situation.

What are the other humans doing?

So you see Fido’s best friend is in the park, playing nicely with a small group of strange dogs. Everyone is getting along fine. What are the people doing? Hopefully they are keeping an eye on the dogs while the chat, toss tennis balls, or just hang out. If you see anyone engrossed in their phones, talking with their back to the dogs, or otherwise ‘checked out’ from their surroundings, that’s a signal for you to be even more vigilant. I work under the assumption that I’m going to have to respond to a change in the situation first, and just hope that  someone else will step in as well. I also assume that I read behavior better than anyone else. That way I don’t rely on other people to assure the safety and well-being of my dogs.

I know that many dog people (competitors, trainers, and other related professionals) frown on dog parks. As pointed out by a recent commenter, things definitely can turn ugly fast. But I believe that you can safely take your dog to parks if you are willing to put in a little effort and be willing to walk away if you see anything you don’t like. Be alert. Keep vigilant.

And remember that your dog relies on you to make good decisions and keep him or her safe.

Training Injuries

Sometimes, when you're training, accidents happen. People get hurt. This is a reminder to never ask a starving Lab to roll over...

What, did you think I meant a broken arm or something?

That was done after I had clipped her nails Monday night, and through my sock. Sadie got the "spin" part down fine, but somehow managed to miss the floor. She went from a down into this weird spin/tumble/falling-over maneuver that happened entirely on my foot.