With nearly 2,000 species and subspecies, fleas thrive in warm, humid environments, and feed on the blood of their hosts. Dogs play host to the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis), whose dark brown or black body is usually one to three millimeters in length.

Why Are Dogs Susceptible to Fleas?

Fleas are hearty and nimble, and when searching for a host, they can jump 10,000 times in a row (the length of three football fields). Three pairs of legs make for excellent leaping capabilities (up to two feet), and a laterally flattened body allows for quick movement in a dog’s fur.

With a complete life cycle ranging anywhere from 16 days to 21 months, depending on environmental conditions, fleas are most commonly found on a dog’s abdomen, the base of the tail and the head. With heavy infestations, however, fleas can thrive anywhere on the body. They feed once every day or two, and generally remain on their host during the interim.

What Are Some Signs of Fleas in Dogs?

• Droppings or “flea dirt” in a dog’s coat
• Flea eggs on dog or in dog’s environment
• Allergic dermatitis
• Excessive scratching, licking or biting at skin
• Hair loss
• Scabs and hot spots
• Pale gums
• Tapeworms

What Are Some Complications of Fleas in Dogs?

Since fleas can consume 15 times their own body weight in blood, they can cause anemia or a significant amount of blood loss over time. This is especially problematic in young puppies, where an inadequate number of red blood cells can be life-threatening to some dogs. Signs of parasitic anemia include pale gums, cold body temperature and listlessness.

When a dog has a heightened sensitivity to the saliva of fleas, just one bite of a flea can cause an allergic reaction. This condition is known as flea allergy dermatitis and causes intense itching and discomfort for your dog. Signs include generalized hair loss, reddened skin, scabs and hot spots. Flea allergy dermatitis often leads to skin infections.

Are Certain Dogs Prone to Fleas?

Dogs who live in warm, humid climates, where fleas thrive at temperatures of 65 to 80 degrees, and those who live outdoors are most vulnerable to fleas.

What Should I Do If I Think My Dog Has Fleas?

Consult your veterinarian, who will confirm the diagnosis and discuss appropriate treatment options. It is important to tailor your treatment to your pet and his environment, since certain products in combination can be toxic. Your veterinarian can also determine the best plan for preventing fleas in the future.

How Do I Treat Fleas?

• It is important that all of your pets are treated for fleas, including indoor and outdoor cats, and that the environment is treated as well.
• Speak with your veterinarian about choosing the right flea treatment product. Common options include a topical, liquid treatment applied to the back of the neck, shampoos, sprays and powders. Some products kill both adult fleas and their eggs, but they can vary in efficacy. It is very important not to use products on your dog that are intended for cats (and vice versa). Prescription products are generally more effective and safer than over-the-counter products.
• Thoroughly clean your house, including rugs, bedding and upholstery. (Remember to discard any vacuum bags.) In severe cases, you might consider using a spray or fogger, which requires temporary evacuation of the home.

How Can I Prevent Fleas?

Using a flea comb on your dog and washing his bedding once a week will go a long way toward controlling flea infestation. Also, it is important to treat your yard as thoroughly as your house. Concentrate on shady areas, where fleas live, and use an insecticide or nematodes, microscopic worms that kill flea larvae.

What kind of dog food should I feed my Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle? Is a common question we’re asked, below is some information on how to grade dog food, it provides a detailed list of how many dog food brands scored. Remember feeding your pet a high quality dog food is very important to their health and well being. This information is from Play Dog Excellent’s Website- click here to see the article on their site.

How to grade your dog’s kibble (dry food): Start with a grade of 100, then:

• For every listing of “by-product“, subtract 10 points
• For every non-specific animal source (“meat” or “poultry”, meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
• If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
• For every grain “mill run” or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
• If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. “ground brown rice”, “brewers rice”, “rice flour” are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
• If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
• If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
• If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3points
• If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
• If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
• If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
• If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
• If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
• If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
• If it contains salt (sodium chloride), subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

• If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
• If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
• If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
• If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
• If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
• If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
• If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
• If the food contains barley, add 2 points
• If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
• If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
• If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
• For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count “chicken” and “chicken meal” as only one protein source, but “chicken” and “” as 2 different sources), add 1 point
• If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
• If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point

Scoring:

• 94-100+ = A
• 86-93 = B
• 78-85 = C
• 70-77 = D
• 69 and below = F

Here are some foods that have already been scored.

Whether or not to purchase pet insurance for your Australian Labradoodle is a question we’re asked often, below is an article from DogChannel.com, they have put together a directory of  pet insurance companies that offer health care coverage for dogs. This is from the May 2009 issue of Dog Fancy Magazine (another one of our favorite dog magazines!).

Pet Insurance Directory
A comprehensive directory of pet insurance companies currently offering healthcare coverage.

American Kennel Club Pet Healthcare Plan
866-725-2747
www.akcpethealthcare.com

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
866-861-9092
www.aspcapetinsurance.com

Embrace Pet Insurance
800-511-9172
www.embracepetinsurance.com

Hartville Pet Health Insurance
800-799-5852
www.hartvillepetinsurance.com

Pet Assure
888-789-7387
www.petassure.com

24PetWatch Pet Insurance
866-275-7387
www.24petwatch.com/petinsurance

PetFirst Healthcare
866-937-7387
www.petfirsthealthcare.com

Petplan Pet Insurance
866-467-3875
www.gopetplan.com

Pets Best Insurance
877-738-7237
www.petsbest.com

Petshealth Care Plan
800-807-6724
www.petshealthplan.com

PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance
877-878-7462
www.purinacare.com

Trupanion Pet Insurance
800-569-7913
www.trupanionpetinsurance.com

Veterinary Pet Insurance
888-899-4874
www.petinsurance.com

For more information on your dog’s insurance options,
check out the May 2009 issue of DOG FANCY.

Click here to read the article on DogChannel.com’s website.

Another great website that has a lot of information is PetMD.com- they have a lot of articles on pet health and have a blog with interesting articles. We came across this article and thought it was a great one to share with our Manor Lake Austrailan Labradoodle puppy/dog families when visiting the vet.

Top 10 things NOT to do in your veterinarian’s waiting room

Ever walked into a vet’s waiting room only to run smack into an aggressive dog straining against the full length of his Flexi-leash? Or seen a pet owner holding her cat in her lap, otherwise unrestrained? How about the pet owners bringing six dogs at a time, unable to control them all? Or the parent whose four children run amok in the small space.

As with everything in life there is a right way and a wrong way to approach it. The veterinary waiting room is no different.

Sure, veterinary hospitals need to make their waiting areas hospitable, manageable and safe. And when they have little space to work, with the staff should offer alternatives for pet owners whose pets are anxious, aggressive or poorly contained. But that doesn’t mean you get a pass when it comes to exercising some common sense and exhibiting basic courtesy at the vet’s place.

But it’s true that one man’s common sense and courtesy is another’s opportunity for genuine cluelessness. We don’t all know what’s expected of us. That’s why I’ve put together this quick list of what NOT to do in your veterinarian’s waiting room.

#10 Don’t fail to contain your cats. Even if your cat is the sweetest thing on record, some other animals may not agree. The last thing we want is to see in our lobbies is an altercation in which one animal dies. Cat carriers are cheap and widely available. Use them.

#9 Don’t give dogs free reign. The business end of the leash should be in your hands, not at your dog’s head. If you can’t keep him close and controlled then it’s time to ask the receptionist if there’s a better place for your pet to wait.

#8 Don’t use Flexi-leads. OK, so that’s not exactly fair. Flexis have their place. But it’s not at the vet’s. If you must use them, make sure you know how they work and keep your pets in tight.

#7 Don’t do the meet-and-greet thing. The vet’s is not the dog park (although you can find some great ones near you with the PetMD Finder). It’s a strange environment in which pets don’t always act the way you expect them to. Moreover, in a veterinary hospital the onus is on us to keep your dogs safe. Legally, we’re liable if your dogs fight. Please keep pets apart. No matter how well you know your pet, can you honestly say you know someone else’s?

#6 Don’t pet other pets. Again, the vet’s place is a strange and stressful environment. And yes, if you get bit it’s on our dime––not to mention our conscience.

#5 Don’t walk into a packed exam room. If the exam room is wall-to-wall pets, don’t chance it. Make a call on your cell phone or ask someone to let the receptionist know you’re waiting outside.

#4 Don’t fail to tell the receptionist ahead of time if your pet is severely anxious or aggressive. All hospitals appreciate the warning when you make your appointment. It gives us a chance to offer you back-door alternatives or other concessions to your pet’s unique behavior issues.

#3 Don’t bring small children unless you can’t help it. A busy animal hospital is tough on small kids. They’re not old enough to benefit enough from the educational experience relative to their risk of getting hurt. We worry.

#2 Don’t be rude. Courtesy is king. Silence is golden (within reason). And all that stuff. I don’t have to tell you that, but this post wouldn’t be complete without it.

#1 Don’t be shy. Ask for what you need. If your pet is freaking out, you should let someone know (if it isn’t obvious). We want your pet to be as comfy as possible and it’s not going to happen unless we know about it.

Oh, don’t forget to email me (p.khuly@petmd.com) the topics you’d most like to hear about––medical, money, ethical or otherwise––and prepare yourself for my opinionated answers.

To see the full article on PetMD’s blog click here

We follow Cesar Millan on Twitter and the other day he tweeted about too much exercise for dogs- we thought this was interesting so we thought we would share it with you. Many families ask us about the amount of exercise their puppy should receive when they get them. Let us know if you think it was helpful!

Ask the Vet: Puppies and Exercise

Is there such a thing as TOO much exercise for a dog? For puppies?

I have always adhered to the theory that, as long as you are careful, the dog is the best one to tell you what is too much exercise. Puppies often do not have enough muscle tone to take long runs, but there are always exceptions. Most dogs and puppies will tell you when they have hit their limit, and it is important to resist pushing them beyond this point.

Even if your dog or puppy wants to keep going, some things you should be cautious about are:

1. Be sure that your dog does not overheat. If you are too hot, assume they are. Provide water or try to run in a cooler area.

2. Be consistent with exercise. The weekend marathon after a week of couch potato life is very hard on the joints.

3. Be cautious with your dog’s feet. Running on cement (especially hot cement) can cause sloughing of the foot pads, so try to have breaks on softer surfaces or at least work your dog up to the harder surfaces to give them a chance to form the necessary calluses.

4. Be aware of your dog’s limits. Until you understand your dog’s stamina, be sure that you are able to stop when your dog starts to lag behind. (i.e., Take the short route 5 times instead of the long route once.) If you feel that he or she is not able to go as far as they should, consult a vet to see if there is a reason for the intolerance.

About Dr. Sherry Weaver
Dr. Weaver graduated with honors from the University of Georgia’s School of Veterinary Medicine.  She founded a state of the art animal hospital that teaches pet care to children, and donates time and resources to rescue organizations.

http://www.cesarsway.com/askthevet/basicadvice/puppies-exercise

I was browsing Cesar Millan’s website this morning and came across this article- I thought it provided some good tips and ideas of things you can do to exercise your Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle indoors; because we all know that sometimes its just not possible to get outside, whether its bad weather conditions (Like they’re having in California right now!) or when circumstances just do not allow. Hopefully you’ll find it helpful too! -Mollie

Indoor Activities

By Cesar Millan

In an ideal world, I know that we would all walk our dogs twice a day, for 30 minutes to an hour each time. Unfortunately, the world we live in is not always ideal; in fact, it’s sometimes downright inconvenient! When harsh weather hits, or circumstances make it difficult or impossible to venture outside for physical exercise, don’t despair! There are activities that you can enjoy with your dog right in the comfort of your own home.

Treadmill – The treadmill is a fantastic and very convenient way for your dog to get the exercise from the all-important walk without leaving home. Although not a full-time replacement for the walk, the treadmill can be used to supplement daily exercise, or, in the case of bad weather, substitute it for a short period. Remember to take it slow and allow your dog to get accustomed to the treadmill before leaping right into a running regimen. Once your dog has the hang of it, don’t be surprised if you enter the room one morning to find him sitting expectantly, waiting to be allowed to play with it! If you’re having trouble adjusting your dog to a treadmill running routine, check out the helpful tips in the new Common Canine Misbehaviors DVD.

Practice Calm Submission with Basic Commands – Your dog’s physical needs aren’t the only aspect of him that requires fulfilling. He has psychological needs, too! One activity that doesn’t demand a lot of room to move is the practice of basic training commands. Giving your dog a psychological challenge that forces him to focus and keeps his attention can be a very effective way to drain his energy and strengthen the bond that you share. Remember to keep a bag of his favorite treats on hand as a reward for calm submission… when he responds to a command with the correct behavior, that’s the right time to give affection!

Toys and Games – There is a wide range of toys and games for dogs that have been carefully engineered specifically to engage and improve cognitive functions. Most of these toys involve an incentive like a treat or a provocative scent to keep the dog interested and to reward him for playing. Check with your local pet retail stores and online for the kinds of toys you can use to make keeping your dog psychologically fulfilled into a game!

Use the Stairs – A stairway is a great place to give your dog a physical challenge. You can begin by having one person at the top of the stairs and one at the bottom. Each of you can call him and reward him for making the trip. Eventually, train him to go up and down the stairs to get his reward. Make sure it is clear when the activity begins and ends. You don’t want your dog to associate the stairway with excitement or it can lead to accidents down the road. If you need help, contact a local professional.

Hide and Seek – You can play this with family members or treats. Ask your dog to use his nose to find the hidden items or people, and reward him. This can be a fun way to get bored kids involved. Again, be clear when the activity begins and ends. When you decide the game is over, it’s over!

Doga – It may sound silly, but this combination of dog training and yoga can be a lot of fun! Yoga and other meditation exercises help you to maintain balance, so what better activity to share with our canine companions? Find out if there are clubs offering Doga in your area.

Grooming – As simple as it sounds, a bath or a brushing session is a wonderful activity for a day spent inside. Any kind of grooming, done with care and love, is a kind of affection, and sharing that affection can bring you two closer together. Be sure to satisfy exercise and discipline as much as possible beforehand, though!

Copyright 2009 Cesar Millan Inc. All rights reserved.

http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/thebasics/indoor-activities

The Whole Dog Journal is a great resource for information on dog foods as well as tips on care and training. I was looking over their website today and came across this article about how to choose the right dog food, I thought it was helpful and gave some good information.

Selecting the best dog food for your Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle

You are uniquely well-qualified to select the best food for your dog.

By Nancy Kerns
The Whole Dog Journal

No one is in a better position than you are to decide which food you should feed your dog. That may not be what you wanted to hear. You may have been hoping that someone would reveal to you the name of the world’s healthiest food, so you could just buy that and have it done with.

But dogs, just like people, are individuals. What works for this dog won’t work for that one. A Pointer who goes jogging with his marathon-running owner every day needs a lot more calories than the Golden Retriever who watches TV all day. The diet that contains enough fat to keep that sled dog warm through an Alaskan winter would kill that Miniature Poodle who suffers from pancreatitis. The commercial kibble that stopped my Border Collie’s itching and scratching in its tracks may cause your Bedlington Terrier to develop copper storage disease.

Every food on the market contains different ingredients, and each one has the potential to cause symptoms of allergy or intolerance in some dogs. Every food contains a different ratio of macronutrients – protein, fat, and carbohydrates – and you have to learn by trial and error which ratio works best for your dog. Each product contains varying amounts of vitamins and minerals, and though most fall within the ranges considered acceptable by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), some may be in excess of, or deficient to your dog’s needs.

So how do you choose?

The starting place
Well, you have to start somewhere, and you undoubtedly have. Your dog is eating something already. We hope it’s a food that meets WDJ’s selection criteria, which is outlined annually in the February issue. We highlight a number of foods on our “approved” list, but consider any food that meets our selection criteria to be as good as the ones on our list. Our goal is to help you identify the foods with the best-quality ingredients – whole meats, vegetables, fruits, and grains, and high-quality sources of dietary fat – to get you into the right “ballpark” in terms of quality. Then you have to start individualized feeding trials on your dog.

Start by assessing your dog’s health. Take a sheet of paper and make a list with two columns: one for health problems, and one for health assets. Any conditions for which she receives veterinary care or medications go in the “problems” column. Other conditions that should be listed here include bad breath; teeth that are prone to tartar buildup; chronically goopy eyes; infection-prone or stinky ears; a smelly, greasy, flaky, or thinning coat; itchy paws; excessive gas; recurrent diarrhea, constipation, or incontinence; repeated infestations of worms or fleas; low or excessive energy; and a sudden onset of antisocial or aggressive behavior.

In the health assets column, list all the health characteristics that your dog has in her favor, such as fresh breath, clean teeth, bright eyes, clean ears, a lack of itching, a glossy coat, problem-free elimination, a normal appetite and energy level, and a good attitude.

If there are a lot more assets on your list than problems, and the problems are very minor, you may have already found a diet that works well for your dog. But if your list reveals a lot more problems than assets, your dog is a good candidate for a change of diet – in addition to an examination and some guidance from a good holistic veterinarian!

Now take a look at the food you are currently feeding your dog. Note the food’s ingredients, as well as its protein and fat levels, and its caloric content. Write all of this down, so you can make logical adjustments if need be.

Nutritional management of disease
Just two decades ago, it was considered fairly radical to propose that canine diseases could be treated, at least in part, by manipulating the patients’ diets. Today, the increasing availability of “prescription” diets is the big story in the pet food industry. As stated by the editors in the preface of the fourth edition (2000) of Small Animal Clinical Nutrition (the nutrition bible for most veterinarians):

“This is truly an exciting time for those involved in the discipline of clinical nutrition because of the veterinary profession’s increased understanding of the role of nutrition in health and disease management, pet owners’ continued interest in receiving the best nutritional information for their pets and the recent proliferation of commercially available therapeutic foods. Our ability to improve the quality of life for pets and their owners is great.”

If your dog has any sort of disease or an inherited propensity for disease, ask your veterinarian about the benefits of nutritional therapy to help treat or prevent the disease. Don’t settle for the suggestion of a commercial “prescription” diet; most of them are formulated with lower-quality ingredients. Instead, ask what specifically in the diet has been manipulated so as to be beneficial for your dog. Then, see if you can find a product that offers the same benefits and better-quality ingredients. The best example is a “kidney” diet for dogs with kidney failure. The goal is to feed these patients a diet with a moderate level of very high-quality protein and low amounts of phosphorus (see “When to Say No to Low-Protein,” WDJ May 2005). An intelligently formulated home-prepared diet can do a far better job of accomplishing these goals than the commercial diets on the market.

You should also do some research on your own to determine what dietary changes might help your dog. A good starting place is Donald R. Strombeck’s Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative (available by order in bookstores, and from www.Amazon.com and www.DogWise.com). Dr. Strombeck details strategies for changing the dog’s diet to treat and/or prevent gastrointestinal, skin, skeletal and joint, renal, urinary, endocrine, heart, pancreatic, and hepatic disease.

Other diseases that can be improved with dietary management include:

• Allergy or intolerance. There are a number of breeds that are particularly susceptible to food allergies, including Cocker Spaniels, Dalmatians, English Springer Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, Lhasa Apsos, Miniature Schnauzers, and more. Again, it’s important to keep a record of what foods you feed your dog, what they contain, and how your dog looks and feels. If your records indicate that one or more ingredients trigger bad reactions in your dog, seek out foods that do not contain those ingredients in any amount. (See “Walking the Allergy Maze,” August 2004 and “Diet Makes the Difference,” May 2001.)

• Cancer. High-fat, low-carbohydrate (or carb-free) diets are ideal for cancer patients. Cancer cells use carbs for energy, and don’t easily utilize fat, so you can effectively “starve” the cancer cells while providing extra energy to your dog with a diet rich in a high-quality fat sources. (See “Feed the Dog, Starve the Cancer,” November 2003.)

• Inherited metabolism disorders. Some breeds are prone to diseases with a strong dietary influence. For example, the West Highland White Terrier and the Cocker Spaniel have an inherited tendency to suffer from copper buildup in the liver; these dogs should eat a diet that is formulated with low levels of copper. Malamutes and Siberian Huskies can inherit a zinc metabolism disorder, and require a high-zinc diet (or zinc supplements).

Ask your veterinarian (and reliable breeders) about your dog’s breed-related nutritional requirements. And contact the manufacturer of your dog’s food for the expanded version of the food’s nutrient levels. Pet food makers are not required to print the levels of every nutrient on their labels, but should make this information available to you upon request.

Caloric considerations
Another thing you have to consider is the caloric content of the food you choose. If the food you select for your dog is energy-dense, and your dog is a couch potato, you may have to cut her daily ration considerably to prevent her from getting fat. Some dogs respond to forced dieting with begging, counter-surfing, and garbage-raiding. If your dog is one of these, you may have to seek out a high-fiber, low-calorie food – one that may not necessarily contain the highest-quality protein or fat sources on the market – to keep your dog feeling contentedly full without getting fat.

Dogs exhibit a wide range of energy requirements. You may have to seek out a higher- or lower-calorie food based on the following attributes that can affect your dog’s energy needs:

• Activity level. The more a dog exercises the more energy he needs to consume to maintain his condition; it’s that simple.

• Growth. Growing puppies have higher energy requirements than adult dogs. A food with a higher protein level, but a moderate (not high) fat level is ideal. Obese puppies are far more prone to degenerative joint disease – especially in large and giant breeds – than puppies with a normal or slim physique.

• Age. The age at which a dog becomes a senior citizen varies from breed to breed, with larger dogs considered geriatric at earlier ages. Older dogs typically require fewer calories to maintain their body weight and condition, partly because they tend to be less active than younger dogs.

• Environmental conditions. Dogs who live or spend much of their time outside in severe cold temperatures need from 10 percent to as much as 90 percent more energy than dogs who enjoy a temperate climate. The thickness and quality of the dog’s coat, the amount of body fat he has, and the quality of his shelter have direct effects on the dog’s energy needs.

• Illness. Sick dogs have increased energy needs; it takes energy to mount an immune response or repair tissues. However, dogs who do not feel well also tend to be inactive, which lowers their energy needs.

• Reproduction. A pregnant female’s energy requirement does not increase significantly until the final third of her pregnancy, when it may increase by a factor of three.

• Lactation. A nursing female may require as much as eight times as much energy as a female of the same age and condition who is not nursing.

• Neutering. It is generally accepted that neutered (and spayed) dogs have reduced energy needs. However, there are actually no studies that conclusively prove that neutered dogs require fewer calories simply as a result of lower hormone levels. It has been suggested that these dogs gain weight due to increased appetites and/or decreased activity levels.

• Other individual factors. Other factors that can affect a dog’s energy requirement include its temperament (nervous or placid?) and skin, fat, and coat quality (how well he is insulated against weather conditions).

Human factors
Finally, there are the human factors that may influence your dog-food purchasing decision, such as cost and local availability. Understand that there is a connection between the quality of an animal’s food and his health, and do the best you can do.

It’s also worth considering the reliability, responsiveness, and availability of the manufacturer’s customer service people. It can be frustrating and costly if a company makes terrific food, but you can never reach them, your direct-ship order is regularly late, or the customer service people are either rude or unhelpful. Today, there are too many companies doing a good job and making good food to put up with this.

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/8_7/features/15728-1.html

Found this great article our readers may enjoy!

Just who are “play dates” really for?

By Stanley Coren | Illustration by Michelle Hayden-Marsan

The woman had grey hair with faint blue overtones and in her arms she clutched a coffee-coloured Pomeranian. The dog’s name was Max and he was around nine months old. Max was a tiny dog, and on the ground he would probably only stand around 8 inches at the shoulder, and weigh around 7 pounds. The woman’s name was Greta, and she was quite emotional as she explained her problem to me.
“I know that Max needs to have doggie friends, but he is so small that I don’t feel safe when we are at the dog park. There are Rottweilers there that could hurt or kill him, and when the retrievers start to play, they are so rough that they might injure him even if they didn’t mean to. Yesterday, there was a spaniel and one of those small sheepdogs there and I thought it might be safe, but instead they knocked him over and made him yelp and run away.
“I’ve been told that dogs are like kids, and if they don’t have friends of their own kind, they can become neurotic. What should I do?”
There are many myths about dogs based on the presumption that they are something other than a unique species. One can easily imagine that when Greta was rearing her own children she carted her three kids around to participate in soccer games, swimming, and various recreational activities so that they could form friendships with other children. Dogs, however, are not children.
Some people feel that dogs must have canine companions because they are derived from wolves, which are cooperative hunters and are supposed to form deep lasting friendships and allegiances within their packs. This is a misinterpretation of the social structure of wolves. Researchers Traci Cipponeri and Paul Verrell of Washington State University at Pullman, studied the relationships among wolves and found that, except for individuals that were related to one another, their social interactions could be described as “uneasy alliances” among individuals with both shared and conflicting interests. The relationships are much more like individuals in the same corporation who work together toward similar goals, but each has his or her own ambitions to get ahead of everyone else. There are clearly social interactions here, but not true friendships, except with those other wolves that are bound by direct kinship. Fortunately, dogs are not wolves.
In the thousands of years since humans first domesticated dogs, we have genetically manipulated them to socialize easily and to show friendliness almost indiscriminately. Dogs that have been properly socialized will congenially approach virtually anything that is alive, regardless of its species, and, unless they receive hostile signals, they will attempt to establish a good-natured relationship.
The bond that dogs can establish with other species is often dramatic and poignant. For example, there is the case of a Labrador Retriever named Puma. One cold day in Bristol, England, a gang of boys stole a kitten, threw it into a pond and waited to watch it drown. Suddenly, Puma dashed into the pond to grab the kitten. He must have thought that this was some sort of accident, because he brought the kitten out of the water and laid it at the boys’ feet. They just laughed and threw it back into the water. Puma again leapt into the water, but this time swam across to the other side of the pond with the kitten and ran home with it. When his family opened the door he rushed past them and laid the kitten down next to the heat vent. He would not let his family take the kitten out of his sight, so they felt that they had to keep it. They named the kitten Lucky, because he was so lucky to find a friend like Puma. The dog and cat established a life-long bond, playing together, sleeping together and apparently drawing comfort from each other. This is consistent with the idea that, although dogs are happiest when they are in a social situation, the species that that they are interacting with is less important than the quality of the interactions.
In some respects, we have bred dogs to be perpetual puppies. When in the company of other dogs, their natural inclination is to act like puppies, with playful games of chase or wrestling with that rough and tumble frenzy similar to what we see in human children of preschool age. This can produce bonds of friendship between dogs and can generalize to become a positive and friendly attitude toward all other canines. However, in some cases, such forms of rough play can produce antagonistic relationships and attitudes. This is not uncommon when dogs have been allowed to run in an off-leash park area or have been placed in a doggie daycare where they interact with dogs of mixed sizes and temperaments in a generally unsupervised way. Under such circumstances, dogs may actually develop a general hostility or fear toward all unfamiliar dogs rather than acquiring canine friends.
Although most dogs prize human companionship, the form of the relationship between dogs and humans is not exactly what we would call friendship. Research conducted at Eötvös Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, indicates that the bond between a dog and its owner is more like the bond between children and their parents. This has been explored using the same kinds of research methods that psychologists use for testing children.
For example, the researcher Adam Miklosi used something called the “strange situation test,” which is often used to measure the attachment between a mother and her child. Basically this involves placing the child in an unfamiliar environment. If the mother or someone familiar is not present, children often act as if they were anxious and uncomfortable. However, if they have a warm and loving relationship with their mother, when she is nearby, even if she is not making an effort to interact with her offspring, the child seems to relax and soon starts to happily explore this new and strange world. Miklosi found the same behaviour in dogs, suggesting that dogs are bonded to their human owners in the same way children are bonded to their parents.
The explanation for the nature of the human-canine bond is that thousands of years of co-existence have caused dogs to become dependent on humans.
“The stronger the attachment between a dog and its owner, the more likely it is to behave in a socially dependent way, relinquishing its powers of independent thought and action but at the same time drawing feelings of emotional comfort and safety from the presence of familiar humans,” Miklosi explains.
The head of the Budapest team, Vilmos Cysani, explains that the selective breeding of dogs over time has produced animals that form strong bonds and are predisposed to learn and obey rules, but also to have emotional empathy with humans. Cysani claims that “the dog’s natural environment is the human family or other human social settings,” so it should not be surprising to find that the company of humans is quite sufficient to keep a dog happy, and the company of other dogs, while often pleasant and fun for the dog, is not really necessary.
None of this should be taken to mean that dogs cannot form close friendships and strong bonds with other dogs. Take the case of Mickey and Percy. Mickey was a Labrador Retriever owned by William Harrison, while Percy was a Chihuahua that had been given to Harrison’s daughter, Christine. Normally, their size difference might have prevented the dogs from becoming friends; however, in this instance, they became playful pals. The dogs would chase each other around, or Mickey would lie on the ground and let Percy pretend to be dominant as the little dog jumped on him and mouthed his ears. They ate together and, when they slept, Percy would lay against the bigger dog to stay warm.
One warm summer evening, the dogs were out on the front lawn playing one of their favourite chase games, and, as he often did, Percy made a wide circle at high speed in an attempt to get behind Mickey. Unfortunately, this time his path took him out into the street and he was hit by a car.
The first one on the scene was Mickey, who barked and whined and nosed his little friend. Then, while Christine stood by weeping and Mickey watched attentively, William placed the dead dog in a crumpled sack and buried him in a shallow grave in the garden. The depression that had fallen on the family seemed to affect not only the humans, but also Mickey. The big dog sat despondently staring at the grave of his friend, while everyone else went to bed. He would not come into the house when he was called, so William left the back door open except for the screen door, in order to allow him to hear Mickey if he decided that he wanted to come into the house.
A few hours later, William was awakened by frantic whining and scuffling outside the house. When he investigated the noise, he saw, to his horror, that the sack in which he had buried Percy was now laying empty beside the opened grave. Next to it he saw Mickey, who was in a state of great agitation, standing over Percy’s body, frantically licking his face, and nuzzling and poking at the limp form in what looked like a canine attempt to give the dead dog the kiss of life. Tears filled the man’s eyes as he watched this futile expression of hope and love.
He sadly walked over to move Mickey away when he saw what looked like a spasm or twitch. Then Percy weakly moved his head and whimpered. It was his friendship with Percy that had kept Mickey close that night. There was also something deep within him that had sensed that there was a faint spark of life in the little dog, combined with some mysterious instinct to return his companion to him that had told him what to do. He would not give up on his friend. Because of this bond between the dogs, they would be able to romp and play again, and once more share the warmth of life and their canine companionship.

http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/articles/do-dogs-need-canine-friends/426

Good information on Australian Labradoodle puppy mouthing – please see our other doodle blog articles on puppy mouthing as well.

Puppy Mouthing

Saving your hands and your sanity
Karen B. London, PhD | 14 Dec 2009

There are many suggestions for stopping puppy mouthing, and only some work for each puppy. My favorite, which I consider the standard technique for stopping puppy mouthing, is the startle and redirect method. This strategy consists of making a high-pitched sound that is best written as “AWRP!” This sound startles most puppies enough to make them release their hold on you. Then, you redirect your puppy’s mouth to something appropriate to chew on, such as a chew toy or other toy. Many people are really good about remembering to startle but then forget to redirect their puppy to something that can be chewed. The result of this mistake is that the puppy goes back to mouthing the person’s hands or clothing and the person thinks the technique doesn’t work.

There are other effective ways of dealing with puppy mouthing, but I advise against any aversive methods, even if they are commonly advised. For example, don’t hold the puppy’s mouth shut or stick your fingers in it, yell, or use physical force to stop the dog. Basically, anything that frightens or hurts the dog is not an option.