Stubborn Dog, Novice Owner

Are Australian Cattle Dogs Good Watch Dogs?

May 30, 2022May 30, 2022Diane J.

The short answer to whether or not Australian Cattle Dogs are good watch dogs is, yes.

Sharing What We’ve Learned about Australian Cattle Dogs

When we got Pandora, we knew she wasn’t a full breed ACD, Blue Heeler, Queensland Heeler. We were told that she has an 1/8th of Border Collie in her. Now I never thought to ask how they knew that, whether or not they gave the pups a DNA test or not. I didn’t care. This wasn’t a pre-planned breed pick, nor was it a pre-planned adoption. It was an “I detect a weakness in my husband and am taking whatever this dog is.”

Once we decided on her, I went home and started researching the breed. I didn’t know much about the breed. The only thing I knew was that they are great herding dogs. I’d only known two people with Blue Heelers. One was an older gentleman that would bring his dog up and visit with us often. His dog would say “I love you.” The other was a friend whose dog would chase us whenever we showed up at his house. I’m thankful I lived in a small town where we didn’t keep our doors locked, because I can’t count how many times I raced into that house, without knocking, and slammed the door between me and the beast.

My limited knowledge on the breed, followed by my initial research, scared the bejeebus out of me.

What Research Told Me

I learned that this breed can be aggressive to others if not socialized well. That was a big red flag of “oh no.” We were in the middle of a pandemic lock-down, how was I going to expose her to other animals and people?

Australian Cattle Dogs are a one-person dog. Well, hell. I have a husband and college-aged boys around the house. I knew she’d be my dog. Which was what I wanted, but I also wanted to her to like the rest of the family, too.

But the biggest one, the scariest one, the one that concerned me most, the one I saw on every single thing I read was: NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FIRST TIME DOG OWNERS.

The reasons given were that this is a stubborn breed and a breed that needs immense exercise and lots of mental stimulation as well.

Apparently, we’d just picked out a Tasmanian Devil.

And I was not going to share any of this information with my husband. I didn’t want him changing his mind before we got our girl home. This was my chance to have a dog and if we didn’t get her, my chance at ever getting a dog would be nil.

Without further ado, what to know about Australian Cattle Dogs:

This is going to be a mini-series of posts. Going over what I learned and how it pertains to a novice dog owner with a breed not recommended for novice owners.

Are ACD’s Good Watch Dogs/ Guard Dogs?

Yes. Yes, they are.

I have had the experience of my friend’s dog who went after anyone who showed up at his house. I have watched many hours of YouTube videos where ACD owners talk about their dog’s anti-social issues. And I’ve read a lot of articles, from veterinarian websites, breed specific websites, and blogs regarding cattle dogs.

And, I now have my own experience with Pandora to add to that knowledge list.

Pandora is almost always “on.” As in, “on alert”. I know whenever anyone in my household makes a move to do anything. Think you’re going to sneak out, oh no, no, no. Think you can slip into the house at 3:00 a.m. without anyone knowing what time you got home? No. Pandora lets me know about anyone outside the house, inside the house, heck, I even know when my neighbors come and go.

She lets me know when a stray cat is strolling around on the deck. She lets me know when our cats are roaming the yard. We know more information than we ever thought we needed to know.

If you want to read more about Pandora’s watching/guarding, read Wonky Schedules Throw Off Schedule-Loving Dog.

The Difference Between Watching and Guarding

Pandora will alert for anything, we’ve covered that. But it goes further than just alerting. She knows what I’m doing and where I am at all times. Unless I leave her home while I’m out and about. I curl my legs on the couch? Her eye opens. I lean forward to adjust a pillow behind my back and her head lifts up. I stand up and she’s right there, ready to go.

Guarding behavior is different. Pandora knows her family, she knows the boys and Dad, she knows they are okay. Yet, whenever one walks anywhere near the room I’m in, particularly my office or bedroom, she gets between them and me and grumbles, sometimes barks.

At night, if I go up to the bedroom before my husband, Pandora comes with me. And if I don’t put a hand on her, like rest my hand on her leg, or side, or head, she will leap up and place herself between my husband and I and bark.

Watching is letting me know what is going on within her sight and hearing range.

Guarding is placing herself between me and whatever she feels she needs to guard me from. I don’t like her doing it with family members, I’m not okay with that, and I haven’t been able to train her to stop. She hasn’t made to attack them, and her bark is less vicious. And I don’t let her carry on or get out of control. We put an end to it right quick.

Once when we were on one of our favorite trails, she did place herself between me and another man who was walking by and her bark was much more vicious. She’s normally fine with anyone on the trails. So, who knows why she didn’t like that guy? I’m not going to claim he was creepy or that dog’s sense malicious behavior. Sometimes, dogs just don’t like a scent. My dog that I had as a young girl, hated hunters. She would love on someone, but if they came by after hunting, she would flip her lid.

Oh yeah, I did socialize her…kind of

The only way to socialize her was on the trails during the pandemic. It wasn’t a crowded trail, but we’d meet people and talk and I didn’t force Pandora to love on anyone. So she’s pretty good on the trails.

So yes, Pandora is watchful and on guard. Would she attack someone if she felt I or another member of the family was threatened? Possibly. We haven’t been in a position to see that, which I’m totally okay with.

Do you have an Australian Cattle Dog, either full-breed or partial breed? I’d love to hear what you’ve noticed that is common to ACD’s or not.

The Barking is Back

May 23, 2022May 23, 2022Diane J.

We’ve lost control, Pandora is back to barking. Or maybe it’s her version of narrating the play-by-play of the household. Every dog in a five-mile radius knows what is going on at our house.

We Hear Barking…

Pandora believes it’s just letting us know, or more specifically, letting ME know what everyone else is doing. And everything that is happening around us. She feels no need to let anyone know what is going on when I’m not home. Other than, “Oh uh, someone is on the property.”

When I’m home it’s a completely different story.

“MOM! One of the kids walked out of his room.”

“MOM! He went into the bathroom.”

“MOM! Dad turned on the outside water faucet! OH MY… Water! MOMMMMM, WATERRRRR!”

“MOM! A car drove by.”

“MOM! A leaf fell 3 miles away.”

“MOM! Dad sneezed.”

And heaven help anyone who wants to talk to me while I’m in my office. Pandora has taken it upon herself to be the guardian of my productivity. Or just insanely jealous of anyone who wants my attention. There is the possibility that she understands my desire to be a hermit and is trying to provide that for me. Whatever, her perception is, she is very vocal to anyone who starts to talk to me.

When anyone leaves the house, she gets very upset. I’m not sure, but I wonder if she feels like she failed on the corralling of her herd. “They’re getting away.”

Whatever the Case May Be…

I’m going bonzo. What happened? We had the barking under control for a bit, but then she snapped.

The worst part is that she is the absolute worst with my husband. Whenever he’s in the yard working, she is trying to heel him and barking at every move he makes so long as I’m home. If I’m not home, she sulks, she doesn’t care what others do. Understand, this is hearsay, as I have never seen this side of her. But apparently, my husband and boys can vacuum, mow, hammer, go in and out of the garage, leave, do whatever they want without Little Miss giving a play-by-play.

When I’m home, I have to go rein in Pandora when she’s barking at my husband. He just ignores her and keeps doing what he’s doing. Which is not helping her learn. With spring and summer, he’s outside a lot, which means I can’t get invested in my tasks and work because I have to go deal with the barking. I don’t want to be that dog owner, the one that allows the dog to bark and bark and bark. And I can get her to back off. Until I leave.

Possible Reasons for the Increase

Obviously, the first reason is that my husband isn’t training her. Let’s be clear, when the whole family is consistent with the training, the dog will respond for each person. My husband likes to get out and do what he needs to do. He doesn’t want to stop moving and get the dog under control, he wants to do his thing.

Last year, my husband did do some training with Pandora. And even though she didn’t change to perfection, she responded fairly well. As with all training, we need to be consistent, and we need to revisit it often. The sooner you get on top of it, the better. The first few days will be the worst, but then it will get easier and easier.

Another reason for the increase, we have our twin boys home for the summer. There’s been an adjustment in the family. Whenever, there is a new adjustment, Pandora (and even I) have to adjust. We have to adjust to the comings and goings which are more frequent. We have to adjust to more noise and activity.

Sometimes barking is a sign that the dog isn’t getting enough activity. And since we’re dealing with an Australian Cattle Dog, that is something I’m very mindful about, making sure Little Miss is stimulated mentally and that she gets lots of run and activity time.

The New Plan to Reduce the Bark

This time around, I’m going to be implementing the same thing as before. Rewarding for “quiet”. I want her to bark when people come by the house, but I want to stop when I acknowledge what she’s telling me.

And once we get that back under control, we can use it for all the other stuff she feels she needs to let me know about.

The biggest caveat is that she doesn’t do it for treats. She did that once before. Expecting the treat and throwing out some unnecessary barks just to get a treat. I’m thinking it might be wise to delay the treats as she learns. We’ll start with instant treat on a pause. We’ll move to instant treat when she responds to the command. Then we’ll start stretching it, waiting one second after she follows the command, then two seconds and so on.

I also love Pet Web MD’s idea of getting the pooch in a spot when anyone comes home or to the door.

And, I’m going to give my husband three links on training to read through and let him decide how he wants to approach training her. I like to give options so people can find what works best for them. When I train Pandora, I give a hand signal as well as a verbal signal. This way, I have two ways of communicating with her. So I figure if my husband wants to try something different, he can use the same hand signal and we’ll get the same effect. That’s my theory.

Side Note: Hand signals are awesome. They have come in handy many times, when I’m talking with a neighbor or someone on a trail, but I don’t want to interrupt the conversation to get Pandora to sit or come.

And, as always, I will update in a month, how the training is going.

If you have any suggestions that have worked for you and your dog, please share, I’d love to hear them.

If you’re curious about the links I’m sending to my husband:

Pet Web MD

Pet Doors

Everyday Health

Favorite Dog Items, Leashes, harness, etc…

May 16, 2022May 16, 2022Diane J.

There was a learning curve for us with leashes, collars, harnesses and other items before we found our favorite dog items.

This is Part Two. Go Here for Part One.

All items aren’t for all dogs. It seems so obvious at first. We wouldn’t put a collar meant for a Chihuahua on Border Collie, but what about all those collars in the medium dog size? Is there really a difference between a Martingale Collar and a regular collar? Or two similar looking regular collars? Yes, yes, there is a difference.

Favorite Dog Items: Collars

Pandora came with an adorable pineapple and flower printed collar and a puppy leash. The cuteness! But like all puppies she grew fast, and we needed to replace her collar and leash.

So off I went to the pet store. After choking on the price of collars, I came home and hit Amazon. Then, after a few hours on Amazon, I had to ask myself questions: Does she need a lead? A Martingale collar, a regular collar, an e-collar? Heck, if I knew.

Since, I couldn’t decide, I just got one that was basic, the Blueberry Pet Essentials Classic Collar (it has pretty good reviews and lots of color options) and it was what we needed.

It lasted and grew with her. It was easy to clean and never broke or frayed. It did get a little dingy after a good year and a half, despite all the washings. Pandora is into many things, she goes through every mud puddle, she slides across the grass, she tries to roll on cougar scat and deceased animals on hikes. The collar also went through Roxie’s stage of yanking Pandora around by it. But that collar held in there. Since it worked so well, we bought it again.

Favorite Dog Items: Leashes

I know, there are a ton of leashes out there. And we tried many of them. We tried the retractable leash – doesn’t work well with training leash manners. And it completely failed when I was trying to keep her near me as a man jogged by. Pandora liked that someone was faster than me and the darn thing snapped when she took off.

So, I went back to the basics. I don’t snub basics.

We did buy a cheap basic leash once, I learned never again to buy a leash that had some slick coating on it. When you need to get a hold of your dog, you need something that has a good solid grip. The slick leash gave me “rope” burns. Ditto the retractable leash, you are stuck with that plastic handle and if you need more control, you’re S.O.L (snot out of luck).

I don’t have a link for this leash because Amazon no longer has the one we bought and I’m not going to recommend one we haven’t tried. Pandora is a mid-size dog she’s just shy of 40 pounds, and that is mostly muscle. She’s a bit thinner than most Australian Cattle Dogs. We got a 4′ leash that has a 1″ width and a solid metal clasp. That thing is great although it does have a small nibble on it, it’s still strong and not unravelling.

Know your dog, know what you can handle and what you need. Feel the material of the leash and make sure it won’t shred up your hand.

Favorite Dog Items: Kennels

When we first Pandora home, we were going to forgo the kennel. But I kept reading that for easy and fairly quick potty training, the kennel is the way to go. We didn’t have a dog kennel, but we did have a cat carrier that Pandora didn’t mind. Of course, she was just a little round ball of cuteness so she fit.

We hopped on Amazon and got one ordered. And it arrived in the nick of time, little miss was barely squeezing into the old crate. We’d bought an Amazon Basics? I’m not positive. It worked for us, but doesn’t have the better ratings that this one has, which is identical:

Favorite Harness

Yes, I caved and bought a harness. Have I mentioned the difficulties of getting Pandora to walk on sidewalks or paths anywhere near vehicles? Oy Vey!

We love this harness because it has a little stretch, which came in handy to prevent chafing on little miss when I put it on too tight one time. Pandora’s friend Roxy got one in a different color and she wears it all the time. Still holding up after two years of use.

Our Favorite Fence

Let’s face it, Pandora’s a cattle dog through and through. If we don’t give her a boundary, she’ll herd everything within a four-mile radius to our yard. My husband and I couldn’t agree on the type of structural fence and cost, so we went with the invisible fence.

I know many people are concerned about the fence, but it’s been a great fence. You have different levels of intensity: Level one is a beep and vibration. Level two is beep and light zap and so on until level four where it’s a pretty decent zap.

I was a bit upset the first time Pandora got zapped, I felt horrible when she yelped. Here’s the thing, it was mostly out of surprise. I didn’t have it on the highest setting, I had it on the first zap.

Another thing, this company stood behind their product and were excellent to deal with. We had screw pop out of the box on the collar and they sent a replacement immediately. No hassle. Phenomenal customer service. The PetSafe Stubborn Dog In-Ground Pet Fence.

Favorite Pet Food Storage Container

There are all sorts of storage containers out there. We got the Gamma 2 Vittles Vault (I love saying “Vittles Vault”) one and have been pretty content with it. I always feel like I’m breaking into a safe when I spin the lid. It’s solid and keeps the food dry and stale-free.

Our Newest Favorite Item

The car-seat cover. This has been a life saver…well, for the car seat material anyway. It is the Vailge Dog Seat Cover for Back Seat.

This thing is awesome! Especially, when Pandora took off through a mud field. Or after her many swims. Or when she’s in full shedding mode. Cleanup is a breeze. Most of the time, I just shake it out and we’re good to go. I’ve thrown it in the wash (after Pandora’s mud romp) and it’s been fine. I didn’t put it through the dryer. It’s easy in, easy out. Saves the car from a hair-fest during shedding season. I can’t rave about this enough.

Training and Frisbee Life

April 11, 2022April 11, 2022Diane J.

Last week I had to try something different, give Pandora something new in an effort to further our training.

This week is a small recap of how it’s going.

The Training is “eh”

Sad, but true. Some training weeks will be like this, just “eh.” Nothing great, nothing terrible, just there.

Unfortunately, we now have a new “thing.” We have to carry Pandora to the car. I could understand this if we were taking her to the vet. I could even understand it if I was loading her for a three-hour drive. But no. We have to do this to take her to the trails. She loves the trails. Why wouldn’t she be excited to hop in and get there? I’m befuddled.

When I say she loves the trails, I mean she LOVES the trails. The freedom of being off leash, bounding around, sniffing everything in site and her favorite water hole.

The best part about the training is that when we are on the trails I have, twice now, successfully gotten her into a “sit and wait” when we come across other people. Will it always be that way from here on out? Probably not. I don’t want to be negative, but I also don’t want to get my hopes up and them have them stomped on and drooled on.

Pandora has Combined Two Favorite Activities into One Glorious Activity

If you’ve read any other post, you know that Pandora’s currency is her frisbee. That is the one thing I can use to get her to do almost anything. Almost because, you know what I’m going to say, she still won’t walk near vehicles. And when I say near, I mean no sidewalks, no trails where she can hear the vehicles.

Anyway, her frisbee is the Big Thing. Up until last week, I couldn’t get her to go after that frisbee at dog parks or at human parks. She was too nervous. So, of course, I figured I’d bring it on a trail hike.

The first day, she’d go get it, but she wasn’t running all out for the frisbee like usual. But then we got to her favorite watering hole. Which has a creek running through it and some moss-covered trees lying across it. And I decided to toss her the frisbee while she was pouncing around in the water.

BAM! One throw and she was in love. Total love. She couldn’t get enough of the frisbee fetching in the water, hopping, bounding, splashing. Little Miss, was thrilled. So thrilled, she didn’t want to go when I told her it was time to go. She has never given me grief about leaving the watering hole. She might get a wild hair and dash through it one more time, but she’s never refused to leave. Until then. That day, she was not okay with leaving.

I took her back again over the weekend and we did the frisbee and water hole visit. And again, she was not done. I think I’m going to be taking her to Deep Lake for a picnic and water frisbee fun. Of course, that will be when the weather gets a bit warmer for her. It took a turn Sunday and got quite nippy.

A Lesson Learned

Bring more than one frisbee. If you take your dog out on trails with only one toy, rest assured that at some point it’s going to land in an unsafe or unreachable area. Have a backup.

On our first hike with the frisbee I threw it shortly after we left the water hole and darned if that thing didn’t go off a small precipice. Pandora attempted to go after it (eep!).

What’s your dog’s favorite toy?

How to Care for Pup After You have surgery

How to Care for Your Pup After You Have Surgery

March 14, 2022March 8, 2022Diane J.

Preparation Before Surgery

I recently had major surgery. Thankfully, I had the chance to plan ahead. Which meant getting ahead on household chores, work tasks, and Pandora’s training, some of it anyway.

Even if you don’t have an upcoming surgery, it’s probably a good idea to make sure your dog is trained in a few commands. These are mostly the basics. The stuff they tell us to train our dogs on immediately. The commands that can help us keep our dogs safe, and us too. There is a bonus to having these commands down well. If you have emergency surgery, with no time to pre-train your pup, your home recovery will be easier.

If you are lucky enough to prepare in advance, here are the areas you should focus on:

Training commands, such as “off,” “down,” “gentle,” “wait.”
Changing behaviors such as not jumping on you when you get home, going ahead of you when going up or down stairs.
Investing in some dog puzzles or a dog walker – things that will burn your pup’s energy, calmly.

Training Commands

When my doctor said surgery, this was the training area that I cracked down on for Pandora. She loves to jump on me, my husband, our neighbors, other people, you know, everyone. We couldn’t have that for when I got home so she had to learn not to do it.

The reason Pandora jumped on us so often is because my husband loves that she barrels out the door and jumps to greet him. We’re undecided if she’s trying to jump into his arms or if she’s leaping that high to lick his nose. Since my husband wouldn’t work on the “off” command before, he finally realized we had to now.

The best response we got was semi-ignoring Pandora when she greeted us. We’d say hello to her, and then when she’d jump, we’d say “off” while turning sideways. If she was launching into the jump, we’d put a knee up that prevented her from getting close. She’d bounce off the knee.

Pandora understands “sit,” and “wait,” well enough.

The one thing I wish I had taught her, was “gentle.” She’s not insanely rough, but it would have come in handy when she’d curl up with me if she understood to be a little gentle. You know, don’t walk over the surgery site three times to find where you want to lie down. Here’s a link on how to train “gentle.”

Changing Behavior

The biggest behavior changes you’ll want are for your dog are, jumping on you and not being underfoot on stairs. After surgery, you may be weaker, you may have balance issues, you may be dizzy. The last thing you need is your dog to knock you over and possibly reinjure or cause more injuries to your situation.

I already addressed the training of “Off,” above.

Not having your dog underfoot on stairs, is really nice. I never spent time training Pandora to go ahead of me on the stairs, but she learned it fairly quick. When she was a few months old, she’d bite at my feet when I was near the stairs. One day, I stopped moving and pointed down the stairs. Pandora ran down. From then on all I had to do was gesture (which is the equivalent of a one-handed “you first” gesture) and Pandora goes up or down ahead of me.

I watch a friend’s pup a few days a week and she walks down the stairs with me. Sometimes, she’s in a hurry and shoves by me. Usually, she’s pretty good about staying to the side of me, but every once in a while, she’s tried to shove by me or stopped in front of me.

Invest in Energy Burners

Pandora’s favorite activity is frisbee. Since I knew that I wouldn’t be able to give her that energy outlet for a few weeks, I had to do some planning. Thankfully, I have my husband and a son who can take her out, but she doesn’t play long with them. So, I started preparing by stocking up on items that could be used to entertain her brain and nose. While she doesn’t spend a bunch of physical energy, she tires herself out thinking.

I stocked up on toilet paper rolls, the cardboard piece. I cut them in half and put a tiny treat in each piece, then wrap it up around the treat. A little pocket if you will. I would put Pandora in a room and then hide the packets around the house. Each time I did this, I tried to find new places. I would do about 12 packets, six rolls. If you use treats like Dingos, you can save on the extra calories, by breaking them in half or thirds.

Another thing I did was to take an old blanket and scatter a few treats in it, then roll it up, tie it in a loose knot, and toss it on the floor. She spent a good while trying to get her treats out from the fuzzy depths.

And, I bought a dog puzzle off of Amazon. I was able to sit on the couch and play with her.

A Few Other Suggestions

If you don’t have someone at home, maybe hire a local teen to come play with your dog or to walk your dog. When friends or family come by you can ask them to spend some time playing tug or throwing a ball for your dog.

Lick Mats keep them busy, but calm for a while, so those are handy to have on hand.

Snuffle Mats, are great for nose work that encourages them to work those sniffers to find their food.

Get Pandora’s favorite indoor energy burners (just check with your doctor before anything that requires your physical movement – like throwing a ball).

The prep work takes time

…but it will make your home healing process smoother.

When to Spay Your Dog

February 28, 2022March 6, 2022Diane J.

This isn’t a long post, so bear with me. Near the end I include a link to a chart from a study that helps you make a much more informed decision of when to spay your dog. My best recommendation is to read the chart.

When I was younger, I remember our puppy got spayed fairly young. That was the in the 1980s. At a third or fourth round of puppy shots I asked the vet if we should schedule Pandora’s spay. She was approximately 3- or 4-months old and I was under the impression that it was best to spay your dog sometime between 4- and 6-months of age.

The Unexpected Answer

The vet ever-so-casually says, “We spay a few months after her first heat.”

I vaguely remember her say, “Hello?” Followed by a long pause and then “Are you there?”

I was completely unprepared for that news. I had a plan and getting Pandora through her first heat was not in that plan. As far as I was concerned, we were not doing the first heat thing. We have a friend who breeds bulldogs and French bulldogs. I’ve seen the dogs when they’re in heat. A lady we met on our walk was telling me about her mixed-breed’s first heat. This was not good.

All I could muster was “I’m going to have to process that.”

The vet gave me a whole host of reasons about research and discovering it’s better for the dogs. I thanked her and hung up. I haven’t been so speechless since I got to talk to Tommy Lee from Motley Crew on the phone when I was a teen. And that was the 80’s, when Motley Crew was big.

After a few days of recovering from this news, I hit Google. It was a rough journey. There are sites that say to spay by 6 months, after the first heat (or season), and even some that say it’s best not to spay or neuter your dog at all.

Is it Best to Wait to Spay Your Dog?

Frontiersin.org published the results of a study of when to spay your dog.

The simplest answer is if you have a small pup, lapdog size, the study doesn’t show much of a difference of waiting to spay your dog. I’ve read that small dogs mature quicker, so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it or not, but something to think about.

And some larger breeds did okay with an earlier spay. But there are some breeds where it appears it’s better to wait. For Australian Cattle Dogs (Pandora’s predominant breed) it was best to wait because there is a 15% increase of joint disorders. Pandora is not full bred ACD, she also has a bit of Border Collie in her. For Border Collies, there were more benefits of waiting to spay until after her first heat. For us, it made sense to wait through her first heat.

The study encompassed 33 dogs and they have those breeds listed in more detail. If your dog is not in the list, make sure you check with your vet. Maybe, look at the possible breeds that your dog is a mix of and decide based on that.

Frontiersin.org made a handy-dandy chart to peruse when it comes to deciding whether or not to spay or neuter your dog. CLICK HERE – to go directly to the chart. In the chart, there are 35 dog breeds and for each there is a check mark for the best option for your dog. The categories are Intact, Choice (meaning it’s up to you), Beyond 6 months, Beyond 11 months, and Beyond 23 months.

I hope that chart makes it easier for you to make an informed decision. It made it much easier for us.

Coming Next Week: Tips for Dealing with a Nervous Dog

Basic Dog Grooming Tips

February 21, 2022December 16, 2021Diane J.

When we brought Pandora home, I had the basic dog grooming essentials. By that I mean, we had a slicker brush and baby shampoo to wash her with. I forgot about nail trims, ear cleaning, and teeth brushing. I’d never heard of expressing anal glands. Today, we’ll touch on the bare basics of dog grooming. However, we will not touch on anal glands. My knowledge in that department is limited.

I’ll share the basic tips but remember that each breed is different. How often your dog will need basic grooming will depend on her breed.

Brushing

I’ll include a few links to items we use on Pandora. I do recommend you double check which items will work best for you dog’s breed. And don’t feel the need to buy a whole slew of specialty items right off the bat. Try the most basic tools first. After a few grooming sessions you’ll have a better idea of whether or not you really need to buy the more expensive dog grooming items.

Pandora has a double coat. Which means she has both an under- and outer coat. Her undercoat is thick, her outer coat is coarse and lies flat. She’s also waterproof. We have one brush and I’ve recently ordered two others.

The Slicker Brush – This is the style of brush we have, and it’s worked well for us. I use this once a week on Pandora. (The link is to a similar style, the one we have we bought years ago for the cats).
The Rubber Brush – I just ordered this one, because I’ve heard it’s good for bathing as well. The first link is the one we just bought, it’s cheaper okay. But the Kong has a pretty impressive 80% five-star rating.
The Stripper/Dematting/Deshedding Brush – We just ordered this brush. Pandora is getting ready for her second shed of the year and being able to get all the loose undercoat fur would really help.

Bathing

We don’t have to bathe Pandora very often. She rarely stinks. She can run through mud puddles and roll in stinky finds on hikes and by the time we get to the car, she doesn’t stink. And the only dirt left on her is on her paws. The only time that Pandora got insanely stinky was when she went for a swim in a lake that was akin to a peat bog.

HillsPet recommends, at the least, “…to bathe your pooch at least once every two to three months.” Unless you have dogs with longer hair, then they recommend every 4- to 6-weeks. And if you have a hairless dog, once a week. Who knew hairless would have the highest maintenance?

If you have a miniature dog like a Chihuahua or a Yorkie, you can probably get away with bathing your pup in the kitchen sink. With a medium size dog like an Australian Cattle Dog, the bathtub will suffice. For a rather large breed of dog, you might be able to use a large shower area or find a pet-washing station near you.

During the heat of summer, you may even be able to bathe your dog outside in a kiddie pool, or forgo the tublike structure, and use the hose.

NOTE: If you are bathing your dog in the sink or the bathtub you will want a hair strainer. I have a little silicone mat that catches hair, but I’ve heard pretty good things about the Tubshroom. The last thing you want to do is clog up your pipes.

We haven’t bought dog shampoo yet. We have a small bottle of baby shampoo that we’ve been using. Some people say this is fine, others say you shouldn’t use it because dogs need a ph-balanced dog shampoo. In either case, the biggest concern with baby shampoo is that it will irritate the skin. We’ll be buying a regular dog shampoo soon, but so far Pandora has done well with the baby shampoo. If you have concerns, check with your vet or a local grooming place.

Toenail Trims

Pandora gets her nails trimmed once a month. She has black toenails. It’s difficult to see the quick. I haven’t felt confident in my abilities to clip her nails, so we found a locale mobile dog groomer. She’s reasonably priced and comes by once a month to take care of Pandora’s nails.

However, I have started rubbing Pandora’s nails when she’s lying next to me. Once in a while, I tap them with my own nails. Basically, I’m trying to desensitize her to me messing with her nails. And I bought some lick mats. My intention is to slather the lick mat in peanut butter and trim her nails while she licks away.

Since I’m just venturing into this side of the grooming – here’s a link to Canine to Five’s Nail trimming Guide. It lists all the essentials and links to videos.

Other Dog Grooming Tips – Ears and Eyes and Teeth

Pandora’s eyes are pretty clear. Every once in a while, she’ll get a little string of something. Nothing concerning. And I use a damp paper towel to wipe it away. A gentle swipe down. I know there are dogs who need more eye care. And if your dog has a light-colored fur, there may be staining. There are some eye cleansers on the market, but I’d ask your vet about them first. Mainly, to rule out any concerns with your dog’s eye health and also to make sure the cleaner is a good choice.

Pandora is almost 2, so her teeth are still young and looking well. But we know it’s important to keep up on her teeth. We use a variety of things for her teeth.

Treats that claim to help clean teeth.
Teeth Brushing
Bones that Pandora gnaws on

As for how often to brush, I’ve heard everything from twice daily to once a week. However, PetMD recommends two to three times a week, at least.

Finally, it’s time to take a peek at the ears. As with all grooming tips, how often, will depend on your dog’s breed. Apparently, once a month is a good rule of thumb.

This is the other area that I haven’t even considered for Pandora. It’s also the reason for this post. I heard someone mention cleaning her dog’s ears and I felt like the crappy mom at a doggie play-date.

Here’s a link to VCA’s post on Ear Cleaning Tips for Dogs.

Thankfully, Pandora’s ears don’t stink. And I’m feeling like I haven’t prepared her for me messing with her ears. So, just like I’ve been slowly messing with her toenails, I’m now starting to touch her ears each day, as often as she’ll let me.

Are there any grooming tips you’ve discovered that make tending your pup easier? I’d love to hear your tips if you’re willing to share.

Dog Play – The Good, The Eh, The Bad

February 7, 2022March 6, 2022Diane J.

Dog play seems simple enough to know what’s good and what’s not. Your dog meets another dog, and they take turns chasing each other. No barking, no growling, and no rough housing. They back off and give each other space, all is well. Clearly, it’s good dog play.

When your dog meets another dog and their hackles raise and they viciously lunge toward each other with jaws snapping and spittle flying, you know it’s bad dog play. I mean at that point, it’s not play.

But what about the other stuff that’s not so obvious? The snarl without raised hackles. The air mouthing and non-verbal teeth-baring. The body slamming. The grunts and huffs. At what point is it not okay?

We’re lucky that I get to puppy sit a friend’s dog a few times a week. Roxie is an Australian Shephard and she’s a few months younger than Pandora. Up until Roxie, the dogs Pandora got to play with were tiny, elderly dogs that had no tolerance for puppy antics and younger, bigger dogs whose size Pandora was unsure about.

Pandora met Roxie once when Roxie was a teeny pup. The first time Roxie came to the house after she’d grown to the same size as Pandora was the best event to witness. Pandora finally had someone her own size that she could rough house with. And rough house they did. They body-slammed each other so hard, I was sure Pandora had taken lessons on throwing hard blocks from the NFL. Then they tore around the yard. They jumped on each other, rolled each other, snarled at each other and then stood in front of me with the biggest, happiest grins of contentment.

Since then, Pandora and Roxie have gone through various stages of acceptable and not-so-acceptable play.

Signs of Good Dog Play

Pandora and Roxie have some of the sweetest moments when they are in calm play. I’m not even sure if they are playing or just politely taking things away from each other. Whatever it is, there is no animosity or anger. They dig out toys from the toy bin and then they decide which is the cool toy. Roxie will go lie down with whatever the cool toy is, and Pandora will walk over and gently pull it away from Roxie. Pandora then goes and lies down with the toy and Roxie goes over and gently takes it away. That’s good play.

Some other signs of dog play that are good:

If your dog is smiling, it’s good. You know your dog’s happy look. If they look happy, chances are good, the play is fine.
The dogs keep going back to each other.
They switch roles: the one that was being chased is now the chaser.
They stop for a drink and go back to playing. Roxie will stop for a drink and Pandora stands next to her impatiently waiting for Roxie to finish so they can tear off together around the yard.
The bodies aren’t tense. The muscles are relaxed.

Signs of “Eh?” Play That Is Actually Okay

This is the stuff that I wasn’t sure was okay. I had to watch a lot of videos to make sure the girls weren’t getting too rough with each other. In case you’re wondering, most of these are actually fine. They get rough. But they are okay.

Blocking/ Body Slamming/ Bumper Bodies – whatever you want to call it. When they run and slam their shoulders into each other, it’s usually fine. Pandora and Roxie will do this and then get into crazed race mode. That’s when they tear around the full yard at warp speed. The only drawback is that Pandora can cut faster than Roxie. Roxie has run into the fence a couple times, when Pandora does a last-minute cut.
Teeth-baring
Air-mouthing
Snarl/snort and huff – this is usually displayed when they are baring teeth and air mouthing at each other.
Cheek/Jowl biting – this looks so painful, but Pandora doesn’t yelp. I haven’t seen Pandora do this to Roxie, only Roxie to Pandora. And apparently, it’s fine. Now, if Pandora were to yelp, that would be a sign Roxie went too far. However, since they are friends, I’m pretty sure Roxie would just take that as a learning lesson.
The Takedown – this is when the girls are on their hind legs and batting or holding each other with their front legs while air-mouthing. Pandora will then wrap her legs around Roxie and take Roxie down. I haven’t seen Roxie do this to Pandora. I guess they each have a signature move. But Roxie doesn’t yelp or run away. And I’m sure if she did, Pandora would back off right quick.

A Few Signs of “Eh?” Dog Play That Need to Be Watched

This is basically, the warning zone. One has done something to the other and it’s not okay. If the dogs are usually friendly with each other, you probably won’t have to intervene.

The “I’m Done” snap – Roxie has to do this to Pandora. Roxie gets tired quicker than Pandora. She needs to go in and rest. Pandora has no concept of rest, unless it’s bedtime. Roxie will lie down, and Pandora will give her roughly, 0.2 seconds before trying to engage her in play again. Roxie will do a high pitch snarl/snap thing to let Pandora know she doesn’t want to play.
If one dog keeps pushing the other too far – maybe the dog has bit the other a little too hard twice now, keep an eye on it. Dogs are pretty good at regulating teeth pressure in play. If one keeps biting too hard, it’s time to step in. The dog may be tired and need a break. Yes, even if the dog is still hyper. Sometimes they need to be brought into a calm situation to turn off the hyper and chill out.
The tail tuck while running – I’m not sure what made Pandora a little skittish, but one day while playing with Roxie, Pandora tucked her tail on a sprint away from her pal. Roxie seemed a little more aggressive, a little more not-so-happy to her snarl. I didn’t see what led to that. But I called the girls in and made them walk with me before giving them a treat and some rest. Pandora usually keeps her tail whipping around while running. The tail tuck was a sign that something wasn’t right.

Signs They aren’t Playing Anymore, or the Play has Turned Bad

Pandora and Roxie know each other too well. They haven’t had a situation that was completely horrible. However, Pandora and I have come across dogs that just aren’t as friendly, usually at the dog park.

I’m not blaming the people whose dog was a little more aggressive than normal. Who knows what set him off? Maybe he just didn’t like Pandora, maybe he was tired, maybe he was feeling a bit overwhelmed with so many dogs at the park. Whatever the reason, he took off after Pandora. He didn’t snar, but there was an edginess. I let Pandora run away from him, I didn’t give chase. Pandora sprinted around, which wore the old pup out. She didn’t come hide behind me. She wasn’t happy, but she wasn’t in a full tail tuck.

The other pooch’s human came and leashed him. Apologized and took him to a different section of the park. I think the situation was handled well. I didn’t jump right to Pandora’s rescue because she wasn’t in total fear, she was uncomfortable, but not terrified. The last thing I want to do is create more fear by running racing over to chase off the other dog.

The situation worked out pretty well. Pandora used her speed and fast cutting ability to wear the other dog down – it only took a minute. And then she maintained a half crouch. She could lie down if the other dog showed a little calm or she could bolt if he continued to approach. No one over-reacted and both dogs seemed okay.

The key sign that something was off, was the tenseness in the other dog’s muscles and the aggressive lurch toward Pandora.

A few other signs that the situation is heading in the wrong direction:

The raised hackles. That’s the scruff of hair that poofs up along mid-neck to the shoulder blade region. I’ve never seen a happy dog do that. It’s almost always a sign of anger, fear, or something not right.
A low growl accompanied with tense muscles. Dogs will growl in play, but there is a difference. The Metro East Humane Society has a post on telling the difference between play and fight postures. It’s a good resource.
Snapping aggressively
A change in the vibe – you know when two people hate each other and a relaxed room gets that edgy feeling? That same feeling accompanies dogs that don’t like each other.

These are things I have noticed. But I’m not an expert, so I’m including a few more links on the subject here:

K9OfMine – Appropriate Dog Play

Hill’s Pet – Dog Aggression or Play

Remember if you have any concerns, remove your dog from the situation.

Coming Next Week: Socialization and Dogs

Other Questions about Dogs and People Food

Do you have insight on something we should all be aware of with our dogs? Let us know in the comments. Sharing is how we learn.

Next Week: We’ll talk about dog play.

The good, the bad, and the in-between.

Beverages Dogs Can and Cannot Drink

January 24, 2022March 6, 2022Diane J.

You know there are people foods your dog can and cannot safely eat. But were you aware that there are beverages dogs can and cannot drink?

As a novice dog owner, I was not aware of this. Maybe it’s because I never considered giving my dog anything other than water. Which is a good thought process to have. Water is the best beverage for our dogs. The concern between filtered and tap and fresh water will be addressed in next week’s post.

The subject of what beverages dogs can and cannot drink came up while Pandora watched our alcoholic cat lap up the last dredges of my husband’s beer. Yes, you read that right. We have a cat that has an alcohol problem. He loves campfires, too, which is awesome. But I’m pretty sure if he were human he’d be in the tank after a night of drinking and carousing and barroom brawling. We spoke to the vet about Ollie’s love of beer. Ollie would hop on people’s laps and try to tug their beer away from them. The vet said he’d be okay. He asked if Ollie had a beer preference. And he does, Ollie likes ales, preferably Freemont Interurban.

My husband wondered if Pandora would like a sip. I did my typical, let me check Google. And surprisingly, the answer was “no.” Dogs should not drink beer. So, of course, I went down the rabbit hole to find what other beverages dogs can and cannot drink.

Disclaimer

I’m not a veterinarian. Always consult with your vet first. Likewise, know your dog, know your dog’s health, and if something doesn’t seem like a good idea, don’t do it.

Beverages Dogs Can Drink

Yes, these beverages are okay for dogs to drink. HOWEVER, the safest option when giving any of these beverages to your dog is to do no more than a couple tablespoons. Water is always the best option. Dogs are completely fine without other beverage choices.

Milk – Cow or Goat
Lactose Free Milk
Soy, Coconut, Almond, Oat – Oat milk is supposedly, the safest of all the milk options (double check with your vet, always just a little bit)
Gatorade/Powerade – yes, but not the best, these drinks usually have sugar. Double check the ingredients for added dyes and any sweetener additions that may be toxic to dogs.
Pedialyte – Just a bit, check with your vet.
Sparkling and or Mineral water – Completely unnecessary for your pet, plain water is best. But in a pinch a few tablespoons should be fine.
Decaffeinated Teas – Surprisingly these are okay. Some may offer antioxidants
Along the lines of the above – Herbal Teas, like Rooibos and Camomile
Fruit Juices – Most are okay, if they are fresh. Store bought usually has dyes and extra sugars. NO GRAPE.
Vegetable Juices – Again, fresh juiced. V-8 has way too much sodium. Always read the labels for ingredients that are harmful for dogs.

Oat milk is derived from whole oat grains soaked and mixed in water, sometimes with an added sweetener such as sugar. Oat milk is highly digestible and has practically no toxic components, making it very safe to give to dogs. It also contains higher nutritional components such as vitamin B-complex, calcium, and Vitamin D compared to other plant-based milk products.
The only risk associated with oat milk in dogs is its relatively high fiber content. While fiber is essential in keeping a healthy GI tract, too much of it can lead to various symptoms like constipation and diarrhea.
Can my dog drink almond, soy, or oat milk? | FirstVet

Beverages Dogs Cannot Drink – some they can, but shouldn’t

I want to point out that for the most part, all the yesses and nos are consistent across the board. However, there are times I see some sites say yes and other sites say no. My thoughts when it comes to differences is to err on the side of caution and go with the No.

Grape juice – just as the regular fruit is highly toxic, so is the juice.
Coconut Water – this is one that I find people saying yes and no about. However, I did hear a vet say “no,” so I’m erring on the side of caution.
Anything with caffeine – coffee, soda, tea
Wine – no, it’s made from grapes
Beer – Varying opinions but see the quote from the AKC at the end of this list (BONUS: They have an Ethanol Concentration Chart at that link.
Hard Alcohol/ Liquor – No.
Egg Nog – Raw Eggs, sugar, and alcohol.

Alcohol toxicity is not as common as you may think, because dogs are not innately drawn to alcoholic beverages.
Dogs may tend to be more attracted to fruit-based drinks, cocktails, punches, ciders, seltzers, and foods with alcohol as a key ingredient. Another serious consideration is diet alcoholic beverages or other mixers that may contain Xylitol, an artificial sweetener which is highly dangerous, and even fatal, if consumed by a dog.
How Harmful Is Alcohol To Dogs? What To Do if Your Dog Drinks Alcohol (akc.org)

Bottom Line on the Beverages Dogs Can and Cannot Drink

Err on the side of caution. Talk to your veterinarian. Most of the front-end staff can answer your questions, but if they can’t they’ll ask the doctor and get back to you. Don’t be afraid to call and check.

Keep your veterinarian’s number in your phone as well as the number to your local animal hospital.