Humans for Dogs

Why do dogs chase their tails?

2010-01-03T09:30:27-07:00

Why do dogs chase their tails? Do they enjoy it? Do they know the tail is theirs?

Some common theories about why dogs chase their tails are:

They're bored and chasing their tail is fun.
People laugh when they chase their tails and they are looking for attention.
The tail itches. (If your dog is scratching all over, including itching the tail, you may want to make sure they don't have fleas or a skin condition.)
As a stress reducer. If your dog just started chasing his tail, you might want to consider what else has recently changed in his life.
Lack of exercise.
It's fun! (Ever watched a kid spin in circles?)

While chasing their tail is a normal dog activity, if it is excessive or causes problems (like they are actually gnawing on their tail), you may want to try to stop it. Do this by rewarding your dog when he or she is quiet, taking them for more walks and providing them with more toys or other entertainment. If it's not excessive, enjoy it!

Treat your dog for Christmas

2009-12-06T12:15:20-07:00

Looking for a treat for your dog for Christmas? Instead of giving your dog people food try the following treats:

Blue Dog Bakery Treats. These are real bakeries you can take your dog to to buy treats. If you don't happen to live near one, you can order their treats through Amazon.
Greenies. Our dogs love greenies. They have the added bonus of cleaning their teeth. Even though we have large dogs, I buy the petite sized greenies so I can give them treats more often.
Meat flavored treats. In a test where dogs were offered dirty baby diapers, a can of spam and gourmet dog treats, most of the dogs sniffed the baby diaper first, then ate the spam. You may like chocolate, but your dog probably prefers meaty stuff.

Get your dog a non-chocolate special treat today!

Photo by ratterrell.

7 ways to discipline your dog

2009-11-06T08:10:00-07:00

There are many ways to discipline your dog. Be careful when using them that you are disciplining your dog while they are doing the bad behavior and not after they've quit. For example, if your dog is barking in the back yard and every time you come to the door, he stops barking and you yell at him, he may not get that you are yelling at him for barking earlier. If you yell at him every time he barks at someone, he might associate your barking with other people showing up and assume the other people are bad. You don't yell at him when they aren't around, right?

Here are seven ways to discipline your dog from the book How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With:

Distract. Make a loud noise to distract your puppy from whatever they are doing. A loud yell, a slap on the table or shake a jar with a few pennies in it. This should startle him and focus his attention on you.
Scruff-Shake. Grab the fur under his ear on his neck and shake - a "brief but brisk shake". This works best if you catch them in the act and the scruff-shake is a surprise.
Put-Down. Push the puppy over (quickly but gently) either on to his side or onto his back and lean over him. This reinforces that you are dominant.
Isolation. Say no and then ignore your puppy. Puppies are very social and they won't like it that you aren't paying attention to them.
Time-Out. Put the puppy outside for a few minutes and then try the same situation again. Or you can stop playing or interacting with the puppy for a few minutes, if you were part of the situation.
Squirt Bottles. Say "off" or "no" and squirt your dog at the same time. Water guns make this fun for you. Unfortunately many dogs (and cats) find this a fun game as well. Rutherford and Neil suggest using vinegar then, one part vinegar to six parts water.
Sit Command. Right after saying no, say sit. This gives your dog something else to do other than the bad thing. I've also found it effective to just say sit. Usually when they sit they can no longer do whatever it is you didn't like.

My dad used to swat our puppy with an empty plastic milk jug or rolled up newspaper. It was probably the distraction that worked, not the being hit.

What methods of discipline work best for you and your dog?

Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/chainsawpanda/ / CC BY 2.0.

Can I leave my puppy with other dogs?

2009-11-04T08:20:00-07:00

You should not leave your puppy alone with older dogs until it is four months old. Until they are four months old, puppies do not properly display submissiveness. In addition, they want to play! So they can end up pestering and annoying older dogs. Most older dogs will respond by growling or snapping at the puppy but they may also bite the puppy.

Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fpat/ / CC BY 2.0

Information from How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With.

Should I get two puppies?

2009-11-02T08:56:00-07:00

Many people wonder if they should get two puppies at once. Having two dogs gives your dogs someone to play with during the day, but if at all possible you should get them at different times.

If you wait until your first dog is at least five to six months old before you get a second one, your first dog will be well bonded to you.

If you get two puppies at the same time, especially if they are from the same litter, they are likely to bond to each other and pay more attention to each other than to you. Training them will be a lot harder! That said, I know some people that have gotten two puppies from the same litter and successfully raised them to be well behaved dogs.

Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulmoody/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Information from How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With.

Are dogs color blind?

2009-10-30T09:48:00-06:00

Dogs aren't completely color blind but they don't see color very well. There are two types of retina cells, rods and cones. Rods detect light. Cones detect color. Dogs have many more rods than cones.

Dogs do see better than humans in the dark and they are very sensitive to movement.

Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/dshef/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Information from Dog Behavior: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

When's the best time to bond with my puppy?

2009-10-28T09:36:00-06:00

The "critical period of socialization" for a puppy is between 3 and 13 weeks of age. It starts when the puppy opens her eyes at 3 weeks of age and is strongest for the next 10 weeks, but dogs never lose the ability to bond.

From 3 to 5 weeks old, puppies explore everything new in their environment and show no fear. By 5 weeks of age, they start avoiding new things and situations.

Puppies are usually separated from their litter mates and placed with people between 6 and 8 weeks of age but it's best if they get a lot of social interaction with people starting a three weeks. Puppies that are removed from their litters earlier often don't know how to interact with other dogs! (Many of us may have know one of these dogs - does your dog think it's human?)

Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastian-silva/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Information from Dog Behavior: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

Why does my dog wag his tail?

2009-10-26T09:18:00-06:00

Your dog's tail says a lot about how he's feeling.

A happy dog that is busy interacting or exploring will hold his tail high and wag it horizontally. When he stops to check something out, the tail drops and stops wagging.

If two dogs meet, the dominant dog will hold her tail high and the submissive dog will hold her tail lower and may even tuck it between her legs.

If a dog is threatened, he'll hold is hail high, either straight up or even curled over his back. The tail will be still or may vibrate, especially if two dogs are meeting and don't yet know which one is dominant.

When your dog's tail is tucked between her legs, she's scared or uncertain. (My dog Teddy used to tuck it so far under that it laid against her stomach!)

A female dog in heat will hold her tail off to one side.

What have you noticed about your dog's tail position?

Information from Dog Behavior: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

Does my dog really smile?

2009-10-24T14:10:28-06:00

Ever wondered if your dog is really smiling at you? You certainly know he's happy to see you and it looks like he's smiling ...

Dogs are capable of facial expressions, just not as many as humans.

Your dog's smile might mean that he's happy to see you and he knows he submissive to you. The submissive grin, where the corners of the mouth are pulled back, indicates subordination or insecurity. It sometimes goes along with a licking motion.

Dogs also "smile" when threatened. In this type of smile you can see their teeth, in particular the upper lip is lifted enough to see their canine teeth.

How or when does your dog smile?

Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsnet/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Information from Dog Behavior: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

Smokers would quit for their dog's health

2009-02-10T07:32:03-07:00

"Smokers are more likely to quit smoking for the sake of their pets' health than they are for their own." says an article on Lab Spaces.

Nearly one in three of the smokers (28.4%) said that knowing that smoking was bad for their pets' health would spur them to give it up.

I had the opportunity to see a pair of dog lungs that came from a smoking family and they were black and riddled with holes like a heavy smokers. Smoking affects your kids and your pets!

Photo by psk2006.