Dog with Food Allergies?

I am always looking for the latest research in canine health. Dr. Jean Dodds of http://www.hemopet.org/ has a salivary diagnostic test for food intolerance.  It is a test kit that you can order through her website and send in for analysis. Below is the current information available from her website.




Dr. Jean Dodds will be introducing Nutriscan, a novel, patented food intolerance and canine food sensitivity testing system. This assay system utilizes an important new approach in nutrition - that salivary diagnostics can more accurately identify the foods to be avoided rather than focus on those less like to be reactive.

Dr. Dodds' revolutionary concept is the first food intolerance and sensitivity testing program to match pets with their individual nutritional needs and genetic makeup, i.e. functional nutrition or nutrigenomics. This provides owners with accurate information to select the optimal pet foods and treats based on high level nutritional principles.

Dr. Jean Dodds' new Nutriscan saliva screening diagnostics should be used annually by dog owners. This canine food sensitivity and intolerance diagnostic system tests saliva for food reactant antibodies in healthy dogs and those with known or suspected food intolerance. Dog owners can obtain the test kit from Hemopet or through their veterinarians. After following directions, adding saliva, the kit is sealed and sent to Hemopet for analysis. The Nutriscan canine food sensitivity testing and diagnostic kit is now available.

Testing protocols are for gluten and other food ingredient intolerance and sensitivity. The primary dietary antigens to be tested are corn, wheat, soy, beef, eggs, and milk.

BAD DOG or BORED DOG

Is your dog counter surfing and eating your dinner, grabbing your precious possessions and running, excavating your landscaping or chewing your new furniture? Many people think that their housemates are bad dogs but maybe they are just bored dogs.

A bored dog can become a destructive pet when he's left alone. Leaving your dog with his favorite toys can help him pass the time. Better yet, provide some interactive dog toys that give him something to do – they will challenge him to think and “problem solve” to get what he wants. An active and focused mind means your furniture; shoes and household items won’t get destroyed when you're away from home.

Some dogs are just fine when no one is home; they entertain themselves by sleeping all day. Other dogs want more action in their life whether anyone's home or not. They spend the day chewing, barking, shredding and any other activity they can find to entertain themselves. The problem with letting a dog find something to do on his own is that he ends up getting in trouble once his owner gets home.

Dog toys have come a long way from the simple squeaky toys and rawhide chews that most canines quickly grow tired of. After all, there’s only so many times can you squeak a toy before it gets boring, and once the rawhide chew is gone; it's back to mischief making. If your dog needs something to do to keep him out of trouble, consider toys that can stimulate him and give him something to focus on. What you need are interactive dog toys that require your dog to think if he wants to get to the treat.

Wooden dog puzzles come in a variety of skill levels that can give your dog hours of stimulating problem solving to get to the treats hidden inside. They have to figure out how to slide blocks or pegs to find what they're looking for. Some are harder than others, but all of these dog toys challenge the smartest dogs. One of the harder dog puzzles has four layers that spin. The dog has to rotate the layers to get to pockets that hold his favorite treat.

For dogs who inhale their food, you might want to consider an interactive dog bowl that's designed to slow down how fast they eat. Dogs that wolf down their supper can have digestive problems, and certain dog breeds have a higher risk of developing bloat if they eat too fast. The interactive dog bowl slows down their eating by making them work for their supper in a fun way that stimulates their mind. It also helps your dog learn good eating habits by teaching him to not inhale his food. You can use the interactive dog bowl for treats instead of dog food to keep him entertained and stimulated when you're gone.

Interactive dog toys come in a variety of shapes and sizes. All of them require the dog to use his brain to get to the hidden treats. They are designed to hold up to the dog who likes to chew – but why chew on the outside when there's a treat inside? Figuring how to get the treat out is stimulating and satisfying.

You can also find interactive chew toys for dogs. They can give your dog hours of entertainment as they push, chew, tug or pull on the toy to get the treat. Some are designed to make the dog roll the toy around to get the treats to fall out. Others have the treat in plain sight and the dog has to figure out how to get the food prize out of a pouch.

Treat toys are an excellent way to provide a game of hide-and-seek dog for your dog while you're away. Fill three or four toys with treats and hide them around the house where he can easily find them. When he's finished with one toy, he can search for another one, which helps keep his mind focused on the treats instead of the temptation to destroy your couch cushions.

When buying an interactive treat toy for your dog, make sure to get the appropriate size for them. Puzzle dog toys and interactive games are designed so any size dog can work the pegs or twists and turns they have to maneuver through to get to the treats. If you have a dog that gets into mischief every time you leave the house, providing him with an interactive dog toy can help him beat the boredom of being left alone. Bayside has a wall of great interactive toys to keep your puppy busy and safe, while in his crate waiting for your return.  Please stop in to see our wall of fun toys that will be sure to keep your dog happy and busy while you are away from home.

If your puppy is a bundle of energy when you return from a busy day at work, Bayside also has a group daycare program that might address your puppy’s need for exercise. Socialization, with other dogs and our dedicated staff, will decrease the energy level and also provide a safe environment for your dog to grow and experience positive interactions. A tired puppy is always a good puppy with less behavioral issues. Please check out our website for some additional information about our group program.

Putting your dog into a training program will also alleviate the behavioral issues of a bored dog. A few short five minute training sessions each day will create a happy and tired puppy. The relationship building aspects of training your furry friend will also bring about positive long-term results. Bayside offers a variety of classes in obedience, agility, tricks and other fun activities that will be sure to help you create a well mannered family member. The website, www.bayside-bb.com, will provide greater details about our training programs that can be tailored to meet the needs of you and your dog.

Dogs have become a very special part of our lives and there are many ways to address the problems that arise when we have to leave them to go to work. Stop by or call Bayside Bed & Biscuit and we will turn your bad dog into a model canine citizen. Please remember this quote, “He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.”

Graduates of Family Manners 1

Graduates of Family Manners I



Last night, we had a successful graduation of Family Manners I. Rosie, Maizee, and Tedi were able to successfully complete the required exercises, proving that they are on their way to becoming canine good citizens.

Door Manners

Does your dog run out the front dog as you open it and then play "can you catch me"? It is one of the most dangerous things that your dog can do and can be fixed if you are clear and consistent in your training of good door manners. This is one of those "Say Please" behaviors. Your dogs should not assume that an open door means pass through and explore the outdoors. To train good door manners, you can use your crate door or your back door and wait for your dog to offer a  sit or make eye contact. The door does not open until Rover offers the correct behavior that you have picked. Training a  release word of OK, FREE, or BREAK, lets them know that they can now move their feet and go outside. Once you have established good door manners at your crate door and back door, it is time to set up some training sessions at the front door with a long line attached to your collar. Rover only makes it out the door if he offers a sit and then gets released out the door with your magic release word.

Door manners is one of the activities that we work on in our Family Manners Class. I feel that it is one of the most important things that can be trained and might be the one thing that could save your dog's life. Setting up rules at the door will also help you in training a good STAY.

Puppy Skills

We had a fun class last night with puppies learning to interact with new things such as a wobble board and an agility tunnel. Puppies were cautious around the new equipment for a few minutes but quickly began running through the tunnel and offering sits on the wobbling board. This kind of positive interaction with new things is very important in a puppy's life. We rewarded the puppies with food and praise for offering to put their feet on new things instead of forcing them onto the equipment. The latest research shows that puppies should have many positive interactions during the first twelve weeks. To find out more, check out the link  www.uvhs.org/behavioral_docs/the_puppys_rules_of_twelve.pdf

Practice Makes Perfect

I frequently get the question from clients asking when their dog will be completely trained. I like to look at training as a life-long process. Our dogs are learning something each time we take them out for a walk. We, as owners, are reinforcing good things or unknowingly reinforcing bad things. We need to be aware that if your dog pulls you over to see their favorite neighborhood friend, your dog has learned to pull you where he wants to go. What if instead you have him wait to be released to go to his friend? The consistant use of a simple "Say PLEASE" philosophy will create a well behaved canine citizen.

Most of us fail to realize that pretty much every day, every interaction with our dog (especially in the first 2 years) is a TRAINING scenario, practicing for the big event when we desperately NEED a recall, for an emergency, to impress someone, or for competition. This means two things: 

 A. We end up testing our dogs on a regular basis rather than setting up a training scenario when we're just hanging out with our dog.

B. We don't reinforce the good behavior frequently enough in everyday real-life situations (where we haven't set up a formal training exercise) to maintain the strength of the dog’s response.  

The following is a list from Ian Dunbar's training blog and I think it does a great job summing up a dog owner's job regarding training responsibilities.

1. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re not sure that your dog will respond to your requests appropriately and right away, manage for safety and success. (And then go back and train until s/he does respond enthusiastically and promptly!)

2. Strengthen your reinforcement value via games, high value rewards, and high reinforcement history. (HIGHER!!) 

3. Practice and heavily reinforce the basics such as sit, down and stay. Don’t take them for granted.

4. Gradually add and increase distractions occasionally in mini, real-life training set ups.

5. Do the above throughout your dog’s life regardless of how well-trained your dog gets.

Remember a having a trained dog is not an end goal but rather a dynamic, ever-changing lifelong process. Practice makes perfect.

Holiday Stress????

Are you feeling a little holiday stress? Dogs also feel stress and can exhibit a multitude of signs. Do you know that dogs can have sweaty paws? Some other signs of stress are the following:

• yawning
• teeth chattering
• lip licking
• will not play with toys or eat
• excessive drooling
• stretching
• excessive shedding
• whining
• cheek puffing
• shallow or fast breathing
• dog freezes, closes the mouth, stillness
• tucked or low tail

Watch your dog's behavior and see how many of the items above you can see as they are exposed to things in their environment. Dogs tell us a great deal and it is up to us to watch and understand their unique language. I think that in many cases, they have learned to read our behavior much better than we read theirs.