Nauset Kennels

post by Leslee, our fabulous groomer

Opinions vary on shaving dogs, but I feel keeping a dog’s coat longer in the winter and shorter in the summer has no impact on whether it keeps them warmer or cooler.

In the summer months I look around and see the shaved Golden panting just as much as the thick coated Husky - when it’s hot, it’s hot regardless of what you’re wearing. However, one point to consider is this: taking your pet short in the warmer weather will help those pets that are prone to skin issues and can be helpful in locating fleas and ticks. Shorter cuts, while they may seem to be more work because you have to make regular visits to the groomer, actually make for much less work in the long run. No mats, less fur to catch things in, easier to wash and dry, the list goes on.

Winter is a different story. In the colder, snowy months your dog’s coat will keep your pet warm IF he has a coat designed for the cold weather, such as the double coated dogs. Double coated dogs, Malamutes, Collies, Pomeranians, and Newfoundlands are just some examples,where the nice soft fur is next to the body with the more wiry coat on the outside. Even then, I have to ask: How much time does your dog spend laying around outside in 20 degree temperatures or during a snow storm? There may be some dogs doing that, but my guess is most are hanging out in a nicely heated home, in front of the fireplace or woodstove.

So we let our thinner coated pets, such as Poodles and Yorkies, grow longer fur for the winter. It gets cold so you dress them up in doggie coats and sweaters to keep them warm. But didn’t you let their coat grow longer to keep them warm? If your pet does not sport a double coat that is naturally designed for the cold, then growing the fur long is not helping keep the dog warm. Instead, if you are growing but not maintaining grooming along the way, the fur will become matted, particularly with those doggie coats and sweaters.

As the winter months come upon us and you’re wondering what to do about your pet’s fur-style, ask yourself these questions:

Is my dog’s coat designed for cold weather? If you answered no, then consider regular grooming to keep your dog’s coat in tip-top shape and invest in a coat or two.

How much time is my pet actually spending outside during the winter? If you answered not much, then remember that your pet’s cut can still be short in the winter.

Does my pet still need a coat or sweater when it gets really cold? If your answer is yes and you can’t wait to break out the designer doggie clothing, then by all means, bring it on! However, remember that these cute sweaters and coats love to mat hair, so again, maintenance is key.

Do I have more time to spend brushing and combing all that extra fur to prevent uncomfortable mats? If your answer is a resounding ABSOLUTELY NOT, then think about the message here and make regular grooming appointments for your dog.

Then, keep your pet in much , more manageable shorter cut and remember that those adorable coats and sweater are mat magnets with longer hair. And always feel free to talk to your groomer about your pet’s style.

We field quite a few phone calls from pet owners throughout the year with concerns about their pet(s). Sometimes it has to do with a lack of interest in food. Many times it has to do with “an upset stomach,” which is often code for loose stools. Still other calls invovle limping. Many of these owners will call us after scheduling a vet appointment, asking questions about shampoos, food or treats, exercise, and other possible contributing factors. Reasonable questions. And while we would never presume to anticipate what your vet would say, we do have up some common-sense practices that we can share.

Sometimes, it helps to remember that our own bodies don’t always act the same every single day throughout the years. For example:

Allergies develop in some people, but not others. You can go for years without having allergies, and then boom, you are sniffling and sneezing with the rest of us.

There are days when I am ravenous, and other days, not so much. 9 out of 10 days I will eat somewhat regularly, yet there’s always that day or two where I’m just not that into food.

Even when I was younger, sometimes I would tweak an ankle or wrist. It would hurt for a day or so and then the pain would dissipate.

And while my mother will have a chat with me about appropriateness and sharing too much information, the same concept applies when that food leaves my body. Some days everything works like clock-work, other days aren’t as stellar.

I know, TMI (too much information). But sometimes, when your dog’s poop is a little softer than usual or you see that he’s not eating with the same gusto as usual, people need that gentle reminder in terms of our own bodies. Sometimes, you can be a bit “off” without being sick. I certainly don’t call my doctor every time my stomach acts a little funny.

That said, when do you call the vet if your dog or cat is acting off? (This is where I’d love my veterinary friends to give some free advice or give me a shout out on any information they feel isn’t up to their standards).

Call the vet if there is blood in the stool and your pet hasn’t experienced any stress ( a long car ride, company or fireworks for example), particularly if the blood continues to be present in more than one stool.

Call the vet if diarrhea doesn’t clear up after two days, assuming you fasted the dog for one day and followed with rice for the second day (dogs only on this one!). Call the vet if the dog’s eyes are glassy or her gaze seems distant.

Call the vet if the pet is having trouble walking that seems more than a “sprained ankle” type injury.

Call if your pet is sickly, elderly, or currently under veterinary treatment.

Call if it just feels like the right thing to do.

Remember: your vet is there to help and will be happy to answer questions. If you feel like every time you call to ask questions you are rebuffed or told that you have to come in, then consider finding a vet that will work with you on a level you feel comfortable with. And if you still want to call us to chat about a problem, we’re happy to oblige.

*Note: We are not vets. We don’t pretend to be vets. And we don’t play vets on t.v.

Does anyone reading this remember the movie with John Travolta where he plays a young man with an immune problem and he can only go out in a bubble? (Yes, I know I just dated myself with that reference!)

This past weekend, we encountered a dog whose parents would like it to live in a bubble. Well, I doubt that they would really like the actual bubble concept, but figuratively, this is what they were asking us to do.

“Please make sure he is socialized with as many other dogs as possible, but we don’t want any scratches, scrapes, punctures or anything like that. Oh, and I only want him playing with other puppies.”

The last time I watched a group of puppies playing together I remember them pulling, tugging, scratching, yipping and all of those cute, adorable things puppies do to each other. Ouch, those tiny, little teeth are SHARP! and can do some damage all in the name of fun. And those nails. My goodness, puppy nails are sharp. Those little guys roll around, pulling on an ear, gnawing on a leg, and just generally learning how to play together. When someone yelps, you can see the offender pull back a bit, as though surprised. Sometimes, a nip is returned as a warning. Puppies play hard.

As I listened to the customer’s wish list, I thought of the movie. At one point, this silly image of a dog rolling across the yard in a bubble actually went through my mind and I had to suppress a giggle. Finally, Kirsten explained to them that they can’t have it both ways. If the dog is going to play and be socialized, which they want, there is always the possibility of scrapes, scratches and more. She reminded them that we certainly don’t want that, nor do we encourage it, but things do happen. And so, with some hesitation and crossed fingers, we all took a chance and practiced some puppy socialization. Although he still needs a lot of practice and time playing with others, a bubble isn’t what he needs. While we never want anything bad, even in a small way, to happen to our dog babies, we have to realize that sometimes things will happen. And yes, we need to teach our dogs how to play appropriately, just like we teach our kids how to play appropriately with others. While we teach them, they are learning. If a dog doesn’t like another dog in its face, it lets her know to back off. As social pack animals, this is how they learn. Without a bubble.

Kirsten and I attended a Geek Girl Camp on Saturday, a great conference with lots of familiar faces. It seems we were all there learning to navigate our businesses within this fabulous world of technology.

I finished the day exhausted, but whirring with excitement to start using what I learned. At the after-conference appetizers and drinks, it seemed everyone had learned something, and was anxious to implement, try out, or create something new.

So just what does technology have to do with running a kennel? I can just hear my mom guffawing in the background as I log in to Facebook to check the kennel account. She’d probably make some snide remark about uploading a video to YouTube. She just might even ask if it’s all worth it, wondering if the time spent fussing around with technology takes away from my time with customers or the animals.

In some ways, yes. I don’t interact in quite the same way with the customers as I used to. And while blogging is not the same as running around the yard with the dogs, it is satisfying in a different way.

If I can ever get my act together and actually put all of what I learned into motion, this Geek Girl stuff will allow us to do things we never thought about. That video I will soon upload to YouTube will be able to show people who don’t live just around the corner an opportunity to see the kennel. The kennel’s Facebook account allows us to share bits and pieces of daily life, events, announcements, pictures, and all sorts of information with a lot of people quickly. It also allows them to comment in return. Our website works similarly, but without the group concept. Technology, while it seems almost counterintuitive, is allowing us to create, refine, and further relationships with customers.

I suppose, though, if you are reading this then you probably already get it, don’t you?

We recently had a customer drop off his cat before a long, overseas trip. As usual, we asked about the unforseen emergency and how he would like us to proceed. Laughing a wry laugh, he said something about really only having about $100 for any such emergency so that makes it an easy decision.

Interestingly, I feel that this crazy economic time almost takes some of that pressure off of pet owners. When you don’t have money to spend on procedures, you don’t have the added pressure of trying to care for your ill pet while at the same time worrying about how in the world to pay for it.

Don’t get me wrong; in no way am I saying that a lack of money makes the process easier. However, for anyone who has ever been in that situation of having a very sick pet and wondering how to pay for it, not having the money decides for you. If you do have the money, at what point are you spending too much? When Scout was so sick, as the bill reached astronomic proportions, I would secretly worry and wonder if our credit card would go through. And then, what if it didn’t??? Would I have to look at the receptionist and say, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any more money for this? I know we’ve put the dog through however many days of hospitalization and numerous tests and an exploratory, but we’ve run out of money.” When she was so sick, it was easy to say yes to the tests, to anything that would make her better. But then, each visit got harder. Would the hospital think less of us for finally saying that we couldn’t spend anymore on our dog? We own a kennel, for gosh sakes! How would that be perceived? And poor Scout; her last days would be filled with poking and prodding, not peace and love.

Another friend who has a lot more money than I do, said he would spend any amount to make his dog better. Some of my friends with less in the bank avoid the issue by avoiding the vet. If the pet is acting ill, then they try to make it comfortable and hope for the best. Others throw all reason away and yes everything that might prove to be a cure or an answer, only to then find themselves up to their eyeballs in debt.

My suggestion is to actually consider your options before anything happens, even for those of you with pet insurance. How much is reasonable to spend? At what point do you say no more, both financially and physically (thinking of the pet). Have these conversations before your emotions are involved, remembering that emergency vet care is expensive. If you and your spouse or partner are having trouble reaching a decision, do some research and talk with your vet about common veterinary expenses and those more common emergency vet expenses (cancer, renal failure, bloat, etc.). Have the serious conversation now. While you can never fully plan for anything, at least have something to work from, as opposed to sheer emotion.

THE BIG THREE

One of the most important things a new dog trainer can learn are the three main principles in dog training: timing, consistency and motivation.

Armed with these three principles, you can train a dog to do just about anything! If you are ever finding yourself having difficulty in training, or if it seems to you that your dog is confused, ask yourself if you have fully observed the BIG THREE.

1.) TIMING
A dog has a period of 1.3 to 1.5 seconds in which to associate a cause with its effect. This means that the saying “catch them in the act” is absolutely true! This applies to both corrections and rewards and praise.

With rewards, it’s necessary to provide the dog with the reward at the exact moment the dog does what you like. If you’re teaching a “sit,” for example, you would want to provide the reward at precisely the moment the dog’s rear end hits the floor.

This is usually very difficult, however — by the time you have fetched the treat out of your pocket and moved towards the dog, the dog is now standing! And since we know that the dog associates the reward with what they were doing at the exact moment they received it, the dog will associate the reward with the standing, not the sitting you were trying to teach! This is why the advent of training with markers has become so popular; by teaching a dog that a word or a click is followed by a reward, it becomes much easier for the trainer to tell the dog exactly what it has done that has earned him a valuable reward. It is a highly effective way to communicate with a dog.

While a mistimed reward slows down learning, too many mistimed corrections can have even greater consequences. To correct a dog for breaking a “sit-stay” five seconds after he got up is meaningless. Again, the dog will believe he is being corrected for whatever he was doing at the moment he got up. If he gets up from his “sit-stay” and comes to you and you correct him, he will think he is being corrected for coming to you.

Also, too many mistimed corrections and your dog may begin to think that nothing they do is ever right, and they will shut down. This is called learned helplessness. Some dogs labeled submissive are actually not submissive by nature, but have acquired learned helplessness through bad training. It makes the dog insecure and it makes you, the trainer and owner, seem unpredictable and untrustworthy…and possibly scary. You can see how this could be detrimental – Mistimed corrections can not only slow down learning, they can also harm the relationship between you and your dog.

2.) CONSISTENCY
When training a dog, you must be very clear. There is no grey area. A rule is a rule is a rule. This means that if you do not want your dog to jump up on you when it’s raining and they have muddy feet, then they cannot be rewarded for doing it when it is sunny out.
If you’re in a great mood because you just got a promotion at work, you may happily greet your dog when they jump up on you when you get home. However, don’t be surprised when your dog doesn’t understand why you yell at them for jumping on you the next day when your car has just been side-swiped in the parking lot.

A dog that is allowed to jump on adults will not understand that they cannot jump on children or the elderly. Likewise, a puppy that is rewarded constantly for jumping up will turn into an adult that doesn’t understand why the rules have suddenly changed.

Again, this does more than make your dog confused on the issue of jumping, it can also make you seem unpredictable and untrustworthy. You must strive to be 100% consistent in your training! This will result in a dog that feels safe and secure knowing that there are well-defined rules and boundaries in their life with you and your family. As a bonus, you’ll also have a dog that doesn’t jump up on people… because they never get rewarded for it!

3.) MOTIVATION
A simple way to understand the concept of motivation is that a positive consequence makes a behavior continue and a negative consequence makes a behavior stop.

You communicate with your dog with praise and rewards when they do something you like. As a result, the behaviors that you reward will begin to occur more often. You communicate with corrections (a verbal “NO!,” a leash correction or withholding of the reward, etc.) when they make mistakes, or are breaking clearly defined rules. As a result, the behaviors you correct (if they are timed correctly!) will begin to decrease in frequency.

Both rewards and corrections must be motivational to the dog. You want your communication to be meaningful. That means that your rewards must be good enough that the dog is inspired to strive for it in the future. For example, if a dog doesn’t like to be petted on the head and that is the reward you use when he does something correctly, you have actually provided a negative experience for your dog!

If you are in a high-distraction environment, the reward you use for ignoring the distraction has to higher than the promise of the rewards the dog would get from paying attention to the distractions! You should know that some dogs prefer a game of fetch or tug to food, while others live for praise. Some dogs prefer Cheerios over steak! Let your dog tell you what they like…do not put your own preferences on your dog if you want your training to work well.

Likewise, negative consequences must be unpleasant enough to make your dog motivated enough to avoid them in the future. Too many “no, no, no, no, nos” said to your dog without any follow-through will simply become background noise. A correction should be enough to stop the behavior…no more and no less.

APPLYING THE BIG THREE
As you train, think of these factors: If your dog is not responding or is acting stressed or confused, ask yourself whether you are really being clear with your dog. Does your training fall into harmony with the BIG THREE? Is your timing correct? Is your training motivational? Are you being 100% consistent? If you are not answering “yes” to all of these questions, you cannot expect miracles from poor Fido. Practice every day!

Good luck, have fun, and happy training!

Well, I am at a loss on this one. To say this is a Pandora’s box is an understatement. Yes, I am talking about organ donation for dogs.

The conversation started this morning when someone told me she had been asked to donate one of her dog’s kidneys to a littermate. I have to say I was a bit shocked, thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” To me, it is a no-brainer. I love my dogs, but wouldn’t want to put my dog through either the donor or the recipient surgery. Heck, Kirsten and I are pretty sure that we wouldn’t put one of our dogs through an amputation again after our dog Rex, but that’s another story.

Of course the friend telling me this story was initially shocked, but after some thought, she felt torn. “What if it was my own dog needing a kidney?” she asked. “How am I to give consent for a dog that can’t give consent?”

To me, this really is still a no-brainer. I can certainly understand why people grapple with issues such as this. It is a personal choice. I wouldn’t put my dog through this. Would you? What am I missing in this issue?

Over Christmas, my family debated the merits of various dog breeds, often turning to Kirsten and me as the resident “experts” on the subject. While we have a lot of experience with a lot of different dog breeds, I don’t know that either of us would consider our knowledge to be anything more than an opinion based on a lot of experience. Since that is what we have a lot of, here’s what we know.

The most popular breeds are popular for a reason: dependability. A labrador retriever is a known entity. He will be easy-going, intelligent, and a good family dog (a shocking amount of fur comes out of labs though - invest in a really good vacuum cleaner).

Kirsten and I have noticed that the breeds we see the most have changed a bit over time with breeding practices. Golden retrievers are no longer “golden red” in color; they now tend to be “golden blonde.” Both goldens and labs have gotten really large in size. And where labs used to be somewhat laid back, they seem to have more hyperactivity (ADHD in dogs! Just kidding) and other emotional issues, such as not getting along with other dogs, anxiety, etc.

Popular dogs that don’t often make the popularity top ten are pretty steady in nature. They haven’t been overbred probably because they’ve never hit that top ten list that often leads people overbreed. Standard Poodles are a perfect example. Most people would laugh if someone said they wanted a standard poodle. We know that most poodles are super intelligent, very sweet, easy-going, and they tend to get along well with other dogs. (Note: we are being area specific. According to the Today Show, Standard Poodles are part of the nation’s top ten common dogs: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/28695663).

We also know that the more unique breeds are unique for a reason: they often require special owners willing to put up with the requirements of owning a unique breed. Shar-peis look really, really cute as puppies, but those adorable wrinkles create major skin problems. Great Danes are wonderful, gentle giants, but they have very short life spans, usually no more than eight to ten years. Italian Greyhounds are super cute and very loyal, but have ridiculously thin legs like toothpicks that can also snap like toothpicks requiring caution even when jumping off a bed or couch.

We are certainly not claiming to know everything about every breed. We also recognize that not every dog fits breed standards in every way. Snickers, one of our favorite Dachshunds, is not yippy like the majority of the breed. And Tess, a favorite dalmation, gets along very well with other dogs and is fabulous with kids, not typically common for the breed. All of us love it when a dog doesn’t fit the norm or the expected, such as the Akita who plays well with others.

We are also always pleasantly surprised when an unusual breed comes in. For instance, after sixteen years of being at the kennel, I had never met an Alaskan Klee Kai before this past spring. And I can only remember one Komondor, but Kirsten says she has seen them before. We’ve seen Catahoula Leopard Dogs, Fila Brasileiros, Chinese Cresteds, and other uncommon breeds. I am still waiting to see a Thai Ridgeback, a Catalburun, or any other number of interesting, unusual breeds we have yet to see.

And since we are all full of our own opinions, I’d like to know: what breed is your favorite and why? Write in and tell us!

Jo’s take on cat ownership

I consider myself to be more of a dog person, but we’ve always had at least one, sometimes a half a dozen cats around the house. My son is very much a cat person, so for his 13th birthday I got him a kitten. She was just a tiny tabby cat with white paws and very long whiskers. He named her Fudge. She was impossible not to fall in love with.

So with this new kitten he marched into parenthood. He took on all the responsibilities of being a pet owner: feeding and caring for her, and of course, changing the litter box. They grew quite close. She’d much rather curl up on his lap and snuggle with him versus anyone else in the house.

Now he is 15 and loves his little Fudge dearly. So the other day when I came home for lunch I had to think, “Who really owns who here?” I walked into the kitchen to find a small mouse lying on the floor. I called to my son and said, “Did you see the dead mouse out here?” (It is not unusual for the “less than pleasant” clean-up jobs to be left for mom). He said, “Yeah, Fudge caught it. I was letting her play with it.” I mentioned that it was kind of gross sitting out here and he very sincerely commented that she was having so much fun with it he didn’t want to take it away from her. He seemed quite proud actually. Now that she seemed to be done with her “toy” I asked him to please clean it up, which he did right away.

Later that night Fudge came up in the conversation and he began explaining her evening routine, where she sits on his lap by the computer and then at bedtime is carried to bed and promptly tucked in. It began to occur to me that she really has him wrapped around her little paw. Though she is an indoor cat he will often carry her around outside and let her nibble on grass. A meow or a nudge and he’s up to get her a snack. And she never goes without when it comes to toys, most of which he buys with his own money. I think she got more stuff for Christmas than anyone else!

Now we all love our animals very much. They bring us companionship and unconditional love. And cats most certainly have their own sophisticated way they show it. They are endearing and very clever. There seems to be a fine line that cats and their owners waver on as to who is in charge. It would seem in our house little Fudgy reigns supreme. So I have to ask you to think about your house - do you own your cat? Or does your cat own you?

Within the last week, we’ve had at least five panicked phone calls from dog owners whose friends have bailed on them at the last minute for pet sitting. This weekend just so happens to be Columbus Day Weekend, a particularly busy weekend at the kennel.

For some of these panicked people, we’ve been able to accommodate them. A couple of people had to, as the saying goes, punt. We couldn’t take their dog because (s)he isn’t current on vaccinations necessary for boarding. More likely than not, another friend stepped up to the plate, or, a weekend away got postponed or cancelled.

Friends can certainly provide fabulous pet care while you are gone. A good friend of mine recently helped another friend by taking her dog for two weeks. She proved to be a fabulous pet sitter, even keeping a journal complete with pictures of Jerzey’s activities. Short of a major health problem, this friend of mine would never have considered cancelling on Jerzey’s owners.

Unfortunately, too many people out there do have things that come up causing them to cancel on their commitment to a friend. While I am not passing judgement on these people, I am suggesting that you have a back-up plan for your pet.

A reputable pet sitter or a kennel can provide such back up. This is our business, it is what we do. Unless your pet is sick or seriously injured, we don’t turn you away. A reputable pet sitter can even help with the above situations to a point.

Many of you are probably saying, “Well, we’ve never had problems with our neighbors watching the dog for us.” And that is great. Unfortunately, I am writing this because too many people do run into issues with their friends or neighbors as pet sitters.

We are booking up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And while we always encourage last minute phone calls because you just never know, we can’t always guarantee that your vacation will still be a go. If you don’t have a regular kennel or pet sitter that you use, let’s hope your neighbor or friend is as good as my friend Karen.