Rescued Golden goes after all other animals on walks

Question: I have just rescued a Golden Retriever mix. She is about 7 or 8 months old and is a really sweet dog. The only two problems she has is, when walking she pulls and when she sees another dog, duck, cat, bird, you-name-it, she goes crazy to get to it. She is small in size, but I would like to resolve the problem as soon as possible so it won’t escalate into a bigger problem. If you have any advice that can help me, I would love to hear it. — Dennis and Emmy (my new dog)

Answer: Your dog sounds like she just needs some basic training. You can generally find good, positive reinforcement trainers on www.ccpdt.org. I prefer classes instead of private lessons for most dogs so they can get used to interacting with other dogs and people. While you might need one or two private lessons with a dog trainer if class timing is poor, or if your dog’s behavior is particular unruly, classes are by far the best value and often the best option for your dog.

Remember, don’t stop with just one class. Multiple classes really jumpstart a positive working relationship between you and your dog and continue to inspire you to work with her as she assimilates into your family.

In the meantime, you should find a good, humane control device to decrease the pulling. Head collars are great for controlling pulling. They include the Gentle Leader, Halti, Holt, Comfort trainer and Neutrix collar. The best one for your dog depends on your dog’s tolerance level and the shape of her head.

Don’t worry if she dislikes it at first, most dogs do and most dogs get used to it over time. Use treats to get her used to it and slowly work up to more time with her wearing it. There are also harnesses that prevent pulling, such as the Easy Walk and the Sporn harness. In general, harnesses encourage pulling, so you want to make sure that you have a “no-pull” harness.

Don’t forget to reward the behavior you find desirable by rewarding her when she is not pulling even if there aren’t any stimuli like dogs or cats around. You can find an article on how to teach an adult dog to walk on a leash on the Resources page of my website: www.flvetbehavior.com. Good luck and enjoy your new dog!

Dr. Radosta

Lisa Radosta DVM, Diplomate ACVB
Florida Veterinary Behavior Service
PO Box 210636
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421-0636
561-795-9398
www.flvetbehavior.com
Read more articles by Dr. Radosta | Ask her a question

Source: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/pawshere/2011/04/26/rescued-golden-goes-after-all-other-animals-on-walks/

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Teach a Dog Not to Dig

If you're tired of Fido ruining your lawn, follow these tips and teach your dog not to dig on your yard.

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Copyright 2011 by Pets Adviser®

Source: http://petsadviser.com/behaviors/teach-a-dog-not-to-dig/

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Greyhound has lump that?s growing

Question: I adopted “Mama” three years ago from Elite Greyhounds. She IS my life. Almost a year ago, we noticed a lump on her left neck. I brought her to the vet. He biopsied it, said it was OK. The lump now is quite large, and he said she was too old (13 now) to operate. It does not seem to bother her; she eats and poops very well.

She is losing some weight from vet visits, other than that, she’s “my baby,” and I’m so lucky to have found her. PetSmart advised to start giving her vitamins to help boost her system. They are GNC Mega Multivitamin Chewable tablets for senior dogs. Is this OK? — Jane

Answer: What a great adoption you made. Greyhounds make wonderful pets and you have had your dog for 10 years now! Good for you.

Do you know what type of biopsy was performed on the mass on Mama?s left neck? There are two types of biopsies. One is called a fine-needle biopsy. When this procedure is performed, a needle is inserted into a mass and some cells are removed. The cells are ejected onto a glass slide and sent for evaluation. This biopsy is non-invasive and does not require anesthesia. There is no incision and there are no sutures needed. With this procedure, though, it can be difficult to get a large sample of cells. Sometimes the cells obtained do not represent what is actually present in the mass. There is a 15 percent chance of getting a false negative result with this procedure.

The second type of biopsy procedure is called an excisional or incisional biopsy. This is when a piece of tissue is removed and sent to a pathologist. Surgery is required and some type of sedation is usually performed. There are sutures used. This is more invasive than the fine-needle procedure, but is less likely to obtain a false negative result. The other benefit of this procedure is if there is cancer present, the cancer can be graded and a more exact diagnosis given.

Since the mass on Mama?s neck is growing, ask your veterinarian which type of biopsy was performed. If a fine-needle biopsy was performed, then either an excisional or incisional biopsy could be performed to obtain a more specific diagnosis. If this has already been done, and a negative cancer result obtained, then we will need to decide if it will need to be removed at some point so that Mama does not become uncomfortable as a result of the large mass.

In answer to your final question regarding vitamins, if Mama is eating a well-balanced diet, she probably does not need further supplementation. A geriatric canine vitamin will not harm her in any way, though, and can safely be administered to almost all dogs. Check with your primary care veterinarian first.

Dr. Correa

Stephanie Correa, DVM
Board Certified in Oncology
Animal Cancer Care Clinic
www.AnimalCancerCareClinic.com
Read more articles by Dr. Correa | Ask her a question

Source: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/pawshere/2011/04/05/greyhound-has-lump-thats-growing/

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Feb 12, Home Dog Grooming | Grooming Your Dog At Home

Discover the steps involved and importance of grooming your dog yourself at home. The benefits to home pet grooming far outweigh the negative aspects

Source: http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/home-pet-grooming.html

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In Case You Missed It: Ikea's New High Chair for Dogs

Ikea, the ubiquitous purveyor of disposable couches, Swedish meatballs and kicky home decor always goes the extra kilometer to ensure that customers end their shopping excursion with a shopping basket filled with items they had no idea they needed. Speaking of which, the newest item you didn't know you needed is the IKEA HUNDSTOL - an enormous high chair for dogs!! Think about it - what dog wouldn't want to be formally included in family meals? Your dog will no longer feel like a second class citizen down on the floor when they are sitting high and dry on the...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DailyTreatAnimalPlanet/~3/bJqWrx9Voa8/in-case-you-missed-it-ikeas-new-high-chair-for-dogs.html

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Designer: Oscar Newman

Looking for that special studdly or frilly attire for that special pooch of yours?  Maybe something classic?  Or perhaps a little more daring?  Whether beach attire, something for the casual outing or a formal, Oscar Newman has exactly what is required to make the day special.  And, nothing says personality more, than your own unique attire, especially when it comes to the pooch. 

Oscar Newman has every way to pamper your pooch.  Whether it is wrapping them up in a special blanket, ensuring their warmth in cold weather conditions with a coat, allowing them to attend that special outing in a dress or trouser or weather simple jewelry to spark their spirit, Oscar Newman has was dog owners are looking for, right down to their Truly Oscar Collection of dog merchandise.  And, dog merchandise is what Oscar Newman is all about.  You will love the colors, the styles and the fabrics and most of all you will love the selections!

Source: http://poochieheaven.blogspot.com/2011/04/designer-oscar-newman.html

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Hi-Tek Naturals (Dry)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Hi-Tek Naturals Dog Food gets the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4 stars. The Hi-Tek Dog Food product line includes three kibbles. Since we could not locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these products on the Hi-Tek Rations website, we’re unable to report life stage recommendations. The following is a [...]

Source: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/hi-tek-naturals/

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