The DogPause bowl claims to force your dog to take twice as long to eat the same amount of food offered in a meal as with a regular bowl. You can see the demonstration on their website, dogpausebowl.com. Guess what? It works just as described without diminishing any enthusiasm on the part of the dog. The concept is simple, the bowl is divided in four equal sections. You pour the food in to the bowl in relatively equal amounts. The dog has to work harder to get the food out of the smaller sections. Each of my girls has developed a different approach. One eats all the food in one section before proceeding to the next. The other goes round the circle taking a bite out of each part until the bowl is empty. It doesn’t matter how they do it, they take twice as long to eat their meals. Hooray! Less concern about a dog developing bloat.

There are other benefits, too. Your dog gets more nutrition from its food if it eats slower. Although I haven’t had the problem, apparently, eating slower reduces the occurrence of gagging, choking, vomiting and flatulence. It makes sense that these benefits would come from eating slower.

The bowl is sturdy and well constructed from a durable plastic. How do I know it is durable? My young Chessie had a little extra time on her paws while the bowl was in her crate. She decided that chewing on it might be fun. She is a powerful chewer and good at rapidly doing away with indestructible chew toys, but only made the tiniest marks on the bowl. After this initial attempt, she has decided it isn’t worth the effort. The bowls are easy to clean and dry very rapidly.

This is truly a product that does what is says it does and does it very well. I would recommend the DogPause bowl to anyone whose dog is
a rapid eater.

We need to first think about any behavior or personality quirks our current pack members may have.

For example, my oldest Chessie does not like one piece of her fur touched by another dog although people can pet her all they want and she will come back for more. In almost 9 years, I have not been able to convince her that a little dog touching won’t kill her. This means I would need to find an addition who is very respectful if I want everything to proceed in a harmonious manner. Fortunately, I found one, my young Akita X rescue. He is willing to take all of his cues from the older Chessie. They have become good friends and made for a harmonious household. This all changed when I brought an 8 week old Chessie female pup into the household. The older girl had no use for her from the beginning and still doesn’t. Being Chessies, I don’t know if this will ever change but the Akita X is very good friends with the pup so both Chessie girls have a playmate and I have a very tired Akita X at the end of the day. This works for me because I rather live and breath dogs, but it wouldn’t work well for many people.

Another thing many people don’t think about is the job the new pack member will have. The happiest dogs are dogs with jobs. My oldest Chessie has been my obedience demonstration dog when I teach classes as well as a Velcro companion.. She has a physical condition that now makes the obedience part hard for her. When I got the Chessie pup, she should have had time to mature into the role, but things have changed and the pup still needs at least another year to enjoy helping me with obedience. Now, I am without a reliable demonstration dog. (The Akita X thinks being an obedient dog is a very good thing, but doing obedience for the sake of doing it is quite foolish.)

For my situation, I can handle one more dog, but it has to be the right dog. This means I need an adult dog who enjoys obedience, who knows how to be respectful yet will not have trouble telling an upstart pup when to back off in a non-confrontational manner, who gets along well with other dogs and who thinks I am quite an alright person. It sounds like I am looking for the perfect dog. I don’t expect to find all of these things already in place. I expect to do a lot of training to get there. What I am looking for is the dog that has this potential. The training will create the bond that lasts a lifetime.

I hope you get the idea from my illustrations. Each of us has a unique lifestyle and a unique pack. We need to evaluate our own situation and make the choices that work like the little Bichon who is hard at work sitting on her owner’s lap.

Obesity is one of the most often seen medical conditions in dogs 
today. Many vets have given up trying to counsel owners on the 
importance of their dog’s weight and perhaps the only people who will 
pay attention to this article are those whose dogs are not overweight, 
but here goes.

Extra pounds can lead to the early breakdown of your dogs joints.  
Think how you would feel if you had to carry a 50 pound sack of dog 
food on your back 24 hours a day with no relief. Obesity can 
contribute to Cancer and other types of organ failure. It certainly 
inhibits your dog’s endurance. I’m sure this isn’t what you want for 
your best friend.

Sometimes, when you live with someone, it is hard to see them 
objectively. Back off, take a critical look at your dog and see if it 
still has a waist  line like it did when an adolescent. If not, 
proceed to do the rib test. Try to feel your dog’s ribs using a 
gentle touch. If you can’t, your dog is overweight. There are some 
breeds who put the weight on behind the ribs so, although you can feel 
the ribs, the dog is still overweight. Your vet can advise you 
definitively and help you decide if the problem is too much food and 
too many snacks or is another medical condition. Most obesity is 
caused by overeating.

Many people equate food with love. Food, as enjoyable as it may be 
for man and dog, is not love. Food provides the nutrients you and 
your dog need to stay alive and healthy, but more is not better.  
Instead of quantity, it is quality that counts, as discussed in a 
previous article. One of the excuses for overfeeding that I have 
often come across is: “When I feed my dog the recommend amount, when 
its finished, my dog acts like it is still hungry, so I just have to 
feed a little more”. This comes from our dogs’ wild ancestry. Wolves 
scavenger and hunt for their food. They don’t often get to eat every 
day like our dogs do, therefore, when a good meal comes along, they 
eat as much as they can hold so it will last until the next meal comes 
along. This kind of thinking is still with the domestic dog, even 
though a dog may have never missed a regular meal. It is up to us to 
say enough is enough no matter what  you would like me to believe.

Snacks are another cause of obesity. Some dogs can handle lots of 
dog treats without gaining weight but others can’t. I had one 
Chesapeake who was never fed too much regular dinner, but started 
gaining weight anyway. It turned out the culprit was two small gum 
drops before bed. Once the gum drops were eliminated, her weight 
returned to normal. There are many suitable treats for your dog.  I 
use carrots, which my dogs like better than dog treats. Little cat 
treats are very popular with most dogs. They are inexpensive and have 
very few calories. Your dog isn’t going to measure the size of the 
treat, but the tastiness of the treat. Dogs’ tastes vary a lot so you 
can experiment to find low calorie snacks and then use them to reward 
your dog for doing good things.

Dogs’ dietary requirements change as they age. Normally, as your dog 
ages, it needs less to eat. There are also senior dog diets.  Again, 
you must assess your dog. I started feeding two older dogs the 
suggested amount of a quality senior food and they started to blow up 
like balloons. I reduced the amount, but nothing changed.  I went 
back to what they had previously been eating and they returned to an 
ideal weight.

If you love your dog, you will watch its weight. Whether you believe 
it or not, your dog will love you for it too, and for a lot longer.

Classes in Raton, NM start Sunday, June 1st, 2008 at Linda Jackson’s stable.

Classes in Competitive Obedience, Rally Obedience and Agility are on-
going and can be joined at any time.

Information about the 4-H Dog Program also available.

For more information call:  846-4523

Review of the book by Wendell O. Belfield D.V.M. and Martin Zucker

This is not a new book but I would imagine, a little known book. Dr. Belfield has an inquiring mind and has been willing to try unconventional approaches to some difficult conditions. He has had a lot of success in using Orthomolecular Medicine with some very troubling problems. If you are not a person who uses supplements for yourself, you will find much of what he has to say to be new information. If you are a person who does take supplements, what he has to say will make perfect sense.

The book is divided into four parts: Why your dog needs extra vitamins and minerals; Vitamins and minerals and what they do; The prevention plan; Shutting the door on disease, preventing and minimizing common dog disorders with vitamins and minerals. I am using one of his approaches for Spinal Myelopathy with my oldest dog. This is a condition I am very familiar with and one for which current veterinary medicine has no cure. I will be very satisfied if the condition goes no further. If it improves over time, I will be thrilled. I also have my young dogs on his prevention program. These approaches are easy and inexpensive. The important thing to keep in mind is that most natural healing approaches take time so you have to be willing to be patient.

The book is available from Orthomolecular Specialties, www.belfield.com or (408)227-9334.

Dr. Belfield does NOT do phone consultation.

With a little Google searching I came up with several different companies that are currently offering pet health insurance and I was able to easily get a quote from several of their web sites. This article is not intended as an endorsement of health insurance for your pet or of any particular plan but simply to give you an idea of what is available. With a basic search on the Internet you can get a lot of information on pet health insurance and companies that provide the coverage.

I got quotes for one of our dogs, a 5 yr old Corgis starting at about $9 per month for accident only coverage (if paid annually) to $75 per month for the top of the line all the bells a whistles coverage. Following is a brief overview of the plans that I looked at.

Pets Health Care Plan 

PetsHealth Care is a plan that is underwritten by Hartville Group, Inc. out of Canton, OH (they also underwrite ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Healthy Bark and Purr). There plans offer reimbursement for 80% of covered allowable veterinary charges, after your $100 annual deductible is met. They are currently listing five plans on their site:

Accident Only Pet Insurance Plan - Covers accidents such as poison ingestion, lacerations, bone fractures, burns, insect bites and bee stings, falls, and motor vehicle accidents.

Basic Pet Insurance Plan - Covers treatment and medication for illness and injury.

Value Pet Insurance Plan - Covers treatment and medication for illness, injury, and basic wellness care.

Choice Pet Insurance Plan - Covers illness and injury along with deluxe wellness care.

Best Pet Insurance Plan - Provides coverage for illness and injury along with basic wellness care. In addition, it allows for continuous coverage for chronic and long-term conditions that occur during a previous plan term.

According to their site these plans range in price from $.25 to $2.24 a day and as with all insurance plans there are exclusions that you should be aware of. Please check their web site for more details.

Pet Care

Pet Care is a subsidiary of Pethealth Inc. out of Oakville, Ontario. Their plans are underwritten by Praetorian Financial Group which is located in New York. There plans offer different reimbursement levels on covered allowable veterinary charges ranging from 70% to 100%, as well as different deductibles from $50 to $200, depending on the plan. They list the following plans on their site:

Gold - With varying levels of coverage QuickCare Gold is the ideal program for those who want the finest possible protection for their dog.

Complete - offers your pet the most extensive accident and illness coverage with the additional benefit
of an annual wellness plan.

Optimum - similar to complete but with lesser coverage’s.

QuickCare - provides coverage for an unlimited number of selected accidents, up to $2,000 per accident.

Senior - provides coverage for an unlimited number of accidents and coverage for illnesses common to senior pets such as stroke, seizures, cancer and heart problems.

They also offer an Emergency Care program for microchipped pets and Tenant Care program for people living in rentals which covers third party damage. Please check their web site for more details on the coverage’s as well as the exclusions.

AKC Pet Healthcare Plan

The AKC Pet Healthcare Plan is underwritten by Markel Insurance Company which is head quartered in Glen Allen, VA. Their plans also offer different reimbursement levels on covered allowable veterinary charges ranging from 80% to 90%, as well as different deductibles from $75 to $125, the deductible can be a per incident or annual depending on the plan. They list the following plans on their site:

Accident Plus - accidents coverage only.

$8,000 maximum coverage, $2000 per incident, $75 deductible per incident, covers 90% of allowable veterinary charges

Essential - coverage for accidents and illness.

$11,000 maximum coverage, $1500 per incident, $125 deductible per incident, covers 90% of allowable veterinary charges

Essential Plus - coverage for accidents and illness, with higher per incident and an annual deductible.

$11,000 maximum coverage, $3000 per incident, $125 deductible per incident, covers 90% of allowable veterinary charges

Wellness - coverage for accidents, illness and wellness care.

$13,000 maximum coverage, $5000 per incident, $125 annual deductible, covers 80% of allowable veterinary charges

Wellness Plus - coverage for accidents, illness and wellness care, with the addition of spay/neuter procedures.

$13,000 maximum coverage, $5000 per incident, $125 annual deductible, covers 80% of allowable veterinary charges

The AKC site did not make the prices of the  plans available on the site that I could see. They do offer a free quote that would be emailed to you and a 60 day trial plan with limited benefits for approximately $16 per mo. Please check their web site for more details on the coverage’s as well as the exclusions.

Is health coverage right for you and your pet? Only you can know for sure. Sure there is the additional cost that comes with having coverage, but if a large vet bill is ever incurred it would certainly be nice to have the coverage.  I’ll leave that up to you to decide what best fits your situation.

There are an ever increasing number of options available. More and more small, quality pet food manufacturers are springing up. These manufacturers use higher quality ingredients, no additives and more diverse ingredients. These foods can be found at some natural food stores, some feed stores and from numerous on-line sources.

When you first read the prices, you may be stunned because the foods seem much more expensive than super market dog food. They are more expensive because the ingredients are more expensive, but they are not as high priced as they appear at first because your dog will need less to be more satisfied so the food lasts longer.

Another option for feeding your dog a wholesome diet is to make your own dog food. Quantities can be made ahead and stored so you aren’t slaving over a hot stove daily to feed your dog. A visit to Amazon will put you in touch with a wide variety of books that will give you a lot of recipes and directions, This Book by John Miller can also provide you with a lot of great recipes. Raw veggies make excellent dog treats. Chomping on raw carrots not only provides some good nutrition but is good for your dog’s teeth.

Yes, they need quality protein easiest gotten from meat, but they also need nutrients from fruits and vegetables. If given a chance, most dogs will happily harvest food from your garden and herb patch. Most dogs like peas, carrots. beans. apples and bananas. Many, like my dogs, like everything including hot chili.

There is an added health benefit to feeding a more wholesome diet. You will probably become more aware of how much your dog really needs to eat since you know the food is providing good nutrition. By doing this, you will find it easier to keep your dog at an optimal weight. Obesity is an ever increasing health problem for dogs. Extra weight puts stress on your dogs joints and internal organs, thus shortening the life of your dog and increasing vet bills as your dog ages.

One last step to insure good health and nutrition for your dog is the addition of a good multiple dog vitamin along with the use of additional vitamins C and E. Both of these vitamins are powerful antioxidants that help counteract the stress of our modern environment.

Start a program of feeding quality food and your dog will really love you for it.

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Guess what… Your dog is a junk food junkie. Although all dog foods say they comply with AAFCO standards for nutrition, all this means is that the food will keep your dog alive for a while as demonstrated by feeding tests. These tests must prove that the food will keep a small group of dogs alive and reasonably healthy for a specified amount of time (26 weeks for adult dogs and 10 weeks for puppies).

In reality, most dogs do live for a much longer time than this, but less than quality nutrition can afford and with higher long term costs. These costs include shorter life span for your dog, a dog that doesn’t feel and act it’s best, many more trips to the vet and a lot more work on your part cleaning up the dog yard.

“But”, you say, “My dog loves to eat (blank) super market food.” The reason is that these large companies use flavor enhancers to make the food taste good to the dog while providing no nutrition, just like human junk food. Just like people, dogs can get “hooked” on these flavor additives.

Dogs who are accustomed to quality food may eat a bowl of junk food, but offer it for the next meal and you may see a look on your dog’s face that says “Huh? No, I don’t think I’m eating this!” They know that you are capable of better.

Most dogs would get more actual nutrition from eating table scraps that are safe for them than mass marketed dog food. The majority of protein in these foods comes from low-grade meat by-products and grain. If you read the labels, you will often see “corn” as one of the top ingredients. Yes, corn can provide some protein but many dogs don’t digest it, so it goes through the dog but provides no nutrition, just a lot of mess to clean up in the dog yard.

If you love your dog, think about what you are feeding. The next part of this article will give you several ideas and options for quality dog food.

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If your dog has had some obedience training and you let them socialize with other dogs and people while maintaining your control, it will assist you in taking their training to higher levels where you can take them more places with a higher level of confidence. Another benefit is that a well trained dog that gets sufficient socializing with others is less likely to become bored and won’t want to escape and roam the neighborhood.

It’s all part of being a good dog owner and having a good relationship with your dog. It allows them to experience as many situations as possible in their life with you. They can certainly be a man’s best friend provided we give them the opportunities to be and treasure them as one of the family. Dogs can add so much entertainment and fun to our lives and they don’t ask for much in return other than food, water and a place to sleep. If only life was that simple with people, what a wonderful life it would be.

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From the time you get your pup at around eight weeks of age until pup is about four months old, it will follow you every where you let it and listen to you very closely. This is a wonderful time to informally teach your puppy to “sit”, “stay”, “down” and “come”.

Between the ages of 12 to 16 weeks, your puppy will go through a fear period. Any bad experience your dog has at this time will be magnified many times over in its mind. Many of these fears, unless carefully worked with, can remain with your dog for the rest of its life. Another fear period occurs for many dogs between seven and eight months of age. Unless the experience is truly terrible, your dog will gradually figure out that maybe there is nothing to be afraid of after all.

Suddenly at around four months of age, your pup discovers it is an individual and can exercise its own free will. The puppy who followed you every where, stayed home and came when called starts to assert its independence. This is where a fenced yard can become critical. You call your dog and it doesn’t come. Your dog isn’t being spiteful, it is being independent. Preferably, you will structure things so the only times you tell your dog “come” are times when the dog is on a leash and you can be sure you dog comes every time and receives a lot of praise. Remember, never call your dog to you to do something it doesn’t like. Go get the dog. This applies to dogs of all ages.

Depending on the size and breed of your dog ( small dogs mature faster ), you will rock along for anywhere between a month to three or four months with an over-grown puppy who wants to assert its independence from time to time but is mostly “happy go lucky”. Puppy will forget its early lessons from time to time but be quite willing to be patiently reminded. This is also a time for major chewing as puppy is getting its adult set of teeth. Be sure to provide plenty of safe toys to chew and monitor all of your cherished possessions that are within your pup’s reach. This is also a time to be sure to crate your pup or leave it in a safe, secure space when you have to be gone. Dogs are curious and puppies haven’t had enough experience to know what is better left alone, no matter how many times you think you have told it. Far better to never let your pup form bad habits than to have to work on breaking them.

Some time before your pup is a year old it will become an adolescent with all of the joys that human teens can bring. Some days you will think you have a mature dog, some days, a little puppy and many days, a totally defiant brat who seems to work at pushing all the wrong buttons. You may catch yourself thinking, “I had such a sweet puppy, where did things go wrong?” Things didn’t, you have a teenage dog. This is just a phase that will pass if you stick to appropriate training, plenty of exercise, enforcing the rules and giving praise when your dog is behaving the way that makes you happy. If nothing works, just shake your head and laugh.

More dogs end up in shelters or being given away during this period than any other. Many people don’t understand that this is just another stage of development, the last challenging period before you have a mature dog.

Raising a puppy to be a good dog takes effort just like raising a child to be a good adult. The difference is a matter of time. Usually by the time your dog is two years old, if you have done your part, you have a wonderful companion.

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