Hi Ann,

I just got done reading your lastest responses. Great answers! You mentioned if anyone had any experience with the non-shedding products to let you know.

I have 4 Pugs. Lots and lots of hair as you can imagine. I use a product called Mrs. Allen’s Shed Stop. I think the product is terrific and have had great results. If I run out and go a few weeks not using it I can definitely tell a difference. My dogs coats are soft and shiny and while it certainly does not eliminate all shedding it does reduce it to a manageable level. I would recommend this product to any people with dogs that shed. My dogs love the taste and and all it takes is 1 tablespoon on top of their food.

Pamela M. Coyle

Thank you, Pam! Great information!

On our road trip through Colorado, there were a few grooming products I forgot to bring that would have made our canine companions lives more pleasant – a flea comb and degreaser.

A flea comb should be part of every dog’s travel bag. They have a million uses and not just for finding fleas! In areas where there are ticks, a flea comb can help find the little buggers (gentle combing of course – you do not want to accidentally knock the body off the tick and leave the head still embedded). Flea combs are also great for pulling dirt out of short coats, removing tangles from long coats and for working through a dense coat by hand in an attempt to find any number of creepy crawlies. As part of a canine first aid kit, they are a quick way to get fur clear of an injury and remove any dirt that may be in the area with precision and ease.

A degreaser may seem like an unlikely candidate for a road trip but how many times have you been away with your dog and they have gotten into something gross? Ever tried to clean up the mess with dish soap or some other harsh cleaning agent? Ick is all I will say.

The problem I encountered on this trip was sap. There are tons of trees in Colorado and the dogs were constantly getting sap on their coats, which dirt and crud would then stick to, making a bigger mess. The only way I know of to get rid of sap without breaking out the scissors is butter – butter neutralizes the sticky part of sap and then you can easily wash the butter off the spot…normally. Dish soap on dog fur however is messy and can dry out the skin and washing it out of the fur can be a problem.

Degreaser is used to cut not only the natural oils produced by dogs but also any greasy mess a dog may get into. It can be used prior to a bath or can be used as a ‘spot cleaner’ in the case of sap, engine oil, or any other grossness a dog may get stuck in their fur.

Question:

I have a 4ish-year-old rescue mutt who I adopted a little over a year ago. She was rescued as a stray and we know nothing of her history with people (or dogs). She is extremely dog-friendly and gets along with nearly every dog she meets, even those that usually don’t like other dogs. Humans, on the other hand, are a problem. When we first got her she would bark at roughly 70% of the people we passed on the street and was supremely shy with new people. We completed obedience classes and have continued daily obedience exercises. I have also tried to introduce her to as many new people as possible under very happy circumstances (doggy daycare and the dog park have been great for this).

Now she wants to bark at only about 10% of the people we pass on the street, but it still very very shy, even with folks we see nearly every day, whose dogs she is friends with. Once she trusts someone she will adore them, and once in a great while she will trust someone automatically. The vast majority of new people, though, she automatically mistrusts, and they have to work pretty hard to change that. I can’t figure out a pattern of who she’ll be outright afraid of (that 10%), who she will be wary of and who she will like. I feel like we’ve really hit a wall with her training, and I can’t get her over this last hump. Any suggestions for turning her into a full-time friendly, confident dog?

ANSWER:

First congratulations on adopting a four year old with some issues. Sounds like you have done a lot of work with him. If he is only barking at 10% of strangers rather than 70% you are doing really well.

When walking and encountering strangers that you want your dog to be friendly to give the person a treat to give to your dog. First have him sit and then let the person offer the treat. This should work. Note, some dogs are naturally shy of strangers. Its okay if he isn’t affectionate or even friendly to everyone.

I gather, what you are more concerned about is barking at strangers. The barking part when encountering someone new, have your dog sit, continiously treat him while talking to the stranger. This serves a dual purpose. He cannot bark with a full mouth. More important it shows him that meeting new people is a positve thing.

Hope this helps
Nancy

Outside of the dog world, Nancy has both a Bachelor of Social Work and Masters degree in Criminology, which led her to become a correctional social worker. For over 30 years, she has been a practicing social worker, working in Children’s Services and Corrections.

“In 2004, I decided to go to the IPDTA conference just to see what it was about. It was amazing, all these dog trainers talking about using operant conditioning,” exclaims Nancy. “I decided that I wanted to be part of that world. The amazing journey of becoming a positive dog trainer had begun. I am still on this new adventure and learning more every day. I did not realize there was so much information and theory to learn about canine behavior and emotions. My social work background has helped immensely as much of the theory I learned at university about human emotions applies aptly to dogs.”

The Good Dog Blog welcomes Nancy and her background in both dog-training as well canine nutrition. To learn more about Nancy, visit her website, Devoted to Dogs and her Devoted to Dogs Blog.

Our database of doggy professionals is building! We have recommendations of vets to trainers to groomers to companies that produce to dog specific items from all over North America. Wonderful job!

But we need more!! Before we build this out into a referral website, we need to have a few thousand recommendations of doggy professionals from every corner of this continent and even beyond our shores. We are about a third of the way along in our collecting process so keep them coming in please! Vets, trainers, behaviorists, groomers, dog walkers, kennels, doggy day care, dog parks – whatever you can think of, send it my email at ann@ohmydogsupplies.com.

Thank you!

Hello all,

With the increase in pollen count in the last few weeks, I have had a quite a few questions recently regarding tear staining and instead of answering one question, I thought it was best to write a general post on how best to prevent it in the first place but also have to clean up the mess once it starts.

There are several things that cause the tear staining including allergies, a yeast infection, a high mineral count in their food or drinking water, and too much dye in their food. Only your vet can accurately diagnosis what is the causing of the problem so book an appointment as soon as possible.

In the mean time, filter your pet’s water before serving and throw out any food or treats that contain any coloring. Filtered water is generally lower in minerals then tap water and should reduce some of the tear staining. Do not switch to distilled water however as some minerals are necessary for normal body function and distilled water has been associated with wasting and bone density loss in dogs.

Dye is put in food and treats to make them look more appealing to us, not the dog – they couldn’t care less how their food looks as they are all about the smell and taste of their meal! Why feed them chemicals if it is not really necessary? Natural and organic foods do not usually contain these chemicals and always make a better choice for your pooch.

Allergies are a tough one. Usually tear staining is caused by environmental allergens, not food allergies but again, there are always exceptions to the rule. Contact your vet and request a referral to a veterinary dermatologist in order to ascertain the best plan of attack on this front!

Yeast loves to live in the wetness around your dog’s eyes and often is the reason for the dark staining. Keep the fur around your dog’s eyes as dry as possible so the environment becomes as inhospitable as possible for the nasty little bacteria. I have had great success with using a natural eye cleaner in the Sexy Eyes Pack. The first step are eye pads that help to clean and dry the area around the eyes while an herbal anti-bacterial agent prevents bacteria and yeast from making a home. The second step is strengthening your pet’s immune system to fight the bacteria all on its own. This is a long-term fix and easy to add to their food each day. Over time you will see the difference a healthy immune system provides and in more ways then just clean eyes – you should see a more contented, healthier pet that absolutely glows in their happiness and well being.

Have a suggestion to combat tear staining? Leave a comment please! This is such a common problem, let’s really try to give some relief to dogs suffering from this stinky, uncomfortable problem!

Ann

Question:

I have a mixed breed ten year old female dog that is loosing the hair off the top of her nose. Her vet said it was just old age showing its head. Her nose is also very dry to the point of cracking. Is this normal when a dog gets older

Cathy

ANSWER:

Hi Cathy,

Question:

How do I stop my recently adopted Chihuahua from growling at my cats when they jump onto bed. The Chihuahua is in a dog bed on my bed. The cats sleep next to me, but come and go. Whenever they jump on the bed Lola (the dog) growls and will even jump at them, Her previous owner had two other dogs and she did the whenever they approached her in her bed. The cats are being good about it, but it wakes me up and I’m afraid she might bite them. Thank you.

ANSWER:

If your cats didn’t come and go during the night, you could get the cats on the bed first, then call the dog up. But we’ve got a little trickier situation with them coming and going.

Sleeping on the bed is a privilege, not a right. So I would approach this from two directions.

1. Cat on Bed means good things. Arrange it so that the cats can jump up at the bottom of the bed and the dog is at the top (or vice versa), so it’s not as stressful for the dog as being jumped on. When the cat jumps up (you may have to help him/her make this happen), the Chihuahua immediately gets a really good treat, like a small piece of chicken, or three. When the cat goes away, the treats and attention. Wait 10-30 seconds and repeat. Don’t do a ton in a row, but as the week goes on, move the cat closer and closer. If you feel there’s any safety risk, have the Chihuahua in a crate, though that will make things a little different.

2. Bed Privileges. In the meantime, the Chihuahua can sleep on a dog bed or in a crate near your bed. Once you’ve done the training above, put the crate on your bed at night. Keep giving the dog one treat immediately after the cat jumps up. If the dog growls, say ‘too bad’ and set the crate on the floor. That can either be for the rest of the night (if you’re done training) or for a few minutes.

By the way, how is your sleep, with the cats coming and going? Another way to fix this would be to keep the cats out of your bedroom at night. :)
Grisha Stewart, MA, CPDT, CTP

Voted as Seattle’s Top Dog Trainer by the readers of CityDog Magazine, Grisha Stewart is the owner and founder of Ahimsa Dog Training in Seattle, WA. Grisha is a Certified Training Partner from the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and since 2002, an active member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She attends several training and behavior workshops each year and is a certified Pet First Aid attendant and evaluator for the Canine Good Citizen program.

For more information on Grisha and Ahimsa Dog Training in the Seattle, Washington area, visitwww.ahimsadogtraining.com.

Hello everyone!

Our database of doggy professionals is building! We have recommendations of vets to trainers to groomers to companies that produce to dog specific items from all over North America. Wonderful job!

But we need more!! Before we build this out into a referral website, we need to have a few thousand recommendations of doggy professionals from every corner of this continent and even beyond our shores. We are about a third of the way along in our collecting process so keep them coming in please! Vets, trainers, behaviorists, groomers, dog walkers, kennels, doggy day care, dog parks – whatever you can think of, send it my email at ann@ohmydogsupplies.com.

Thank you!

Question:

Awhile back I submitted a behavior problem we have with our golden retriever when we take her in a car or truck.

ANSWER:

Hi Laurinda,

Hello everyone!

Our database of doggy professionals is building! We have recommendations of vets to trainers to groomers to companies that produce to dog specific items from all over North America. Wonderful job!

But we need more!! Before we build this out into a referral website, we need to have a few thousand recommendations of doggy professionals from every corner of this continent and even beyond our shores. We are about a third of the way along in our collecting process so keep them coming in please! Vets, trainers, behaviorists, groomers, dog walkers, kennels, doggy day care, dog parks – whatever you can think of, send it my email at ann@ohmydogsupplies.com.

Thank you!