Every year when our dogs go for their annual examination they get the vaccine for kennel cough. We were under the assumption that after receiving the vaccine, they would be protected from the virus, but learned this isn’t always the case. Last October we took Buddy and Molly to a dog park a couple times, and one night we came home to find Buddy coughing and retching. At first we thought he will ill, but he was eating fine and was very energetic and we learned he had kennel cough. We took him to the vet and Buddy was put on a course of antibiotics and was back to his old self within a day. Molly was exposed to the same conditions as Buddy, but she never developed the cough.
About a month later, we went back to the dog park on two occasions and Buddy developed kennel cough again, which surprised the vet and we treated it and decided that we would only let him socialize with other dogs in situations where dogs are immunized for kennel cough and that has worked for us.
Kennel cough is a form of bronchitis which affects the trachea and while we requested the vaccination each year, we didn’t know much about it. Since then we’ve learned that kennel cough is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases that dogs can contract but it is not serious in most cases, and often resolves itself after a week or two. We learned that it is a general consensus of the veterinary community that in order to cause the illness, an animal must be virtually bombarded by multiple versions of these pathogens at one time. Dogs that spend a lot of time with other dogs are most at risk. I guess Buddy is very susceptible because he didn’t have much contact with other dogs.
The primary symptom of kennel cough is a dry hacking cough which is sometimes accompanied with retching. Coughing spells will often result in the dog coughing up a white and foamy discharge. Some dogs will also develop conjunctivitis – an inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelids. Nasal discharge may also be present. In a mild case, the dog will still have his or her appetite and be alert and active. As stated above, the disease is rarely serious and almost never life-threatening. Still, if you have seen any of these symptoms or have reason to believe that your dog has or has been exposed to kennel cough, you should consult your vet immediately for a diagnosis and treatment.
The best prevention is to not expose your dog to other dogs, especially puppies and to have them vaccinated. Buddy and Molly did receive vaccinations each year because they do socialize with other dogs routinely. Kennel cough can be caused by so many different pathogens and dogs are not immune despite having the vaccination. We also learned that our dogs shouldn’t be allowed to use shared toys, food and water bowls and they should be in a well ventilated areas. Since we’ve taken a few simple precautions, Buddy is socializing with other dogs and hasn’t been sick for a few months.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Nothing in Life is Free
Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) Approach To Training A Dog
Training a dog is one of the things that scares new dog owners the most. All dogs get trained, whether their owner goes through a formal training process or not. Scary as this process is for the owner, it is even scarier for the dog.
Dogs are pack animals. They need to have a place in a pack and they learn correct behavior from their pack. When you bring a dog into your home, from the dog’s perspective it has joined a new pack. What are the rules going to be? Who is in charge? What are the expectations?
Instilling these expectations can be a positive, cooperative experience or a coercive one. For years, many dog trainers and owners relied on punishing a dog for doing the “wrong” thing, but the dog often didn’t realize what action it was being punished for.
If the owner trains the dog based on respect and trust, the dog will respond much better. The owner provides positive reinforcement methods through praising desired behaviors and ignores undesirable behaviors. In this way, the dog learns the rules of his new pack.
The dog also learns another very important thing: who is the alpha dog of the pack. In a pack environment, the alpha controls access to resources and rewards. In the Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) Approach, it is the owner that provides these resources and rewards. This teaches the dog the rules and boundaries of its new pack.
This is not a quick-fix training course or temporary method of curbing behaviors. It is rather a way of living with your dog and making its instincts work for you instead of against you.
In this approach, when the dogs seeks attention, it must work for that reward. For example get food, you may tell it to sit and make the dog wait until it sits before being fed. This teaches it both pack hierarchy and the “sit” command. Every interaction with the dog can be used in this way to teach commands. Lying down before a ball is thrown, doing a sit-stay before being put on a leash, or any other time the dog must work for what it wants is a teaching moment.
The NILIF approach provides a sense of security for the dog and reduces stress levels. Both dominant and submissive dogs benefit from knowing their place in the pack hierarchy. The dominant dogs learn that the things they want – treats, playtime, attention – come from doing what the alpha wants – sitting, staying, heeling. The submissive dogs learn that they have a strong pack leader and can be more self-assured.
The benefits for both owner and dog of this approach are actually the same: less stress. By knowing its place in a pack, the dog doesn’t have to fight the owner. By not having the fight the dog, the owner can enjoy the benefits of canine companionship much more.
Training a dog is one of the things that scares new dog owners the most. All dogs get trained, whether their owner goes through a formal training process or not. Scary as this process is for the owner, it is even scarier for the dog.
Dogs are pack animals. They need to have a place in a pack and they learn correct behavior from their pack. When you bring a dog into your home, from the dog’s perspective it has joined a new pack. What are the rules going to be? Who is in charge? What are the expectations?
Instilling these expectations can be a positive, cooperative experience or a coercive one. For years, many dog trainers and owners relied on punishing a dog for doing the “wrong” thing, but the dog often didn’t realize what action it was being punished for.
If the owner trains the dog based on respect and trust, the dog will respond much better. The owner provides positive reinforcement methods through praising desired behaviors and ignores undesirable behaviors. In this way, the dog learns the rules of his new pack.
The dog also learns another very important thing: who is the alpha dog of the pack. In a pack environment, the alpha controls access to resources and rewards. In the Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) Approach, it is the owner that provides these resources and rewards. This teaches the dog the rules and boundaries of its new pack.
This is not a quick-fix training course or temporary method of curbing behaviors. It is rather a way of living with your dog and making its instincts work for you instead of against you.
In this approach, when the dogs seeks attention, it must work for that reward. For example get food, you may tell it to sit and make the dog wait until it sits before being fed. This teaches it both pack hierarchy and the “sit” command. Every interaction with the dog can be used in this way to teach commands. Lying down before a ball is thrown, doing a sit-stay before being put on a leash, or any other time the dog must work for what it wants is a teaching moment.
The NILIF approach provides a sense of security for the dog and reduces stress levels. Both dominant and submissive dogs benefit from knowing their place in the pack hierarchy. The dominant dogs learn that the things they want – treats, playtime, attention – come from doing what the alpha wants – sitting, staying, heeling. The submissive dogs learn that they have a strong pack leader and can be more self-assured.
The benefits for both owner and dog of this approach are actually the same: less stress. By knowing its place in a pack, the dog doesn’t have to fight the owner. By not having the fight the dog, the owner can enjoy the benefits of canine companionship much more.
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