Those of you who are friends with my mom probably followed her tumultuous 24 hours where she feared for the life of her favorite son (that's me, really, don't listen to that crazy Muggsy). I hate to admit it, but I'm getting old. I have little gray hairs around my eyes and arthritis in my ankles. And that means that I have to get senior wellness exams. If you have an older dog, which can mean 7 if you have large-breed dogs or 10 for smaller breeds, please take them for their exams. Imagine if you were 63 and didn't go to the doctor for seven years!
Well, I went this week, and I had lost 10 more pounds. I'm down to 65 pounds. For a Rottie-Newfie, that's no good. I tried to convince my mom just to feed me more raw meat, but she thought that sounded suspicious and took me to the vet. There are several things that could cause weight loss and excessive drinking, which are two signs you want to be very wary of in your senior dogs. It can be caused by certain types of cancers, kidney or liver problems, diabetes or thyroid problems.
I already have thyroid problems. I've been on medication for five years. It caused me to put on 10 pounds and become very lethargic initially. Now, I have tons of energy and am shedding pounds like crazy. I was on a diet, but I shouldn't have lost this much. My urinalysis showed that I might have kidney problems, which really upset my mom, but we had to wait until the bloodwork to be sure because all of the problems I'm having could be caused by too much medication, making me hyperthyroid!
The bloodwork came back positive. I had a very high thyroid, but my BUN and creatine levels were normal, indicating normal kidneys. I also had normal liver enzymes and no calcium levels (excess calcium can indicate cancer). Thus, I just have to change my medication. This made my mom, dad and sister very happy and my brother a little disappointed. But, hey, you can't please everyone all the time! So I'm on my new meds now, doing fine. But I never would have known what the problem was if not for my senior exam.
So don't forget! We hate the vet (except me because I love attention), but it could save a life! Love, Chubbs
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
More Hiking Tips
Each week, my brothers and I try to add tips to whatever Mom publishes on her facebook notes. This week, we're at a loss. She posted tips about swimming with your dog, and we all hate the water. Our only experience with water, besides baths (which we all hate except Chubbs), is the ocean. Chubbs and I wouldn't go near it, and Muggsy tried to chase it back by barking at it and attacking it. I won't even go outside when it rains!
So I thought I'd add another hiking story. We have lots of those. But I'm not as disgusting as Muggsy, rolling around in dead raccoon. A few years ago, we spent the Fourth of July at Big Bear Lake to flee the fireworks that take over our neighborhood (even though they're illegal in Redondo Beach). We decided to go hiking, just through our neighborhood, to see the sites. After about 15 minutes, I practically collapsed, laid down in the street and refused to get up.
Remember that if your dogs aren't used to altitude, they need time to adjust. Just like you, we can't get as much oxygen to our blood until we have had a chance to acclimate. Take it slow and take lots of water breaks. Let your dog tell you when it's time to quit. Don't push it because "they have no problem walking six miles at home." My mom recently read a hiking tip that said, "Don't be obsessed with how far you need to get when you're hiking with your dog." It's true. Unless you take us out every time you go hiking, we don't have the same stamina that you do. Don't push us.
And be sure to watch for warning signs, such as heavy panting, seeking shade, lying down and seeking water. If you pull the skin around our neck back, and it doesn't snap back into place, we're dehydrated. If you touch our gum, and it doesn't immediately return to its original color, we're dehydrated.
Be careful, and have a great summer with your dog! Love, Fenway
So I thought I'd add another hiking story. We have lots of those. But I'm not as disgusting as Muggsy, rolling around in dead raccoon. A few years ago, we spent the Fourth of July at Big Bear Lake to flee the fireworks that take over our neighborhood (even though they're illegal in Redondo Beach). We decided to go hiking, just through our neighborhood, to see the sites. After about 15 minutes, I practically collapsed, laid down in the street and refused to get up.
Remember that if your dogs aren't used to altitude, they need time to adjust. Just like you, we can't get as much oxygen to our blood until we have had a chance to acclimate. Take it slow and take lots of water breaks. Let your dog tell you when it's time to quit. Don't push it because "they have no problem walking six miles at home." My mom recently read a hiking tip that said, "Don't be obsessed with how far you need to get when you're hiking with your dog." It's true. Unless you take us out every time you go hiking, we don't have the same stamina that you do. Don't push us.
And be sure to watch for warning signs, such as heavy panting, seeking shade, lying down and seeking water. If you pull the skin around our neck back, and it doesn't snap back into place, we're dehydrated. If you touch our gum, and it doesn't immediately return to its original color, we're dehydrated.
Be careful, and have a great summer with your dog! Love, Fenway
Monday, June 14, 2010
Summer Activities: Hiking Disaster
My mom is very active with us and likes to take us on vacations and to participate in various activities. But she made a rookie mistake with me. She took me out off-leash before I knew how to recall. Uh oh. She had taken the time to teach Chubbs to recall, and because I'm soo much smarter, she thought I would be able to do it too. Wrong. If you haven't taught your dog to recall, they don't know that "come" means to come every time, no matter what the distraction. For me, the distraction was a dead raccoon that smelled oh so good.
To teach a recall, you need to start small on a 6-foot leash. You have to build up to the hard stuff, just like if you are teaching a child math. You don't start with calculus. You start with numbers. Put your dog on a 6-foot leash, toss a treat out away from you to get him running in the opposite direction and then say your dog's name while running backward to get his attention. When your dog is running toward you, then say "come" and reward big time with lots of praise and treats. You want this to be the best thing your dog ever does.
When he is turning toward you as soon as he hears his name, start adding the command at the very beginning. So instead of saying your dog's name while running backward, just say "come." When that is going well, get a 30-foot leash and add distance. My mom took me to the trail where she liked to watch me and practiced there. Only when I could do it no matter what the distraction did she let me off leash again. Then, she would never have to make another 45-minute drive with a dog who had just rolled in dead raccoon, and I would never have to worry about being lost without seeing my mommy again.
Just remember not to move too fast. Practice, practice, practice. If you can't call your dog off a squirrel, he's not ready for off-leash. But he can be with lots of practice. As an added bonus, recall practice is good exercise, and you can involve the entire family. For example, Mom, Dad, Chubbs, Fenway and I sometimes all go out in the backyard. Mom and Dad have treats and call us back and forth while we run as fast as we can to get to them. This is great practice and great exercise! The more family members, the better. So get out there and get ready for summer with some recall practice. It's fun, and it could save your dog's life.
Love, Muggsy
To teach a recall, you need to start small on a 6-foot leash. You have to build up to the hard stuff, just like if you are teaching a child math. You don't start with calculus. You start with numbers. Put your dog on a 6-foot leash, toss a treat out away from you to get him running in the opposite direction and then say your dog's name while running backward to get his attention. When your dog is running toward you, then say "come" and reward big time with lots of praise and treats. You want this to be the best thing your dog ever does.
When he is turning toward you as soon as he hears his name, start adding the command at the very beginning. So instead of saying your dog's name while running backward, just say "come." When that is going well, get a 30-foot leash and add distance. My mom took me to the trail where she liked to watch me and practiced there. Only when I could do it no matter what the distraction did she let me off leash again. Then, she would never have to make another 45-minute drive with a dog who had just rolled in dead raccoon, and I would never have to worry about being lost without seeing my mommy again.
Just remember not to move too fast. Practice, practice, practice. If you can't call your dog off a squirrel, he's not ready for off-leash. But he can be with lots of practice. As an added bonus, recall practice is good exercise, and you can involve the entire family. For example, Mom, Dad, Chubbs, Fenway and I sometimes all go out in the backyard. Mom and Dad have treats and call us back and forth while we run as fast as we can to get to them. This is great practice and great exercise! The more family members, the better. So get out there and get ready for summer with some recall practice. It's fun, and it could save your dog's life.
Love, Muggsy
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Use of Pawsitives
I had a great time witnessing the power of positive training today while helping my mom training a miniature poodle who attacks other dogs. When he sees another dog, he starts to growl. One alternative that many owners try is saying "no" and using a collar correction. However, what this method leaves out is showing your dog what you want him to do instead of growl.
My mom taught the poodle to look at his owner instead of me when I started walking around. When he did what he was supposed to, he was given a nice treat, in this case -- steak (I'm soo jealous!!). He was so excited to listen that the transformation was amazing. I was able to get pretty close without growling. Most lessons don't always move this quickly, so be sure to move at the pace of the dog. Don't get so close that you get a reaction. Set your dog up to succeed.
Using this method allows the dog to see what it is that will please you, not just what will make you mad. Dogs love to please. It's what we do best. Once we see how happy you get when we listen -- and how happy WE get when we get steak -- we will start to choose that option more often. Then, you can start to phase out the treats and use mostly praise and pets. We love that, too.
Give pawsitive training a try. You'll both like it! Love, Chubbs
My mom taught the poodle to look at his owner instead of me when I started walking around. When he did what he was supposed to, he was given a nice treat, in this case -- steak (I'm soo jealous!!). He was so excited to listen that the transformation was amazing. I was able to get pretty close without growling. Most lessons don't always move this quickly, so be sure to move at the pace of the dog. Don't get so close that you get a reaction. Set your dog up to succeed.
Using this method allows the dog to see what it is that will please you, not just what will make you mad. Dogs love to please. It's what we do best. Once we see how happy you get when we listen -- and how happy WE get when we get steak -- we will start to choose that option more often. Then, you can start to phase out the treats and use mostly praise and pets. We love that, too.
Give pawsitive training a try. You'll both like it! Love, Chubbs
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