After Duty, Dogs Suffer Like Soldiers 12/12/2011
Dereck Stevens bonds with his military working dog before a practice drill at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio  Full NYT Article SAN ANTONIO — The call came into the behavior specialists here from a doctor in Afghanistan. His patient had just been through a firefight and now was cowering under a cot, refusing to come out. Apparently even the chew toys hadn’t worked. Post-traumatic stress disorder, thought Dr. Walter F. Burghardt Jr., chief of behavioral medicine at the Daniel E. Holland Military Working Dog Hospital at Lackland Air Force Base. Specifically, canine PTSD. If anyone needed evidence of the frontline role played by dogs in war these days, here is the latest: the four-legged, wet-nosed troops used to sniff out mines, track down enemy fighters and clear buildings are struggling with the mental strains of combat nearly as much as their human counterparts. By some estimates, more than 5 percent of the approximately 650 military dogs deployed by American combat forces are developing canine PTSD. Of those, about half are likely to be retired from service, Dr. Burghardt said. Though veterinarians have long diagnosed behavioral problems in animals, the concept of canine PTSD is only about 18 months old, and still being debated. But it has gained vogue among military veterinarians, who have been seeing patterns of troubling behavior among dogs exposed to explosions, gunfire and other combat-related violence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like humans with the analogous disorder, different dogs show different symptoms. Some become hyper-vigilant. Others avoid buildings or work areas that they had previously been comfortable in. Some undergo sharp changes in temperament, becoming unusually aggressive with their handlers, or clingy and timid. Most crucially, many stop doing the tasks they were trained to perform. “If the dog is trained to find improvised explosives and it looks like it’s working, but isn’t, it’s not just the dog that’s at risk,” Dr. Burghardt said. “This is a human health issue as well.” That the military is taking a serious interest in canine PTSD underscores the importance of working dogs in the current wars. Once used primarily as furry sentries, military dogs — most are German shepherds, followed by Belgian Malinois and Labrador retrievers — have branched out into an array of specialized tasks. They are widely considered the most effective tools for detecting the improvised explosive devices, or I.E.D.’s, frequently used in Afghanistan. Typically made from fertilizer and chemicals, and containing little or no metal, those buried bombs can be nearly impossible to find with standard mine-sweeping instruments. In the past three years, I.E.D.’s have become the major cause of casualties in Afghanistan. The Marine Corps also has begun using specially trained dogs to track Taliban fighters and bomb-makers. And Special Operations commandos train their own dogs to accompany elite teams on secret missions like the Navy SEAL raid that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Across all the forces, more than 50 military dogs have been killed since 2005. The number of working dogs on active duty has risen to 2,700, from 1,800 in 2001, and the training school headquartered here at Lackland has gotten busy, preparing about 500 dogs a year. So has the Holland hospital, the Pentagon’s canine version of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Burghardt, a lanky 59-year-old who retired last year from the Air Force as a colonel, rarely sees his PTSD patients in the flesh. Consultations with veterinarians in the field are generally done by phone, e-mail or Skype, and often involve video documentation. In a series of videos that Dr. Burghardt uses to train veterinarians to spot canine PTSD, one shepherd barks wildly at the sound of gunfire that it had once tolerated in silence. Another can be seen confidently inspecting the interior of cars but then refusing to go inside a bus or a building. Another sits listlessly on a barrier wall, then after finally responding to its handler’s summons, runs away from a group of Afghan soldiers. In each case, Dr. Burghardt theorizes, the dogs were using an object, vehicle or person as a “cue” for some violence they had witnessed. “If you want to put doggy thoughts into their heads,” he said, “the dog is thinking: when I see this kind of individual, things go boom, and I’m distressed.” Treatment can be tricky. Since the patient cannot explain what is wrong, veterinarians and handlers must make educated guesses about the traumatizing events. Care can be as simple as taking a dog off patrol and giving it lots of exercise, playtime and gentle obedience training. For full article go here >>>>FULL ARTICLE<<<< Add Comment Premier Changing Its Brand Name 09/17/2011
Premier products, responsible for many great dog foods, toys, and more, is changing it's brand name to PetSafe. PetSafe is the seller of many 'safe' products for dogs using shock properties-most notably, electric fences and more. Although Premier didn't actually request this change, it's parent company Radio Systems, did. The move is decidedly monetary. Radio Systems believes they can merge Premier with PetSafe in order to inherit Premier's positive reinforcement clientele for more profit. For full article, go >>>HERE<<<< Dog Impersonating an Elephant? 08/31/2011
 The Search and Rescue Dogs of 9/11 08/22/2011
This is a book coming out in Fall 2011. The full article is HERE. The book is called 'Retrieved'. The dogs are beautiful, and their service is unmeasurable. The book pays them tribute. Photographs by Charlotte Dumas  Moxie, age 13, Winthrop, Mass. She arrived at the World Trade Center site on Sept. 11 and began working the next morning. Though she is trained to find survivors, she identified six bodies and many body parts during the eight days she worked there. Since her owner retired her at age 7, she has hunted and spent time on the waterfront.  Orion, age 13, Vacaville, Calif. He worked at the World Trade Center for five days after the attacks and later participated in searches for missing hikers in the High Sierras, at elevations of as much as 12,000 feet. Orion’s owner says that the dog ‘‘loved the work. His purpose in living was doing search and rescue work.’’  Guinness, age 14, Highland, Calif. He worked at the World Trade Center site for 10 days. In the wake of Katrina and other catastrophic hurricanes, he searched for survivors in areas where the water receded. Guinness’s owner says, ‘‘We keep the training fun for the dogs; it’s like a game for them.’’  Red, age 11, Annapolis, Md. Trained as a ‘‘live find’’ dog as well as a ‘‘cadaver’’ dog. Red was driven by her owner to the Pentagon after the attacks, and she worked for 11 days, finding remains for DNA identification in the north parking-lot area. She retired in July. Her owner says, ‘‘Red wants to work, but her body just can’t do it anymore.’’  Bailey, age 14, Thompson Station, Tenn. She went to the Pentagon following the attacks of 9/11. Later in her career, she was active in wilderness searches in her home state. Her owner says: ‘‘Even today, if I say we’re going to search, she’ll get all excited. She still perks up.’’  Tara, age 16, Ipswich, Mass. She arrived at the World Trade Center site at about 1 a.m. the day after the attacks. At that time, her owner says, ‘‘there was a lot of hope that people would be found alive.’’ Over her nine-year career, she located the victim of a crane collapse and participated in wilderness searches. She died earlier this year.  Bretagne, age 12, Cypress, Tex. She worked at ground zero for 10 days; it was her first deployment. Subsequently, her seven years of active duty included searching for survivors in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Men and Their Puppies 08/15/2011
Purely for your enjoyment      Delay! Food Can Injury 08/15/2011
Dear Readers, If you use Natural Balance wet food for your dog, please beware! They do not open properly, and after using them for almost a year, I finally injured myself opening the can. I have been unable to comfortably type due to the injury on my right hand, and actually had to get some stitches. After being back in working order, I hope you'll find my next post interesting! Thank You. How To Cut Your Dog's Nails 07/25/2011
 When To Start Dogs are often reluctant to have their nails clipped, therefore, starting the process at a very young age is a good idea. Initially, get your dog accustomed to you simply holding and stroking their paws. Then progress to applying light pressure on their paws and nails - lightly pinching their nails between your finger and thumb. Reward them for allowing this. Then, after a lesson from your vets in how to cut a dog's nails, lightly trim a couple of nails a day. Just trim off the tips - this lessens the chances of you cutting too deep and frightening your dog off. If you feel uncomfortable, let your veterinarian do the cutting, but always continue to help your dog feel at home with handling his paws and cutters!  Talk to your dog in a soothing voice all the time and reward him with his favorite treat and a romp straight after. He will gradually grow accustomed to this unpleasant procedure and learn to at least put up with it. Tools You Will Need When you're wondering about how to cut a dogs nails, there are a variety of nail clippers and trimmers on the market. You can use a guillotine (generally for smaller dogs), and trimmers (Miller's Forge for medium-small dogs and Large for large dogs). Anatomy Of A Dog's Nail Knowing how to cut dog's nails is easier when you know the anatomy of a dog's nail. A dog's nail is constructed of a hard outer cover, which protects the quick which is the inner soft part containing blood vessels and tender nerve endings. In dogs with light coloured nails, the quick can often been seen as being faintly pinkish in color and is thus easy to avoid cutting into. In the more common black nailed variety, the quick it totally invisible. Therefore, knowing exactly how to cut a dog's nails in this case is imperative. In these cases, trimming off little nibbles instead of large slices is more advisable. Keep checking the clipped part of your dog's nail and look out for a dark spot in the middle of the newly clipped area - this shows the start of the quick - do not cut too far into this. Taking just tiny nibbles, you will then start to see a pale third inner circle. Stop there - or else you are likely to hurt your dog. Also, don't forget your dog's dew claws. Growing on the inside of his legs and not in contact with the floor, these do not get worn away and will sometimes curl completely over causing your dog to get snagged in undergrowth, his bedding, etc. This can be very painful, so do keep those neatly trimmed too. The best way how to cut a dog's nails is to have the dog lying on a raised table or other surface. Do remember to put a non-slip mat for your dog to sit or stand on so she doesn't slip and hurt herself. Having someone strong hold your dog in their arms while you quickly clip a couple of nails is another effective way of doing this. However, your dog may be as good as gold and let you cut their claws with no fuss at all - in which case you are a very fortunate person! Carefully read the instructions for the nail clipping tool of your choice. For example, with the guillotine, you need to cut from the underneath of your dog's claw upwards. Never clip downwards. ALSO ; When wondering when and how to cut dog's nails, little and often is the best policy. Just nibbling off the ends of each claw will be less stressful for your dog - and yourself! The point to aim for is to trim off any bit that protrudes over your dog's pad. Thus, when he stands, your dog's claws should not touch the ground. AND ; When you've accidentally cut into the quick and it starts bleeding, use a product like QuikStop, which is a reliable styptic powder that will stop the bleeding.  What Can Your Dog Chew On When It's Playing? 07/15/2011
David LetterDog’s List of Things Dogs Cannot Do While Chewing a Chewtoy
 When Can You Hold Puppies? 07/09/2011
Apologies for the late posting! Webservice down, alas, here is a cute one to make up for it:  When Can You Hold Puppies? Puppies benefit largely from human touch but it needs to be done correctly so they don't have a bad experience. 1) Move slowly and reassuringly. . Do not approach if the mother is being protective. 2) Pet newborn puppies as soon as their mother cleans them and they are nursing. Your touch should be very gentle and you may run your fingers softly along their sides and back and slide your hand under their body, moving slowly and deliberately. 3) Lift a small puppy by sliding your hand under its tummy. If the puppy is large, use both hands and support the puppy’s head. Cradle a puppy’s legs close to its abdomen. Gently snuggle the puppy’s legs with both of your hands, making it feel safe. 4) Supervise small children around newborn puppies. In general, puppies shouldn’t be picked up, carried around or played with until their eyes are open and they can walk easily. This is around three weeks of age. Until then an adult may hold a puppy and allow a small child to pet it carefully. 5) Continue to monitor a child’s activities around a puppy even after three weeks of age. 6) Give newborn puppies lots of attention and human touch in order to increase their ability to interact later with their owners. Catching Up With Old Student Puppies 06/26/2011
We had the chance to catch up with Bella recently, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever who we trained from 3 months old. There's a handful in New York City, and she's definitely the cutest! The breed is meant to attract ducks to the edge of the water as the dog walks by. (The little white markings on Bella's face and coat innately cause curiosity among the swimming critters)    | ArchivesDecember 2011 CategoriesAll |
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