Oh My Dog!

Dog Bite Prevention: Safety First for Kids + Pets

02•12•19

Safety first.

That phrase permeates everything, doesn’t it?

Whether it’s the painstaking child-proofing of your home, or the rules you teach and enforce (Look both ways! Wash your hands! Hold mommy’s hand!) it’s always safety first.

Yet, somehow, we fall flat when we’re at home with our kids and pets.

Dog Bite Prevention_ Safety First for Kids + Pets

We take it for granted–She’s such a good dog! They get along so well!–and we let our guard down just a smidge.

According to SafetyAroundDogs.org: “The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates half of all children 12 years-of-age and under have been bitten by a dog. In many cases, teasing or an unintentional provocation, such as approaching a dog while it’s eating or sleeping, can lead to a dog bite or even worse, an attack. The vast majority of dog bites are from a dog that the child is acquainted with – his or her own, a neighbor’s, or a friend’s dog.”

The good news: Dog bites are almost entirely preventable.

But it’s on YOU, parents. Not your kids and certainly not your dog.

Any dog can bite. Big or small. Fluffy or sleek. Known or or unknown. Kids need to understand that any dog, including their own, can bite.

Even if your dog is well socialized and even if your kid knows the safety rules, you’re still the one in charge, so here are a few tips to make dog-bite prevention even easier:

Kids and Pets Should Never Be Alone Together

One of the most common factors in a dog bite? An unsupervised child. If your kiddo is under 12, never leave your kid and dog alone together unsupervised. Some easy solutions: Set up baby gates in various places around the house that make it easy to separate kids from pets. Give your dog a “safety space” in a crate or gated off in a separate room where your children aren’t allowed to approach. Make the space fun for your pup with food puzzles or toys. Remove your dog to that safe space if you’re ever unable to supervise your kids’ interactions with your dog.

Know Your Dog’s Limits

If your dog is sick or tired or sore, keep your kids away. End of story. Yes, your dog is a member of your family, but it’s better that she feel sad being away from you while recovering than have your kid fall on her and force a negative response. Dogs don’t want to bite. Don’t put your dog is a position where she feels she has to.

Teach Dog-Friendly Rules to Your Kids

Other than the rules above, there are some basics that every kid needs to know. Here are three to start with:

Never, ever poke fingers through a gate or fence to pet a dog, even if it’s a dog you know.
Kids should know not to approach a dog who’s eating, drinking, sleeping, barking, growling, or playing with a toy.
If your dog is trying to find a quiet place to go or looks like she’s trying to escape your kiddo, they need to know not to pursue, chase, or follow!

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) produced a series of funny-but-helpful educational videos that are worth watching with your kids, too.

Here’s the full playlist, and one of my faves is below:

As the parent, you need to have a basic understand of your dog’s body language, too, because the thing is… your dog can’t be held responsible for your kid’s actions. Or your neighbor’s kid’s actions. Check out this handy and adorable poster (credit ©2011 Lili Chin):

BTW, check out her site for a ton of awesome (and free!) posters that can be printed and hung on your fridge!

Some Final Dog-Bite Prevention Tips

When adopting a new pet, visit a well-run shelter with involved staff who can tell you all about a dog’s personality. Be sure to share your kid’s personality, too, so they can help you find a dog who’s the right fit.

Take your dog to training classes that use positive, humane, science-based methods.

In addition to training, socialize your pup to other dogs, kids, adults, and so on.

Spay or neuter your dog. Some evidence suggests “fixed” dogs bite less often.

If your dog indicates any aggression in any situation, schedule an appointment with your vet ASAP. Let her rule out underlying medical causes, then ask for a referral to a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist to work on any issues before they can become a bite.

Dog bites are preventable.

Supervise your kids.

We like to think our kids are wonderful little angels, but dog bites happen when kids–not dogs–aren’t behaving.

Never expect your dog to behave when your kid isn’t.

Separate them, yes, to protect your kid from a bite, but more so to protect your dog from being put in the situation where she feels compelled to bite.

Finally, a few resources for you to help further your education on preventing dog bites:

Stop the 77: 77 percent of dog bites come from the family’s dog or a friend’s dog, according to this resource. There are a ton of useful, accessible videos to watch with your kids.
Dog Safety for Kids: Be a tree: This is particularly important if your kiddo encounters a loose dog.
Kids and Dogs: How Kids Should and Should Not Interact With Dogs
Take a class together: Find a rewards-based training program near you that teaches your children how to interact safely with dogs.

Have you ever experienced a dog-bite situation with your kids or your pets? If so, how did you handle it? If you’re teaching your kids bite safety, what tools and resources do you recommend? Have you taken a class or read any good books to share with the community?

Dog Research Topics: “Vetting” science vs. opinion in the dog universe

02•08•19

I love Dog World, this space built on a shared love and compassion for our furry friends. The most important relationships in my life grew from this space, and I’ve learned to take better care of my pets along the way. Dog World (that should be a theme park, imo…) brings joy, laughter, tears, and connection.

One thing I don’t love?

There’s a lot of outdated, outmoded, and just plain dumb stuff that still circulates. Many pet professionals like dog trainers aren’t required to have any type of certification (though lots pursue it on their own). And, unfortunately, opinion rather than fact rules the day.

Dog Research Topics_ _Vetting_ science vs. opinion in the dog universe

All this sprang up for me recently when someone messaged me regarding a specific post, and she asked, “Where do you get your research?”

I love that question for two reasons: First, it shows a healthy dose of skepticism and a critical eye. I love following the trails of others’ research and vetting sources on my own, so I greatly appreciated that inquiry! Second, I thought I had done a decent job (at least in that post) linking to sources, so it was a strong call to action on my part to really emphasize the data when it’s a research-driven post.

Anyway, as I started to craft my reply to her, I realized: I should post this! We all love dogs, and I think we’re all rational, reasonable people who are open to well-researched new ideas. I think we can all agree we’re sick of blustery claims or emotional arguments that don’t hold water–in Dog World and, you know, Real World. So I wanted to share a few things with you and hopefully this gives you some awesome weekend reading, too!

Dog Research Topics and Where to Find Sources

Here’s a confession: I read a lot. I basically read all the time. I don’t like having social media on my phone (other than Instagram, of course), but I love having it to read articles, blogs, newspapers, and so on when I have pockets of time without my computer. I keep notes on what I read, so I’m constantly gathering ideas. But, I wanted to share two of my most favorite blogs for gathering dog research topics and ideas:

The Science Dog

A more recent discovery for me, this blog is written by Linda P. Case, an expert with the credentials to back her up. A lot of the topics center around the latest in canine nutrition. If you’re looking to binge-read a blog this weekend that focuses on how our dogs eat (and, let’s be honest, who isn’t?) this is for you. And, actually, in the past she didn’t write a ton: maybe a post every few months. However, there are already three for this year, so I’m excited to see where it goes in 2019! All that said, this is an awesome starting point for research-based information largely about canine nutrition. It’s also easy to read, turning complex data into engaging posts.

Dog Spies from Scientific American

OK, so I’m sure there’s an explanation, but there aren’t any new posts in about five months. However, the archives are so worth it. And I hope it’s not going away. I love, love this blog, one published by Scientific American. If you want to know how your dogs think–about everything from poop eating to self-recognition to the sad puppy-dog look, plus all sorts of other stuff like the science of animal shelters and even, sometimes about cat cognition–this is the site you need to read. It’s entertaining. It’s informative. It’s caused me, many times, to sit and stare at Cooper wishing even more than usual that I could get inside that head of his.

Google Scholar

There are a ton more amazing blogs and channels that cover animal topics. Twitter is an awesome resource, as is Instagram. And, once I have some ideas, or–more often than not–I have some notes in a notebook somewhere that are little planted seeds waiting until something sparks a connection that I can turn into a post, I turn to Google Scholar. Also, I always do search the regular Google, too, because I love reading what others have to say about specific topics, especially blogs and newspapers.

Google Scholar just like regular Google, except that it only searches scholarly publications. So, for instance, recently I was hired to write a blog post for a client about the latest research on the relationship between your dog’s microbiome and his behavior (super interesting stuff!), so I went to Google Scholar and typed in “dog microbiome” as a starting point. The results are all peer-reviewed science vs. what you find on Facebook or on blogs that make claims based on “my dog.” In the end, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you’re taking great care of your dog. I’m just someone who nearly-obsessively wants to find the actual science behind those claims.

What next?

When I used to teach college English, we talked about an “informed assessment,” that is coming to your own conclusion based on the research. That’s generally what my blog posts are: informed assessments.

I think, at the end of the day, the person messaged me originally because she disliked the claim I made in that post. And that’s fair. Everyone can dislike whatever they want, but whether or not the claim is true, well, it’s much harder to look at data, at published scientific research, and say, “Nah, I don’t think so,” than it is to disregard anecdotes.

There you have it: That’s a glimpse at how I find dog research topics and then how I research them. I have piles of notes and ideas that I’ll likely never get to, at least not in this forum, but I love the reading and the research, so that’s worth it to me, anyways!

I hope you enjoy those two blogs! Please let me know if you dig up anything fascinating, and if you have other favorite sources, please share those in the comments!

Golden Paste for Dogs: The What, Why, and How

02•05•19

Have you jumped on the turmeric bandwagon yet?

It seems to be all the rage right now, and I’ll admit: I’m late to the party!

Why?

Well, I think it’s my natural desire to push back, to rebel. I read a ton of cancer stuff online–which I need to stop doing–but I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve seen someone post about a personal struggle and some stranger replies, “You should really add turmeric to your diet.” In my head, I’m screaming, “YOU SHOULD REALLY MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! YOU’RE NOT THE ONE WITH CANCER!” It’s not helpful. It’s not productive. It’s not supportive, though I suspect the person making the recommendation thinks they’re being supportive when really they’re inserting their unproductive opinion. Unless your friend specifically asks for your suggestion, keep it to yourself! They have enough on their plate.

End unrelated rant. Sorry ’bout that.

Ahem.

Anyways, turmeric!

How to Make Golden Paste for Your Dog

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Over the last six months or so, it’s really hit home that Coop is cresting that middle-age point. He’ll be nine this summer, and while he’s still high-energy and pretty fit, we’ve seen a few signs of aging: his increasingly-white fur, a slight stiffness after a strenuous hike, longer recovery times after his runs, and–for that matter–a little less stamina for the longer runs. He’s by no means done with any of that but rather slowing down on occasion or taking longer to recover. He’s still a lunatic who acts foolish without enough mental or physical exercise each day, and he’s at a healthy weight.

That said, I’ve been researching ways to aid him as he ages, specifically with his muscles and joints, and my research kept turning up the same thing: golden paste. So, I decided to give it a whirl. Before I share my super-simple recipe, let’s address what it is and why it matters:

First, what is golden paste?

“Golden paste” is just the name of the concoction. It’s a mix of turmeric, pepper (more on that below), water, and a healthy fat like coconut oil. Also called “turmeric paste,” it’s indicated for use in people, dogs, horses, you name it. But I’m forever a skeptic when it comes to health food claims, so I turned to the scholarly research. In a journal article posted by the National Institutes of Health:

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a yellow pigment present in the spice turmeric (Curcuma longa) that has been associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiviral, and antibacterial activities as indicated by over 6,000 citations. In addition, over one hundred clinical studies have been carried out with curcumin. …
Extensive research over the past 30 years has shown that it plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of various pro-inflammatory chronic diseases including neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, autoimmune and malignant diseases.

So, yeah. The research is there. This particular article, and why I chose to cite this one instead one of the other over one hundred studies, is that it highlights one of the key problems with turmeric: bioavailability. Basically, our bodies don’t do a good enough job absorbing the ingredient to really maximize its benefits. You could take turmeric daily and not benefit one bit. In that paper, they examine a number of studies that looked at different ways to administering turmeric–everything from intravenously to mixed with natural ingredients–and the most realistic pairing for our purposes was adding black pepper (you’ll see this in my recipe below). Piperine is a major component of black pepper and does the job of increasing the bioavailability, but do note that the studies that showed the biggest increase were in humans, not small mammals. Take that with a grain of turmeric, I suppose.

Second, how does turmeric help dogs?

Well, all the studies cited demonstrate a whole host of benefits BUT it’s super-duper important to note that these studies are largely conducted on rats and on humans. We’re extrapolating similar benefits for dogs.

Anyway, turmeric has been shown to do all sorts of things even, yes, potentially helping cancer patients. (Still, don’t suggest it unless you’re asked!) The key benefits of turmeric for dogs, people, horses, etc. include (links go to the studies that demonstrate the benefits):

Those are big benefits for anyone, of course, but serve aging pups (and people) particularly well. So, I’m on board! Let’s do this!

How to Make Golden Paste for Your Dog

You can share it, too!

If you search for this online, you’ll find a crazy number of recipes. They all contain the same foundation: turmeric (buy it in bulk, y’all!), water, black pepper (per the note above to help absorption), and a healthy fat like coconut oil. Tons of other versions contain all sorts of other things like freshly-ground ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and so on. TBH, most of those spices are added just for flavor and aren’t at all necessary.

Golden Paste Ingredients:

1 cup water
1/2 cup turmeric powder
1/3 cup coconut oil
1.5 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

How to Make the Golden Paste:

Combine the water and turmeric powder in a sauce pan. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until it thickens. It generally takes six or seven minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coconut oil and pepper. (If you want to throw in any of the other, optional seasonings, now’s the time. Aim for about a teaspoon each.)
Let it cool, then pour it into a glass jar for storage.

Serving Golden Paste for Dogs:

This amount makes enough to fill a regular-sized mason jar (I like these ones) a little more than halfway. If you share it with your pup, like mixing it into your coffee or oatmeal or whatever, have multiple dogs, or love really big dogs, it’ll probably last about a week. OR if you have a small dog, don’t share it with your dog, or use it sparingly, it can keep in your fridge sealed in a glass jar for about two weeks.

As far as quantity/dosing, start small. It’s a strong flavor. A minuscule spoon mixed into your pup’s food is a great way to start. I’ve seen recommendations that generally fall in the range of 1/8 to 1/4 tsp per 10 pounds per day, so Coop weighs 50, which means he’d get upwards of 1.25 tsp per day. It doesn’t seem like much, does it? The flavor, though is super strong, so I’d recommend working up to that amount then dividing that total between meals.

One final note: It stains. #learnedthatlesson

Ta-da! Now you have a nice batch of golden paste for your dogs (and for you!)

Have you tried this? Or, if you haven’t, are you considering it? Did I leave you with any questions? Any experiences you’d like to share? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Everything Aspiring Eco-Friendly Dogs and Cats Need to Know

02•03•19

Last year I announced the launch of my new “pet” project, The Zero-Waste Pet. (Sorry for the terrible pun.)

Then I promptly forgot to come back here and share any of it, so today I’m going to remedy that with a quick roundup!

Everything Aspiring Eco-Friendly Dogs and Cats Need to Know

If you’re brand new to learning about sustainability and your carbon footprint–or your pet’s carbon pawprint–THIS is the post you need. It’s a comprehensive, non-judgey, actionable tutorial to get anyone started, no matter if you’re a pro-level recycler or a start-up at green living. Terminology is defined. Lists are simple to follow. The steps are affordable. Check it out here (click the image to go straight to the post):
Let’s say you’re starting your low-waste, zero-waste, or gentle journey and have discovered the one truth we can’t avoid when we start down this path: The way we eat is killing the planet. It’s true. It’s unfortunate. It can be remedied, though! If you’ve been exploring ways to diminish the impact of your diet on the planet (#MeatlessMonday FTW!) and want to take it a step further, this post has everything you need to know along with super positive, helpful, affordable steps to take to lessen your pets’ impact on the planet. What goes in their bowl matters! Click the image below to go straight to that post:
While we’re on the topic of food… what goes in must come out. And then what comes out must… go somewhere. It’s a reality of loving and caring for animals. We have to deal with their bathroom behavior. So, I actually wrote two separate posts about this because, TBH, cat waste and dog waste are entirely separate animals. (Why can’t I stop making dummy animal puns that aren’t even all that puny?) If you’re interested in learning about cats and how to make your litter box gentler on the planet, click this:
Or, click this one if you’re more interested in learning about dog waste–including a brief examination of the best ways to handle their urine and puke because, you know, #dogs.
Finally, for you, the loving pet parent! Here’s the thing with the zero-waste movement, imo: It’s too judgey. I’m in a Facebook group, and when someone asks something like, “What’s the best way to reduce the impact of my car? I’m looking at washer fluids, tires, etc. and want to find the most eco-friendly options,” no one jumps in to say, “Hey, that’s awesome! What a great avenue to explore!” or whatever. Nope. Not one bit. They say, “HA. Your car is a polluting beast. Get a bike.” UGH. This should not be an all-or-nothing endeavor. Tiny, consistent steps add up to huge, long-term change. It’s my goal to help you feel supported and encouraged, so I rounded up a bunch of tips for you, the pet parent, that are easy to do and either free or super inexpensive. Check those out here:

There you have it! Those five guides are the first of many. I’m researching them thoroughly and putting a ton of effort into each one, so it’s my hope to publish at least one a month or maybe two if it makes sense (like the dog and cat waste guides).

If you have any questions, I’d LOVE to answer them in the comments below! Or, if you have requests for my next round of guides, please leave those suggestions, too! We are all in this together!

Dog-Friendly Vacations: Plan your trip around your pup!

01•29•19

We recently returned from Cooper’s vacation!

We’ve done this almost annually since Emmett’s youngest days with us. We pack our bags and head to a cabin in the woods somewhere for a long weekend of pet-approved activities: hiking, napping, snacking, whatever!

Dog-Friendly Vacations_ Plan your trip around your pup!

It’s super fun to plan a trip around your dog because… well… let’s talk vacations for a minute first.

We ALL need to step away from time to time. Even the most KonMaried among us carry stress, and vacations provide the opportunity to get out of the grind and recharge. Dogs? Well, they don’t have the same daily burden. (Thank goodness, right? It’s one of the things that makes dogs so magical!) But lotsa dogs get bored. And even if your dog never gets bored, your dog loves you and loves the opportunity to bond and play!

One caveat: This is about planning a vacation around YOUR dog. Back in 2006, we could take Em anywhere, and he loved nothing more than sitting on a pet-friendly patio and getting showered with attention and food. He could tour a winery as easily as he could hike a trail and be just as happy doing either. If your dog is like that, that’s GREAT! You can do just about anything for your pup’s vacation!

Cooper, though… Coop isn’t like that one iota. Public places stress him out. Each time I’ve taken him to a cafe patio to train, he’s been so anxious that he wouldn’t take any treats, even if I ordered him his own plate of something yummy like scrambled eggs! That type of vacation would simply not be a fun, enriching, bonding experience. However, he loves exercise. He loves to run. He loves to hike. He loves a physical challenge, and we haven’t been able to do much of that since Violet came along, so we decided for Coop’s vacation this year, we’d take him on some longer, harder hikes than he’s had in a couple years.

So, we found a pet-friendly cabin rental near the park we wanted to hit, and off we went!

If this idea intrigues you and you might want to take your dog’s vacation, here are a few things that have (and have not) worked for us that might help get you started!

How to go on vacation with your dog:

Plan everything. Obviously you can’t really, truly plan everything, and you do want to allow for spontaneous stops along the way, but once you pick your destination, spend a chunk of time googling everything pet-friendly you might want to do along with the city names. Here are a couple examples: pet-friendly cafes in Indianapolis, or dog-friendly wineries in Nashville, or whatever. We love GoPetFriendly.com for this, too, since we only ever road trip with Cooper. Have a list of places saved in your phone so you’re not stuck trying to find somewhere your dog can go and losing precious vacation time! BTW, don’t forget to plan down time to snuggle your pup!
Book pet-friendly accommodations. Don’t be that guy who sneaks your dog in. It ruins it for the rest of us. We strive to book cabin rentals or AirBNB-style places to stay because it’s usually quieter with a more home-like vibe, which Coop strongly prefers. Plus, they usually come equipped with everything you need to prepare all your own food, which is a necessity if you’re traveling with a dog like Coop who just can’t do outdoor restaurants, or if you’re traveling in a season where you can’t eat outside, or if you’re simply trying to save money. This time around, we found a perfect spot just by googling: pet-friendly cabin rentals in Brown County, Indiana.
Pack for comfort. OK, we’re not talking a backpacking trip here (that requires a whole other mindset, of packing for necessity). In this case, pack what makes your dog comfy: his regular bed, a special blanket, food, of course, and treats, a bowl and water dish, toys, and so on. We bring a cooler since Coop eats The Farmer’s Dog, and I always bring a stash of chew toys. I always bring an extra leash, too, just in case, far more pickup bags than we could possibly need, a flashlight for night-time potty breaks, and seasonally-appropriate apparel. Honestly? Not counting food, Cooper’s bags outnumber ours every time! But, it helps him to settle into a place if he has his home comforts!
Pack for safety. In addition to the comfy items, when you travel with your pup, bring a pet-specific first aid kit, a tool to remove a tick, your preferred paw treatment, and anything else that’s appropriate to the season, location, and adventures you have planned. There’s no worse feeling than driving around an unfamiliar place trying to find the right item in the right store when you have an emergency. I’d also highly recommend storing your pet’s vet records on a jump drive you can toss in your glove compartment along with the name and number of a pre-researched vet that is near where you’re staying. If you find yourself in an emergency situation, it’s helpful to have that already on hand.
Have fun! Don’t stress about timetables or hitting must-see spots. Your dog certainly isn’t, and this is his time with you! Focus on fun. Find things to do you’ll both enjoy, especially that much-needed downtime. This is vacation, after all!

Planning your vacation around your pet simply means that you get to do fun stuff together away from home! 🙂 It’s an awesome way to build your bond, to enjoy some time away, and to go on a new adventure. You’ll love the memories you make together, and you’ll have a great time–all that really matters!

Have you ever taken a trip for your pup? Do you typically take your dog on vacation? Would you consider planning all or part of a family vacation around your dog’s preferences and personality? Let’s share in the comments!

Plan a vacation for your dog

Additional resources:

Hiking with Dogs: Winter Safety Tips

DIY Travel Blanket

How to Pack for a Dog-Friendly Road Trip