HelpingAnimals.com // KP'S DOG BLOG

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

2008-08-19T22:33:48Z

**Bye! See you in the "Living" section!**

Today's post is my last official "KP's Dog Blog" entry. I'm sad about it, but as they say, when one door closes, another one opens. We are restructuring our Web sites and now have a brand-new section called "Living." You'll soon be able to read my future entries about dogs under the category "Holistic and Humane Dog Care" here: http://living.peta.org. We'll also be bringing back some archival posts for those who haven't been reading the dog blog from the beginning. I hope to "see" you all there! While you're in the Living section, do check out some of the other categories, such as "home and garden," "parenting," "health and beauty," and "family and relationships." Should be fun!

English as a Second Language for Dogs

2008-08-14T22:44:45Z

**Koro understood dozens of words and phrases, including some in French and German!**

I used to teach English as a Second Language to people from many different countries, and I think many of the principles needed to successfully help foreign students learn English can also be applied to dogs. Consistency, clarity, relevance, repetition—these are all just as important in dog language training as in human language training. Obviously, dogs are more clued in to human body language than our spoken language (since canine body language is their mother tongue), but it's not hard to get dogs to shift their focus and learn English words (or words in another language). My first dog, Koro, not only knew dozens of words and phrases in English, she also knew many words in French and German (including her name pronounced in three different accents) because we lived together in France and Germany too. It really gets my hackles up when I see control freaks who communicate with their dogs in only one way—commands. It's like they think they're drill sergeants, and their dogs are lowly recruits. All they do is "bark" orders (pun intended). You see them in vet's offices and at the dog park. It's so frustrating when you know that their communication could be so much more nuanced and enjoyable—both for the dogs and for themselves. I've been thinking about the many types of verbal communication that can occur between humans and dogs other than commands, and I thought I would jot down some examples. Apologies: It happens from time to time that we accidentally hurt our dogs. We step on their tails when the lighting isn't good or we drop a spoon on them in the kitchen. This is a good time for a very clear apology—always in the same tone of voice with the same words so that our dogs immediately understand that what happened was unintentional. This is especially important for rescued dogs who have been abused in the past and aren't too sure that we won't turn against them just like their previous owners. Choices: Our dogs have so little control over their own lives. We decide when they eat, what they eat, when they go for walks, and on and on. It's really nice for them to get to make a few decisions of their own. For example, when you're on a walk with your dogs and you come to an intersection, you can ask, "Which way?" and let them decide. My late husky, Darby, lived for his walks, and he had us going in different directions every single day—no two walks were ever the same. Suggestions: My dogs and I have a ritual that we engage in first thing in the morning and then every time I come home, but it's purely voluntary. I always propose to them, "Let’s go outside!" No one has to go outside—it's just a suggestion—but, of course, they always take me up on it … unless it's raining. Requests: These are like commands but not so strict. For example, in my tiny house, we often have traffic jams, so I'll say, "Excuse me!" to get my dogs to move out of the way, but it's like a soft command that I wouldn't necessarily enforce. Or if we're out walking, and I want to cross the street, I'll say, "Let's cross!" so they know that that's my intention, but I'm not going to insist if they haven't finished sniffing something interesting. Providing Information: Dogs thrive on routine and predictability, yet so much of their lives isn't predictable (to them). They're at the mercy of our daily schedules, which can be chaotic, so they have no idea what to expect on any given day at any given time. We can help add some predictability to our dogs' lives by trying to maintain a consistent daily routine, but we can also tell them what's going to happen next. If we always use the same terminology, they'll understand exactly what we mean. For example, I walk my dogs in three shifts, so before each shift, I simply make an announcement as to which dogs' turn it is. One very useful, informative phrase is "All done!" Once dogs understand what it means ("The current activity is finished"), the phrase can be extrapolated to any activity, either positive or negative. For example, I can signal the end of a vet appointment or the end of a nail-clipping session by saying, "All done!" and I can also indicate that the last treat that I handed out was the final one. (This makes it possible to give dogs table scraps without having them beg throughout the rest of the meal.) Also in this category would be "Oops!" which I use to respond to very minor infractions just to convey that I didn't like what they did, such as if one of them gets too pushy. I also like to be able to convey to my dogs how long I'm going to be away from home. If I'm just going around the block, I use different language from what I would say if I were leaving to go to work. And if I'm embarking on a trip of several days' duration, I communicate the amount of time that I'm going to be gone by counting out the number of days for them. I don't know how much of it they truly understand, but I like to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they're able to gain some sense of what to expect over the next few days. Words of Appreciation: Sometimes I'll look at my whole pack and just lovingly and goofily gush, "How did Mommy get so lucky to have so many ANGELS! I know it's silly and highly embarrassing, but dogs just love that kind of attention. They eat it up. They all start wagging their tails and wiggling and looking very pleased, so I think it really gives them a nice, warm-and-fuzzy feeling. Songs: I think all dogs should have their own song that gets sung to them regularly. When you sing their special song to them, dogs feel appreciated. You have to try this, if you haven't already. I'll give you some examples. Sophia's song is to the tune of "Maria" from West Side Story: "Sophia! I just met a girl named Sophia. Say it loud and it's music playing. Say it soft, and it's almost like praying." Dexter's song is based on a 1979 hit song, "Doctor Doctor": "Dexter, Dexter, gimme the news. I got a bad case of lovin' you." And Sunny has two songs: a Paul Mauriat song from the 1970s, called "Sunny" ("Sunny, thank you for the love that you give to me") and the popular 1940 song "You Are My Sunshine" ("You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away"). You don't have to be a good singer—your dogs won't care at all! So talk to your dogs as much as possible, using consistent phrases (and a little drama and some silliness wouldn't hurt). They understand a lot more than you think. Much of it they just pick up on without any effort on our part because they're just so exquisitely sensitive and perceptive. I know some people even have to spell in front of their dogs in order to discuss topics that they don't want their dogs to understand!

Markus

2008-08-12T22:21:35Z

**Markus, one of countless Turkish dogs abandoned in the woods to starve to death**

The following is a guest post by my lovely colleague and PETA Germany campaigner for homeless dogs in Turkey, Magda. If I think about my trip to Istanbul as part of PETA Germany's Turkish stray-dog campaign, I immediately think of a little puppy who was named Markus by Turkish animal activists—the same name as my partner. We found Markus on our way to Beykoz animal shelter, which we knew of because, day after day for several weeks, we had been hearing horror stories about neglected, traumatized, and starving dogs there. The little pup was about 4 months old, wandering the back roads far away from any civilization. Probably our foundling was one of the hundreds of dogs who had been abandoned in Beykoz's forests. Turkish officials use this inhumane and absolutely counter-productive method to fight the obvious and pervasive problem of dog overpopulation. If these animals are not found by animal activists, they just starve to death. We stopped the car to take a look at the intimidated puppy. Markus ducked into a corner and tried to make himself invisible. Yasemin Baban, a Turkish animal activist who has been fighting for animals for years and cares for dozens of neglected dogs in the Beykoz forest every day, lifted him up, saw how emaciated he was, and carried him to the car. Markus was almost completely hairless and had gaping wounds all over his worn-out body—signs of the advanced stages of mange. At first, Markus tried to escape from the back seat of the car, so afraid was he of what was to come. However, after he discovered the dog food stored back there, always at the ready for hungry dogs, he changed his mind and gobbled up everything he could get his little paws on. While I continued on my mission to document the inhumane conditions at the Beykoz animal shelter, puppy Markus was taken to the rehabilitation center of an animal activist group called SHKD. These activists have been fighting for Istanbul's homeless dogs for years under the patronage of Robert Smith. Their work includes neutering as many dogs as possible—the only long-term, humane solution to a reduction in the overpopulation problem. The group's work and its "forest shelter" will remain in my mind's eye as a glimmer of hope. Twenty-four hours later, I was a guest there. Upon arrival, I could see "my" little foundling recovering in a pleasant, shady fenced-in area along with three other rescued puppies. I tried to raise his spirits by clapping and offering him words of praise, and he shyly wagged his tail. But the look on his face still seemed rather lost, after all he had been through. Although I worried that he might remain traumatized for the rest of his life, in that moment I could see a glimmer of hope in his eyes. I was sad and heavy-hearted when I had to leave Markus and the SHKD shelter behind—the only place I saw in Istanbul where dogs have a life worth living. What will happen to all the other dogs on the streets and in the forests who won't be as lucky as the dogs who were found by the animal activists? What will happen to all the dogs wasting away in the horrible conditions of the government animal shelters? What will happen to Markus? Will he recover? Now back in Germany, I still have to deal with the images I saw in Istanbul. Mother dogs whose puppies died cause they couldn't nurse them; depressed dogs living in the shelters who seemed to have given up and who looked at me with empty eyes; sick, injured, and hungry dogs who had been abandoned in the forests by the hundreds. However, most of the time I think about "my" Markus who—because his illness was too advanced by the time he was rescued—died in the SHKD shelter last Friday, August 8. If you would like to help stray dogs in Turkey, please contact the Turkish Embassy or Consulate in your country and express your feelings on this subject.

Never Underestimate the Powers of a Dog

2008-08-07T22:22:20Z

**Rogan doing his impersonation of a human smile**

If you have a close relationship with a dog, you already know that dogs can empathize with others―it's just so obvious. But some people feel the need to prove it in the lab, so a team at the University of London took the approach of trying to see whether dogs would yawn when faced with a yawning human. Yesterday, they reported their findings in the BBC News, and it was pretty interesting. They found that 21 out of 29 dogs yawned after watching a human stranger yawn! They made sure that it was more than just copying behavior by setting up a parallel experiment in which the stranger merely opened and closed his mouth, without actually yawning, and not one dog yawned at this. It's well known that dogs are extremely perceptive and sensitive to human body language, so it should come as no big surprise that they might react to a human yawn by feeling like yawning themselves, just as we do. However, I think authenticity is critical here. I tried the experiment on my six canine buddies, but I really couldn't pull off that many genuine yawns, so I faked some of them. And my results reflected this: Only two out of six dogs yawned back at me (Dexter and Theresa, the two most reactive dogs of the pack). The others just kind of stared at me with a look of concern on their faces. Oh, and Sunny couldn't stand to have me sitting across the room gazing at her―she kept running to put her head in my lap, so I'm not sure how to rate her reaction. For years, I've been using a variation on this activity to induce calmness and sleepiness in my dogs. When they're a bit hyped up and I want them to settle down, I'll kind of blink at them with sleepy, droopy eyelids and talk to them in a sleepy voice, and they instantly start to look sleepy too. And again, it's not just copying, because they are likely to then roll over and fall asleep. It's pretty cool. I even used this technique on my late cocker spaniel, Rogan, when a friend was taking his stitches out. But now I'm going to go out on a limb and go one better on the subject of dogs' amazing abilities. Call me crazy, but I believe that not only can dogs empathize, they can also sometimes even read our minds, at least the images in our minds. Wait! Keep reading. Just hear me out. You be the judge. How else can one explain the following experience, which happened to me almost 20 years ago: My beloved dog Druzhok had recently died (he was the first one), and I missed him so. He had had the unusual ability to smile and snort like a laughing human. It was so cute and endearing and funny. So one day, I was sitting on the kitchen floor, lamenting to my then-husband about the fact that I was never going to get to see that smile again, when my cocker spaniel, Rogan, suddenly ran into the next room and grabbed an old tennis ball with the felt torn off of it. He then proceeded to chew the ball in half and position half of it in his mouth with the round side down and his lips curling over the edges of the rim. This had the effect of making him look like he was smiling (take a look at the photo). Then he put his face right up to mine and started snorting! If he had had a bubble caption over his head reading, "Look, Mom! I'll smile for you!" it wouldn't have been any more obvious what he was trying to convey. If that wasn’t mind-reading (not to mention empathy), then I don’t know what is.

Grooming Sounds Grand Until Bowser Gets Baked

2008-08-05T21:38:20Z

**Little Miss came away from her grooming appointment with a broken tail.**

I've never trusted groomers. I've never felt comfortable enough to leave any of my beloved dogs at a groomer's. Initially, this suspicion stemmed from the horror stories told to me by a professional groomer who came to my house to cut my dogs' nails years ago. And then later, I saw the steady stream of hideous articles about dogs who had been injured at grooming facilities that flowed into PETA's office, filling up a fat file called "Grooming Accidents." There were dogs who had been burned, dogs who had been cut, dogs whose tails had been broken, and dogs who had died of strangulation or heatstroke. Just last month, a little dog named Bendi came home from a PetSmart grooming facility and had to go straight to the vet because her paws had been burned during a flea treatment. PetSmart paid the vet bill. I have actually taken dogs to grooming facilities myself, but I've always stayed and watched the proceedings. One year, I wanted to try having my late husky, Darby, shaved down for the summer, so I took him to a groomer. When I made the appointment, I stated that I wanted to watch, so they made me take the last appointment of the day, which was fine. And just last week, I took my three foster Chihuahuas to a local groomer to have their nails trimmed and their anal glands expressed, and I thought the groomer did a wonderful, professional, and very speedy job. We didn't even have to leave the reception area―we were done in less than 10 minutes. However, I could see back into the grooming area, and what I saw really worried me: An unattended dog with a noose around his neck standing on top of a grooming table. I spoke up and said to the groomer, "Hey, I'm really worried that that dog over there is going to jump and hang himself or get his neck broken." She looked momentarily annoyed with me and then said, "It's fine. I know that dog." Well, I know my dogs, too, but I can't predict their every movement. And when the stakes are that high, I think a groomer should have been standing next to that dog as long as he was on the table. Many people saw the grooming exposé "Pet Grooming Dangers," on the Today show on August 1, which was prompted by the grooming death of Sushi, the 2-year-old Labrador retriever of one of the Today show's employees. Sushi had been left for a week at a boarding facility and was supposed to get a bath before being picked up. When her guardian, Amanda, arrived to pick her up, instead of the thrill of a joyful reunion, she experienced the horror of learning that Sushi was unconscious. Not long after that, Sushi died at the vet's. Later it was determined that Sushi had been put inside a "cage dryer" for 30 minutes with the temperature set at 100°F. I took one look at those dryers in the Today piece and shuddered. I couldn't believe my ears as I watched person after person, including someone from The Humane Society of the United States, repeat some version of the mantra, "These cage dryers are safe if used properly." Excuse me? First of all, the cage dryer has a setting that goes up to 100°F, so it has a built-in setting for death. Secondly, machines malfunction. A groomer might think that the dryer was set at 80°F, but in reality, it might go haywire and shoot up to 100°F or even 135°F. Thirdly, there are many dogs who, for various reasons, are automatically going to be at high risk inside one of these contraptions. These include dogs with flat muzzles, older dogs, dogs with heart problems, dogs with respiratory problems, etc. Finally, the dryers are run by mere mortals, who work for a largely unregulated industry. On any given day, a person can be distracted, tired, hung over, ill, depressed, or just plain stupid―any of which could cause a careless mistake, leading to tragedy. And what is the purpose of these cage dryers anyway? There is nothing inherently necessary about them. According to a leading professional groomer who was interviewed on the Today show segment, a cage dryer "gives the groomer the ability to do more dogs in one day." That's the ONLY raison d'être for cage dryers. Money. Cage dryers don't make dogs safer, and they don't make dogs healthier. They just make groomers wealthier. I have nothing at all against groomers per se. I think groomers provide a wonderful service, especially for people who are unskilled at trimming nails, expressing anal glands, or giving a dog a summer shave. But a bath can certainly be given at home. (And dogs don't even need to be bathed that often.) In any case, there is no reason on Earth to drop a dog off at a groomer's and just leave. Doing that just so that you can cram more activities into a busy day is just not acceptable. Your dog's life is at stake. In my view, leaving a dog with a groomer is riskier than leaving a child with a sitter because (a) the dog can't tell you what happened while you were gone, and (b) the groomer has a cage dryer. I think cage dryers should be banned outright. A plain old fan will do just fine. For more information about grooming accidents, how to prevent them, and basic grooming that you can do at home, click here.

Leaving Lucky in Good Hands

2008-07-31T23:13:09Z

**Tammy and Kiwi of Fetch! Pet Care in Virginia Beach**

Working at PETA, I'm fortunate to be surrounded by people who care about animals, many of whom would love to earn a few extra bucks, so it hasn't been too difficult to find people to stay with my dogs when I'm away. I've managed to zero in on a couple of very reliable coworkers who allow me to get away without having to worry about what's going on at home. However, it hasn't always been so. I once employed a pet sitter straight out of the phone book and ended up being very sorry I did: When I got home, my dog and his canine friend had no water to drink. Later, on the phone, the pet sitter admitted that she had been in a hurry that morning and had simply neglected to refill their water bowl! And leaving dogs in a boarding kennel or at the vet's is just not an option for people who really care about their dogs. Being in a strange, cramped environment surrounded by lots of other stressed-out barking dogs, who might be transmitting diseases to one another, isn't exactly on a par with the vacation being taken by Fido's guardians while he pines away. I know that a lot of newer facilities are trying to make things nicer for Fido, but there's still no comparison with staying in his own familiar surroundings from which he can derive comfort. I remember when I was in high school and we picked up our beloved Socksie from a boarding kennel after we had been gone for several weeks. She looked horrible. She was sick and droopy. I don't remember what she had contracted, but I'll never forget the contrast between her experience of the previous few weeks and my family's. We learned our lesson: Dogs deserve better. As family members, dogs deserve to be left in not only capable but also caring hands when we have to be away from home. Therefore, it's well worth our while to submit our potential pet sitter to a great deal of scrutiny in order to avoid coming home to a tragedy or getting a distressing phone call while we're still hundreds of miles away from home. I recently became aware of a nationwide California-based pet-sitting company called Fetch! Pet Care, and I like what I've read about its policies and practices. To begin with, the company suggests using the following thorough checklist when selecting a pet-sitting service in your area: [ ] Diligently check all of the company's references—at least three should be voluntarily provided. [ ] Ensure that the company is fully bonded and insured. [ ] Confirm that your sitter has undergone a criminal background check and has received proper training. [ ] Pre-interview the sitter with your pets present to observe interactions and establish a "comfort level" for both yourself and your pets. [ ] Clearly state how you would like the sitter to use his or her visit time in terms of walking, playing, feeding, cleaning, etc. [ ] Verify that the sitter can accommodate both your pet's daily feeding and walking schedule and your desired vacation schedule, even during the busiest holidays. [ ] Ensure that the company offers seven-day-per-week telephone and e-mail availability. [ ] Provide medical and behavioral history about your pets as well as veterinary and other emergency contact information, and gather all necessary supplies, including food, vitamins, and treats, in one central location. [ ] Ensure that the company has "backup" measures in place should your sitter have an emergency that prevents him or her from completing your assignment. This quote from the company's Web site really resonated with me:

Fetch! Pet Care has significantly raised the bar by setting a new industry standard in pet-sitting and dog walking services. Prior to our inception, pet-sitting services were largely provided by independent one- or two-person operations that often quickly booked up, accommodated a limited area, offered a limited range of services, didn't have emergency backups or insurance, weren't professionally trained, and often got overworked or otherwise burned out. Fetch! Pet Care, however, offers professional, reliable, loving care to animals of all kinds, a large professionally trained staff always available wherever and whenever you need them most, a wide range of service offerings, and a satisfaction guarantee that, all combined, are simply unmatched in the field.

Additionally, Fetch! Pet Care offers the gamut of services from private visits or overnight sitting in your home to boarding or daycare services in the sitter's home to daily dog walking to pet taxi services. I don't know how they do it, but I'm so glad that someone took this on. I decided to call my local Fetch! Pet Care representative, Tammy Cobb, to see if she was for real. We had a delightful conversation about her company's services and history and about her local operation, and I came away feeling very good about it. She loves her job and has a whole network of contract people on standby, ready to petsit as needed. For a household with two dogs, she would stay from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. and provide two 20- to 30-minute walks—for only $60! (There's a small extra charge for each additional dog or cat.) A 30-minute midday walk/visit is $20. This is very reasonable pricing. With Labor Day approaching and holiday travel planning already underway for some, Fetch! Pet Care is offering PETA members a 10 percent discount on its services as well as a free in-home consultation. If you're interested, call 1-866-FETCH-ME or visit Fetch! Pet Care's Web site.

Deadly Dog Days of Summer

2008-07-29T21:40:27Z

**Sammy Baxter: "We dogs can overheat so easily―please be careful, especially in the summer!"**

The following is a guest post by Lisa Towell, a great writer and friend of PETA. A few years ago, we took our dog Sydney out for a hike with some friends on a gorgeous hot summer day. The first part of the trail was up a steep, treeless hillside—Sydney made us feel out of shape as she trotted easily up in front of us. Halfway up the hill, we met a man sitting with his Rottweiler dog. The dog was a big friendly fellow, well over 100 pounds, and was panting heavily in the shadeless heat. We asked if the dog needed some water, but the man assured us that he was fine. "King just needs a rest before we finish going up the hill." So we walked on. Dogs are prone to heatstroke, much more so than their human companions—they can only cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paw pads. Most people know about the risks of leaving a dog in a hot car, but dogs can easily overheat while exercising on a summer day. Heatstroke is most common in large breeds and in short-nosed dogs like boxers and bulldogs. But other factors can also contribute, like obesity, heavy fur, lack of acclimation to the heat, and even excitement. Dogs just adore running around to explore new sights and smells and don't always show good sense about how hot the weather is. We had a nice picnic at the top of the hill and made sure that Sydney had lots of water. We started back down toward the car, sweaty and happy, about an hour later. When we got back to where we had left King, we were dismayed to find him stretched out flat on his side, breathing rapidly with foam on his lips. The man waved away our offers of help. "He'll be OK in a few minutes." But we knew this dog was in trouble. We poured our water over his black fur and tried to get him to drink, but he fell unconscious as we tried to help him. We told the man that his dog needed a vet immediately and offered to help transport him down the hill. The man didn’t quite seem convinced, but our two biggest guys hoisted King up and we got moving. King died before we made it back to the parking lot. I felt just sick at seeing such an unnecessary tragedy. Could we have saved him if we'd had some medical training? What if we had intervened when we first met the dog, while he was still conscious? The best treatment for heatstroke is prevention. Try to avoid exercising your dog on a hot day (except for very early in the morning or late at night), and consider whether it's really in your dog's best interests to go with you to the Art & Wine Fair or the flea market when the sun is beating down. If you must take a dog out in the heat of the day, take frequent shady rest breaks, and offer lots of water. Heatstroke can strike surprisingly quickly. Know the symptoms, so you can recognize it in your own dogs and in other dogs whose caregivers aren't as well informed. Early signs include heavy panting, difficulty breathing, excessive salivation, and lethargy. These are followed by confusion or lack of coordination, dry gums, and possible vomiting or diarrhea. Collapse and coma come next and can quickly lead to brain damage and death. If you see these signs, quick action is needed to save Ginger’s life. First, get her out of the direct sun and offer her water if she's able to drink it. Second, get her temperature down by wetting her thoroughly with cool (not cold) water. It can also help to place cool water-soaked towels on her head, neck, armpits, and groin. Third, get her to a vet as quickly as possible. Some delayed complications from heatstroke are very serious, so it's best to see the vet even if she seems to be recovering. Every hot day when I see a dog panting in the sun, I remember King. After that heart-wrenching experience, I got some pet first-aid training, and I promised myself that I will fearlessly butt into other people's business if an animal's safety is at stake. But I ache every time I think of King, because what we did that day wasn't enough.

A Must-Read for the Squeamish

2008-07-24T20:06:30Z

**Rogan: "Impacted anal glands are such a pain in the butt!"**

The reason why the squeamish must read this is because they are the people most likely not to want to address this problem, which can cause pain and suffering to dogs if neglected. The topic is … anal glands! The anal glands, which are situated just below the skin under a dog's tail at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively (if the anus were the center of a clock), are supposed to secrete fluid every time a dog has a bowel movement. Things can go haywire, especially with dogs who have skin (read: digestive/immune) problems. The anal glands can fill up and get impacted or even infected. Now, I know that no one enjoys dealing with the "business" end of the dog, but problems down there are pretty common and can be very uncomfortable. Not having anal glands ourselves, we can only imagine what it would be like when they get impacted―probably like sitting on a couple of marbles, only much more painful. So we need to deal with this. Signs that your dog's anal glands are full include scooting across the floor, chewing at the tail area, and the extremely pungent odor of anal gland secretions, which can overflow out of the glands when they're too full. I recently received this message from a friend: "Winnie [not her real name] is suffering from anal gland problems―both have abscessed and one of them can't even be expressed. One vet advised surgery to remove them, and two others have said no, don't do that. I prefer not to do it, of course, and probably won't, but I'm afraid these abscesses will return. They are truly horrible." She went on to say, "The problem is, no one―technician or vet―has been able to express her left gland at all and can barely get anything from the right because it’s so thick. When the right does express, it is with great difficulty and pain for Winnie. They had to knock her out last week in order to apply enough pressure to express both glands. They then flushed them out and inserted antibiotic ointment. She’s going back in about 10 days to see if they can start expressing them on a regular basis―hoping that the infusion of that ointment will help break up the horribly thick gunk." Here are some suggestions for keeping your dog’s anal glands in tip-top shape: •Be sure that there is enough fiber in Fido's diet. I once began adding a substantial amount of grated cabbage to my cocker spaniel Rogan's food because he needed to slim down, and his rather severe anal gland problems disappeared forever. Well-soaked, shredded, unsweetened coconut is an even better choice (2 tsp. dried, unsweetened coconut per 30 pounds of bodyweight). •Upgrade Fido's diet while you’re at it, choosing whole, natural foods and eliminating junk. •Also add coconut oil to his food (1 tsp. per 10 pounds of bodyweight). •Be sure that he gets plenty of exercise. •Make sure that he has ample opportunity to eliminate. •Do not make him feel too crowded in his own home, i.e., give him a room that he can retire to in order to "get away from it all." •Have his anal glands expressed periodically by an expert. If you're game, have the expert show you how to do it. It's not hard, and it's such a relief to be able to express the glands immediately rather than having to wait for a vet appointment to roll around. Yes, the stuff that comes out of them smells bad (I believe it's related to a skunk's "perfume"), but it's probably no worse than changing diapers. If you suspect that there is already trouble brewing, you can take the following steps at home, but if you don’t see substantial improvement within a day or so, then head for your vet's office as soon as possible: •Administer one single dose of homeopathic Silicea 30C (and remember, with delicate homeopathic remedies, you need to get them into Fido's mouth without touching them, and he shouldn't eat for 15 minutes prior to or after receiving the remedy). •Make a warm herbal compress by pouring 2 cups of boiling water over 2 Tbsp. dried calendula herb and letting it steep until just warm. Dip a washcloth into this warm liquid and hold it up to the affected anal gland for a few minutes. Repeat several times, twice a day. •Go ahead and add the well-soaked, shredded, unsweetened coconut to Fido's food if you haven't already. (Better late than never.) On a personal note, I did all three of the above bulleted items when Dexter had a very sore anal gland a few months ago, and he was completely back to normal within 24 hours. It was quite remarkable!

Federal Dog Abuse

2008-07-22T22:50:35Z

**Louie**

I've known a few beagles in my life, and there's only one way to describe all of them: sweetness personified. So you have to wonder what kind of evil lurks inside a person who would purposely harm such a sweet creature. One of our own government agencies, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is responsible for making sure that pharmaceuticals, biologicals, and medical devices are safe, effective, and of a high quality and also that foods, cosmetics, and radiation-emitting products are safe as well, is very big on using beagles for toxicity tests. In fact, the use of beagles is so widespread in pharmaceutical testing in the U.S. that 65,000 of these sweet puppies are forced to undergo hideous experiments every year. What are these experiments like? Well, just imagine if you lived in a small prison cell and someone force-fed you every day with a nasty chemical that made you nauseous and dizzy for hours and hours and then, just as you were starting to feel better, came along again to pump some more of the sickening chemical down your throat. Imagine this going on for weeks or months. I have seen footage of beagles in toxicity tests, and it is heart-wrenching. The dogs can barely stand up, they whine, they drool, and they are clearly miserable and suffering. Many of these dogs are slowly and torturously poisoned to death.

**Penny**

And for what? Most of these drugs don't pass muster anyway. The ones that do are then tested extensively on humans (obviously in much more humane conditions) because the animal tests weren't really reliable to begin with. And even then, according to the FDA, a whopping 92 percent of the drugs fail during the human trials because they end up having side effects that weren't predicted based on the animal studies that were conducted. The FDA regulations are in need of a massive overhaul, both technically and ethically.

**Lulu**

This morning, PETA ran a full-page ad in The Washington Post denouncing the head of the FDA, Andrew Von Eschenbach, for supporting these barbaric toxicity tests and calling on him to replace them with modern, reliable, non-animal tests. This is the 21st century! But we are still conducting these torture tests that aren't much different from burning people at the stake, except that they're being done on one of the sweetest, most loyal, affectionate, nonjudgmental, forgiving, and loving creatures on the planet, the beagle. What is wrong with us humans? Where is our sense of fairness and compassion? It's really shameful. And it's not just beagles―it's lots of other kinds of animals who are being tortured as well. In my view, it's just plain evil to inflict suffering like this on any living being, no matter what can be gained from it. If you put yourself into those victimized animals' "shoes" and really try to feel what they are going through, then only the coldest, most heartless.person could give toxicity tests on them the thumbs-up. Of course, there are many cold, heartless people in the world. Apparently, a large number of them work in animal-testing labs. Please help us try to change this sorry state of affairs!

Handy Home Remedies for Hound Dogs

2008-07-17T22:51:27Z

**Dexter: "Thanks to stinging nettles, I'm itch-free!"**

Having home remedies on hand to treat your dogs' minor mishaps will allow you to give them quick relief while also saving money on vet bills and, in some cases, avoiding harsh medications. Just be sure to seek professional veterinary help if the home remedy isn't effective within a reasonable time period. Arnica Montana: If I were on a desert island and could have only one natural remedy with me, it would be arnica. Homeopathic arnica is perfect for any traumatic injury, large or small. If I see one of my dogs limping, out comes the arnica. Ditto if someone takes a tumble. Arnica speeds healing big-time. You can bet that Rowdy got arnica several times a day after his recent surgery. The only tricky thing about arnica is that as a homeopathic remedy, it's very fragile energetically, so you can't touch it with your fingers―you have to get it into your dog's mouth via the lid of the container or a spoon. Homeopathic remedies are supposed to dissolve in your mouth, so unless you have arnica in a granular form, you'll need to crush the small tablets between two spoons and then just dump the powder into your dog's mouth, holding it shut for a second so that the remedy gets moistened and sticks to your dog's tongue. (Homeopathic remedies don't taste bad, so there's no problem there.) You also have to avoid giving homeopathic remedies within 15 minutes of a meal (because of their fragility). If all this sounds like voodoo, then please just suspend your disbelief―once you've seen how effective homeopathic remedies can be, you'll be a believer. Calendula: This gentle herb is great for any type of skin rash or irritation. You can get it in liquid form or as an ointment. Coconut Oil: Luscious coconut oil can be eaten as food or used topically―either way, its secret ingredient, caprylic acid, is going to do battle with yeast. This would be a good thing to feed to dogs with yeasty ears or a yeast overgrowth on their skin. The dosage is 1 teaspoonful per 10 pounds of bodyweight per day. It's pretty fattening, though, so you would need to cut back somewhere else in the diet. Colloidal Silver: One health-care provider told me that colloidal silver can actually purify sewage. I believe it. It kills bacteria, so it's great to put on small cuts and wounds. Just make sure that you get a reputable brand. Eyebright (aka Euphrasia): This aptly named herb is great for irritated, red eyes. You can give it to your dogs orally in capsule form and also topically as a popular form of homeopathic eye drops known as Similasan. This double whammy will clear up most garden-variety cases of red eyes without having to resort to antibiotics. Hydrogen Peroxide: If you see your dog eat something that you know is going to be harmful, such as chewing gum containing xylitol or a hunk of plastic, you want to induce vomiting ASAP. The best way, in my view, is to administer hydrogen peroxide. A tablespoonful for a large dog, less for a smaller dog. It will take up to 10 minutes before your dog actually vomits―just wait for it. Melatonin: For dogs with thunderstorm anxiety, nothing beats melatonin, which is a synthetic version of a natural hormone that regulates sleep. It can really take the edge off the fear of thunderstorms and calm dogs right down. The dosage is 6 mg for 100+-lb. dogs; 3 mg for 50-lb. dogs; 1.5 mg for 30-lb. dogs; and 0.5 mg for 10-lb. dogs. A very small percentage of dogs might have the opposite reaction (excitement) when given melatonin, so test it out when there is no sign of a thunderstorm in sight. Pet Calm: This classic combination of herbs, homeopathic remedies, vitamins, and minerals can be used in any situation that is going to evoke anxiety, whether it's a car trip, a trip to the vet, or construction workers on the roof. Give it 20 minutes prior to the stress-inducing event. Slippery Elm: The herb to reach for at the onset of intestinal distress, such as diarrhea, slippery elm soothes and coats the intestinal walls. I have Rowdy on this right now for his inflammatory bowel disease. Stinging Nettles: For dogs with that summertime itch, stinging nettles are just the ticket. They have a natural anti-histamine effect, similar to Benedryl but without the drowsiness. I give Dexter two capsules every morning and evening, but for small dogs, like Theresa, who also suffers from the itchies, you can just open up a capsule and pour a small amount into their food. Stinging nettles are also a very nutritious plant loaded with calcium. Styptic Powder: An essential grooming accessory, this is a must-have for anyone who trims dogs' nails, no matter how good at it they are. When a nail accidentally gets trimmed too close and bleeds, styptic powder can staunch the bleeding very quickly, so it's good to keep it on hand, just in case. Vanilla Soy Ice Cream: Something I learned recently, when researching seizures after Chihuahua Theresa's recent seizure episode, is that in the aftermath of a seizure, a dog is at risk for a second one because his or her blood sugar drops so dramatically during the initial one. The best way to prevent a second seizure is to immediately offer something sweet and fatty―like ice cream. Veterinarian's Best Hot Spot Spray: I like this product for sudden hotspots or other skin irritations. It contains aloe vera, tea tree oil, and chamomile; soothes the skin with an anti-itch effect; smells great; and, best of all, isn't tested on animals! Yellow Dock: This herb will kill ear mites while having a gentler effect on the ear tissue than the standard ear ointment administered by veterinarians, which can sting inflamed ear canals. Before applying the yellow dock, fill a small dropper bottle with olive oil and the contents of one 400 I.U. capsule of vitamin E, and apply a half-dropperful of this mixture into the ears every other day for three treatments. This will smother the adult mites and soothe the ear tissue. Then, as the remaining eggs hatch, apply a tincture of yellow dock into the ear canals every three days for four weeks to kill the "newborn" mites. Good luck and good health to you and your pups!

This Is Worse Than Prostitution

2008-07-15T22:55:46Z

**Gordon: Not for rent**

It's bad enough that people will buy and sell dogs as if they were inanimate objects. But now, along comes FLEXPETZ to debase animals even further. I guess some people will do anything for money. And likewise, there will always be people willing to shell out big bucks to buy into the latest trend, no matter how bad it is for animals. FLEXPETZ offers rental dogs. Yes, dogs you can rent by the day, just like a rental car. The company can even deliver the dog right to your door―just like a pizza. Its Web site describes all the wonderful perks enjoyed by these "lucky" dogs, such as holistic dog food and vet checkups every three months, but it neglects to say whether they also enjoy the services of a doggie psychotherapist, because I'm pretty sure they're going to need one after being shuttled around from client to client. Dogs thrive on stability and routine. Sure, they like to meet new people and have fun adventures―but in reasonable doses and in the context of also having solid permanent family ties. The FLEXPETZ Web site explains that the dogs each live with a primary caregiver when not being rented, but what kind of caregivers would be willing to let their dogs go off with different strangers each day? Oh, they gather lots of personal information on their clients, sure, but we've all experienced what it's like to discover someone's "darker side" after knowing the person for years. People are good actors―there's no way to know how they are going to treat a dog once they are out of your sight. And what about the close associates of the clients? Suppose a woman rents out a dog and her boyfriend hates dogs. It's a complete leap of faith. And considering all the horrible psycho things I've read that have happened to dogs, I shudder at the thought. But even if nothing really horrible happens and all of FLEXPETZ 's clients are completely reputable, kind people with no anger-management issues, you still have ignorance, incompetence, and human error to contend with. Anyone who has ever adopted a dog knows that there is a long learning curve of getting to know one another. And inexperienced people can make all kinds of mistakes that put a dog's well-being into jeopardy. FLEXPETZ fits each dog with a GPS tracking collar in case the dog "decides to go walkies on its [sic] own!" But what happens if the dog goes walkies right into the middle of the street and gets hit by a car? Of course, this can happen to anyone's dog, but it's much more likely when you have poorly acquainted people and dogs pairing up for jaunts around town on a daily basis. But the worst part of all is the underlying concept that dogs can be viewed as pure commodities, available for a price to give pleasure to any human who can fill out a few forms and pony up the dough. The good thing about FLEXPETZ, though, is that it is really expensive. Right up front, you have to pay $150 for an in-home introduction session, an annual administration fee of $99.00, another $99.00 for the first month's membership fee, and a minimum of four monthly "Daily Doggy Time" charges of $45.00 per day. So that will screen out a lot of people, but there are still plenty of rich control freaks around who might want to rent a dog just to have someone to boss around and manipulate or show off like jewelry. You can dress it up and call it what you like, but the bottom line is that these dogs are being used and exploited. At least prostitutes get to keep the money and choose their own johns. But there is good news on the horizon. One of the cities in which FLEXPETZ was counting on opening up a franchise, Boston, has said "NO" to pet-rental companies. The City Council voted on the measure last week, and the mayor is set to sign it. FLEXPETZ entrepreneur Marlena Cervantes complained, "I'm concerned about the dogs [in Boston] we won’t be able to take in now. Now they’re going to be going into shelters." But that's just it. The animal shelters will be there regardless, and they are already packed with needy, homeless, lonely dogs. Dogs who would do anything for a walk around the block or a trip to the park. All these FLEXPETZ clients can get all the doggie companionship they want―for free―at their local animal shelter. And instead of paying through the nose for it, they will be rewarded with a warm, satisfying feeling from having brightened the day of a sad dog who may never get to enjoy a real home.

Trust Your Gut

2008-07-10T22:31:51Z

Wise, wistful, wonderful Rowdy

My sweet Rowdy has been going through hard times recently. In the three years since I adopted this sensitive 10-year-old angel, he's been a very picky eater at best. Yet when I knew him way back when, in 2002 (he belonged to a neighboring family but came over frequently to visit my lonely bereaved dog, Darby), he was a bonafide chowhound―would eat anything you put in front of him. So something had changed. I always suspected that he just really missed his first family, especially his "daddy." I fretted that no amount of walks and trips to the beach and TLC from me could make up for the household that he was pining for. I even tried to get his former daddy to come and visit him, but after one visit, he stopped coming. So life went on, and I did the best I could to make Rowdy happy and chase that sad look from his face. Fast-forward three years to a month ago, and Rowdy stopped eating altogether. He also had some pretty nasty-looking stools. I took him to my local vet, who did a fecal and took an X-ray but nothing related to his lack of appetite and diarrhea showed up. They did see a humongous bladder stone, though. Next, we found ourselves in the exam room of a veterinary internal medicine specialist, who did numerous blood tests and an ultrasound, which uncovered a polyp in Rowdy's bladder, plus a "mottled" liver and a bacterial overgrowth in his intestines. Normally, I try to use mostly holistic methods of treatment, but this scared me, so I went ahead and followed all the doctor's orders, which included giving him two antibiotics and vitamin B12 injections for several weeks. Rowdy started eating again but not really enough to sustain a 65-pound fairly active dog. He was losing weight and I was getting nervous, so eventually I agreed to a surgical biopsy of his intestines (since he had to be operated on to remove the stone and the polyp from his bladder anyway), even though I had very definite misgivings about it. While they were at it, they also removed a growth from his gums that he's had for a few years. I'm still waiting for the biopsy results, but the surgeon did tell me that Rowdy's intestines looked normal. When I heard that, my misgivings about putting Rowdy through that biopsy grew. But I'll withhold my judgment until I get those results. Anyway, Rowdy's discharge instructions caused my hair to stand on end: "Confine your pet to a single room and use a leash when taking outside―to urinate and defecate only for 4 weeks" and "Please keep an Elizabethan collar (E-collar) on your pet until the wounds have healed completely." They even made me bring an Elizabethan collar with me when I picked him up―otherwise, they would have charged me for one! I'm sorry, but I couldn't do those things to my Rowdy. They feel like punishment! If I had kept him in a single room, he would've died of heartbreak. If I had forced him to wear that hideous collar, he would've sunk into a deep depression (as would have I!). Rowdy has been doing just fine without any of that. But one week after the surgery, he had not shown any interest in food whatsoever. The only food that he was ingesting was the very small amount that I was using to put meds and supplements down his throat. Yet he was full of energy and back to his old self. I called the veterinary internal medicine specialist to tell him about the lack of appetite, and he recommended―can you guess?—hospitalization for "a few days" so that they could keep Rowdy on an IV 24/7! I gulped and said, "Let me think about that." I thought how utterly depressed Rowdy would feel to find himself back in the hospital! I was scared, but I went with my gut feelings and said, "No." Instead, I used my better judgment, and I took him to an acupuncturist the next day. Rowdy perked up even more and started looking interested in food again. I also recalled that fasting is a good thing. I used to fast myself for a week every semester when I was in college, because I knew that your body heals itself more efficiently when it doesn't have to deal with food. Fasting gives your body a rest and helps eliminate toxins. So maybe Rowdy knew what was best for him by not rushing back into eating. Next I remembered that anesthesia can cause your back to go out of alignment, so I took Rowdy to the chiropractor the following day. Lo and behold, his entire back was wonky (from having to lie on his skinny back during that surgery), and something else―his jaw was all out of whack, too (which stands to reason since they had had to hold his mouth open in order to do the surgery on his gums). The chiropractor got him all straightened out and even used a new treatment called "cold laser therapy" on his back. Later that day, Rowdy took his first real bite of food! And each day since, he has eaten a little bit more. I'm not sure how this saga is going to continue to unfold, but I know for sure that no matter what the biopsy results say, his treatment is going to rely heavily on chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy, and nonrestrictive TLC.

Fido as Food

2008-07-08T22:52:53Z

"The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But *can they suffer*?" ―Jeremy Bentham

My very first act of animal activism took place in the Southeast Asian nation of Malaysia in the early '70s. I was an exchange student in my senior year. One day, I was out walking and I saw an old woman chasing a dog around her yard with a heavy stick attempting to beat the dog with it! I yelled, "Jangan pukul anjing!" which I believe meant (in Malay), "Don't beat the dog!" Then I opened the gate and let the dog run away! Today, I may have done things a little differently, but as a 16-year-old I didn't see any alternative. I don't remember too much else about dogs in Malaysia, except that my host family had two of them, Hondo and Hector. But just today, I read an article from a Malaysian newspaper discussing the rising consumption of dog meat in the country in somewhat glowing terms. Apparently, eating dog meat has not been very popular in the past, but it's beginning to catch on because foreign construction workers from Vietnam and Indonesia are taking the custom with them to Malaysia. The workers are poor, so they supplement their diet with stray puppy meat, in the absence of any law against it. The article goes on to interview someone with friends in the construction industry, who says, "To kill the dog, the worker whacks it at the muzzle which is said to be the weakest part of the animal." Lovely. And dog slaughter is even worse in South Korea, according to International Aid for Korean Animals. I'm sure that 100 percent of the readers of this blog are repulsed and even angered by this topic. What kind of selfish, insensitive person could kill and enjoy eating a puppy? Dogs are "man's best friend," for goodness' sake! And they exhibit so many noble and exemplary traits, such as loyalty, unconditional love, forgiveness, courage, and beauty. They deserve to live a full life free of pain and suffering―I think we can all agree on that. But what about all the other animals who get killed for food? Maybe we don't label them as companions or "pets," but that's so random―maybe we should! I know a woman with a chicken sanctuary, and every single one of her birds has a name and a personality. I know another woman who had a rescued companion cow named Chester for many years and dearly loved him. And once, a long time ago, I helped deliver three rescued pigs who had been starved nearly to death to a sanctuary where they would be able to live out the rest of their lives in peace and tranquility, and you'd better believe that those pigs had personalities plus! Around the age of 11 or 12, I realized that all animals have feelings and that I didn't want to be responsible for their deaths, so I stopped eating them. I was fortunate enough to have read some children's books that promoted vegetarianism (The Forgotten Door, Charlotte's Web) and to be acquainted with two Indian families who didn't eat meat, so I was exposed to the idea that meat isn't essential at an early age. But the biggest reason why I stopped eating animals was because I could see clearly how similar they all are―to each other and to us. Random animals I happen to see on TV or in movies or in the wild are always reminding me of my own dogs. The shape of their eyes, the curve of their forehead, the overall expression on their faces … if you pay attention, you will start to notice that all animals are like dogs. So we should treat them all in the same way that we think dogs should be treated. If we wouldn't eat a dog, we shouldn't eat any other animal either.

Please Don't Let This Happen to Your Dog!

2008-07-03T22:47:29Z

**The terrible neck wound of gentle Koukla (Greek for "doll")―another victim of the Invisible Fence**

For two days, John and his wife, who live in Maryland, were in the emergency room with their infant daughter while a dogsitter watched their dogs, gentle Koukla and playful Spunky. The dogsitter, not being very well acquainted with the dogs, didn't notice how drastically Koukla's behavior was changing, so it continued all weekend: The dog stopped eating and refused to go outside. If she was made to go outside, she would do her business and then scratch to come right back in. Instead of playing with her pal Spunky, she would just lie down, completely withdrawn. It was several days before anyone realized that her "invisible collar" was burning a ¼-inch hole into her neck. The accompanying photo shows exactly how much damage was done by this hideous torture device. She was wearing a "Texas" collar, made by Invisible Fence. As "invisible collars" go, this one has got to be the most horrendous. According to John, the prongs are extra long and they poke into the dog's sensitive flesh just behind the ears. Just imagine getting shocked there! And then imagine having that prong burrowing deeper and deeper into your flesh―and the pain as it was becoming infected. The technician who installed the fence told John to make sure that the collar was "extra tight." By the time the horror was discovered, the wound was giving off a putrid smell. Now, fully two weeks later, it's finally starting to heal. But Koukla has been traumatized, and it will be a long time before her psychological wounds heal. John and his wife love their dogs. They thought they were doing a great thing by getting an Invisible Fence―keeping their dogs safe and at home. The Invisible Fence people love for their customers to think that. If you go to their Web site, you will never see or hear the words "shock" or "pain" or "negative reinforcement" or "risks" or "danger" in connection with the collars. It's all sweetness and light―romping puppies and playful dogs who are all so carefree! The site talks about having "peace of mind," but just ask John how peaceful he and Koukla have been feeling lately. What a sham! The owner of the local Invisible Fence business that sold John his fence, upon hearing about Koukla's injury, said that he had seen this before. Clearly, this company has an ethics problem. As I've written in the past, even without the malfunctions and the irritation of having two prongs poking into their necks all the time, dogs subjected to Invisible Fences can be significantly harmed psychologically, becoming anxious or aggressive, not infrequently associating the electric shocks from the fence with random passersby, like children, or even other members of the household. Dogs who are left unattended inside an Invisible Fence are easy prey to thieves and other cruel people as well as free-roaming dogs. And many dogs are willing to take the jolt of electricity in order to chase a squirrel or a cat down the street, which can then leave them stranded outside their yards, unable to get back in. Dog training is like anything else―if you cut corners and try to take the easy way out, it either won't work or you're going to pay for it in some other way―usually via damage to your dog's well-being. It's not worth it. Either build a real fence, or don't get a dog in the first place. If I had my way, no one without a fenced-in yard would be allowed to have a dog, period. And by the way, if you're already using an Invisible Fence on your dogs and it seems to be working out OK, don't think you're immune to heartbreak such as this. Koukla didn't get injured on her first day with the fence. That Invisible Fence had been up for a couple of months before it started damaging her neck. But you'd better believe that John has disabled it forever now. If he never sees another Invisible Fence again, it will be too soon―and Koukla couldn't agree more!

Why I Hate Fireworks

2008-06-30T22:54:12Z

**Koro taking refuge from a storm under the kitchen sink—she developed thunderstorm anxiety in her twilight years.**

View tips for comforting your noise-phobic dog. As a pacifist, I'm not really into explosive sounds that remind me of gunfire or bombs going off, so fireworks don't do much for me. But this isn't about me. This is about our canine friends. This past Sunday, a nearby neighbor started setting off fireworks (in anticipation of Independence Day, I assume), and little foster Chihuahua Sophia got a stricken look on her face. She's not into loud noises, either, whether from fireworks or thunder. In fact, they terrify her. She was so scared that she followed me from room to room even while I was vacuuming, which is normally another sound that scares her. I understand that people want to engage in festive activities and that fireworks are exciting and thrilling, but really, they are just a form of entertainment―nothing more. Whereas to wild animals and to our canine friends, they sound like the end of the world. Dogs have been known to run away, breaking through screen doors and even glass windows in the process. Some dogs end up running into the road and getting hit by cars, or they just go missing forever. Animal shelters report an increase in the number of lost animal companions after fireworks events. I was very pleased to hear California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger discouraging Californians from buying fireworks. PETA sent him a letter praising him and suggesting that he go even further by promoting laser and light shows as a humane but equally impressive alternative to fireworks displays. Of course, his main concerns are public safety and the fire hazard of fireworks. But it would be lovely to see fireworks phased out of American culture altogether. I think the worst ones, from the point of view of dogs, are the ones that neighbors persist in setting off, because they're SO close by. There're only a few feet separating your dogs from that ear-splitting noise pollution. So it goes without saying that you should never, ever attempt to take a dog or any animal to a fireworks display―just the opposite: Try to shield them from the sound as best you can. A close cousin to fireworks anxiety is thunderstorm phobia, and many of the same safety principles apply: Make sure Fido is wearing a collar or is micro-chipped just in case he should somehow get out and run off, and never leave him outside. Let him go outside to do his business before the start of the fireworks or the storm, if possible, so that he won't have to go out during all the scary racket. There is a great deal that you can do to comfort your noise-phobic dog.

•Some veterinarians will prescribe heavy-duty medications, such as Valium, Xanax, Buspirone, or Anafranil, but there is a natural supplement (available at any health-food store) called "melatonin" that can be equally effective. Melatonin is a synthetically produced hormone used by humans with insomnia to help them sleep. But in dogs, it can really take the fright out of thunderstorms and calm them right down. The dosage is 6 mg for 100+-lb. dogs; 3 mg for 50-lb. dogs; 1.5 mg for 30-lb. dogs; and 0.5 mg for 10-lb. dogs. A very small percentage of dogs might have the opposite reaction (excitement) when given melatonin, so test it out when there is no sign of a thunderstorm in sight. Another option is the flower essence Rescue Remedy for dogs who have a mild case of anxiety (also available at the health-food store).

•Behaviorally, the most important thing that you can do for Fluffy is to avoid "enabling" her, i.e., don't validate Fluffy's fears. Contrary to the way we primates operate, if you comfort Fluffy in a sympathetic fashion when she's fearful, then she'll feel that she's right to be scared, and her fears will just get worse and worse with each new thunderstorm or fireworks event. Instead, you should go about your business normally and interact with her in an upbeat and confident manner so that she can see that there's nothing to be afraid of. You might even give her a new toy beforehand to distract her with. If you can get her to show the slightest sign of calmness, such as wagging her tail, instantly give her a luscious treat to reinforce that behavior.

A few years ago on the Fourth of July, right after I had adopted Sunny and Dexter, I could see that both of them had the potential to become freaked out by noises, so we spent that warm summer evening outside on the deck and I clapped my hands and exclaimed, "Yay!!!" every time we heard an explosion. I am not kidding you. I'm sure my neighbors thought I was insane, but it worked and neither of them has fireworks or thunderstorm phobia to this day.

•As for the dog's immediate environment, muffling the sound of the fireworks or thunder is very helpful. You can close all the windows and either turn on some white noise, such as a fan, or put on some canine-soothing music, such as the specially formulated music discussed in and produced by the authors of Through a Dog's Ear. With regard to the lightning often accompanying a thunderstorm, some dogs do well if you turn all the lights on to mask it, while other dogs prefer to have their eyes covered. There is even a product called the "Calm Night Pet Hood" that is purported to calm dogs down via sensory deprivation. And many dogs seek out small rooms with no windows to hide in.

•And how about this? In response to a question about thunderstorm anxiety, in his June 24, 2008, column, well-known veterinarian Michael Fox suggests, "Wrapping a dog quite tightly in a thin towel or small blanket can do miracles, giving anxious dogs a feeling of security. Cut an old cotton sheet and get your dog used to being wrapped around the torso like a mummy. This action can help many dogs cope with thunderstorms and fireworks."

•Dr. Nicholas Dodman, veterinarian and professor at Tufts University and author of the books Dogs Behaving Badly and The Dog Who Loved Too Much, has postulated that dogs are really freaked out by thunderstorms because of a buildup of static electricity in their coats that gives them periodic shocks. He says that this is why you will find that many dogs take shelter in bathrooms with tile floors during storms. He suggests several anti-static measures, including rubbing dogs down with anti-static laundry strips, making sure dogs stay on tile or linoleum, or just putting them in the car. All of these measures will keep the static electricity from building up and shocking them.

Sometimes you just have to try different approaches and combinations of approaches until you find out what works for your particular dog. I noticed that Sophia does much better if I turn the lights on (when a thunderstorm occurs in the middle of the night) and gets some comfort from soothing music and massage, but melatonin didn't seem to have the desired effect on her. Recently, I was thrilled to receive this message from a friend who has been battling thunderstorm anxiety in her dog for a long time:

[We] have made it through two nights of thunderstorms without a glitch! I can't freaking believe it, but I pieced together this part that worked a little and that part that worked a little, and we've gotten it down :-) I hate to jinx it, but those were the calmest two nights of storms in almost four years. And one of them shook the house. … As soon as [my dog] wakes me up, which is typically before I hear thunder (I can tell what's wrong by her state of panic), I praise her for waking me up (just as if she were waking me to go out or for an intruder), I turn on the overhead light to make it so bright in the bedroom that she can't see the lightning (and sleep with it on), I calmly tell her we're going to get her pill, she walks to the kitchen, I give her 1.5 mg of melatonin, I put her in bed with me (she typically refuses to sleep with me), I cuddle her close on one side and push a pillow up to her close on the other side, I cover her eyes with a dark T-shirt/towel and I pet/massage her and talk to her calmly until the melatonin kicks in. She'll peek out a couple of times, and I let her and just tell her it's OK. Then we both get to go back to sleep and she doesn't move until the storm is over! WOW! Amazing. I was seriously at a loss for giving her any comfort at all.

And some dogs are fine with thunderstorms and fireworks all their lives and don't have a single problem with them until they hit old age, when something changes along with their hearing. This is what happened to my sweet Koro. When she reached the age of 12, she suddenly developed geriatric thunderstorm anxiety and would hide underneath the kitchen sink when they approached. As mere mortals who want to shield our beloved dogs from terror, there's not a lot we can do to prevent acts of God, such as thunderstorms. Fireworks, on the other hand, are completely human creations and could be stopped tomorrow. What a wonderful thought!