Matching Your Dog's Energy to Your Own

When we decide to get a dog, most likely the last thing we look at is the dog's energy. We are distracted by big, brown eyes, floppy ears, curly tails and affectionate kisses. Who can blame us? I am no exception...why do you think I have The Daily Puppy on my blog? They are just too adorable.


Unfortunately, making a choice from the heart without consulting the brain is never a good idea, whether it be a new home, a new car, a new love or a new puppy.


My friend's daughter has been pushing him very hard lately for a puppy. We have had many discussions on the subject. Her first choice was a Jack Russell Terrier. No question that this is a lovely dog and could be a wonderful companion. However, the reality of the situation is that these dogs are like Energizer bunnies....they will go all day! I asked her if she was prepared to take the new dog for 3 or 4 long walks every day, and how she was going to do that with all of the extracurricular events she participated in every week. She did not seem to grasp the significance of these walks until I told her that if the dog did not get enough exercise, it was likely to chew her Barbies, or Beanie Babies or shoes....the look of horror on her face was priceless!


Her next choice was a Husky....see above paragraph! A working dog needs to work to exhaust its energy, and this is very difficult to do in an urban location with a busy schedule.


We have now progressed to considering, a) a French bulldog, b) a pug, or c) a beagle, all of which are much more suited to the energy and lifestyle of a 9 year old girl.


We are all guilty of making emotional decisions when it comes to dogs, but the reality of the situation is that you must be completely honest with yourself when it comes to choosing a canine companion. This dog may be with you for up to 14 years, and if you choose badly it will be the dog that suffers.


You must ask yourself how much energy you naturally have. Are you the kind of person that comes home from work and immediately goes out for a bike ride or run, or do you head straight for the sofa or front porch to unwind with a glass of wine or some tv? Do you work a 9 to 5 job, or are you at the office late every night?

A dog that does not get enough exercise to burn off his natural energy may exhibit anxiety, excessive barking, chewing furniture, getting into garbage, whining, spinning, pacing, etc., all of which end up with him being labelled a "bad dog"!


As we analyze our own natural energy levels, we must also look at the natural energy level of the breed. A terrier has more energy than a poodle, a german shepherd has more energy than a bulldog...it is all a matter of common sense.


Before you make a final choice, be sure to read about the breeds you are considering, talk to a breeder or other people who own this type of dog. Making an informed choice now will pave the way for a long and happy relationship with your new best friend.

Absence of Discipline

I am blessed to live in a beautiful community on the shores of Lake Ontario, where the kids are only outnumbered by the dogs. It is impossible to walk down the street without encountering several dogs.

One of the things that I have observed is that a large percentage of dog owners do not seem to consider discipline an essential part of their dog’s training.

When their dog lunges at other dogs or at people they smile fondly and say he is “just excited”. When their dog barks incessantly they shush her in vain, with no conviction whatsoever in their voice. When he pulls strenuously on the leash they yank him back repeatedly as if this is just part of the “walking my dog” experience, but never really establish control.

Why do dog owners teach their dog to pee outside the house, to sit, to beg, to stay and to come, then consider that their job is done?

I believe that part of the problem is that the average dog owner does not understand the difference between discipline and punishment. Dogs are like children, they need discipline and boundaries to grow up healthy and happy. For a child, discipline is learning to make your bed every morning, getting up and ready for school in a timely fashion, helping with chores around the house, learning to solve disagreements without resorting to hitting or name calling…the list is endless. The reward for learning to be disciplined is that your children grow up to be welcome in all matter of social situations, whether it be sleepovers at a friends house or dinner at a nice restaurant.

For a dog, discipline is learning what is acceptable behaviour in and out of the house….not to jump up on people or furniture, not to bark incessantly when someone comes to the door, no biting, no growling, no tugging your owners arm out of its joint on a walk!

When a dog is well disciplined, they are a pleasure to have around. Even your non-dog owner friends will welcome their presence.

I believe that as a society we let dogs get away with things we would never tolerate from our children. If you were standing in your foyer greeting a guest and your child kept jumping up and down and yelling “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” you would shut the behaviour down very quickly. Why then, do so many people ignore this same behaviour from their dog? If you are talking to friends and your dog is jumping up and down and barking incessantly, this is the canine equivalent of the “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy” behaviour and needs to be stopped firmly and calmly.

If you were entertaining friends in your living room and your children insisted on running wildly through your midst, you would send them outside or to the family room. Why do you tolerate your dog interrupting your conversation by running in circles, jumping up on you or your guests, barking or growling?

The excuses are varied and entertaining, but mostly it comes down to dog owners who failed to give their furry friends boundaries and discipline when they were puppies, and now find themselves unable to control their dog’s behaviour.


It is never too late to make a change. If you recognize yourself or your dog in this post, I suggest that you immediately check out the books and videos by Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer, visit his website at http://www.cesarmilaninc.com/, and watch his show on the National Geographic Channel.

It is really not that difficult to change your dog’s behaviour…it is changing your behaviour that will be the challenge!

Pet Insurance - Yes or No?

Okay on to a more serious subject.

The question of whether to purchase health insurance for your pet is a very personal one. The fact that companies will pay out thousands of dollars for your pet's illness illustrates the fact that the likelihood of your needing to use anywhere near the amount of coverage you have is very slim. Just like people insurance, if the companies weren't taking in more in premiums than they are paying out in coverage they wouldn't be in the business. So the chances are that you will never need to submit a claim. With all of the pets that I have had over the years, not one of them required special medical treatment. However, most of that is because they lived their entire lives illness free; one is because I chose not to take extraordinary measures when my cat got cancer. Also, all of my pets were "mutts". These days more and more people are opting for purebred animals, who are more susceptible to illness and injury.

The root of the issue is this. If you are the type of pet owner that will do anything to prolong the life of their pet, veterinary medicine now has an extensive list of tests and treatments they can offer up to you, each with a significant price tag. Would you want to take advantage of this, and could you afford to?

Two friends come to mind...one, faced with the imminent death of her beloved cat was determined to do everything she could to forestall the inevitable, and spent thousands of dollars to do so, all of which bought the cat another year of life. Worth it? To her at the time, yes..in hindsight she admitted she was not necessarily thinking of his needs first, and would not make the same decision now...again a very personal decision.

The second friend has spent multiple thousands of dollars over the past two years having the crucius ligaments repaired on her canine companion. This is a decision that I would have made as well. Other than the ligament problem, the dog was healthy and happy and after surgery can frolic pain free again.

Basically I believe it comes down to making an honest assessment of yourself and your finances. If your pet did require surgery or treatment tomorrow, could you afford to pay for it? If you were faced with a life threatening diagnosis, could you make the decision to euthanize, or would you spend whatever it takes to prolong a life?

If you are unsure of your ability to pay for the medical treatment your pet may require, and/or you know that you will take any and all measures necessary, then pet insurance may be a very good idea. If neither of these situations apply to you, then it's probably not necessary.

Money advisors often say that it makes more sense to put the money you would have spent on insurance premiums into a high interest savings account or mutual fund instead. This could work as well, but you must be honest with yourself. Do you have the discipline to make that contribution to the account every month and to leave it there, or will you be tempted to draw on it the next time the furnace breaks down or the car needs repairs? Also, you will have to set aside far more on a monthly basis than the average cost of an insurance premium in order to ensure you have sufficient money set aside for a medical emergency.

If you choose to contribute to an insurance policy, the money is out of your hands and cannot be drawn on, guaranteeing that the money is available when you need it.

Like I said at the beginning, a very personal choice and one that should be made when your pet is young, as insuring a senior pet can be very expensive, and preexisting conditions will not be covered.

Here is an overview of some of the top pet insurance companies.

http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/pet_health_insurance_companies

World's Oldest Dog Turns 26

A very lucky owner to have kept her best friend for so long....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6001090/Worlds-oldest-dog-turns-26.html

Your dog's health

So we all know that information found on the internet can never replace a visit to our doctor...but we all do our own research anyway, either before making the appointment or as a supplement to the information we receive on that finally scheduled visit.

It stands to reason that if we do it for ourselves, we'll do it for our pets also. Here is a website to check out if you're curious about your dog's symptoms or diagnosis.

http://www.petplace.com/dog-health.aspx

Just For Fun

Some days you just need to laugh.....Enjoy!

http://www.hilariouspetvideos.com/

Dog Friendly Restaurant!

So most of you are probably already aware of PawsWay (aka Williams Coffee Pub) 245 Queen's Quay West, but in case you haven't heard, here's the scoop. This restaurant actually allows you to have your dog at the table with you, not tied to a post outside.

There are indoor and outdoor seating areas, which are fenced off from the food preparation areas. Patrons order their food at the gate, then return to pick it up when they are paged that their order is ready. This ensures that the restaurant complies with all of the requirements of the public health department.

By the way, cats are also welcome....

Check it out and let us know what you think!