Holistic Dogs Report

The nervous nature of cats was aptly acted by Scaredy Cat and the tough personality of dogs was personified by Brutus, the Air Force K-9 hero. These fiction characters epitomize the characters of the cat and the dog. Dogs are loved and dogs are also feared because these animals that project a tough and aggressive personality are utilized by the police to hunt criminals. This is why it is rather hard to believe that dogs get scared too. If your pet is one with a “scaredy cat” character, what would you do?

Many pet owners are exposed to the “scaredy” personality of the pet. An accelerated heart rate, shaking and salivating are manifestations of a scared dog. Although potty trained, a nervous dog can have accidents inside the house. Fireworks display, the sound of thunder and even the ringing of the telephone are ordinary sounds that will scare a fearful dog. Scared dogs will react differently to situations that are considered to be scary. Other dogs would be destructive. Scared dogs can jump out of windows and do other things that can endanger its life thus a pet owner should not ignore the nervous personality of the pet. For the well being of the pet, a dog owner has to find ways how the scared pet can be helped.

Dogs are intelligent animals and to some extent can understand what humans say. However, it would be beyond their ability to understand if the master explains that the situation or the things that frighten him are not dangerous at all.

Since talking and making explanations is not successful, a pet owner has to find other ways to overcome the dog’s fears. It would not be uncommon for a pet owner to run to the dog’s side every time the pet is scared. However, doing so would reinforce the fear of the pet. The dog must be helped to realize on its own that the situation is not really dangerous.

This can be done by changing the scary situation with something pleasant. An owner can keep the dog in a room where the sound of the thunderstorm or the firecrackers can be masked by the sound of the stereo. Get the dogs in a room with closed drapes and let the dog play with its favorite toy. A treat filled Kong toy will make the dog forget the scary situation as dogs are food and toy motivated.

Find out more about what to do when your dog is scared and first aid for dogs at Sarah’s Dogs.

A playing dog that suddenly keeled over and make pedaling motions with the legs dog would be a frightful sight. It would not be surprising a for a pet parent to panic upon seeing the seizing pet especially if it is the first time. No first aid can stop the seizure and a pet owner that would rush to the side of the pet can get hurt instead.

Being calm is the best thing an owner of a seizing dog can do. However, this can be quite difficult as the dog would appear to be in the throes of immense pain. It is therefore necessary for a dog owner to understand what causes the seizure and its effects to the dog.

Some conditions would trigger an abnormal activity of the brain and a dog unable to handle the abnormality will seize. This abnormal activity in the brain can be associated with a variety of diseases. Ingestion of toxic substances or an accident that causes the brain to swell are some of the conditions that would trigger a seizure. Seizures, also known as convulsion or fits can be single or repeated. In repeated seizure the dog would seize in clusters or in a single seizing episode, the dog would seize repeatedly. A single seizure would be over in seconds or in a few minutes and generally, the dog would not have another seizure for the whole day or even in 24 hours. A vet’s attention would be needed for both types of seizures. As single seizures only last for a few minutes, the pet would have fully recovered when seen by the vet.

As mentioned, the duration of a single seizure is very short thus the dog’s seizing episode is allowed to run its course. A first aid measure that will shorten the episode is not really necessary. Simply put, there is no first aid for single seizure but a dog owner can do a lot to help the seizing pet.

A seizing dog would not be aware of its surrounding thus it would be the responsibility of a dog owner to prevent the pet from being injured. It would be necessary to move the seizing dog from stairways. Objects that can be dislodged because of the dog’s trashing must be removed as well. A seizing dog actually does not feel anything even if they appear to be in the throes of pain thus the owner’s effort to hug or to pat the pet can result to injuries when the disoriented dog turns aggressive. Instead of hugging the dog, talk softly instead as the owner’s voice is known to have a calming effect for the pet .

Learn more about single seizure as well as first aid for dogs at Sarah’s Dogs.

Dogs are known to develop strong ties with their masters. The reaction of a dog when the master is seen would not fail to give credence to the idea that dogs are man’s best friends. A dog that is eager to see its human friend would not only exhibit a happily wagging tail but also manifest an aura of excitement and happiness.

Human-dog association has developed ever since dogs were domesticated. Dogs not only offer man friendship and protection but empathy as well as dogs are believed to be highly attuned to the emotions of humans. However, statistics tell us that almost five million dog attack incidents occur in US and most of the victims were attacked by their own dogs.

We love our dogs and the last recourse a dog owner would have for an aggressive dog is euthanasia. However between the safety of the family and keeping a ferocious dog, the family’s well being will win hands down. Dogs have been domesticated and have developed into wonderful pets but this is not to say that the prey drive as well as the ferocious and territorial nature inherited from its wolf ancestors were totally forgotten. The latent aggressive nature of the dog will surface once triggered by a situation in the environment especially if the dog was trained by the owners to fight and to be aggressive. What will your actions be if your very own gentle pet has suddenly turned aggressive and attack you?

A dog owner being attacked by the pet has to be calm as presence of mind can be the only way to avoid the injuries that can be inflicted by the dog. Dogs are pack animals and as such they would use aggression to dominate any pack member. The dog may have gone berserk but a well trained pet would still hesitate to attack if the command of the master is heard. An uncontrollable pet would still heed the master’s sit or stay command thus keeping calm and giving the command would mean getting away from the attacking dog unscathed.

You can never out run a dog and running will rouse the dog’s prey drive. Staring into the eyes of the dog would not be a good idea as it can be misconstrued by the dog as a sign of your willingness to fight. Dog attacks are scary but showing fear will just make the dog more determined to sink its teeth on your body. Curl into a ball to protect the face, the eyes and the throat.

What to do if your dog attacks you? More information on this and first aid for dogs can be found at Sarah’s Dogs.

Walking in circles is a normal behavior of dogs. Walking in circles is a canine habit that was handed down by the dog’s ancestors. Walking around in circles is done by primitive dogs specifically to make the sleeping area more comfortable. Unlike modern day pets that are provided with comfortable beds, dogs in the wild would sleep under the stars on hard ground covered with snow or leaves.

What the dog will do to make the nesting area a little more comfortable is to walk around in circles. Dogs have to protect themselves from dangerous insects and from predators. To ensure that no snakes, scorpions or other venomous insects are lurking in the sleeping area, a dogs will walk around in circles. Walking in circles is also done to make sure the chosen bedding area is safe and that they will not be attacked by predators while they are sleeping. Dog owners would know that when the pet inside the house walks around in circles they have to act – fast as it is a sign that the dog is about to defecate.

A dog trying to be cute to get the attention of the family will put on an act. A dog putting on an act to entertain the family may tilt its head or turn around in circles. Turning around is normal in dogs and even in cats. Dogs are noted to walk around in circles before lying down or before doing their business but if these are not the reasons for walking around in circles , a pet parent has to be concerned as it is highly probable that the dog has an underlying health concern.

The ears is one of the balance centers of the body and if the ears are damaged, the dog will lose coordination and balance and walk in circles. Dogs commonly lose sense of balance if the ears are damaged due to ear infection or ear mite infestation. Some pet antibiotics and over the counter ear washes may have a negative effects on the dog as these medications will make the pet walk in circles.

A dog’s tendency to walk in circles can be attributed to medical conditions such as vestibular diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus and canine distemper. The cerebellum in the brain controls the voluntary movements and balance. A tumor in the cerebellum can be the reason for the dog’s tendency to walk in circles as the growth will make the dog lose its sense of balance and coordination.

Why do dogs walk around in circles? Sarah’s Dogs have more answers to this common dog behaviour as well as information on dog first aid.

For thousands of years dogs have been the most valued loving and entertaining companions of man. Dogs are often considered as the “baby” in the family and anything the dog does would be well noticed and enjoyed by family members. The dog’s fun and loving nature is the reason why the pet is always taken around but a dog that can do tricks would make an owner show off the pet’s abilities. The dog’s ability to roll over, to pay dead, shake hands, to beg will certainly make a positive impression on people. A pet owner that has successfully trained the dog to do tricks would be the envy of other dog owners.

Training a dog to perform tricks would be a challenging task. Without a doubt, encouraging the dog to learn new things would be a daunting task. Dogs have varied characteristics. Some dog breeds noted for their intelligence would easily adapt to training. Don’t be discouraged if your pooch looks at you as if you are speaking some foreign language that cannot be understood by the pet. Teaching the dog to do tricks requires a lot of efforts as constant repetitions will be necessary to make the dog understand the commands thus the job is not for an indolent person.

Teaching the dog to do tricks is not too different from obedience training. Trick training, similar to obedience training would need the owner to be persistent and to have a lot of patience to undertake the many repetitions needed to make the dog learn the trick. Dogs are pack animals and it would be necessary to establish your position as the leader of the pack to gain the dog’s compliance and respect. Uncomplicated commands given in a clear voice be can be easily grasped by the dog.

One technique to make the dog easily understand what must be done is to reinforce the given command with hand gestures. In the shake hand trick, an extended hand will encourage the dog to extend its paws too. Use an authoritative voice to give a consistent command until the trick is learned.

Dogs naturally want to please its people. The dog will be encouraged to obey if it receives lavish attention from its master. Being food motivated, dogs will be encouraged to respond well with the training with treats. Apart from being energetic, dogs are curious animals as well. Teaching the dog to do tricks would be more effective if conducted in short sessions and done in an area with few distractions.

How do you teach a dog to do tricks? Sarah’s Dogs has more answers to this question as well as dog first aid.