Tips to Calm Your Dog
• Make sure your dog knows you are alpha of the pack. Dogs are most aggressive if they think they are in charge, and they should not be.
• Teach your dog the “leave it” command. When your dog starts looking at the cat as though it is going to go after it, tell your dog to “leave it” so that your dog leaves the cat alone.
• Don’t create confusion within the “pack.” If your cat is submissive and your dog is not, the dog should be fed first, because that is how the pecking order works in your dog’s caste system. The cat will likely not care either way.
• Pet both of your animals together, so that their scents get on each other. Animals that smell themselves on other animals are more likely to accept them as a pack member.
• Allow your dog considerable time to get used to the cats presence if it is a new cat in the family. The dog should be able to sniff the cat’s scent through a baby gate or some type of device that keeps the cat safe while still giving the dog plenty of opportunity to explore.
• Reward your dog for good behavior. Every time your dog acts nicely towards your cat, give it a treat. When your dog looks at your cat and does not show aggression, or sniffs towards the cat without growling, barking or showing teeth, give your dog a treat so that your dog associates the cat with good feelings.
• Do not give them an opportunity to fight with each other. Keep them separate in separate rooms, and if you are worried about your dog charging your cat, keep your dog on a leash so that you can keep it back. You do not want to accidentally encourage any negative behaviors.

Habituation is Key

The more your dog and cat are used to each other’s presence, the less likely they are to attack each other or show considerable signs of aggression. Try to keep them in each other’s presence as much as possible, but in a safe enough way that they do not have the opportunity to attack each other. Baby gates or keeping your dog on a leash is the best way to get them used to seeing each other, and the more contact they have with each other, the less likely they are to show aggression.

If you are getting a new cat or dog, be sure and plan for several days to as long a s a few weeks for the two to get used to each other’s presence. For your cat and dog to get along, you need to give them ample time to settle in with each other. Never simply throw the two in the same room (even if they both appear friendly) without going through all of the socialization techniques described above. Every precaution should be taken to reduce problems now as well as prevent problems later.

Yet many hospitals have reported numerous visits from dog owners whose pets have choked on such toys and treats as Greenies, Rawhide Bones, and any rubber chew toy. All of these have caused issues with choking and ingestion.

Why Do Dogs Choke?

Dogs have never been taught to chew their food more than a few chomps. With treats like Greenies, which are great for cleaning teeth and reducing bad breath, these dogs have a difficult time trying to chew through the treat. So rather than simply keep chewing it in small bits, they put the entire thing in their mouth and try to give it a few chomps before swallowing. One false move and the Greenie or rawhide bone will fall straight down their throat, causing choking to occur.

A similar thing occurs with chew toys. Plastic chew toys, in particular, are a great source of fun for your pet, but your pet is ripping into it with all its force. Aggressive chewers will easily rip off pieces and, not knowing any better, try to swallow these pieces that it has ripped free. Since plastic and rubber do not digest, your dog runs the risk of choking and/or getting very sick due to swallowing too much of these non-food items.

What to Do to Reduce Choking

There are not a lot of ways to train your dog out of choking. With food, you may be able to purchase small bite food or soft food. But with teeth cleaners like rawhide bones, smaller rawhide bones will not last as long and do not fix the problem. In addition, smaller toys are not going to be a good idea with larger dogs, and larger toys also do not necessarily solve the problem.
The only thing you can do is monitor your dog’s activity with these toys and treats. Only give them to your dog when you are there to help if something goes wrong, and take them away when not in use. If you are worried that your dog will not have a toy around while you are gone, find something like a large rope which is less likely to have large, choking sized pieces, and can withstand greater amounts of biting. Or find large Kong Toys which do a better job withstanding aggressive chewers.

This is not to say you should not give your dog Greenies and rawhide treats, or take away your dog’s favorite chew toy. Quite the contrary, they are still great choices for your pet. What it does mean, however, is that you should only give these to your pet when you are around to make sure they are okay. And since most dog owners would prefer to be there as their dog enjoys its favorite toy or dog treat anyway, this should not be a big problem.

As long as you are willing to monitor your pet as they chew on these items, it is far less likely that any serious injury will occur, and should something happen you will be there to help save your dog’s life.

But this time of year represents an interesting question – Is it okay to dress up your dog?

Reasons to Dress Up Your Dog

There are certain times that dressing up your dog may be beneficial. For example, there are sweaters and raincoats that can help keep your dog warm, especially if you are in cold conditions or your dog has a tendency to get cold easily. Much like you would dress your child in order to make sure they don’t get sick, so too can you dress up your dog.

However, in general, dressing up your dog in clothes is generally for your own enjoyment, since the dog does not have enough of a sense of self to feel embarrassed. Still, even then there are some reasons dressing up your dog is still beneficial:
• Time spent dressing up your dog is more time spent with your dog.
• Your dog will receive more response/affection from strangers.

Though neither of these are health related, they are no less important. Your dog may not understand why it is receiving extra attention but it no doubt enjoys that attention immensely.

Reasons Not to Dress Up Your Dog

Though dressing up your dog does have some interesting benefits, it is also not always the right plan of action. Your dog is not used to wearing clothes, and when you put an outfit on your dog, it may be experiencing extreme discomfort even if it is not letting its feelings on, and more often than not you will find that your dog tries with some difficulty to get the clothes off when you are not looking.

That discomfort can actually be a considerable problem – if your dog adjusts the way it walks or runs in order to account for its discomfort, it may injure its hip or hurt its back. Both of those scenarios, however, are fairly unlikely. Another issue may occur if your dog tries to take the clothes off itself. In rare cases, dogs can choke themselves on the fabrics as they try to pull the clothes off of their back. This is yet another reason that clothes can be risky for your dog, especially if you do not plan on watching them the entire time.

It is also not uncommon for dogs to have allergic reactions to the fabric or experience skin irritation from the friction caused by the clothes on their back. Again, neither of these are that common, but they are always a risk, and that risk is something that you will have to pay close attention to if you are planning on dressing up your pet.

Should You Dress Up Your Dog?

Overall, there is no real harm to wanting to dress your dog in fun little outfits or sweaters. However, do not assume your dog is enjoying the clothes, and make sure that you watch for any signs of extreme irritation. Your dog has fur and skin specifically for clothes to be unnecessary, and while you may enjoy your dog dressing up, it is unlikely that your dog thinks fondly of dressing up as a bumble bee.

Why Bond with a Puppy

Puppy bonding is not just about hoping your dog loves you. It is also about establishing yourself as alpha of the pack, so that your dog looks to you for behaviors and commands. The more your dog feels that it “needs” you, the more bonded it will be. If your puppy thinks that it is the pack leader, it will have less of a desire to strengthen its bond with you, as it will feel it is the one in charge.

That is why puppy bonding techniques are also a way to establish yourself as alpha in your household. Here are some fun and useful ways to strengthen the bond between yourself and your puppy.

1. Groom Them
All members of a pack groom others as a form of gentle affection. Grooming shows your puppy that you care for it, while also improving the comfort level of your new puppy. Teaching your dog to appreciate grooming early is also a benefit of grooming your puppy early and often.

2. Dog Training
As soon as your dog is healthy enough to be rewarded by treats, it is a good idea to try to train them using standard conditioning techniques (clicker training, leading, etc.). Training is a great way to make sure your dog stays obedient, and every time you give a treat you are both rewarding your pet for a job well done (improving its self esteem) as well as showing that you are in charge.

3. Introduce to Strangers – With Protection
As soon as your dog is used to (and appreciates) your presence, you can start socializing your puppy with strangers. This socialization is great for your dog’s future behavior towards strangers. However, it also improves your bond as long as you keep your puppy close to you and show your puppy that you are protecting it from harm. Your dog will look to you for security, and you will be right there to provide it.

4. Become Excited by Everyday Things
Dogs feed off of your energy. When you are feeding your pet or about to play a game with your pet, show your dog a great deal of excitement. Your dog will then also get very excited about the activity and extremely pleased that they shared the activity with you, improving your bond even more. It will also associate you with good things that make it happy.

5. Long, Long Walks
Taking your puppy for a walk is something you need to do anyway in order for your dog to grow up healthy. When you take your dog for regular long walks, it will also find itself enjoying your company and associating you with a good, long, physical day that calms its active mind.

Puppy Bonding is Fun and Important
All of the above techniques for bonding with your puppy are enjoyable, and likely activities that you would like to do anyway. But these activities are not just fun – they are also important for helping establish a bond between yourself and your puppy, and helping your puppy grow up to be a well behaved house member.

At the end of the day, though the dog committed the crime, the human owner is ultimately responsible. Breed bans may temporarily get rid of dog attacks, but sooner or later a new large and powerful breed will arise to take the pit bulls place. Ultimately we will only be left with tiny Yorkies and Chihuahuas. If we want to stop dog attacks then we must place the burden of responsibility on the owners, and have more control over who can own animals. After all, we don’t let felons have guns, why would we let dangerous persons have deadly dogs? We need to ensure each dog has a loving home where he will be brought up to think that people are good and the world is friendly. Only then will breed bans become a thing of the past.