Smaller Vaccine Doses for Smaller Dogs?

Image: http://www.ahvmf.org/

Small dogs are more likely to have vaccine reactions than larger dogs. Is this because they're receiving the same dose as their much larger brethren? Should a Great Dane and a Chihuahua get the same size vaccine?

I've heard of people asking their vets for smaller doses of vaccines for their toy breed dogs. I asked our vet what she thought and she replied that all dogs should receive the same dose. I worry about Mr. N potentially having a reaction but I'm not yet sure about him receiving a smaller dose.

I already take preventative measures and try not to have Mr. N overvaccinated. He actually hasn't needed any core vaccines updated since we got him (he'll need rabies later this year). If he needs more than one vaccine, I'll have them staggered. I turn down non-core vaccines like bordetella and lepto and I'm considering getting him titered at some point (test that measures protective antibody levels for diseases). 

This is why I was glad to to hear about a group of concerned Maltese owners who got together and asked the AHVMA foundation (American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association) about studying the "efficacy of body-mass based vaccinations." Dr. Jean Dodds agreed to conduct a small study exploring this topic and the AHVMA is collecting donations (the pilot stage is estimated to cost $5500).

Should dogs receive vaccine doses that correspond to their size?

Wordless Wednesday #22 - Breaking Trail

We rarely get snow here so when we went to visit relatives last year, Mr. N experienced his first "real" snow. Tiny flakes that barely cover the ground and  melt in a day or two do not count as snow. 

Monday Mischief #21 - Human Barks at Dog

Onyxx's second (and my third) class went a lot better than the last one. The mastiff mix wants to be BFFs with Onyxx but Onyxx ignores him in favor of food. Only one of the kids was there and he stayed away from us. The instructor told him not to practice with Onyxx (we rotated) for the "off" portion of the class. Onyxx doesn't really jump on people so he practiced greeting strangers. Which is probably his weakest point. 

Everyone else raised their hands when asked if their dogs jumped or pulled. Then the instructor asked us, and I was like well nope he never pulls. I'm starting to wonder if the rest of the class thinks Onyxx is (mostly) magically trained. Because he isn't! 

After class, the instructor said Onyxx did extremely well and I must have put a lot of time into him. Yes, I spend a lot of time trying to cram some tricks and manners into his little Chihuahua brain. 

Mr. N wants to be good. And praised. And applauded. Onyxx wants to be fed. Mr. N won't work solely for praise all the time but he does like being told he's good. Onyxx has trouble performing without treats. I routinely have to "shove" Mr. N out of the way when practicing with Onyxx even if there's no food involved. 

I think I was spoiled having Mr. N to train first. 

The boyfriend says Mr. N is good indoors and is "bad" outdoors (due to his leash reactivity which is slowly getting better). And Onyxx is bad indoors (he's always sneaking off to the kitchen and trying to eat food) and good outdoors. Which is better? 

Also the boyfriend has discovered that if he barks, Onyxx will bark back. Oh joy. Mr. N is above such things. 

I've finished Onyxx's video. Anything I should change or fix?

BW Sunday #24 - Walk with Nature

FitDog Friday #19 - Exercising a Lazy Dog

I'm not sure if we've ever exhausted Mr. N yet. He may be tired at times but he's always ready to go, go, go. He's been to an hour-long agility class and then a four-mile hike and came home asking if we were going for a walk.

Onyxx on the other hand is the canine equivalent of a couch potato. He's perfectly happy to lounge about all day and sleep in between meals. He also has a mild case of a luxating patella (trick knee).

I took both of them to run around a school yard the other day (Onyxx on a 30-feet leash). Onyxx trotted for maybe about fifteen, twenty minutes and then he just walked around sniffing things. He then came home and crashed. Mr. N played fetch for a little bit and ran circles around the rest of us (including my friend's ten-year-old daughter) for about an hour. He was lively as ever when we got home.

I'm a proponent of daily walks for dogs but Onyxx is making me wonder. He really hates walks when it rains or is wet. Well we live in Oregon so that's a good deal of the time (although we are having a really mild winter for us). When it rains, he lags five feet behind me and gives me this look of long suffering.

I also feel like he doesn't enjoy walks as much as Mr. N does. Onyxx never pulls. I think he just doesn't get excited about anything outdoors and doesn't feel a need to. It's not like he was trained (except for housebreaking) in any way before we started fostering him.

He gets walked several times a week for about thirty minutes. And we usually play tug every day, do trick training and he gets puzzle toys to eat out of. He is also taking a weekly obedience class right now.

And he's a little underweight right now so I don't have to worry about his weight. And his behavior really isn't affected if he skips a day or two of walks due to rain.

So do I make him exercise more? Or if the dog is content and in good health, should I call it good?

Onyxx's Tricks Video Version 1.0

I'm working on a tricks video for Onyxx to post on Petfinder to boost his adoptability. I still need to add some clips of him playing dead and jumping through a hoop. Thoughts? Or suggestions for other easy tricks to add? 

Wordless Wednesday #21 - New Loot

Mr. N's Nylon collar was getting dingy so when we were at the Rose City Classic with She Speaks Bark, I splurged on a leather Paco collar. We did get a discount as a "show special." They are expensive but hand-made in the USA with a lifetime guarantee. And free repairs I believe.

I did debate whether or not a long-haired dog needs a nice collar because it's difficult to see on him but I decided that I'd rather get him a nice collar than have to buy him new Nylon collars every year or so. He wears the same collar the majority of the time. 

I liked the flashier collars (with rhinestones!) but you can't really see them through his hair and everyone always thinks Mr. N is a girl as it is. So we got the collar with the little pyramids. Embellished but not showy and you can see bits and pieces through his hair. 

The boyfriend is not a fan. He thinks it looks like a necklace.  

Mr. N's new collar

What it looks like through his hair

The giveaway from DOOG (and hosted by Paws and Pedals) arrived earlier this month from Australia. So I made Mr. N sit in the box and pose for a photo. I've been keeping the water bottle in the car so we have water on hand for post-adventures and the "Uncle Chuck" stick is going to go to Mr. N's best friend (a Giant Schnauzer).

We won the DOOG giveaway from Paws and Pedals

Monday Mischief #20 - My Dog is Better-Behaved than your Kids

So Foster Pup Onyxx is taking a basic obedience class. He already knows how to do almost everything that the class teaches but I figured it would be good for him to work around distractions (other dogs and people who have treats) and the training would be good for his adoptability. One distraction I didn't anticipate, however, were kids. There's never been any in any of the classes I've taken with Mr. N so I guess I didn't really consider the possibility (So I didn't manage to take any photos. I'll try next class).

At the first class (the one without dogs), there were these two kids (somewhere in the 7-9 range, I think) who were being total nuisances during the entire class. They took up at least a quarter of the class time asking the most inane questions. They played in the kennels. They ran around the training room. They swung from the gate. One of them kicked me accidentally because he was fidgeting so much. Their father didn't say anything to any of this.

Now Onyxx is a little fearful around kids due to past history. I told the instructor so during that class. She said it would be good socialization for him. Well it's good socialization if the encounters are positive. Which I didn't think these would be. 

One woman told me after class that she was going to call the next day to complain to the instructor that the kids were disruptive and taking up too much of the class time. I didn't get a chance to ask her if she did or not but it was clear that I was not the only one who was frustrated with their behavior. 

Fast forward to the second class. I was already stressed out because I was feeling a little ill but I decided to go to class anyway. The kids zeroed in on Onyxx (small + fluffy factor). They followed me around, giving Onyxx commands and telling me that I was giving him too many treats. And trying to pet him while I was training with him before class. We retreated to a corner and I told the kids that he was shy but they followed us and continued.

They were doing the same to another dog and the dog's owner told them that in order for their dog to listen, they (the owners) had to be the ones training and giving commands. 

During the off-leash socialization time in the class, the instructor told me I could put Onyxx in one of the kennels. Onyxx is five pounds and the smallest dog in the class. There is a mastiff mix in the class that is close to a hundred pounds. There is no way I was going to let him play with strange dogs much bigger than him. (Note: I'm not opposed to the idea of big and small dogs playing together while supervised. Mr. N's best friend is 70-something pounds but I know that dog and his temperament). Even accidentally, they could hurt him. 

Onyxx was not fond of the kennel idea and was vocally expressing his displeasure. I was trying to quiet him down when the kids came over again and made comments about how Onyxx really doesn't like being in the kennel and I should take him out of "jail" repeatedly. I was a little worried that they were going to let him out. Their hands were perilously close to the latch.

So I told them that Onyxx was not their dog and that they should leave him alone. The kids' father came over and told me that I should not to be rude to his kids and to take it up with him if I had issues. To which I replied that they were being rude to my dog. He huffed and went over and told his kids that they should stay away from me. Mission accomplished.

I probably could have been more polite but I was just utterly fed up with these kids. There were many more things I could have said like: Well if you taught your kids how to behave, then other people wouldn't have to tell them how to behave. 

And it's not just the kids. Their dog peed on a coat and tried to attack another dog. I will be the first to admit that my dogs are not always perfectly well-behaved. But I try. And if they are disruptive, well then they lose privileges or have to leave. 

Towards the end of the class, one of the kids asked the instructor if by the end of the six weeks, all the dogs were going to be as well-trained as Onyxx. We were quietly practicing tricks in a corner (Onyxx's current tricks: sit, down, come, stay, jump over, wave, shake, high five, roll over, play dead and spin) while the instructor explained NILF (Nothing in Life is Free) to give Onyxx something constructive to do instead of barking. He gets really excited around food and starts barking in anticipation. Or demand barking. I'm not quite sure which. Aside from that though, he was doing everything perfectly and some bonus tricks to boot. 

The instructor replied that it depended on how much they practiced. Yes, it does. And rewarding good behavior and teaching him what is not acceptable behavior and that there are consequences for bad behavior. Which are universal lessons for kids and dogs! 

What do you think? Do kids belong in training classes?

BW Sunday #23 - Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

FitDog Friday #18 - Training Treats for Small Dogs (and those on a diet)

According to SlimDoggy's calorie calculator, Onyxx needs roughly 170 calories/day. That's barely anything when you think about it.

When you go to training classes, they tell you to bring lots and lots of various high value treats. No kibble! Don't feed them before you come to class. 

With small dogs, you have additional challenges beyond finding something your dog loves to eat beyond all measure. There's only so many calories your small dog can/should eat in a day. You can't skip feeding them entirely either because of the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or other adverse effects. Mr. N will throw up bile if his stomach is empty for too long. 

On class days, the dogs get breakfast and a snack around noon but no dinner. So I have to find something low calorie but high value because they will get dozens of treats during one class.

Zuke's cut up into fourths

Oh and it also has to be something they can eat quickly (no hard treats), and won't crumble (other dogs get distracted by the crumbs), and not messy. Preferably smelly. It's a wonder I find anything at all. 

So what did I end up taking? Inside my treat bag, I had Zuke's mini naturals treats painstakingly cut up into fourths (Zuke's was just sold to Nestlé Purina so if they change the ingredients/formula, I may stop feeding them to the dogs/ EDIT: I was just reminded that Nestlé Purina owns the Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brands that made so many dogs sick. We're not buying Zuke's anymore), a few Whole Life Pet beef liver treats (smelly, easy to break up but a little crumbly), one of the lamb lungs from Merrick's (for super high value, a little hard to tear up into small pieces), a Bocce's biscuit (for when I need him occupied for a minute), Clear Conscience Chicken Sliders (easy to tear and high value but left my fingers a little oily) and kibble. I normally wouldn't include kibble but Onyxx loves all food and I give them to him interspersed with higher value treats.

Treat bag contents

Onyxx ate a fraction of what I took. I figured it was better to overpack than run out of treats. Not everything was low calorie but he got mainly Zuke's, kibble and the sliders with a few other things mixed in here and there. 

I also like Real Meat treats because they're easy to tear. Dog food rolls like Redbarn's cut up into small pieces are also an easy treat option. They're supposed to be a complete and balanced meal. I've heard of people soaking kibble in broth to make them more high value but when I tried it, they were too soggy for my taste so I didn't bring them.  Canned food/yogurt/baby food in a squeezable tube has worked for us in the past as has slicing up dehydrated chicken breast or beef heart or liver into tiny pieces.

Training treats at home can be lower value (like part of their meals or fruit/vegetables if your dog will eat them, Mr. N won't) but for class, a lot of dogs need more motivation to ignore the many distractions.

This one guy brought just a bag of banana chips to class. Which seems like a weird choice for dog training treats. I'm wondering if he forgot to bring treats and just grabbed something out of the car? His dog apparently wasn't working well for them and the instructor told him to bring something more high value next time. So I offered the guy some chicken treats and beef liver when I got a chance which he happily took. 

I can just imagine Mr. N's reaction if I tried to train him with dried fruit. He would just look at me with utter disdain and be like, I am not a monkey. Now hand over the meat! Onyxx would probably work for them for a while (until he saw something better) but he'll eat just about anything. 

What do you use for training treats? Especially for those of you who have dogs on diets or small dogs? 

*The products listed above were either purchased or won in a giveaway except for the Merrick's which we received from Chewy.com to review. A longer review will be forthcoming. 

We're working on Onyxx's food guarding issues by "trading up"

Wordless Wednesday #20 - Topsy Turvy

Monday Mischief #19 - There is No Cure for Curiosity

Mr. N has always been extremely inquisitive which never fails to entertain me and worry me. He thinks every open door is an invitation to come in which can be problematic at times and I tell him, "no, we're not going into the pot clinic!" 

After a wellness checkup a week or two ago, I promised Mr. N an outing by ourselves to compensate him for whatever pain and suffering the vet put him through. And he took full advantage of the opportunity and investigated every nook and cranny.

A lot of the dogs in the park were intently playing fetch by the water. Mr. N saw a dog running and wanted to play chase and then the other dog snapped at him and deliberately knocked him over because she thought he wanted her ball. Mr. N luckily was fine but we gave the other dogs a wide berth after that. I'll spare you the rant on people who bring dogs who guard their toys and their toys to a place where there are plenty of other dogs. 

We found some secluded areas and I asked Mr. N to climb a log which he did and then surprised me with how well he balanced on it. He's always been an agile wee beastie though. 

He decided he had to climb these steps and go on the stair rail(?). He really likes climbing up on tall things and peering down. 

And peering down at water. I warned him the first time he went on the dock and peered down that if he fell into the water, I wasn't coming after him! I'd send one of the swimming dogs to grab him from the water by his fleece. 

He said hello to some of the fisherman who found it hilarious how intently he inspected everything. They were a little worried about him getting into their bait but I told him to leave it and he did. Now if it were Onyxx, that bait would be long gone.

And then he thought about sneaking onto a boat but decided a sailor's life wasn't for him. He was a little naughty at the end and barked at some men who were all carrying large parcels and it was lunchtime so we headed home after that.

For the Onyxx fans:

I have no photographic evidence but this is a true story. I was brushing Mr. N and I set aside a little clump of hair to throw away after I was done. Some time later, I look over at Onyxx and he's licking his lips and making funny mouth motions. I pried his mouth open and what do I find but Mr. N's hair! 

BW Sunday #22 - Bedfellows

Pet Blogger Challenge 2014

I'm participating in the Pet Blogger Challenge for the first time, hosted by Go Pet Friendlyand Will My Dog Hate Me?

1. How long have you been blogging? Please tell us why you started blogging, and, for anyone stopping by for the first time, give us a quick description of what your blog is about.

I started blogging in August. I think I was wearing the boyfriend out with various dog stories and I needed to find a more welcoming audience!

I blog about Mr. N and his various adventures. I'd also like for this blog to be a platform to show that small dogs are capable of doing almost everything (there are certain heigh limitations...). Mr. N hikes, competes in dog sport(s), fetches and does tricks. 

2. Name one thing about your blog, or one blogging goal that you accomplished during 2013, that made you most proud.
Probably starting the blog! I debated over it for months before finally starting it in August. It took me way longer than it should have to come up with a name and I changed it once in the process. 

3. When you look at the post you wrote for last year’s Pet Blogger Challenge, or just think back over the past year, what about blogging has changed the most for you?
I haven't blogged for a full year yet so I'll pass on this one. 

4. What lessons have you learned this year – from other blogs, or through your own experience – that could help us all with our own sites?
The interwebs can always use more kawaii. My most popular post has been the one of Mr. N posing in the middle of a bunch of stuffed animals. 

If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one challenge you’re having with your blog, what would it be?
What do they like about my blog? What topics would they like to hear about? What changes do they think I should make?

5. What have you found to be the best ways to bring more traffic to your blog, other than by writing great content?
I join a lot of blog hops. I've discovered a lot of new blogs to me that way and some bloggers have found me that way.

6. How much time to do you spend publicizing your blog, and do you think you should spend more or less in the coming year?
Not much. I'll post things on Facebook ocassionally. I need to be more diligent about social media. 

7. How do you gauge whether or not what you’re writing is appealing to your audience? 
Usually comments. Although my picture posts seem to get the most comments so...

How do you know when it’s time to let go of a feature or theme that you’ve been writing about for a while?
I haven't been writing long enough to have regular features and/or themes unless you count blog hops. 

8. When you’re visiting other blogs, what inspires you to comment on a post rather than just reading and moving on?
Topics that I find interesting or that I relate to. Great photography.

9. Do you do product reviews and/or giveaways? 
No, but I plan to this year. 

If so, what do you find works best, and what doesn’t work at all?

If not, is this something you’d like to do more of? What hurdle is getting in your way?
It takes more time and effort to write those posts sometimes. Also Mr. N is kind of particular about toys and food which doesn't help. 

10. When writer’s block strikes and you’re feeling dog-tired, how do you recharge?
A walk with the dog(s) helps clear the cobwebs from my head. I also believe in long baths with a page-turner, high quality dark chocolate and baking.  

11. Have you ever taken a break from your blog? How did that go? 
No, aside from a few days around the holidays. 

Have you ever thought about quitting your blog altogether? What makes you stay? 
Not yet!

12. What goals do you have for your blog in 2014?
Hosting a blog hop (which I did last week).
I'd like to organize a blogger meetup. Cascadian Nomads and I were discussing holding one for Pacific Northwestern bloggers.
Attending a conference. It may not happen in 2014 but maybe 2015.
Possibly a blog redesign.
Better photography. Our camera still needs to go to the shop...

I'm teaching Mr. N how to "hug" on command

Wordless Wednesday #19 - Looking Down

Daily Dog Training Schedule

The easiest way to fit in training every day for us is to pair it with everyday activities. Setting aside time specifically is nice and I try to but sometimes it just gets lost in everyday living.
   
The dogs are expected to sit/lie down and wait nicely for their meals. They're not allowed to eat until they get a verbal confirmation. Mr. N is very good at this and will wait patiently even if I leave the room. Foster Pup Onyxx? If I don't watch him, he will scarf everything down the moment he senses the opportunity.

The dogs are fed several small meals a day (due to Mr. N's sensitive stomach). For their "snacks," they usually have to perform. If I'm in a rush, they get away with a trick each. But usually it's a combination of tricks. I try to vary the order so the dogs don't anticipate what's coming. Onyxx always thinks "play dead" comes right after "down" and he'll flop over as soon as he lies down.

So it might look something like this for Mr. N: sit, shake, dance, back up, spin, spin the other way, down, roll over, touch (high), beg. It takes about two minutes and reinforces their trick knowledge.

Onyxx's isn't quite as long both because we're still working on his impulse control and he doesn't know as many tricks but he is adding to his repertoire. In the past two weeks, he's learned how to spin, jump through a hoop, and wave.

I'll put one of the dogs in a stay and run through several tricks with the other dog. Both dogs find this difficult. Onyxx will start demand barking and Mr. N comes over and starts running through his tricks. It's good for their impulse control though.

Also I'll use odd bits of time here and there to work on training. I'll unload the dishwasher and tell them to stay for however long it takes me. I'll ask for a couple of tricks during commercial breaks. If we're waiting in line, we'll do a couple of the more stationary tricks (shake, watch me, touch etc).

I got word today that a local dog daycare will let Onyxx take their basic training class for free (which is nice of them). He knows almost everything they're teaching in the class but I figure working in a high distraction environment will be good for him plus I need to work with him on curbing his demand barking. We'll see if he's the star or the dunce of the class!

Thank you for joining Cascadian Nomads, Dachshund Nola & Tenacious Little Terrier for the premiere of our first Monday Positive Pet Training Blog Hop. Each month, bloggers and readers share and learn about positive pet training techniques, tools, frustrations and triumphs. Please join us next month, Monday, February 3rd, to celebrate Responsible Pet Owners Month. We encourage posts about how training and maintaining socialization makes you and your pet better members of society. Please share tips for life long pet socialization, important cues in a well behaved pet, taking the CGC test, how well behaved pets are more accepted places, etc. However, any posts about positive based training with any pets are welcome in our blog hop this and every month.

BW Sunday #21 - Mannequin

Pet Blogger’s Gift Exchange – 2013

Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes and AJ from I Still Want More Puppies, are co-hosting a "gift" exchange idea where bloggers share the gift of "encouragement and blog love." We were partnered with Dogs N Pawz for this year's Pet Blogger's Gift Exchange.

I first encountered Dogs N Pawz when I was looking for ways to promote foster pup Onyxx. Lisa runs a weekly adoption blog hop, "Tuesday's Tails." She started the hop in April in hopes of helping find shelter animals find their forever homes and her hop posts are dedicated to her dog (grand-dog?), Princess Phe who she lost earlier this year.

So I've decided to pick some of my favorite Phe stories from Lisa's blog. To Phe, a dog who could always be counted on for some Monday Mischief! 

1. We all have those why on earth would you do that moments with our dogs (or most of us do anyway). Mine was when Onyxx chewed up our baseboard and then ate the baseboard filler. What did Phe get into? A fly trap. 
2. And then she destroyed the laptop charger. 
3. Plus ate these darling cookies. 
   
4. After seeing what Phe did to this couch, I don't really know if I can complain about Onyxx anymore.
   
5.  Lisa's poignant memorial post in honor of Phe.