Canine Vaccine “Requirements” in 2011

By Pack Leader | Published: March 9, 2011

A recent article entitled Bordatella Vaccination for Dogs: Fraud and Fallacy, by Patricia Jordan, DVM, and widely distributed across the Net, brought up the why/when/which vaccine questions on a list for canine professionals.  It never ceases to amaze me how reluctant a sizable portion of the veterinary clinicians are to adopt 3 year vaccine schedules for core vaccines, at the very least.  What follows is my response to that thread.

To my knowledge, most academic and other reputable veterinary medical authorities today follow the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) 2003 study that recommended the following:

“Make sure that your dog completes the initial series of core vaccines administered at the puppy stage, as well as booster shots at one year of age. Following these one-year boosters, the AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines recommend that the distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus core vaccines be administered once every three years.”

Here’s a link to the article:  http://tinyurl.com/49fsac6

It went on to say:  “There is a history of yearly vaccination boosters, and some veterinarians do not feel it is prudent to change that recommendation just yet. However, the AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines reflect that there is growing support for extended duration of protection. Thus more veterinarians are vaccinating less frequently and more selectively.”

Of equal importance to the 3 year booster recommendations, this same study recommended AGAINST the following vaccines, EVER:

Giardia. Reason: no test is available for the disease; vaccine has not been proven to prevent infection, only reduces shedding.

Canine adenovirus-1. Studies found that the vaccine can cause visual impairment in dogs.

Coronavirus. “We’re not recommending it because the disease isn’t significant. The vaccine is safe, there just isn’t a disease to go with it.”

In the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA), the following was published in 2004:  “(The 2003 study) wasn’t the first time that veterinarians saw “every three years” in vaccination guidelines. In 1998 and again in 2000, the American Association of Feline Practitioners published a report recommending vaccinating adult cats against panleukopenia virus, feline herpesvirus-1, and feline calicivirus, every three years, rather than annually.”

Even more interesting to me, this same article says “Many veterinarians have responded to the three-year guidelines with resistance. ‘It was truly a bitter pill, and we did not take this well… At issue here is that the bitterness of the pill prevails. Despite growing acceptance of the guidelines, there is still considerable resistance.

“Veterinarians are resistant because, when one examines the services that veterinarians provide in the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom, vaccination is at the top of the list for both cats and dogs. Our paradigm has been challenged, and it is gradually shifting as we look at alternative ways to select and use vaccines…”

Here’s a link to this article:  http://tinyurl.com/4mejuwr

Again, that was published in 2004. We’ve had 6 years of day-to-day experience that continues to support these recommendations. Experience is not equivalent to “challenge studies,” however.  Vaccine manufacturers (Bayer, Pfizer, et al), aren’t required to perform them for animals, and it isn’t in their financial interest to perform expensive tests that could negatively impact their bottom line.  Quite simply, if a study demonstrated that these “3 year” vaccines were good for the life of a dog (like most human vaccines are), they would sell a lot less of them, and so would veterinarians, their largest customer base.

The lack of data regarding the duration of protection for canine vaccines means manufacturer recommendations are based on a LACK of science.  They recommend a year because they have no proof it lasts longer.  They have no proof how long it lasts because they do not perform the tests necessary to establish a scientific basis for same.  The 1 year recommendations reflect the period the manufacturer will guarantee duration, and nothing more.  Overwhelming anecdotal evidence in 2011 suggests that dogs do not become ill when you eliminate annual booster vaccines, they get LESS ill.

Dr. Jean Dodds is a leading authority on the subject of vaccinosis in dogs. Her website is a good place to start: http://tinyurl.com/6hr36qv

Dr. Dodds’ vaccine protocols are here:  http://tinyurl.com/38c7sa

An article by Dr. Dodds about the diseases unnecessary vaccines can cause in dogs can be found here:  http://tinyurl.com/4r4yhwv

I have trouble seeing this as a matter of “opinion,” but rather ethics.  Vets and vet chains valuing their bottom line over the long-term health risks of unnecessary medicine. No doubt those same vets would be happy to “cure” the many ills unnecessary vaccinations cause.  For a fee.

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A dog is a DOG

By Pack Leader | Published: October 20, 2010

Dog wisdom courtesy of Patrick Burns @ http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com:

A dog is a DOG.

Canis lupus familiaris.

It is NOT a “fur baby.”

It does not speak English. It speaks DOG.

You cannot warn a dog about consequences, or explain to them why you are taking away their allowance.

A dog does not have morality, does not believe in heaven, and does not fear hell or what his grandparents will say when they find out.

If you punish a dog in the afternoon for what it did in the morning, it has no impact at all.

Not so with a child.

Know how to read dog and know how to speak dog — it will save you a lot of time.

A dog eats on the floor and it eats dog food. As a rule, this is discouraged with children.

A dog needs a collar and a tag and it needs it to be walked on a lead for 30 minutes twice a day at the very least. Do this with a child and child protective service may be called.

A dog should sleep in a crate at night. Do this with a child and child protective services WILL be called.

Do not give your dog the remote control to your TV and expect it to change channels. It will eat the remote, and you will have a very expensive veterinary bill.

Do not give your dog a computer. It will not turn it on, but it will eat your couch because it got very bored because you did not understand that dog’s basic needs are NOT the same as a child’s (or a fish or an elephant or a parrot).

Do not give your dog a book. It will only eat it.

Do not expect your dog to crap inside the bowl. If you do, it will crap on the rug.

Do not send your dog to a public school; they will not train your dog for you. Instead, they will turn your dog over to the pound where it will be put down, if unclaimed, within 3-5 days.

For more on dogs and dysfunction, see >>

http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2006/12/comedy-of-dog-shows.html

People who raise perfectly acceptable children may have dogs that are completely out of control.

Job One with a dog is to accept the dog AS A DOG.

A dog has different mental, exercise, social, and communication needs than a human.

It is NOT a child any more than it is a horse, or an elephant, or a squirrel or a fish.

A dog has a limited brain and the smartest dog does not think much better than a brain-damaged 4 year old. Accept this. A dog is not a child.

Dogs see colors differently than humans, and get most of their communication from scent. A dog is not a child.

Dogs are 100% fluent speakers of DOG but they generally only know 5 or 6 words of your language. A dog is not a child.

Dogs are social pack predators and meat-loving carnivores. They consider it normal to roll in shit and eat it too. They greet each other by sniffing butt, and they drink from the toilet if they have no other access to water because they do not have opposable thumbs to turn on a tap. Many dogs have strong prey drives and some will kill your neighbor’s cat as quick as you can say “Bob’s your uncle”

In short, a dog is not a child.

It is a dog.

Acceptance of this is the First Step to having a proper relationship with your dog.

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Love Means Never Having to Say “I Didn’t Know.”

By Pack Leader | Published: October 17, 2010

A friend posted the following video on twitter this morning that I found so profoundly disturbing I decided to blog about it.  Writing the headline proved so challenging, it became the story.

I’m so incredibly flabbergasted by this video, it’s hard to know where to start.  In order to share it here, I needed a title, so I set out to accomplish that, and was deluged by an avalanche of possibilities:

1)  How NOT to pet a dog.

2)  Great way to get your face bit off.

3)  How human behavior leads to the execution of innocent dogs.

4)  Delusion and the art of misreading dog body language.

5)  Comments on a YouTube video that could save your life.

6)  When Rotties “purr” they typically close their eyes, their bodies go soft, and they tend to lean as much of their weight as possible against the nearest human.  They don’t stare at you intently, freeze, or turn their head away from the “affection.”

7)  STRESSED/ANGRY dogs do the opposite of #6.

8 ) When a dog gives you the “whale eye” (look it up) while growling, it’s a good time to stop what you’re doing and FREEZE.

9) The evening news will report that a “Rottweiler snapped and turned on the woman who adopted him 4 months prior for no reason.”

10)  Ignorance can be deadly.

If you’d like to see what a happy, “purring” Rottweiler looks like:

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When July 4th Stopped Being Fun

By Pack Leader | Published: June 25, 2010

The City of Santa Monica will have its annual fireworks extravaganza this weekend.  A few years ago they moved it from the ocean front to Santa Monica College’s Cosair Field, which happens to be about 3 blocks from my house.  The awe-inspiring colors dazzle and dance just above the treetops on my street, giving me a 50 yard line seat right on my front porch.  In addition to the breath-taking show, my house shakes and rattles as though a bomb were exploding in close proximity.  Add in Goldie, my 7 lb Silkie-mix who has a strong aversion to loud noises, and an otherwise happy celebration quickly becomes a nightmare.

How do you help a dog with a noise phobia at this time of the year?  Mostly with a lot of advance planning.  If you can avoid the explosions, do so.  The dogs and I literally evacuate about an hour before the fireworks show begins and don’t come back until it’s over.  That’s not practical for the entire week before and after the holiday, however, when the neighborhood kids randomly set them off (despite laws to the contrary). For this period I recommend the following:

Exercise -  If you take the time to drain your dog’s energy fully before an anxiety-producing event, they’ll be calmer during it.  Keep your dog’s fitness level, age, and the ambient outside temperature in mind, and don’t suddenly run 5 miles if your pup normally only strolls around the block.  Walking, playing fetch, swimming, or hiking an additional 15 – 30 minutes at a moderate pace can make a huge difference in the amount of energy your dog will have to devote to being nervous.

Bring your dog inside – Seems obvious, but July 4th is a very busy time for animal shelters because so many dogs and cats panic and run away from the noise.  Dogs have been known to dig out of yards, jump fences, and break down fences and gates.  Even if you’ve “never had a problem before,” don’t wait for a worst case scenario to happen before you protect your four legged family members from being put in harms way.

Keep doors and windows closed -  This is the 1st line of defense against unwanted sound intrusion.  Also moving to an interior room (or the back of the house), away from exterior walls and windows will help muffle the noise.

Use “white noise” to diffuse what you can’t avoid – This can range from running fans  and/or an air conditioner, to increasing the volume of the TV or radio, to playing CDs specifically designed to calm anxious canines, such as “Through a Dog’s Ear.”  Avoid playing anything so loud that it makes your dog more nervous.  If it’s uncomfortable for you, it’s probably uncomfortable for them, to.

Crate time can be calm time – If your dog is crate trained, consider having them spend peak fireworks time in their “den” with a raw meaty bone, stuffed Kong (stuff with wet food, raw meat, or peanut butter and freeze to make it last), or Bully Stick.

Wrap to relax – Like a baby wrapped in a swaddling blanket or Temple Grandin’s Squeeze Machine, maintained pressure and acupressure can help to relieve anxiety and fear in dogs.  Two of the most popular products on the market that achieve this are the  Thundershirt and the Anxiety Wrap.  Both cover the upper portion of the dog’s torso with a steady, even pressure, but leave the belly exposed so they don’t increase the dog’s body temperature unnecessarily.

Desensitization through exposure – Ideally this should be accomplished during the socialization process, when your dog is just a puppy, and you’re teaching them to be calm in the face of unexpected noises.  Unfortunately, most people don’t think about fireworks (or thunder) at that stage, and end up having to desensitize an adult dog, instead.  Either way, the process is similar (though desensitizing an adult dog takes much longer and is much harder on your dog):  You play a CD with the sound of fireworks in the background while engaging your dog in another activity, such as practicing obedience commands (not teaching new ones), playing tug or fetch, playing with a dog puzzle or treat dispensing toy, etc.  Over time you gradually increase the sound level of the fireworks and reward your dog for remaining calm despite the noise.  This will take at least a few weeks to positively affect an adult dog who has already demonstrated a fear of loud noises.

Relaxation through alternative remedies – There are many canine-specific herbal remedies on the market, including Dog Appeasing Phermone (DAP), Rescue Remedy, and Doggie Calm spray. These products have tremendous results with SOME dogs.  Other dogs will not benefit from any of them.  The only way to know what works for your dog is to try them.  You should do so a minimum of several days, and preferably a week or two, in advance of the time you are hoping to benefit.   Some people report that DAP took weeks of daily use before they saw results.  None of them will harm your dogs if you follow the instructions.

Melatonin is a hormone supplement commonly used as a sleep-aid for humans, it has also shown promising results in reducing or eliminating noise-related reactions in dogs.  You can find a great deal of information about the potential side-effects, recommended doses, etc., on the web.  It is always a good idea to check with your vet before administering any supplement, especially if your dog is taking other medications or has other health challenges.

While the 4th of July will never again be the carefree holiday it was before I had dogs, with a little advanced planning, we manage to get though it without any long-term side effects.  I wish you and your canine companions a safe and peaceful Independence Day.

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Tail Tales

By Pack Leader | Published: June 15, 2010

I often hear people say they know their growling / lunging / snarling dog really wants to be “friends” with other dogs or people because they’re wagging their tail at the same time.  This is a huge misconception about dog body language, and no doubt has led to more than a few dog bites when people decided to ignore the other signs in favor of a wagging tail.

The fact that a dog’s tail is wagging means almost nothing in and of itself.  In order to understand the motivation behind the wag, you must consider the position of the tail , as well as the speed and direction of the movement.  A tail held high above the body moving in a quick, narrow, back-and-forth movement signals a dog on alert, and possibly contemplating an aggressive display.  A tail held straight out from the spine, or even slightly below the body, moving in wide semi-circles is almost certainly the sign of a happy, relaxed dog.  A recent study published in the Journal Laterality noted that subject dogs were less hesitant to approach robot dogs who were wagging their tails to the left side of their bodies than they were when the robot wagged its tail to the right side.

Clearly there’s a lot of communication taking place on the tail-end of a dog, so breeds with docked tails, and Bulldog breeds with tightly coiled tails, are at a social disadvantage when meeting new dogs.  I’ve worked with a number of Jack Russel Terriers (docked tails) and French and English Bulldogs (coiled tails) who, by the age of 12 months, have developed a rather in-your-face attitude when approaching new dogs that can quickly lead to an aggressive display.  I don’t think most of the dogs I’ve met who fall into either category were necessarily “dog aggressive,” but experience has told them that many dogs are not going to be immediately receptive to their approach, so the tail-challenged dogs learn to assert their “authority” early on.  With patient instruction I’ve seen remarkable improvement in this new dog “dance,” and many are able to socialize freely once they’ve gotten to know other dogs non-confrontationally.

The next time you look at a dog’s tail as an indicator of what’s going on in the dog’s mind remember to consider the same indicators another dog does when deciding if you should proceed with a greeting or give a dog some space.

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Drama on a Leash

By Pack Leader | Published: February 9, 2009

I am blessed to be able to walk my dogs in a park that runs along the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Unobstructed views of the Pacific, ocean breezes, and a friendly, neighborly atmosphere make this one of the many reasons I love living in Santa Monica.

On a recent 75 degree February afternoon, an otherwise tranquil sunset stroll was abruptly interrupted when an out-of-control Dalmatian mix nearly tackled my dog and I. I hadn’t noticed the liver spotted, 60lb bulldozer until the point of impact because his human was a full 10 feet behind, barely holding on to the end of a retractable leash. When I suggested that the dog walking next to me wasn’t fond of unknown dogs jumping on her back, this person’s response was “he’s a puppy. He’ll learn.” No “sorry my dog jumped on you and assaulted your dog,” no “are you alright?,” and no attempt to control her dog until she was 10 feet past us, with her dog straining at the end of the leash.

Unfortunately, this isn’t my 1st encounter with a human failing to take responsibility for their dog’s behavior while attached to a retractable leash. Far from it. Whenever I venture into public places that permit canines these days, I see dogs leading their people into all sorts of uninvited encounters. Not surprisingly, many of these situations end badly, with one or more dogs being pulled violently away from an ensuing skirmish, or worse. Regardless of whether or not anyone gets hurt, from that point forward the propensity exists for one or both dogs (or their handlers) to create future problems, due to this negative experience.

Of course there were encounters with unruly dogs before the widespread use of retractable leashes, but it was different. First of all, humans were rarely more than 5 feet from their dogs, so it seemed they were more aware of what they were doing, and thus responded more quickly. I also think being in close proximity increased human accountability. It’s much easier to look the other way or avoid eye contact when you’re 10 feet ahead of, or behind your dog. Walk in any park in Los Angeles long enough and you’ll see little brown piles of plausible deniability being deposited right in front of you.

Retractable leashes in and of themselves are obviously not the problem, but rather enable humans to make bad choices where dog behavior is concerned. I believe most people choose to be responsible dog guardians, when they know how to be. Standard, 6 foot (non-retractable) leashes are much better at communicating that message, in my experience, and should be required in any public setting where dogs are likely to encounter other people or dogs.

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To Crate or Not to Crate: That is the Question

By Pack Leader | Published: January 19, 2009

I can’t think of any behavior modification tool that causes my clients more consternation than the “crate.” It seems the human brain frequently equates any small, confined space with a box or a jail cell, both understandably uncomfortable images to subject your best friend to.

What most people fail to realize is that crates can actually offer a significant therapeutic benefit to anxious or frightened dogs, because in an urban setting, they’re the closest thing to a “den” we can offer them.

Dogs are den animals. They feel safest when they can press the back of their neck, their spine, and their hindquarters against something solid, preferably under a low ceiling. Instinct tells them they cannot be attacked unexpectedly in that environment, and thus are able to experience deeper relaxation and sleep than is otherwise possible. That’s why many dogs will hide under a bed, in a closet, or behind a couch during thunderstorms or fireworks, or whenever they feel overwhelmed. I use the analogy that this is similar to how the average human feels in their car, versus how we might feel in a movie theater or gymnasium. In a nutshell, close, confined spaces make dogs feel more secure and less vulnerable.

Regardless, many guardians feel “guilty” for crating their dogs, or tell me there’s “no way” their pooch would tolerate a crate. If I can convince them to give it a try, and they introduce it in a canine-conscious way (dogs should NEVER be locked in a crate without a gradual introduction), most people inevitably discover their dog VOLUNTEERS to spend time in their crate, even when they’re home!

During a recent consultation, I recommended unrestricted crate access for an anxious, 5 year-old Staffordshire terrier mix named Daisy, as a way of lessening her overall anxiety. Her human’s immediate, incredulous reaction: “You want me to CRATE MY DOG?” While I explained the reasoning behind my suggestion, the husband pulled out the wire crate they’d used for house training, several years earlier. At my recommendation, he tossed a blanket inside, draped a large towel over the top (to make the open wire feel more den-like), and walked away. Daisy immediately sniffed the front, walked in, and plopped down! That was all the explanation necessary to convince her people to give this a try.

I recently learned they’ve since gotten her a plastic “airline” crate (far more den-like than wire crates) and an appropriately-sized bolster bed for Daisy to snuggle up against. For the last 2 weeks, their increasingly calmer girl has slept in her crate at night (her choice), and they’ve seen no evidence of her visiting the adjacent couch. Daisy’s never been permitted on the furniture, but several times a week for several years they’ve either found her asleep there, when they woke up in the morning, or saw evidence of her having been on the couch while home alone. This battle of wills wasted a lot of time and energy, and led her people to believe she was stubborn and intentionally misbehaving. In reality, all Daisy ever wanted was the security she’d been experiencing when pressed into a corner of the sofa. Now that she has access to her very own soft, secure space, she’s happy to sleep there, instead.

In my opinion, the benefit dogs experience from access to a crate greatly outweighs any negative association people might have with the concept. The type of crate used, where you place it, the type of bed you put inside, and how you go about introducing your dog to the crate can make a huge difference in how your dog reacts to the experience, so do your research or consult a professional for the best way to go about this. Equally important is how YOU feel about your dog being in the crate. If you’re anxious, nervous, or feel guilty every time you place your dog inside, that unstable, weak energy can influence your dog, and create a negative association with something that could be their sanctuary.

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Open Door Policies for Your Pooch: The Art of Spatial Displacement

By Pack Leader | Published: October 29, 2008

One way to determine where individual dogs see their place in a pack’s hierarchy is to observe how they move around the house and yard, in relation to other pack members. Lower-ranking dogs show deference by allowing higher-ranking pack members to pass through doorways or tight spaces first. Often, they’ll also vacate a favorite bed or spot on the sofa when a leader approaches, with little or no effort on the leader’s part. This is formally known as “spatial displacement.”

By contrast, many dogs excitedly rush past their people, bumping into them (or worse!) without a care, in their quest to be first out the door or down the stairs. Not only is this an indication that the dog considers themselves a higher-ranking member in their pack, it can be downright dangerous for small children and adults with balance issues. When dogs barrel through exterior doors or gates unsupervised and unleashed, a scary situation can quickly become life threatening in the face of street traffic.

Enforcing spatial displacement addresses the above and teaches a dog to respect personal boundaries and defer to human leadership. Because it’s a native behavior, dogs quickly understand your intention and will follow your lead, provided you’re consistent and calm. There are many ways to communicate leadership through spatial displacement, including:

1) Ask your dog to follow you through all doorways and tight spaces.
If your dog rushes ahead of you, call them back. Once they’re behind you, block the opening with your body for 10 – 20 seconds with your back to the dog, then walk away. No command or verbal reward is necessary, and will likely only distract your dog from the task at hand. My dogs prevent lower-ranking pack members from going through doorways on a daily basis. I’ve never heard one of them say “wait” or “good boy” to the other dogs at the end of the lesson, yet they manage to get their point across quite effectively.

2) Teach your dog to follow you up or down stairways.
Respect for personal space is never more important than on the stairs. Dogs can present a real danger to any person walking on an incline. Their lower center of gravity and additional pair of legs greatly reduce the likelihood of a fall, so they have no sense of the danger posed to taller, two-legged creatures. In order to explain that you want your dog to follow you up and down stairs, indoors or out, use a leash and calmly practice taking one step at a time. Only give your dog enough leash to comfortably walk directly behind you, and use your legs to block their forward progress, as necessary. Whenever your dog challenges you, stop and wait for 5 – 10 seconds before moving forward. As with any training, consistency is key, so the more you ask your dog to follow you on the stairs, the more automatic it becomes.

3) Require your dog to move out of your way.
Common courtesy dictates that when we encounter another being in our path, we should go around, rather than asking them to move. Not so in the canine kingdom. When a pack leader meets a pack member in their path, the leader moves forward regardless, even if that means colliding with the other dog. An actual collision is rare, however, because the lower-ranking pack member will most likely get out of the leader’s way, rather than risk a confrontation. So when human beings go out of their way to avoid disturbing a dog, rather than insist the dog move, in canine terms, the human is declaring their status as a lower-ranking pack member.

When you’re moving around your house and your dog is in your way, shuffle your feet on the ground, look straight ahead (don’t make eye contact with your dog), and keep moving. Your dog will likely move out of your way with little or no fuss. If you bump into them, keep moving forward in this way until they move, or you get where you’re going. Do this consistently over a period of a few weeks, and soon your pooch will be moving out of your way well before you have to ask. Then you’ll have a clear indication that your status in your pack is on the rise!

4) Own all exits.
I make a point of practicing ownership of the door whenever I walk my dogs, and again when I have visitors or deliveries. I continue to practice this behavior forever, because I consider it a matter of life-and-death for my canine companions.

When a human pack leader “owns” a door or gate, dogs don’t cross the threshold without an invitation. Learning to master this behavior is as simple as getting between your dog and an open door, commanding their attention by facing them (your back to the door) while making eye contact, and blocking any forward progress. Anyone who’s tried this and not had success knows it can be much easier said than done. That’s because it’s primarily about the energy the person is projecting, rather than a command or gesture. It will be far easier if you already have a relationship based in leadership, but the act of “owning” can also teach your dog to respect your leadership, if they don’t already.

If your dog manages to get out at any time, you would be well advised to avoid “punishing” them when you catch up to them. When dogs are punished after being caught in such a scenario, they associate the punishment with a person’s arrival, not with the act of leaving. Dogs live in the moment, so it’s very difficult for them to connect a behavior that occurred even a few minutes earlier with an angry outburst from their person. This is one reason dogs will continue to run when being chased by people who have punished them for getting out in the pas: they fear the person’s arrival. It’s far more effective to teach a dog what you WANT rather than focusing on what you don’t want.

If you’re challenged with a canine that won’t wait at the door, a private consultation is an excellent way to understand this exercise and master your technique. In one or two sessions, I can show you exactly how to get your dog to learn to respect your authority, and listen to your instruction.

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Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks

By Pack Leader | Published: August 6, 2008

At least once a week someone asks me if it’s “too late” to change their dog’s behavior. Most recently, that included a year-old Poodle with house training issues, and a 3 year-old Lab who pulled relentlessly on-leash. Neither dog had ever been taught what their humans actually WANTED them to do, yet these people assumed their canine companions were “too old” to change.

I suspect this the result of a literal interpretation of the old adage “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Some people seem to believe it means once a dog’s more than a few months old, it’s incapable of learning. In my professional experience, there’s simply no limit to a healthy dog’s ability to embrace new behaviors. An 8 year-old bulldog mix named Gizmo proved this to me once-and-for-all.

Gizmo came into my life after she was found tied to an electrical meter with a 20 pound boat chain, behind a former crack house in Venice. Within minutes of being discovered she made it abundantly clear that she wanted nothing to do with anyone who might consider trying to remove her. Even before the property officially changed hands, the new owners asked me to come by and assess the situation. They wanted to do all they could to keep the frightened dog from becoming an Animal Control euthanasia statistic.

The first time I met her, she charged to the end of her 6 foot tether, hurling herself off the ground, snarling and snapping, mere inches from my leg. A few minutes later I watched a well-meaning realtor push a bowl of food into her reach with a garden rake. Rather than dig into her breakfast, Gizmo attacked the tool, swinging the metal tines wildly from side-to-side, while blood poured from her injured mouth. Even in the presence of a free meal, this obviously starving dog showed no signs of having any positive association with the presence of people. She did everything she could to keep us as far away as possible.

Despite her lack of social graces, Gizmo’s situation couldn’t help but touch the hearts of every dog person who met her. I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t try my best to help her, so I immediately set about bonding with her through the universal language of French fries. Twice a day I sat just outside the reach of her chain with my back to her, and tossed potato wedges near where she was laying. Initially, she watched me from the safety of her “den” under an abandoned VW, but wouldn’t come out until I left. By day 3 she retrieved her reward while I sat there, but ran for cover before consuming them, one-by-one. Around day 5 she began inhaling them as fell on the ground, so I tossed them closer and closer to me, and she followed. On day 8 a miracle occurred – Gizmo gingerly took the first fry from my fingers.

Within days she would lay on the ground near me a few minutes at a time, so I could rub her spotted belly. Shortly after that I was able to remove the painfully heavy chain and relocate Gizmo to a dog run in my backyard, where the work began to teach her what life is like for a cherished pet.

By the end of our first month together, Gizmo trusted me enough to follow me into the great indoors. Initially, she adamantly refused to place more than her front paws on the other side of the threshold, retreating to the safety of the yard as soon as possible. Regardless, we kept at it. A trail of fries eventually persuaded her to risk a tour of my bungalow.

It wasn’t long before one of these indoor explorations ended with Gizmo relieving herself on the kitchen floor, so we devoted a week to understanding where it was and wasn’t appropriate to “make.” Within days this, too, started to sink in. I continued to keep her on-leash indoors for a couple of weeks, but never again had to remind Gizmo not to soil the house. Like everything else, once she got it, she GOT it, and was only too happy to oblige.

Many firsts soon followed for Gizmo, including her first vet visit, first bath, and first swim in the ocean. Along the way we mastered leash walking and basic commands, and the old gal became a permanent member of my pack. Watching her embrace each new milestone was a life changing experience for me, and convinced me that old dogs actually enjoy learning, they just do it at their own pace. They might be a little slower than a young puppy to embrace new behaviors, but keep in mind that on top of metabolizing new information, they have to overcome previous life experiences that quite possibly carry negative associations. Most importantly, older dogs have to learn to trust you, and communicate with you, something they may have never done with previous guardians.

Bonding with Gizmo was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Over the course of a few months she went from the lonely, fearful existence of a crack house “guard dog,” to a loving, happy, obedient companion. When she smiled her mile-wide bulldog smile, or curled up for a nap under my desk while I worked, I could see and feel how much she appreciated her new life. It regularly brought tears to my eyes.

The vast majority of dogs awaiting adoption in shelters and rescues have never experienced the trauma and neglect that Gizmo did. Transitioning them into your home will be far less dramatic or complex, but no less rewarding. No matter how old your new canine companion is, there are a few simple steps that will help them to better understand the house rules, and help you to bond with them in a healthy, balanced way.

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Killing Dogs With Kindness

By Pack Leader | Published: July 6, 2008

I met Johnnie at age 8, shortly after he’d been re-homed. His new family called me because he’d been “a little nippy” with their granddaughter and 2 members of their house staff in the span of 4 weeks. His new family wasn’t terribly concerned about his behavior, and were quick to assume they were at fault. They told me they hadn’t had a dog in many years, and Johnnie’s previous home said he never had any behavior problems in the 6 years they’d had him, so the new home felt they must be doing something “wrong.”

As with most of my behavior consultations, all wasn’t as it appeared to be in the initial phone call. When I met Johnnie, I found a dog that was quick to use his mouth to control his world, and one that had almost zero tolerance for frustration. If he didn’t get his way by growling and snapping, this adorable, 20 pound terrier mix became a lunging, snarling, out-of-control bundle of aggression. I was immediately concerned about Johnnie being in a home where young children visited frequently, but his newly adoptive family believed they could “handle” his outbursts while we worked together. That was until he bit a family member whose only “fault” was being too close to the dog during a gardener-induced meltdown, a little over a week after we began working together.

Shortly after this incident, I contacted Johnnie’s previous guardians, in an attempt to better assess his behavior history. They expressed shock at learning he’d bitten someone, and reiterated that Johnnie had been a loving, happy dog, who had never shown any aggression in 6 years.

After 15 years of behavior modification work I’ve come to know one thing for sure: many people are in a state of denial about their dog’s behavior. People routinely excuse, ignore, and conveniently forget about repeated displays of aggression, even when faced with evidence to the contrary. For some people, this appears preferable to admitting they aren’t in control of their canine companion, and need professional guidance. As a result, taking what people report at face value would make my job all but impossible, so I put on my reporter’s hat in these situations, and question everything I’m told.

This is how it came to light that Johnnie had been aggressive in the presence of the gardeners every week for the past 6 years, but his previous family simply removed him from the situation, and left it at that. Similarly, he “didn’t like it” whenever he was told to leave the closet he frequently hid in, or told to get off of furniture, or just about anything else Johnnie didn’t want to do. When asked what they did to address these situations, I was informed they told him “no.” Nothing changed, the aggression didn’t stop, but the family felt there was nothing more they needed to do because they loved Johnnie, and when he wasn’t snarling or snapping he was an affectionate dog. In their minds, it seemed, using any form of discipline would be cruel because he wasn’t aggressive 100% of the time.

Had they been able to live with Johnnie until the end of his natural life, the choice to excuse his aggression would largely have been a private matter. Unfortunately for Johnnie, and many dogs just like him, that didn’t happen. When his family of 6 years moved to an apartment that didn’t allow dogs, Johnnie was homeless, confused, and no longer living with people who were willing or able to endure his dangerous behavior. Of course no one was able to explain this to Johnnie in a language he understood, so he went on behaving the way he always had, and ultimately injured 4 people in the course of a few weeks, and thus lost his new home, too.

When no home or rescue organization could be located to take on the prospect of rehabilitating Johnnie, the decision was made to euthanize him. As heartbreaking as this outcome is to contemplate, the real tragedy occurred when 2 year old Johnnie began displaying the behaviors that ultimately cost him his life, and no one chose to teach him how to behave differently. The earlier the undesired behaviors are confronted, the easier they are to change, in dogs and in people.

On the other hand, excusing dangerous behavior in dogs in the name of “love” always costs the dogs more, in the long run, as Johnnie’s tragic life demonstrates. Refusing to recognize or address behavior issues when the dog is young isn’t a sign of affection, it’s a recipe for future disaster. Even if you’re able to provide a lifelong home for an aggressive dog, can you imagine what it must feel like to live life so full of rage or fear that you’re compelled to violently lash out at any being or situation that’s out of your control? That’s the life Johnnie led, and while I’m sure his people had the best intentions, their decisions ultimately cost the dog they professed to love his life.

All dogs need training, and unbalanced dogs need consistent, compassionate pack leaders who will show them how to be calm, happy pack members. Take the time to teach your dog rules, boundaries, and limitations, as Cesar Millan puts it. You and your dog will be glad you did.

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