Dog Training Method

This question came in via a viewer and we wanted to answer in publicly.

Sharon from Fairfax, Virginia writes, “I am at my witts end. My beagle Dusty is digging up our yard and nothing I have done to deter him has worked. Help!”

Sharon, I am sorry to hear about your trouble with Dusty (appropriate name for a digger, though).

Dogs dig for a number of reasons.

For some breeds it is essentially bred into the dog. Sometimes it is because they want to cool off when it is hot in the summer. Some dogs even do it as a form of nesting just for their comfort. Other dogs are doing it because they are going after some food or something they smell. Some dogs dig because they really enjoy it. Others dig when they have nothing better to do.

To try to discourage digging, if your dog is digging because it is hot you can take him inside or you can present some kind of cool spots for the dog to hang out in, something shaded, something with shelter. If your dog is digging out of boredom then you need to provide an alternative to the digging method; and if your dog is digging this is when the affirm command of “no” or “stop” is necessary. I prefer to keep those commands separate. Use one in every day situations. Use another when it is something crucial such as that horrible moment if your dog starts taking off towards the road when there is a car coming. You want to use a command that that dog knows cannot be disobeyed so your dog will stop dead in its tracks without being injured.

Hopefully there is a little bit of guidance there that will help with Dusty.

The AVMA Council on Education has stated that accredited Veterinary Colleges must now include dentistry as part of the curriculum.

Previously it was frequently only offered as an elective course.

According to the 2019 American Animal Hospital Association Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats: “The concept that a pet is suffering from oral pain, infection, and inflammation that may not be apparent but is affecting their quality of life is a reality that may not always be fully appreciated by the veterinary profession and often not understood by the pet owning public.”

Hopefully this change will lead to an improvement of veterinary dental care. Read the full story here: AVMA

 A recall covering popular pet food products has been expanded.

The FDA announced today that Sunshine Mills, Inc. is expanding its voluntary recall of certain pet food products made with corn that contained Aflatoxin at levels above FDA’s action levels.

Aflatoxin is a form of mold that has been linked to cancer.

This is an expansion of a previous recall issued on September 2, 2020, after an investigation conducted along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined that additional corn-based pet food products produced between April 3, 2020 and April 5, 2020 may contain corn from a single load of corn with elevated levels of aflatoxin.

It is often said that dogs and their owners come to resemble each other. In terms of how their personalities evolve, research suggests they may indeed follow similar paths.

A study has revealed how dog personalities change over time, with traits appearing to follow distinct trajectories. Similar patterns have previously been observed in people.

A dog’s interest in solving problems, for instance, appears to rise until they reach middle age — about six years old for a border collie, the breed that was studied. It then hits a plateau.

Their curiosity about novel objects and situations peaks at the age of three then starts to decline. How sociable they are — measured by their reaction to a friendly stranger — remains constant throughout their lives.

Dog owners might love their pet’s endearing puppy dog eyes and cute furry features, but it turns out the doggy brain is just as excited by the back of our heads as the front.

For despite having of owners, researchers have found that unlike humans, dogs do not have brain regions that respond specifically to faces.

“It’s amazing dogs do so well when it comes to reading emotions and identify from faces, despite the fact that they seem not to have a brain designed for having a focus on [them],” said Dr Attila Andics, co-author of the study from Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary.

When a dog licks your face, jumps into your lap, or barks like a banshee when you come through the front door, it simply means they’re crazy about you.

But did you know that your dog’s heartbeat actually soars when you tell them, “I love you?”

Well, according to a recent study conducted by the folks at Canine Cottages, that well may be the case.

After equipping a quartet of test pups with heart rate monitors, the dogs were guided through a series of scenarios over the course of seven days to see how they’d react to a variety of stimuli.

The tracking data revealed the four dogs averaged a resting heart rate of 67 beats per Minute.

Jennifer Aniston just got an adorable new furry friend. She recently rescued a dog.  The Friends actress proudly showcased her new pooch – named Lord Chesterfield – to her Instagram followers on Sunday morning. 

In the video, Jennifer can be seen creeping up to her new pet, when he takes a snooze with a bone in his mouth. ‘Chesterfield, have you fallen asleep with a bone in your mouth? I think you have,’ she whispered. 

Jennifer wrote in the caption: ‘Hi! I’d like to introduce to you the newest member of our 🐾 family….this is (a very tired) Lord Chesterfield ❤️. He stole my heart immediately.  ‘A HUGE thank you to @wagmorpets for the incredible work you do. Grateful you take such great care of these rescues and find them their forever homes.’ 

We wish best of luck to Jennifer for getting new cute pet.