You searched for cancer - The Online Dog Trainer

Why Is My Dog Yelping: Here’s What You Need to Know

John Louwe — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 15:00:46 +0000

If you've ever asked “Why is my dog yelping for no reason?” this blog will answer that and offer quick solutions for this puzzling dog behavior.

Dogs don't always say what they're feeling, so it's understandable why we want to know the reason why dogs yelp.

Each sound our dog makes is crucial; it can signify hunger, distress, and pain.

So it's no surprise our dogs' sudden yelping sounds can make us spring into protective, worrying mode.

Yes, a yelping dog can be a dog in pain. But a dog letting out a high-pitched, petrifying sound isn't always a pained dog… and it's an essential truth owners should understand.

If this behavior constantly worries you and makes you wonder what's wrong with your dog, this blog will help you get better understanding.

Let's start.

Key Takeaways

A yelping dog requires immediate investigation to determine the underlying cause, with pain being the top priority. If the yelp is sudden and accompanied by physical symptoms like limping or reacting even when barely touched, a veterinary attention is crucial to address potential health problems that could impact your dog's life.
Yelping is a complex communication tool in a dog's life. Beyond pain, the underlying reason could be behavioral, such as seeking attention, expressing fear, or strategically signaling surrender during a confrontation with another dog to say, “You win.”
Understanding the context behind the yelp is essential. By acting as a calm observer, you can differentiate between a cry of pain and a form of communication, allowing you to respond appropriately and effectively manage your dog's well-being and social interactions.

Table of Contents

[webinar_cta text=”JOIN OUR CLASS THAT'LL HELP YOU ADDRESS DOG YELPING FOR GOOD!”]

Why A Dog Yelps: What You Need to Know

“Why is my dog yelping?” It's a sound that can go right through you, can't it? Makes you stop in your tracks. Let's get to the bottom of it, because understanding why is the first step.

First off, we always need to check for genuine pain. If that yelp is sudden, sharp, and maybe your dog is now limping, won't let you touch a certain spot, or doesn't want to move, then something is likely hurting them. That's not a training issue; that's a clear signal to get them to the veterinarian immediately for a proper check-up. Don't delay on that one.

Now, if you've ruled out pain, we can look at the other reasons. A yelp can simply be normal behavior or a dog's way of saying, “Whoa, you gave me a fright!” or “I'm a bit scared right now!” It's all about context. What was happening right at that moment?

And then, of course, there's the clever dog who's learned that a little yelp gets a big result! This is especially common with puppies. They learn very quickly that when they make that sound, you come running. It's not them being naughty; they've just figured out what works to get your attention.

So, the key is to be a calm detective. Observe the situation. Is it pain, fear, or a smart pup looking for some attention? Once you understand the cause, you can respond in the right way.

The Other Reason Why Dogs Yelp: For Dogs, It's All About Leadership

Here's a truth I truly embrace: dogs are all about the hierarchy. Knowing who leads and who follows is business #1.

When dogs meet, they first sort out leadership because dogs are BIG on leadership.

(Thus, the reason for the creation of my popular course, The Dog Calming Code , which you can learn more about below.)

If you can observe two dogs that just met at the park, there's a high chance you'll catch them growling and seemingly testing the other.

Eventually, they will engage in a brawl, a classic way of challenging one another.

After a few minutes of commotion, everything gets back to normal. The two dogs fighting earlier will start to interact without any aggression.

When two dogs stop fighting or challenging each other, they have already settled who the leader is and who the follower is.

[webinar_cta text=”THIS FREE CLASS IS FOR DOG OWNERS WHO WANT TO SOLVE DOG FIGHTING FAST!”]

Why Do Dogs Yelp During an Intense Interaction With Other Dogs

Where does yelping come in?

Somewhere during the brawl, one of the dogs might let out a sharp cry. (Think: loud, human shriek). It's a sound that can make any dog owner spring to their feet.

But here's what I want dog owners to know: a yelp isn't always an indication of pain.

Of course, keep an eye on the dog fight and intervene when physical harm is involved.

However, I encourage you to also assess the situation BEFORE immediately getting between two dogs.

Because yelping can also mean two things:

a.) It's a sound of conceding.

b.) it's a shock factor to tell other dogs, “Stop chasing me. You win.”

THE DOG CALMING CODE STOPS BAD BEHAVIORS BEFORE THEY TURN WORSE

Why Dogs Yelp Reason #1: Yelping is a Sound of Conceding

Dogs understand the value of leadership more than they show.

Because of this reason, a dog will not back down until they've established themselves as the leader.

However, the screaming will start when a dog sees they're at a disadvantage.

The scream that they let out isn't always a scream of sudden pain.

When another dog pins them down, their scream can mean, “Okay, enough. You win. You're the leader!”

It's like tapping out in a wrestling match, a sure way to communicate surrender.

[webinar_cta text=”JOIN OUR FREE CLASS AND CHANGE REACTIVE DOG BEHAVIOR IN 7 DAYS”]

Why Dogs Yelp Reason #2: Yelping is a Shock Factor to Make the Other Dog Stop Charging

To explain this part, I'm sharing the story of my two kids, Stanley and Sage.

Like what children normally do, Stan and Sage would have really intense playtime that could end up in shrieks and cries.

There was this one time where Sage, out of nowhere, let out a blood-curdling shriek.

Of course, I was very worried. I dropped what I was doing and charged inside the house.

“Sage, what did he do to you?” I asked my daughter.

She simply said “Oh, nothing. I just didn't want him to catch me.”

And it made sense to me!

Screaming so loud can make another person think “Yep, that's it. They're over this. They're done. They won't be fighting anymore.”

It's the same with dogs!

A dog uses loud sounds to ward the other dogs off or to stop fights.

An intense sound from your dog is not always an indication of pain, but a way to communicate defense against their strong opponent.

[webinar_cta text=”OUR FREE CLASS HELPS DOG OWNERS SOLVE REACTIVITY ISSUES FOR GOOD!”]

Why Dogs Yelp Reason #3: A Dog's Pain and Discomfort

Witnessing your dog yelping in pain randomly for no reason can be concerning. While sometimes it might seem like they're yelping for no reason, it can also be a pain response. This could be due to various underlying issues and health problems, ranging from something as simple as a prick from a hidden thorn to more serious conditions like abdominal pain, internal injuries, neck pain, or joint or muscle problems. Although you can use an ice pack to alleviate the pain, it's important to have your dog checked to rule out any other issue.

If your dog is yelping persistently or showing other signs of distress, it's crucial not to dismiss it. This is especially important for active breeds prone to getting themselves hurt. Bring your dog for immediate medical attention and diagnostic tests.

A yelp communicates acute pain. Check for an unusual head posture or any sign of spinal pain. In such cases, it's always best to consult your vet immediately to rule out any serious medical concerns, underlying health conditions, or to get pain meds for ongoing pain. Depending on the diagnosis, the vet might prescribe pain medication or other treatments to address the root cause of your dog's discomfort. Check your pet insurance if it covers chronic pain issues.

Why Dogs Yelp Reason #4: A Dog's Anxiety and Fear

Pet parents, if you often catch your dog making a sudden noise for no apparent reason, one of the factors to check is their fear and anxiety.

Perhaps another dog at home is asserting their dominance. Perhaps a loud noise is causing to become more agitated than ever. Perhaps it's separation anxiety. Knowing this can help you give the appropriate treatment for your dog. Anti inflammatory

Why You Should Not Immediately Intervene Between Two Dogs in a Rumble

When your dog starts yelping, checking in on them and stopping the fight is — YES — the most sensible thing to do.

I totally recommend intervening in a dog fight when signs of harm are evident (for example: blood and scratches).

HOWEVER, YOU DON'T ALWAYS NEED TO GET IN THE WAY OF A DOG FIGHT.

“But why, Doggy Dan?”

It's because dogs ALWAYS want to sort out who leads the pack and who follows. (Sorting this out can help your dog calm down).

When we intervene, we could also get in the way of dogs sorting the leadership issue out.

In a more dominant dog's mind, the other dog is still not conceding. The power struggle will still continue. There will be more chasing, fighting, screaming.

CHECK OUT THE PROGRAM THAT WILL BRING BACK YOUR PUPPY'S CALM!

Dealing with Dog Rumbles: When Do I Step In?

If you're dealing with more frequent dog rumbles, I recommend being quick in observing the severity of the dog fight.

We don't always need to get involved in the middle of the fight, BUT we still have to keep an eye on when the rumble becomes serious.

When there are increased levels of aggression (forceful biting, blood, deep scratches), quickly stop the fight and place dogs on timeout if necessary to help them regulate their emotions.

[webinar_cta text=”JOIN OUR FREE CLASS THAT'LL CALM YOUR AGGRESSIVE DOG IN JUST A WEEK!”]

Why You Should Trust The Dog Calming Code When Training Dogs

Here are some dog owners with rescue dogs who trusted The Dog Calming Code and saw astounding results!

A Miracle!

Hollie, my traumatised rescue collie had such bad reactivity to other dogs and sometimes to people, I couldn’t take her out anywhere. Now she is very obedient and walks mostly without pulling & is quite calm most of the time. Her severe separation anxiety has lessened and in time, I am optimistic she will improve even more. Even her 1-1 doggy day care has seen a difference, so it’s definitely working, although NOTHING else has EVER helped her like this programme, it’s like watching a miracle unfold. I am deeply grateful my pup and I can relax and enjoy life at long last, she so well-deserves to – not only for all she’s been through – but also she now has early-stage cancer.

There’s been no ‘worst’ moments I can think of, thankfully. Her response to the changes has been very heart-warming.
I can’t thank you enough, wish I’d found your programme when I first got her in December 2020. Keep up the good work!
Woof!

Hannah N.
GB

This is really working!

I rescued a four year old German Shepherd and she is very anxious due to her past. I also have a black lab that still had issues with polite greetings. Both dogs are calming down. I love that it actually takes less energy from me than other methods. Staying chill is freeing for me and the dogs are definitely responding. More work to do, but seeing improvements!

Linda B.
US

Amazing Program!

Thank you so much for providing a program that is based on loving guidance for our pets instead of punishment. I am going through each step of the program slowly and am so loving the results!
My rescue dog, Sammy, goes ballistic when animals appear on TV. He barks, jumps, and lunges at the TV determined to vanquish the intruder. After practicing the second rule of the Dog Calming Code for one day, I saw dramatic results. Instead of having to continue with two thank yous and then a time out, Sammy stopped barking after the first thank you and settled on the sofa where he quietly watched the show with me. Incredible!!

Sylvia M.
US

Knowing the other reason for a dog's yelp can help you not panic whenever you hear them make that sound.

But here's the thing: if we can do away with that sound, it's so much better, right?

If dogs stop fighting for dominance, you can rest your mind from dealing with constant fights!

That's where The Dog Calming Code comes in.

In your household, one leader should be in your dogs' eyes: YOU.

When they see you wearing the hat of leadership, any aggression towards other dogs to establish dominance will be minimized.

Power struggles between dogs will be lesser because every dog in the house know it's YOU who is in charge of the pack.

I know that because I have seen tens of thousands of dog owners get over the problems involving dog fights and dogs hurting each other.

GET THE PROGRAM THAT CHANGED 100,000 DOGS FOR FREE!

All because the owners truly showed they are capable, strong, confident leaders their dogs can trust.

Your dogs will no longer have to vie for leadership; with The Dog Calming Code, you already got it covered.

If you want to learn more about The Dog Calming Code, click here.

~Doggy Dan 🙂

The post Why Is My Dog Yelping: Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Is Pet Insurance Worth It: Ten Things To Consider BEFORE You Purchase

John Louwe — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 13:00:34 +0000

Is pet insurance worth it?

Hi fellow dog owner, I understand it’s easy to be at a crossroads regarding pet insurance. Thousands of caring and protective pet owners have asked me that very question.

I’m Doggy Dan, and I'm finally sharing what I tell dog owners who ask for pet insurance advice in this blog. With pet insurance marketed as a need and a must, should every pet owner get it?

Read on for the answer.

Key Takeaways

Pet insurance is optional, but there are big factors that make it a must.
Your budget plays a great role in making the decision whether or not you get pet insurance for your dogs.
Large and pedigree dogs need pet insurance because they are more prone to emergencies and expensive general care costs.

REACTIVITY SOLVED (NO FOOD, NO FORCE)

Pet Insurance Worth It or Not? Here’s My Story
Three Factors That Make Pet Insurance Worth It
Two Factors That Make Pet Insurance Optional
Should I Really Get Pet Insurance for Large and Pedigree Dogs?
Is Pet Insurance Worth It? Ten Things to REALLY Consider Before Getting One
Is Pet Insurance Worth It? The Answer Depends On What You Need

Pet Insurance – Worth It or Not? Here’s My Story

I love my dogs and every dog that comes to us is family. Because I’m also a protective pet owner, I opted for pet insurance for $500 a year for two dogs. The insurance spanned ten years and cost roughly $5,000.

Yet, after paying for the hefty dog insurance cost, I don’t think I have been able to make a claim that made me feel like I have made the most out of the insurance.

If anyone comes to me asking, “Should I get pet insurance for my dog?” I give this general answer: it really depends on so many factors.

I won’t immediately say, “Yes, get it!” because not all pet owners can shell out $250 a year for pet insurance.

I won’t also say, “No, don’t bother!” because pet insurance benefits are also good.

So many factors and considerations come into play in deciding if pet insurance is worth it, and I’m sharing them all with you in this blog.

JOIN MY FREE REACTIVITY CLASS

Three Factors That Make Pet Insurance Worth It

How do you know if your pet needs pet insurance?

Should you get one just because your vet tells you to do so? Other pet owners telling you it’s a must? Because popular influencers are all about pet insurance?

Getting pet insurance is a major decision that should be based on WHAT YOU REALLY NEED. To help you make the decision whether or not to get dog insurance, consider these three important factors.

Factor #1: Your Financial Capacity for Emergencies

You can never tell when your dog might need a $5,000 treatment or operation. If you can’t afford to spend $5,000 just for a single emergency, consider getting pet insurance.

Having pet insurance for emergencies allows you to give proper care for your pet whenever they need it.

Factor #2: Your Peace of Mind Makes Pet Insurance Worth It

You can purchase insurance policies that cover various types of medical treatments and procedures, including emergency care, surgery, and medication.

If having a ready resource for emergencies give you assurance and peace of mind, pet insurance is worth it.

By having pet insurance, you can feel secure knowing that they will not have to make difficult decisions about your pet’s needs based on financial constraints. Pet insurance is worth it because it eliminates stress and worry of unexpected veterinary bills, which can be expensive and difficult to manage.

Factor #3: The Breed and Size of Your Dogs

It's hard not to feel the weight of the expenses when caring for a big or pedigreed dog. The costs can add up quickly leaving you feeling anxious and uncertain. But don't worry, you're not alone. Studies have shown that these dogs are more prone to health issues, making it even more important to prioritize their care.

LEARN THE DOG CALMING CODE (FOR FREE)

I know it's tough to hear, but if you have a larger or pedigreed dog, chances are you'll be spending more than the average pet owner. That's why pet insurance is a no-brainer because for bigger dogs, pet insurance is worth it. It's like a safety net, protecting you and your furry companion from any unexpected health issues that may arise.

Investing in pet insurance can bring a sense of comfort and relief because it gives you a cushion to fall back on in case of any tragic events. It's all about providing the best possible care for your beloved pet while reducing the financial burden and stress that comes with it.

Two Factors That Make Pet Insurance Optional

While pet insurance can provide financial protection and peace of mind for pet owners, it is ultimately a personal decision based on individual circumstances and preferences. It is not mandatory and pet owners can choose to self-insure or pay for veterinary expenses out of pocket.

Here are three factors that can help you cross—without guilt!—pet insurance off your list of pet care must-haves.

Factor #1: You Have the Budget

If you have access to a substantial amount of money, such as $5,000, $10,000, or even $20,000 — and you don’t mind spending it on pet care alone — you can choose to opt out of pet insurance.

If you feel confident that you can cover the cost of unexpected veterinary bills by using savings or borrowing against their mortgage, pet insurance can be optional.

FREE REACTIVITY MASTERCLASS

Factor #2: Your Dog is Low-maintenance

Low maintenance dogs, such as those who require minimal grooming or have few breed-specific health issues, may not require pet insurance. These dogs are generally less likely to develop chronic health problems, require frequent visits to the veterinarian, or need costly medical procedures.

Now here's a little caveat from Doggy Dan: while pet insurance may not be necessary for low-maintenance dogs, having a financial plan in place for unexpected veterinary expenses is still essential to ensure that you are prepared for any eventuality.

Should I Really Get Pet Insurance for Large and Pedigree Dogs?

Large and pedigree dogs may be more prone to certain health conditions than other dogs, so getting pet insurance is an advantage. These breeds may be more likely to develop conditions such as hip dysplasia, cancer, and heart disease, which can require expensive medical treatment.

In addition, larger dogs are also more susceptible to injuries, such as ligament tears, that may require surgical intervention.

Given the potential costs associated with these health issues, pet insurance can provide valuable financial protection for large and pedigree dog owners.

With the right coverage, pet insurance can help cover the cost of expensive medical treatments, surgeries, and medications. By investing in pet insurance, you can have peace of mind knowing that your dogs are prepared for any unexpected veterinary expenses that may arise.

Is Pet Insurance Worth It? Ten Things to REALLY Consider Before Getting One

#1: Coverage of Your Pet Insurance

Consider what types of incidents and procedures are covered by the insurance policy, such as accidents, illnesses, and routine care.

#2: Exclusions

Be aware of any exclusions or limitations in the policy, such as pre-existing conditions or certain breeds that may not be covered.

#3: Deductibles

Determine the amount of deductible you are comfortable with, which is the amount you pay before the insurance kicks in.

#4: Premiums

Compare premiums from different insurance providers to find a policy that fits your budget. Luckily, you can find pet insurance policies with flexible premiums.

GET MY 5 GOLDEN RULES FOR FREE!

#5: Reimbursement Rates

Understand how reimbursement rates work and the percentage of the vet bill that will be covered by the policy so you’ll know what to expect.

#6: Waiting Periods

Find out if there are any waiting periods before coverage begins, and how long they last. Knowing this allows you to plan ahead and make sure that you have coverage in place when you need it.

#7: Maximum Payouts

Be aware of any maximum payouts or caps on coverage that may be included in the policy. You'll want to make sure that the policy provides sufficient coverage for your pet's potential medical needs, as well as any conditions that your pet may be prone to based on their breed or age.

It's also important to note that some pet insurance policies have a maximum payout per year, while others have a maximum payout per condition.

Understanding the details of the policy and the maximum payout limits can help you make an informed decision about which policy is right for you and your pet.

#8: Customer Service

Research the quality of customer service provided by the insurance provide before getting pet insurance. Don’t forget to read reviews from other pet owners.

REVERSE REACTIVITY (FREE WEB CLASS)

#9 Provider Network

You can say that pet insurance is worth it is when you can use it for the services of the vet of your choice. Consider whether the insurance provider has a large network of veterinarians and specialists in your area.

#10 Pet's Age and Health

Take into account the age and health of your pet, as well as their breed and any previous health issues, to determine if pet insurance is worth it or necessary. This factor can also help you choose the best insurance coverage.

Is Pet Insurance Worth It? The Answer Depends On What You Need

“Should I buy pet insurance?” The answer to this question depends entirely on you.

Pet insurance is optional, and not getting one doesn’t mean you are a bad dog owner and you don’t care enough for your pets.

In the end, it all boils down to what you feel about these questions:

Are pet insurance costs too much for you?
Is getting pet insurance worth it for your peace of mind?
Do you want to be able to give your dog the care that they need, when they need it?
Is your budget enough to pay for emergency expenses out of your pocket?
Is your dog prone to illnesses? Do they require more pet care expenses?

Having pet insurance is good; there’s no doubt about that. However, when it’s currently out of your budget, or if you feel like the $250/year insurance cost is quite a reach, getting it for another time doesn’t make you any less of a loving pet owner.

I always believe pet owners have a strong gut instinct when it comes to raising dogs, so trust it.

Is pet insurance worth it? The answer depends on you because you know what’s best for you and your pet.

May the best choice win!

~ Doggy Dan

The post Is Pet Insurance Worth It: Ten Things To Consider BEFORE You Purchase appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Finding The Best Vet: A Dog Owner’s Guide to Choosing The Right Vet

John Louwe — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 12:00:33 +0000

Finding the best vet for your pet is saying yes to a partnership that will make a significant impact on your dog’s health. Making this choice matters!

When my pets show signs of health issues, I race straight to a vet. I have complete trust and respect for these professionals. However, after my fair share of vet trips, I can say from experience that not all vets are the same!

JOIN MY FREE REACTIVITY CLASS

Not all vets in your area will be compatible with you or your pet. Since we’re putting our dogs’ health on the line, we can never be too careful when finding the best vet.

In this blog, we’re going to talk about my experiences with vets, why choosing a vet can be a journey, and things to consider when making this big decision.

Key Takeaways

Don’t put all your trust in one vet. Explore your options until you find the best dog veterinarian that matches you and your pet.
It’s not wrong to ask for a second opinion, especially regarding your dog’s treatment plan.
Many vet red flags can help you filter your options right off the bat.

STOP REACTIVITY TODAY (FREE CLASS)

My Journey to Finding the Best Vet: My Personal Experiences with Two Different Veterinarians
W hen Should I Start Finding the Best Veterinarian for My Dog?
How to Find the Best Dog Vet: 7 Factors to Consider
Q uestions to Ask When Choosing a Vet
Are There Vet Red Flags I Should Be Aware Of?
Conclusion: You Can Be Picky With Your Vets. Your Beloved Pet’s Life Is On The Line.

My Journey to Finding the Best Vet: My Personal Experiences with Two Different Veterinarians

I’ve worked with several veterinarians in my life, but these two stories will always stand out.

Why?

These experiences taught me something: finding the best vet that matches your pet’s care needs can take a lot of trial and error, and it’s crucial to go through the trials and errors early.

If you’re in the process of looking for the best vets for your dogs, I hope these stories can help.

Story #1: Finding the Best Vet Helped Me Save $4,000

Vet visits are expensive! I’m sure I’m not the only one making a guesstimate of the total fees before we reach the pet doctor’s office.

After bringing Inca to her vet, we learned she had a ripped cruciate ligament. An operation to correct this issue would cost $4,000.

For Inca, I was ready to dig deep, find the $4K, and go for it.

Fortunately — and this is what made the mark — the pet doctor told me that because of Inca’s small size, we could opt for no surgery without worrying about Inca being in pain or getting worse.

After getting reassurance, we decided not to go for surgery. Inca didn’t get worse, and she lived for another five years.

Things could have been different if the vet had not told me I had an option!

The surprise on my face could have told him I was surprised, but it was such a good surprise! I’m grateful for that veterinarian who truly cared for Inca and her owners!

Story #2: I Was Told My Cat Has Cancer! Until I Went To a Holistic Vet

I had a cat suffering from lethargy, hair-loss, and significant weight loss. My frantic wife pleaded with me to take her to a good vet. So, I took my cat to the vet where she underwent several tests.

After rounds of tests, we were told that our cat had cancer and would need expensive chemotherapy that would cost us $3,000.

However, something inside me didn't feel right.

I don’t think my cat has cancer, I thought to myself.

So, I decided to seek a second opinion from a holistic vet.

The holistic vet quickly identified the problem as an ingredient in my cat's food. They recommended natural supplements and a chicken and rice diet.

Within just 48 hours, my cat had doubled in weight and went on to live for another five years!

I asked the holistic vet about cancer, and he assured me that my cat did not have it. This experience taught me the importance of being careful in choosing the right veterinarian for my pet.

This pet food dilemma reminded me of my Podcast on Integrative Dog Medicine Providing Natural And Safe Vet Care with Dr. Judy Jasek. We talked about why your dog and cat food can be sneaky culprits!

When Should I Start Finding the Best Vet for my Dog?

If you are a pet owner, it is essential to find the right vet before any emergency arises. Waiting until your furry friend is sick or injured can lead to a frantic search for a vet and a rushed decision on your part.

By finding the right vet early on, you can establish a relationship with them. This helps make you feel comfortable and confident when seeking medical attention for your pet. Look for a vet that is conveniently located, has flexible hours, and has experience treating your pet's species and breed.

Reading reviews from other pet owners can also provide valuable insight into a vet's reputation and level of care. Don't wait until an emergency occurs; choose the right vet early.

LEARN THE DOG CALMING CODE (FOR FREE)

How to Find the Best Dog Vet: 7 Factors to Consider

#1: Choose a Vet That Makes You Feel at Home with Their Service

I’m a big believer of energy. We can sense it. Even pets feel it.

Right off the bat, you will know if it’s the right vet place from the moment you step into the vet’s office. Listen to your gut because it’s a great guide in your search.

When you and your pet feel comfortable with your vet, you are more likely to seek necessary medical attention. A great advantage for your furry friend!

FREE REACTIVITY MASTERCLASS

A vet that provides personalized and attentive care, and communicates effectively with you, can help you make informed decisions about your pet's health. When you’re confident with the vet you’re working with, you can be at ease, alleviating any anxiety or stress you or your pet may experience during visits.

#2: Finding the Best Vet : Go for One Who Shares Your Pet Care Philosophies

Finding a vet that shares your pet care philosophies is important because it ensures that your pet receives the kind of care that aligns with your values and beliefs.

A vet who shares your philosophy on pet care will be more likely to understand your concerns and preferences, and work with you to create a personalized care plan for your pet.

For example, if you prefer a holistic approach to pet care, you may want to find a vet that specializes in alternative therapies. On the other hand, if you prefer traditional medicine, you may want to find a vet that is experienced in conventional treatments.

By finding a vet that shares your pet care philosophies, you can establish a partnership that is based on trust, open communication, and a shared commitment to your pet's well-being.

#3: Go For the Best Vet for Dogs That Truly Listens to You

Finding a vet that truly listens to you is important because it allows for better communication and a more effective partnership in caring for your pet. As a pet owner, you know your pet best and can provide valuable insights into their behavior and health.

A vet who listens attentively to your concerns, questions, and observations can gain a better understanding of your pet's needs and work with you to develop a personalized care plan.

#4: Prioritize Finding the Best Vet That Presents All Options

A vet who presents all treatment options, including both conventional and alternative therapies, can help you choose the best course of action based on your pet's specific needs and your personal preferences.

#5: Choose a Vet Office with Great Staff

Friendly, knowledgeable, and compassionate staff in the vet office can help ease the worry and anxiety you and your pet might be experiencing.

They are often the first point of contact when scheduling appointments, asking questions, or requesting information, so it's important to find a team that is responsive, respectful, and communicative.

GET MY 5 GOLDEN RULES FOR FREE!

#6: See If Their Emergency and After-Hours Policy Fit Your Needs

I always tell pet owners to be aware of after-hours and emergency policies, especially if they often deal with their dog’s sudden health issues.

Not all dogs are the same, and your dog might have conditions that require vets that cater to emergency trips.

#7: When Looking for the Best Vet, Check the Reviews From Other Pet Owners You Trust

Reading and listening to reviews from other pet owners you trust can be very helpful when trying to find a veterinarian for your dog. This is because reviews provide insights into the quality of care and services that a veterinarian provides, and can give you an idea of what to expect if you choose to use their services.

You also can get a better sense of the overall reputation of a veterinarian and make a more informed decision about whether or not to use their services.

Questions to Ask When Finding the Best Vet

Choosing the right vet for your pet is crucial for their health and well-being. Here are some questions to ask before making a decision.

QUESTION #1: Should I Go for Traditional or Holistic Vet?

This decision all boils down to your pet care philosophies. Like what I shared about how a holistic veterinarian cleared out that my pet did not have cancer, you should listen to your gut if traditional vet solutions don’t sit well with you.

Holistic veterinarians use a variety of natural and alternative therapies in their practice, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy, and nutrition therapy, to promote healing and balance in the animal's body.

They may also incorporate conventional Western medicine techniques, such as surgery and prescription medications, when necessary.

One of the biggest advocacies of holistic veterinarians is healing the non-evasive way. Instead of just focusing on the problem presented, holistic vets also check for other factors like pet lifestyle and food.

Which reminds me of this awesome Podcast with Dr. Ryan Alarid where we talk about how healthy food recipes can help your pet beat cancer!

If you feel like holistic vets fit your pet care preferences more, you should go for it.

Question #2: Does the Vet Have an Experience with Treating Pets Like Mine?

Some breeds of dogs are more prone to certain health issues than others, such as hip dysplasia in large breed dogs or dental issues in small breed dogs.

A veterinarian who has experience in treating these specific issues and breeds may be better equipped to identify and address potential health concerns in their patients.

A vet that is used to working with cases similar to what ails your dog, can understand your pet’s needs better. They may be able to offer more specialized guidance on topics such as training, socialization, and nutrition to ensure that the pet is receiving optimal care.

Veterinarians who have a history of treating certain types of dogs may also have established relationships with other specialists and resources that may be helpful in managing your pet's health.

Question #3: Do I Have the Budget for the Services of the Vet I Have Chosen?

Pet care is hefty, yes, but it’s not wrong to go for a veterinarian that can make the most out of your budget.

The downside of going for the most popular vet is you might get a pet care plan that’s difficult to finish because of budget constraints.

During your search for the best vet for your dogs, look for a professional willing to work on your budget, in the ideal way possible.

Question #4: Is My Gut Telling Me Something Else?

You are the pet owner. You know your dogs’ pain in ways only a pet parent can understand.

Listening to your gut can help you make the major decision of choosing a vet.

Like what happened when we received a cancer diagnosis for our ailing cat, everything changed when I listened to my gut and went for a second opinion from a holistic vet.

Listen to your gut!

Are There Vet Red Flags I Should Be Aware Of When Finding the Best Vet?

Choosing the best vet for dogs that you can finally trust is a journey, but there are red flags that can help you filter your choices right from the start.

Here are vet red flags to be aware of:

Red Flag #1: When Finding the Best Vet, Be Aware of Poor Communication Skills

If a vet is not willing to listen to your concerns, answer your questions, or explain treatment options, or take the time to tell you why they opt for certain treatments, it may be a red flag.

Red Flag #2: Lack of Transparency

If a vet is not forthcoming about their qualifications, fees, or treatment plans, it may be a red flag. Imagine the relief, assurance, and peace of mind you get when your vet give crystal-clear answers to your concerns.

Red Flag #3: Overly Aggressive Treatment

If a vet recommends aggressive or expensive treatment without first exploring less invasive options, it may be a red flag.

Red Flag #4: Unsanitary Conditions

If the veterinary clinic appears dirty, disorganized, or poorly maintained, it may be a reflection of the kind of pet care you can get from them.

Red Flag #5: Lack of Compassion

If a vet seems dismissive or indifferent to your pet's health and well-being, it may be a red flag.

Red Flag #6: No Emergency Protocol

If the veterinary clinic does not have an emergency protocol in place or does not offer 24-hour emergency care, it may be a red flag.

Red Flag #7: Poor reviews or Reputation

If the veterinary clinic has consistently poor reviews or a bad reputation in the community, it may be a red flag.

REVERSE REACTIVITY (FREE WEB CLASS)

Conclusion: When Finding the Best Vet, It’s OK to Be Meticulous; Your Beloved Pet’s Life Is On The Line.

Veterinarians are human beings, too. They make mistakes, and they can fall short in being “THE” vet that your furbaby needs.

There are amazing vets in the industry, and just like in any industry, there are also not-so-great ones.

That being said, I hope it’s clear to dog owners that it’s okay if you feel like you need to switch vets. Don’t put your trust in one vet. Explore your options. Our dogs deserve the best, and that includes going to a vet that knows exactly what to do.

Happy vet-finding!

~ Doggy Dan

The post Finding The Best Vet: A Dog Owner’s Guide to Choosing The Right Vet appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

When Should You Neuter Your Dog? A Guide to Timing and Health Benefits

Doggy Dan — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 12:30:08 +0000

When should you neuter your dog? This blog explores the right timing for spaying and neutering so you can reap the best benefits.

[webinar_cta text=”JOIN MY FREE DOG REACTIVITY CLASS”]

Ahh, the cone of shame…

Spaying and neutering household pets is a common and well-praised practice.

It reduces the risk of accidental breeding, which could land even more dogs in shelters.

And up until recently, it was recommended that you spay or neuter your dog as soon as physically possible, or around four to six months, which many shelters still do today to prevent unwanted litters.

However, research is starting to show that waiting to get your dog spayed or neutered might be better for their growth and overall health.

But the question remains: when is it best to have your dogs neutered?

Read on to learn more.

Key Takeaways

Healthier Dogs: Spaying or neutering significantly contributes to a dog's overall health and longevity. For large breed dogs or giant breeds, it's especially crucial to consult with your veterinary medicine professional regarding the optimal timing of the procedure, as early spaying/neutering can have potential risks. However, the benefits are clear: spaying drastically reduces the risk of mammary cancer in females, while neutering eliminates testicular cancer risk in males. By preventing these serious health issues, you're increasing the chances of having a happy, healthy dog for years to come.

Breed-Specific Considerations: While spaying or neutering is generally recommended for all dog breeds, the ideal timing can vary. Small and toy breeds mature faster and can often be spayed or neutered earlier (around 6-9 months). Larger breeds mature slower, and often, it's best to wait until they are over a year old. This difference in timing is important to understand, and your veterinarian can provide breed-specific guidance to ensure the procedure is done at the right time for your dog's development.

Behavioral Management: Spaying or neutering can help mitigate unwanted behaviors associated with hormones. In males, neutering can reduce aggression, roaming, and marking. In females, spaying eliminates heat cycles and their associated behaviors like vocalization and attracting unwanted attention. While training is always crucial for a well-behaved dog, spaying/neutering can be a valuable tool in managing certain behaviors and making your dog a more pleasant companion.

Table of Contents

Should You Go For Early Neutering?

What happens if you get your dog fixed too soon?

It all depends on when your dog reaches their sexual maturity. Spaying or neutering prior to reaching that maturity could affect your dog's development, affecting their musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and immune systems.

Sex hormones are very important in the proper development of any animal (especially healthy dogs!), and household pets are no different.

[webinar_cta text=”FREE CLASS: SOLVE DOG BEHAVIOR ISSUES”]

If your dog is fixed too soon, it could lead to joint issues like hip or elbow dysplasia, urinary incontinence, and even some cancers like lymphoma.

That probably sounds scary to you, but let me be clear…

The benefits of spaying or neutering your dog outnumber the risks of doing it too early. So even if you've already spayed or neutered your pup or you're planning to do it early to prevent an oopsie, you're still doing what's best for your dog.

Having all the information can help you make the best decision for your pup.

Neutered Dogs: What Does It Mean To Have Your Dog Neutered or Spayed?

Neutering or spaying your dog refers to a surgical procedure that removes their reproductive organs, rendering them unable to reproduce.

For male dogs (neutering): This involves the removal of the testicles.

For female dogs (spaying): This typically involves the removal of the ovaries and uterus.

While it might sound like a drastic measure, spaying or neutering is a common practice and offers numerous canine health benefits for both your dog and the wider community.

[webinar_cta text=”FREE WEBINAR: UNDERSTANDING DOG BEHAVIOR”]

Difference Between Intact Dogs and Neutered Dogs

Choosing to neuter your dog is a big decision with significant impacts on their health and behavior. Understanding the differences between intact and neutered dogs can help you make the best choice for your furry friend. Let's explore how spaying or neutering can affect your dog's reproductive capabilities, hormones, health risks, and even appearance.

Intact Dogs

Reproductive Capability: An intact dog has all its reproductive organs. Males have their testicles, and females have their ovaries and uterus. This means they are capable of reproducing.

Hormones: Intact dogs experience the full range of hormonal influences. This can lead to certain behaviors like marking territory (males), going into heat (females), and potentially increased aggression or roaming tendencies.

Health Risks: Intact dogs are at a higher risk for certain reproductive cancers and infections. For example, males are at risk for testicular cancer, while females are at risk for mammary cancer and uterine infections.

Appearance: Intact males may have larger testicles, and their overall physique might be slightly more muscular due to testosterone.

[webinar_cta text=”JOIN MY FREE DOG BEHAVIOR CLASS”]

Neutered Dog

Reproductive Incapability: A neutered dog has had its reproductive organs surgically removed. Males have had their testicles removed (castration), and females have had their ovaries and uterus removed (spaying). They cannot reproduce.

Hormonal Changes: Neutering significantly reduces hormone levels. This often leads to a decrease in hormone-driven behaviors like marking, roaming, and aggression. Females no longer experience heat cycles.

Health Benefits: Neutering eliminates the risk of testicular cancer in males and significantly reduces the risk of mammary cancer in females, especially when done before the first heat cycle. It also prevents uterine infections in females.

Appearance: Neutered males may have a slightly less muscular build due to lower testosterone levels.

Benefits of Having Your Dog Spayed or Neutered

I've already mentioned it, but pet owners, if your dog is in situations where unwanted breeding and pet overpopulation might occur, spaying or neutering is the surefire way to prevent this from happening.

Aside from breeding prevention, spaying and neutering your dog delivers a heap of health benefits.

If you have a female dog, spaying will greatly reduce her risk of developing mammary cancer…a cancer that's fatal in nearly 50% of dogs.

Similarly, for males, neutering your male dog eliminates his risk of testicular cancer entirely.

Behaviorally speaking…spaying and neutering can help avoid unwanted behaviors.

For females, that means your pup won't have heat cycles, and you won't have to deal with howling, crying, or erratic activities that come with those hormonal shifts.

For males, this means you won't have to worry about your dog constantly marking inside your home or roaming around to find a mate.

Spaying or neutering can help prevent infections, like uterine infection, that can be costly to treat.

So, I must emphasize that it IS a good thing to get your dog spayed or neutered.

But…when is the best time??

[webinar_cta text=”UNDERSTAND DOG BEHAVIOR: FREE WEBINAR HERE”]

The Best Age to Spay or Neuter Your Dog

What is the appropriate age for a neuter surgery? The short answer is that the best time to spay or neuter your dog is when they reach their physical maturity.

Now…I say the short answer because it's much more complicated than that, as different breeds of dogs reach their sexual maturity at very different times.

For example, small dogs and toy breeds mature at an early age, around six to nine months old. Smaller dogs are less likely to suffer from the adverse effects of early spaying or neutering, simply because their body is maturing at a faster rate.

The larger breeds (for example, large breed male dogs) mature much later, and for them you'll want to consider waiting until they're older to spay or neuter.

I'm talking over one year old.

That's because some large breeds don't mature until they're 16-18 months old!

To break it down for you…

If you have a small-breed pet dog, they will likely experience no issues with getting spayed or neutered early on.

If you have a large-breed dog, there are many risks associated with spaying or neutering too early, so it's best to wait until they're older (1+ year) to get them fixed.

If you have questions about neutering pets, it's always best to discuss them with your vet.

Let's say you've decided to wait until your pup is older to get them spayed or neutered. How do you keep them out of trouble in the meantime?

An intact dog will require your constant supervision.

Unspayed female dogs (intact females) attract male dogs (even from miles away), so you'll want to keep an eye on her at all times so stray dogs don't come wandering into your yard. A fence can help tremendously, and I've even seen people carry an umbrella on walks to ward off any male suitors.

Unneutered male dogs can get forceful. With all the testosterone coursing through their bodies, if a nearby female is in heat, there's no way to predict how an unneutered male dog might act. Keeping an eye on your dog and always having them on a leash when outside can ensure that they don't try to break into a neighbor's yard to mate with another female.

[webinar_cta text=”FREE DOG BEHAVIOR CLASS”]

What About Dogs with Behavioral Issues?

You might have heard that neutering your dog can help curb some of their aggression. And there is some truth to that (as I just mentioned, how un-neutered males can become forceful).

So, if you're finding that your good little boy is becoming more and more aggressive, then getting them neutered earlier might be the best solution for you.

That being said — with proper training — many male dogs can remain intact and have wonderful dispositions. A lot of behavior issues boil down to how you handle your dog…do you have a solid training foundation, and does your pup view you as the leader of the house?

When you have an appropriate relationship with your dog via training, you can let them know what behaviors are acceptable (playing a friendly game of tug) and what behaviors are not (marking inside the house).

[webinar_cta text=”GET THE DOG CALMING CODE FOR FREE”]

If you want to set a strong foundation of training for a lifetime of learning, I would love it if you checked out my Dog Calming Code program.

It centers around the relationship you have with your dog, and helps you communicate with them in a language that they can understand.

So you both walk away with trust, friendship, and, best of all, an obedient dog that will listen to you anywhere.

And remember, the best time to get your dog spayed or neutered is when it's best for you…

…but if you do have a larger breed, you might want to consider waiting until they've fully matured to avoid any health risks.

~Doggy Dan 🙂

The post When Should You Neuter Your Dog? A Guide to Timing and Health Benefits appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Judy Morgan – The Truth About Spaying and Neutering

Doggy Dan — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 12:30:44 +0000

Listen above or: iTunes / Spotify (Tap the subscribe button – it’s free and keeps you updated!)

Today’s Guest

Dr. Judy Morgan:

I’m so excited to introduce to you today’s guest, Dr. Judy Jasek, an incredibly seasoned integrative pet care provider who focuses her work on natural and safe approaches to animal care.

Dr. Judy has had an incredible career and was voted 2018 Woman of the Year in the Pet Industry, 2019 Pet Age Woman of Influence, 2019 International Association of Top Professionals Veterinarian of the Year and IAOTP 2020 Woman of Influence. She's an internationally renowned speaker and best selling author of four books on holistic pet care and dog nutrition and has been featured on hundreds of radio and television shows worldwide, using traditional Chinese medicine food therapy.

All of this being said, the thing I admire most about Dr. Judy is her willingness to shift her approach to animal care as new research becomes available to ensure not only her pets, but her clients' pets, can live the longest healthiest lives possible.

If you’re curious about the topic of spaying and neutering and want to learn more about what you can do to give your pup the best shot at a healthy life, be sure to tune into my latest podcast!

You’ll Hear About

[01:00] Who is Dr. Judy Morgan
[05:00] Dr. Judy’s Personal History with Spaying and Neutering Dogs
[06:45] A Dramatic Change in Spay and Neuter Best Practices
[08:00] The Overpopulated Shelter Epidemic
[10:00] The Effects of Spaying/Neutering Too Early on Large Dogs
[15:30] The Effects of Spaying/Neutering Too Early on Small Dogs
[16:15] Shocking Facts Regarding Cancer, Arthritis, and Other Issues
[18:30] Dr. Judy’s Educated Approach to Spay and Neuter
[21:00] Intact Males and Marking
[24:00] Intact Dogs and Aggression
[29:00] Raw Foods Impact on Health and Behavior
[32:00] Spay/Neuter and the Endocrine System
[36:00] Learn More About Dr. Judy’s Best Practices

How You Can Get Involved

Want to learn more about keeping your dog in the best health? Study with Dr. Judy Morgan: https://www.drjudyu.com.

… and of course, if you’re thinking of having your dog spayed or neutered, consider waiting until they’re fully grown to make sure those growth plates have closed. Research your dog’s breed to find out when their primary growth period has finished, and be a responsible dog owner – be sure to prevent any unplanned litters. Having said this, everyone’s situation is different. Weigh up whether you can manage an in-tact dog when making this decision.

Links & Resources

Website: https://drjudymorgan.com
Study with Dr. Judy Morgan: https://www.drjudyu.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judymorgandvm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DrJudyMorgan
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/integratedpets
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrJudyMorgan

Learn more by tuning into the podcast!

Thanks for listening—and again, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes / Spotify to get automatic updates.

Cheers,

~Doggy Dan

The post Judy Morgan – The Truth About Spaying and Neutering appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Dr. Judy Jasek: Integrative Dog Medicine Providing Natural And Safe Vet Care

Doggy Dan — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 12:30:40 +0000

Listen above or: iTunes / Spotify (Tap the subscribe button – it’s free and keeps you updated!)

Today’s Guest

Dr. Judy Jasek:

I’m so excited to introduce to you today’s guest, Dr. Judy Jasek, an incredibly seasoned integrative pet care provider who focuses her work on natural and safe approaches to animal care.

Dr. Judy Jasek is a veterinarian with 35 years of practice experience who specializes in integrative medicine. She believes in a whole-body approach to healing, focusing on species-appropriate nutrition, whole-food supplementation, detoxification, and addressing the underlying causes of disease. Dr. Judy's areas of expertise include cancer treatment and prevention in pets. She recently relocated to Tennessee with her husband to start a rural homestead and continues her practice using telemedicine to help pets worldwide.

Her work is founded on supporting the natural healing ability of the body, and preventative care, which starts well before a pup receives their first round of vaccinations.

If you’re curious about Dr. Judy’s approach to whole-body wellness in her canine patients, be sure to check out this podcast!

You’ll Hear About

[01:00] Who is Dr. Judy Jasek
[02:30] Dr. Judy’s Mission
[07:20] Health Care vs Disease Management
[10:00] The Dog Food Dilemma
[12:30] The Cure for Itchy Dog Skin
[15:00] Damaging Vaccine Schedules
[20:20] The Truth Regarding Dog Allergies
[21:00] Healing the Gut
[22:15] All About Vaccines
[24:30] Should You Neuter Your Dog?
[28:00] Chinese Medicine
[32:00] Treating Cancer with Mistletoe
[36:00] Ozone Treatments
[43:00] Natural Flea Treatment
[50:00] How to Learn More About Dr. Judy’s Work

How You Can Get Involved

Are there ways you can avoid putting toxic substances in YOUR dog’s body?

Consider switching from processed food to natural whole food. Rethink those “annual” vaccinations, and do research to check if those monthly preventatives are required year round, or even at all, in your locality.

Does your dog have chronic health issues?

If so, then contact Dr. Judy Jasek at ahavet.com to book your Zoom appointment from anywhere in the world, and know that you will get the best possible advice for helping your pet to live their best, healthiest life.

Links & Resources

Website: https://ahavet.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/animalhealingartsco/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjTsZy6pDqRXMkR8EKBcZw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animal.healing.arts/
Podcasts: Dr. Judy is a regular guest on The Raw Dog Food Truth podcast show.

Learn more by tuning into the podcast!

Thanks for listening—and again, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes / Spotify to get automatic updates.

Cheers,

~Doggy Dan

Transcript

Download New Tab

Dr. Judy Jasek (00:02):	… But as I got more into my career, I just began to feel like I'm a pawn of the pharmaceutical companies, like the whole system is set up such that the pharmaceutical rep or the food company rep comes in, tells you their latest product, their latest gimmick, and they sell you on two premises, on fear and on profit. If you don't do this to your patients, they're going to get sick, and they could die, and you could get sued. Oh, by the way, this is how much money you can make if you sell this particular drug. And I just started taking a step back and saying, that's not medicine, it's certainly not healing.
Voiceover (00:45):	Welcome to the Doggy Dan podcast show, helping you unleash the greatness within your dog.
Doggy Dan (00:58):	Hello, and welcome everybody to another Doggy Dan podcast. Today, I am, I always say this, but it's true, I'm super excited. I'm with Dr. Judy Jasek from Colorado. Judy, she received her formal education at Colorado State University in zoology in 1984. She had a doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 1988. Following graduation, she started her career as a rural mixed animal practice in Pocatello, Idaho. Then she relocated to Salt Lake City in Denver in 2001. She purchased the Belleview Animal Clinic in Englewood in 2003, and began her journey into a more integrative approach to practice. Before selling this clinic in 2015, she learned the power in supporting the natural healing ability of the body and began a new practice philosophy. Dr. Judy Jasek, great to have you on the podcast today.
Dr. Judy Jasek (02:02):	Oh, thanks, Dan. So happy to be here. Great to chat with you.
Doggy Dan (02:05):	Yeah. I feel like we've got a lot in common. You have two chihuahuas, I believe, if you've still got two chihuahuas.
Dr. Judy Jasek (02:12):	Yeah. Oh, well, it's actually one now. I guess we need to change that.
Doggy Dan (02:16):	Oh, I know.
Dr. Judy Jasek (02:17):	Had one pass away in July, so we'll have to-
Doggy Dan (02:19):	Oh, I know the feeling. I have 70 blogs out there saying I've got four dogs and I'm down to two.
Dr. Judy Jasek (02:27):	We’ll have to change that.
Doggy Dan (02:28):	So beautiful to have you on the podcast today, Judy. I'd like to hand over to you. I always like to hand straight over to you. Tell us a little bit about who you be, what you do, your passions. I know I'm going to really enjoy chatting with you today, because I know a lot of what… well, I think I know a lot of what you believe, but I'll leave it to you. Tell us what you do, what you feel, your mission.
Dr. Judy Jasek (02:49):	Yeah. I started out in medicine like all veterinarians do. We're all conventionally trained, we're all trained kind of the same way, which basically conventional medicine is about symptom control, where pet has a symptom, say we have a T-Scan or we have diarrhea or whatever shows up, and we give a drug to suppress the symptom. And that's really what conventional medicine is. But what happens when you do that if you're just focused on the symptoms and you're not looking at whole body health, more and more diseases are going to pop up on down the road because you're driving whatever is perpetuating that, whatever is going on with the body, if you're not addressing the underlying cause, it's going to show up again later on down the road as something more serious. One of the things I see a lot of is cancer patients, and the cancer rate has gone up exponentially in dogs.
Dr. Judy Jasek (03:46):	And so as I got into my career, I graduated in 1988, so I've been doing this several decades now. When people ask me for, well, do you have evidence? Do you have a research study? I say, “Well, I have 35 years experience. And that to me is more valuable in a lot of cases than the research studies anyway.” But as I got it more into my career, I just began to feel like I'm a pawn of the pharmaceutical companies, like the whole system is set up such that the pharmaceutical rep or the food company rep comes in, tells you their latest product, their latest gimmick, and they sell you on two premises, on fear and on profit. If you don't do this to your patients, they're going to get sick and they could die, and you could get sued. Oh, by the way, this is how much money you can make if you sell this particular drug.
Dr. Judy Jasek (04:43):	I just started taking a step back and saying, well, that's not medicine, it's certainly not healing. Bottom line is our pets are just getting sicker. They're not getting better. All these advances in medicine that we're seeing, and some of the diagnostic advances are wonderful. When I started practicing before, we could do things like ultrasounds, echocardiograms, some of the surgical capabilities when that's warranted, absolutely fantastic. But bottom line, pets are getting sicker. They're not getting healthier. So what needs to change? I think because I was open to looking at alternatives, I think when you open your mind, the universe brings in information and the resources that you need or that you're looking for.
Dr. Judy Jasek (05:32):	I had people come into my life that were feeding raw food, feeding natural diets. I started learning about homeopathy and herbal medicine. It was a big learning curve because I don't just make my patients guinea pigs just to try stuff on them. I had to have enough of a background in these modalities before I was comfortable using them. But then ultimately, I started to see them turn around. Just giving better nutrition makes a huge difference, and stop poisoning the body with things like way too many vaccines. And I know that's something you want to get into here a little later. We can talk about protocols, but I think pets are way, way over vaccinated and over medicated. My basic philosophy has become that if…
Dr. Judy Jasek (06:26):	I heard on another podcast I was listening to that disease comes from two places, that it's either deficiency or an excess. And so if we have a deficient diet, we're not supporting the body nutritionally and giving the body the things that it needs to be healthy and to heal, or we're putting things in the body that are causing excessive inflammation and basically toxicity in the body, we're going to have disease. So by supporting the body with appropriate nutrients and giving the body the tools, and the body knows how to heal. Mother nature has it down. It's humans that screw stuff up really, because humans think they're way smarter than they are as general rule. They're like, oh, we can get in and we can fix this, and we just give this drug, or we just give this whatever. And it doesn't usually work so well, because you end up micro…
Dr. Judy Jasek (07:26):	Again, you're back to micromanaging symptoms, and that's what a lot of medicine is. It's not healthcare, it's disease management, that's what we see in human medicine too. Sadly, and I will just tell you, I think that the medical industry both in humans and pets is so profit driven. And there's more money in sickness than there is in health. There's not a lot of advantage to the corporations who running the show, so to speak now, in helping people and pets stay healthy. There's a lot more money in keeping them sick. I would love… One of my favorite things to do is to see a young puppy come in and I can get them off to this great start in life. I can get them on a good diet, and we talk about doing minimal vaccines, get them protected, but not overdoing it, and then send them out the door. And I hope they're healthy.
Dr. Judy Jasek (08:25):	I want people… I think one of my passions is getting people educated enough that they know how to keep their pets healthy, so they're not running into the vet all the time. That's my business model. I want to empower people to know how to do that. In my mind, it's pretty simple because of my experience, but I understand there's also a lot of really confusing information out there coming from other veterinarians and from the social media groups, and so I help people sort that out, and based on my experience, what I have seen work for pets, help them come up with plans to help keep their pets healthy. I look at the pet. I look at the quality of life. I think another big difference in the way I practice is we look at the pet, and it's a pet, it's a living, biological being. It's not a diagnosis.
Dr. Judy Jasek (09:25):	In conventional medicine, they put a name to something and then they have a treatment protocol for whatever that thing is that they just named, and they don't look at the pet. Well, so take chemotherapy, for example, pets could be getting very, very sick from chemo, but they're fighting the cancer, so they keep doing it, and they're not looking at, yeah, but it's killing the pet, literally, sometimes doing that. And so we have to look at the pet, and the pet's quality of life is what I think is the most important thing, and that's what I stay focused on.
Doggy Dan (10:02):	Wow. I agree with pretty much everything you've said. There are so many crossovers and similarities and things that I've seen as a behaviorist. Obviously I've experienced a lot of things with my dogs and sickness. They say follow the money. And when you follow the money, a lot of the time you go, wow. One thing that struck me was just how much money there is in dog food. Over here, people are paying $150 a bag, and they get a bag a month. Well, that's 150 times 12, we're talking almost $2,000. When the dog lives over 10 years, that's over $20,000 they're going to pay on the dog food. If it ain't the right dog food, and how many times have you heard, this is the only dog food you ever need to feed your dog, some dry kibble biscuit, and that's the only thing you ever feed your dog. A vet said to me, it's probably the worst thing you could ever do, feed them exact same dry biscuit their entire life.
Dr. Judy Jasek (11:06):	Yeah. Dogs are natural scavengers. They're really meant to get out and get variety and eat different proteins and different ingredients in their diet. I think that's what they really thrive on. I think for a dog eating a dry food diet, it'd be like you or I eating a breakfast cereal, the same breakfast cereal.
Doggy Dan (11:29):	Yeah. Every day, morning and night for our entire life.
Dr. Judy Jasek (11:33):	Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
Doggy Dan (11:36):	I mean, this is where I get a little bit suspicious, if I'm honest, because I go, it can't be that hard to do a test and say, well, is this dog better if it only eats one food its entire life really? Because then you've got another brand of dog food saying, well, this is the only food you ever need to feed your dog, and it's completely different. Then you have a third person saying this is the perfect food for your dog, and it's the only thing you ever need to… So they all make the same claim that it's the perfect food and the only food, and don't feed it anything else. It can't be that hard to go, well, let's put a dog on a mixed diet and see what happens.
Dr. Judy Jasek (12:11):	Right. Well, the other thing is every dog is different. There is no one size fits all anything. I mean, I can see 10 dogs. I see so much itchy skin. I mean, there's just so many dogs come in that have itchy-
Doggy Dan (12:25):	Let's talk about itchy skin. It's something that really… It doesn't sound like a big thing, but I've had dogs with itchy skin and it's horrible, because you look at this and you treat it with that, and you try this, and you try that. What's your experience with itchy skin? Where is that coming from?
Dr. Judy Jasek (12:40):	I think a lot of it starts in the gut. I mean, I think a lot of health starts in the intestines and having a healthy microbiome. You hear a lot of press out there these days about a healthy microbiome for people and pets. But I think it goes way beyond throwing a probiotic at them, which I think have really mixed efficacy. I think a lot of what goes on is dogs get a leaky gut, and this goes back to, I think, the diets. The kibble diets are about 50% processed carbohydrates, it's about 50% carbohydrate. They're so highly processed and processed at high temperatures that they're very inflammatory. So they actually damage the gut lining through that inflammation. They're also, and I don't know if it's the same down there in New Zealand, here in America, the crops are heavily sprayed with glyphosate, which is also known as roundup. It's used in the fields to kill weeds, but it's also used as a desiccant prior to harvest, which means they spray it on to help the crops dry faster so they can get them to market faster. So it's a direct exposure, and it's a known carcinogen. I think it's just so toxic, and it's also been shown to cause leaky gut. So what leaky gut is, is where the junctions in between the cells lining the intestines, those junctions are not tight. The cells spread apart, and so molecules of food, whatever the dog's eating get absorbed before they're completely broken down, and they're foreign to the immune system. I think that's a lot of what makes dogs itch. I start a lot with the gut, and that of course starts with nutrition, but other things, herbs to strengthen digestion. When I hear that a dog has kind of chronically loose stool, more loose stool than we would expect, not just occasional, but kind of pretty regular basis, or dogs that they vomit a lot in the morning, I hear that one a lot. They got this kind of oopiness. That tells me we need to work on strengthening the digestion, and I start there. And then we kind of can work from there using herbs and other things to help support the skin.
Dr. Judy Jasek (15:06):	I think a lot of itchy skin is also the body trying to detoxify. I see young dogs. Just before I got in this call, saw a 10-month-old dog, and this is really typical. Came from a rescue. It's been itching. [inaudible 00:15:22] this gentleman has had the dog since the dog was I think 10 or 11-weeks-old. It's now 10- months-old, and has been itching the whole time. Well, when dogs come out of the rescue organizations, they have so many vaccines. I mean, I think this is a vaccine injury, because they're just vaccinated. I know the rescues are very well-intentioned, but they give a ton of vaccines to dogs. And I think-
Doggy Dan (15:48):	How many vaccines are you talking about?
Dr. Judy Jasek (15:50):	Well, typically, here, they will start a lot of times early, that's one of the things I think is a big mistake, they'll start vaccinating very early, like five or six weeks, a lot of times while the dogs are still nursing. And so you have those maternal antibodies, which are the antibodies from the mother dog, if they're still nursing, that kind of disrupt the normal response to the vaccine. They don't tend to respond really well to the vaccines to begin with. And then when you vaccinate that early, you have this young developing immune system, and I mean, it's just the immune system's just starting to recognize its external world, and it has to learn what's friend or foe. What do I react to, what do I not react to? What's healthy, what's not healthy.
Dr. Judy Jasek (16:40):	These vaccines, I think a big part of the thing with vaccines, it's such an unnatural route of exposure. For a dog to get pretty much any disease that we vaccinate against, it would be exposed to the nose or the mouth, some mucus membrane, the immune system recognizes it there and then starts to build its response. When we inject those antigens right into the body, the immune system, it really doesn't have a mechanism for processing those antigens. And you're injecting preservatives, antibiotics.
Doggy Dan (17:15):	This is basically because the puppy is too young. It hasn't developed its own immune system almost.
Dr. Judy Jasek (17:21):	It's too young. Yeah. In the case of a rescue organization where they might not have these maternal antibodies on board, they might be orphaned, but they still have these really immature immune systems.
Doggy Dan (17:34):	I'm just thinking, I'm pitching the size of these five-week-old pups. I hope they get a tiny amount compared to the standard-sized dogs. Or are they all one?
Dr. Judy Jasek (17:44):	No. Yeah. I think they usually don't, unfortunately.
Doggy Dan (17:47):	One size fits all with a vaccine. I mean, that's where you give a 50-pound dog a vaccine, but if you're dealing with a five-week-old, teeny, little pup weighing in at what, five pounds?
Dr. Judy Jasek (18:03):	Yeah. Five or-
Doggy Dan (18:05):	That's a big hit.
Dr. Judy Jasek (18:07):	It's a big hit. They're not just getting one antigen. A lot of these vaccines have parvo distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza. Yes. There's a doggy coronavirus. So they're getting all these things. Leptospirosis, one of the highest reaction rates that I see. I haven't given a lepto a vaccine in years and I don't ever recommend it. I think the adverse effects are so much worse than any risk of disease. The other thing that gets completely overlooked is that dogs, they have an immune system. I'm a firm believer if we support that immune system and keep the body healthy, they're going to be able to handle these disease exposures.
Doggy Dan (18:59):	You only have to look at what dogs are eating off the ground sometimes-
Dr. Judy Jasek (19:03):	Oh my gosh.
Doggy Dan (19:03):	… then you realize their bodies are solid. Like my dogs are, I mean, I hate to say it, but sometimes they eat dead… one was trying to eat a dead rabbit the other day, just looking at me kind of chewing through some guts with maggots and… but he's fine. Nothing wrong. He just looks at me and smiles.
Dr. Judy Jasek (19:22):	Yeah. Right. That's what dogs are meant to eat, but don't feed like, oh, raw food because they might get salmonella or some horrible bacterial infection. But yeah, they can go eat roadkill and they're perfectly fine, but you're worried about-
Doggy Dan (19:34):	This thing was moving. This rabbit was moving, not because it was alive, but because it was full of maggots. Sorry to-
Dr. Judy Jasek (19:41):	Oh, so disgusting.
Doggy Dan (19:42):	… be descriptive, but we're talking the most rotten rancid meat, and he's looking and licking his lips going, look what I just found. Luckily, I've got a good drop it command and leave it.
Dr. Judy Jasek (19:54):	Your dogs hopefully are well trained being that you're a dog trainer.
Doggy Dan (19:56):	They're well trained, especially when it comes to that stuff. I think they wondered whether I was going to take it back to the house and cook it up for dinner kind of. I was like, no, it's going in the bin. Sorry guys, but this is not… Yeah.
Dr. Judy Jasek (20:08):	Yeah. That's crazy.
Doggy Dan (20:09):	Well, that's fascinating. So itchy skin, so even with itchy skin, a lot of it can come back to food and what you're putting into your dogs.
Dr. Judy Jasek (20:20):	Oh yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, there can be some true allergies. I actually think true food allergies are quite rare. I think it's more of this leaky gut thing, because I see so many people that come in, they've done the allergy testing and turns out their dog's allergic to everything they're eating. So they're searching for what's the one protein I haven't fed yet. So they're looking for squid or alligator or kangaroo or something. I think we're missing the point.
Doggy Dan (20:51):	I see. It doesn't matter what protein they're putting in because of the leaky gut. It's all causing problems. Yeah.
Dr. Judy Jasek (20:58):	Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. We have to start with healing the gut. Obviously if a dog reacts to particular protein, you see a direct cause and effect, then yeah, don't feed them that protein until we get the digestion stronger. But it's not really that the dog's allergic. Once we get the digestion stronger, most of the time the dogs can start to eat some of these other proteins. It's really more about gut health, because it's the same organ. I mean, if you think about it, the skin on the outside of the body kind of goes into the mouth, down the digestive tract, down into the mouth, down the esophagus. It's the same organ. It's exposed to the external environment. So if we have inflamed skin, my point of view, we're also going to have an inflamed gut, and yeah, that's definitely where I would start.
Doggy Dan (21:54):	Fascinating. For people who are listening to this and are interested in the vaccine side of things, I don't want to go into it now, but where can people go to on your website, or can they call you? In terms of what you would recommend, how can they find out what sort of maybe some suggestions on what are the right vaccines, or just read up more about it? Is there something on your website?
Dr. Judy Jasek (22:15):	We do. On our website, which is ahavet.com, we have a multimedia page and there are blog articles there. We're getting to vaccines, also vaccine alternatives, like tighter testing. So we actually measure antibody levels to see if pets even need boosters. I also use homeopathic nosodes, which is more of an energetic way of protecting. I mean, homeopathy is kind of a whole big topic in and of itself, but these do have proven efficacy. I know practitioners that have used nosodes in lieu of traditional vaccines, and they've been really, really, really effective. So there's information there. And then, yeah, I mean I do phone and Zoom appointments, so I'm happy to work with anybody. Every case is a little different because they have different histories coming to me.
Dr. Judy Jasek (23:13):	I love to get dogs in that if people are getting dogs from a breeder and they can ask the breeder to do no vaccines and I get them without any vaccines on board, and then we can just do a real minimal protocol, those dogs just do fantastic, because we just really get them off to a good, healthy start without all of this early inflammation. Another thing I want to just throw out there along the lines of early, young pet health and itchy skin and inflammation is don't spay or neuter early. Give them to at least a year. It's just super important. Let that endocrine system develop normally. Let their skeletal system develop normally. Let them get along to where the growth plates are closing, because when you pull out those hormones too early, it completely disrupts normal development. And I think that's another cause for some of these things we see including chronic itchy skin, because you're disrupting the whole endocrine system.
Dr. Judy Jasek (24:24):	All the hormones in the body have interrelated systems of operating. And so the reproductive hormones are linked to the thyroid and the adrenals and normal development. They've actually proven that growth plates in the legs stay open longer when they are spayed and neutered young. Here, some of the rescues, they are spaying them and neutering at 8 and 10 weeks, and pumping them full of vaccines. And I'm like, oh my gosh, these poor dogs just don't even have a chance for a good healthy life. I just wanted to throw that out there because I think that's a really, really important thing for pet health. Do not spay and neuter too early.
Doggy Dan (25:05):	Leave it as long as you can. I mean, as you can see, I struggle with this topic.
Dr. Judy Jasek (25:15):	Yeah. Left you speechless, didn't it?
Doggy Dan (25:15):	Left me speechless. It doesn't happen very often. I often say to people do it earlier or at least do it before eight months, because from a behavioral point of view, I see what happens with a lot of the male dogs around eight months, they get so testy and kind of chest up, and you put them in a doggy daycare and all hell breaks loose quite often. So there's often that balance. I'm not saying you're wrong at any stretch of the imagination. I totally hear you. Sometimes it's a bit of a balance.
Dr. Judy Jasek (25:44):	Well, it's always a case by case basis, because I will tell people that too, if you have behavioral issues or you need to put them in a daycare, and a lot of facilities won't take intact dogs. Everybody has their own individual circumstances, but bottom line is kind of put it off as long as you can manage to do that.
Doggy Dan (26:06):	From a medical point of view, it's best to leave it. Yeah. Makes total sense. Just you touched on before about if people are wanting to read or find out more about the vaccines and stuff, they could go to aha.vet.com. Under multi multimedia, if you go there guys, it's a beautiful website. I just wanted to say that, Judy, I love your website.
Dr. Judy Jasek (26:27):	Oh thank you.
Doggy Dan (26:29):	Under podcast, there's nearly 100 podcasts and interviews and stuff, and it's everything from the safest and best pain medications to pets elevated liver enzymes, to itchy ears. How to prevent hip dysplasia, lymphoma in the raw diet. Why acid blockers block gut health, so much stuff. It's just fantastic. So do go there, ahavet.com, and we'll have links all over this podcast when it comes out as well. So fascinating stuff. Now, some of the other stuff you do is a little bit more alternative, or some people may not know about it. But would you touch on… I mean, there's so much stuff I'd love to chat to you about, whether it's Chinese herbal medicines and how they work. I'm fascinated with some of your cancer treatments, like mistletoe and Bach Flower Rescue Remedy. I've used rescue remedy many years ago when I had a bit of a fear. I had a fear of speaking in public, and I used Bach Flower Rescue Remedy, and it was just like magic, a couple of drops-
Dr. Judy Jasek (27:37):	Oh, interesting.
Doggy Dan (27:39):	Yep. So I swear by that. Interestingly enough, I used to go around doing dog consults, and I'd often say to people, “If you're a bit stressed, then Bach Flower Rescue Remedy, I swear it works.” And they'd actually pull some out of their bag and go, “I've actually got some.” I know that stuff works. Well, I believe in it anyway, but the mistletoe and the ozone treatments, I'm interested in that, maybe the CBD oil, any of that stuff that you'd be happy to share with us, mistletoe. Maybe any stories around that stuff that you've used some of that stuff for dogs, Chinese herbal medicines, mistletoe, would you share with us something around that, what it does?
Dr. Judy Jasek (28:16):	Sure. You bet. So Chinese herbal medicine is a real strong foundation for my practice, because these blends help correct imbalances in the bodies. Chinese medicine looks at patterns, hot versus cold, excess, deficiency, dry versus damp, and we're correcting imbalances. What I love about Chinese medicine is by correcting these imbalances, we can get a lasting resolution to the problems. It's not symptomatic. It's, okay, what's going on with this pet, and how can we help correct these imbalances? So even if I'm looking at an over vaccinated puppy or a dog that's been on poor nutrition or over medicated for multiple, multiple rounds of antibiotics for one reason or another, the herbs can still help correct these imbalances, and it's fascinating to me. This is stuff that's been around for thousands of years.
Dr. Judy Jasek (29:17):	What kills me about medicine is this stuff is considered a kind of woo woo, like, well, that's not standard of care. Standard of care is using the pharmaceutical that just got approved three months ago and was tested on a handful of dogs. That's supposed to be the standard of care, and it just provides symptomatic relief until they pull it off the market because it's killing pets, because that's what happens a lot. So I love herbal medicine. I'm always, always learning about it. I use it with lots of different cases, whether it's skin or cancer, all those different things. Specifically to cancer, mistletoe is one of the newer things I've added into my practice.
Dr. Judy Jasek (30:05):	I learn a lot from my clients. I think because I'm open-minded, I get the people in that teach me things. And I'll have clients come in and ask me about certain modalities. Do you do this? Would you be willing to learn about it? Because I really want to do this on my pet. And so a lot of times, that's how I get into learning new things. I'm like, “Sure, I'll look into it. That sounds really cool.” I don't do everything that people ask me about, but I started researching mistletoe when a client asked me about it. On the human side, it's used extensively in other parts of the world, in Europe, I know in Italy and some of the other countries over there for cancer patients. It's almost like a routine standard for cancer patients. It helps people with or without conventional treatments, so even people that are getting chemotherapy, they tend to suffer less side effects and do better and have better success with the treatments in doing mistletoe.
Dr. Judy Jasek (31:09):	And then I always like to find a veterinarian that's using these treatments in real life. I found a veterinarian here in the States in Florida that's using mistletoe in his practice. I chatted with him to find out what his protocols were and his successes, and I find it to be really effective, especially in slowing the growth of really aggressive tumors. I mean, there's no guarantee that we're going to have success with a cancer case, but I will say I have seen some cases, especially aggressive regrowth.
Dr. Judy Jasek (31:46):	One of the most challenging things that we run into in treating cancer is tumors get removed, which I don't advocate for nearly as much as I used to because what I find is most of the time, especially if it's a very aggressive cancer, you take it off and it just grows right back. When it grows back, it grows back with a vengeance. I do see pets that have had multiple surgeries, and every time the tumor is removed, it grows back more and more aggressively, and is harder and harder and harder to treat. I think part of that is in an effort to get good margins, the surgeon disrupts the circulation and it'll affect lymphatic flow in the area, and the body's immune system can't get in there to help fight the tumor.
Dr. Judy Jasek (32:36):	Once it's removed, well, it's one scenario where I have seen mistletoe really, really help. You asked about stories. I have one little case that I've been working with. Actually, I don't see him very much anymore. He kind of stabilized and then he doesn't come in too often anymore, but this dog had a real aggressive tumor removed from his hind leg and came in and was just limping. I mean, it started to regrow and he was really painful, just super, super painful. So he started doing ozone and introduced the mistletoe, and that tumor not only did it shrink, but his pain went away. I mean, the dog just started walking almost normally, barely limp and just doing really great, tons of energy. I think he's little terrier. I think a little Jack Russell terrier.
Dr. Judy Jasek (33:31):	She's like, “Could you give this dog… She actually said, “Could you give this dog a little less energy for a while, because he's driving me crazy,” because the dog was feeling so good. But it's amazing, and I think it's a real interesting parallel that mistletoe is actually a parasitic plant. It grows in the trees. We see it Christmas time and all that. I think it's interesting that this parasitic plant is such a powerful cancer treatment.
Doggy Dan (34:03):	Yeah. It always blows me away with what actually works. I was chatting to my wife about this. We've got a lovely horse and he's… She went to see him the other day, and I said, “How is he?” She goes, “Oh, it's that time of year where he is eating too much of the green, green, lush, sugary grass, and now he's got sick.” I said, “Why is he always so sick from eating all this grass? Why is that? How does that normally happen in the wild?” Because my mind goes, well, they don't get like this in the wild. They know how to deal with it. And she says, “In the wild, they're not forced to be stuck in a paddock where there's only one type of grass. They know how to move around and roam and forage for different things.” And they know how to, like you said, balance it out like Chinese medicine, balance it out, hot and cold. And she says, “They know what to eat to kind of…” Instinctively, the animals know how to balance it out and heal themselves. I sometimes think we doubt their intelligence, but they're super smart.
Dr. Judy Jasek (35:06):	Yeah. But they've actually, in grazing animals, they've actually studied them and found out that if they're allowed to roam a pasture with a variety of grasses and what we would consider weeds, but sometimes those plants are medicinal. That's what they need. And they will sometimes eat certain plants to purge parasites. Their body knows, and they don't get sick. I mean, a horse or a cow can be in a field with even plants that are potentially toxic. They don't eat those toxic plants in large enough amounts for them to hurt them, unless that's all that there is to eat. But if they have that variety, a little bit of that can be really beneficial. And they're meant to be out there wandering around. They're not meant to be in closed and small spaces.
Doggy Dan (35:77):	Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Would you touch on ozone treatments for the people who are not sure? You mentioned ozone treatments, so that's in cancer treatment. What is ozone? How does that work?
Dr. Judy Jasek (36:07):	Oh, I love to talk about ozone, because it's been a standby in my practice for a long time. It's another interesting story about how I got into this. This was another client came in, her dog had just had a malignant tumor removed from its leg. She didn't want to do chemotherapy or radiation. She said, “I want to do ozone. Would you do ozone?” I was like, at that point, I'd kind of heard about it. Didn't really know anything about it. She said, “I'll buy the equipment. If you do the treatments, I'll buy the equipment.” I'm like, “Okay. Clearly I'm meant to go this.” And she said, “Not only that, I see a human doctor.” She herself saw a human doctor that uses ozone on people. “And I've already asked her if you could come up and shadow and see how they do ozone treatments. And then if you could learn enough that way, then maybe we could do some treatments on my dog.” I'm like-
Doggy Dan (37:00):	Oh, isn't that amazing?
Dr. Judy Jasek (37:01):	… “Okay.” Guess the universe is throwing this in my lap and saying, you need to learn to do ozone. I did just that and learned enough from this human practice. I went up there and shadowed their ozone tech and started doing it. And then I went on to get more training and buy my own equipment, and I use it just all the time. But what ozone is basically, so ozone is O3. The oxygen in the air that we breathe is O2. Ozone has this extra oxygen atom, which makes it very, very reactive, and that makes it more effective at oxygenating the tissues. And really what the ozone does when it gets in the body, that O3 is very unstable molecule, wants to react with something, because this extra oxygen atom, that extra oxygen atom combines with other substances in the body, like amino acids, lipids, things like that, and forms, we call them ozonides. These are the substances that actually get in the cells. Essentially, what ozone does once it gets in the cells of the body is it ramps up the energy production.
Doggy Dan (38:09):	Gotcha.
Dr. Judy Jasek (38:10):	Anybody that has ever learned biology has probably heard about the Krebs cycle, which is how cells in the body produce energy. And there's a lot… This has been well worked out. I mean, I've been to whole weekend seminars on the physiology of how ozone works in the body. So it's not some woo woo science. It's very well worked out how the ozone gets into the cells, ramps up the energy production, so the healthy cells get healthier. Also by oxygenating the body, most disease processes, whether it's bacterial, viral, fungal, even cancer tend to thrive in low oxygen environments. And I think part of that is because the other cells are not as healthy. But when we oxygenate the body, it makes it an unfriendly environment for micro organisms or cancer cells to grow.
Dr. Judy Jasek (39:08):	There's a lot of theories out there about where cancer exactly comes from, but one is that it's parasitic or viral. There's a micro-organism involved in the development of cancer is one of the theories. And so the ozone helps actually eliminate that. It actually has direct anti-cancer properties. I will actually inject the ozone gas underneath a tumor. The ozone is made… I have a little generator. So I use medical grade oxygen, so regular O2, goes into this generator, and there's an electrical spark that splits that O2 into the single Os. And then that recombines and we end up with O3. It happens in the atmosphere during thunderstorms.
Doggy Dan (40:00):	I was going to say, I've got pictures of Tesla working away with “zzzzz zzzzzz”.
Dr. Judy Jasek (40:03):	Yeah. Right. Right. Exactly.
Doggy Dan (40:07):	Incredible.
Dr. Judy Jasek (40:07):	Exactly. There you go. So the systemic treatment that we do is I will put a little IV catheter in, draw blood, fix the blood with the ozone, and reinject it into the body. That's how we get the ozone into the body is through the blood. And then that ozone can go all over the body, and it seems to go where the body most needs it. Just see so many benefits as far as increased energy, older pets, it's just great for older pets, just helps with aches and pains and all sorts of different things as far and as long, as well as directly being a cancer treatment. So we do the blood treatment. We can inject it directly underneath tumors. If you have open wound, you can do a bagging procedure where you actually put like say you've got a wound on a leg that's not healing, we actually have limb bags that we can put like a plastic bag up over the limb, put the ozone in the bag and just let that ozone saturate right into that wound, and it will kill bacteria and support healing.
Dr. Judy Jasek (41:22):	It was used extensively in people prior to the takeover of big pharma. World War I, they would use in soldiers to treat gangrene before they had antibiotics. Very effective. There's a lot of papers from the early 1900s that came out and all the things they were using to treat people with ozone, I mean, tuberculosis and diabetes and all sorts of things, any kind of bacterial infections. I don't think there was a ton of cancer back then, but all of those diseases, and it just got squashed, because there's a lot of money selling drugs. So we can't have anything-
Doggy Dan (42:12):	There ain't much money in mistletoe.
Dr. Judy Jasek (42:15):	Cheap and effective treatments, you can't… The thing about ozone is it has to be generated on site, so it can't be patented or anything.
Doggy Dan (42:25):	No. Well, this is the thing, anything which seems to be able to be cheap or free or is natural and you can't patent it, it seems to be kind of boohooed and moved away. And yet, I've tested a number of things myself as a dog trainer and I know it works. One of the things I'd like to just ask your opinion on is for those people who have never experienced a flea infestation in their house, it's pretty horrendous. We had four dogs at the time and we were buying these packs of pour on flea treatments. We'd go through one and fleas would be there, and we'd clean the house out. We'd go through another one and spend whatever, $130 on four little tubes and put it on the dogs, and a week later, we still had it. We went through probably $1,000 of treatments with… We tried tags around the dog's neck, sound things, vibration things, all these expensive, but mainly pour on treatments.
Doggy Dan (43:21):	I actually chatted with somebody who worked in the industry, and he kind of said, well, we know the fleas have become resistant and we need to make the product more toxic. His actual words were, we need to increase the toxicity. I just thought, oh my good. It was the way he said it, like, oh, that's just the term we use, that's just how we talk about it, increasing the toxicity of the product that you're going to pour onto the back of your dog's neck so that it can soak into your dog's blood. I thought, there's something not right here. And then I realized of course that the fleas which jump around your dog's body, the only reason they die is because they bite your dog and the blood of your dog has got this product in it, and it's so toxic the fleas die.
Doggy Dan (44:09):	But then I realized the reason I never broke the cycle was because most of the fleas were not on the dog. Only 10% were on the dog, and 90% were around the house in the beds. It doesn't matter how well you clean, it can be very hard to get every single egg, because they lay… So then I went down another track and I bought a flea bomb, which was using natural pyrethrum. I believe pyrethrum is just a flower or something. It's a fairly natural thing, pyrethrum. You know pyrethrum?
Dr. Judy Jasek (44:40):	Yeah.
Doggy Dan (44:41):	This bomb was only 25 bucks. I sprayed at once and that was the end of it.
Dr. Judy Jasek (44:45):	Oh, no kidding.
Doggy Dan (44:47):	I used a flea bomb for 25 bucks, a bag of diatomaceous earth, which is ground up. It was like talcum powder. It comes from ground up tiny shells, very, very small crustacean shells. It's the finest powder. The vet guy who made the treatment, the flea treatments, he actually said, oh, it's a mechanical kill. That's clever. And what it is is, as he says, it's a mechanical kill. This dry powder gets into the arms and legs of the flies and actually dries them out and kills them that way. So a $25 flea bomb, a bit of this diatomaceous earth powder rubbed into my dog, and within a few days, that was the end of it, gone. And I thought, wow, now I know the secret. If you want to get rid of fleas properly, you don't have to pour all this-
Dr. Judy Jasek (45:38):	That's really interesting, because-
Doggy Dan (45:40):	It was phenomenal.
Dr. Judy Jasek (45:41):	… like I was telling you before we started the show, we don't have a lot of fleas here in Colorado, so I don't end up getting really well versed in… especially treating the premises, I mean, I don't recommend these toxic preventatives, because they're neurotoxins. I mean, they kill the insects by poisoning their nervous system. And so what is that doing to… It's doing the same thing to the dog. And so I-
Doggy Dan (46:08):	Is it the kidneys that have to then clean the blood?
Dr. Judy Jasek (46:11):	Kidneys and liver are the main detoxifying organs. So yeah, those are the ones-
Doggy Dan (46:17):	What detoxifies the liver and the kidneys? Or do they just have to deal with it.
Dr. Judy Jasek (46:20):	Well, there are some great herbal support, dandelion. Actually, the dandelion plant is one of the best detox agents. The leaves tend to be a really great kidney detox, and the root tends to be a great liver detox. So just giving some dandelion tincture, dandelion tea. I harvest my own, because they grow in my garden and I don't put any chemicals on mine, and I harvest my dandelions and dry them and put them in smoothies or put a little in my dog's food here and there. And so it's a great… that's probably one of the best and cheapest detoxifying agents if you can get them. Milk thistle is really great for the liver. That's another really great one, but those are just some really simple available things. I think doing something like that, I think a little detox maybe a week out of every month is a good thing to do. I don't think we need to detox continuously. I don't think it's actually good to detox continuously.
Doggy Dan (47:22):	No, no.
Dr. Judy Jasek (47:23):	But to do it periodically like that, add a little bit in, especially in the springtime, you guys are getting into springtime, it's a natural… dogs go out and eat grass. Plants start to grow and dogs go out there and eat them. It's a natural reflex for them to go out and eat these fresh, new spring greens because it helps them detoxify.
Doggy Dan (47:45):	Yeah. The dogs know when they're eating the grass, they know what they're doing. So yeah, we've got our two… We're heading into spring here, so we've got two flea bombs, and I literally just let them off as a deterrent in spring and we are guaranteed almost… Every time I've let off the flea bombs in spring, we never have a single flea case. It's just incredible.
Dr. Judy Jasek (48:06):	No. That's great to know. I've heard about the diatomaceous earth. They haven't had too many people try it.
Doggy Dan (48:13):	Yep. I can guarantee that works, literally. You literally get handfuls of the stuff and it's so cheap. You get a big kilogram or two kilogram bag, and you can stick your hands in and rub it under your dog's neck and under their armpits and around the back end and on the back of their neck, and you rub it in and they give it a big shake and there's a big puff of white smoke kind of thing, but it's just powder and it just falls off. By the end of the day, you can't even see it. We've also used it down with our chickens. Our chickens sometimes get those little bugs in them, and there's tiny mites. Anyone who's got chickens, it's the same thing. You sprinkle this powder around, and next thing you know, there's no mites anymore. They've all just disappeared and gone. And there's no side effects. It's beautiful stuff.
Dr. Judy Jasek (48:58):	Oh yeah. It's perfect, especially if you get food grade, there are different grades of it.
Doggy Dan (49:02):	Yep. Yep. Yep. This is food grade.
Dr. Judy Jasek (49:05):	But you want to get the food grade so that if your pet does ingest it, then it… I've used it for ants. We get ants here in the spring a lot, and I could see ants in my kitchen by the garbage can, and I would just put it… It doesn't look the neatest, but I didn't care. For few weeks, I will just pack it along the edges, the baseboard all along my kitchen, and then a few weeks and no more ants.
Doggy Dan (49:29):	Yep. This is food grade. A lot of it is food grade, but the stuff I get isn't. I sprinkled it on my cereal, and I won't be doing it again. It basically tasted like flour. I thought I can do without that ruining my cereal in the morning. I enjoy my usually without flour on the top.
Dr. Judy Jasek (49:47):	That's funny.
Doggy Dan (49:48):	Yeah. Hey, it has been so fun chatting to you. Is there anything else as we come to a close that you would love to share with people either about your website or where they can find out more about you, or a story or anything else you'd love to share?
Dr. Judy Jasek (50:02):	Probably the most important thing that I like to tell people, I mean, you have my website, you can find out more information about me there, but be an advocate for your pets. I think people fall into just blindly following the recommendations that they hear. And I so many times hear people say, God, I just knew I shouldn't have done. I just knew I shouldn't have given that shot. I knew that drug wasn't the right thing for my dog, but the vet said I should, so I did it anyway. And then we have consequences. Be an advocate for your pet. You know your pet better than anybody, because you're with them day in and day out. And when you feel like something isn't right for your pet, then don't do it. Get another opinion, push back. Ask your veterinarian, why are we doing this?
Doggy Dan (50:46):	Yeah.
Dr. Judy Jasek (50:47):	Ask them if they know the side effects of whatever they're proposing to give your pet. Be your pet's advocate. I think that's the most important thing, and speak up. Veterinarians are not gods. People are afraid to question the vet. Ask questions. Ask why are they prescribing this medication? Why is this vaccine necessary? What is my pet's actual risk of getting these diseases that you're recommending I vaccinate against? You don't have to be mean about it, but just ask some questions, and be your pet's advocate, and trust your gut when it comes to your pets, because you're going to be right most of the time.
Doggy Dan (51:24):	Trust your gut. Let's leave it with that. I love it. Trust your gut. Dr. Judy Jasek, thank you for your time. It has been inspirational. Wonderful listening to you. If you want to find out more, it's ahavet.com, ahavet.com. So many beautiful podcasts and blog posts and videos all go to my website, theonlinedogtrainer.com/ahavet. And there you'll find all the links and the transcriptions and everything you need there as well, and all the links back to Dr. Judy's website. Judy, thank you for being on the Doggy Dan podcast show today.
Dr. Judy Jasek (52:08):	No. My pleasure. My pleasure, Dan. Great chatting with you.
Doggy Dan (52:11):	Okay. So you've been listening to another edition of the Doggy Dan podcast show. Whereas I say within every dog is a good dog and within every good dog is a great dog. Have a great day, and thanks for tuning in. Bye-bye.
Voiceover (52:25):	You've been listening to another episode of the Doggy Dan podcast show, bringing you one step closer to creating harmony with your dog.

Scroll back to top

The post Dr. Judy Jasek: Integrative Dog Medicine Providing Natural And Safe Vet Care appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Healthy New Year Habits: All About Leaky Gut Syndrome in Dogs

Doggy Dan — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 12:30:31 +0000

Can you believe that it’s the new year already?!

And while we humans are busy making our new year's resolutions and starting off the new year by getting healthier, shouldn’t we be doing the same for our pets?

This is the perfect time to start thinking about your pup’s overall health and identify areas where you might help them be even healthier.

Which leads me to a trending topic right now…leaky gut in dogs.

Leaky gut syndrome can lead to so many other health issues like arthritis, food sensitivities, IBS, fatigue, inflammation, and auto-immune conditions.

A healthy dog starts with a healthy gut!

I want you to learn all about leaky gut…what causes it, what to look for, and how to deal with it so you can keep your pup healthy all year long.

The truth is that leaky gut syndrome is often misdiagnosed, so it’s important to understand exactly what you should be looking for so you don’t begin treating the wrong condition…

…which will only make your problem worse.

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty…

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome in Dogs?

Simply put, Leaky Gut means that the lining in your dog’s gut stops working properly. Without this barrier, undigested food, other bacteria, and viruses can flow directly into your dog’s bloodstream.

It is sometimes referred to as intestinal permeability.

Your pup’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract contains everything your dog consumes on a daily basis – from food to water to pieces of your chewed up couch (which should be dealt with another time). And their digestive system decides what goes into the bloodstream (healthy nutrients) and what should be kept out (that expensive fabric from your couch).

We all know dogs don’t typically practice discretion when they’re out and about…they’ll drink dirty water from a puddle or pick up that piece of roadkill while on a walk without thinking twice. The GI tract and gut wall protect your dog from the harmful (or bacteria-ridden) things they consume.

When the GI tract and gut wall stop working properly, the things that are normally kept out are allowed into your dog's system, causing all sorts of havoc.

Common Signs of Leaky Gut Syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome is commonly misdiagnosed, and for good reason.

That’s because the signs of leaky gut syndrome are the same signs that point to food allergies or intolerance. For that reason, leaky gut often goes untreated for years and continues to cause even more health issues for your pup.

Remember that leaky gut means that proteins and food particles leak out before they’re digested, causing all the same symptoms as your dog not being able to digest the proteins.

So one of the most common signs of a leaky gut is food intolerance.

When particles leak through your dog’s gut, your dog’s body thinks that bacteria or a virus is present and mounts an immune response. Those immune consequences are common signs that your dog might have a leaky gut, like:

Autoimmune disease
Arthritis and joint pain
Allergies and skin issues
Digestive issues
Bowel disease
Liver, kidney, pancreas, and gallbladder disorders
Thyroid issues

Leaky gut syndrome results in chronic inflammation, which is why so many organs can be affected. Obviously only one of these issues is possibly an isolated incident and probably doesn’t point to leaky gut.

If your dog suffers from several of these issues, there’s a good chance that your dog has a leaky gut. The next step? Identify if your dog has been in contact with any of the stressors, or causes, of leaky gut.

What Causes Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Stresses to your gut are often the culprit behind leaky gut syndrome. While it’s difficult to diagnose, you can look at the things your dog has been exposed to so you can determine if any of these might be the cause of your pup’s apparent leaky gut.

Some of the biggest stressors that cause leaky gut include:

Antibiotics (which rid your dog’s gut of the good bacteria that keeps his digestive system healthy)
Drugs (like NSAIDs, steroids, heartworm, flea and tick medications, or antihistamines)
Vaccines
Stress
Abdominal trauma
Age (as your dog gets older, the amount of healthy gut bacteria begins to decrease)
Diet

I want to touch briefly on that last bullet point…diet.

A slew of diet-related stressors can cause leaky gut syndrome, and some of them might be right in the food you feed your dog.

Glyphosate is an herbicide, but it’s also an antibiotic. Glyphosate is present in nearly all dog foods that contain grains or legumes. Check your dog’s food for ingredients like non-organic oats, wheat, soy, potatoes, and legumes (peas, chickpeas, lentils, beans, and peanuts).

Lectins are proteins found in plants that protect them from predators, but they also attack the lining of your dog’s gut, causing leaky gut. Look for beans, peas, soybeans, lentils, and other legumes in your dog’s food to identify if your dog is consuming lectins regularly.

Mycotoxins grow on grains, legumes, and other starchy plants, and they are also known to cause cancer. They are not found in specific ingredients, but all grains and legumes likely carry these bad toxins, which have been linked to leaky gut.

You may not know this, but most dogs don’t produce lactase, which is the enzyme that aids in digesting the lactose found in dairy products. For this reason, any food containing dairy can cause inflammation and lead to leaky gut.

If your dog is exposed to any of these ingredients regularly or if they are taking medications or under a high amount of stress, and if your dog experiences the health issues I outlined above, it’s time to look into what might be the underlying cause…leaky gut.

Once you suspect your dog has leaky gut, it’s time to start treating it.

How to Treat Leaky Gut Syndrome

The first step you’ll want to take if you suspect your dog has leaky gut syndrome is to focus on gut health. Note every single thing that goes into your dog’s body, including supplements, medications, and vaccines, and analyze if they could be contributing to your dog’s leaky gut.

Consult with your vet and stop any drugs and antibiotics.

Yes, even if you’re treating another condition.

If you stop what’s causing leaky gut and prioritize gut health, it may get to the bottom of your dog’s existing health issues.

Start feeding a raw food diet or, at the very least, a diet made from raw, whole foods. Be sure to also ditch the treats that include dyes, preservatives, or fillers.

Check out a recent blog post I did on feeding your dog raw dog food.

Next, you’ll want to reduce anything that’s causing your dog stress. Any stress they experience triggers the release of cortisol, which only causes more inflammation and contributes to leaky gut.

If your dog gets stressed in new situations or busy streets, try avoiding those places so your dog can repair and rebuild their gut wall and get back to being healthy.

Talk to your vet about adding supplements, prebiotics, or probiotics to your dog’s regimen to help support and strengthen their gut.

What your dog consumes on a daily basis is EXTREMELY important to their overall health. If one of your goals is to get healthy this year…do the same for your dog.

Even if your dog doesn’t have leaky gut, the tips I’ve shared here can also be great for preventing leaky gut, so your dog can live their best life in 2022.

Happy [Healthy] New Year!

~ Doggy Dan

The post Healthy New Year Habits: All About Leaky Gut Syndrome in Dogs appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Susan Thixon: The Scary Truth Behind Dog Food Labels

Doggy Dan — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 00:30:42 +0000

Listen above or: TODT App / iTunes / Spotify (Tap the subscribe button – it’s free and keeps you updated!)

Today’s Guest

Susan Thixton:

I’m so excited to introduce to you today’s guest, Susan Thixon, an incredible pet food advocate who’s working hard to help keep animals safe at meal time.

Unfortunately, Susan’s work started due to the loss of her beloved pup who developed cancer after eating food that was designed to be able to stay on shelves for 30 years. This tragic incident fueled Susan’s passion for doing her best to help provide the public with insight into what their dogs are actually eating.

During this podcast episode, Susan and I share a few fascinating stories regarding pet food, and, Susan provides incredibly helpful insight into how pet parents can determine what foods are safe to give their furbabies.

If you’re curious about whether your pet food makes the cut, this is a podcast you don’t want to miss!

You’ll Hear About

[01:00] Who is Susan Thixtson
[02:10] Susan’s Story
[06:00] The Dangers of Ethoxyquin
[07:00] Pet food Industry Tricks
[07:50] Decomposed Meat Secrets
[10:00] The Dangers of Bacteria
[13:00] Susan’s Biggest Pet Food Concerns
[20:30] What Can Consumers Do to Ensure Safety?
[23:00] Doggy Dan’s Story
[26:00] Resources for Pet Food Education
[32:30] Susan’s Resources

How You Can Get Involved

Visit Susan’s websites to find out what’s really in the food you’re feeding your pets, and support her vital work by subscribing to Susan’s Petsumer Report.

Learn about the laws governing pet food in your country.

Consider switching to a natural raw diet.

Supplement any processed diet with eggs, fish, mince, raw meaty bones and organs.

Links & Resources

Website: https://truthaboutpetfood.com
Website: https://www.petsumerreport.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruthaboutPetFood
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TAPF
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0p3KKhy7epJJyc2avWZjvQ
Pet Fooled Docufilm Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3hMjQD5T9c

Learn more by tuning into the podcast!

Thanks for listening—and again, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on TODT App / iTunes / Spotify to get automatic updates.

Cheers,

~Doggy Dan

Transcript

Download New Tab

Susan Thixton: (00:00)	I consider myself a pet owner and a pet owner that experienced a pet food killing my pet. And it literally changed my life. My dog, who was my best friend, she had a tumor show up on her pelvic bone almost overnight and took her to my vet. He said this tumor was cancer. And I had about two weeks to tell her goodbye and that the cancer was more than likely caused by a chemical preservative that is commonly used in pet foods.
Voiceover: (00:38)	Welcome to the Doggy Dan Podcast Show, helping you unleash the greatness within your dog.
Doggy Dan: (00:50)	Hello and welcome everybody to another Doggy Dan Podcast and today I have Susan Thixton with me. Susan is a pet food consumer advocate, and she's one of just a handful of advocates in the US that fights to hold the pet food industry accountable to existing food safety regulations. So she's the founder of Association for Truth in Pet Food, which is a pet food consumer stakeholder organization, which represents the consumer voice at regulatory meetings. Susan is also the author and coauthor of several books. The publisher of the website, truthaboutpetfood.com, petsumerreport.com and association for truth in pet food. And I've had a look at the sites and they are fantastic. So Susan, welcome. Thank you for joining us today. It's really cool to have you with us.
Susan Thixton: (01:44)	Well, thank you for having me.
Doggy Dan: (01:46)	It's our pleasure. So I love your websites. I've watched a lot of the videos on them, but I always like to just hand over to you. Tell us a little bit about yourself in your own words, where you've come from, what you do, just to give the audience a little bit of perspective on where you're coming from.
Susan Thixton: (02:10)	I consider myself a pet owner and a pet owner that experienced a pet food killing my pet, and it literally changed my life. It changed the direction of my life. And it's been 30 some odd years ago in the early 1990s, my dog and I was a dog trainer at the time, ran a boarding and training facility. And my dog, who was my best friend, my business partner, she had a tumor show up on her pelvic bone almost overnight, and took her to my vet who this vet knew more about pet food back then than most veterinarians do today. He said this tumor was cancer and I had about two weeks to tell her goodbye. And that the cancer was more than likely caused by a chemical preservatives that is commonly used in pet foods. And back then, I didn't know what a chemical preservative was.
Susan Thixton: (03:20)	My vet explained that it was too used in pet foods to extend the shelf life. I didn't know what shelf life was, but I was so devastated that I called the pet food manufacturer. This was my first phone call to a pet food company. And I asked them how long the food would stay fresh. And they very proudly told me this dog food would stay fresh for 30 years. Those words changed everything for me, that and telling my dog goodbye. It was just life altering. And that particular vet gave, this was before the internet, really dating myself. That vet loaned me books to read, and when the internet, everyone had access to the internet, you could access papers and the law, I tend to focus more on the legal aspects of pet food. What is law? What laws are not abided by? So forth. And one thing led to another. Some friends challenged me to start the website, and I started Truth about Pet Food in 2006. And here we are today, still battling for law to be enforced and for transparency for the consumer
Doggy Dan: (04:59)	Dog food that will last and quote "stay fresh" for 30 years. I mean, I watched the movie Pet Fooled and I still, those words stuck with me. And that's your quote that's on there, I believe. Is that right?
Susan Thixton: (05:13)	Yes, yeah.
Doggy Dan: (05:14)	Yeah. That story was just incredible. I remember going what?
Susan Thixton: (05:19)	I can remember that conversation as if it was yesterday. It was horrible.
Doggy Dan: (05:25)	I mean, just for people who are listening, what we're saying is the food that Susan was inquiring about will stay, I mean, they say fresh. I'm sure it's not fresh. It's just, it's deemed fit for dogs for 30 years. I mean, I repeated that to so many of my friends. I said, what lasts 30 years? Bread doesn't last 30 years, no potatoes, no vegetables. Meat won't last 30 years. Flour would go off before 30 years. I mean, even the paper cup would probably disintegrate within 30 years. So what is it that's in that food? Can you tell us what these preservatives actually are?
Susan Thixton: (06:03)	The preservative that was used that is linked to cancer in dogs and cats is ethoxyquin, and it's spelled E-T-H-O-X-Y-Q-U-I-N, I believe. Ethoxyquin is still used to this day in pet food. You'll see it sometimes on the label in the ingredient list, but worse yet some ingredients are preserved with it. A common one that is preserved with ethoxyquin is fish meal. So if your pet food has a fish meal, any kind of meal ingredient, chicken meal, beef meal, lamb meal, they can all be preserved with ethoxyquin. And it's a bad chemical.
Doggy Dan: (06:77)	And this is where I think you've reminded me of a very clever trick. If this is true, then I think this just sums up how tricky it all gets. If the fish meal is preserved in ethoxyquin before it's delivered to the manufacturer, they don't have to announce that it's got ethoxyquin in. Is that correct?
Susan Thixton: (07:19)	That is correct. They do not have to disclose. The manufacturer did not add it. So the manufacturer does not have to disclose it to the consumer.
Doggy Dan: (07:30)	So you see how tricky this everybody is. If something's got a really bad product in it, the way to get around it is to ask the people who are supplying the ingredients to do it first. And then they don't have to announce that they've got it in the food. How tricky? How deceitful? I mean, that's just deceitful beyond words for me.
Susan Thixton: (07:48)	It is. Yes. And it's one of many deceitful things about this industry. In the US, pet food, the FDA. FDA is the ultimate regulatory authority over pet food and the FDA openly allows pet foods to contain illegal adulterated ingredients. And I'm going to warn listeners. I'm going to get a little graphic here. A cow dies in the field and lays there decomposing for three days. A truck comes and picks up that decomposing carcass. That carcass is ground and sold to pet food with no disclosure to the consumer whatsoever. And it can be sold to the consumer with a picture of a beautiful steak on the label. In the US, I just did a post on this, 159,000 pounds of condemned carcasses. Now, this is a step up from the decomposing carcass out in a field. 159 million, excuse me. 159 million pounds of condemned carcasses. So these are cattle, hogs, chickens, turkeys that were slaughtered, but the animals were diseased. So they were condemned, deemed unfit for human consumption. All of those are allowed into pet food with no disclosure to the consumer.
Doggy Dan: (09:43)	It's very concerning because of course there may be a lot of the chicken and a lot of the food that the dead animals' carcasses may be fit for... And maybe healthy enough for dogs to eat, but the concern, I guess, I'm thinking is it may be that they died of a pretty bad disease that you don't want going back into the dog food. I mean, that's what I'm thinking iis.
Susan Thixton: (10:08)	And another issue is these ingredients are not required. None of the manufacturing safety procedures that apply to human food are applied to pet food. And one of the big safety features is ingredients to be stored and transported under refrigeration. Well, when you have meats, fats that are transported and stored without refrigeration, they start to decompose, bacteria levels escalate in there. The FDA thinks, well, if we just cook this material, we're killing the bacteria. Well, but there's another huge problem and it's called endotoxins. Some bacteria, as example, salmonella and e. coli, they are gram negative bacteria. And when there is a kill step for that bacteria such as cooking the meat loaded with this bacteria, these gram negative bacterias produce a toxin called an endotoxin. And live bacteria isn't as much of a risk to our pets as it is to us, but the dead bacteria, the toxins, the endotoxins is a huge risk.
Susan Thixton: (11:43)	And nobody tests these pet foods for levels of endotoxins. It's just a massive problem. There's one thing after another, after another, that is hidden from pet owners. So what it all boils down to, I could go on for days about all the bad things is that they're not all bad, but you have to do your homework. You have to learn if this manufacturer is using USDA inspected and passed edible ingredients. Meat, everything else, all other ingredients, if they are human grade ingredients. So you've got to ask the manufacturer questions. Are these meat ingredients transported and warehoused under refrigeration? How often is the food tested? So you just keep asking questions of the manufacturer. You're trusting your pet's and life with this food. So you've got to ask a lot of questions.
Doggy Dan: (12:52)	Fascinating. So can you tell us, I'm interested in kind of going down the rabbit hole a little bit more in terms of your concerns before we start looking at solutions. So what are the other concerns? What are your other biggest concerns that you have about the pet food industry or dog food in particular? What are the tricks are there that are going on that consumers may be completely unaware of?
Susan Thixton: (13:20)	Well, the biggest to me is that we are... pet owners are not told any quality of ingredients. If you are buying a pet food, like those a hundred, almost 60 million pounds of condemned, diseased animal carcasses, we're not paying for someone else's garbage. And we should not have to become a private investigator and have to trace this down if we're paying our money for this product, a product that's termed a food. So that is the biggest thing is, is lack of transparency to the quality of ingredients. There is also an issue of lack of transparency of the laws. So all of the laws and lack of consumer input and considerations for the laws. Consumers for years have wanted carbohydrate information on pet food labels. And a few companies are providing that voluntarily, but we still don't have that in regulation yet.
Susan Thixton: (14:40)	So it's how much salt is in a pet food. There's so many different things and all of those laws are hidden from consumers. If you want to research the laws on your food, you can read until your eyes are crossed. They're all on the internet, they're all free for the public to access and read. The same is not true for pet food regulations. And like just the simple term with, you've seen labels that said, brand XYZ, dog food with chicken. Well, the with means that that pet food is required to contain 3%, a minimum of 3% chicken. And I think it's an 18 pound bag. The minimum is like eight ounces, in an 18 pound bag of dog food. Only eight ounces of chicken.
Doggy Dan: (15:54)	And I guess that doesn't even have to be chicken meat, does it? It could be chicken anything.
Susan Thixton: (15:58)	That is correct. Every ingredient and pet food has its own legal definition, which is very different from the same food in humans, human food. So chicken can be condemned chicken. It can be edible, USDA inspected and passed chicken. It can be chicken meat. It can be chicken skin, no meat. It can be chicken bones, no meat. So that eight ounces of chicken that you're getting, you don't even know what that is. And another problem is that veterinarians are denied access to all of this stuff. We need more veterinarians to be on the consumer side, to be appalled that non-slaughtered animals and condemned animals are dumped, disposed of into pet food, that we don't have access to these laws. But because they don't know, they don't have access to the laws either, I think that then they tend to believe their sales reps, their big pet feed sales reps, more than us, more than their clients. And I think we need more vets to stand alongside with us.
Doggy Dan: (17:24)	Yeah. I think what you've touched on there is the, almost the levels of deceit and the deliberate kind of... Almost feels like the deliberate manipulation of the truth and the lack of transparency just, it just leaves the owner... It's just so hard to really get any idea of what's in the dog food. And I think the bit that you've touched on there is it's just that we would like to have the choice of knowing, is this real chicken meat and what percentage, and was it fresh meat or was it dead? Was it dead and dying or is it bones and whatever. But we want to know so that we don't end up paying the top, top price. And I know this kind of happens, you pay top, top dollar and you're actually not getting top, top food for our dogs.
Susan Thixton: (18:16)	Yeah, we have no idea that in the US again, pet foods, if the label, you cannot take with any faith any claims made on a pet food website. They might be truthful, they might not be truthful. But the label, if you see the words human grade on the pet food label, labels are validated, the words on labels, not images, but the words on labels are validated by regulatory authorities. And if you see those words, human grade on the pet food label, then that means that dog or cat food includes a hundred percent, no exception, all human edible ingredients and human edible supplements, and that it was manufactured per human food safety standards. So pet food has different manufacturing standards and a good example, which would never be allowed in human food, the FDA did an inspection, this was a follow-up inspection. I believe it was in 2017, 2018 of a mass pet care facility. And this facility had a recall.
Susan Thixton: (19:42)	And then this was a year later, they did a follow up inspection. And they noted, quote, "millions of roaches in the food production area." And there was no follow up recall to that. FDA did nothing. They did absolutely nothing. It was just accepted that this manufacturing facility, pet food, food manufacturing facility was contaminated with roaches. And it didn't matter because it was going to pets.
Doggy Dan: (20:20)	Wow. Staggering, isn't it. So one of the things... I'm curious, what are the things, the simple things that people can do to either find out from a website or a book what the good food is or what words? I mean, you've mentioned the word human grade is a great... If you have the words human grade, that's a big plus. What else can people do? What are the things that you'd recommend people do to start moving towards ensuring the dogs are getting good food?
Susan Thixton: (20:49)	I would suggest every pet owner to email or call and that kind of like to have it personally in writing versus in a phone conversation, just so you have that evidence and hold on to that email. But ask them, ask your manufacturer if ingredients are human edible, if supplements are human edible. Ask them the country of origin of all ingredients, and then ask them how often the manufacturer tests incoming ingredients and the finished pet food. And a perfect example of it really... The manufacturers need to test their incoming ingredients is Science Diet. They had a massive recall for excess vitamin D that, had the company tested incoming ingredients, would have never happened. So we need, yes, testing is expensive, but the larger the brand, there is no excuse. Absolutely no excuse for them not to test every incoming shipment of ingredients and every batch going out the door.
Doggy Dan: (22:20)	Yap. Because I mean that's, at the end of the day, food in... The food coming in if you test that and you test the food going out, then it's going to be pretty good.
Susan Thixton: (22:30)	Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. No, they're going to still be manufacturing errors, but that would be caught in testing it before it was shipped out. And a lot of, even a lot of smaller manufacturers, it's really amazing how much testing they do. And that's wonderful. We need them. Again, we're trusting our pets' lives with this company. So we need them to step up and do everything they can to assure us that this is a safe product.
Doggy Dan: (23:06)	I have my own personal story, which I want to throw in here, because you've heard it a hundred times, but just to give consumers an idea of just how real this is. We had a cat. Some of you who follow me in my dog training program, may have seen my dear cat named [Boujar 00:23:23]. He was a ginger cat. And he got very, very sick and was... He was clearly dying and my wife was actually not very well. She was in bed crying at the time saying, take the cat to the vet. He's going to die. And we'd already taken him to our usual vet who'd done the blood tests and said he had leukemia, needed cancer treatment for two or $3000. But we were very suspicious. It just did not feel like that. He wasn't eating properly. He was kind of throwing his food up and he was... All his hair was falling out.
Doggy Dan: (23:55)	So I decided to take him to another vet a bit further away. It was a long drive. And the problem was Boujar also was sick when he was in the car. So it was always going to be a horrible journey. But I did, it took them to this other vet. This other vet, I kid you not, he put his hand on my cat. He ran his hand down the cat. He took one look at him and he said, and he just said, "Well, his hair's falling out. I can tell you now it's the food you're feeding him." And I just said, "Really?" He said, "Yap." He said, "What are you feeding him?" And I told him. And it was one of the quote, unquote, best brands available. One of the biggest in the world, sort of. One of these large multinational dog and cat food companies. I was feeding him the best.
Doggy Dan: (24:36)	And he said, "Yep, that'll do it." I said, “What do you mean?" He said, "Well, that's got a preservative in it, which will kill your cat and dog. It's banned from the human food chain, but they're still allowed to put it in the cat and dog food." I said, "Really?" He says, "Yeah, that's all it is." He said, "Take these little pills." And he gave me some little pills. He said, "Feed your cat and put him on chicken and rice and give me a ring in two days. I thought, two days, this cat's going to take weeks to recover. If he's alive in two days, I'll be happy. Anyway, I took him home and... Just before I left, I said, well, what about the leukemia? And he looked at me and he said, your cat does not have leukemia. I kid you not, two days later, this cat had doubled in white.
Doggy Dan: (25:18)	All of the fur started growing and the vet also said that the reason he's sick is because he can't eat because all his hair's falling out. He's licking himself. He's got a furball stuck in his belly from all of this. That's why he can't eat. Two days later, he doubled in white. This cat lived for another 10 years.
Susan Thixton: (25:36)	Oh, wow.
Doggy Dan: (25:37)	And guess who was feeding me the... giving me the dog food, the cat food? It was the same vet who said he had cancer. I was buying the very food that was killing my cat from the same vet who was going to then do cancer treatment when really it was this, the cat food. And I spoke to people about this and a number of people who've had similar experiences or not realized whether it's tumors from the dogs. And a lot of them are selling the big-branded dog food. And I've got no doubt, yep.
Susan Thixton: (26:10)	Well, so much of it is waste ingredients and you are what you eat. And we cannot expect these animals to eat recycled garbage, and expect them to thrive.
Doggy Dan: (26:25)	It's not going to happen.
Susan Thixton: (26:29)	That's an amazing story. Thank you for sharing that.
Doggy Dan: (26:31)	Oh yeah. Well, it was a beautiful vet, a beautiful vet. Very, very amazing holistic vet here in New Zealand. Now, could you tell us, is there a website? I know you've got a couple of beautiful websites. Where would you suggest people go if they're going, how can I maybe, I don't know, find out whether my vet, my dog foods are good dog food, or is there a place like that you could recommend? Or how can I learn more from? Which website would you recommend they start moving towards?
Susan Thixton: (26:58)	Well, I always encourage pet owners to educate themselves on the laws in your country. So wherever your listeners are at, learn the laws in your country that regulate pet food. That gives you a foundation to then know if your product is abiding by law or if they're not. So educate yourself as much as possible. For pet owners in the US, we have... I take pet food consumers. I'm solely supported by pet food consumers. And I have two different products that I sell to support the work that I do. And one is a pet food review, publication, Petsumer Report. And it's petsumerreport.com. Now that is strictly for pet food sold in the US.
Susan Thixton: (27:56)	But there's lots of different places. Following different people. I'm not the last word in pet food by any means, so follow different people. Dr. Karen Becker is great. Rodney Habib, Dr. Judy Morgan, Dr. Laurie Coger. There's a lot of people, follow to continue your education. And you don't have to read everything that they put out, but you can read some, and every bit you learn, you're in a much better position to protect your pet and to sift through all the marketing and find your pet a healthy food.
Doggy Dan: (28:42)	That's brilliant. We'll put all the links that we can on this podcast. We'll write it all up and have all the links there. So anyone who's thinking I'm driving and I wished I'd grabbed that URL, whether it was the petsumerreport.com or any of the names mentioned. We'll get all those written up. That's really, really great to have that information. And I believe you, you've got a couple of books you've been involved with. Can you tell us a little bit about those?
Susan Thixton: (29:10)	Well, they're not in print anymore, but I've taken them down. Buyer Beware was a book. I need to do another one and I just haven't had the time about the regulation or lack of regulation of pet food. And then myself and a veterinarian did a pet food Cookbook, which we don't have up anymore either. And that's another way. Don't ever hesitate, think you're incapable of preparing your own pet's food, then you're going to know exactly how safe it is because you bought all the ingredients. Just make sure you follow a good recipe. And there again, Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker have some wonderful recipes. Dr. Judy Morgan has some recipes. So as long as you get a good recipe that is complete and balanced, provides all the nutrition. And you can do it all through food, that's how our cookbook was. It was providing all the nutrition through food, not having to add supplements.
Doggy Dan: (30:25)	Brilliant, brilliant. Well, Susan, is there anything else you'd like to add before we wrap this up in terms of something that you'd like to share a story or tell us about your plans? Anything else you'd like to encourage the listeners to do? It's been absolutely fantastic chatting with you, and it's got me all motivated again.
Susan Thixton: (30:45)	I always encourage pet owners to, well, two things, to pay it forward. Just like what you did, sharing your story, if you've had a good experience, and you've learned something, share that with another pet owner. We are grassroots. We are trying to save other pet owners from learning lessons the hard way mine was a lesson learned the hard way with the death of my pet. And the other is to speak up. To write your elected officials, to demand that law be enforced with pet food and transparency and labels. Often I will write about different issues and I ask pet owners to write their representatives or write their regulatory authorities. And I'll even give an example, email. All they have to do is copy it and paste it into an email. And that really helps a lot. The more voices, the more we all stand up together and become a louder voice for all of our pets. It's not just my pets. It's not just your pets. We're all in this together. And so the more we speak out about it is helpful.
Doggy Dan: (32:22)	That's brilliant. That's brilliant. So that website again, was petsumerreport.com. And so if you're interested in finding out more, then maybe start there, or TruthaboutPetFood.com. Susan, it has been an absolute pleasure chatting to you. I can tell you know a lot about what you're talking about. It's incredible. I love chatting to people who know their stuff. I feel like we could chat for hours.
Susan Thixton: (32:53)	Well, thank you for having me.
Doggy Dan: (32:55)	Yeah, it's my pleasure. And so for those of you who want to know more, you can go to any of those websites or go to theonlinedogtrainer.com/petsumerreport, and all the links and details will be there. All right, everybody. Well, thank you for listening and love your dog.
Voiceover: (33:16)	You've been listening to another episode of the Doggy Dan Podcast Show, bringing you one step closer to creating harmony with your dog.

Scroll back to top

The post Susan Thixon: The Scary Truth Behind Dog Food Labels appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

The Benefits of Feeding Raw Dog Food (And how to make an easy switch!)

Doggy Dan — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 12:30:25 +0000

If you’re anything like me, you pay attention to what you put in your body and know that proper nutrition is the basis for good health.

I, myself, am a vegetarian, and I always try to eat natural foods to fuel my body.

But when it comes to our dogs, we don’t always think like that. We head over to the supermarket and buy processed kibble that’s far from natural. It might be convenient, but it’s actually not very good for your dog.

Even the “premium” brands of kibble aren’t the healthiest option for your four-legged friend.

I’ve been doing a lot of research lately into the raw-dog-food diet and, believe me, I was shocked at the things I learned about feeding kibble.

I’ve even talked with some experts on my podcast show about this topic.

That’s when I discovered all of the benefits to feeding your dog a raw diet.

And I was convinced.

Because I have been feeding my own dogs a combination of raw dog food and kibble for quite some time.

But knowing what I know now, I’m working toward a completely raw-food diet for all of my dogs.

Should you do the same?

Let me share a little bit about what I know along with helpful resources so you can make the best decision for your dog.

What’s Wrong with Kibble?

Kibble is often the default dog food, and I get why.

It’s easy, convenient, clean… and your dog certainly seems to like it.

But the truth is that kibble is processed, and not highly digestible.

Many of the nutrients that you see on the label of your dog’s food are not naturally occurring nutrients. Most of the vitamins and minerals are created synthetically.

To top it off, commercial kibble is filled with mycotoxins, or toxic substances that can cause allergies and even cancer. And it’s missing those valuable enzymes that your dog NEEDS for a healthy gut.

And while your dog is surely a part of your family, they are still an animal, and they are CARNIVORES! It’s in their nature to want to eat real food and not man-made dog food.

They’re just not built to thrive on fillers and other synthetic nutrients and flavorings.

But you might be thinking…

“Doggy Dan, my vet recommended my dog’s food. How can it possibly be bad?”

While your vet is great at providing emergency care, running tests, and performing surgery, they are astonishingly taught very little about nutrition in vet school. And a majority of the training they receive is (GASP!) provided by pet food companies.

So it comes as no surprise that they would recommend food made by those very pet food companies.

If your dog struggles with allergies, weight issues, digestive problems, or any other common conditions, feeding them kibble isn’t doing them any favors. But a raw-food diet might just be the solution to your dog’s issues.

What Are the Benefits to a Raw Diet?

Before we talk about the benefits, I want to be very clear on what a raw dog diet means.

A raw dog diet consists of organ meats, muscle meats, whole or ground bone, raw eggs, and dog-friendly fruits and vegetables. Some dairy products like yogurt can also be included.

What exactly does that mean? It means things like raw chicken (on or off the bone), grass-fed beef, animal liver or kidneys, raw eggs, broccoli, spinach or apples.

The key to a raw diet is to make sure that the food is fresh and uncooked. Be sure that you’re purchasing from a reputable source, so you don’t get meat from a sick animal.

There are even subscription services that can deliver raw dog food to your door consistently, which means less work for you!

Advocates of the raw-food diet for dogs cite healthier skin, shinier coats, increased energy, and improved dental health as just a few benefits.

More importantly, many report that a raw-dog-food diet can improve health ailments and digestive issues. Common issues like allergies and gastrointestinal problems can benefit greatly by eating a diet of raw meat, organs, and bones.

That’s because raw food is easily digestible by dogs!

And a raw diet removes a lot of the artificial allergens that might have been introduced to the kibble you’ve been feeding your pup.

When you continue to treat issues like allergies with medication, you’re not addressing the root cause of your dog’s reaction. A raw-food diet gets to the bottom of the issue, while eliminating the use of pills or other treatments.

It might seem dangerous to have raw meat sitting out for other members of your family to come in contact with. But if you take proper precautions and wash your hands after handling raw meat and keep your dog’s feeding area clean, you shouldn’t see any problems.

But, you might be thinking, how are the bones safe to eat? Won’t my dog choke on them?

As long as the bones are raw and uncooked, they aren’t harmful to your dog and do not pose a choking hazard. Cooked bones can create shards of bone that can cause inflammation and damage throughout the digestive tract.

So it’s important that you’re feeding them RAW meat, bones, and organs.

Are you ready to start feeding your dog a raw diet? Here’s what to do next…

How to Start a Raw Diet for Your Dog

Making the switch to raw dog food doesn’t need to be intimidating! And, thankfully, there are various options you can choose from if you decide to go raw!

Even more important to remember is that a little change can go a long way!

If you’re ready to take the big leap, you can find 100% raw diets provided by holistic vets. Simply follow the recipe and get the ingredients you need from your local butcher!

If this route is intimidating to you, you can always buy pre-packaged raw meals. You can find some options in your local pet store or, an even better option, is finding food delivery services online.

Finally, freeze-dried raw food can be found in many specialty pet food stores. This is a great option because freeze-dried food isn’t messy, doesn’t expire quickly, and is simple to feed. All you have to do is let the freeze dried bits soak in some warm water 10 minutes prior to feeding!

Best of all, if you’re not ready to make the full commitment to feeding a 100% raw food diet to your dog, you can add some raw food into your dog’s kibble to give them some of the naturally occurring nutrients.

How easy is that?

*If you are ready to make the switch to a fully raw diet, you should get rid of the kibble and fast your dog for 12 hours before serving up the raw foods.*

Be prepared – at first your dog may not react well to the raw foods. This is because they don’t yet have the digestive enzymes they need to break down the raw food. If you want to slowly wean your dog you can try serving cooked meat first (no bones!) so their body can have a chance to adjust.

Learn even more about the raw dog food diet on my podcast, where I talk to experts who know A LOT more than I do! Here are some of my current favorite episodes regarding the topic…

Search Results for: podcast raw food

Links related on this topic:

Happy feeding,

~ Doggy Dan

The post The Benefits of Feeding Raw Dog Food (And how to make an easy switch!) appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Drugs, Truffles, and Bums: The Science Behind Why Dogs Compulsively Sniff

Doggy Dan — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 12:30:42 +0000

Hey there,

Doggy Dan here

Today I’m going to talk about your dog’s superpower…her sense of smell!

Did you know that dogs can smell 10,000 to 100,000 times better than we can?!

That’s truly amazing…

They pick up on so many things that our noses can’t even smell.

Which might be why your dog always has his nose to the ground on your daily walks! And tries to sniff every person or animal that comes into your house!

While it may be bothersome that your dog constantly sniffs your guests, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. What they smell reveals a lot about their surroundings. They can tell where they are based on how a place smells, while we rely on sight to tell us that.

And so many dogs have “working noses.” They are trained to use their nose for sniffing out drugs at the train station or bombs in airports or even missing people.

Do you ever wonder why dogs smell everything (and everyone)?
Let’s dive into the reason why your dog sniffs ALL THE TIME.

Your Dog’s Nose: Their Window To The World

When we’re trying to decide between two things, we humans typically use our vision to decide. We look at two pairs of shoes, for example, to figure out which pair we want to buy.

A dog’s primary sense is their sense of smell. The scent of a person, animal, or object reveals a lot of information to a dog.

Just take a look at how dogs say hello to each other.

They smell each other (and their bums too)!

Everything that a dog understands about their surroundings is given to them from their snout.

Through just a little sniff, dogs can tell if they’ve met that dog, or person, before, and where they’ve been, and they can even sniff out medical issues (we’ll get to that in a bit).

Since they rely so heavily on smells, it’s no wonder that they’re compulsively smelling everything!

And their anatomy reveals just how important the sense of smell is to a dog…

Dogs Are Just Wired for Smell

A dog’s genetic makeup and internal organs reveal just how much smell means to them.

They actually even have an organ that’s solely dedicated to helping them smell!

It’s called the vomeronasal organ (or Jacobson’s organ), and it sits at the bottom of the nasal passage near the roof of the mouth. This organ has receptors that are used for detecting pheromones, which help dogs communicate with one another.

Even their brain shows us how they process smells. A dog’s brain has a larger olfactory cortex than humans. In fact, it’s 40 times larger than ours! This helps them process and understand smells at a much better rate than people.

Can you really blame them for sniffing all your friends? They’re just doing what comes naturally to them.

A Dog’s Nose Can Do Amazing Things

Aside from just interpreting the world around them, many dogs are trained to use their nose for a specific purpose.

Because their heightened sense of smell can do so much good!

A dog’s nose can help find missing children, sniff out drugs or bombs, and even hunt for truffles in the woods.

Dogs can even sniff out medical conditions like low blood sugar (a critical lifeline for someone who has diabetes) and even cancer.

It’s truly remarkable what dogs are able to smell!

And while dogs do practical things with their ability to pick up a scent, they also do weird things like sniff people’s bums.

How embarrassing is it when a guest enters your home and your dog immediately runs up to smell their rear end?!

While it might leave you apologising for your dog’s behaviour, your furry friend is gathering lots of information in that one simple act.

By smelling a person’s bum, a dog can tell:

If they’ve met that person before
If they are male or female
Where they’ve recently been
Even what they might have eaten
And so much more!

So while you might find it a bit awkward, your dog is actually greeting your guest the best way he knows how!

This can become troublesome when your dog disregards your direction when they pick up an interesting scent.

What to Do When Your Dog Ignores You To Follow Their Nose

While it’s important to let your dog investigate using his sense of smell (which fulfills his natural instinct to sniff), it can become an issue when your dog compulsively follows his nose instead of listening to you.

If you find your dog running away from you to investigate a smell at the dog park or spending a little too much time sniffing your friends’ bums, a little training might go a long way!

I’m certainly not advocating that you prevent your dog from sniffing, but she should always look to you for guidance and follow your lead even if her nose is pulling her in a different direction.

So how do you try to train a dog when he is overwhelmed with so many interesting scents?

The same way you train them when there are other distractions like squirrels or food nearby…

You need to speak his language and win your dog’s mind!

And you can do that with my Dog Calming Code program. This program focuses on building your relationship with your dog in a kind and gentle way.

Once you learn to communicate in a way that they understand, you can train them to listen to you, no matter what is going on around them.

So even if their nose is telling them to smell that person’s bum, they’ll look to you for direction. This is when you can invite them to sniff your guest’s hand instead of their rear to say hello.

It all stems from building a solid foundation with your dog first, and you can’t do that when she’s out of control and chasing whatever smell comes her way. You first need to get her to a calm state, which is what my Dog Calming Code teaches.

The things a dog can understand and find using their nose is extraordinary.

Learn how to train them without curbing their natural instinct to smell with a little help from the Dog Calming Code.

Smell ya later

~Doggy Dan

The post Drugs, Truffles, and Bums: The Science Behind Why Dogs Compulsively Sniff appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Dr. Conor Brady: The Amazing Benefits of Raw Food for Dogs

Doggy Dan — Wed, 19 May 2021 12:30:26 +0000

Listen above or: iTunes / Spotify (Tap the subscribe button – it’s free and keeps you updated!)

Today’s Guest

Dr. Conor Brady – Canine Nutritionist

I’m so excited to introduce to you today’s guest, Dr. Conor Brady, a canine nutritionist that specializes in the benefits of raw food diets for dogs!

Dr. Brady’s interest in raw food diets began after moving to Perth Australia to work at an incredible guide dog organization. At the time, raw food diets were all the rage in Perth, a complete 180 from what was popular in his native country, Ireland.

During his time in Perth, Dr. Conor was given the opportunity to transform the lives of the dogs he worked with while switching them to raw diets instead of processed foods. The work he did within rescue organizations and the research he put into the benefits of raw diets for dogs is incredible.

If you have any interest in the science behind what makes a healthy diet for a dog and how to begin the process of feeding your own dog raw foods, this podcast was made for you!

From science backed information to heartwarming stories of Dr. Brady’s time working with rescue organizations, this is a podcast you won’t want to miss!

You’ll Hear About

[01:00] Who is Dr. Conor Brady
[02:00] How Dr. Brady Became Immersed in Raw Diets for Dogs
[03:00] Dr. Brady’s Raw Food Experiment
[06:30] How Raw Food Saved Rescue Organizations Billions of Dollars
[09:30] What’s Inside Dr. Brady’s Raw Food Diet
[13:30] Primary Concerns with Processed Dog Foods
[17:30] Feeding Dogs: Dr. Brady’s Science Based Book
[23:30] The Scary Truth Behind Early Dog Deaths
[30:30] Why Dogs are 10x More Likely to Get Cancer than Humans
[36:30] Should Your Dog Eat Plant Matter?
[39:30] How to Access Dr. Brady’s Book, Research, and Other Info

How You Can Get Involved:

Buy Dr. Conor’s latest book, “Feeding Dogs”:

Get started feeding raw with Dr. Conor’s YouTube series:

Links & Resources

Website: https://dogsfirst.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DogsFirstIreland/
In the podcast we talked about a Ted Talk…here's the link to that Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNDWvejza4c&t=4s
Here's the follow-on scandal TWO YEARS LATER: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-30/popular-dog-food-suspected-of-making-dogs-sick-advance-dermocare/9699866

Learn more by tuning into the podcast!

Thanks for listening—and again, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes / Spotify to get automatic updates.

Cheers,

~Doggy Dan

Transcript

Download New Tab

Voiceover:

Welcome to the Doggy Dan podcast show, helping you unleash the greatness within your dog.

Doggy Dan:

[00:00:30]

Hello and welcome, everybody, to another Doggy Dan podcast, and today I have Dr. Connor Brady from Dublin, Ireland with us, and he's going to talk to us about nutrition and dogs' general health and the fascinating dark underbelly of dog food. How are you? Good to have you here.

Dr. Conor Brady:

I'm good. I'm good, Dan. Yeah, I'm raring to go absolutely, so thanks for having me on. Appreciate the opportunity.

Doggy Dan:

We've already had a bit of a laugh, so this is going to be fun. I'm looking forward to it.

Dr. Conor Brady:

Absolutely.

Doggy Dan:

So first question, tell us a little bit about yourself. Who on earth are you for people who've never heard of you, and what do you do?

[00:01:00]

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:01:30]

So, my name's Connor, and I'm from Wicklow, Ireland here. This is kind of a Dublin accent that everyone can hear, and I do a lot of canine nutrition. I'm one of the kind of canine nutrition lads over this end of the world. So my background also is in... I grew up in the dog shelters, and that kind of thing. So I've been mad about dogs as a kid, but I went through colleges as well as a degree, got a doctorate studying the effects of nutrition on behavior, and that was the kind of start of the love bug for nutrition. And then I joined Guide Dogs as a pup supervisor. 9:00 to 5:00 puppy immersion, it doesn't get better than that as you can appreciate, Dan. Making a living from working with dogs, it's a treat. So that's what I had, and then suddenly, there was an opportunity over in Perth, Western Australia, and I thought, "Well, training dogs in the sunshine is a hell of a lot better than training them in the lash and rain at home, so I thought, "Maybe I'll take a trip over with the wife."

[00:02:00]

[00:02:30]

So, we're over in Perth for a while, and that's where I really encountered... I was already doing nutrition stuff, but it was when I bumped into the Aussies, they were really the first to the whole fresh raw real food movement in dogs. There was a huge portion of the population were already doing it, compared to anywhere else I'd been. They were all talking about it, and that kind of thing. So I had a good few sick dogs. You'd start doing a bit of training on the side as you do to supplement your income, and it's easy to do. I remember counting of the 18 dogs I had, I think seven of them were on non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. I mean, this is crazy. Could you imagine having a classroom of 18 kids and seven of them are on non-steroidal anti-inflammatories for some for random allergies? And Australia has the most dangerous everything, so it makes sense that it's pollen is vicious. So I just thought, "Okay. Well, maybe it's just crazy epidemic of itch."

[00:03:00]

[00:03:30]

And that's really I started rooting around, and I made a few changes to their diet, took them off dry food, put them on raw. They got really better, and the usual kind of story you'll hear from people, but it was the fact that I said to my superiors, "Look what I did with a couple of dogs, and it might make sense that we try this with our own dogs." It was the fact that they didn't really leap with me, and they didn't really kind of get it, and that kind of annoyed me. And then I couldn't convince the vets at all to come with me, and that really annoyed me. I kind of said, "Well, look. I've done a little experiment here. Why don't you have a look at some of the worst dogs on your books and you take them off ultra-processed food?" Some of the dogs were recurring gut issues just as a starter. I mean, gut issues, food. Give it a whirl, but they wouldn't. So, I didn't like that stonewalling that I felt I was being... I don't like not being listened to. It's kind of like...

[00:04:00]

[00:04:30]

Really, then I start rooting around trying to make friends and you do. You have Ian Billinghurst, Dr. Ian Billinghurst, Lonsdale. Those two are the two top vets. The Raw Fathers, they call them. Both of them are Aussies. And you get chatting to them, and then you meet Brisbane Guide Dogs. And this is a pretty interesting story. One of the revelations in the book really was meeting this CEO Chris Laine, and she was just an amazing woman, amazing CEO. And in 2009, Chris... It's actually documented in the Courier Mail if people want to check out the article online, a journalist interviewed her. But the Chris kind of decided one day, "There might be something to this raw thing." They've got 180 dogs in training, and she did a little experiment. She was encouraged by what she saw, so she changed the whole population over from... 180 training dogs from dry to raw dog food. That's a big leap. That's a big leap.

Doggy Dan:

Yeah, that's a good sample size.

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:05:00]

It's a good sample size, and it takes balls to do something like that. It's not an easy thing to do. So, she makes the change and then you start hearing that... I saw the Courier Mail piece and reports of veterinary bills plummeting. And the four or five things I remember that were leaping off the page were recurring skin conditions, recurring gut conditions, recurring ear conditions, orthopedic surgery and consults. They were the four or five topics, or headlines I saw, and they were plummeting. And the figure was something like $80,000 savings in a year. Now, for charity organization, that's a staggering figure because every penny is hard-earned when you're a charity. So, if you can save that sort of money, can you imagine what you could do if you could put a lot more paws on the ground helping people? So, that was a staggering figure.

[00:05:30]

[00:06:00]

And there were lots of other small things when you're talking to people in the organization, the kennels are quiet, the poo doesn't smell, the dogs were way more focused. Not less silly. They're Labrador pups, and they're jumping around, they're doing with pups do. Or Labrador cross Retriever is what they is, and it didn't change that sort of their behavior, but they were better able for the training, which was something that a lot of training organizations were repeating already. So, that really hooked me and I took that information back, and I said, "Guys, look what Brisbane Guide Dogs are doing. We got to do this," and they weren't going to come on side, so I kind of knew my time with Guide Dogs was up because I said, "Look, if these aren't going to change, there's something seriously wrong that people can't see this, and there's no vets coming on board."

[00:06:30]

What was interesting was what happened really to Chris Laine. She saw the change it made in their dogs, they thought, "You know what? If we stuck the Brisbane Guide Dogs badge on some raw dog food, sure we could sell this food on the market. Loads of people would buy it. Everyone wants to support their guide dog organization, and if the food's good enough for guide dogs, you can be pretty sure the rest of the public are going to buy it." So they developed this range called Leading RAW dog food, and it took off and it was a top seller, and they started dominating. Now, raw pet food, people don't understand what sort of business it is. There's more money in pet food than there is in the music industry. There's more money in dog food alone in the UK. It's a £1.1 billion a year in the UK alone, and the music industry for selling music is one billion a year. When you add in cats and treats, it's twice the size of the music industry. And the margins are colossal. So it's a big, big business.

[00:07:00]

[00:07:30]

So, when you're selling the top product in Australia, you're not talking to more money for charity organization, and suddenly, you can use that resources to do good stuff. It was on the up for Brisbane Guide Dogs, and then suddenly, 2015 I hear Chris Laine is fired, out the door, and in comes a new CEO. And I have her words there in my book, which I probably should be quoting, but I don't have the page open to hand, but words to the effect of she believes she was let go because the CEO that came into replace her was going to bring back in the pet food range that all those organizations are sponsored by.

[00:08:00]

That was the start of the darkness for me, and I thought, "Whoa." I mean, these are healthy dogs. These are proven to be healthier on this food, although there's a whole lot of stats behind it that I can use here because I do [inaudible 00:07:47] my paper in some way. So, that implies that if you change them back, they will be less healthy, and that really bothers me to this day. It's kind of like could you imagine for the people working in the kennels, the people training those dogs, Dan? Could you imagine if it was your dog and you thought somebody was going to do something that was going to make him less healthy, and it wasn't going to be you, it was somebody else? I mean, that's-

Doggy Dan:

It crosses a line, doesn't it?

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:08:30]

Yeah, it does. It's kind of like messing with me kid. Anyway, that was a start of it, and then I kind of hit the road and I started doing a few seminars and visiting vet university libraries and looking at what the vets were learning and checking out the top books that they use and trying to talk to some vets. Murdoch University, they're in Perth. It's one of the biggest veteran universities in the southern hemisphere. So I thought, "I'm going to meet some serious nutrition heads in here," and there's just very little for me to talk to and I kind of thought, "Well, where are they? Where are these people that can talk to?" And it turns out there's only about 100 veterinary nutritionist and vets that have studied nutrition in the world.

[00:09:00]

And it's like, "Okay." I needed to do something about this. I started learning more about it and then I developed a pet food. I came back to Ireland then, and that was the start of things. I developed a pet food range myself for a couple of years. I thought I could lure in maybe a guide dog organization here. That didn't really happen, but it took off. It worked a little bit, but manufacturing is hard work and I don't-

Doggy Dan:

What was the gist of your food, Conor? What was in?

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:09:30]

I think raw dog food, they wrap it up in many different ways. Some companies are brilliant at marketing, but at the end of the day, like cereal-based pet food, it's all quite similar, okay? It could all come out at the same factory and you wouldn't know. They just changed the label. So, raw dog food is based on this premise that dogs eat rats, rabbits, that kind of stuff. They might need a bit of plant material. We can get to that later, but I do diet studies. That's where I'm really strong, and they do probably eat a little bit of plant material, but for the large part, left to their own devices, the study show dogs eat predominantly meat and bone and they eat anything. They will eat any frogs, and they'll eat mice, rats.

Doggy Dan:

This is dogs in the wild you're talking about, is that right?

[00:10:00]

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:10:30]

Dogs in the wild, free-to-roam dogs, even dogs that live with families at nighttime, we call them village dogs or free-roaming dogs, so not truly feral. Even those will just suddenly eat meat when they're left to their own devices. But there is a very strange quirk in dogs which fudges the whole debate, because if you have a dog or a cat when they're very young, and you feed let's say a cat, because we all know cats are total carnivores, but when you feed a cat a bit of broccoli when it's a kitten... You'll see videos online of cats chewing broccoli. Now, that is a completely strange thing to see because cat are obligate carnivores. They absolutely don't eat vegetable material, but here we have on YouTube videos and videos of domestic cats eating it. How come? Because this stuff was fed to them when they were babies.

[00:11:00]

And as you know, Dan, within training, there's a period in the dog's life and the pup's life we call the imprinting period. Maybe the name has changed in the 15 years since I've trained, but that first four or five months for socialization is just everything in a dog's life. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Of course, you can. I mean, you're doing it every day, but in the first four or five months in guide dogs, it's really important that the dog gets exposed many times in a positive way to say, a bus or a train, because a bus is terrifying, air brakes in the face and all this horrible smell and heaters under the seats, and rubbish and chewing gum and everything. Once the pup has been on the bus four or five times, they're okay with it, but the same applies to food.

[00:11:30]

If you want the dog to have a varied diet and enjoy eating some funny textures like chicken breast meat, if they've never had that before and then suddenly you give a chicken breast to a dog that's a year or two old or 10 years old, they'll look at and they might have a face on them like a dog chewing a tomato, that face of, "Jesus, I want it." Excuse me. "I want to eat this, but it's a funny texture. What is it?" This kind of thing can be developed in dogs that tastes... You can actually spray apple in the air of pregnant females, and the pups will come out and fight over the apple-tainted nipples. That's how sensitive your environments are to absorbing proteins, and you come out looking for the stuff your mom ate, which-

[00:12:00]

Doggy Dan:

So basically, what you're saying is you can get a dog to learn to enjoy things like broccoli, but it's not necessarily good for the dogs?

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:12:30]

Exactly. Yeah, that's exactly right. And then it fudges the diet studies because you have... Most of the diet studies come from dogs that are free-roaming, so they're not feral dogs. You don't see them very often. Free-roaming dogs are studies of populations of dogs that populate dumps in poorer parts of Italy, Zimbabwe, Brazil. That's where the diet studies are coming from. But those dogs return to their humans at nighttime, to their villages at nighttime, and they're fed scraps of plant material. Poorer people don't waste meat material on dogs. They get fed the plant material. So, when you do diet studies of these, they have a bit more plant material.

[00:13:00]

Anyway, to come back to your initial question, Dan, you asked me what my food was on. My food would be on the premise that you'd feed this ratio of 8-1-1. In other words, lots of meat, a bit of bone, and a bit of organ meat, which is liver, heart and kidney, and that's really the basics because you can make a duck variety of that, which is essentially duck with duck heart and liver, and you can make turkey, chicken, beef, whatever. So I brought out two or three of these ranges to the Irish market, and slowly started convincing the Irish Republic, who are not ready for it at all, I have to say. I did leap a little bit too soon, and I slowly brought a good few of them over to raw dog food.

Doggy Dan:

[00:13:30]

What's your primary concern with the main manufacturers of traditional old-school dog food? What's going on there, just for people who don't really know. I mean, there's obviously a mix of different types of food. There's really good dry dog food, is it all bad, or what's your take on the dog food and dry food?

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:14:00]

[00:14:30]

Yeah, I think there's probably a ladder of good, the ladder of goodness, and I would say down the very bottom, down the very bottom of that ladder at step one is cereal-based pet food. It doesn't matter if you're telling me it's wheat, corn, rice. If a contains 50, 60% ultra-vastly digested carbohydrates, your dog's in trouble. He's eating that very high starch, which is a high sugar diet. People believe that spaghetti isn't sugar. Spaghetti is almost sugar to the body. It's one tiny, digestive step away. So if you eat a lot of spaghetti, you are eating the equivalent of a very high sugar diet. It's this whole glycemic index. The slower-to-digest food, the better for you. When dogs are eating rapidly digested pellets made on 50, 60% of wheat corn, I'd say they're not made with the dog's interests at heart, they're made with the bottom line at heart. That's not what dogs eat. I mean, you wouldn't be in 50, 60% wheat or corn to a human. Although, some nations are trying and look at the state of them. So, it's just not a healthy way to eat.

[00:15:00]

We're supposed to eat maybe at most 30% very complex carbohydrates, good bit of fiber in there, then your whole grains and your strange grains that come from South American stuff. They're the sort of tough kind of hard-to-digest, slow-to-digest grains you should be eating at a maximum 30% of your diet, and here's a meat-eater that's being fed ultra- processed food. We know ultra-processed food is the whole cause of the obesity epidemic, and if you've got an obesity epidemic, you've got diabetes, cancer, pancreatitis in dogs, and all these other things that go with eating too much carbohydrates. So, the very first thing is when you ask me, "What's good food?" I'd say, "Well, any food very high in carbohydrates. It doesn't matter what you call it, it's no good for the dog." Step one is your cereal-based pet food, then you go up a bit, grain-free is generally a bit better because they go a bit more natural, they drop some of the nasty chemicals.

[00:15:30]

[00:16:00]

They don't list any of the chemicals in the back of the pack, and they try to use a bit more real meat, less of the meat meal, which is a shocking ingredient. It's the lowest of the lowest. The dregs of the rendering industry from meat waste. Why would you feed that? Why would you pay good money for that? And then you go up from grain-free, and you go to slightly higher meat-containing foods, and some companies mean well and so they give the dogs more meat in the pellet. So, you might have these products called 80-20, which is 80% meat, but I would say that's 80% cooked meat or ultra-processed meats, and ultra-processed meat probably isn't the most good friendly thing you need to be eating. Your dog wants it fresh and easy to digest and really good quality.

They all mean well. Then there's all sorts of things like dehydrated pet food cold-pressed, which means they tried to use less heat and stuff, which is great. But then you get up to the better foods, which are starting to use real ingredients, cooked foods or home cooked foods. People wrap that up in number of ways, which is great because they use real ingredients. You can see them in the bowl. And then you get up to your raw dog foods and stuff, and to some really good... But probably the best you could do is make it yourself. It's just that people are afraid.

[00:16:30]

Doggy Dan:

For people who are going, "I'm interested. Some of this is making sense. There's a lot of information." You've written a book. Tell us about your book. I'm basically just wanting to help the listeners who are thinking, "I want to know more about this." Tell us a little bit about the places maybe your book, your website? How can people find out more? We're not coming to the end of the podcast, guys. Don't get worried. I'm just thinking it feels like a good point to chat a little.

[00:17:00]

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:17:30]

Yeah. No, and you're right, Dan, because when people hear this initially, it's quite a lot. And so if you get bombarded with a lot, you tend to go a bit inactive. You don't leap at it. Simple messages are build that wall. Three word messages, we love them. And the more complex the message, the scarier it is, and that's not on site. So, I get all that. I think a good place to start is of course my website, but I would say that. You can go to my website, dogsfirst.ie. D-O-G-S-F-I-R-S-T.ie, and I've got lots of articles there, all the raw FAQs that you're going to ask me, and all the health issues. There are solution to health issues for free on the website because I want people to have the diets, to have them for cancer and kidney disease and stuff that's all rife in dogs. So dogsfirst.ie is a good place to start, but as you kindly plugged there, I do have a book that's doing well now, and that's called Feeding Dogs, which you'll find online. It's probably Amazon if you're in New Zealand.

Doggy Dan:

And I had a look at the book, and it's getting some incredible reviews.

[00:18:00]

Dr. Conor Brady:

It's going down well, thank God. Yeah.

Doggy Dan:

Hundreds of five star reviews. Tell us a little bit about the book. What's in it? Is it recipes? Is it your journey, your story? Is it behavior, or is it food?

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:18:30]

[00:19:00]

I'm into research. I'm an academic. So the whole point of this book, it's a monster, but the whole point of this book was to give science behind the debate because everybody kind of says, "Oh, I'd make the leap, but there's no science." The vets would say that. So, I brought out this book, which I tried to make it as legible as possible. I'm inspired by people like Bill Bryson, and I don't know, people that write science books that you want to pick up and read at the airport. That's what flicks my switch. I love those sorts of books, and so I wanted to take the most academic debates that people seem to be having behind closed doors, and I'd bring them out and write them hopefully in a way that people can pick up. It's no point writing something very complex because we know our GPs and vets aren't reading the journals and academic papers because if they did...

[00:19:30]

I mean, one of the major things in the book... The book is divided into four sections, I'll get to that, but in the second section, when we're talking about dry dog food, the first section talks about what dogs eat and their digestive kind of physiology and that kind of stuff, and looking at the biology of the dog and ancestry, which is interesting because people always talk about, "Well, the dogs aren't wolves," and we go, "Yeah, okay. Fair enough, but the dog is very close to a dingo. I mean, a dingo 4000 years ago is your domestic dog. They're so close, they're interbreeding with each other. Wolves and dogs don't interbreed very much at all, but dingoes are happy to do it. Forget talking about the wolf. Look at the Dingo. The dingo's a domestic dog 4000 years ago."The Papua New Guinea dog, I've only just discovered and they're so identical to the dingo, it's ridiculous. And that's where they came from. There used to be land bridges there. But anyway. Total carnivore, the Dingo. Forget talking about the wolf."

[00:20:00]

[00:20:30]

Look, that's the ancestry stuff, but the second section starts looking at dry dog food and highlighting many, many of the major issues, but it reveals one big, big thing. It's this statement, it's that there's not a single study in existence to suggest ultra-processed cereal-based pet food is better for a dog than normal food, not one study. So, the whole ethos of this thing, science and prescription pet food, which is a complete misnomer because there's no medicine in the product. You're not allowed to do that actually because if news agents can sell your product, it can't be under prescription. But anyway. So this whole idea of science and stuff, is there a basis? We have no evidence to say that real food is good for a dog, but look at all their science, but when you do look at their science, you realize it's just foundations of muck, of sound, because they've got a lot of studies, no doubt, but their studies of a group of dry-fed dogs compared to a group of dry-fed dogs.

[00:21:00]

[00:21:30]

Let's say you wanted to study itch in dogs. You'd feed one group of dogs standard cereal-based pet food, that's going to keep them itching, and you feed the second group of dogs the exact same diet, but you add a cod liver oil tablet to their bowl. And after two weeks, you realize that this group B are itching slightly less because of the cod liver oil tablet. Well, now they wrapped that product up, put the cod liver oil in their usual standard pellet, and they wrap it up as magic dermal care skin benefit pet food, sell it to three times the price under a prescription. So, that's called an unfalsifiable comparison. We know adding cod liver oil or fish oil reduces steroid need and reduces itch in dogs, but is that really relevant is the question. So, those studies are nearly irrelevant because the question will be, "Why are the dogs itching? Why don't you just..."

[00:22:00]

The idea would be a big group of dogs, like what Brisbane Guide Dogs did. A big group of dogs, and they have some of them on cereal-based pet food and the others on real food, biologically appropriate meals that are designed by people that understand what dogs eat, and then you compare those dogs after three or four or five years. Put them through fitness tests, get them pulling sleds. It's like if you're watching smokers. If you pitched 11 smokers against 11 non-smokers in football, in soccer, the first half might be pretty okay to watch. It's the second half where the non-smokers are going come up trumps. So, they're the studies we don't have. We have zero, not a single study.

[00:22:30]

I love saying that when they say, "What studies have you got to prove raw's better than dry?" I say, "Well, here's a couple of head-to-heads that have been done in the last three years, but the deal is if I show you one, you show me one. So, I'll go first," and I show them one or two of the studies produced by Helsinki, who were bringing in lots of good studies, the University of Helsinki, and they don't have any. So, they'll switch the conversation very quickly to the dangers of raw dog food, and that's where we are.

Doggy Dan:

[00:23:00]

Yeah. As a behaviorist, I went around people's houses and I worked over the last decade. I've worked with about 3000 dogs in a one-on-one capacity.

Dr. Conor Brady:

Bloody hell.

Doggy Dan:

[00:23:30]

Yeah, it's just a lot of houses. It's a lot of time. I've sat down for hours with 3000 families and their dogs, and obviously, a lot of them talk about their pets which have passed and they tell me stories about, "We had a beautiful dog." And over the years, you chat to a lot of families who have lost pets at a very young age, and they talk about, "My dog died at six or seven or eight." And you think, "Well, this dog lived until it's 14 or 15." Now, I've always kind of inquired a little bit how did the dog die, and they say...

[00:24:00]

And very often, I spotted a pattern of owners saying, "Oh. He died of kidney failure or ulcers," and I started asking them, "What did you feed the dog? What was he fed?" And I totally independently started to spot a pattern of a very specific, very well known, very large brand of dog food. And that name kept popping up. And after you see it 100 times, you go... And I actually used to say when people said, "My dog died very young. Actually, he had ulcers." I would say this name of the dog food. I said, "Did you feed him this?" And they'd go, "Yes. How do you know?"

Dr. Conor Brady:

Yeah, that's scary.

Doggy Dan:

[00:24:30]

And I didn't like to say it. Well, I did. I'd say, "Well, it's just a guess because I've heard of so many people who fed their dog this," and I chatted to a very [inaudible 00:24:32] vet, and he said, "Yep, that dog food has..." I don't know if it still has it, but he said, "It had," or at the time, "It has a preservative which has been banned from the human food chain for many, many decades because it's poisonous, it causes cancer and all sorts of illnesses," it really turned my stomach, and I went, "Wow."

[00:25:00]

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:25:30]

I don't doubt it. Dan, I'll share with you afterwards, and if the listeners are interested, I've got this fantastic TED talk that was given by a vet in Lithuania. I can't remember the exact title, and you're going to need the exact title of find that, but it was something like I Blew the Whistle, and Now I'm Fighting For My Career, or Fighting... And I Lost My Job, something like that, and it was about the rise of megaesophagus in dogs. And if you want to see some dark stuff, talking about specific brands causing damage, this Lithuanian vet was a top microbiologist, I think she is. Top veterinary microbiologist, and she was flown back from the States to her homeland in Lithuania to investigate why there was such a spike in megaesophagus. Megaesophagus is these videos where you see dogs having to eat standing up because their throat doesn't have any musculature around us. They can't swallow anymore. They have to kind of glut their food down their neck, and they can choke on water. It kills 30% of dogs that get it, and the 70% of survivors because their pet owners are just superheroes.

[00:26:00]

[00:26:30]

So, it's a very terrible disease that you can't get over, and they thought it was genetic up until there was a massive spike in it. Then they thought, "Well, something has to be causing this because genes don't suddenly cause huge increases," and this lady produced a couple of studies, and eventually narrowed it down to an exact brand of dry food. I'd love to say the name because she says it in the TED Talk, but I'm still reluctant to say it. So, I won't bother because people can see it on YouTube themselves. And anyway. The thing about it is... This is section three now in the book for the real dark stuff, the dark signs, the nonsense that goes on, the corporate, the shenanigans that go on.

[00:27:00]

So, this was a nice little story to begin with because this vet, after kind of saying, "I need another 30,000 euros," was all she needed to do one more study, and then she'll be able to say exactly what in the dry food it was. It was a toxin or a parasite or whatever, and she already kind of knew what it was, but her Department of Agriculture came in and said, "We're shutting you down. Don't produce another word." Here's the thing, here's the rub: So, she got shut down, and her Department of Agriculture were happy enough to shut her down, and you start to see a money trail there, and she reveals that two years later... We hear nothing more about his product. Nothing happens. There's no recalls, though she's shut down for daring to suggest it was a brand.

[00:27:30]

Two years later, Guide Dogs Sydney... Or no, Sydney police dogs, and six out of eight police dogs in the Sydney force came down with megaesophagus, and ABC News over there are very anti-kibble, and they come in very heavily and they said, "What's going on?" And they said, "Well, apparently it's this type of dry food they're feeding," and ABC News do a little bit of research and say, "It appears we've known this for two years. This brand was pointed out two years ago, and it's been sold for two more years. How many more dogs got megaesophagus?" So that shows that that stayed on the shelf. I mean, bloody hell.

Doggy Dan:

[00:28:00]

[00:28:30]

I think the thing here for me is I've always been very aware of people's motives, and often it's money and power, and so when people become whistleblowers or when people put stuff up which goes against the grain, when people become truth seekers and say, "Hey, I'm going to look into this a little bit deeper," and there's no financial reward from them because the big organizations, the multinationals are all against this chain. I mean, it's like the pyramid or the structure that is currently in place, all the people who are at the top making tens of millions, hundreds of millions, they are in place because of the current structure. Now, when anybody at the bottom starts to rustle that structure, you got to realize the whole thing could collapse, and so they are really fighting against it, and they have to have such guts, such bravery, have to be so brave, and and the number of times... I've seen thousands and thousands of people who have become whistleblowers or told the truth or told their story and they've been shut down, lost their jobs.

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:29:00]

[00:29:30]

No doubt. Oh, yeah. And you do see that. That's a fact. I mean, even when I went to release this book because there's over 1400 references in it, and every time you say something, you already have people waiting to get the book so they can just pull you apart online because that's just the way it is. I had to hire two barristers, two barristers that were experts in copyright to go through the book, the entire thing. Cost an absolute fortune to getting insurance. I live in a little bit of worry that at some day they come and squash me because, as I recount in the book, there's plenty of instances where they step in to squash you not because they think they can win. They probably won't win in court, but you will be so wrecked by the time you got there that your message will just be drowned out under all the stuff that you were fighting. So, that kind of stuff is kind of real and dark. Hasn't happened yet.

[00:30:00]

In fact, there hasn't been a single dissenting voice to a single point I've made in the entire book, which is testament to the fact that if I was an absolute lunatic, surely some people will be coming up with some science of their own to say, "Well, carbohydrates aren't the cause of pancreatitis." Well, they are, I'm afraid. Unfortunately, you go in and your dog has pancreatitis and the vet will say, "Did you give me a bit of fat off your steak?" That's a real trumped- out line. And whose fault is it? It's your fault. It's like, "It's my fault because I gave a bit of fat to my dog, I gave a bit of sausage to my dog? Why couldn't my dog eat a bit of fat or a sausage?" So, this is the thing. If your dog is going to live on high carbohydrates, we have all the studies we need to show that eating high carbohydrate diets increases your blood fat. People just thought, "Well, if there's fat in the blood, it must be because you're eating fat." No, it's from eating carbohydrates that drives up blood fat.

[00:30:30]

[00:31:00]

It's a type of process that happens. It's a strange thing. It's like during the obesity epidemic, they thought, "Eating fat must make you fat. I know! We'll make low fat food and high sugar." Boom. Obesity epidemic. Carbohydrates have a role to play in everything, cancer... Dogs are 10 times more likely to get cancer than humans. 10 times more likely. I don't use those words lightly, 10 times more likely. And everything's okay? Give me a break. So we've got quite twice the amount of vets per dog in the last 10 years, 20 years. We've got huge drug sales. We've got drug companies, pet drug companies floating on the stock exchange. It's a great market because people haven't a clue. They'll spend anything on them, and people are just getting done over. It's not right.

Doggy Dan:

[00:31:30]

Yeah. Look, I hear your passion, Conor, and I felt it at the very start of this podcast when you talked about how you love working with the puppies, and you worked at a guide dog place and you worked in the rescue shelters. You feel like a brother in terms of loving the dogs, and it's not about the money, it's about you love these animals. They can't speak English. They can communicate with us, but it's very tricky for them to actually say... We hardly know sometimes what's causing our problems medically, so it's sometimes very hard for a human to know what food's causing it, but even if a dog does know, it's very hard for them to actually say, "This is causing..." So, I hear your passion and it is an absolute minefield out there.

[00:32:00]

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:32:30]

It's quite sad. Do you know what? I'd like to say that at that point... You just reminded me of something. Just to highlight to people, not everyone's going to come along with this, and that's fair enough. We're just talking, but I think it's important to say that it's not the individual vet on the ground that your ire would be directed at. It's not them at all. As I say at the start of the section on what vets are learning in college nutritionally-wise, which is not a whole lot, that's the short of it, but what they do learn is taught inveritably by dry food companies, but the thing is that these are kids, our brightest kids going to university. It's harder in Ireland to be a vet than it is to be a human doctor. So, these are bright kids going in there, or at least kids are excellent at regurgitating facts in exams, and in they go to college and they work their asses off in college. Very difficult to a degree.

[00:33:00]

I mean, GPs have to worry about... Or general practitioners, human doctors have to worry about one animal. Vets have to learn everything about every science, every ology you could think of, genetics and biology, physiology, anesthesiology, surgery in not just one animal, but every animal. That's cats, dogs, rodents, birds, fish, cows, and birds, all sort of stuff, and then after five years, they've got to learn to run a business and staff. It is a savage workload. They are highly stressed. They've got one of the highest suicide rates. And when they get into practice, they work their asses off. So really, these people aren't driving around in Porsches, and if they bloody did, they deserve it. I mean, if we're going to... Look at some jobs, they don't deserve the money they got.

[00:33:30]

[00:34:00]

So, I will say that these kids get in with unbelievable work ethic. They're passionate. They love the animals, but they believe what they heard because they don't have time to believe otherwise. It's like, "Just give me the facts, and I take in the facts, and then I speak the facts," and that's what happens, and then after that comes in a huge amount of, sadly, ego and cognitive dissonance because I can't possibly be this wrong. I can't possibly believe... When you think about it, the suggestion that a candy company's product is the very best product. I mean, these are candy companies. These are companies with the world's worst nutritional backgrounds.

Doggy Dan:

[00:34:30]

Here's the thing, Conor, if you actually take the comparison of what we've been doing with our children, feeding them fizzy pop, feeding them all chocolate bars, feeding them all really bad food and then look at their behavior in school, how they concentrate, they're not physically well, they're not healthy with these issues. It's exactly the same. Difference of course with children, they can always say, "Mum or Dad, I feel sick. Mum, I'm not happy." The dogs can't speak though, can they?

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:35:00]

That is a bit of the a problem. And I'm just making sure that people don't go... When they do realize what's going on here, and really, they're not to blame or to point the fingers at vets, but if they do figure. It's about bringing them along. It's interesting though this whole raw revolution, and it is happening. 20% of the UK market is feeding real food to their dogs, but it's happening from the ground up. As Jim Morrison said, they've got the guns, we've got the numbers. I'm in part of the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society. I'm the only non-vet in the group. There's only 120 vets in that group. It's a global organization. We are a tiny number of scientists and the vast number of scientists are against us, and yet the movement is happening. So, I should encourage people that you don't need to top echelons to do anything. You just need to speak with your feet and say, "I'm not picking up what you're putting down, buddy, and I'm just going to buy this food and make a leap myself do that."

[00:35:30]

[00:36:00]

Do a little trial yourself. Try a bit of food yourself. A tin of sardines, crack an egg on top of the food, give them your leftovers. Give a nice meaty bone. Throw a handful of blueberries out into the dirt. That is a fantastic thing to be doing. If you've got a nosey little dog, any of your scenty dogs. I've got a Cocker Spaniel here who's just insane. Dan, I desperately need you. I don't say that lightly on air, but I do. My wife keeps saying, "Can we get a trainer in?" It's like, "I'm a bloody trainer. I'll get the trainer in," but this dog's nuts. I get a handful of blueberries and a throw them out into the back into the hedges and he's had snuffling around for his blueberries, full of antioxidants, beautiful little trees.

Doggy Dan:

So, just on that vegetables, and fruit and veggies and nuts for the dog, what's the deal with that stuff? Are you saying don't give the dogs any vegetables, or a little bit's okay, or they should, or?

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:36:30]

I'm in the vegetable group. I'm in the plant matter group. I think a little bit of plant matter is okay. I think if you should ask me about some exact figure, which I hate giving percentages because people freak out, but coming off the back of dry food, everyone wants percentages as if that's how we feed ourselves. If I was to ask you how much calcium you gave the kids last week, you wouldn't have a clue. What's your RDA of manganese? You don't know. That's not how we eat, and that's not how you're going to feed your dog, but initially, so I would say maybe 10% plant matter in the dog's diet is about right. And then there's certain types. I mean, you give most plant matter. Obviously, don't give your onions and you don't give that sort of stuff, but a dark greens are fantastic, your bit a carrot.

[00:37:00]

[00:37:30]

I would probably chop up the veg instead of give it to them whole. If they like a crunchy carrot, give them a crunchy carrot. If your pup is teething, well then frozen carrot batons in the freezer are fantastic for a pup's sore little gums teething all those teeth at the same time. So that bit of material is okay, a little bit of that. A little bit of fruit. Dogs don't really want too much sugar. They don't want their fruit. If you keep giving them lots of fruit, you're going to start getting yeast issues and all sorts of stuff. So, ease off the fruit. I think things like dark berries are probably the best, things like blueberries. I adore blackberries, any of those little dark berries are fantastic, but they like all those things. You'll see dogs eating bananas and melon and stuff, and that's all okay in very small amounts, but... And as for seeds and stuff, I would give some crushed seeds. Pumpkin seeds are probably the best thing you can give them because seeds... Small, tiny amount of seeds because dogs would eat birds, and they eat the stomach contents of birds.

[00:38:00]

They wouldn't eat the stomach contents of bigger prey. With all the videos we need to see now with dogs and wolves and dingoes, they don't eat the stomach contents of the prey, they don't... As people say, "This is why we feed 60% cereal because dogs love the stomach contents." No, they don't. They don't eat the half-digested grass. Who's going to eat that? But they do eat the stomach contents of birds, so that's where the seeds and nuts and berries bit comes from in raw feed. So, we give a little grain of pumpkin seeds, but the reason I love pumpkin seeds over any other seed is because it contains an acid called [kyoneic 00:38:15] acid, and kyonic acid is one of the most potent antihelmintic anti-wormers out there.

[00:38:30]

So, if you're feeding very small amount of ground pumpkinseed, your dog's not going to get gut worms, so there's absolutely no need to give worming tablets. I mean, the most you need to do with worming tablets is that once or twice a year, you send off the poo sample to somebody that does... We've got worm count here in the UK. It's probably in New Zealand, in Australia. It's just veterinary nurse that goes through a poo sample, and this poor devil has to go through 100 poo samples in a day. And then you get a text to your phone 24 hours later, "Your dog doesn't have these 14 species of worm, and it's digesting food properly." And that's usually about 20 bucks. So, why would you give the chemical?

Doggy Dan:

Conor, what a great place to end.

[00:39:00]

Dr. Conor Brady:

Oh, yeah. I love talking this stuff, Dan. I could go on.

Doggy Dan:

Could chat to you all day. Absolutely fascinating. Can you just run through again just very briefly the website, the name of your book, where they can find it?

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:39:30]

Yeah, so my website is dogsfirst.ie. You can catch me there, and you can contact me at info@dogsfirststudy. So, I respond to a good few my emails. I've got a Facebook page, that's pretty busy. There's a good few people on that. Dogs First Ireland if you type that in. If you just type in Dogs First in Facebook, it should come up. And the name of my book, you'll find it on Amazon, is Feeding Dogs by Dr. Conor Brady.

Doggy Dan:

And it's the one with loads of five star reviews.

Dr. Conor Brady:

Yeah, that's the one. That's the one. Yeah, thank God. Thank God.

Doggy Dan:

[00:40:00]

Look, I'll put all of those links, including... I'll get that Ted Talk video off you. I'll put the link to the Amazon where you can buy the book, Feeding Dogs. We'll transcribe all of this podcast so you can read through it, all that sort of stuff, and lots of other bits and bobs. If you want to find all that information, you can go to my website, theonlinedogtrainer.com/feedingdogs. And Dr. Conor Brady, it has been fantastic.

Dr. Conor Brady:

I loved it, Dan. I loved it. Let's do it again at some stage. I just love it.

Doggy Dan:

[00:40:30]

Absolutely. Absolutely. Keep up the great work because we need good men and good women like you helping to educate us to the dark underbelly of dog food, which I can tell you a lot of stories myself about stuff I've experienced.

Dr. Conor Brady:

It's dark, yeah.

Doggy Dan:

It's dark. I mean, the margins alone. I'll never forget the prices of some of the dog food and the vets. And then I had a mate who used to offload it from containers at the port, and he told me he once had a look at one of the prices of what it actually costs them, and it blew his mind because it was-

Dr. Conor Brady:

Nuts. Oh, my God.

Doggy Dan:

It was basically... You don't want to say it was rubbish, but it was the price of rubbish.

[00:41:00]

Dr. Conor Brady:

[00:41:30]

It is very close to rubbish, but it's the dregs of the food sector. As I go through every single ingredient, it is the very lowest cheapest thing they can put in there. And just to reiterate, Dan, to people, they don't have to leap into feeding raw foods. It's a bit freaky for people sometimes, but adding in a little bit on top of their grain-free dry food at a minimum. Grain-free dry food, add in a few bits and pieces on top, and don't forget a meaty bone now and again to clean the teeth outside of the dry food meal. Give it to him at lunchtime, a nice meaty bone. Really good for teeth. Very safe. You can learn how to feed dog bones on the website. That's really important for them. Good nutrition cleans the teeth. Yeah, absolutely.

Doggy Dan:

And I think it's important as well... Just finish off. When we talk about dry dog food or kibble, it's not that all of it is the same.

Dr. Conor Brady:

No, it's not. No, you can find some good stuff and you can avoid the bad stuff. That's all it's about.

Doggy Dan:

And there's also a very, very good loving, caring fantastic vets out there.

Dr. Conor Brady:

Yeah, absolutely. That's important.

Doggy Dan:

And it's important to remember that.

Dr. Conor Brady:

Yes, absolutely. Tread carefully. Tread softly.

[00:42:00]

Doggy Dan:

Hey, thank you, Dr. Conor Brady. It's been brilliant, and thank you, guys, for listening in to another edition of the Doggy Dan podcast show. Thanks for tuning in and have a good day, and as always, love your dogs.

Voiceover:

You've been listening to another episode of The Doggy Dan podcast show, bringing you one step closer to creating harmony with your dog.

Scroll back to top

The post Dr. Conor Brady: The Amazing Benefits of Raw Food for Dogs appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

5 Benefits CBD Oil May Provide to Senior Dogs

Doggy Dan — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 12:30:01 +0000

All dogs need love, but senior dogs definitely deserve a little extra TLC.

Senior dogs have dedicated their lives to being loyal, loving companions. And as they age and start to experience new struggles, like arthritis, it’s our job to do the best we can to give them a comfortable and happy life.

To do this, many dog owners are turning to CBD Calming Oil. CBD oil is a natural derivative of the Hemp plant. Most CBD available today is TCH-free (the stuff that creates the ‘buzz’), so it’s 100% safe, and as a supplement it may provide many incredible benefits to our canine companions.

So how can CBD oil possibly help your senior dog? Keep reading to find out!

#1 – CBD Calming Oil for Dogs: Aches and Pains

CBD Calming Oil influences dogs a lot more than humans…

Dogs have 5x times as many CBD receptors than humans…which is why it's no surprise they seem to react so much from it!

The oil safely interacts with proteins in the body and central nervous system (including the endocannabinoid system). It also affects CB1 receptors that are located in the brain and central nervous system as well as CB2 cannabinoid receptors that are in the spleen and a dog’s immune system.

This interaction has been known to affect inflammation which can cause pain, and also affects the pain receptors as they fire, which cause discomfort.

If you have a senior dog with achy joints, arthritis, or pain from an injury, it's definitely worth investigating the benefits of CBD Calming Oil.

More important, if you have a dog with an injury that needs to rest, calming your dog so they can rest and take it easy, not putting unnecessary stress on their body, is a great idea.

Learn more about my Angel Oil CBD Products here!

#2 – CBD Calming Oil for dogs: Anxiety

As we just discussed, CBD Calming Oil affects the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are most commonly found in the nervous system.

When the CB1 and CB2 receptors are impacted by CBD oil, serotonin—a chemical that naturally relaxes the body and improves mood—has been known to increase.

It works the same way for humans as it does for dogs. Adding CBD Calming Oil Dog Chews to your everyday routine is an easy way to make this fun and they work perfectly as a training aid too.

Of course, training is still incredibly important for anxiety relief and I would ALWAYS start with ensuring that you have a solid foundational program in place. This ensures that you are not creating the anxiety in your dog with how you’re interacting with them. If you’re in need of a safe, gentle training program, check out The Dog Calming Code.

Using both a solid training program and one of my CBD Calming Oil products hand-in-hand, is a great way to get the most out of your training session… you want your dog’s mind focussed when it matters most.

#3 – CBD Calming Oil: Increasing Your Dog’s Appetite

Older dogs tend to lose their appetite for a variety of reasons including…

Illness.
Pain from an injury.
Stress.
Medication.

The good news is that CBD Calming Oil has been known to “jump-start” the endocannabinoid system.

By activating certain parts of your dog's brain function, it's been known to stimulate appetite, reduce nausea, and help your dog eat.

If your senior dog has been examined by a vet and there are no serious underlying health issues, CBD Calming Oil might be the solution to helping your senior pup get the benefits he needs.

I’ve also found that a lot of older dogs are quite fussy with food, so the dog treats I’ve created using only the best CBD Calming Oil are easier for them to enjoy than the drops.

#4 – CBD Calming Oil: Easier on Senior Dogs Kidneys and Liver

As we age, our organs start to wear down. It’s a natural process of getting older.

The same thing happens to your dog.

Knowing this, it’s important that we are mindful of what we are putting into our dogs' bodies. For example, many medications can take a toll on your dog's liver and kidneys, yet as dogs get older some of them need to be on meds to manage various illnesses.

CBD Calming Oil is a great substitute when he/she isn’t feeling his/her best, and they need to rest.

Of course, ALWAYS talk with your vet before you make any adjustments to your dog’s medications. CBD Calming Oil is often a healthier option than other prescribed drugs.

#5 – CBD Calming Oil: Cancer Symptoms

Nobody wants to hear that their dog has been diagnosed with cancer. However, thanks to modern medicine, cancer treatments are more readily available than ever for our pups.

Once again, it’s important that you follow your vet’s treatment recommendations for such a serious illness. However, CBD Calming Oil has been in the spotlight when it comes to fighting against cancer related symptoms.

The immune system’s killer cells that may eliminate cancer cells
Blocking the energy production of cancer cells which kills them
Anti-tumor properties that are said to slow glioma cell growth

If your pup is suffering from cancer, ask your vet if CBD Calming Oil is safe to use!

Of course, CBD oil isn’t a cure for cancer. It’s vital that you follow your vet's recommended treatment plan. That being said, I want to reiterate one more time that CBD Calming Oil has been linked to several studies that promote its benefits.

If your dog is fighting for his/her life, the gift of helping your dog chill out while attending vet appointments, after surgeries, or while not feeling well at home is an amazing thing.

Some dog’s, regardless of how well-trained they are, get anxious and scared…especially when they aren’t feeling well.

My Angel Oil products might just be the key: they’re THC-Free, highest quality Full Spectrum, and made in the USA, which basically means they’re super awesome! Ask your vet if CBD oil would be beneficial to your pup and their care.

➜ Learn more about my CBD Calming Oil products (20% off right now!)

Once again I would like to stress that whilst I am a big fan of CBD Calming Oil in dogs I am fully aware of the importance of training. As mentioned earlier, I would ALWAYS suggest you start with ensuring that you have a solid foundational program in place and then use CBD in conjunction with it if you need it. If you’re in need of a safe, gentle training program, check out The Dog Calming Code.

I wish you many happy and healthy years with your pup!

Cheers,

~Doggy Dan

The post 5 Benefits CBD Oil May Provide to Senior Dogs appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Beating Cancer With Healthy Dog Food Recipes, with Ryan Alarid

Doggy Dan — Wed, 06 May 2020 09:30:00 +0000

Listen above or on iTunes / Spotify (Tap the subscribe button – it’s free and keeps you updated!)

Today’s Guest

RYAN ALARID – Advocate for healthy food for dogs, and author of Real Food for Dogs

Hi, I'm Doggy Dan, and my guest today is Ryan Alarid, who sadly, like many of us, lost his beloved family dog, Rosie, to cancer. Rosie was struck with frequent seizures that broke his family’s hearts. Her once happy and relaxed loving eyes showed pain, embarrassment and confusion as she deteriorated to the point of losing control of her bladder and falling down frequently.

Within 2 years of her diagnosis, after trying various remedies and medications with limited success, it was time to let Rosie go.

Ryan and his family were devastated, but he was also MAD! Why did this happen? What could he have done to prevent it?

This tragedy set Ryan on the path to finding the cause of Rosie’s—and many other dogs’— cancers. Today he shares with us what he learned, and how to potentially almost double your dog’s lifespan, and quality of life.

Let’s find out what our dogs REALLY need in their DIETS with Ryan’s Healthy Dog Food Recipe Books

You’ll Hear About

[08:52] Rosie’s sad cancer story

[10:45] When it’s time to say goodbye

[18:06] Commercial dog food

[18:56] Ryan’s research into kibble

[23:50] The Maillard Reaction and its link to cancer

[27:77] Wet food

[29:40] How to use the Salt ingredient to make an educated guess about the amount of other ingredients in the food

[32:30] Feeding dogs meat

[34:00] Real Food for Dogs – Recipes

[43:30] Spices for dogs

[44:26] How expensive is giving your dog Real Food? How much time does it take?

[48:04] What about grains, flour and pasta… and garlic?

[52:22] Get Ryan’s books for a bargain!

Links & Resources

Check out Ryan’s Healthy Dog Food Recipe Books where he shares the massive discount for all my TODT listeners.
Click the button below to get all four books (Real Food, Real Treats, Real Care, and Real Weight Loss) for the price of less than ONE book – just $37.
Healthy Dog Food Recipe Books Special Offer
These books are are digital ebooks which you can download instantly to your computer, phone or tablet…meaning you can start making your dog a special meal today!

Ryan Alarid and Rosie

If you are interested in more about dog food check out this video by Dr Becker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0lFwdNm_Go

For a great resource about exactly what’s in YOUR dog’s food check out Dog Food Advisor

Learn more by tuning into the podcast!

Thanks for listening—and again, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes / Spotify to get automatic updates.

Cheers,

~Doggy Dan

Transcript

Download New Tab

Voiceover: Welcome to the Doggy Dan Podcast Show. Helping you unleash the greatness within your dog.

Doggy Dan: Hello, everybody. I'm Doggy Dan and today I am with Ryan Alarid who is an amazing man. He's a proud husband and father to a human baby boy named Striker. He has three fur babies, Milton, Buddy and Captain, and over the past 12 years he's generated over $350 million in online revenue promoting both his own products and third-party products, however, all of that fails into insignificance when on April 15th, 2018, Ryan had to put his black Lab Pitbull down because of a brain tumor.

This sparked his passion, determination and industry contacts to find a solution to help end the cancer epidemic in dogs so every family can spend more quality time with their fur family members. They don't have to go through what he went through. This culminated with the creation of real food for dogs and his newly formed company the Healthy Tail Company, real food for dogs is a smart, healthy and fun way to make homemade dog food for your best friend.

So, today I've got Ryan Alarid on the show so he can have a chat about dogs, about Milton, Buddy, Captain and some of those topics that we don't really want to talk about maybe, which is: Are we feeding our dogs the best food? What is the best dog food? Should we be making our own food? All that sort of stuff. It's a fascinating topic. It's wonderful to have you on the show here, Ryan. Thank you for joining us here today.

Ryan Alarid: Thank you. Thank you for having me and the opportunity not only to share my story but hopefully, educate everyone listening and they educate someone and they educate someone because we just need to feed our dogs the best things we can and make sure they have the good lives that we can give them because they truly give us so much joy.

Doggy Dan: Exactly. Now, anyone who's got three dogs is a real dog lover.

Ryan Alarid: Yes.

Doggy Dan: Agreed?

Ryan Alarid: Yes and all ours are rescue dogs.

Doggy Dan: Ah, good on you.

Ryan Alarid: Yes.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. Tell us more about Milton, Buddy and Captain. As well as their breeds and ages, can you give us their personalities? I think it's sort of fascinating for dog lovers, we love our personalities. Tell us who they're most like?

Ryan Alarid: Yes. We'll start with Buddy. Buddy is our black Lab and a Tennessee Tree Hound mix, which is a breed most people have never heard of.

Doggy Dan: No.

Ryan Alarid: He looks like a black Lab with beautiful brindle on his chest and his paws and his little butt but he's a personality. He's head of security. He's head of mom and baby security. He's the most lovable little guy, but if there's ever a noise or anything, he goes from lovable to “I'm standing in front of mom protecting mom.”

Doggy Dan: Wow.

Ryan Alarid: We call him head of security.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. Look, can I just jump in?

Ryan Alarid: Yeah.

Doggy Dan: This is why I love chatting to you because we have this passion for dogs. I read that in every pack there is an alert dog and I have almost the same thing. I have this alert dog who barks and tells everybody there's danger and she won't actually back it up. My question is he the one who will back it up as well as do the alert?

Ryan Alarid: He would absolutely back it up if he had to. He doesn't like to but if someone broke into our house and threatened our family, he would attack.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. Gotcha.

Ryan Alarid: Yes. Then, next up we have Milton. He's our little Chihuahua and King Charles Cavalier mix. We actually shaved him like a lion. He has a lion mane because he's got the long hair and a lion tail, cutest little guy. We adopted him. The shelter said he was one year old and that was a blatant lie because his teeth were so bad. They said he spent about a year on the streets here in Las Vegas and the vet actually thinks he was, at the time of adoption, about four or five years old, based off the teeth and everything. Well, we adopted him and loved him. We actually call him our drug lord. He has his own little mafia drug lord kind of mentality, personality kind of like, "Hey, don't mess with me but I'm still going to respect the authority of Buddy."

Doggy Dan: Gotcha.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah, and he's the smallest of the dogs. And then we have Captain who we just got, we rescued last Christmas. He's a Dudley Lab. I don't know if your listeners are familiar with Dudley Labs because they're different from regular Labs because they have the white, and the pink nose and either blue or yellow eyes. He's completely white but he's a mix between a Dudley Lab and a Shepherd. So, his back legs and his tail are full bushy. He's not security. He's about playfulness and cuddly. That's his job.

Doggy Dan: Beautiful. He's the lucky one.

Ryan Alarid: Yes.

Doggy Dan: He's got the easy job.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. Milton bosses him around big-time.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. Brilliant. Don't you love it when you see the little dogs bossing the big dogs around?

Ryan Alarid: Oh yeah.

Doggy Dan: It's just hilarious.

Ryan Alarid: Oh, absolutely.

Doggy Dan: Love it. Love it. Love it. So, you've always got a passion for Labs, what's your sort of back story? Did you grow up with dogs or how did you end up with three? Because like I was saying anyone who's got three loves dogs because if you've got three they turn into a pack.

Ryan Alarid: Oh, absolutely.

Doggy Dan: It’s not like having one where they're just the dog, with three they become a pack and it's full-on or can be full-on.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. So, I grew up with black Labs. My parents since before I was born, we always had a black Lab. I grew up with a dog. I didn't have any choice. It was just part of the family whether it's picking up poop, feeding the dog, walking the dog. It was just-

Doggy Dan: Yeah. You got it.

Ryan Alarid: … cuddling the dog. Dogs are so ingrained in my upbringing. In fact, my parents even said, "If you don't like dog hair, don't come visit the house. We clean as much as we can but, sorry. They're going to be dog hair. So, get over it." Now, my parents have two dogs now. My brother has three dogs he actually rescued. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He's an x-ray tech so he's actually in frontlines right now with all the corona but him and people he knows found, I think it was like, twelve 3-day old puppies in a dumpster.

Doggy Dan: Got you. Yeah.

Ryan Alarid: He helped with a couple of other people. They bottle fed them. Fed them for a couple of months, and anyway not all of them made it, some of them did not make it but one of them, he just fell in love with, and now he's raising that little guy or a little girl. It's a little girl. So, yeah. No. Dogs are in my family. My wife is a dog person. I had one dog when I met her, we now have three, if we had more room we'd have 15.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. I get you. Yeah. I often joke if I had $10 million what would I do? Well, I'd probably buy a big piece of land and put a fence around it, like a huge five-acre fence and get 30 dogs and just hang out with the dogs.

Ryan Alarid: Exactly. Exactly.

Doggy Dan: Maybe you don't need 10 million to do it, you just set up a rescue so that's kind of what I see as my retirement to be honest. It's just having a big pack of dogs. That's what I want to see myself doing in a way. Yeah. I hear you. 15 dogs, beautiful. One thing before I forget, I would love to get a photo of Milton, Buddy and Captain. I think there's nothing more fun than getting their photos just for our web page because all of this podcast, we'll put it up in a beautiful page for people to read it and watch it and listen to it and stuff, again and again, and we'll put some photos in there of dear Buddy and Captain and Milton.

Ryan Alarid: Absolutely.

Doggy Dan: Then, the other thing is your dear Lab Pitbull who got the brain tumor. Can you just touch on that? I know it's, uh, you don’t have to go into detail because I know it can be pretty moving...

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. So, I do apologize if I tear up even though it's been a couple years. So, she was my first dog on my own. Because we always had the family dog, then I came out, I went to college, I graduated college, I was out of college for about a year and I rescued her. She's a rescue. She was, oh my god, the most hyper pain-in-the-butt dog in the world but I just loved her. I always told myself because I didn't like when a lot of people would have dogs and you knew they were not living a good life. It was like, "Ah, you probably should put them down or this and the other." They can't walk, they can't, they're not happy.

I told myself from day one, I said, "If the day ever comes where my baby girl, Rosie…" That was her name. We called her Roro. "Could not walk and was peeing herself, that's my sign. That's when it was time." I told myself that from day one but just like many of the people listening, I never thought that day would come. She started having seizures and when she was 14 years old, it got to the point when… I mean, she was having six, seven seizures a day and every time she had a seizure, it took a toll on her body and it got to the point where she couldn't walk. She was peeing herself and that's when I knew I had to hold my end of the promise that I would give to her and what we did is we actually had someone come to the house. We had a vet come to the house and do it so that our current dogs could say goodbye. She could be on her bed. She wasn't having anxiety about going to the vet and I do recommend that. If you have the ability to have them come to your house...

Doggy Dan: Yeah. Totally. Totally.

Ryan Alarid: There's no good way to do it.

Doggy Dan: No.

Ryan Alarid: I know some people are very against that. They just want to let their dogs pass naturally and that's fine, that's up to you, that's your choice, but I didn't, this was my choice. I held up my end of the bargain. I just gave her kisses. I was crying. I just kept thanking her for… Sorry. I'm tearing up right now. Thanking her for all the life she gave me and happiness. I got her out of college. I went through everything with her. We went through girlfriends together, moving. We went through hard financial times together. We went through a divorce together, went through everything.

It was just so hard. Now, after she passed, we had two dogs. We didn't have Captain yet. We had Milton and Buddy and about a few weeks or maybe a month passed and I was like, "Why could I not have one more year with her? How could I do that with my current dogs? How can I have one more year of just quality time? No seizures, quality time, just one more year, one more kiss, one more…" That's when I just went down the rabbit hole because I knew it had to be food because I gave her everything, all the good stuff.

I did the Blue Buffalo, the really expensive food but I was like, "What's going on?" I researched it during that month that's when I found out it was food. Sorry. When I found out it was food, I guarantee you almost everybody listening to this podcast has done this, probably for weeks at a time, have gone to the internet and researched what's the best dog food to give to your dog. I guarantee you've all done it. I guarantee you no matter how much research you've done, you don't have a damn answer.

You know it's bad, right? We know it's bad but we don't know what's good, and so far we all come back, oh, well, on the bag it must say chicken or beef or turkey as the first ingredient, like sure, that's better but that's still… Yeah. We can go into all that more later, but anyway, yeah. Rosie, oh my god. She was just the apple of my eye. Oh my gosh. I love her. I think of her all the time. She's really the motivation because I don't want anybody else to have to go through that, and if they do, I want them to instead of their dog going to heaven at 14, to do it at 16, 17, 18, so you have more time.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. How old was Rosie when she passed away?

Ryan Alarid: 14.

Doggy Dan: She was 14. That's good. That's good. Oh, hey, Ryan, I appreciate you sharing, man. I felt it all and I still well up a lot just thinking about my dear dog, Peanut. She was 13 and a half when she passed away and you know my story. We touched very briefly on it that she had kidney tumors, it was kidneys. I'm pretty sure it came from a very well-known big branded manufacturing dog food that I fed to her for the first few years of her life. It was much later that I realized it was, in my opinion, it was, well, I know it was full of a preservative that has been banned from the human food production, food chain, everything, because it produces every bad cancer, just everything. It's horrendous but it's still allowed in dog food.

Ryan Alarid: Oh. Oh my god. Just so much… Yeah.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. That's just how bad it is.

Ryan Alarid: Oh yeah.

Doggy Dan: It's one of the biggest manufacturers, I'd been feeding her for years, the product which is banned from the human food chain, because they know it produces all these tumors. So, anyway, we don't want to go into all that sad stuff but it is important I think just to anchor where we're coming from. Your passion, your love for the dogs and it came through and I felt it and appreciate it because we're all dog lovers.

I just want to kind of put a little bit of a caveat or first of all, actually, I want to touch on something. What Ryan said about when your dog is coming to that time for them to pass over, I'm lucky enough only to have had to put one dog down, a couple of cats; and all of my cats and Peanut, the dog, were all put down on our property. We paid a little bit more for the vet to come to our house and it meant the world to me and my wife and to our animals.

I really encourage you to consider it because there's nothing quite like that final resting place for your dog when they can be in your arms or be in their basket, and it may be a little bit harder for you, may be easier but I urge you to consider what it's like for your dog and the other thing which is really important here is the biggest favor I think you can do for your dog is to be there with them when they pass. I say that with one caveat and that is that you do have to be able to hold it together a little bit. You may have tears in your eyes but you don't want to be screaming and all the rest of it but if you can be there present with your dog, you could well be amazed when they look you in the eye and hold the stare because they are saying goodbye.

It's not much different in my opinion from a human being to be taken to a hospital where you know nobody and nobody knows you and there's no one that you love there and you realize you're being put to sleep, compared to being at home with the ones you love and you being put to sleep. So, I know we're going to be talking about dog food and we haven't even started that yet but sometimes things come up like this which are super important and I think this is one of those things for the love of the dog, be there if you can when you say goodbye. Yeah. Any thoughts on that?

Ryan Alarid: 100% agree. The cost from having someone come to your house to go into a vet, honestly, is not that much more.

Doggy Dan: No.

Ryan Alarid: Because no dog likes going to the vet, right? They all know. They all know. They're getting shots. They don't like it.

Doggy Dan: Don’t like it. Yeah.

Ryan Alarid: I did not want that to be my dog's last memory.

Doggy Dan: Exactly.

Ryan Alarid: I want it to be, I was giving her a kiss on the cheek where she loved being kissed and I got to feel her very last breath and I was crying the whole time but I was there just saying I love you. Thank you. I love you and that's-

Doggy Dan: Same.

Ryan Alarid: That was what I needed and I encourage everyone to do it.

Doggy Dan: It becomes a beautiful experience as well as a very sad one.

Ryan Alarid: 100%.

Doggy Dan: It's so personal and yeah. Right. Into the food.

Ryan Alarid: Yes.

Doggy Dan: One thing about the food stuff is, and Ryan and I have touched on this as well. We are not saying - just as like a framing of this whole podcast - we're not saying this is what you have to do, this is what's right for everybody here. I'm kind of hoping we're going to disagree on a few things, Ryan, but we might end up just agreeing on everything, which is cool as well. But we're just going to talk generally. What we're saying is, this is not a prescriptive “every dog should this, you got to feed them whatever.” We're just having a general chat here, guys.

I don't want to bring any anger or heat or frustration if you disagree with anything we're saying, guys. Just looking to add another… what is it? Another angle-

Ryan Alarid: Exactly.

Doggy Dan: … to what you already know. So, top line, top line, what's your take on dog food, dry food, wet food, meat? Where are you coming from? Tell me all about it.

Ryan Alarid: My top line if I can give one sentence to anybody, the average dog owner I'd say, "Stop feeding your dog dry kibble and canned food."

Doggy Dan: Got you. Tell me why. Why?

Ryan Alarid: So, first off, the government regulations on what actually constitutes the meat that goes in and meat by-product and how it's made are almost non-existent, at least, in the US, right? They have an association but the guidelines are so loose and so vague-

Doggy Dan: You can, yeah-

Ryan Alarid: … it's like-

Doggy Dan: You can put anything in there.

Ryan Alarid: … you can put anything, and it's a very lucrative industry. They want to make as much money as possible. They're putting in rotted meat, like who knows, right? Preservatives, then they extrude it. I don't know if you know anything about the extruding process on how they make dog food and pretty much everything about kibble is not good.

Doggy Dan: It's pretty disgusting and I'm not going to do this the whole way through this show but I do want to do it one more time. You ready for it?

Ryan Alarid: Yeah.

Doggy Dan: Again, take all of this with a pinch of salt but not all dry food is exactly the same.

Ryan Alarid: Oh, 100%,

Doggy Dan: There is some really good dry food out there but what we're saying is you have to be aware there is some horrendous stuff out there. It's not always related to what you pay. You could be paying the highest price and you can be getting some of the lowest grade, worst, most preservative pumped filled stuff out there.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. I will say just … So, I have homemade dog food books that I sell and I make homemade dog food for my dogs. But we also do have kibble for when we go out of town and we have a dog sitter, right?

Doggy Dan: Yeah.

Ryan Alarid: But, again, so my kibble, it's for the big dogs, it's dehydrated, right? It's not extruded. It's minimally processed. For our little dog, Milton, we have baked dog food. Again, because it's still not great stuff in my opinion but it's better than your normal bad dog food. Again, if you have to do kibble, again, and we have it in our pantry because we travel a lot, it's too hard to tell the pet sitter to do this, that and the other. We do have either dehydrated dog food for the big boys or baked dog food for Milton.

Doggy Dan: It's funny because I do also give my dog some dried dog food, but I have done a lot of research into what is the type of dry dog foods that I give my dogs. I've made sure there's no preservatives, pretty much nothing in there. They've got all the good stuff and I don't feed it very often at all. In fact, I do the mix which is something we can talk about, about mixing dog foods up and not giving them the same thing.

Just going back to what you said earlier about the guidelines for what's allowed in dog food, dry dog food, is so relaxed. I will add a couple of videos and a link to a website which kind of ranks dog foods and analyzes it and I feel it's pretty reliable, pretty fair, pretty honest and independent. I'll also add a video on there, which ... it's pretty scary when you see what you're allowed to put into dog food. It's like pretty much leather.

I mean you can have a look into it but the video is saying you can pretty much put leather into it and call it meat, it's animal product. You can put oil, all sorts of crazy oil and almost like I don't want to say engine oil but this video is saying you can pretty much put this stuff in and it's classed as “dog food.” A leather belt and castor oil and I remember watching that going, "Whoa. Now, I see what they're saying." The thing is, our dogs cannot complain how bad the food is. They will eat rubbish. That's one of the issues why the dogs can be fed such absolute rubbish.

Ryan Alarid: Well, and so going off what you're saying is, and I don't think we've actually talked about this before but the dog food companies, they can put, like you said, absolutely rubbish in the dog food but the dog still eat it, but why is that? I'll tell you exactly why, because it's actually a process… If you look at almost every kibble, have you ever wondered why they're all dark brown? They're all roughly the same color within a shade or two of the same color.

There's a reason for that because most of them are a process called... uh, they're “extruded.” Hopefully, I'm saying that right. Sorry. But what happens is, how it's done, how it's baked under high heat, high pressure, and what happens is, under high heat, high pressure, something happens called the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction turns it brown.

So, for instance, and the Maillard reaction makes things really tasty. If we're cooking a steak, obviously, the steak is pink, right? When we cook it, it turns that brown and a lot of times that edge is really tasty. Well, that's the Maillard reaction, right? It breaks down sugars and it's really tasty. Sometimes when it's very low levels, it's actually good for us, however, when it's at high levels it's almost like feeding…. it's like just injecting cancer into every little bite.

Doggy Dan: It's really bad. Yeah. That's almost the burnt that you're saying, like I've read... I understand for humans that burnt stuff is almost carcinogenic. It's not really that good for you.

Ryan Alarid: Absolutely. Just to let you guys know, so kibble, just dry… Again, I'm just talking dry kibble here. On average is 122 times higher than the highest allowable amount for humans, so think about that.

Doggy Dan: Say that again.

Ryan Alarid: So, say that the human level is say 2, right? On a scale of 1 to 20, for example. They are up almost at 18, 19. It's literally 122 times higher than allowable for humans, than the max allowable for humans. That's just how it's processed. This is before you take into account preservatives, the crap that they add into it.

Doggy Dan: All the other stuff that's added. Yeah.

Ryan Alarid: Just a matter of cooking it, you create the Maillard reaction. Again, I'd encourage everybody to Google the Maillard reaction for yourself and start going down that rabbit hole.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. I think that whilst we talk about this, and this is not about bashing dry food because, like I said, I feed my dogs dry food. We're just saying be very careful and be aware. One of the things, for example, I became aware of because I chatted to somebody… I actually was training his dog in his home and he said he imports dog food from the US into New Zealand. He said he's got a container of the stuff. I remember hearing how much he was importing it for, what it was actually costing, and the increase in price was phenomenal.

He said they were bringing in huge containers. It didn't happen very often and it suddenly made me realize that this very cheap product was coming in, it was being inflated to incredibly high prices and it was also sitting on shelves in warehouses, and then in people's garages for months and months and months. This has been spoken about it. You can feed your dogs some of this food like years later and it hasn't changed because some of the preservatives of that, I mean they're powerful, is that the word we want to use?

Ryan Alarid: Oh yeah.

Doggy Dan: I mean it's almost like, is it still food if it doesn't change, never goes off? If it can't go off, what is it? It's a static product, which is… Yeah. So, that's the scary stuff.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. We've talked all the scary.

Doggy Dan: Well, that's the dry food. So, dry food, you're not a big fan of dry food although we touched on the fact that there is some - a lot of it is much better than others. Tell me about the wet food. What's the problem with wet food? Because I often like the wet food and I did buy some. I've got to say, we've got some animals over here called possums, and I think we've got four million people in the country and about 18 million possums. Go figure. They came from Australia, invaded the country and they are, well, they've started actually catching them and it's a bit… I don't like hearing about any animals dying but there are some dog foods actually made out of possums. It's like possum roll.

Ryan Alarid: Oh wow.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. You can just see this is quality food. This is quality meat. I've fed it to my dogs. I know the guys who make the stuff and it's powerful and pretty amazing stuff. Again, I class that as wet food. That's probably some of the top of the range stuff. I mean it's basically wild, it's wild meat, and so that's beautiful stuff. But, because they get the whole lot, they get all the meat and all the best bits are in there, they haven’t been taken out. But when we talk about some of the dog rolls and the wet food, what's your thoughts on that, Ryan?

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. My thought on food almost as a whole is, let's get the Maillard reaction out and the preservatives out.

Doggy Dan: Got you.

Ryan Alarid: If we can get those two things out of your food, whatever is left, whatever you're feeding them-

Doggy Dan: Got you.

Ryan Alarid: … is way better.

Doggy Dan: Yes.

Ryan Alarid: Then, because I know another thing is “grain free food” versus “grain food,” half the time like, "No. You need grains." “No. You don't need grains.” I'm 50/50 on that one. I haven't completed my research on it but again, let's get those preservatives out, let's get that processed food out. Here's a cool thing, again, I don't know about New Zealand, but in the United States there's very few regulations on dog food as we touched on, but the one regulation they do have would actually make us reading a label a little bit easier is, in the United States they actually regulate how much salt you can put into dog food.

So, that salt, you cannot put more than 1% in. So, if you're ever reading a dog food label this says, "I've got sweet potatoes and blueberries and all this." What you do is look in the panel and find all the ingredients because obviously the first one is the most ingredient, second most, third most and so on. Find salt because salt, at most, will be 1%, then everything else after. So, if all your sweet potatoes and blueberries are after salt, that's just trace amounts - but they can still put it on the packaging, on the pretty labels, right?

Doggy Dan: Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Ryan Alarid: That's just a little advice for anybody. Find out where it says ‘salt’, anything after that is pretty much preservatives coloring and BS.

Doggy Dan: That's really cool. Yes. Yes. That's fascinating. So, basically, wet food, what you're saying is, that will have gotten rid of a lot of the Maillard effect, is that correct?

Ryan Alarid: Yes.

Doggy Dan: Because it hasn't gone through that roasting. So, that's good. So, possibly wet food, which doesn't have the bad preservatives. Again, that's a whole new topic and something we need to look into.

I don't know what you think of this statement but somebody said to me, I like it personally, I often recommend this, is when you're reading the ingredients, if you can't pronounce the word in the ingredients on the label on the dog food, whether it's wet or dry or whatever or the tin, if you can't pronounce it, if it doesn't sound like food, if it doesn't look like a food word, if it's sodium sulfite, chloroformate, yeah, alfredite, it's probably something weird that you may want to stay away from, and if you have lots and lots of those things on the ingredients label, that's where you've got to start asking the question, is one of those actually a pretty bad preservative? Would you agree kind of, is that along the right tracks?

Ryan Alarid: I not only agree with that, I'm going to add to it that at the end of the label there's also even more long words, and all those are like vitamins and supplements that they have to add to the food because, during the processing, the extrusion processes, it literally cooks all the nutrients out of the actual food, so they need to add it, just so they can meet the bare minimum requirements to sell it.

Doggy Dan: Got you.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. Agree. If you can't pronounce it, you should not be giving it to your dog.

Doggy Dan: Okay. I'm looking at the time. I'm having such fun chatting.

Ryan Alarid: Oh yeah.

Doggy Dan: It's like, okay, great. We've got to get going. What about meat though? Meats, I would say meat is king. My dogs, I want to do this as a test. Put down a bowl of dry, a bowl of homemade food, a bowl of some other wet food, and then a bowl of meat. I want to see which dogs go for which bowl because I'm a big fan of meat, and yeah, I just want to add in there, I'm fully aware there's not actually enough meat in the world for all the dogs to eat meat. So, what's your take on meat? Do you think it's a good eat or...

Ryan Alarid: My take is, when I look at dogs and coyotes and wolves in the wild, they eat meat...

Doggy Dan: Totally.

Ryan Alarid: … but they also eat berries. They scavenge. They eat whatever they can, right? But I'm a huge proponent of meat and protein for dogs, especially, I mean, we're lucky enough to live in countries where we can provide this for our dogs. Do I want to give my dog a 100% meat diet? No. But do I want it to be a very large portion of its diet? Yes.

Doggy Dan: Got you. Yeah. I think one of the things even with meat is you want to be careful, you're not just giving your dog the same cut of meat from the same animal again and again and again, because if you just give your dog chicken breast, it's just not got the variety of nutrients and the rest of it that your dog needs. Just like my son, he may like sausages but if all I ever feed him is beef sausages, he's going to get pretty sick pretty quickly.

Ryan Alarid: Oh, 100%. That's why, shameless plug here... That's why, in my recipe books, that collectively, there's actually four recipe books, but collectively there's over 100 recipes in there, and the reason there's over 100 is variety because exactly like you said, if you give your dog beef and sweet potatoes every day, it's missing other nutrients. So, then, one week I'm doing beef, sweet potatoes and this recipe, then next week I'm doing duck and other things because, again, just like us, we need different nutrients.

Doggy Dan: Totally.

Ryan Alarid: If you give it a good variety of nutrients, it's going to be a happy, healthy dog.

Doggy Dan: So, tell us a little bit about your homemade recipe books because I've got them and I've tried some of these recipes and my dogs love this stuff. I mean, I got to be honest, my dogs aren't fussy so even if it's some recipe from your weight loss book, they love it but there's the Real Treats for Dogs, there's the Real Food for Dogs, there's the Real Care for Dogs. Tell us a little bit about… I don't know whether you want to just talk about one of those four.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. I'll talk about the Real Food for Dogs because that's our number one seller because it's your everyday food. Again, like we said there's a whole bunch of recipes in there to give your dog variety, right? It's going to thank you. I guarantee you, you make some of these recipes, if you've never made homemade dog food, if you get some of the recipes that are in my book, watch your dog react. It's going to be way more excited for dinner time than you've ever seen your dog.

Doggy Dan: Can I just read some of them out to people just so they get an idea?

Ryan Alarid: Oh yeah. Absolutely.

Doggy Dan: Guys, I’ve got the book in front of me and we’ve got burritos, we've got pizzas, we’ve got... it's called Chewy Cheesy Chihuahua Pizza. We’ve got stews. We’ve got quiches. We’ve got Labrador Loaf. We’ve got burgers, Poodle Pasta. We got all sorts here. We've got vegetarian meals as well. We've even got Shih Tzu Sushi.

Ryan Alarid: That's right.

Doggy Dan: That's a mouthful. Shih Tzu Sushi. So, yeah.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. We definitely wanted a little fun with the names because we wanted to make sure that it's fun to make it, right? We want to make it an activity that you can share with your family, your kids, your wife, your husband, your dogs, and a lot of times, do you want to just cook some ground beef or ground turkey and add some sweet potato or do I want to make Bow-Wow Burritos tonight?

Doggy Dan: Yeah.

Ryan Alarid: Well, let's do Bow-Wow Burritos… we want to make sure it's fun because I have a six-month-old child and he's going to be growing up making Chihuahua Pizzas and Bow-Wow Burritos.

Doggy Dan: Exactly. One of the things I love about the books is some of them are really not complex but some of them have a lot of ingredients and others, for example, Poodle Pasta is pretty simple, and so what I mean by, it's pretty simple, it's the sort of recipe you can knock together with your children they can enjoy making. If I was actually to read out Poodle Pasta, it's got whole-wheat flour, it's got beef liver, eggs, olive oil, and some butter. That's a really simple recipe and it explains how to put it together and other ideas that you can put in it with sweet potatoes. You can always add carrots and broccoli and zucchini and cottage cheese and stuff but at its simplest, the most basic, that's the Poodle Pasta part. Then, you can add stuff as well. If your child wants to nibble a bit, it's all good enough for humans to eat.

Ryan Alarid: Oh, I have eaten every single one of these recipes. I will tell you, not all of them are good, not all of them taste good, like anything with liver. Now, I'm just not a liver person but I've literally eaten every one of them because if you look at every one of our recipes, you can pronounce every ingredient. If you're picky, say I don't want oatmeal in my recipe. Guess what? Take it out. Leave it out, or if you want sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, put it in, or I want coconut oil instead of olive oil. Do that.

That's the beauty of your stay at home. I always tell people ... I always ask them, "What's the healthiest meal you can give your family, your child, your wife?" The answer is all the same for the human family, it's a homemade meal. Well, the same thing for your dogs. What's the healthiest meal you can make? Why? You can control what's in it and the cool thing is, if I'm on a budget, I can go to a big box store, I can go to Walmart or Costco or some big store and buy in bulk and buy the cheapest meat I can, and it's, I guarantee you, it's still healthier than anything you buy in the pet store because there's no preservatives, there's no Maillard reaction, or you can go on the other spectrum, you can go to Whole Foods and buy the most organic, locally sourced ingredients.

Again, most of these recipes, any kind of spices are typical spices you're going to have in your house. So, other than, and most people have eggs, most people have olive oil, most people have flour, and maybe you want to make the same recipe with chicken this week and beef next week. You can. You have such flexibility. I recommend it to everybody.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. One of the things with these recipes is it's not that you have to stick with it in the same way that if you're doing French patisserie baking, you got to stick to the recipe, you can't mix it around or the cake won't rise or it'll flop or whatever. As Ryan says, you can mix it up. Once you've got a hang for some of these ideas of what you can put in for your dog food, parsnips are good, zucchinis are good, tomatoes, canned chickpeas, couscous.

Once you realize the spices, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cumin are all... add some chicken stock and that stuff and your dog loves it. You start going, "Wow. This isn't that complicated." You may stick to the recipes for a while I guess but I'm sure a lot of people start inventing their own stuff. Is that fair enough?

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. Oh absolutely. One of the best things is when we make a Crock-Pot recipe, which is great, especially for people who are limited on time, you literally throw, just like you would a Crock-Pot dinner, you throw in all the ingredients and there's only a handful of ingredients. It's a Crock-Pot Beef and Rice meal. You throw the ingredients in the Crock-Pot in the morning and cook it on low for five or six hours, in the evening, but I guarantee, literally this recipe has ground beef, rice, beans, butternut squash, carrots, peas, it smells so good like...

Doggy Dan: Oh.

Ryan Alarid: The best thing is you cook that, play a joke on someone, because you cook it, your house smells so good and this one's actually one that would taste really good and granted there's no salt or anything bad, I don't add any though I would if I was eating it, but there's no other major spices in it, but it smells so good. I guarantee you, someone in your house will say, "Oh, can't wait for dinner." You say, "Well, that's the dog's dinner."

Doggy Dan: You know you have just reminded me, Ryan, that before my wife, Jenni and I had children, this is so funny... I had forgotten this story. Before we had children, what I'm saying is when we had a lot of time on our hands or a bit more time, we used to cook meals for Peanut. That's right. I used to cook up mince and rice and I'd bake it in the oven. There were a number of times where Jenny would cook it and I actually ate it. Thinking I was nibbling what we were going to have for dinner because it was beautiful, kind of an Arabic baked kind of Moroccan style, tajine kind of mince and tomatoes and spices.

I've just remembered. That's right. Jenni would say, "Have you been eating that? That's for the dog. That's the dog's food." I was, "It tasted good to me." I was picking out the big bits of meat at the time when I was eating meat. It was funny.

Ryan Alarid: Think about that, how good of a food are you giving your dog? It not only smells good for you but even tastes good for you! Like, oh my god, with no preservatives. You don't need vitamin additives. Why? Because you're not cooking the nutrients out of it.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. Got it. One of my favorites, I’ve got to add, the Shih Tzu Sushi that we're talking about earlier because it's wrapped in sushi. It's wrapped in those nori sheets. It's got salmon and hard boiled eggs and carrots, parsley, all this beautiful stuff. But my dog, … I often say on the walks, “they're eating their sushi.” Someone said, "Where's the dog?" I'll say, "Oh, he's eating sushi." If you look, he's actually eating seaweed off the beach.

You start to go, "Yeah." We love sushi. A lot of people love sushi, that seaweed, and the dogs do as well. They love sushi. My dogs actually eat it fresh off the beach and it's very good for them.

Ryan Alarid: Oh, very good.

Doggy Dan: Well, look, I am looking at the time. We could talk for hours and hours about this stuff. Can you tell me a little bit, maybe about some of the spices? What of all the spices do it for the dogs, all that stuff that we listed earlier? Do you know?

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. So, a lot of the spices, some of it is for taste ...

Doggy Dan: Got you.

Ryan Alarid: … and a lot of it's different spices actually because they give different nutrients for the dog on a micro-level. If you look at a lot of our recipes, we don't heavily depend on a lot of spice. It's in there on some of them but for the most part, it's not widely used, but if our recipes have spice, sometimes it's for a taste a little bit because the dogs like it and it's good for the dog, but if you see a spice in any of the recipes it's because we've researched that spice and it does have benefits. Could have a certain vitamin in it. But we generally don't have too much spice in our recipes.

Doggy Dan: No. That's cool. You touched on it earlier, but can you tell us the two biggest things I think which would hold people back is the cost of feeding dogs this sort of quality food and the time it takes. So, they're the two things I thought, I'm just guessing here, but how expensive is it? I think you touched on this earlier, but is it really not much more expensive or much more expensive, and what about the time? How long does it roughly take?

Ryan Alarid: Perfect. So, those are the two biggest questions I get and the cost is actually the biggest myth.

Doggy Dan: Got you.

Ryan Alarid: … because I actually did run some numbers before this. In the United States, we're going to take a 15-pound bag of dry kibble. Now, granted I know you can get in 20, 50-pound bags and 4-pounds, but we're taking a 15-pound bag. A 15-pound bag of dry kibble in the United States on the low-end is around $15 for a mainstream brand, or you want the "high-end" brand, could be $32 for a bag of 15 pounds. Granted there's more expensive, less expensive, but this is just the average.

Well, that's $15 to $32 for dry kibble and that comes to about $1 to $2.50 per pound of dry kibble. Now, when you take homemade, what the cost for that is, again, well if you want to go on the lower end, you buy just regular meat, all the way to organic, that's going to cost between $1.21 a pound $2.50 a pound. So, depending on how you look at it, it could be cheaper to the same price, relatively, of dry kibble. The cost honestly is not...

Doggy Dan: No.

Ryan Alarid: I don't want that to be a limiting factor because if you're paying more for the high-end kibbles versus cooking, you're going to save money cooking it.

Doggy Dan: I've done the same numbers. I sometimes look at the bags of dog food, the dry stuff, and that is like, expensive, man. Compare that to some of the cheaper ends of cuts of meat and it's cheaper to buy pure meat, and then you start going, "Well, what's more expensive than meat?" I mean...

Ryan Alarid: Exactly.

Doggy Dan: I mean if it was 100% meat, it wouldn't be that much.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. For a lot of our recipes, there is stuff you have in your kitchen already. Again, you can use fresh peas, you can use frozen peas, you use fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries. It's whatever is good for you and easy for you, and then, time, right? Time is actually a consideration because it is going to take a little time. But, for example, my wife and I, what we do is, every Sunday night we make a big meal. We pick one recipe and that's what we make for the rest of the week.

We put it in the fridge, it stays fine all week, and then the next week, next Sunday, we do the same thing. It's just meal-prepping. Many people meal-prep and we can grab a big old Tupperware and a big old thing, we put it on there, and actually, sometimes we use multiple Tupperwares but, and we just throw it in the fridge. You can actually, even if you wanted to be super lazy, you would actually make two or three-month's worth of food in one day, and you can actually freeze a lot of these recipes. Right? Just bring it out enough to thaw.

Doggy Dan: You can always put it in little bags as well, can't you?

Ryan Alarid: Oh, 100%.

Doggy Dan: ... like put it in little bags or little plastic containers and stuff and the other thing with these recipes, it's like doing anything. First time it takes a bit of a while, you’ve got to remember, and then, second or third time you do it, you're not even looking at the recipe book, you just throw it in and, boom!

Ryan Alarid: Exactly.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. Cost. Quality. The last thing I really wanted to touch on is you mentioned you're still not too sure about the grains and the flour and pasta and stuff. I know what I feel, but what's your take on all of that, the grains side of things? Do the dogs need it? Is it okay for them, a little bit, lots, what?

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. I'm not done with my research on it. Right now I think grains are good. I think dogs need grains. They eat them when they're foraging in the wild, right? Wolves, and I know wolves are slightly different from domesticated dogs but… So, at this moment, I am pro-grains, however, any recipe we have that has grains in it, if you feel differently, leave them out.

Doggy Dan: Totally. You just adapt it.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah. That's the good thing about making food at home. You can adapt the recipe to your beliefs and what you feel is right for your dog.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. I chatted to a really big dog food manufacturer once and I said to them, "But you know surely just feeding your dogs just meat is the best." He said, "Well, not necessarily. There's so much other good stuff in other food with berries, like you said, and vegetables and you're getting that full variety. He said, "There just isn't enough dog meat in the world for every dog just to eat meat.” So, regardless of whether meat’s the best or not, we need to feed them other stuff, vegetables, fruit. I can tell you, my dogs, they just love the rice, not too much, but they love rice, they love pasta, they love spaghetti, they love potatoes and all that other sort of stuff, and a little bit of bread, why not?

Ryan Alarid: Oh yeah.

Doggy Dan: My dogs just adore pizza. Pizza’s the one. Cheesy pizza crusts.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah, and you know what?

Doggy Dan: Yeah.

Ryan Alarid: I firmly believe it's okay. Just like moderation, it's okay for me to go have chocolate cake and a beer.

Doggy Dan: Totally.

Ryan Alarid: Right? But as long as I'm not doing it every day, twice a day, right? Same thing for your dog, as long as you're not feeding them onions and garlic and chocolate and grapes like all those known bad things, as long as you're feeding them that, let them. It's enriching their lives. It's not going to hurt them.

Doggy Dan: Tell me about garlic because garlic, this may be our point that we agreed to disagree on. I've always fed my dogs garlic. Do you think garlic is a real bad one? I mean I know alcohol, tea, coffee, chocolate, raisins, grapes, yeah. I don't touch those, but garlic?

Ryan Alarid: Yes. So, originally, I actually had originally some garlic powders and some garlic in my recipes in the Real Food book. But the problem with that is there is so much out there right now saying how bad garlic is, I took it out just from a marketing perspective.

Doggy Dan: Got you. Yeah. Just play it safe.

Ryan Alarid: So, I'd rather err on the side of caution on that. I'm still okay with a little bit of garlic. I'm not going to give my dog a whole bunch of garlic cloves.

Doggy Dan: No. Because it's similar to the onion food group which we know is bad for the dogs.

Ryan Alarid: Exactly.

Doggy Dan: So, onion is bad.

Ryan Alarid: Exactly.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. That makes sense as well, Ryan. I hear where you're coming from. Yeah.

Ryan Alarid: Yeah.

Doggy Dan: Wow. How's that, guys?

Ryan Alarid: Yeah.

Doggy Dan: I'm lucky. I'm looking at all these beautiful food books and I'm going, "Wow." I just want to rush into the kitchen, start cooking something up but… If you do want to have a look at some of these recipes, and you can jump onto my website and go to the blog where everything will be transcribed so you can read through this, listen to the podcast again and have a look at some of those videos, and see Ryan's dogs, Milton, Buddy and Captain, and there'll be a link there as well where you can get hold of these books, these diet books, one for Real Care and Diets and Treats or you can, if you're listening or you want to write this down now, you can go to tiny.cc/doggyd. So, if you type that into your browser that will take you to the page with all those books. So, that you can get hold of those as well.

Ryan Alarid: I also wanted to add, normally, we sell just the food book for $59, but since, obviously, you were gracious enough to have me on the podcast and let me tell everybody my story about Rosie and my goal, honestly, my ultimate goal is to get this book into as many hands as possible and get people off dry kibble on a daily basis. So, for your listeners, if they use that URL that you just gave, we're actually going to give all four books, which is our Real Food, Real Treats, Real Care, and Real Weight Loss for $37.

Doggy Dan: Wow. All 4 of them for $37.

Ryan Alarid: All 4 for $37 and we're actually working on another book called Real Food for Picky Eaters. It's not out yet but anybody who buys now through that link, as soon as it is ready, we're going to email it to you. They're PDF, you download them so you literally go to the link right now, you can make food tonight. But we'll email you as soon as that book’s ready for free and yeah, we just want healthy dogs everywhere.

Doggy Dan: Ryan, you're a good man. I didn't even know Ryan was going to do those deals for us. I appreciate that so much. That's just so cool. I'm trying to think, is there anything else that we wanted to touch on? Oh, I know one more thing. One other thing, guys, is I think it's really important to recognize, and Ryan's touched on this, but people don't have to kind of go and stop feeding like 100% and move to these cooked meals, 100% do they? You were saying that just once a week will make a huge difference.

Ryan Alarid: Yes. If you could even replace, because I know we're busy and sometimes you live in a small apartment with three roommates, whatever your situation might be, you don't have time to meal-prep every week. If you could replace one full day, it's like a lot, most people will feed their dogs once in the morning, once in the evening, one full day with food you make at home for your dog, I guarantee you, it's going to help your dog. Just thinking if you have someone who eats fast food every day of the week, if you give them one day, at least, where you eat healthy salads and healthy everything, it's going to help them, not going to necessarily help them a lot, obviously the more you do it's going to be better but if you could at least commit to one day a week, that's a great start. Your dog is going to love you. Honestly, if that even gives you one extra happy day together with your dog, it's worth it.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. Let me give you the analogy. I love this analogy. I made it up myself. I would say this. I love spaghetti bolognese but if I'm fed spaghetti bolognese every day for 30 days, you know what? I am so sick and tired of it and if you just gave me anything, anything, a fresh salad or a vegetable curry or, you know, you'd be so grateful. You can see dogs aren't much different. They just want a bit of variety and change and how much health benefits as well, - huge!

Ryan Alarid: Oh. Well, you're going to see less shedding. You're going to see a happier dog. You're going to see better teeth, better joints. I mean it's just... the list goes on and on.

Doggy Dan: Here's the thing, just think about this logically. Have you ever heard of when you go to the vets and you say, "Oh, what's the best dog food?" They said, "This one here." Then, you said, "Do I need anything else?" "No. This is the perfect food. It's been perfectly balanced. It's the perfect thing. It's all you need to feed your dog." Okay. What, for the rest of my life? Yeah. Just this one. Yet, if you go to another vet or another, you turn around and ask another person in the same store, they might point to a different food, totally the same thing, and yet, those two dog foods have got very little in common. There's very little in one that's in the other, and yet, somehow they're both saying that's the perfect food. So, it's just a load of mumbo-jumbo. It's like saying spaghetti bolognese is all you need to feed your children for the rest of their lives. How can it be true? Surely, balance is always going to be best.

Ryan Alarid: Exactly.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. So, let's cut through the smoke and mirrors, guys, and get to the truth, and if you're thinking, "Oh, Doggy Dan doesn't like dry food," it's not quite true, because if you go in my garage, you'll find a big tub of it and I feed my dogs it. So, we are going to balance all of this up with some interviews with some very good dry dog food manufacturer. I don't know who, where or when.

Ryan Alarid: I agree. Like I said I have dried dog food in my house too, but I do recommend if you do dry dog food, my research has shown that I either do dehydrated or oven baked dog food.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. Here's a huge tip, guys. This is worth waiting for. If you're feeding your dogs dry food, do this experiment. If you normally give your dogs one cup of dry food, put at least, I would say three cups of water in a bowl and put the dry food in there before you go to bed. Let it soak through the whole night and watch how much water that dry food has soaked up because that is like a Whoa! moment. That, like, blows your mind when you go, "That dog food has soaked up three times its volume in water." In other words, if your dog just eats that dry food, how much water has it sucked out of your dog's body?

Ryan Alarid: Exactly.

Doggy Dan: It's pretty scary stuff.

Ryan Alarid: Very scary.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. I mean just that alone makes you go, "Well, why are we being told that it takes a lot…" It's like eating dried rice. If you eat it, you're in trouble because your body starts to suck up… you can't do it.

Ryan Alarid: They told us as kids, “Don't feed dry rice to birds because they blow up.”

Doggy Dan: Wow.

Ryan Alarid: I don't know if that's true or not.

Doggy Dan: Yeah. Yeah. But it needs to swell, and watching... food in the dog’s body… Crazy. Yeah. Just a little tip there. Ryan, it's been fun. It's been fascinating. The time has flown by and yeah, It's got the time where I’ve really got to say goodbye and thank you for that. Again, guys, all of this information, transcription of the whole podcast, is going to be on my website. TheOnlineDogTrainer.com. You can go there and have a look at the podcasts and find this one tiny.cc/doggyd, if you want to go straight to that site and have a look at those recipe books.

Ryan, thank you for your passion, for your love of dogs.

Ryan Alarid: Thank you.

Doggy Dan: Especially liked hearing about your story. It brought back my love for my own dog and how much I love her and how special she was. Thank you for that. It's been real fun talking and sharing ideas and knowledge and understanding of dogs. Thanks, Ryan.

Ryan Alarid: Thank you.

Doggy Dan: ‘Til next time. Have to get you on the show again. I had so many questions I never even got to ask them so...

Ryan Alarid: Oh absolutely.

Doggy Dan: … until next time.

Ryan Alarid: Any time.

Doggy Dan: All right, mate, have a great day. Cheers, buddy.

Voiceover: You've been listening to another episode of the Doggy Dan Podcast Show. Bringing you one step closer to creating harmony with your dog.

Scroll back to top

The post Beating Cancer With Healthy Dog Food Recipes, with Ryan Alarid appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Why Dogs Have Sensitive Smell: The Science Behind

Doggy Dan — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 13:30:04 +0000

Do you ever wonder why your dog’s nose is always running a mile a minute?

The answer is simple: A dog’s sense of smell is his most powerful sense.

A dog can use his nose to sniff out food, his friends, and danger from miles away. So, even when we can’t smell anything around, it’s possible that your pup is in the middle of smelling something amazing!

While it’s common knowledge that dogs can smell really well, the science behind why they can smell for miles or what they use their sense of smell for isn’t always discussed.

Today, I thought it would be fun to talk about the science AND instinctual behavior behind why dogs are always smelling stuff.

But first let me point out that, if you’re struggling with a hyper-obsessive sniffer who can’t calm down and you haven’t put my foundation program The Dog Calming Code in place yet, then that is the first thing you should do after reading this.

(Or, if you have a puppy my Puppy Coach training program might be a good place to start!)

It’s sure to be the simplest way to calm your dog’s obsessive sniffing!

Okay…let’s get started…

Why Dogs Have an Incredible Sense of Smell

Dogs have relied on their noses for centuries to sniff out water, food, and predators.

Therefore, from a biological standpoint, it makes sense that a dog's nose would be designed to be far more powerful than a human nose.

But, how much more powerful?

The Marcach Road Animal Hospital tells us that…

“While humans possess only about 6 million smell receptors, our canine friends can have up to 300 million. But, that’s not the only difference. The part of the brain dedicated to processing smells is also 40 percent larger in a canine than in a human brain.”

That’s not the only unique thing about a dog's nose though.

Many people don’t know that dogs actually have an extra organ that humans don’t.

It’s called the Jacobson’s organ.

According to Cuteness.com…

“The Jacobson’s organ is located at the bottom of the dog's nasal passage and allows dogs to pick up on pheromones—important chemical cues all animals produce that signal messages to one another, like mating readiness.”

The Jacobson's organ is also important for dogs recognizing the scent of other dogs in their pack or puppies locating a nipple to nurse. If a dog is trying to get more scent to his Jacobson's organ, he may pull back his upper lip and rear back his head — called the “flehmen” reaction.”

How Dogs Use Their Noses

By now you understand the science behind why dogs can smell so well—and for good reason.

Without a powerful nose, it would be hard for dogs to find meals and protect themselves in the wild.

That being said, most pet dogs don’t need to resort to using their nose to sniff out their next meal.

For that reason, we thought it would be fun to take a look at how dogs use their nose and explain why dogs seem to enjoy smelling funny things like trash and butts.

Let’s start with a common one that grosses a lot of people out…butts.

Why Dogs Sniff Butts

As humans, a friendly handshake or a hug is the politest way to greet a new (or old) friend.

For a dog, the go-to “nice to meet you” greeting is butt sniffing.

As humans, we find this strange or amusing and often try to pull our dogs away from each other when this type of greeting occurs.

But, a formal butt sniffing is actually really important for dogs.

Mentalfloss.com tells us that…

“When one dog greets another with a nose in the derrière, it’s basically getting a brief biography of its new friend, written in scent molecules and pheromones.

To the sides of a dog’s butt are pouches called anal sacs; these contain glands which secrete chemicals that can tell a sniffer a lot of information about their owner, like gender, reproductive status, and clues about its health, diet, and even emotional state.

It may seem like a strange way to go about it, but butt sniffing is just the canine version of shaking hands and introducing yourself.”

The next time you’re out and about with your dog and he tries to “greet” a friend, let him do so. It’s a very important part of a dog's social greeting.

Why Dogs Love the Smell of Trash and Rotting Materials

Because a dog's nose is so powerful, you’d think your canine companion would stay far away from odors such as trash or decomposing dead animals.

Yet, the exact opposite is true.

Just think about how many times your dog has gotten into your trash bin. Or, how many times Fido has stopped your walk in the park to roll over a dead frog or something else stinky.

So, why do dogs do this?

Psychology Today has some great insights as to why dogs do this. Here’s what they had to say…

“Since the wild ancestors of dogs were not only hunters but also scavengers, much of the stuff that they are rolling in could still possibly be edible.

The notion then is that the wild canine rolls in this material and then returns to the pack. The other members of his group immediately pick up this scent and know that there is something which can pass for food nearby.

Another theory suggests that the dog is not trying to pick up odors from the stinking mess it rolls in, but is actually trying to cover that smell with their own scent.
It is certainly true that dogs and wolves will often roll around on something, like a stick, a new dog bed or such, as if they were trying to deposit their scent on it.

Some psychologists have suggested that dogs often rub against people to leave a trace of their scent and to mark the individual as a member of the pack, much the way that cats rub up against people to mark them with their odors.”

We still don’t 100% know why this is true. But, I would imagine the behavior is derived from a handful of different safety or pack-related habits.

Why Dogs Are Constantly Smelling Their Owners

Last but not least, I want to talk about why your dog may often give you a sniff.

First and foremost, you’re a part of your dog's pack. For this reason, it’s important that your dog has your scent in the event that something would happen to you.

Smell is very important for identification. In fact, a blind dog can easily identify who different people are through the sense of smell.

Aside from identification, we’ve discovered in the last few decades how much dogs use their sense of smell to gauge health.

For example, a dog can smell bacteria.

In the wild, dogs can tell who is healthy and who is unwell in the pack by simply sniffing each other.

This process helps with the pecking order as weaker, older, and sicker dogs are usually kept in the middle of the pack while in transit.

Today, we can use this powerful instinct to train dogs to sniff health issues in humans, such as…

Cancer cells
Low blood sugar levels
Diabetes
Chemical changes that cause seizures
Infections
And more!

Dogs are amazing animals, and with super-powered noses, they’ve been helping us save lives—whether it be in hospitals or on the battlefield—for many years.

The good news—we can use a dog's sense of smell to help them enjoy life and relax too.

In fact, if you have a dog that’s always anxious or stressed out, essential oils can be used to help him safely and naturally relax and unwind.

(Just remember to check out my foundation program The Dog Calming Code OR my Puppy Coach training program for puppies before you do anything else.)

So, if you’re interested in learning how to use smell to settle down an anxious or stressed-out dog, I encourage you to download my FREE guide to 3 Smells That Naturally Calm and Relax Dogs.

In this guide, I’ll share 3 essential oils that have been proven to calm dogs as well as info on how to safely diffuse these oils in your home.

You may also find the oils calm you down, which, in return, will relax your dog!

Get your FREE guide here!

Cheers,

~Doggy Dan

The post Why Dogs Have Sensitive Smell: The Science Behind appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

The Great Shave Debate: 5 Things to Consider Before You Shave Your Dog

Doggy Dan — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 07:00:11 +0000

For years, dogs owners, dog trainers, and even veterinarians have argued about whether it’s ok, or even beneficial, to shave your dog’s coat.

So…to shave or not to shave…what is the right choice?

As a dog owner myself, I know that the answer isn’t necessarily black or white.

In fact, there are many factors (both positive and negative) that need to be considered when making such a decision for your pup.

So, with that in mind, I’m simply going to leave you with some considerations to ponder as you make your decision.

Here are a few thoughts rooted in factual information that might help you determine if a shave is a good idea for your dog…

Consideration #1 – What Type of Dog Do You Have?

There are two main types of dog coats.

The first type of dog coat is a double coat.

Dogs with a double coat have two layers of fur—a fluffy bottom coat that helps keep them warm and insulated and a stronger top coat that helps repel water and dirt.

Some of the more common breeds that have these types of coats are…

Huskies
Chows
Pomeranians
German Shepherds
Collies
Corgis
Golden Retrievers

The second type of coat is a single-layer coat.

Just as the name explains, a single coat means your dog only has one layer of fur that helps keep him warm and protected.

Common dog breeds with single coats are…

Hound dogs
Bulldogs
Dalmatians
Brittany spaniels
Pugs
Pitbulls
Pointers
Boxers

If you’re unsure of whether your dog has a single or double coat, Google it. You should be able to find out pretty fast with a quick online search.

In general, it’s not ideal to shave your dog if it has a double coat.

The reason: The double coat is actually designed to shield and protect your dog from the heat and keep him cool. If you remove that double coat, he will have a harder time staying cool in the long run.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t circumstances in which a double-coated dog may be better off shaved but you need to do a good amount of research on the topic first.

A jolly good brush: If your dog has a double coat and a thick layer underneath then one very simple solution is to give them a good brush in the summer when they shed a lot of their fluffy hair. When I used to brush Peanut we could sometimes get a couple of buckets of hair off her over the course of a month. We would do it several times a week and she would be very very grateful.

If you are still unsure then use this information and talk to your vet or dog groomer before making the decision.

Consideration #2 – What Climate Do You Live In?

Most people make the decision to shave their dog because they live in a hot climate and worry about their dog overheating.

This is a very valid concern—especially if your dog spends a lot of time outdoors.

In this case, I would say it’s probably ok to consider shaving your dog (if he doesn’t have a double coat that’s designed to protect against heat).

That being said, it’s far more important to simply ensure your dog has access to cold, fresh water, air conditioning, and shaded outdoor areas.

Additionally, if you live in a hot climate and haven’t adopted a dog yet, I suggest you look for breeds that do well in hot climates.

For example, if you live in Florida, adopting a husky might not be the best decision.

Consideration #3 – How Long Is Your Dog’s Fur?

You don’t necessarily have to cut all your dog’s fur off to keep him cool.

In fact, if you have a dog with very long fur (such as a bearded collie or Havanese), a trim might be just enough to give him the relief he needs, without destroying his coat and causing health problems.

A little trim can also help protect against other health issues such as…

Matted fur
Hotspots
Myiasis (a condition where maggots infest long fur)

Instead of shaving your dog's entire body, talk to your groomer about trimming up your dog instead.

Consideration #4 – Where Does Your Dog Spend Most of His Time?

If you own a husky that spends most of his time lying around your air-conditioned home, then there really is no reason to shave your dog.

He’ll be more than ok to go outside to do his business or for a daily walk.

However, if you own a dog that lives outside full-time or spends most of the day outside in the heat and has trouble staying cool, then it might be worth getting him shaved.

Once again, keep in mind the rule of double-coated vs single-coated dogs.

If you have a double-coated dog, it’s a safer option to ensure he has access to shade and water instead of getting him shaved.

If it’s a single-coated dog, I don’t see any reason why a shave would hurt.

Here are a few other great ideas for how you can keep any dog cool in the heat!

Consideration #5 – Exposure

Last, but certainly not least, it’s important to remember that dogs have fur coats for a reason.

They offer protection from the sun, rain, heat, cold, etc.

If you shave your dog’s coat too thin, and he spends a lot of time outside, he’s naturally going to be more at risk for…

Getting sunburned/developing skin cancer.
Becoming ill due to exposure to cold weather/rain.
Experiencing skin infections/irritations due to less protection from outside irritants.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, it’s up to you to determine what is best for your dog.

Be sure to take into consideration…

What type of dog you own.
Does your dog have a single or double coat.
Where he spends most of his time.
What risk factors he’s exposed to on a daily basis.

And don’t forget…

There's no one size fits all approach to grooming your dog. Sometimes just a little grooming will make your dog feel much better preventing annoying issues for dogs, such as having their fur cover their eyes.

It can also prevent them from developing dreadlock-type mats that cause skin irritations and other issues.

However with other breeds you need to think twice, especially if your dog has a double coat. So do your research first and remember you can cool your dog by brushing out that under coat in the summer.

Keeping these things in mind, I have no doubt that you’ll make the right decision on behalf of your canine companion.

In an effort to help you make the best decision possible, I’ve put together a FREE checklist that includes 5 questions you should always ask your groomer before getting your dog’s fur cut.

↓ You can download it here for FREE! ↓

Cheers,

~Doggy Dan

The post The Great Shave Debate: 5 Things to Consider Before You Shave Your Dog appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Dog Obesity: Is My Dog’s Weight Damaging His Health?

Doggy Dan — Wed, 23 May 2018 10:00:16 +0000

As dog lovers, we want to do everything possible to provide our pups with the best life ever. And sometimes, that means spoiling our dogs with all sorts of treats, chews, and table scraps.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. However, I do believe that moderation is key.

I’ve gone to far too many consults where I’ve noticed a dog I’m working with is carrying way more weight than he should be.

While some people think it’s cute to have a pudgy pup, excess fat can have detrimental effects on a dog’s health and well-being.

So, how dangerous is it?

Keep reading to find out more about YOUR dog’s weight and health…

Canine Obesity: Is My Dog’s Weight Damaging His Health?

Our dogs may look adorable when they’re on the heavy side. But, dogs who are obese are far more likely to develop serious health problems than those who are lean.

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, the number of overweight dogs is increasing at an alarming rate each year.

In fact, in 2017, 56% of dogs were classified as obese!

That’s essentially one in every two dogs.

What’s worse is most dog lovers don’t realize how the excess weight is affecting their furry best friend so they don’t try to help their dog lose weight.

Often dog owners also don’t realize that their dog has gained the weight—especially when the weight gain is very gradual.

This is why it’s so important to keep a close eye on your dog. Catching a dog’s weight gain early will significantly help you get it back under control in order to prevent dangerous diseases and other health issues.

How to Tell If Your Dog Is Overweight

Chances are, if you’re reading this right now, you are worried about your dog’s weight.

The good news is that you're in the right place! And, I’m going to share some steps you can take to determine if your dog is dangerously obese or not.

If you’re not sure if your dog is overweight, the first step is to bring your dog to the veterinarian to step on the doggy scale.

Your vet will review her charts and check to see if the weight gain is alarmingly higher than your dog’s last visit.

Your veterinarian can also let you know if your dog is overweight based on the “body condition scale”.

The body condition scale is a hands-on technique that helps measure the health of your dog.

If you can’t take a trip to the vet, you can try the “rib check” at home.

Click here to get step-by-step instructions on how to do the rib check!

On a healthy dog, you’re able to feel the ribs under a thin layer of skin. If you need to push into your dog to feel her ribs, there’s a good chance she’s overweight.

After you have felt for your dog’s ribs, it’s important to get a side view.

Is your dog’s belly sagging toward the floor? If so, this is another sign your dog may be overweight. Dogs with a healthy weight generally have a taper to their stomach.

The last way you can check is by standing over your dog. Your dog should have a silhouette like an hourglass. If your dog appears to be rounded from the overhead view, he may be overweight.

Should an Overweight Dog Be Put on a Diet?

If or when you do notice your dog is overweight, you should not immediately place your dog on a diet.

The reason: Weight gain often indicates that your dog may have an underlying medical condition.

If you notice your dog is gaining weight, it’s best to take him to a veterinarian who can run blood tests to check for abnormalities.

Conditions like hypothyroidism and Cushing’s disease could be the reason your dog is obese, and a diet alone won’t fix the weight gain.

If your dog does check out normal at the vet, then it’s a good time to put your dog on a diet.

Be sure to ask your vet how much your dog should be eating and what types of food he should be given to lose the excess pounds.

Dog Diets: How Much Should My Dog Eat?

If you have the medical clearance from your veterinarian, you may want to immediately place your dog on a diet.

That being said, a dog’s diet isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” solution.

Every dog is different and requires a different amount of food.

One of the most common reasons dogs become overweight is that they have been fed based on what the label on the dog food says. It’s important to understand, the label is a general guideline—it’s not correct for every dog.

To determine exactly what portion of food your dog should eat, a number of factors need to be considered including your dog’s…

Weight.
Activity level.
Breed.
Gender.
And more!

As I said earlier, your veterinarian or canine nutritionist can assist you in putting together a meal plan that will work for your dog.

What Will Happen If I Don’t Help My Dog Lose Weight?

Dogs who are obese are at greater risk for developing:

Arthritis.
Diabetes.
High blood pressure.
Difficulty breathing.
Cardiovascular disease.
Kidney disease.
Cancer.

For these reasons, dog obesity is a serious problem and not to be taken lightly.

If your dog is overweight, now is the time to start putting measures in place to help him lose a few pounds to avoid these horrible health issues.

The Bottom Line on Dog Obesity

Obesity kills dogs every day and is a matter that should not be taken lightly.

If your dog is obese, it’s important to place him on a strategic diet and exercise routine. For more information check out this article.

Most important, it’s vital that you follow through with the weight loss routine in order to prevent your dog from becoming obese again.

Follow your veterinarian’s instructions, and it won’t take long for your dog to get back to living a happy, comfortable, and healthy life.

While we’re on the topic of food, I wanted to quickly mention treat training.

Food can be an incredible motivator, but it can also negatively impact your dog's health and ability to listen to you when it matters most.

For that reason, I’ve decided to put together a FREE guide for you on the ➜ Dos and Don'ts of Dog Treat Training (including 5 of the more popular treats your dog will love!)

↓ DOWNLOAD your FREE copy here! ↓

Cheers,

~Doggy Dan

The post Dog Obesity: Is My Dog’s Weight Damaging His Health? appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

The Big Fix Uganda: Amazing Dog Names Inspired by Real Stories

Doggy Dan — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 10:00:39 +0000

Jack, Molly, Bella, Max…we all know these common dog names. In the western world, it turns out that a lot of the time we are not that original when it comes to naming our dogs! (I have a dog named Jack!)

But, it’s not the same way everywhere in the world.

In fact, in Africa, the majority of all dog names have huge meanings and they tell a story. It’s amazing!

I first discovered the importance of naming a dog when I was looking for a charity in Uganda to support. I came across a rescue called The Big Fix Uganda and instantly noticed that all of the dogs on their website have stories associated with their very unique names.

So today, I want to dive deeper into how all these dogs are named because I think you too will find it fascinating—as well as share some photos and stories about several dogs at the rescue. But first I want to talk a little bit about The Big Fix Uganda that we are supporting.

The Big Fix Uganda

Since 2012,The Big Fix Uganda has been devoted to improving the lives of people and animals in the economically impoverished region of Northern Uganda.

Because animals and people live in close proximity, diseases such as rabies and conditions such as parasite infestation are a threat to both animals and people. And the health and well-being of people are directly linked to the health and well-being of their animals.

In order to protect communities, and keep both people and animals healthy, The Big Fix Uganda provides the following services…

Animal Birth Control: The organization will spay/neuter dogs and cats. They also trap, neuter, and return feral cats to the wild.
Animal Health and Wellness: The Big Fix Uganda provides vaccinations against rabies and parvovirus, deworming, tick and flea treatment, treatment of wounds and injuries, and removal of cancerous tumors.
Education and Engagement: Through radio broadcasts, school visits, and one-on-one training with animal guardians, The Big Fix Uganda teaches people about the importance of being kind to animals, how to prevent diseases, and how to groom and care for animals.
Cruelty Investigations: Education and intervention are provided when needed to ensure people are in compliance with Uganda's anti-cruelty laws.
Animal Assisted Interventions: The Big Fix Uganda provides dog companionship programs as part of psycho-social rehabilitation for war survivors suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Everything The Big Fix Uganda does is all about dogs and people who need help both connecting and coming together in a beautiful way.

The people of Uganda have often gone through a lot of trauma—men and women who have been the victims of war and been both physically and psychologically damaged. The lack of trust, respect, and love has left them wondering where any hope can come from, and there’s a difficulty to trust other humans.

At the same time, the dogs in Uganda have been found on the streets, usually in bad condition, but still have a strong will to live. Once taken into the program, the dogs are given medical care, attention, and lots of love.

From here they put on a training program and then matched up with a suitable guardian. These men and women, the victims of war, are then given the opportunity of creating that amazing relationship with these dogs.

The people of Uganda who are partnered with these dogs are now given a sense of purpose. They learn to connect and discover the true meaning of trust, respect, and love through these amazing dogs.

The Big Fix Uganda

This project is run by Sarah Schmidt, and it’s done on a tiny budget in the middle of Africa. So, I decided that this is the charity that we’re going to be sponsoring with the new intake of students into The Dog Trainer Academy.

If you have any interest in supporting The Big Fix Uganda, while also getting the tools, resources, and knowledge you need to become a successful dog trainer, I encourage you to check out The Dog Trainer Academy now.

A portion of the tuition from every student who joins will go toward sponsoring the rescue of a dog and providing medical care, training, and rehoming of the dog the student is matched with for a year. It’s an honor to be able to help out.

Now onto the super fun part! Let’s meet some dogs and take a look at their names…

Meet the Dogs from The Big Fix Uganda

Iroba Nono (You aggress me for nothing)

In January 2017, we placed this big, hairy but healthy dog (pictured above) with a man named Owit John. John named the dog “Iroba Nono” which means “You aggress me for nothing.”

It was a sentiment that both John and Iroba could share. Since returning from forced service in the rebel army after abduction, John was stigmatized by his community and fell into a deep depression that is common of war trauma survivors.

Shortly after training began, we all wondered if we had made a mistake selecting Iroba Nono for the program. He was a handful–very energetic and strong–and more interested in doing what he wanted than taking training classes.

After life on a chain, the last thing Iroba Nono wanted to do was stand still.

We asked John if we should pair him with another dog, but John quickly said no—he was already committed to Iroba Nono and would not give up on him.

In June, John and Iroba Nono left everyone speechless as they completed all 10 obedience tests flawlessly.

Watmon (Relatives cannot forgive)

Watmon lived under harsh conditions in Rom Village where his caretaker had 4 other dogs–all bigger than Watmon. When small amounts of food were offered to the dogs, the larger dogs would attack Watmon, and he would have nothing to eat. Our CDP Dog Recruitment Officer reported, “Watmon felt out of place.” The caretaker requested that we take Watmon because he was suffering living with all the other dogs at the place. He now gets all the food (and love!) he needs and, as you can see, is a very happy boy!

Bitum (Nothing is permanent)

In November 2016, the Comfort Dog Project guardians rescued the dog pictured above who was found nearly dead. Sometime before they found her, she had been clubbed in the hips by thieves during the night, and she was left unable to walk. Her open wounds were literally rotting, and she was covered with maggots.

Her guardians no longer wanted her.

At The BIG FIX Dog Hospital, this poor dog wasn’t expected to live. Fortunately, she did live, earning the name “Survivor” from the hospital staff.
Survivor was just a lovely dog, and as soon as she was healthy, she became part of the CDP Program and was adopted by Paul, a war trauma survivor. She helped her new owner, Paul, recover from his disabling PTSD symptoms.

Agonya II (Take Comfort)

Agonya II is named after the first Agonya who was tragically killed in February 2017. Poisoning was suspected, but investigation by the police and an autopsy confirmed Agonya had been kicked by a cow during the night and died from internal injuries.
Agonya II was a stray dog living near the police barracks in Gulu who had befriended police officers who tried to feed her. They contacted The BIG FIX to request help for her.

Petaga (I am not shaken by whatever you do)

Petaga had lived in a home with 5 dogs, all of whom had been used for hunting.

After getting her muzzle caught in a snare trap, she was thought to be a poor hunting dog and no longer worthy of feeding. She was relinquished by the family after our CDP heard about her situation and requested that she be donated to our program.

Gifty (given this name because she was considered a gift from God)

Gifty was abandoned as a puppy at the BIG FIX Dog Hospital. She was so weak she could not stand up and had mixed infections.

After she recovered and regained her health, she was fostered by one of our CDP guardians until she was ready for placement with her permanent guardian. She is presently in training.

So, there you go… it’s amazing how many lives (both human and animal) that The Big Fix Uganda has been able to save on a shoestring budget. Every single dollar certainly counts.

If you have a heart for helping dogs in need and are looking for somewhere to donate to, I urge you to visit The Big Fix Uganda to see how you can help!

Visit The Big Fix Uganda website here.

Thanks for reading, and today let’s be grateful for all that we do have.

And just for fun, I thought you might get a kick out of seeing some of the most popular dog names from around the world. Was your dog’s name inspired by another culture? Find out by downloading the FREE list of names now!

Take care, and love to you and your pack

~Doggy Dan

P.S. If you’ve enjoyed this post, please share it so that it may find its way into the hands of people able to contribute to this amazing cause.

The post The Big Fix Uganda: Amazing Dog Names Inspired by Real Stories appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

Best Age to Adopt Dogs + Free “Are You Ready?” Checklist

Doggy Dan — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 23:01:14 +0000

The best age to adopt dogs is a serious factor to consider when getting a beloved canine companion! Let's look at all the factors involved, so you can MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES…

JOIN MY FREE REACTIVITY CLASS

Dog adoption is amazing. It has made connecting humans to dogs a lot easier.

Unfortunately, according to a survey, 53.19% of dog owners who adopted find behavior issues.

That’s more than 50%!

Which breaks my heart because as a dog trainer, I know that within EVERY troublesome dog is a GOOD dog waiting to be understood.

Common issues include pet-owner mismatch, negative experiences of dogs, lack of training, or loving dog owner just getting tired of all the behavior problems.

Dog adoption is a great advocacy and I hope that more dog owners would make the RIGHT decision as to when to adopt a dog, or what dog to get.

This blog focuses on the BIGGEST questions you should ask before getting a dog.

What’s the best age to adopt dogs? Read on to learn more.

LEARN THE DOG CALMING CODE (FOR FREE)

Key Takeaways

Adopting dogs should start with this question: which dog is compatible with my lifestyle, schedule, need, and capacity to train?
Pet owner and dog mismatch can significantly affect your relationship in the long run. So, it’s important to take time when you’re in the process of deciding the best age to adopt dogs.
The best age to adopt dogs is different for everyone. Some may find it easy to raise puppies, while some are totally okay with getting mature dogs.

Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Questions to Ask When Deciding to Adopt a Dog
Best Age to Adopt Dogs: 3 Factors to Consider When Adopting Puppies and Older Dogs
Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Cute Little Puppies (8-12 Weeks – Equivalent to Baby Stage)
Best Time to Adopt Dogs: Curious Puppies (13 Weeks to 6 Months – Equivalent to Kindergarten/ Toddler Stage)
The Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Juvenile Dogs (6 Months to 2 years – Equivalent to Child/ Teenage Years)
Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Adopting Adult Dogs
Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Mature Senior Dogs
Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Are You Ready to Adopt a Dog Checklist
Conclusion: The Best Age to Adopt Dogs? Look Into What You Really Need and Use It as a Guide

Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Questions to Ask When Deciding to Adopt a Dog

If you are thinking about adopting a dog, or what is the best age to adopt a puppy, you have probably thought about questions like “Do I need a dog or a puppy?”

I totally recommend that you go through the basic questions of dog adoption before making a decision when to adopt dogs.

Here are some questions about dog adoption every dog owner should ask.

Question #1: Should I Get a Puppy or a Rescue Dog?

Deciding between a puppy and a rescue dog depends on your lifestyle and preferences.

Puppies require more time, patience, and training, while older adopted rescue dogs offer the chance to give a second chance to a deserving companion.

Consider your commitment level, energy, and experience when making this choice.

Question #2: Do I Need a Puppy so I Can Form a Stronger Bond and Train Them Better?

Training your dog to good behavior doesn't solely start on the puppy stage.

Rescue dogs are equally capable of forming strong bonds based on trust and love.

Whether you choose a puppy or a rescue dog, investing time in training, socialization, and quality interactions will help develop lasting habits.

FREE REACTIVITY MASTERCLASS

Question #3: Should I Get a Puppy or Should I Rescue an Older Dog?

The decision between a puppy and an older dog depends on your lifestyle and preferences.

Unlike puppies, older dogs may be more settled and have established behaviors.

Consider your energy level, time availability, and willingness to handle the specific needs of each age group.

Question #4: Do I Need to Get a Puppy So I Can Form a Better Bond With Him?

Forming a strong bond with a dog isn't exclusive to puppies.

Dogs of any age can develop deep connections through consistent care, training, and affection.

Understanding their individual needs, providing a safe environment, and offering love and attention are key factors in building a strong bond, regardless of their age.

Question #5: Is This the Best Time in My Life to Adopt a Puppy?

Adopting a puppy requires careful consideration of your current circumstances. Puppies demand significant time, effort, and resources.

Evaluate factors such as your availability, financial stability, living situation, and personal commitments to determine if this is the right time to give a puppy the attention and care they need.

Question #6: Are My Family Members on Board with Me in Adopting a Puppy?

It's crucial to involve all family members in the decision to adopt a puppy.

Open communication and shared responsibility ensure that everyone is committed to the dog's well-being.

Discuss expectations, responsibilities, and the impact on daily routines to ensure a harmonious and supportive environment for the new addition.

Question #7: What Dog Age Fits My Lifestyle and Capacity to Care for Them?

Choosing the right dog age depends on your lifestyle and capacity to meet their needs.

Active individuals may enjoy the energy of a younger dog, while those seeking a more relaxed companion may find an older dog more suitable.

Consider your activity level, time availability, and ability to provide necessary care when deciding on the dog's age.

Question #8: Is My Home Ready to Become a Puppy Home?

Preparing your home for a puppy is essential to create a safe and welcoming environment.

Puppy-proofing involves removing potential hazards, securing breakable items, and setting boundaries. Ensure you have the necessary supplies, such as food, bedding, toys, and a designated space for them to rest and play comfortably.

GET MY 5 GOLDEN RULES FOR FREE!

Question #9: What Is the Best Age to Adopt Considering My Needs and Current Situation?

The best age to adopt a dog depends on your specific needs and current situation. Consider factors like your activity level, experience with dogs, available time for training, and compatibility with existing pets.

Assessing your lifestyle and expectations will help determine the age range that aligns best with your circumstances.

Best Age to Adopt Dogs: 3 Factors to Consider When Adopting Puppies and Older Dogs

After your love-at-first-sight moment at the pet store or puppy mill, and the rigorous paperwork, the reality of becoming an adoptive parent of a dog sets in.

Furparents who have bought my Puppy Coach program and the Dog Calming Code course collectively expressed surprise at the challenges that came right after they adopt a puppy. Some of the puppy and dog adoption sentiments I gathered through the years include:

“I never thought bigger puppies were so curious – just running and jumping all over the place!”

“We love our new baby puppy but all the very specific care, training, and pet insurance involved knocked us a bit sideways.”

“Dealing with an older dog is like dealing with a teenager! It’s a constant power struggle!”

I get you — you want to be a fur parent that is 100% committed to making the most out of your relationship with your new dog.

To get to a point where you enjoy having your new dog with you, making sure you’re a match matters.

To help you become a loving dog parent ready for the punches of dog ownership, here are some things to consider.

#1: Is Your Home Ready for The Dog of Your Choice?

Do you have expensive furniture that might be susceptible to scratches, biting, and nibbling?

Is a kennel available both indoors and outdoors?

Does your place have carpeted floors that might be hard to clean once your dogs start staying on them?

Since your home is also your dog’s new home, you have to check if your house is ready to become a puppy home (the rowdiness of puppies included!) and the quirks of adult dogs.

#2: Does Your Lifestyle Support All The Care Needed for The Age Group You Prefer?

Deciding the best time to age to adopt dogs requires truly knowing that you’re up for the care and attention that a dog will require.

Dogs from younger age groups can demand for your attention all the time. Since they’re building habits, your presence is crucial.

When you consider the first weeks as the perfect age to adopt a puppy, you have to be on board with all the training and socialization period that come with that stage.

A nine-to-five job or a very fast-paced lifestyle may mean that caring for very little puppies may not be in the cards now.

#3: Are You Ready to Commit Into Different Training Methods Suited for Your Pet?

If you are ready to get the wheels running for your dog’s training — even if it’s time-consuming — then you are capable of caring for younger dogs.

However, if minimal training is what you can offer right now, consider adopting adult dogs or mature senior dogs.

REVERSE REACTIVITY (FREE WEB CLASS)

In this next part, I’m going to share different age groups of dogs you can adopt, their benefits, challenges, and what you can do to make your journey with the new dog of your choice as positive as possible.

Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Cute Little Puppies (8-12 Weeks – Equivalent to Baby Stage)

Fluffy, chunky, and cute all the way, young pups are irresistible – it’s like having a new baby in the house.

Puppies look like little angels, so there’s a common assumption that adopting puppies and caring for them will be easy-peasy.

Most people think that the best age to get a dog is between 8 and 12 weeks of age as a puppy, but I don’t think that’s always the case. Depending on your environment, a puppy might in fact be a bad choice for your home or lifestyle.

During this crucial time, it’s imperative that puppies learn the basics of potty training, get enough socialization period, and bond with you in their new puppy home.

Like any other age group, adopting a new puppy comes with its unique set of pros and cons. Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re planning for new puppy adoption.

PUPPY COACH – SALE NOW ON

The Best Age to Adopt a Puppy From a Litter

No earlier than eight weeks is the best age to adopt a puppy.

You don’t want to take a puppy away from the mother any earlier or it can have negative effects on the puppy’s health, mental state and happiness.

Puppies learn a lot from their mothers – it’s essential that they get the most out of their time with mum before you take over!

Researchers and dog trainers also suggest adopting a puppy before they turn 7 weeks results in pets showing behavior problems over time.

Certainly, there are specific circumstances where you may be required to take home a new puppy earlier than 8 weeks, like the mother is sick, she cannot look after the puppies or the puppies were abandoned. In which case, it’s okay to step in and help out.

Just remember that in most cases, 8 weeks is the magic number for adopting a puppy. You can supplement their training with a blog on what can make the puppy life breezy for you.

Why You Should Adopt Young Puppies

The good thing about getting a puppy at this age is you can bond with him very easily.

Most puppies learn quickly – they will see you almost taking over that role as being their mother so they’ll instinctively bond with you.

Reason #1: Establishing The Bond Early Also Allows You To Imprint Habits That Will Make Your New Puppy Parenthood Easier

By adopting a puppy, you have the opportunity to establish a strong bond from the beginning.

This crucial period allows you to imprint positive habits, such as potty training and socialization, which will make your journey as a new puppy parent smoother and more enjoyable.

GET THE DOG CALMING CODE.

Reason #2: During This Age, Cuddles With Your New Puppy Are Always Available

Puppies are adorable and crave affection. During their early stages, they are especially cuddly and love snuggling up with you.

Embracing these precious moments not only strengthens your bond but also brings warmth and joy to your life as you create lasting memories together.

Reason #3: At This Age, Your New Puppy Doesn’t Need a Lot of Exercising or Walking

Unlike adult dogs, young puppies have lower exercise requirements. They have bursts of energy but tire quickly.

You also need to follow a dog-trainer recommended training routine for younger dogs.

This means you can engage in playtime and short walks to meet their exercise needs without overwhelming them.

It allows you to introduce physical activities gradually as they grow, ensuring their safety and overall well-being.

The Challenges of New Puppy Adoption

Apart from the cuteness and cuddles, there are also some reasons why you should take your time when adopting a puppy.

#1: Puppies Are Very Dependent On You

Before a new puppy hits the two-month age milestone, he will have little to no control over his bodily functions.

REACTIVITY SOLVED (NO FOOD, NO FORCE)

He’s also too young to be trained to use the bathroom outside, which makes for a big mess.

This is something you don’t want to have to deal with. If you’re still in the decision-making stage, this fact should be a major player in determining the best age to adopt.

#2: Increased Commitment to Training

At the age of 8 weeks, it’s possible that an active puppy might need to go out every 20 minutes when you first start potty training.

That’s a huge time commitment and tricky to achieve if you are at work from 8 a.m. till 6 p.m. 5 days a week.

The good news is that, as every week goes by, your new puppy will be able to hold his bladder for a longer period of time.

But, the first few weeks are always draining — much like having a brand-new baby that depends on you 24/7.

#3: They’re Going to Take a Lot of Time on Socialization

When left alone for too long, your puppy could miss out on a lot of socialization period and training. And without socialization, behavioral issue can arise.

Adopting a Puppy: What to Expect in Adopting Puppies

I think the biggest reason and mistake that people make with getting a new puppy at this age is that they think if they adopt a puppy at such a young age, it won’t end up with behavioral issues, which is completely nonsense.

After all, every adult dog which has behavioral issues was once a puppy!

Think about it this way…

Very few children come out of the womb with serious behavioral issues. It’s not until they become toddlers, teenagers, or adults that behavioral issues (bullying, drug use, gambling) begin to develop.

FREE DOG REACTIVITY WORKSHOP

The point is that getting a puppy is not a guarantee that you will avoid the dramas that many dog owners experience later on!

If you adopt a puppy, you can enroll him into training programs early in an effort to prevent as many bad behaviors from developing.

So, if you want to make sure your new puppy gets started on the right foot, enroll him in a good puppy training program.

I’m not just talking about puppy classes because again, most puppies or dogs, which have behavioral issues, went to puppy classes, but there was something missing.

I’ve put together a complete puppy training program that can help if you prefer to adopt a puppy. If you’re interested, click here and have a look.

Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Curious Puppies (13 Weeks to 6 Months – Equivalent to Kindergarten/ Toddler Stage)

When puppies get better footing, the age of exploration begins.

With older puppies, you will notice that they are more active, adventurous, playful, and have somehow picked up quirks during the early weeks of their lives. Endless running and tackling of stuff define this age.

The Advantage of Adopting Older Puppies

The middle name of older puppies is fun! They are not as vulnerable as newborn pups, so playtime is levelled up at this age.

Though they might have missed the early potty training and needed socialization period, this age still offers enough time to catch up on potty training, and other habits they need to learn.

Older puppies can absorb training like a sponge.

The Challenges of Adopting Older Puppies

I’ve put this stage in here because the puppy is obviously far more confident.

This is when the little puppies start testing boundaries and start spreading their wings so to speak. In other words, it’s the time when puppies start getting into everything.

In this stage, there are a lot more challenging behaviors including biting and mouthing due to puppy teething.

Best Time to Adopt Older Puppies: What You Can Do

When it comes to the best age to adopt dogs — or older puppies — there are some realities you have to be ready to handle.

#1: Be Prepared for Behavioral Problems with the Puppy Coach and Dog Calming Code

At this stage I encourage you to check out my program that has supported pet owners and dogs navigate through difficult behavioral problems.

The program will teach you everything you need to help your dog calm down and listen to you so that they will follow your direction when it matters most!

#2: Teach Early — Your Dog Will Catch Up Fast

For example about 13 to 16 weeks, you would want to put a stop on all of that mouthing and biting side of things due to puppy teething.

It’s vital that you work hard during this time to teach your puppy that biting is not appropriate.

PUPPY COACH – SALE NOW ON

To help your pup out, provide a mix of both hard toys she can really chew and softer soothing toys that she can sink her teeth into so you avoid ending up with bite marks on your hands and arms.

The good news is that puppy mouthing and biting shouldn’t really carry on past 16 weeks. 16 weeks is where I say there is zero biting tolerance.

These weeks are an important time to lay the groundwork for training as they are the formative stage of the puppy’s life.

This is when the puppy is learning a lot of basic rules about life including what they are and aren’t allowed to do.

#3: This Is The Perfect Time To Teach Consistency And Consequences

If your puppy doesn’t have boundaries(and how to behave around cars, how to behave around people, how to behave around other dogs etc.), he’ll begin to believe that he’s in charge and can do what he wants!

It’s an incredibly important stage that needs to be taken seriously.

The downside of this stage is that if you don’t have the time or the knowledge of what’s going on, things can go very wrong that can stress both you and your puppy out. It can be very stressful because the puppy kind of changes quite quickly.

Worst of all, if your puppy becomes too confident and doesn’t have a solid training foundation in place, he can put himself into dangerous situations due to not being obedient and listening.

If you sense things going wrong during this age then it’s a great age to jump in quickly and put a comprehensive training program in place as soon as possible before things get really tricky.

The good news is that with a good training program most people do manage to stay on top of things at this early stage of puppyhood, which is great.

At this age, training is still not as tricky as the next age group, which we’re going to talk about next.

JOIN MY FREE REACTIVITY CLASS

The Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Juvenile Dogs (6 Months to 2 years – Equivalent to Child/ Teenage Years)

During your trip to one of the pet stores, you probably fell in love with an adolescent dog. This is where a new puppy sort of turns into a teenager and exhibits behavior problems.

What to Expect When Adopting Juvenile Dogs

18 months very, very roughly translate to about 18-years-old. That’s because every year of a human year is approximately 7 dog years.

But, here’s the thing… the first year counts double. So, at the end of your first year, it’s almost like your dog is now a 14-year-old dog. He is a teenager at one year old!

And by the time they are 2 years old they are closer to being a 21-year-old, and if you can remember what you were like at 21, then it probably explains a lot!

STOP RESCUE DOG REACTIVITY

That should explain to a lot of people why things often go wrong around this age – something to remember if you consider this age as the best age to adopt a puppy.

The Advantages of Adopting Juvenile Dogs

The teething stage — one that tests the patience of pet owners — is coming to a close. Around this age, adolescent dogs tend to be quicker in picking up training points.

In his adolescent stage, your furbaby will have improved in potty training, house training, walking and exercising, and his needs aren’t as immediate as that of a little puppy.

Best Time to Adopt Dogs: The Challenges of Getting an Adolescent Dog

The third stage is where the puppy stops being a puppy and becomes a dog. It can be a very testing time.

#1: Adolescent Dogs Can Be Very Rebellious

To give you an idea of how tricky this period can be for dog owners, I’d say about 60% of my one-on-one clients that I work with have a dog between the age of a year and 18 months.

This is when the dog starts to think, “Hey, human…you don’t know what you’re doing. Why should I listen to you? I think I know better.”

Then, the dog starts to do what she wants to do, which is, “Hey, I’d bark at the postman.” “Hey, I come when I want to come.” “Hey, I like to jump on other dogs and do my own thing.” “I jump on the couch.” She will try and wind you up a little bit.

So, in a way this can be a very, very trying and tricky stage. These adolescent dogs push the boundaries, and they test everything to the absolute limit.

What You Can Do

However, if you know what you’re doing, you will find this as the most enjoyable stage.

#1: Keep Them Listening to You

Because this is the stage when you know what you’re doing, you can win the dog’s mind…and I’m not talking about dog training. I’m talking about how to impress the dog, how to keep the dog calm so he’s not reactive and impulsive and he’s not overly emotional.

Something I really talk about with all my heart in the Dog Calming Code program.

#2: Keep Them Focused on You

If you know how to get that bit right, then it’s a very enjoyable stage because this is the very, very important stage where you’re actually training the dog.

So, with a bit of knowledge, it can be extremely exciting and fun. You’re watching your dog basically spread his wings and fly.

GET THE DOG CALMING CODE

If you’ve got the foundation in place, then the rest of it follows on quite nicely. However, if you don’t know what you’re doing, this can be a tricky stage to get a dog.

Anyone getting a dog at this stage of life who is not that confident about what they are doing should certainly get a solid understanding of what a dog really needs, mentally as well as physically.

#3: Establish STRONG Leadership

In my previous blog about dog communication, I emphasized that unless a dog respects you and sees you as a leader, you’ll have a problem.

I am talking about them needing strong leadership and loving guidance while they find their feet in this human world that they are entering.

If you end up adopting a dog in this age range, I highly recommend that you check out my program called The Dog Calming Code! It will certainly help you get started out on the right “paw” while training your dog.

LEARN THE DOG CALMING CODE (FOR FREE)

Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Adopting Adult Dogs

Dogs that are between two to four years old fall under the adult category.

At this age, dogs have peaked in their physical strength and energy (take note, I am not including maturity).

At two, your dog’s age is equivalent to twenty-one years old. Adult dogs are often more mellow and low-maintenance than puppies with a huge burst of energy.

This is the best age to adopt for people who can’t always do round-the-clock care for pets.

The Advantages of Getting an Adult Dog

Looking into adopting an adult dog? It actually also comes with GREAT benefits.

#1: Best Time to Adopt Dogs: An Adult Dog is More Relaxed

When your child reaches 21 years, if you have got things right and gotten a bit lucky, you would like to think that you can start taking it a bit easier and start relaxing with your child. Hopefully they are starting to mellow.

They’re not so fueled, highly charged and volatile. They’ve got a bit of a grasp of how this whole life thing works, and it’s like that with dogs.

FREE REACTIVITY MASTERCLASS

I believe this can be one of the most enjoyable stages of owning a dog.

If you’d love the companionship of a dog but don’t have the energy for a puppy, dog rescue shelters are full of old dogs who fall in this age category that would make incredible pets!

#2: Much Easier to See Their True Personality Than it is When They Are Older

The same way that it’s harder to see the personality of a young baby compared to a young adult. As they become older their personality and behavior become more obvious and apparent.

The Challenges of Adopting an Adult Dog

If you’re rescuing an adult dog, chances are there are a couple of challenges along the way.

#1: Adopted Adult Dogs Are More Prone to Aggression Due to Poor Training and Difficult Circumstances

Adult dogs needing a new home could have been exposed to poor training and difficult circumstances.

You might get a loud barking dog at night because her previous owner didn’t train her. They can also be extremely housetrained.

Older dogs might exhibit food aggression simply because they were neglected for so long.

#2: Retraining and Reinforcement are Sometimes Necessary for Adopted Older Dogs

You have to work double time to instill good behavior to your dog, again.

Fortunately, older dogs are darlings when it comes to picking up good habits, compared to adolescent pups.

I have written a blog on positive reinforcement and how you can use treats as their rewards.

PUPPY COACH – ON SALE NOW

What You Can Do

If you’re thinking of getting a dog you may wish to consider one that is in this age category.

#1: Get to Know the Rescue Dogs

Simply head off to an animal rescue center and see if there are any mild-mannered dogs that you resonate with.

Take one for a walk, see how the dog acts and responds to you. If he bonds with you, the chances are he could be a good match.

If he doesn’t show any obvious behavioral issues and there are no behavioral issues remarked by the animal rescue center, that dog might be the one for you.

#2: Don’t Set the Bar Too High, But Also Look for Potential

No dog is going to be perfect, but then again my dogs aren’t perfect, neither are my kids, nor my wife, nor myself for that matter… So don’t set the bar too high!

If they seem balanced and calm and ready, then what a wonderful opportunity to give that dog a chance of a real life.

My program, The Dog Calming Code, is still a great option for adult dogs if you find yourself running into any training or obedience problems.

Find out more about the program here.

Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Mature Senior Dogs

During a shelter or animal rescue group trip, check for mature senior dogs who are ready to be adopted.

Unlike puppies who always catch the attention of dog owners, old dogs don’t always take the spotlight. Some people don’t know that senior dogs can actually be the choice that fits their lifestyle.

The Advantages of Adopting Mature Senior Dogs

#1: You Won’t Have to Worry About Stressful Behavior Issues As Much

Since senior dogs are grown, you will already have an idea about important info such as personality, and grooming preferences which makes it easy for you to decide which senior dog matches your family and lifestyle.

DOG CALMING CODE FOR RESCUES

#2: Adult Dogs Are More Behaved, Less Destructive, and Relaxed

Adult senior dogs are also more chill and less destructive. These dogs are generally calmer, and are already way past their rowdy, challenging stage. They are way easier to take care of over puppies, all thanks to the fact that they require less supervision.

They’re far more relaxed.

They know how life works.

They’re set in their routine, and they don’t need much looking after.

They are the perfect age if you’re that sort of person who is busy at work and doesn’t have that much time, but would love some company.

Most shelters are full of wonderful, older dogs that need a loving home to spend their golden years in.

From experience, I can tell you that senior dogs are easy to look after. And they’re also so sweet and loving. They’re just so grateful, I think, for being looked after, for being cared for.

The Challenges of Adopting Mature Senior Dogs

Older dogs tend to come in with more serious health concerns compared to their younger counterparts.

Some common elderly dog issues include:

Hearing and vision loss
Dementia
Obesity
Heart Problems
Cancer
Kidney issues

There’s always the risk of your senior dog getting themselves entangled in health challenges that would require constant monitoring and visits to the vet.

What You Can Do

If you’re looking for that sort of company, then this is a wonderful stage. Here are some things you can do to help you decide whether to get a mature dog or not.

#1: Visit Your Local Rescue Or Shelter And Check For Geriatric Dogs That You Feel A Connection With

In a way they’re the best, easiest dogs to care for of all because they also don’t need 3 or 4-kilometer runs every day.

Just a couple of hundred meters on the beach is good enough for most dogs. They make wonderful companions and don’t ask for much.

Of course all of this is a very rough guide to how dogs behave and like people they can vary considerably!

I have mates who are in their early 30’s who are slowing down taking it easy and very immature and others who are in their 60’s who are still whooping it up, getting out and about and squeezing the most out of life!

Best Age to Adopt Dogs: Are You Ready to Adopt a Dog Checklist

Deciding on the best age to adopt a dog is an important consideration for potential dog owners.

And it’s CRUCIAL that owners are ready for the responsibility that comes with dog ownership.

To help you make an informed decision, we've created a comprehensive “Are You Ready to Adopt?” checklist.

From assessing your readiness to evaluating your lifestyle and preferences, this guide will assist you in determining the ideal age to welcome a furry companion into your home.

Conclusion: The Best Age to Adopt Dogs? Look Into What You Really Need and Use It as a Guide

Age is just a number, and it’s true if you’re in the process of finding the next dog to bring to your home.

I really recommend that you consider the factors carefully, and follow your intuition. The best person to decide when is the best age to adopt dogs for your household is you.

Hopefully, my input can serve as a guide to help you make an ideal choice. A well informed pet owner who knows their responsibilities and expectations will fall in love with a dog – no matter how old they are – because they’re ready.

Best of luck as you pursue adding a new furry family member to your home!

~ Doggy Dan

The post Best Age to Adopt Dogs + Free “Are You Ready?” Checklist appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

A Dog’s Sixth Sense: The Unexplained Power of Dogs

Doggy Dan — Tue, 23 May 2017 12:12:37 +0000

I’ve always been fascinated with how amazing nature is. It seems as though every day we discover new things about animals—things that previously may have seemed like the stuff of a science fiction novel or movie.

And as a dog trainer, I’ve certainly seen my fair share of interesting and sometimes even unexplainable behaviour.

One day, I truly believe that we will all come to recognise that both animals and humans are capable of using far more than the five senses (sight, smell, touch, sound and taste) that we know so well.

In fact, I believe there’s definitive proof that other senses exist. I know this from simply watching my dogs pick up on things like emotions, thoughts and pain.

So, if these other senses exist, why isn’t it obvious to us?

The answer I believe is, in part, very simple…

As humans, we find it very hard to believe that another animal can do something that we cannot…even when we see animals doing amazing things right in front of our eyes.

For example, we now know for a fact that…

Ants can detect tiny movements through up to 5 cm of soil.
A falcon bird can see a 10 cm object from 1.5 km away.
A scallop shell has up to 100 eyes around the edges of the shell to detect predators!

It’s quite amazing what animals can do. In fact, animals are far more capable than humans are in many ways.

And that means we shouldn’t limit our dogs’ abilities to only those things that we can do.

Above is a photo of Tamar on our front lawn. One day (when, as far as we were aware, she was fit and healthy), she stood looking up at the heavens for such a long time that I got my camera out and took a whole sequence of photos, including this one.

About two weeks later, she passed away from kidney failure. She is buried on the exact same spot this photo was taken.

Of course that is very likely coincidental; however, I have heard of several stories of dogs who knew that they were about to die and said goodbye to their owners before leaving this earth.

Now if you’re skeptical that animals have incredible capabilities, I don’t blame you. For the longest time, I wanted to dismiss the idea that dogs could feel and sense things we couldn’t.

The idea that dogs had other abilities that we didn’t understand and couldn’t explain…it didn’t fit with my belief system at the time.

That was until eventually the circumstantial evidence made me think differently, including a very strange interaction with my beautiful dog Peanut Butter.

So, today I want to share with you one story that is easy to dismiss as a strange coincidence, but that I believe is actually just the tip of the iceberg of what dogs are capable of and the other senses that they can use.

To explain the story of what happened with Peanut Butter, I’ve decided to create a video of exactly what happened.

Sit back, and enjoy!

The Dogs Sixth Sense

As a qualified math teacher, I love numbers—especially calculating probability. So, I nearly always attempt to work out the probability of something just happening by chance.

Yet, from my experience with Peanut Butter, I just haven’t been able to make the calculations add up.

It has become overwhelmingly clear to me that there is something else going on as I explain in this video.

We don’t have all the answers…and I certainly can’t explain to you what made Peanut Butter so anxious to get in my wife’s studio and sit with the lady she was working with. But I think that one day we may eventually find the answer.

We still have never visited a star…maybe one day we will. After all, there are billions of them in the sky.

And it’s so easy to forget how much else is out there!

So, if any of that has caught your imagination, and you’re interested, then let me know, and I can share more on this sort of topic.

After all, it’s only by sharing that we can find out if we are all experiencing similar things with our dogs so we can start to connect the dots!

And for those of you who are interested, you may like to check out the book Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home by Rupert Sheldrake—a fascinating read about the unexplained powers of animals.

Over the past decade as a dog trainer, I’ve had the privilege of hearing the most amazing stories of dogs who seemed to know the most impossible things.

Some of those things are now clearly down to the incredibly fine senses that a dog has, such as the dog who kept trying to tell his owner that the tiny mole on his forearm was cancerous two years before the machine at the hospital was able to come up with a positive reading.

Unbelievable, isn’t it?

Yet there are also many other abilities that I see in dogs that seem to go beyond the five senses that we know so well.

And I think we are only just starting to scratch the surface about what dogs know.

Have you witnessed your dog doing something amazing?

If so, I’d love to hear about it.

Let me know your thoughts, and please share your stories with me.

As you can see by the amazing number of stories shared below it really appears that this is something many people are aware of.

So if you've enjoyed reading please hit SHARE and bring some hope and joy to another dog lovers day.

Have a great day, and next time you feel your dogs trying to tell you something…remember it may be that they may “know” something that we do not!

~Doggy Dan

The post A Dog’s Sixth Sense: The Unexplained Power of Dogs appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.

One day we may start to understand what dogs know

Doggy Dan — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:17:51 +0000

What dogs know

I’ve decided the time has come to look a bit closer at our friends the dogs, and ask the question what do they actually know? It’s a funny thing being a dog trainer, having worked with thousands of dogs and their owners over the years; I have seen everything from the simply sublime and amazing to the absolute ridiculous. I should add that I always do my best not to judge, simply to observe and offer my point of view. However I certainly get to see some strange and rather funny things.

Some amazing stories

From the lady who claimed her dog would only eat his food if she sang to him, to the dog that slept between the husband and wife and growled if the man got too close! Funny things side though, I have also been witness to, and been told of, many interesting stories that make you start to wonder what dogs really know. Here are just a couple that spring to mind.

The lady whose dog knew that she was pregnant before she realized. After a trip to the doctors it turns out she was around 2 weeks pregnant.
Many people have told me about how their dogs have raised the alarm about a strange area of skin only to discover much later that it was cancerous. One person was even tested by a scanner to be told not to worry. The dog continued to lick the area and after much discussion and years later a second scan produced a positive result. It appeared that the dog had known long before the scan could detect the cancer.
“Dogs who know when their owners are coming home” is a fascinating book about exactly that. Written by Rupert Sheldrake it looks at the fascinating ability of dogs to predict when an owner is planning to return. I myself have experienced this and met many people whose dogs also seemed to have this ability. This is not to be confused with dogs who hear, see or smell their owners from a long way away, the tests showed that it is at the point that the owner intends to come home that some dogs know.
On a personal level it blew me away how my dog Inca knew one day that I was very sick. On the morning in question I was aching and could not move so was lying still in bed. Inca walked into the bedroom where I was lying motionless on the bed and within a split second jumped up and curled down next to me as if it was the most natural thing to do. Jumping on the bed was usually completely out of bounds however today it was like there were new rules. I had said nothing, did not move, or look at her; she simply walked in and knew what was needed straight away. Taken aback by her care and her knowledge it lifted my spirit no end and rather than push her off I cuddled her for a long period of time. It was my way of saying to her, “Yes you are right I am in a very bad way and I am in need of your love”. I knew that it would not start a bad behavior and she has never jumped up ever again since that occasion.

Communication

These are just a few of the things that make me wonder just what do dogs really know and understand. Sometimes I think that they know far more than we do. The difficulty that they have is that they do not speak and can’t write, the two easiest ways of communicating with a human. Sometimes to understand a dog you have to go deep into your heart and feel what it is they are trying to say, and very often when you go with your gut feel, you’ll find you are absolutely right.

The problem that we have is that we have almost no way of measuring what dogs can sense, feel or know because we do not understand it fully. We are only now starting to realize just how powerful their noses are! As science continues to advance, and we learn more about man’s best friend, we will slowly start to get the picture and maybe…

One day we may start to understand what dogs know. .

For more information on how to connect with your dog and how to get him to calm down and focus on you when it matters most, I encourage you to check out how I've trained over 77,000 dogs here!

Got any great stories about how amazing our canine friends are?

Take care,

The post One day we may start to understand what dogs know appeared first on The Online Dog Trainer.