Dogue De Bordeaux and Baby - What's Wrong Here?

 
What's Wrong Here?
A Lot!

First, after you watch the video above, please promise me that you would never, ever, allow this with your dog or your child.  Please.

The dog is chewing a treat bone. It's not good for a small child to be moving around this dog and close to his face and mouth. Dogs do not like to share their food and treats and can perceive this as threatening and may cause the dog to bite or even attack. A small child doesn't stand a chance around  any kind of dog that decides to attack.  I kept one eye closed and  squinted the other while watching this because I was so afraid for this child. The owner apparently didn't know any better.
Dogs don't always "plan" their attack. Dogs are animals. They may be domesticated animals, but animals none the less. Animals move on instinct and are unpredictable. In an instant, a dog can bite a child, then immediately feel remorse because he did. Instinct caused him to react, and even though he probably knew this behavior wasn't allowed or accepted, he couldn't stop himself.

I am using this video as an example. I am aware that the Dogue De Bordeaux is known for it's gentle nature. With that said, children are unpredictable. 

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, 
4.7 million people get bit by dogs annually. 

 The biggest victims? Children, of course. 

The most common place to get bit? The face.

People should think about this before trusting their infant or small child to their dog.

Secondly,  lets be concerned about the dog too. Notice the child sitting on the dogs back.....on his spine? Then notice how the child sort of jumps up and down, with the careless encouragement of the adult? The dog turns round a few times which tells me he felt the pressure or pain on his spine. The child may be small, but she is big enough to cause stress fractures in the dogs spine. Dogs are not horses. They are dogs. Dogs are not meant for riding.

Please don't allow this, for your dogs safety, as well as your child's.

I think every child should have a dog at some time in their childhood. But it is important to teach a child how to properly interact with a live animal. Children should be taught to respect animals and dogs particularly, and vice versa,  so they both may know and enjoy the many benefits of a shared friendship.

Not Even For Skippy Peanutbutter!

We have a Gordon who is afraid of the camera. 

Actually, I believe she is afraid of the flash that goes off in her face. 

Gordon's are mostly black.....you have to use a flash 90% of the time if you are going to get a decent picture. And even then, it's tough.

 Our little 12 year old Gracie, hates it. 

 She's been like this most of her life. 

We don't usually force it, but you have to get a picture once in a while! 

We never really tried to analyze why, because some 

Gordon's just don't seem to like getting their picture taken.

 So we tried Skippy Peanut butter to coax her into the room.

She loves peanut butter!

Everything was fine.....until she saw me and the camera! 

Can you feel the vacuum in the room from her retreat?

 

 She won't even look at me,  and she runs and hides as soon as she see's the camera. 

Even with no escape, she will turn her head and bow it down.

 Then she will run into her kennel.

And if that's not a clear enough message for me..........

she'll turn her back on me.

 

 This has always seemed like a funny little quirk and nothing to be worried about. Until now.

Recently, Gracie started having seizures. She's had 2 now*. The vet says when she's had a few, they will put her on a medication to control them.  I have wondered if the reason she doesn't like the camera flash, is because it is like the light aura that people (and possibly dogs) see just before they have a seizure. Maybe that's what she sees? She refused her favorite food just before she had the last one. I think she may have known it was coming.

Dogs are very sensitive to those things, that's how they have become assistants to people who have seizures. The dog can actually predict the seizure and warn them. 

So it made me wonder, can a Gordon  predict a seizure,

whether it be in someone else, or themselves? 

Turns out, they can at least predict it, when they are about to have one themselves.

*NOTE: Ironically as I sat here and wrote this post, Gracie went into her third seizure. This time we were here and able to comfort her and keep her safe during the seizure. I don't know if it helped, it's hard to know how much she was aware of, but it didn't hurt.

Poor girl. There's really not much else we could do. 

We're documenting them so the vet will know when and how much meds to give her. Thank goodness there is something to help her. If you've ever seen a human have a seizure, it's very scary. 

It's no less scary if you witness this with your beloved pet.

For more information on seizures in dogs go here:

PETMD.COMhttp://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/neurological/c_dg_seizures_convulsions?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=Seizures&utm_campaign=Dogs&gclid=CJ6v6J-jh6gCFQkFbAodQHPQrQ

Need Help With House Training You Puppy?

As you might guess,  I am constantly reading and researching for the latest news in canine health or training. You can't imagine how much is out there! Today I was doing a little research on male territorial "marking". And that will probably, eventually, become a post. But for now, I came across a really good article on house training, in general, for puppies and older dogs that have never been house trained. It provides options and various scenarios to help with a wide range of problems and situations.

As you know, I am not a veterinarian nor am I an animal behaviorist, so sometimes I rely on the expertise of others to get the information out.

If you need help, this is the place to go. You can click the first link below and go the the web site, or you can click the second link and go directly to the article. It's a really good one.

 Partnership for Animal Welfare  ~  www.paw-rescue.org

   Article Only: 

House Training Help

Are Dogs Picking Up Our Human Behavior?

Have you ever thought, "This dog thinks he's human?" I know I have. And it was usually because of something smart my dog surprised me with.  Like manipulate me into getting up from my comfortable couch to get them a treat, cookie, or chew bone. And sometimes, it can just be a look. A certain, eye to eye contact, that is not staring, but mutual.  A meeting of the minds.

The Max Planck Institute, in Leipzig, Germany is studying just how much human behavior our dogs are capable of learning and understanding. For instance, do dogs understand it when we extend our arm and fore finger and point? Studies show they do, approximately 90% of the time. Hidden food was the reward in the test. 

Studies were also done to test how dogs perceive  our eye movements. Could a person use their eyes to "direct" a dog to where the food is hidden, with no other clues?  Once again, studies show they can.

The eyes are very important when it comes to communication. Here is an interesting test they did, to find out how important it is for your dog to see your face and eyes when communicating.

They put 3 people in a room and set them each in a chair. Person #1 had no obstruction of the face or eyes. Person #2 had a blind fold covering the eyes only. Person #3 had a red bucket completely covering their head and eyes. A dog was brought in and instructed to beg from the human. In every test, the dog would choose Person #1 whose head and eyes could be seen. Seeing your face and eyes are an important part of communication.

Another example of this was a test they done with 2 humans and a dog. One human laid a treat down and instructed the dog to leave it alone. Then the human just sat there with their eyes open, looking straight ahead. The dog was a little temped, but didn't touch the treat.  Next they placed a person in a room who laid down the treat and again instructed the dog to leave it alone. But this time, the person sat with their head straight ahead, eyes closed. Guess what? The dog walked around the treat once or twice, then ate it! This shows that dogs are aware of what we can see when our eyes are open.  They apparently won't touch the treat if we've got an eye on them, but if we fall asleep, the dog has no conscious at all!

"Mapping" is a technique, that was once thought of as a human behavior, not something that canines were capable of. Studies have proved this theory to be wrong. "Mapping" is this: Lets say your dog has 10 toys and he knows the names of each one. You buy a new toy, name it "red toy" and put it in the mix, and then ask your dog to fetch the "red toy". The dog knows the name of all his toys and by the process of elimination, he figures out which one is the "red toy".  We teach this to first graders as well. The child has a picture of a pig, a cow, and a crow.  The child is asked to circle the crow. The child already knows what a pig and a cow are, so the other one must be the crow. Again, it's the process of elimination. It's amazing that some dogs are capable of this kind of "thinking and reasoning".

I think this stuff is amazing. I've always believed that dogs are smarter than some humans we give them credit for. I'm so glad to see studies being done. I think human lives are improved ten fold with animals, but especially dogs. We are only beginning to know how helpful they can be in our society and just how much they are capable of.

Do you think you could hide food some place in a room and direct your dog to it, with only a point, or eye movement, and no other clues? Most bird dogs are taught to pay attention to cues and whistles  from their master, as well as most working breeds.  But how about the eyes? Can you direct you dog with just eye contact? Go ahead. Try it.


For the paper on the study, Click this: Human-Like Social Skills in Dogs?  You should find it online in PDF form.

Oxytocin - The Love Hormone

Oxytocin is a mammalian hormone that plays a major part in female reproduction.  Often called the "Love hormone", it makes us feel all soft and fuzzy inside and the next thing you know, we've fallen in love!

 

 

In dogs, the hormone is released in the mother during birth and nursing. This hormone tells the mother that she is doing what she is suppose to be doing, nursing her puppies.

Oxytocin helps the Momma dog to feel relaxed and calm. 

 Oxytocin aids puppies in bonding with the mother and humans as well. 

 It plays a part in what makes us adults crumble into a pile over a litter of cute cuddly puppies. The "Awwwww" factor. 

I guess I should have posted this for ♥Valentines Day, but heck,  Love is great anytime, right?!

For more info on the hormone Oxytocin, please click here :Wikipedia

Are You Letting Your Dogs Sleep With You?

Want to know what the reward is for allowing your dog to sleep with you in your bed?
It may look really cute, but it's a bad idea.

It's not as cute as the puppy in the picture above. It could be a nasty bacteria that settles in your brain.

Meningitis, is an inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It's pretty awful if you get it.

The most common causes of meningitis are viral infections that usually get better without treatment. However, bacterial meningitis infections are extremely serious, and may result in death or brain damage, even if treated.

Read more: http://www.kosmix.com/topic/meningitis/overview/adam20#ixzz1E576Zewxhttp://www.righthealth.com/topic/Meningitis

And then there is ring worm. It's not really deadly.....unless you let it get out of control. I will spare you the graphic pictures I saw while downloading these. These are NOT the worse case scenario.

And remember the bubonic plague? The "Black Death".  Bubonic plague is not usually spread from person to person. Small rodents, such as rats, mice and squirrels, carry the infection. Fleas that live on these animals act as "vectors" and carry the infection from the rodent to humans. People may get exposed to the bacteria from flea bites or from direct contact with an infected animal.

Picture of bubonic plague bacteria from an infected lymph node, or bubo.

Photo courtesy of the CDC

Nobody loves their dogs any more than I, but I do not allow them to sleep in my bed. Makes my husband happier, makes ME happier,  and I truly believe it makes for a healthier relationship with my dogs, as well as a  happier life for us all.... Dogs are Dogs.....  And they are happier, and you are healthier,  if you treat them like dogs. The experts agree that dogs need their own space and their own bed. 

Why Your Gordon Setter Chews

Chewing is a natural canine behavior. Yep,  a God given talent to chew the pieces out of your new boots, your gun stock, the truck seat, your couch corner, and even the metal wiring or wooden 2X4's of a kennel to satisfy the urge. They aren't real picky.

But don't despair, there are things you can do to detour or stop destructive chewing.

First, you have to figure out why your dog is chewing.

 
If he's a puppy, he is chewing either because he is teething, and/or he his getting to know his surroundings by taste. That includes chewing on his siblings and learning social behavior. If he's chewing something he should not,  it's destructive behavior and should be nipped in the bud before it becomes habit. Which, takes about twice.

If your dog is an adult dog, say, past the age of 3, and is chewing on things he shouldn't, it's most likely out of boredom. Dogs, especially highly intelligent dogs and working breeds, need mental stimulation. They need purpose, a job, to keep their brain stimulated and happy. Chewing is the alternative.

So, what do you do? First, make sure they have plenty of safe chew toys. Keep a variety of shapes and textures available. When your puppy goes through teething, he will chew. If you want to save that favorite pair of boots or antique dresser leg, you better have an alternative when you catch him taking his first bite.

There are many toys these days for chewers. I have found it to be a challenge to keep a dog from eating a toy, if he chooses to, but I guess some of the large Kong balls are pretty tough and work for a lot of dogs. Also the knotted ropes seem to be popular.  Knotted socks and tennis balls. These are all good for puppies. Stuffing old, clean, socks with other old, clean socks and then tying it in a knot works well also.

If you adult dog is chewing, other than on his favorite toy, try to increase his exercise. Either add some big hard running to the routine, or play games that keep him running and jumping to burn off that energy.  Challenge your dog with new training.  Ask him to work by asking him to sit, every time you let him in or out of the house, put him in his kennel, or give him a treat or a toy. All these things together, can be very satisfying to your dog.

 

Personally, we don't like to give our dogs rawhide chew bones unless we are with them while they are eating them. I've heard horror stories about choking and our dogs try to swallow those things whole. So, we give them the big 5" long, 1" wide chew bones. These are too big to finish in one sitting.
 

Just remember, no dog chooses to be BAD. When your dog displays a new unwanted bad behavior, take a look at what could be the cause. He really isn't being bad on purpose, he's just acting out a primal urge. You can change that negative behavior and make him a GOOD DOG.

 A WELL BEHAVED DOG, IS A WELL LOVED DOG.

  
"Sit.... Stay.... Good dog Sport. Good Dog."

Dog Remains Faithful to Deceased Owner

If you've ever doubted the bond between humans and dogs, or the friendship that is shared, just watch this video. You'll never doubt it again.

This is Wayne Giroux ~ Spots Best Friend. Wayne was killed this past June by a drunk driver.

 

 

 

 

 Spot waits for Wayne to Come Home

This is about a dog named "Spot" who sadly, lost his owner to death. Only, no one told Spot.  He still waits faithfully for his master to return, 5 months later, but he never does.


For full details of this touching story click here: http://www.wimp.com/faithfuldog/

Anxiety From Thunderstorms, Hard to Console

 
A new study from Penn State University claims that you can not console your dog during a stressful event like a lightening storm for instance. According to the study, even if you hold your dog and try to console him, his body will still produce hormones to respond to the perceived danger. The "flight or fight"  response is a stress response caused by the release of adrenaline and cortisol. This speeds up their breathing rates, the heart rate and the blood pressure and metabolism. Normal, but it can be detrimental if it is something that goes on for a long time.

The study showed that it did not matter if the owner was holding their dog, at the time of stress, or not consoling him at all. The level of cortisol released was the same at a 207% increase from the norm.

Besides medication, for stress, scientist think that having more than one dog helps. Apparently, if you have several dogs, their cortisol levels are already at a higher level. And when there is a stressful situation, the dogs calm down quicker and get back to normal faster than if they are in a single dog household.

Source  : Science Daily
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/0601-help_for_thunderphobic_dogs.htm