Hmmmm.... it's been a while since I last wrote. This weekend, I just got a Basset Hound puppy. I'm actually not allowed any more dogs in my apartment, the landlord made an exception for my Pomeranian. So here's the problem... this breed is extremely vocal. They like to howl, bark and whine. How do I hide this puppy?

After long thought, I decided that we need to train her properly from the very beginning. If your puppy cries alot and you give her attention, they learn at an early age that crying gets results. You may be yelling at her to shut up but all she thinks at that time is, Hey, she's talking back to me! Another issue that we want to address is separation anxiety. We don't want her freaking out when shes alone and we have to go to work. I also want her properly socialized with other humans and puppies. It's very important to socialize your puppies at a young age so that they become friendly, happy dogs. Sometimes if a dog isn't properly socialized, they become afraid of people and other pets and frightened dogs might bite.

Here's what the game plan is. Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7AM to 3PM are the only real times she would have to be alone. (I'm not counting my Pomeranian as company... he can't report to me that shes crying and he's not going to assist in making her stop.) So on Mondays and Tuesdays, I plan on dropping her off at the animal clinic that I work at (I do some paperwork for them once a week) for daycare. She can play with the doctor's puppy and the people that work there will play with her. If she is in her kennel downstairs and she feels the need to howl, whine and bark, they are under strict instructions to ignore her until she becomes quiet. This ensures that she will have human and doggie friends to play with at least twice a week. Kathy, who lives across the street just got a French Bulldog puppy, who will be coming over a few times a week in the evening to play with her. I want them to play hard so that hopefully she can sleep the whole night through and not wake me at 6AM like this morning. The rest of the time we spend with her at home, I want to encourage her to play alone. I don't want her to become dependent on our affection to function properly. (I had a dog like that and she was a nightmare.)

I'm not a trainer and I don't pretend to know anything about training but from what I've absorbed from trainer friends and being in the vet clinic, this was the program I came up with. I will keep everyone updated on the puppy's progress.

If your dog is exhibiting behavioral issues, seek the help of a trainer. Please don't go to the Pet Smart training class. Those "trainers" watched a dvd on how to train dogs for their dog training education. Question where the trainer got their training from because there are bullshit 3 week classes out there for people to become trainers. Also ask for references.

Here's a pic of the new puppy:

FYI:

There are spay and neuter programs that you can buy coupons from. Make sure your vet accepts them before you buy. These certificates only cover the cost of anesthesia and the actual procedure. It does not include pain medication, or the elizabethan collar, etc.

http://www.muffins.org/spay.htm

http://www.friendsofanimals.org/

Spaying and Neutering Your Pet

-I neutered my male dogs at the age of 5 1/2 ~ 6 months old and guess what? They squat to pee. Around the age of 6 months, male dogs begin maturing. They want to mark their territory and so, you might find many, MANY pee spots on the walls, floors and furniture. When you neuter them early, you can, for the most part, prevent this from happening. (If your dog is already lifting his leg, the surgery won't make him suddenly start squatting.)

-Male dogs become less aggressive. (Neutering means they remove both testicles so there is less testosterone in the dog's system.)

-Neutering eliminates the risk of prostate cancer in male dogs and cats.

-Neutering a male cat prevents him from "spraying". There is no smell on earth more disgusting than cat spray. An un-neutered cat marks his territory by spraying. Neuter your male cats before they start spraying (around 6 months of age). The smell is impossible to get out of your furniture and clothes and carpet. I have smelled those ladies that come to the animal clinic. You know, the ones that collect cats and are too poor to neuter them and care for them. They only stay at the clinic for 30 min. and we have to clean everyroom that person was in with bleach to get the smell out.

-When a female is spayed, the vet removes the fallopian tubes, uterus, and ovaries. The female will never be in heat (have her period) again. Less mess!

-By spaying your female cat/dog, you eliminate the chance that she will get a uterine infection, aka pyometra. Pyometra is a very serious condition and most of the time require immediate surgery. if the vet recommends surgery and you do not do it, your pet will die. PS- the surgery can cost up to 1000, not including the hospital stay of approximately 3-7 days, depending on when your pet recovers.

-Spaying also reduces the risk of mammary gland tumers and cancer.

The Surgery:

-They will tell you to take the food and water away the night before the surgery. The reason for this is because the anesthesia makes them nauseas and if they are unconcious and begin vomitting, they will choke on the vomit and die. Make sure you follow directions!

-Anesthesia isn't very good for pets in general. Although some vets say that you can neuter/spay a dog/cat at 10 weeks, I would recommend waiting till they are at least 5 months. There is always a risk with anesthesia and you definitely don't want to subject such a young baby to surgery, especially a surgery that can wait.

-Surgery is painful. Make sure the vet gives pain medication during the surgery so that by the time your pet wakes up, he/she won't be in pain. Make sure they plan on giving you pain medication to go home with beforehand. Don't wait till the surgery is already done to stand there and argue about medication. (Pets have a higher tolerance of pain than humans. But that doesn't mean they can't FEEL the pain!)

-Buy an elizabethan collar (yes, that's the cone that goes on your pet's neck) to prevent licking and biting of the surgical area, even if your vet says you probably won't need one.  Don't wait till you get home (when you see your pet licking and biting away) to realize that you need one and have to run back to the clinic. Better safe than sorry.

-Clean the wound 2 times a day with hydrogen peroxide (.99 cents at the pharmacy) and cotton or gauze.

-Some vets use disolvable sutures (stitches). If your vet doesn't, then make sure you go back in 7-10 days to remove them.

Comments:

I called some vet offices in Queens, NY to ask about prices for spaying. Most of them gave me a low price. Here's how most of the conversations went:

Me: How much is it if I want to spay my dog? She's 10 lbs. and she is 6 months old.

Them: 100 dollars. (Damn, thats cheap! Most people just go on to make an appointment right there.)

Me: Does that include a pain injection during surgery and pain meds to go home with? my pet won't have food and water since the night before. Does that price include fluids during the surgery so that she won't be dehydrated? If it doesn't, then how much would it cost with all that?

Them: Um, no its not included. I don't know how much that would be. I have to ask.

Usually, after they ask, they come back to the phone and either name a ridiculous amount of money, or they tell me my pet doesn't need all that. Don't tell me she doesn't need pain medication! How would you feel if you got cut open and had parts of you removed and they didn't even give you any medication? So, in short, make sure you ask the right questions before you make the appointment. Make sure your vet cares for your pets safety as much as you do.

-The Sunnyside Animal Clinic does pre surgical testing on all their patients and they take every precaution when any animal goes into surgery but their prices are a little high. I only know their policies and procedures because I worked there. I cannot tell you about other vets, as I do not know what goes on there. You will have to ask your vet on your own. But at least now you know what to ask.

UPDATE

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is warning the public about counterfeit pesticide products for dogs and cats. In their report, they talk about Frontline and Advantage. Here's the link:

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/petproduct.htm

What should you look for when buying your pet's food?

First things first. Don't buy from the supermarket. As your vet may tell you, most supermarket brands are low quality dog foods. I have seen MANY dogs get sick (diarrhea, skin rash) from brands like Alpo and Mighty Dog. (PS- Purina makes ALPO) Always buy from the pet store. At the pet store, you have 2 choices. You can go for the hollistic food (recommended) or you can go for the regular dog food (Science Diet, Eukanuba).

What should you look for? The list of ingredients plays a major factor. All pet food companies HAVE to list their ingredients in descending order. This means that the first ingredient that is listed is the primary ingredient in your dog's food. The most important to look at are the first 10 ingredients. Red flags would be ingredients such as corn and by-products. Here is an example of 3 different types of regular adult dry foods for dogs.

Wellness (Adult Super 5 Mix, Chicken)

deboned chicken, ground barley, oatmeal, rye flour, menhaden fish meal, whitefish, ground brown rice, ground millet, canola oil, flaxseed.

This brand is a personal favorite of mine because they use human grade ingredients. They also have different types of food for dogs and cats that are overweight or sensitive to allergies. 

Eukanuba (Adult Maintenance)

chicken, chicken by-product meal, corn meal, ground whole grain sorghum, ground whole grain barley, fish meal, chicken fat, brewers rice, natural chicken flavor, dried beet pulp (sugar removed).

This is a good brand from the pet store. They recently started selling this brand in the supermarket. The 2nd and 3rd ingredients are cause for concern but overall this is a decent pet food. Vets recommend it partially because Science Diet and the Iams/Eukanuba company donate alot of money for veterinary schools. (At least thats what I heard.)

Purina (Adult Dog Chow)

ground yellow corn, poultry by-product meal, corn glutten meal, soybean meal, beef tallow preserved w/ mixed tocopherols, brewers rice, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, malted barley flour, salt.

This brand is horrible. Just look at the first three ingredients. More than half of the ten ingredients are questionable. Purina also makes ALPO another horrible brand.

-By-products: When chicken, cows, lamb, pigs and other animals are slaughtered for food, usually only the lean and desireable parts are cut off for human consumption. That leaves about 50% of the carcass. These left overs then become the by-products we so often find on pet food labels. Chicken by-products include feathers which are pressure cooked with steam until they are an edible gel. Other meat by-products include lungs, ligaments, bones, blood, and intestines. On the shadier side of the business, meat by-products can also include: spoiled meat from the supermarket (styrofoam wrapping and all), roadkill that can't be buried on the roadside, the 4 "D"s of cattle (dead, dying, diseased, and disabled), rancid restaurant grease, euthanised companion animals.

-Whenever you switch your dog/cat's food. Make sure the change in diet is gradual. The first day, introduce a small amount of the new food into the old food. Kepp increasing the amount over the course of one week until the whole meal is the new food you chose. If you don't make a gradual change in the diet and you just switch the food right away, you risk upsetting your pet's stomach which can cause diarrhea and vomitting.