Maverick Pet Partners

Talk Softly and Carry a Carrot or a Big Stick?

By Jean Donaldson, Director of The San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers

Dog training is a divided profession. We are not like plumbers, orthodontists or termite exterminators who, if you put six in a room, will pretty much agree on how to do their jobs. Dog training camps are more like Republicans and Democrats, all agreeing that the job needs to be done but wildly differing on how to do it.

The big watershed in dog training is whether or not to include pain and fear as means of motivation. In the last twenty years the pendulum swing has been toward methods that use minimal pain, fear or intimidation – or none at all.

The force-free movement has been partly driven by improved communication from the top. Applied behaviorists, those with advanced degrees in behavior, and veterinary behaviorists, veterinarians who have completed residencies specializing in behavior problems are in greater abundance than in previous decades, and there is much more collaboration between these fields and trainers on the front lines. These two professions are quite unified on the point that the use of physical confrontation and pain is unnecessary, often detrimental and, importantly, unsafe.

On a more grassroots level, trainers have found more benign and sophisticated tools by boning up on applied behavior science themselves. Seminal books like marine mammal trainer Karen Pryor’s Don’t Shoot the Dog made the case that training and behavior modification can be achieved without any force whatsoever.

But dog training is currently an unregulated profession: there are no laws governing practices. Prosecutions under general anti-cruelty statutes are occasionally successful but greatly hampered by the absence of legal standards pertaining specifically to training practices. Provided it’s in the name of training, someone with no formal education or certification can strangle your dog quite literally to death and conceivably get off scot-free.

It’s not a complete wilderness: three sets of dog training guidelines exist, one in the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) Mission Statement, one published by the Delta Society and one by the American Humane Association (AHA). All state that less invasive (i.e. without pain or force) techniques must be competently tried and exhausted before more invasive techniques attempted. Such guidelines are not yet mandatory but they’re a start.

And so the current professional climate is one laden with some remaining fierce debate. There’s an ever-expanding group of trainers that train force-free (ad. literature will be some variation on the theme of “dog-friendly” or “pain-free”), trainers that still train primarily with force (ad literature: “no-nonsense” or “common sense”) and trainers that employ liberal use of both force and rewards (ad literature: “balanced” or “eclectic”). From a consumer’s standpoint, the choice in methods is wide.

You can hire a professional to train your dog pretty much any way that suits your fancy and it’s all legal.

The force-free movement gains momentum every year and a sure sign of this is that many trainers in the other camps resort to murkier and murkier euphemisms to disguise their more violent practices and retain their market share. Stressed dogs aren’t “shut down,” they’re “calm.” It’s not strangling, it’s “leading.” As a committed devotee of the “dog-friendly” camp, I am therefore, along with my colleagues here at The San Francisco SPCA, somewhat agog at the stunning success of “The Dog Whisperer”. This is pretty ferocious stuff by anybody’s standards. The National Geographic Channel even runs a disclaimer banner at the bottom of the screen admonishing people to “not try this at home,” a warning notably absent on home improvement shows or “Nanny 911″. Many have suggested that the cloaking of corporal punishments and hazing in mystical language, promise of instant results, high octane telegenicity of Cesar Milan and lucky connections with Los Angeles celebrity clients are sufficient explanation for the Dog Whisperer phenomenon. The one with the best buzz words wins. But I don’t know.

Janis Bradley, my colleague here at The SPCA, sagely points out that the positive reinforcement trend has become a big enough juggernaut to warrant a backlash and Milan represents exactly that. Like the frazzled Los Angelinos in the film “Crash” (which, notably, took Best Picture honors at The Academy Awards), people are fed up with having to be politically correct in a chronically frustrating and disconnected world. Couldn’t we just “get real” and stop being kind and tolerant all the time?

And here we positive-reinforcement oriented dog trainers are now telling everyone they have to be nice and politically correct to the dog? Well, yes.

Jean Donaldson’s article was first published in The Woofer Times, September 2006

By Katie Hector and CC Cartier

Whether puppies or adults, dogs use their mouths and chewing as a way of alleviating boredom and anxiety and exploring the world around them. Unfortunately this often results in damage to furniture, rugs, shoes, remotes and mobile phones. In order to remedy potential destruction to personal items, pet parents may choose from an overwhelming assortment of dog chews and toys. One of the most popular chews that pet parents turn to are rawhide products. Startling new information has been uncovered about the dangers of these products. From Salmonella recalls to toxic ingredients, rawhides are now posing an increasing threat to the health of our beloved pets. Explore the truths behind the marketing ploys and choose healthy alternatives that will make both parents and pets jump for joy.

The past three years have witnessed a dramatic shift in Rawhide product awareness thanks to an increase in research and information regarding pet health. From 2008 to 2011 alone, there have been SIX major FDA recalls of rawhide products due to Salmonella poisoning of pets and people who have come into contact with rawhides. Salmonella in dogs can easily be spread and adapt into a multitude of other bacterial diseases such as gastroenteritis (which causes a dog to vomit or excrete blood) and septicemia (which results in blood poisoning, dangerously high fevers and low blood pressure). These diseases can often be difficult and expensive to treat properly and may lead to greater complications if not treated. This alarming amount of recalls and threat of bacterial exposure has already put rawhides on the black list of many pet nutritionists, trainers and pet parents.

Along with bacterial exposure, perhaps the greatest risk that rawhide products pose for dogs is that they are a very serious choking hazard. As a dog chews the rawhide down into smaller pieces, it becomes a choking hazard that may block a dog’s esophagus.  Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC, a board certified veterinary trauma and critical care surgeon explains her fear and heartache when her beloved Pit Bull “JP” swallowed a piece of rawhide in her article “Why I Hate Rawhides”, Dr. Lee explains the dangers of rawhide foreign body ingestion, describing them as, “life-threatening if not treated immediately”. “I’ve seen dogs develop severe complications even with rescue endoscopy procedures (like tearing through the esophagus, aspiration pneumonia, sepsis, ect.) and I have seen dogs die from esophageal foreign bodies.” writes Lee. The Humane Society of the United States includes rawhide pet products on their list of the eight most dangerous indoor household hazards to pets, alongside pesticide products and human medications. Rawhides makes the list due to the fact that the easily spread salmonella to pets and people and are the number one choking hazard. The HSUS is not alone on their position on rawhides. The ASPCA suggests that pet parents should, “discourage consumption” because they ”cause choking or gastrointestinal  obstruction.” Pet parents are putting their pets at risk every time they use rawhide products.

If salmonella bacteria, choking, and gastrointestinal trauma have not forever dissuaded you from feeding rawhide products, it is time to look behind marketing gimmicks to investigate the ingredients that these nutritionally empty and calorie dense products include. Acclaimed author and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Ernie Ward reveals leading dog foods and treats true caloric values and compares them to human food equivalents in his book, “Chow Hound”. Dr. Ward deems the caloric intake of a Dingo Meat in the Middle small bone for a forty pound dog as the equivalent of a human eating two Taco Bell Taco Supremes AND 20 ounces of Coke. Ward further deciphers the pet food and product market in an effort to help fight pet obesity and educate pet parents in prevention methods to avoid diseases and increase pet longevity. Dr. Ward’s desire to educate stems from his experience treating the repercussions of pet obesity which include: heart and respiratory disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, compromised immune function, numerous forms of cancer and ultimately decreased life expectancy. Rawhide, pig ears and Dingo ingredients directly contribute to pet obesity, which is why most companies that manufacture them do not include ingredients lists and caloric values on their packaging, and why natural pet food retailers refuse to carry them. Most companies who produce rawhides utilize toxic chemicals in their processing methods, such as: lye or lime solution, bleach, arsenic, lead, titanium oxide, formaldehyde, mercury, cadmium, bromine, and potentially carcinogenic artificial dyes. Oh my! Unfortunately, this is the reality of the pet food industry. As pet parents, education and prevention are our best defenses. Become well informed against the dangers of rawhide products and find healthy alternatives that your pet will enjoy, risk free.

Healthy alternative abound and are more accessible than ever! Pet parents no longer have to travel far to find them or make alternative products themselves. Due to new pet health awareness, great companies and specialty retailers are foregoing toxic chemicals and dangerous treats in lieu of safe, nutritious and delicious treats and chews. Never buy Chinese sourced dog products, which are only sometimes labeled “MADE IN CHINA”. Instead, seek out all natural American made products whenever possible.

Some alternative products and companies that we highly recommend are:

• Dr. Harvey’s Sweet Potate’r Chews (based in Keensburg, New Jersey)
• Sam’s Yams Veggie “Rawhide” Sweet Potato Dog Chewz
• Merrick Bully Stix
• Natural Deer Antler Chews
• Himalayan Dog Chews