What a fascinating interview! Dr. Alexandra Horowitz, a PhD at Barnard College, Columbia University, discusses some really interesting research from her book Inside of a Dog. –Kim

Groucho Marx once said, "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
But it is beginning to get lighter in there, thanks to modern cognitive science.
Groucho's quip graces the opening page of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know, a new book by cognitive scientist and psychologist Alexandra Horowitz that goes a long way to suggest what it's like to think with a dog's brain – to actually be a dog.
Combining new knowledge from hundreds of scientific and animal behavior studies, and mixing it in with a fine style guided by her own loving bemusement of dogs – especially of her own Finnegan, rescued as a sick and needy pup from a shelter – Horowitz gives us a fascinating picture of a dog's umwelt (OOM-velt) – German for "their subjective or 'self-world'."

Copyright ©2010 ABC News

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See Part 2: http://topdogblog1.blogspot.com/2010/05/inside-of-dog-part-2.html
See Part 3: http://topdogblog1.blogspot.com/2010/05/inside-of-dog-part-3.html

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Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim

Flooding
By: Victoria Stilwell

Cooper was a 2-year-old male Boxer that responded aggressively towards other dogs. His owners had tried many different methods in an attempt to modify Cooper's behavior, but his reactions towards other dogs just got worse. He displayed threatening behavior when he was being walked on and off the lead except at doggy day care where he seemed to be relaxed and happy with the dogs around him.

This was a fascinating case for me because it posed so many challenges. During my first visit I observed how uncomfortable Cooper was around other dogs, but his owners assured me that he had never displayed this intense reaction until a few months after they had adopted him. At first Cooper had appeared fine with dogs on and away from his territory and of course at day care. But then his behavior began to change and he started to aggress towards dogs on and off the lead. His owners were at a loss as to what to do.

They had tried some harsher methods of discipline including a shock collar to suppress his negative response, but of course this made his reaction worse. Resorting to this and other punitive methods only made Cooper feel more insecure, because the sight of other dogs coming towards him and his subsequent reaction now produced a painful sensation that only served to deepen his discomfort. As far as Cooper was concerned he had found the perfect way to deal with this discomfort – aggress and the other dog would go away. This response became his way of coping whenever another dog was near him, even if it meant that he was severely punished for his reaction.

Why had Cooper's behavior changed so suddenly and so severely? A thorough medical investigation revealed that the pain from an earlier leg injury could have been the cause, but it was also possible that a history of abandonment, his age and possible incidences with other dogs at day care had all contributed towards his insecurity. Even though the staff at day care had told his owners that Cooper was never a problem, I heard a different story. Cooper regularly ended up in time-outs for 'being a bully,' but even taking this into account Cooper was still better behaved at day care than he was out in the big bad world – that had to count for something. His owners were convinced that he enjoyed his days playing at day care and in order to verify this took me to the facility so that I could watch how he interacted with the other dogs.

To the untrained eye, Cooper looked like he was having a good time, but my suspicions were confirmed within the first ten seconds of viewing him in the dog room. This wasn't a dog that was enjoying himself – this was a dog that was experiencing intense stress. Cooper was practicing avoidance, panting and drooling while he constantly paced up and down the room staying close to known exits in an effort to get out. It appeared that he was so overwhelmed with fear from being around other dogs that this prevented him from acting naturally. His survival instinct kicked in and, unable to display his true emotion, Cooper quite literally shut down. This behavioral process is known as 'flooding.'

Flooding is sometimes used as a therapy to try to 'cure' people or animals of their fears and phobias. The flooding technique goes like this: take a dog-aggressive dog and expose it to as many other dogs as possible in an enclosed environment. In time, the dog's anxiety around other dogs will decrease because the body cannot keep up a stressed out state of alarm for ever. The desired result is that the dog finally relaxes in the presence of the fear as he realizes that other dogs won't hurt him.

In some cases flooding works, but this therapy is controversial because the likelihood of failure is so high. In the majority of cases, flooding only makes a dog more anxious and forces the dog to adopt different coping mechanisms such as fighting, irrespective of how many dogs there are, or shutting down – where the dog becomes almost numb to the environment and behaves in a way that is truly out of character – an instinct that keeps him safe and ensures survival. This shutdown lasts as long as the dog is in the flooding environment, and once back in his comfort zone, the dog is free to be able to show his true feelings again. Cooper looked like he was perfectly fine around the dogs at day care, but the reality was very different.

I advised that Cooper not go to day care again until his rehabilitation was complete. There was a chance that he might never be comfortable enough to cope with what was a pretty stressful environment and this made it even more important that Cooper be trained to cope on a walk with other dogs around him. Cooper's rehabilitation centered on a complete desensitization and counter-conditioning program as well as methods designed to pull his focus away from other dogs onto his owners so he could take cues and direction from them and gain confidence.

As he was a highly food motivated dog, Cooper was given food in the presence of other dogs as part of the desensitization process, to show him that good things happened when other dogs were around him. Slowly, his reactions became less intense as he was able to relax in the presence of his fear. Cooper's owners realized that by using harsh punitive methods to try and stop his response they had only been suppressing the reaction to his emotion and were not addressing why it was happening and what Cooper needed to change the way he felt. It was one thing to suppress his behavior but quite another for him to feel more positively about a fear source – a much better state of being.

Whether flooding is used as a therapy or a dog is unintentionally exposed to an environment that floods the senses, it is important to understand the dynamics of this process and the potential positive or negative effects on the dog. A dog that attacks dogs on and/or off the leash in public is very unlikely to be comfortable around other dogs in a day care environment, even if it looks like it is behaving normally.

Cooper continues to do well and is able to relax in the presence of other dogs on the leash. His environment is continually managed so that he does not have the chance to become overwhelmed and his owners are working with him consistently to ensure that his emotional state continues to change.

http://positively.com/positive-reinforcement/victoria-stilwell-articles/flooding/
© Copyright 2010 Victoria Stilwell Enterprises LLC

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Victoria Stilwell is the host of Animal Planet's "It's Me or the Dog." Her no nonsense, common sense approach to dog training is both practical and effective. It's about educating owners on how to see things from a dog's perspective and use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior. With a little patience and effort, anyone can live happily with their canine companions. Visit Victoria Stilwell on the Web, get her training tips and watch full episodes of "It's Me or the Dog" by clicking http://animal.discovery.com/tv/its-me-or-dog/index.html or http://www.victoriastilwell.com

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FDA Tells Pet Owners NOT to Give Dogs a Bone

Thursday, April 22, 2010
Associated Press

If they only knew, dogs from coast to coast might be howling over this advice from the government.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a reminder to consumers Wednesday to toss out bones from their meals rather than feed them to their pets.

"Some people think it's safe to give dogs large bones, like those from a ham or a roast," said Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA. "Bones are unsafe, no matter what their size."

The FDA spelled out 10 reasons it's a bad idea to give doggie a real bone.

Among them: broken teeth, mouth or tongue injuries, bones or fragments of bones getting stuck in a dog's esophagus or even its stomach, which might require surgery. Bone fragments also can cause constipation.

Worse, it could be deadly. Giving your dog a real bone could cause a bacterial infection of the abdomen, called peritonitis, when fragments poke holes in a dog's stomach or intestines. "Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian because peritonitis can kill your dog," says the caution from the FDA.

The Better Business Bureau recently cautioned pet owners about feeding a popular treat, Dynamic Pet Products' Real Ham Bone for Dogs, to pets. It says a number of consumers have complained that dogs became seriously ill or died from internal damage due to bone fragments. The company has denied any wrongdoing, according to the bureau news release.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,591364,00.html
© 2010 FOX News Network, LLC

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Also, see:

• No Bones About It: Bones are Unsafe for Your Dog - html
  
• No Bones About It: Bones are Unsafe for Your Dog - PDF

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Here's a great collection of facts that I thought I would pass on...hope you find them interesting! –Kim

Interesting Dog Facts - Part 1

A puppy's eyes do not open until it is 10 to 15 days old. Its vision is usually not complete until it is about four weeks old.

At birth, puppies are deaf, blind and have almost no sense of smell. They stay near their mother and siblings because of the warmth.

Puppies should remain with their mother until they are at least eight weeks old. During this time, she will teach them not to bite and how to get along with other dogs.

Dogs are submissive to those they feel have higher pack status.

Train your dog from day one, so she will think of you as the leader of the pack. Dogs instinctively want to earn the pack leader's approval.

The most confident puppy in a litter often makes the worst pet because he sees himself as the pack leader.

A dog can suffer from a poor self-image, just like humans. Bolster self-esteem with praise, affection and rewards.

To a young dog, exercise and play are the day's most important events. As a dog gets older, he lives for dinner time.

Even after your dog is old enough to be fed only once a day, he should be given a morning snack just to calm his rumbling tummy.

Family dogs who growl when family members are roughhousing aren't upset, they're just asking to become part of the game.

Give your new puppy its own sleeping den, even a simple cardboard box will do; this will make her feel more secure.

Ignore your new puppy's whining when you first isolate it for sleeping. If you don't you will only encourage it to whine more.

Sign up your dog for obedience school.

The most important thing you can teach your dog is to sit and stay on command. Anytime you are having behavioral problems with your dog, begin your training by reteaching him to sit and stay.

The time to start teaching your dog to sit and stay is the day you bring her home.

Don't attempt to teach your dog anything else until he will sit and stay on command for at least one minute.

When teaching a puppy to come, begin by getting down to his level so he will not be encouraged to jump up on you.

A dog needs to work off excess energy every day.

Mixed-breed dogs usually have behavioral traits similar to the breed they most resemble in appearance.

When a small dog is aggressive toward people, don't pick him up. This only reinforces the behavior since he will see it as a reward.

Teach your dog to play catch.

Anyone can buy a dog, but it takes a kind owner to set its tail wagging.

Although a dog might be jealous of a new puppy in the beginning, this usually passes quickly since dogs are social animals.

Dogs become loyal, not because you feed them, but because of the companionship you give them.

Give your small or short-haired dog a sweater for winter walks.

Most dogs don't like to be left alone, so they howl. Leave the radio or television on to keep your dog company when you are away.

Dogs have twice as many muscles for moving their ears as people.

Housebreaking a puppy is just like toilet-training a child. First, you learn to recognize the signs; then, you react every time you see them.

Man could learn much from his dog: to be a true friend, to be faithful and to appreciate those who love him.

When a puppy is removed from its mother, don't make it spend the first night alone. Its loss of family is enough for one night.

As soon as your new pet is comfortable with its new home, move it to the location where you will want it to sleep for its lifetime.

A dog's nose is not just used for smelling, but also to keep him cool. That's why a dog pants. The longer the dog's nose, the better his cooling system works.

Dogs that chase cars have learned that cars run away. This behavior is reinforced each time he chases one away.

Teach your dog to fetch.

Never wake a sleeping dog by poking or shaking it.

Dogs are perfect companions. They never quarrel, fuss or fight with you, and they listen with great interest any time you speak in their direction.

A dog's smile runs from the depth of his eyes to the tip of his tail.

If you're finding it difficult to teach your dog to catch a ball, try tossing something soft like a knotted piece of fabric instead. Some dogs find softer items easier to catch.

Dogs love rituals and routines.

Anyone who says he works like a dog obviously doesn't own one.

Staring directly into the eyes of a strange dog may be interpreted as a challenge and may actually encourage the dog to bite you.

Dogs and cats turn in circles before lying down, because in the wild, this instinctive action turns long grass into a bed.

When walking your dog, put a few plastic bags in your pocket; they make great "scoopers." Slip one over your hand, pick up the pile, flip it inside out, tie and discard.

The average dog's mouth exerts 150 to 200 pounds of pressure per square inch. Some dogs can apply up to 450 pounds.

Puppies can't control their bladders overnight until they are at least four months old. Until then, cover the floor around the puppy's bed with newspapers.

Dogs are omnivorous. They need more than just meat to flourish.

People with more than one dog shouldn't try to treat them all as equals. Because pack position is important to a dog, this only encourages jealousy games.

All dog owners should buy a long-handled pooper-scooper. It makes keeping the yard clean a breeze.

Dogs chew up your underwear because it smells like you.

You don't have to put up with your dog destroying flower beds or digging up the yard; simply fence off a separate section just for him.

Always say your dog's name before you give a command.

One in every three US families owns one or more dogs.

Choke chains can be dangerous.

A one-year-old dog is physically as mature as a 15 year-old human.

Dogs' internal clocks are really magnificent. They know when it's time for you to arrive home, feed them, or go to bed if you are normally on a schedule.

Brush your dog 3 times a week in the spring, and you'll have a summer free from shedding.

If someone in your household is allergic to dogs, bathe your dog every week. He will shed less dry skin. You can also add a teaspoon of cooking oil to your dog's dinner.

The only problem with loving a dog is that they live for only a short time.

If your dog reacts anti-socially toward visitors, put her in another room until she calms down. When you let her out, ignore her. This forces your dog to go to the visitors to get their social activity.

When a dog bays at the moon, it is following a basic urge to call the pack together.

Rituals are a basic part of canine behavior. Greeting, feeding, hunting and sleeping all include social performances.

The burying of bones is part of a dog's instinctive feeding ritual; shaking things viciously is part of the hunting ritual.

Source: http://www.dogquotes.com/dogfacts.htm
Copyright © 2001-2008 Australian Media Pty LTD

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See Part 2: http://topdogblog1.blogspot.com/2010/04/quotable-quotes.html

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Here's a great collection of facts that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim

Interesting Dog Facts - Part 2

World's largest dog..... The worlds heaviest as well as longest dog ever recorded was an Old English Mastiff named Zorba. In 1989, Zorba weighed 343 lbs and was 8 feet 3 inches long from nose to tail! The Irish Wolfhound ranks as the largest dog, and the Chihuahua as the smallest dog. The St. Bernard is normally the heaviest dog and other breeds range in size between these extremes.

World's tallest dog..... The tallest dog on record was named Shamgret Danzas. He was 42 inches tall (at the shoulder!) and weighed 238 lbs. Normally, the tallest dogs are the Great Dane and the Irish Wolfhound. The largest Great Dane stood at 103cm and an Irish Wolfhound 100cm.

World's smallest dog..... The smallest dog in history was a tiny Yorkie from Blackburn, England. At two years of age and fully grown this little dude was an incredible 2.5 inches tall by 3.75 inches long! He weighed only 4 ounces! HE was approximately the size of a matchbox.

World's oldest dog..... The oldest reliable age recorded for a dog is 29 years, 5 months for an Australian cattle-dog (Queensland 'heeler') named Bluey in Victoria, Australia. The average dog lives 8 to 15 years of age.

World's Best Drug Sniffing Dogs..... A US Customs Labrador named "Snag" has made 118 drug seizures worth a canine record $810 million. The greatest number of drug seizures by dogs is 969 in 1988. IN ONE YEAR! The team of "Rocky" and "Barco" patrolled the Texas and Mexico border, alias "Cocaine Alley." They were so good that Mexican drug lords put a price of $30,000 dollars on their heads.

All dogs, from the German Shepherd to the tiny Poodle, are thought to be direct descendants of wolves. They can all breed together and produce fertile offspring. Technically they are of the same species.

The basenji, an African wolf dog, is the only dog that cannot bark.

Dogs can very easily regurgitate. In fact, after eating, wolves can travel significant distances back to their dens and regurgitate the food at will to feed their pups!

Dogs cannot normally see as well as humans and are considered somewhat color blind. Dogs can see color, but it is not as vivid a color scheme as we see. It is much like our vision at twilight. A dog sees objects first by their movement, second by their brightness and third by their shape.

Dogs are able to see much better in dim light than humans can. This is due to the tapetum lucidum, a light-reflecting layer behind the retina. Because it functions like a mirror, it also accounts for the strange shine or glow in a dog's eyes at night.

Dogs naturally have a wonderful sense of smell. Some authorities estimate that some dogs sense of olfaction (smelling) is as high as 1 million times greater than ours. They have many more sensory 'smelling' cells than a man's 5,000,000. A Dachshund has 125,000,000, a Fox Terrier 147,000,000 and an Alsatian (often used as a 'sniffer' dog) has 220,000,000. Truffle hounds can find the fungus delicacy even when it's a foot underground.

A dog can hear sounds 250 yards away that most people cannot hear beyond 25 yards. The human ear can detect sound waves vibrating at frequencies up to 20,000 times a second. But dogs can hear sound waves that vibrate at frequencies of more than 30,000 times a second.

Laika became the world's first space traveler. Russian scientists sent the small animal aloft in an artificial earth satellite in 1957.

A dog's heart beats between 70 and 120 times a minute, compared with a human heart that beats 70 to 80 times a minute.

A female carries her young about 60 days before the puppies are born.

Dogs have been used as guards, hunters, drought animals, eyes for the blind, drug and explosive detectors, rodent controllers, and even weapons! In Roman times and the Middle Ages, mastiffs wearing light armor, carrying spikes and pots of flaming sulfur and resin ran into battle against mounted knights. In World War II, the Russians trained dogs to run suicide missions between the tracks of German tanks with mines strapped on their backs.

The dingo is not native to Australia, but was introduced thousands of years ago by the first immigrants.

More than five million puppies are born every year in the United States.

Sadly, statistics indicate that eight million pets (all kinds) lose their lives in animal shelters each year due to overpopulation.

In America, about one family in three owns a dog.

The normal body temperature for a dog is 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit.

Though neutering has no effect on the overall personality, male dogs tend to display less aggression, and territorial behavior when they are neutered. They are also less likely to contract urogenital diseases.

Many foot disorders in dogs are related to long toenails. Check your dog's nails once a month and trim when necessary, avoiding the vein.

If your dog has bad breath, he may need his teeth cleaned.

Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Greek mythology, guarded the gates to the underworld.

Canis Major or The Great Dog: The Great Dog follows his master, Orion, as he makes his annual journey through the sky. Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, is located on the shoulder of Canis Major. It is the brightest in the heavens, and its name means sparkling and scorching, as it is nearest to the sun during the height of summer.

The hot, summer days – Dog Days – which Sirius was thought to cause, run from July 3 to August 11th. The three stars of Orion's Belt point at the Dog Star, Sirius, in Canus ajor at Orion's heels. It is best seen in the northern hemisphere during winter, between December and March. – First published in the May/June 1994 issue of ZuZu

Argos or Argus, Ulysses' hunting dog, was the only creature to recognize the Greek hero when he returned home disguised as a beggar after 20 years of adventure.

The Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts and the 4-H Club all offer merit badges in dog care.

NEVER punish a puppy for chewing.... Just be sure to provide the appropriate objects. Puppies need to chew to stimulate the loss of their baby teeth and to help place their permanent teeth.

Dogs are pack animals by nature. They need closeness, touching, and petting to be content and happy.

A dog is a true friend, and one you can be certain will never talk about you, no matter what you do.

Never assume that a barking dog won't bite, unless you're absolutely certain the dog believes it too.

A dog who destroys your home when you're away is frustrated. His frustration has been displaced onto household objects.

Put your kitchen garbage can in a cupboard. It's the only way to be certain your dog will stay out of it.

To keep your dog off the couch, nail empty tuna cans to a board and put it there before leaving. Your dog will find it uncomfortable, and it's easy to store under the couch.

Source: http://www.dogquotes.com/dogfacts.htm
Copyright © 2001-2008 Australian Media Pty LTD

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See Part 1: http://topdogblog1.blogspot.com/2010/04/quotes-queries.html

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Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim

See the Odds Your Favorite Breed has of Winning Westminster

Forty-eight of the top 50 show dogs competed recently at the 134 annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Several sources rank the dogs. We'll list two today.

First off, what does Vegas say? For the fourth year, Wynn Casino has posted odds. There's no wagering, and it's by breed – not on individual dogs, which some news sources are erroneously reporting. Don't believe them!

The top 10:

1. Scottish Terrier (8/1) (Is Scottie Sadie the best?)
2. Doberman Pinscher (14/1)
3. Golden Retriever (15/1)
4. Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen (16/1) and Puli (16/1)
5. (tie at 4)
6. Toy Poodle (18/1)
7. Boxer (22/1)
8. Bulldog (25/1)
9. Fox Terrier (smooth, 28/1)
10. Pointer (German wirehaired, 30/1).

The complete list (PDF) is here. The Labrador Retriever, the most popular dog in the USA based on numbered of registered dogs, is 15th (55/1).

Come back later for input from a higher authority on these dogs. Check out the video above with David Frei, who explains why some breeds may be favored, and read the Q&A with the Westminster co-host here.

You also have the chance to vote here for your favorite breed out of the American Kennel Club's top 10 list for this year. Or if, like many of us, you're more for mutts than dogs named Muffy, check out our rescue stories – many from your fellow readers.

Source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/pawprintpost/post/2010/02/see-the-odds-your-favorite-breed-has-of-winning-westminster/1
©2010 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

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Here's a great book that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim

Simple Solutions to Your Worst Dog Behavior Problems

Do you want to dump your dog because he tries to escape your yard? Barks too much? You-know-whats in the house? Doesn't play well with others? Chewed up your favorite pair of shoes?

You wouldn't be the first person asking to "return" your pet. And dog rescuer Randy Grim has heard every reason under the sun. But before you load Fido into the back of your car, read this book.

In it, Randy addresses the concerns of dog guardians everywhere by responding to letters that he's actually received. With humor, and from his vast experiences with abandoned dogs, he reveals exactly what you can do to remain calm and fix every bad behavior problem.

Book Review: Don't Dump the Dog

Outrageous Stories and Simple Solutions to Your Worst Dog Behavior Problems 
by Therese on August 6, 2009

I absolutely loved Don't Dump the Dog: Outrageous Stories and Simple Solutions to Your Worst Dog Behavior Problems by Randy Grim, founder of Stray Rescue in St. Louis. Grim doesn't hold back in this book about his work with strays and some of the people he interacts with on a daily basis. He recounts many of the reasons he's heard for "returning" dogs. You'll recognize the excuses – the people are moving, the dog barks too much, the dog's not housebroken, the dog gets old…you know the kind.

After he vents a little bit about the people and their problems, Randy gives pretty detailed tips on how to work through the dog's problem. Part of it, as he describes, is learning how to think like a dog and then using that to make changes. Sure, everything he suggests takes some time and energy, but anyone who adopts a dog should expect to spend time with that dog anyway.

I literally laughed out loud at some of this comments, and then laughed again when I imagined him actually saying some of these things to people. (I love a little snarkiness!) Underneath all the humor though, the point is that dogs don't come pre-programmed to be perfect. Sometimes dogs have behaviors that need to be worked on. Adopting a dog with that in mind, and the willingness to do a little work, may be a little time consuming but it's so worth it.

I loved this book, and I think you will too!

Source: PetsitUSA
Copyright ©2010, PetsitUSA.com

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ORDER BOOK:
Don't Dump the Dog: Outrageous Stories and Simple Solutions to Your Worst Dog Behavior Problems

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