How many times have you driven by a car or truck in the Walmart parking lot with the back open and a litter of adorable little puppies peeking out of a box or basket? This year will be no different, yet I’m still surprised by how often Good Samaritans end up, before they’ve had the chance to think it all the way through, with two new pups joining their family at once.

You might be tempted to think, “If one adorable little puppy is nice, won’t two be twice as nice?”. The short answer is…. probably not.

Here’s why the responsible pet parent may want to think twice before deciding to “rescue” two puppies at once.

“The puppies will keep each other company during the day while I’m at work.” This is the most common reason I hear clients say they’re taking on two puppies. The idea is that the new puppy will be lonely all day while mom & dad go to work and the kids are in school.

The problem is, once I hear puppies, work and kids all in the same sentence I think…. this is one busy family. Training one puppy to be a good citizen is a lot of work, and training two puppies is …… exactly twice as much work. Except, it’s more than twice as hard- because it takes more skill and patience to train a puppy when there’s another pup right there for distraction — more about that later.

Almost as frequently I hear, “My kids each insist on their own puppy.” My standard answer… “Our home’s not a democracy, and yours shouldn’t be either.”

It’s very rare for a youngster to be able to fully take on all that’s involved in “raising” a great family dog. Right or wrong, I generally see moms picking up extra duty when the novelty of the puppy wears off with the kids. The average dog is a commitment of 15 years — so if you’re getting a dog for a child, be sure to calculate how old your new pup will be when your child goes off to college, or moves away.

I had a client recently tell me that the pups were “going to be yard dogs”. She wasn’t planning on bringing them into the house. But even “yard dogs” need to be trained to have good manners, not jump on or maul guests, and be social to people and other dogs. They also require lots of human companionship.

But most of our clients don’t keep their dog’s in the yard. Most of our clients think of their pets as bona fide family members. They want well-mannered dogs they can travel with, walk on the greenway with, have around house guests and in general be canine good citizens.

At the heart of the two puppies at once challenge is how strongly pups bond to each other when they grow up together. Even if they’re not littermates, puppies that spend all day together while the family is off at work or school have each other for companionship. The humans in the family often become unwitting wait staff for two highly demanding customers.

This month Dr. Todd shares tips for what you’ll need to consider before you bring home two puppies at once:

Tip #1: You’ll need enough time to walk and train each puppy separately. I often encourage people in multi-dog households to spend time walking and working with each dog individually in order to strengthen their relationship with that dog. You want to avoid dogs bonding more strongly to each other than the human family. This is particularly important for puppies.

Training one puppy takes patience, time and commitment. It’s nearly impossible to train two puppies at the same time. The same goes for leash manners – you’ll need to have time to take each puppy on separate walks. If you don’t have the time to train each puppy separately, you should really avoid raising two puppies together.

Tip #2: Crate the puppies separately at night. Assuming the pups will have a puppy-proofed area to play during the day, they should be crated separately at night. This will become critical to your success at house training them. Gradually you’ll need to move the crates further apart, and even put them in separate rooms. The puppies need to learn to be comfortable and relaxed even when they’re not together.

Tip #3: Socialize the pups separately. Puppies are most impressionable before the age of six months. Ideally puppies should meet new people and new dogs daily. If you have two young dogs, it’s important that they get introduced to the world separately. If not, the shyer pup may become overly dependent on the bolder pup.

Tip #4: House training becomes twice the challenge. You have to watch one puppy like a hawk to efficiently house train, now you’ll have to come up with a plan for two. It can be a real challenge to discover who is having accidents in the house. Crate training is an important part of house training. Remember though…. if one puppy wakes up and needs to go out at 3:00 am, be prepared to take both pups out— puppies have really, really good hearing!

Tip #5: Plan for the expense of vet care for both dogs. Puppies need properly timed vaccinations, de-worming, physical examinations, and flea & tick prevention to stay healthy. You’ll also need to plan spay or neuter surgery the first year. Playful puppies also have their share of accidents. Be sure you consider the cost of providing proper care for two puppies.

What about bringing home two kittens?
Cats and dogs are as different as, well…. cats and dogs. We have different expectations from cats than from our dogs. Adopting two kittens at once is far more manageable than two puppies. For more information on having a peaceful multi-cat household, click here.

No matter how many furry family members you ultimately decide to live with, we’re here to support you!

Benjamin Franklin first famously uttered, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” in 1736, when he was just 30 years old.

We still quote him today – and although he was talking about fighting fires at the time, the famous advice is just as valuable today as it was 276 years ago.

I find that many clients treat parasite prevention a bit like a fire. They’re not overly concerned until they see “flames”—- or in this case, fleas. And believe me…. may people come in yelling “FLEAS!!!” in the same tone they’d yell “FIRE!!!”.

Human nature I suppose keeps us most concerned about what we can see with our eyes– which in this case is fleas and ticks. Things we can’t actually see with our eyes – heartworms and intestinal parasites – generally fall a bit lower on the list of things that vex us.

Here’s the thing about parasites – they may prefer our furry pets to live on or in – but in a pinch, they’ll all move right over to us for a tasty meal.

This month, let’s focus on what we can do to prevent smoke from becoming flames when it comes to parasites.

Fleas.
Second only to the cockroach, fleas are most loathed. Although they can spread some serious disease, generally in our part of the world they just spread misery with very itchy bites. Last summer I had people coming into the office with dogs and cats just crawling with fleas, and hundreds of bites on the human as well— that’s a lot of misery.

I cannot count the number of people that walk into our office and say “XYZ product doesn’t work anymore, my dog (or cat) has fleas”.

I’m going to cut right to the chase here and tell you a little secret…. All products you purchase in a veterinarian’s office are extensively researched and tested, and they all work … but (and it’s a big but) they’re all monthly preventatives. That means, when you use them each and every month, year round, they prevent a problem from starting.

The secret to rarely seeing fleas is pretty simple:

Apply a veterinary product correctly on each and every furry companion in your life (best to skip husbands), each and every month, 12 months a year.

We’ve analyzed our client’s 2012 purchasing habits in excruciating detail. Over 2000 pets in our practice last year had THREE or FEWER doses of flea &/tick prevention purchased for them the entire year. That’s a lot of money spent on an extraordinarily ineffective strategy for parasite control.

We most commonly see three doses purchased May through October. That’s not enough to effectively keep fleas from building a settlement in your territory. To read extensively about why a year round defense strategy prevents a hostile takeover, click here.

Ticks.
Personally, ticks freak me out even more than fleas do. Maybe it’s because I’m so paranoid about all the really serious diseases ticks can transmit to us.

If you sleep with your dogs, like we do, it’s time to get serious about tick control. If you have children and pets living together in your home, it’s time to get serious about tick control.

For a refresher course on why you should care about keeping ticks from getting too attached to your pets (or you), click here.

What about what you can’t see?

Heartworms.
Out of sight out of mind holds true for heartworms. But heartworms are deadly, and they’re a true case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure— literally. It costs, on average, $6 per month to give heartworm preventative to a dog. Treating a heartworm infection costs $600 – $1,000 at Noah’s Ark. (I’ll let you do that math!)

I often mention our partners in Raleigh, Saving Grace. We transport many of the rescue dogs we take in at Noah’s Ark to this fantastic program. Of the rescue dogs that enter Saving Grace, most from rural shelters east of Raleigh, at least 1 in 10 dogs are heartworm positive. Treating heartworm disease is a huge expense for rescues in the eastern part of the state.

It’s not nearly as bad in our neighborhood, although the number of cases we see at Noah’s Ark has doubled in the nine years we’ve lived here in Franklin. Currently we diagnose 1 -2 new cases per month.

But wait, there’s more… for $6 per month your not just protecting your dogs from getting heartworm disease ….

Bonus Prevention…

The Heartgard we recommend giving monthly also prevents intestinal parasites…. and intestinal parasites are zoonotic — meaning our untreated dogs and cats can pass them to us and the kids. In fact, children are most at risk for contracting parasites from pets.

It makes so much more sense to spend your hard earned money preventing “fires” from ever starting versus putting them out once the house is burning down.

We’re experts at helping you decide how to best spend your pet budget. So if you’re not sure, just ask us, we can help you!

I love sunshine. It’s one of the many reasons I love living in North Carolina… and why we sneak off to Anna Maria Island in Florida at every opportunity…. Lots and lots of sun.

With spring right around the corner, I thought it a great time to remind you about all the benefits that sunshine and fresh air offer not just us, but our pets as well.

Benefit #1: It’s not just a song, sunshine really does make us happy.

And lack of sunshine makes us SAD – literally. Growing up in Western New York I can attest first hand to that. Many people living in cloudy climates are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder – or winter blues. Why should our pets be any different? Sunshine stimulates the endorphins and neurotransmitters that regulate our mood. A once a week outdoor walk isn’t enough to keep your pampered pooch happy. Try to get them out every sunny day for some playtime and walking in the sun.

Benefit #2: Sunshine is important for healthy bones and may even lower risk for certain cancers. Vitamin D production requires sunlight,for us and our pets.

In humans, we’ve seen studies in the last few years that link chronically low levels of Vitamin D with a variety of cancers. Aside from possibly lowering our risk of certain cancers, Vitamin D is crucial for many metabolic functions- including balancing the phosphorus and calcium “pools” in our bodies- an essential for bone health.

Benefit #3 – Sunshine speeds healing.

Some bacteria thrive in dark, damp places. Sunshine helps wounds dry out, and can destroy yeast and bacteria that can grow in wounds. Periods out in the sun can help wounds heal faster.

Here are Dr. Todd’s Tips this month for a happy, healthy, companion:

Play Outside – We’ve talked about the importance of regular walks in a recent newsletter. Set a goal to get outside in the sunshine with your pampered pets at least one hour per day on sunny days. Windows tend to filter out some of the sun’s beneficial rays – there’s no real replacement for being out in direct sunshine.

Provide Shade – If you leave your canines outdoors unsupervised, be sure they have access to shade. It will be quite warm here soon, and our furry friends can overheat quickly.

Fresh, Clean Water – Be sure your dogs and cats have access to unlimited clean, fresh water at all times – especially when they’re outdoors. Remember to give those water bowls a good scrubbing with soap and hot water on a regular basis and change water daily. If you’re feeding your pets a raw diet, don’t expect them to drink nearly as much as pets eating a commercial dry food. We need lots of fresh water too– sodas aren’t a substitute for water – they contain sodium and are designed to keep us thirsty!

Feed Real Food – You are what you eat… and so are our beloved pets. We’re on a mission to get you to feed the highest quality diet you can afford to feed, with lots of variety – preferably a raw or fresh food diet. Click here to read more about our diet recommendations.

You Can’t Get Too Much Fresh Air & Exercise – Our energy efficient homes are designed to keep out fresh air and our windows don’t allow full spectrum sunlight in. Fresh air and exercise improve mood, lower body weight, decrease chronic disease, and promote better behavior in general — see you on the greenway!

The truth is, I’m a bit obsessive about brushing my own teeth. I must brush five or six times a day – pretty much every time I eat something. I don’t know how I got started with so much brushing… it’s just something I do. But I can’t seem to do it for any of our dogs… not even the ridiculously pampered Yorkshire terrier Little Caesar!

I’m sharing this with you because I want you to know that you’re not alone if you sometimes forget that your pampered pet has teeth. But I’ve been feeling especially guilty lately because we’ve had a rash of really tough dental cases at Noah’s. Cases where, by the time we got in to clean those teeth, the patient lost way more teeth than they have left to eat with—- and some especially catastrophic cat mouths (if you’ll pardon the pun).

What I’d like to get you thinking about now is– what shape is your pet’s mouth in? It’s not always easy to tell with the naked eye.

Think of the advantages our human dentists get. Twice a year cleanings, full x-rays of the mouth every two years, and best of all – patients who can tell you where it hurts!

On the veterinary side – we do the best oral exam your pet will permit during our annual physical examination. If your pet is over seven years old, we’ll even try to get you in twice yearly for check ups. Finding cracked teeth, or teeth that now need a dental cleaning is one of our most frequent “catches”.

What we don’t get to do is clean those teeth twice a year, or take any preventative x-rays to see if there’s hidden disease. And for the most part, your pet can’t tell us they have a toothache. But make no mistake, your pets do feel the same pain you feel from cracked and broken teeth, and periodontal disease.

There’s a global initiative that’s begun with a group of human physicians, veterinarians, and public health officials called the One Health Initiative. Its mission is to bring together experts from around the globe who recognize that human health, animal health, and the health of the planet are all interconnected.

We talk about this concept all the time during visits. The foundation of great health for us is the same for our pets. We have strikingly similar nutritional, physical, and psychological needs. And dental health is just as important to your pet’s overall health as it is to ours. Dental disease is not only painful – it can “seed” heart, kidney and liver disease.

I know all about the issue, so why don’t I get the toothbrush out and take care of the 10 – 15 mouths we have at our house on any given day? Well, the truth is, we’re all busy, and when it comes to the teeth of our pets — out of sight is very often out of mind!

So what’s a responsible pet parent to do?

Here are Dr. Todd’s tips for dental health:

Don’t wait for trouble: Horrible breath, loss of weight, heavy accumulation of plaque, teeth that are already loose are all signs of periodontal disease. Be sure to bring your pets in for their yearly physical exams. With regular dental cleanings we can prevent tooth loss and disease.

Prevent Pain: Dogs and cats are generally quite stoic, and don’t show pain until disease is quite advanced. It’s very common to see pets act years younger after a dental cleaning and extraction of diseased teeth – they’ve been in chronic pain, and after treating dental disease they feel much, much better.

Feed a high quality diet: Low cost commercial diets and treats have added sugar. Sugar wreaks the same havoc on pet teeth as ours. Dry food and kibble diets crumble, mix with saliva and can stick at the gum line contributing to periodontal disease. We recommend fresh marrow bones* to help keep teeth and gums healthy between cleanings . Pets eating a raw diet, for a number of reasons, are less prone to dental disease. (*We have fresh bison marrow bones available at Noah’s Ark.)

Maintain teeth between cleanings: We have multiple additives and solutions to help slow plaque progression. If your pets will allow it, brush teeth daily. Click for detailed instructions for canines and felines.

Don’t neglect your cats: We’ve written in other newsletters about how it’s healthier to feed fresh or canned food to cats. If you feed your cats a dry feline diet, expect them to need professional dental cleaning each year.

We do our best to keep dental cleaning very affordable because it’s such an important part of overall health. The GOLD wellness plan includes a dental cleaning for just $55 per month.

I’m going to go now and try to brush some teeth besides my own!

If you’ve ever watched an episode of The Dog Whisperer, you already know that within 5 minutes Caesar Milan will ask the desperate pet parents how much exercise the troubled canine gets. There’s a reason for that – exercise is critical for our pet’s physical and emotional well being– just as it’s critical for our own.

Sticking to a walking routine would be fairly easy if a human friend would show up at your door and nag you to exercise with them …. But what about the four legged friends who are already living with you?

When we take our dogs out for exercise, we’re both reaping big rewards.

Canine couch potatoes have trouble relaxing at home. They tend to be hyper-vigilant– barking at any and every little noise. They chase the cat, dig holes in your garden, chew up your shoes, and get themselves into the “dog house” more often.

Dogs who get a chance to walk, run, and swim aren’t just better behaved and more relaxed, they’re also healthier. Regular exercise reaps the same rewards for them as it does for us — healthier heart and lungs, stronger muscles and joints, and most importantly, it tends to keep them (and us) leaner.

Those of us who live in Franklin are very lucky to have the Greenway— miles of flat, maintained trails – perfect for a leash walk or jog – without lots of off-leash dogs to interfere with your exercise.

In contrast, when I leave our home and walk the neighborhood with our dogs, in 40 minutes I’m sure to be accosted by at least SIX free roaming, territorial, neighborhood dogs. They’re a real hazard to anyone trying to get a little exercise whether you’re on foot, or a bike!

Here’s this month’s tips for a safe AND peaceful walk:

Safety First: I never leave my house without a can of the Spray Shield that we sell at Noah’s Ark. This harmless spray stops charging pit bulls in their tracks with a powerful citronella smell that dogs hate. I recommend everyone carry a can of this if you’re walking in our area with your dog.

Easy does it: Avoid the “weekend warrior” syndrome. Start out with slower, shorter walks on flat terrain, and gradually progress to more strenuous hikes. Older dogs (and their people) start slower than young pups! But even young pups (under six months of age) should not be jogging or running long distances with their humans. In fact, until your puppy is nearly two years old there are some restrictions on how much strenuous exercise is advisable. If you’re a serious athlete, seek the advice of our veterinarians before you make your dog your training partner.

Leash manners: Most of us will need to keep dogs leashed while walking. It is possible to teach good leash manners.  Click here for extensive, detailed instructions on teaching polite leash manners. If you’re anxious for a quicker fix, stop by Noah’s Ark and ask for a complimentary fitting of a Gentle Leader, or Easy Walk harness.

Follow the Leader: Make sure you’re walking your dog, and your dog’s not walking you. Walks are a great time to build your relationship with your dog, but don’t let your dog drag you all over the place – it’s not enjoyable for you, and it’s potentially dangerous. Let us help you if you have trouble staying in control while you walk.

Multiple Mania: Believe it or not, the most common objection I hear in the office to dog walking is… “I can’t keep control of three dogs at once”. At the risk of stating the obvious, I always give permission to walk dogs individually, even if it’s on separate days. Just like you probably did with your human children, it’s great to spend a little one on one time with each dog.

Old dogs can learn new tricks: Even very senior pets can benefit from a modest increase in activity. A gentle exercise program can even help arthritic dogs maintain their mobility. If you notice your dog excessively panting, toe scuffing, or reluctant to walk – let our veterinarians evaluate. Those are signs of discomfort. We can help your dog have a great quality of life even into their senior years.

Holiday Hazard — Chocolate: In recent memory, the Ark record holder for chocolate consumption is a Labrador retriever who consumed over one pound of baking chocolate off the kitchen table last Christmas.

While I myself adore dark chocolate, in general, the darker the chocolate, the more toxic to dogs. Size matters too, small dogs can consume a toxic dose fairly easily. Chocolate is toxic to cats too, it’s just that most cats don’t seem to find chocolate as irresistible as dogs do.

Dr. Todd’s Tip: “Just because you gift wrap chocolate doesn’t mean you’ve fooled your dog! A dog’s sense of smell is over 1000 times more sensitive than yours. Your canine family members know exactly what’s underneath the wrapping.”

Call our office immediately if you discover your pooch has gotten into chocolate. We’ll calculate the level of danger based on the weight of your dog, what type of chocolate was consumed, and how much he ate.

Holiday Hazard – Xylitol – Less familiar to most people as a hazard, but more deadly than chocolate, this sweet, sugar-like substance is increasingly used in chewing gum, kid’s gummy vitamins, and foods created for use by diabetics. Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs and xylitol poisoning in dogs is rising sharply. If xylitol is listed in the first five ingredients of a product, it’s usually trouble if a dog consumes it.

Gummy vitamins for children are becoming one of the leading sources of xylitol poisoning in dogs. Gum can also be deadly – just 2 pieces of Icebreakers gum can cause blood sugar levels to plummet in a 44-pound dog; as few as 10 pieces can put that same dog into liver failure. Xylitol toxicity has not been documented in cats.

Dr. Todd’s Tip: “When I was a kid, I always got packages of gum in my Christmas stocking. Remember, if you stuff stockings with “sugar-free” gum, hang them high enough that your canine companions can’t do some unauthorized unwrapping!”

If you discover your dog has consumed a xylitol containing product, it’s an emergency, contact us immediately to seek advice.

Holiday Hazard – Ribbons & bows: Holiday decorations become convenient play toys for our feline friends. Dr. Todd and Dr. Tracy have performed many operations to remove ribbon consumed by cats. I don’t know what it is about ribbon and yarn, but once some cats get started, they just keep swallowing. Unfortunately, it’s not the type of “foreign body” that seems to easily pass through- exploratory surgery is usually required to remove it – even small lengths of ribbon.

Dr. Todd’s Tip: “If you’re living with frisky felines, keep the ribbon out of reach, and skip the old fashioned tinsel all together – it’s just too irresistible to cats.”

The first sign of trouble in cats who have succumbed to the temptation to eat ribbon is sudden loss of appetite and vomiting. If your cat skips eating for more than a day, contact our office for advice on day two at the latest.

Holiday Hazard – Dough: We’ve often had dogs in the office that have eaten money, both coins and bills. While that causes it’s own set of problems, that’s not the type of dough that puts the brakes on holiday festivities. The dough we’re talking about is bread dough- specifically yeast bread.

The number one breed pet insurers document as getting into hot water consuming bread dough – Labrador Retrievers. Unbaked yeast bread dough continues to rise and ferment in the stomach creating life-threatening consequences. If the dough contains raisins, it’s double jeopardy – because raisins can be quite toxic to dogs as well.

Dr. Todd’s Tip: “Never underestimate what your dog can smell. Keep rising bread dough completely out of reach. It’s not Christmas, it’s May Day if your dog consumes uncooked yeast bread dough. Seek our help immediately.”

Now enough with the potential disasters, before I’ve ruined all your holiday cheer, let me share a video that’s been viewed nearly 8 million times on YouTube. As someone who spends some amount of time training dogs, I can only tell you that I have NO idea how they put this video together… but enjoy! Click here to watch dogs decorate a Christmas tree.

PS-If you’re looking for an early Christmas gift for your most pampered pets, consider the gift of a microchip -a permanent form of identification. Should your pet scoot out the door during holiday hustle and bustle, a microchip makes it much more likely they’ll return home safely. At Noah’s Ark, microchips are only $19, and with each microchip you purchase at Noah’s, $5 gets donated back to Noah’s Ark Angel Fund, for the less fortunate in our community.

On October 9th I flew to Boston to attend a conference on a subject that’s been of interest to me for many years now — how do we predict which dogs will make the very best, easiest, family pets — ideally the “Perfect Pooch”?

In Boston I listened to speakers from around the world – Germany, Italy, Canada, England, Belgium, and of course the United States – where we’re, hands down, doing the most research to determine what canine behaviors help us predict who will be a sweet, safe family dog. Although sweetness is definitely important, our highest priority is trying to accurately predict “who won’t bite the hand that feeds them”?

It’s a real challenge for those of us who take in homeless dogs to prepare them for adoption into a new home. Unfortunately, dogs can’t tell us where they’ll do best — so we have to use a combination of tools and experience to make sure dogs that will make the best companions get a chance at a new home.

Dogs arrive in shelters only two ways – either as a “stray” dog, or surrendered to the shelter by an owner. When a dog is turned over to us by an owner, we get a chance to ask at least a few basic questions about the dog’s history and behavior. “Did he ever bite anyone?” “Does she like children?” “How does he feel about the UPS man?” “What’s her favorite TV show?”

The catch is this — even when we have a previous owner to interview, problem behaviors are notoriously under-reported. I can’t tell you how many people have told me “it’s my fault he bit me, I shouldn’t have moved him when he was sleeping”. Although dogs can act quite differently in a new home, the behavior that is most consistent between homes is aggressive behavior.

The majority of dogs in our area come in as stray dogs. I’d estimate that more than half of the new family dogs we see at Noah’s Ark are stray dogs – either found on the side of the highway, wandered onto the front porch, or “rescued” in the Walmart parking lot. They’re dogs that we have no information or history on.

If you find yourself in the position of meeting an unknown dog, either at the shelter or on your front porch, let me describe to you the personality traits that, in my opinion, the very easiest dogs to live with possess.

A word of clarification – - – the behaviors or traits that I’m going to describe are what we look for in dogs without people – stray or shelter dogs. “Owned” dogs, dogs currently attached to a human, cannot be evaluated in quite the same way that we look at a homeless dog. However, many of you will recognize some or all of these traits in your canine family members. 

The Big Four Personality Traits that Foretell the Future

1: Friendly – We love dogs because they love us. Dogs have been selectively bred for thousands of years to be companions to humans. A dog that seeks out the attention and affection of humans is what we’re looking for. Once a dog has become homeless and is separated from a human family for a period of time (a few days to a few weeks), dogs that will make beloved family members will be actively seeking out a human for companionship.

The opposite of friendliness is fearfulness. Dogs that are very afraid of, or indifferent to humans are generally a lot of work to rehabilitate – and sometimes just never come around. Dogs that will only approach you for food because they are starving will probably never become an easy companion dog. In one study, 40% of dogs that bit someone in their new home were not openly aggressive before adoption, but were noted to be fearful.

2. Calm – In my experience, there tend to be two types of dogs – those who are calmed by touch, and those who get very excited when they are touched or petted. Dogs who “melt” and relax when they are being petted tend to be the easiest for a family to live with.  

Dogs who are surrendered to shelters score highest in the energy and excitability area. Dogs who go crazy when the doorbell rings, when you pick up your keys or a leash, dogs that bark relentlessly at the slightest bit of stimulation are tougher to live with.

3. Tolerant – Along with calmness, dogs that are tolerant and allow you do things to them (that are not painful) are easiest to live with. You’d ideally like to be able to examine teeth and ears, and touch their feet. Dogs who are relaxed when being hugged and picked up make nice, easy companions who are often eager to please and easier to train.

4. Sociable – Dog who are “social butterflies” and like other people and pets – men, women, children, dogs, and hopefully cats are, for obvious reasons, easiest to have in your home. We like to see dogs who are willing to share food, treats and toys – especially with humans (guarding food from other dogs does not necessarily mean they’ll guard it from their people).

Aggression in its many forms is the opposite of sociability – and it’s a personality trait that can’t be entirely eliminated, but savvy owners can often learn to manage it.

There are many other things that I consider when matching families and companion dogs – but when the traits I’ve listed above are present, we have a good indication that this may be a perfect pooch. And “marrying” the right dog is important because when we consider the lifespan of dogs, this partnership needs to be happy for many years.

If you find yourself considering a new dog for your family – remember we’re here to help you make a successful match. I’ve been evaluating shelter and stray dogs for many, many years and I’m available should you need advice on this or other behavior issues.

My friend Linda came in for an appointment the other day. She’s a true animal lover, and we’ve helped her with quite a few animal rescues of one sort or another over the years we’ve been in Franklin. She wanted to discuss a vexing problem.

One of her rescues, a shy kitty she took in very young from a feral mother in her neighborhood, has never been 100% reliable about urinating in the litter box. Now, at a year old, her accidents outside the litter box are increasing– and she’s taken to emptying her bladder in Linda’s “Crocs”! Everyone has their limits…. and “Bella” had officially tested Linda’s.

Linda’s foolish feline inspired me to write about this difficult issue. It’s a common frustration that almost all of us living with felines have experienced at one time or another.

Let’s first review the most basic things you can do to prevent litter box problems:

Make it Easy – Litter boxes must be easily accessible to all cats in the house. The rule of thumb is to provide one litter box per cat PLUS one. It’s a prescription for problems to make two cats share a box – two cats should ideally have easy access to three boxes, generally at least one on each floor the cat has access to.

Size Matters – Litter boxes need to be big, minimally one and a half times as long as the cat. I had a client in Raleigh who had 10 cats in her home. She fashioned litter boxes out of large, deep storage boxes. Her husband cut “doors” in the end for cats to come and go from. She left the lid off most of her boxes, but she kept one box covered (some cats prefer privacy). Even though two of her cats were semi-feral, and they were all strictly indoor cats, she never had issues with any of her clowder* eliminating outside of their deluxe boxes.

(*I just found out today that a pride of cats refers only to large wild cats, a group of domestic cats is technically called a clowder – who knew?!)

Keep it Clean – We all know that cats are fastidious about cleanliness, and this goes for their litter boxes as well. Most cats prefer the maid come at least daily.

If your cat has had an accident outside the litter box, it is extremely important to be sure the odor from that accident is eliminated. We sell an excellent product at Noah’s Ark called Urine Off – this product works to “make it like it never happened”– a critical step to preventing that area from being used again as a toilet.

Litter Logic – Individual cats seem to have very particular preferences for the type of litter they prefer. The folks who study these types of things (and yes, there are actually veterinary nerds who do these types of studies), have found that in absolute numbers, more cats prefer clay litter than clumping. That information does nothing for you if you have one of those cats that prefer sand type litter. Cats even show preference between different brands of clay litter, with some preferring unscented, and some gravitating more to Fresh Step – which has a light scent.

My advice is to give your cats a choice. Put out a variety of litters and observe which type they use first, or exclusively. Litters come in far more varieties now than just clay and sand – there’s pine litter, newspaper litter, litter made from corn husks, crystal litter… just to name a few. You may need a little (or a lot) of patience to find out what kind of litter logic your favorite feline has.

Are you living with a Feline Felon?

What about a feline that is already engaging in these unpleasant transgressions outside the box?

The very first thing we MUST do is to determine whether there’s a medical issue underlying this behavior. Urinary tract problems and other medical conditions can create great discomfort, and cause cats to “signal” to you that all is not well.

What if it’s all in their head?

If a thorough physical examination doesn’t reveal a medical problem causing pain or discomfort, there are other things we can try.

First we need to hear about your unique situation. If we can identify stress (from a feline perspective) in the home, we can recommend ways to reduce stress.

Many clients have success with Feliway – products that imitate feline pheromones and calm anxious cats. In tough situations, those not responding to all the basic things that normally help, we can prescribe medications that often improve the undesirable behavior.

There’s an excellent resource page created by the Feline Advisory Bureau. Here you’ll find extensive information about the many possible reasons felines spray and develop house-soiling issues. Click here for more in-depth info. And remember, we’re here to help with all your companion animal questions and challenges.

Yes, these are actually my knees. At 58 years old I’ve had more parts replaced, and joints “cleaned up” than I care to remember. So far, one partial knee replacement on the right, followed by a full knee replacement on the left, I’ve also got advanced arthritis in both shoulders. I’ve got a sister who is four years younger than me, and she had a hip replaced over 10 years ago in her early 40′s. We’re like Labrador Retrievers—prone to arthritis.

As an arthritis sufferer, I have special empathy for the patients who hobble into my exam room. I know all too well what the chronic pain of arthritis feels like, and so this month I’d like to help you see signs that your dog or cat is developing arthritis, and be sure you know what we can do about it.

When you bring your pet in for annual, or bi-annual physical examinations, we routinely examine the joints for mobility, and signs of arthritis. Regular physical exams help us detect joint problems early and start therapy.  

Here’s what you’ll typically see first at home—

Stiffness and slowness getting up.

Reluctance to jump up into the car, or onto the sofa, or reluctance to jump off a sofa- especially onto an slick floor.

Limping while walking, or after exercise.

Reluctance to run, fetch, or play.

What’s a responsible pet parent to do?

If you notice any of these signs, bring your pet in for an exam. Arthritis affects both dogs and cats. I’ve examined enough joints in 32 years that I can get a pretty good idea if arthritis is affecting joints just with a “hands on” exam. Radiographs can also help us determine exactly how severe the disease is, especially when hips are involved.

Once we have a diagnosis of arthritis, our next goal is to slow down the progression of the disease, and control the pain.

Top Tips for Treating Arthritis:

Feed the highest quality diet possible. Many clients report that their arthritic pets do much better on a grain-free diet- ideally a raw or home cooked diet.

Keep your arthritic dog or cat fit and trim. Your pet should be at, or slightly below, their ideal weight. Arthritis is far more painful for overweight pets. There’s no supplement or medication we can give that has as much benefit as being at a healthy body weight. If you need help getting your pet to shed a few pounds, we’re here to help you with any and all diet related questions.

Supplement your pet’s high quality diet with high quality fish oils – a natural anti-inflammatory supplement. We have Nordic Naturals fish oil at Noah’s Ark. This is an extremely high quality line of oils that we take ourselves. Click here to read more about the health benefits of fish oil.

If you’re using fish oil, supplement your pet’s diet with additional Vitamin E- 100 IU for small dogs and cats, 200 IU for medium sized dogs, and 400 IU large dogs.

There are many natural supplements we use to try to slow the progression of arthritis and alleviate the pain. These decisions are all dependent on your pet’s individual case and lifestyle.

Once we get some pain control on board, try to keep your pet active. Swimming is great exercise if you have access to a pool or lake -not advised with your cats– although, in Raleigh we had an in ground pool just for the dogs. When one of our cats accidentally fell in, I discovered they’re quite efficient swimmers!

Some of our arthritis patients respond very well to acupuncture. We have 5 session packages available to make this option affordable.

Be sure to provide your arthritic patient with a thick cushioned bed – not only for comfort, but to insulate from the cold floor (particularly this winter).

In severe cases, we have a number of great prescription arthritis drugs. These drugs can really improve quality of life for patients with advanced arthritis disease.

The point I want you to remember this month is that we can keep your pets comfortable, with a high quality of life, well into their senior years – even if they do develop arthritis. Take it from me, arthritis pain does deserve to be controlled. Let us help!

I have been living with anywhere from 10 to 50 dogs for almost 20 years. During that time I’ve evaluated hundreds of shelter dogs, and I’ve brought hundreds of rescue dogs into our home– without knowing much at all about their background.

What has always amazed me is how rarely dogs actually bite.

Let’s be clear, all dogs – even tiny ones – come equipped with jaws and teeth. They all can bite, but only a few really do bite.

Over the years I’ve observed the emotional, as well as physical suffering that goes on in a family living with a canine “felon”. As I’m writing this newsletter, a lovely West Highland terrier is sleeping on my feet just as sweet as he can be – but he actually has accumulated a criminal record of at least a dozen misdemeanors and felonies. Big Caesar, the magnificent 180-pound Great Dane shown above, has just one felony on his criminal record — but it’s a big one. Looks so innocent doesn’t he?

Families who live with biting dogs absolutely agonize over how to best manage them. They desperately try to make sense of their dog’s actions -”he got upset because I woke him up”, “she’s never liked Uncle Ted”.

But the truth is, we don’t ever know the exact reason a dog bites. The factors leading up to a dog bite are as complicated as those that lead up to one human punching another in the face.

What we do know, is a great deal about how dogs learn, and how behaviors form, so let’s start there!

While canine aggression is an extremely complicated subject, with entire academic textbooks devoted to it, I’m going to be brave and risk over simplifying to share with you the four things I think are most important to remember if you want to be sure your canine is a good citizen, a good neighbor, and an enjoyable family member.

Tip # 1: ALWAYS let puppies stay with their litter for a minimum of 8 weeks, nine weeks is even better.

Dogs learn about inhibiting the force of their bites as puppies.

The first nine weeks of a puppy’s life is an important time. Puppies in a litter learn quickly that when they bite too hard, their playmate yelps and stops playing with them. That’s a powerful lesson. Mother’s get up and leave when pups get too rowdy and bite too hard.

Many people come in to Noah’s Ark with extremely young puppies. Unscrupulous breeders are anxious to make a quick profit, so they sell puppies as early as possible. Sometimes the real birthday is noted. Sometimes we examine puppies that are clearly not as old as their new unsuspecting humans were led to believe.

Attempt to never purchase a puppy from a puppy mill- which for brevity I’ll define here as a person or group that breeds dogs for profit – not to maintain and improve a particular breed. For those readers who live here in Franklin, that includes ANYONE who sells dogs in the Walmart parking lot.

Tip #2: Socialization and gentle handling are keys to building the foundation of a great relationship with your puppy.

The first six months of a dog’s life is when they’re most impressionable. It’s equivalent to approximately the first 4-5 years of a human baby’s development. Once puppies leave their litter, they need to be well socialized to other dogs, other pets in the house, and lots and lots of humans.

Many veterinarians encourage their clients to leave their dogs at home until they are fully vaccinated. I believe that’s a mistake. Far more dogs are euthanized for anti-social behavior than die of a virus contracted while visiting a friend. Our vaccine schedule will keep your puppy protected from deadly diseases.

By six months, puppies should have learned how to play properly with humans. At this age, your puppy should not be putting his teeth on your skin – even during play. Puppies need to learn that all humans are delicate creatures, and skin is off limits. There are many great reads about how to socialize and teach your puppy to play nice, and not bite. Click here to read more about puppy handling techniques.

Tip #3: Almost all dogs warn before they bite.

If you’re lucky enough to catch that warning, stop what you’re doing and contact Noah’s Ark.

There’s a very predictable progression of warnings leading up to a dog bite. The problem is, sometimes you have to be a trained professional who “speaks dog” to see the signs.

Most dogs start with warnings that don’t injure, and if those don’t work, they progress to more drastic measures. In the beginning the dog may “freeze”, then they’ll progress to a growl or some sort of vocalization, then a snap without contacting skin, then a snap that contacts skin but leaves no mark, then a bite that leaves a mark but doesn’t break skin, then broken skin…. and on to more serious bites.

The most common mistake I see pet parents make is to scold or punish their dog when he or she growls. If you successfully “train” your dog not to growl, you’ve taken away the dog’s ability to say “Hey dude, you’re freaking me out!”. Be sure to contact us if you’re concerned about your dog growling.

Tip #4: Never let your dog (or your children for that matter) practice a behavior you want to extinguish.

The Olympics are in full swing, and it’s very clear that humans become very good at what they practice. The same is true for our dogs – if you want them to continue to perform a favorite trick, you have to practice that trick. If you allow them to practice biting, they’ll become very good at that too.

The best prognosis for stopping and eliminating undesirable behavior is to intervene as soon as possible when these behaviors begin. Don’t wait for catastrophe to strike.

Contact Noah’s Ark if you observe your dog freezing when you take something away, growling or snapping at you, and especially if your dog has bitten anyone.

We’re here to help! Click here to learn more about our Wellness Plans. If your pet is enrolled in a Noah’s Ark Wellness Plan, an office visit for a behavior consult would be a covered service!