Helping dogs stay chill in hot weather
My dog receives intense exercise every day. He needs this exercise in order to behave well in the house. Lately, the weather has been very hot so I cannot get out with him. His behaviour has reverted. He is being obnoxious, chewing my things and pestering for attention. How do I exercise my dog when the weather is too hot?
Exercise is obviously necessary and healthy. Staying fit and active contributes to a longer, healthier life. However, a tired dog is not the same as a well-mannered dog. Dogs that behave only when exhausted are just sleeping.
Lack of training becomes evident when exercise is restricted. Pent-up energy escalates until the dog becomes a nightmare to live with, especially in the cool comfort of an air-conditioned environment.
Help the exercise-addicted dog by creating balance. Offset exercise with a wide variety of other activities. Pets can learn to relax and entertain themselves with a toy. They can be encouraged to chew appropriate items such as bones. Make frozen puzzle cubes out of meat stock and treats.
Use mental exercise to tire the dog’s mind. Thinking is exhausting. Remember algebra class. Fifty math questions are draining, even if you happen to love math. Training skills and tricks can give dogs something productive to do. Just make sure to keep it fun.
Finally, train your dog to relax. Most dog owners want a dog that is free to do any appropriate activity it likes. They are perfectly content if the dog plays, chews a bone or lies at their feet. A strategy called differential reinforcement of other behaviour (DRO) can create this.
Think of a DRO as a loose and sloppy command to “stay.” The dog can choose to do whatever it wants, so long as they are not demonstrating problematic behaviour. Owners begin by assessing how often the problem behaviours happen. The dog then starts getting rewarded just before the bad behaviours are due to recur. For example, if a dog pesters every five minutes, owners would begin by rewarding the dog every four minutes.
Dogs calm down as they realize they are free to be a dog. Owners can gradually feed less frequently. During training, if the dog starts to pester, they should be redirected back to an appropriate activity. Restart the timer. The dog needs to behave for the predetermined time to get the reward. Hire a trainer to help with the process. While a bit complicated, it is highly effective. Is it true that artificial sweeteners are toxic to dogs? A sugar substitute known as Xylitol is very toxic to dogs. According the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s poison control website, ingesting this sweetener is no sweet deal. Dogs can develop hypoglycemia and liver problems. Symptoms range from vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination through to seizures.
Found frequently in gums, candies and toothpaste, Xylitol is creeping into more products. Baked goods and puddings contain this sweetener. Most concerning is that Xylitol is making its way into some brands of peanut butter. Peanut butter is a staple that owners use to stuff treatholding chew toys for pets.
Owners may not notice when formulas change. Pay particular attention to labels, even on brands that have been previously used without issue. Check each time as you buy. Companies often do not note the presence of artificial sweeteners on the fronts of packaging. A dog-safe product today might not be safe tomorrow. Alternatively, choose brands that add no sweeteners of any kind. Most dogs like natural peanut butter spread as much as the sweetened varieties. Yvette Van Veen is an animal behaviour consultant. Write her at advice@awesomedogs.ca
Use mental exercise to tire the dog’s mind. Training skills and tricks can give dogs something productive to do