California Dog Fence

How Serious Is The Risk?

Most dog owners know that chocolate can make their pets sick. But how serious is the risk? And what can we do if we suspect our pets have gotten into chocolate treats?

The reason chocolate is poisonous to dogs is because of a chemical compound called theobromine, related to caffeine and contained in the cocoa used to make chocolate. While theobromine causes humans to get a slight buzz from eating chocolate that lasts for a relatively short time, your dog’s body does not metabolize the chemical at the same rate. After 18 hours, half of the theobromine a dog ingests is still in his system creating problems.

Even small amounts of chocolate can cause diarrhea and vomiting in your dog. Toxic amounts can result in tremors, high blood pressure, hyperactivity, rapid heart rate, seizures, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest.

So what is a toxic amount of chocolate for your dog? That depends on the amount of cocoa the chocolate contains.

Unsweetened baker’s chocolate contains about 10 times the amount of theobromine found in milk chocolate and more than twice the amount found in semi-sweet chocolate. White chocolate that is made with little to no cocoa had very tiny amounts of the chemical.

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, one ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight is potentially lethal. And dark chocolate is potentially much worse. Merck reports that dogs have died having ingested as little as one-third of an ounce of dark chocolate per 2.2 pounds of body weight, and, at the least, have suffered serious toxic reactions. 

This means that 20 ounces of milk chocolate, 10 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, and only 2¼ ounces of baking chocolate can kill a 22-pound dog.

If you suspect your dog has eaten chocolate, you need to consider this an emergency and contact your veterinarian immediately. Your vet may suggest that you induce vomiting to keep as much theobromine as possible from entering your pet’s system — if your dog isn’t vomiting on its own. You can do this by giving a solution of one-to-one water to hydrogen peroxide down your pet’s throat, or having it swallow syrup of ipecac. If that is not an option, your veterinarian can induce vomiting in the clinic with a dose of intravenous morphine.

While there is no specific antidote for chocolate poisoning, your veterinarian will most likely want to place your dog on intravenous fluids along with drugs to protect the heart and limit any possible seizures. Getting immediate veterinary care can save your dog’s life.

**NOTE:  The popular cocoa shell mulches used for landscaping can also pose a serious risk to dogs if ingested. Because manufacturers of the mulch are not required to warn customers of the potential danger to dogs, there is no way to know if the mulch you buy has had the theobromine removed.

Basic Training, Part 4

Teaching Your Dog to Come

The final part of the basic training of any dog is teaching her to come when called. Whether she’s playing with her doggy friends at the dog park or you’re asking her to come get a treat in a quiet, dignified manner, getting her to immediately respond and approach you when you command is necessary for her safety and your peace of mind.

Once your dog is sitting, lying down, and staying in place when you ask, go back to attaching a long lead onto her collar or halter. Ask her to “Stay” as you would normally, then back away a few feet and stop, still holding onto the lead.

Call her name, saying “Come” in a kind, but firm tone, and give her a treat when she responds. If she doesn’t respond immediately, pull on the lead gently to make her come to you, then treat her.

At this point, ask your dog to sit, lie down, and stay, and you back even further away. Stop, call her saying “Come,” then treat her when she responds. Every time she doesn’t come when called, pull gently on the lead until she answers.

Continue training this way, expanding the distance between your dog and yourself with every session. You may have to reinforce your teaching by starting each new session closer than you ended the previous one, but that is to be expected. As in all other training, don’t spend more than 20 minutes at a time teaching your dog a new trick.

As you become more and more confident that your pet is going to listen and respond to every part of the “sit, down, stay, and come” routine, you can begin to remove the lead and train without using it. Don’t attempt to take off the lead unless you are in your home, a fenced yard, or you have installed an in-ground dog fencing system and you know your pet cannot get away from you. 

Basic Training, Part 3 - Teaching Your Dog to Stay

Now that your dog has learned how to sit and lie down when asked, teaching her to stay in one place without moving can provide you a measure of security that she won’t run off when she’s out in your yard, and she won’t be grabbing for her food dish when it’s time for dinner.

Attach a long lead, one that is approximately 15- to 20-feet in length, to your dog’s collar or halter.

Command her to sit, then lie down in front of you, and make sure all of her attention is focused on you.

Once she is lying down, put the flat of your hand in front of her face in a “stop” gesture, and say the word “Stay,” in a kind, yet firm tone.

Back slowly away from your pet, keeping your hand in the “stop” gesture until you are standing approximately 2 to 3 feet away from her. If she stays without moving, go quickly back and give her a treat. 

If she moves to come toward you, go back to your original position, ask her to “Sit” and go “Down,” and start over. Do not give her a treat if she moves.

Once your dog is staying at that distance consistently, begin to gradually move further away every time you command her to “Stay.” Remember to keep using the flat of your hand and the tone of your voice to ask her to pay attention to what you are wanting.

Train at each distance until she “stays” every time, then move away during the next training session. You may need to occasionally go back and repeat a training session at a previous distance as a refresher. 

As in the other training sessions, only spend 20-minutes increments teaching her this new command. Use her dinnertime to reinforce this training by not placing her food dish in front of her until she has successfully stayed in one place for 5 seconds. 

Basic Training, Part 2 – Teaching Your Dog to Lie Down

Once your dog is sitting every time you ask, teaching her to lie down on command needs to be next on your agenda. A well-mannered dog that sits and lies down on command is a dog that will not jump on strangers or grab at food, treats, and toys.

While holding a treat in your hand, ask her to sit, making sure her eyes are on your face and you command her full attention.

Hold the treat directly in front of her nose and lower your hand to the floor. Say the word “Down” in a kind, but firm tone as you drop your hand. You may have to kneel or crouch close to the floor to make this move effective.

At this point, your pet should lower her head and drop her shoulders to follow the treat. If she doesn’t, repeat the gesture using your vocal command, and gently push down on her shoulders with the other to show what “Down” means.

When she lies down, give her the treat and pet and praise her. Make this a consistent part of your training – ask, reward, and praise.

Allow her to get up, then repeat the “Sit” and “Down” commands until she is responding on her own. At some point, you can slowly begin to withdraw the treats when she begins to react without them.

Practice this part of your training every time you want to give her a treat. As when you were teaching her to sit, only pursue this part of her learning in 20-minute increments. 

Having a well-mannered pet is the dream of every dog lover. However, dogs don’t come with instructions and they aren’t born knowing how to behave in every setting. Teaching your puppy or adult dog the basics of sitting, staying, and laying down not only keeps her safe if she’s outside in your yard, it also makes her a better companion when she’s at home in your house.

Basic training for your dog starts with you, and your willingness to work with your pet regularly.

Basic Training, Part 1
Teaching Your Dog to Sit

Place a leash or halter on your dog or puppy and make her stand on the ground in front of you. Step on the lead so that your hands are free and she is not able to run off. Make sure all of your pet’s attention is focused on you by talking to her, calling her name, or holding one of her favorite toys in your hand.

When she is closely watching what you are doing, hold a doggy treat just out of reach of her nose so that she is tilting her head slightly back to look at the treat.

As your dog looks at the treat, say “Sit” in a firm, but kind, tone and move the treat toward her forehead so that she is forced to sit back on her haunches.

If she sits, immediately give your dog the treat and praise her, petting her for good behavior. If she chooses to grab for the treat, move the hand holding the treat behind your back and use your other hand to make her stand quietly in front of you again.

You may need to gently push down on her haunches to show her what to do several times before she understands. 

Repeat placing the treat in front of her nose and saying “Sit” until she accomplishes the task several times in a row. Reward your dog and praise her immediately every time she sits on command.

As you train her to sit, gradually start removing the treat during sessions, using just your hand and voice commands. Eventually, you won’t need the treat at all to make your dog obey.

Don’t make your teaching sessions longer than 20 minutes at a time. Canine behavior experts for the ASPCA state that to train dogs for longer than 20 minutes causes them to lose their attention span and they won’t retain as much information as they do during shorter time periods.

Remember that training your dog or puppy is just like training a human baby. Your pet is going to make mistakes and there are going to be setbacks. Practicing patience, consistency, and kindness while working with your furry companion gives you the best chance for success. 

Are you concerned about your dog's weight? If you suspect that he's getting a bit chubby, there's a good chance you may be right. But what can/should you do about it? Before we answer that, there's a more important question that needs answering…

Is your dog overweight?

Here are 3 easy ways to tell if your dog is chubbier than he ought to be:

• Standing above your dog, look down and check for a "waist." Dogs at the proper weight will have a visible indentation behind their ribs.
• Place both hands, palms down, lightly on your dog's ribs. You should be able to easily feel and count the ribs, but they shouldn't be sticking out. If you cannot feel the ribs, chances are your dog is overweight.
• Overweight dogs also commonly have pouches of fat in the groin area between the hind legs.

Still not sure if he’s overweight? Ask your vet.

What to do if your dog is overweight?

Obesity is probably the most common nutritional disease among adult dogs in Western countries, and excess weight creates a high risk for other medical problems. If your dog has been diagnosed as overweight, implementing the following tips can support healthy, successful weight loss:

• Cut out all treats and table scraps during the weight loss period.
• Because the primary reason for obesity in dogs is overeating, you should divide the daily food allowance for dogs into two to four small meals a day. Do not use "free-choice" feeding.
• Weigh your dog at the same time of day at least once a week. Keep a weight record.
• Feed your dogs separately, one at a time. A dieting dog may move to the bowl of his housemate to get more food.
• Feed dogs before you eat and keep them in another room during meals to discourage begging.
• Restrict your dog's unsupervised outdoor activity so that he may not scavenge for food when outside. Make sure that indoor and outdoor garbage cans have secure covers.
• Tell your neighbors about your dog's weight loss program, to avoid their feeding him.
• Always provide plenty of clean, fresh water.
• Dogs should be taken to see their veterinarian at least once a year. The vet may recommend testing for certain diseases—such as decreased thyroid gland function—that can encourage weight gain and that may make weight loss difficult.
• Exercise your dog on a regular basis, starting slowly with short activity periods, and gradually increase the exercise time. Begin with walking and, when your pet shows signs of increased fitness, move to games that require running, such as "fetch."

Because weight and overall health are so tightly connected, it is always recommended that you consult with your veterinarian if you suspect your dog is overweight, and for expert guidance in weight management that’s personalized for your dog.