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| Cesar stays relaxed while cleaning Mr. President’s jowls |
This is a book about puppy behavior, not puppy biology, but when you bring any new dog home with you, you are automatically taking responsibility for every aspect of his health and welfare for the rest of his life. That is why preparation and prevention are so important. All it takes is one disease, accident, or injury to bring home the harsh reality of how very expensive caring for a sick animal can be. I’ve faced it myself many times over a lifetime of living with dogs—emergency veterinary bills can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Of course, once we fall in love with an animal, no amount of money is too much for us to spend to save his life or take away his pain. But we can lower the odds of having to go into debt or empty out our savings for the dog we love if we take certain precautions early on.
SELECTING FOR HEALTH
Prevention starts with the choice of how and from whom you get your puppy. Top-notch breeders like the ones who have contributed to this book keep up with the latest research about genetically transmitted defects or illnesses, and they are meticulous about selecting dogs whose parents and grandparents also have clean bills of health. German shepherds, for instance, have a history of genetically transmitted hip problems. To prevent passing this tendency on to the puppies in their lines, Diana and Doug Foster study a comprehensive pedigree database before selecting sires and dams to mate for their Thinschmidt kennels. Diana says,
It’s time-consuming, but it’s really important. It shows you the line breeding, what’s coming up, how many generations, the father, the grandfather, all the way back. We have to be careful not to breed too close. Then we have to study, what did both the lines—the mother and the fathers—produce in the past? If there are any issues like the hips, for example, that’s a red flag. Don’t put that combination together. We breed on the much stricter German standard, where there is a numerical rating system for hip dysplasia, so that’s something else we take into account. It’s actually a science—we don’t just put two dogs together because they both have pretty colors. And a lot of people don’t know that. So when they come to us, and they ask, “Why are your puppies so expensive? I just looked at one that’s half the price, and it looks just as good,” we try to explain to them what goes into creating a dog that’s not only got a great temperament but will have a long, healthy life. They don’t always listen, and will go for the cheaper one. Sometimes it’s a disaster.
If you do buy your puppy from a reputable breeder, that breeder will want to stay in touch with you throughout the puppy’s lifetime and be updated on any health problems that develop. Brooke Walker will even pay for a necropsy on any dogs from her lines if they pass away prematurely, to make sure there weren’t any hidden health problems that may affect future generations of her prize miniature schnauzers.
If you are adopting your puppy from a shelter or rescue organization, try to get as much information as possible about the puppy’s parents or, at the very least, the area from which he was rescued and the general health of the animals there. Make sure the puppy has had a thorough veterinary checkup, and get all the records that exist on any procedures or vaccines he has undergone since he came to the rescue. You can’t ask the puppy, “Did your mom have a tendency toward chronic eye infections?” but the more information you can gather about his past, the better armed you will be if you come up against genetically or environmentally transmitted problems in the future. If you are adopting an older dog from a shelter or rescue, a previous owner or rescuer may have put together important medical information about the dog. Make sure you don’t bring your dog home without asking.
PLANNING FOR VETERINARY COSTS
Keeping complete and thorough records is the first step toward safeguarding your new pet’s health; the next is taking stock of your personal financial situation and planning for the long-term costs associated with owning and caring for a dog. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the average American spends about $350 in medical expenses per dog each year. The American Pet Products Association gives a lower amount, $211, for routine care, but adds $574 a year for surgical costs. Either way, it’s a considerable sum.
Most of us don’t want our kids to go without health insurance, because we understand the ramifications an unexpected sickness or accident can have on our family bank accounts. The same situation can occur with a pet. We are all struggling in today’s difficult economy, but I strongly suggest that new dog or puppy owners create a separate savings fund for their pet that is not to be touched except in the case of animal-related medical expenses or emergencies. Of course, your dog doesn’t know or care if you have a bank account in his name, but to my mind, every responsible action we take to protect a dog’s quality of life only raises the level of our calm-assertive energy. When we are relaxed and confident about our ability to care for our dogs, no matter what happens, it only contributes to strengthening our roles as their unshakable pack leaders.
A second option is pet health insurance. I am often asked, “Is pet health insurance a scam?” The answer is no, if you do your research, buy from a reputable company, and have realistic expectations. In fact, many progressive employers, including Google Inc., Hilton Hotels Corporation, Ford Motor Company, and McDonald’s Corporation, have become so impressed with the practicality of pet health insurance, they have begun to offer group policies for their workers who are pet owners. Pet health insurance is not intended for basic, routine exams or vaccinations—plan to work those into your regular household budget. The American Animal Hospital Association did a study that showed the majority of pet owners felt comfortably prepared for emergency expenses from $500 to $1,000 but had serious concerns about being able to handle anything higher than that. As a result, the AAHA has spent several years working directly with the pet insurance industry to develop smaller-premium, larger-deductible policies. Now that the AAHA and other organizations such as the ASPCA and Humane Society have begun to officially rate and review those corporations offering pet health insurance policies, owners no longer need worry about falling for a potential scam. For a good website comparing what different companies have to offer, check out http://www.petinsurancereview.com.
VACCINATIONS
The first journey you will take with your puppy in terms of safeguarding his long-term health will be the experience of getting him through the vaccination process, to make sure he has adequate protection against a host of common canine maladies. Puppies enter this world without any antibodies at all, meaning they have absolutely no preexisting immunity to the many viruses and diseases that lurk in our modern world. Nature, however, has provided a natural buffer for their first few months of life. The rich, thick milk called colostrum that a mother dog secretes right after giving birth contains all her own antibodies and provides a temporary shield to protect her offspring. The amount of natural immunity a puppy retains is usually based on a pup’s birth order and his inborn energy level, since the most assertive nursers get the lion’s share of this limited-offer premium beverage. But the colostrum offers only a temporary protection—every nine days, the pups’ antibody levels drop by half until, at around four months of age, the level is too low to protect them anymore, making them easy targets for parasites and viruses. This is why veterinarians prescribe a series of vaccinations, usually starting at around six to eight weeks of age and continuing until sixteen weeks (four months).
Vaccines are spaced out over three- to four-week intervals for the antibodies to take effect, as well as to protect the puppy’s delicate system from possible side effects. They are also staggered so that the vaccine won’t cancel out the natural antibodies from the colostrum, or vice versa. Never allow a repeat or new vaccine if your puppy was vaccinated less than fourteen days earlier. If you have bought your puppy from a breeder, it’s likely that he will already have had at least one set of shots by the time he comes home with you—probably at least one deworming in addition to a DHPP (distemper, infectious hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus) vaccination. Most veterinarians recommend the following protocol.
Dr. Paula Terifaj, owner of Founders Veterinary Clinic in Brea, California, is a veterinarian educated at University of California—Davis, who describes her approach to puppy care as “integrative-holistic” (combining modern Western medicine with nontraditional therapies), with an emphasis on preventive medicine. Having written a book entitled How to Protect Your Dog from a Vaccine Junkie, Dr. Terifaj takes a different approach to the puppyhood shot routine. “I’m very conservative when it comes to vaccines,” she states. “I think the earliest a puppy should start a vaccine series is between eight and nine weeks. If we’re starting at eight to nine weeks, they should get revaccinated three to four weeks after that. The last vaccine should be given between twelve and fourteen weeks old. We’re talking about DHP here—rabies is different. Rabies is at four months and then one year. So ideally puppies should receive no more than three series of vaccines. But I tell people to do their own research. So check with your vet or with a few vets.”
When it comes to the vaccination versus overvaccination controversy, I tend to come down on the side of Mother Nature; that is, I want to do all I can to make sure my puppies have full immunity against dangerous diseases, but at the same time, I believe a tendency to overvaccinate has greatly hurt rather than helped many generations of dogs. In my last book, A Member of the Family, I chronicle my story of meeting the many learned experts, including premier holistic veterinary pioneer Dr. Marty Goldstein, and reading the convincing studies and research, all of which led me to form this conclusion.
In 2006, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) came down on this side as well. AAHA released a new strategy for vaccinating your dogs, based on years of research supporting the conclusion that overvaccinating dogs contributes to chronic illness, disease, and even death. The new guidelines divided vaccinations into three categories:
• Core: Vaccines that should be given to every dog
• Non-Core: Optional vaccines that should be considered only if an individual dog’s lifestyle or risk factors strongly warrant it
• Not Recommended: Vaccines not recommended by the AAHA under any circumstances
Since a thorough series of vaccines given in puppyhood has now been determined to provide most of a dog’s immunity for life, the AAHA recommends revaccination no more than once every three years. Many of my holistic veterinarian friends think that even three years is far too often to risk exposing your dog to the health risks of overvaccination, since multiple studies have shown that dogs properly immunized in puppyhood maintain lifetime immunity to hepatitis, distemper, and parvovirus. A great option for conscientious dog owners is to ask their veterinarian to provide antibody titer testing for distemper, parvo, or rabies, which shows approximately how much disease-fighting immunity is present in your dog’s system at the time the test is given. If your dog has plenty of antibodies, then the titer level will be high—proof that the vaccines have done their job and your dog is protected. With a high titer level, you can assume your dog doesn’t need a vaccine booster, though even a low blood titer doesn’t necessarily mean another vaccine is indicated. For more information about titer testing, contact www.hemopet.org.
There is a short period of about a week during which the puppy no longer has much immunity from its mother left but the new vaccines have not fully kicked in and started working. This window can allow even the best-cared-for puppies to get sick, but the potential danger can be exaggerated, to the point where dog owners will grow paranoid and keep their puppies inside and isolated for months, ultimately creating frustrated and antisocial dogs. “I tell my clients that ten days after the first vaccine, they should begin to get as much socialization for their puppy as they possibly can,” advises Dr. Charlie Rinehimer of Northampton Community College. “I counsel them to stay away from places like dog parks—where you have no idea of the vaccination or health status of the dogs—during that time, but going to visit friends with dogs, taking walks on a leash, or going for car rides are all great. After sixteen weeks, anything goes as far as I am concerned.”
PARVO
I recently had a frightening experience with the parvovirus that really shook me up. Around the time I began thinking of raising puppies to write about in this book, a friend came to me having rescued two abandoned two-month-old Yorkie puppies from the streets. My wife and I were about to leave for a seminar on the East Coast the following day, but as usual, I could not say no to any abandoned dogs, let alone two tiny puppies. I left instructions for our housekeeper to care for the puppies while we were gone and made an appointment with Dr. Rick Garcia to come by to check them out when I came back in a few days.
We hadn’t even been gone a full day when our housekeeper called us in a panic. “The puppies are very, very sick,” she told me. “They have really bad diarrhea and they’re shaking.” I called and asked a friend, Dog Whisperer field producer Todd Henderson, to go to our house to get the puppies and rush them to the vet. Todd later described to me the horrible experience of driving beyond the speed limit to get to the animal hospital, while the puppies struggled to stay alive in his car. They both made it to medical care, but one of them passed away shortly after arrival. The diagnosis was the parvovirus, which meant that all the dogs staying at my home had been exposed. Fortunately, they all had full immunization, but we had to disinfect our entire home and garage with the only solution known to kill the hardy virus—one part chlorine bleach to ten parts water. Before we could sleep easily again, I also had Dr. Rick give the rest of the pack a clean bill of health.
This horrendous event demonstrated to me the quick and deadly power of the parvovirus, to which puppies are susceptible during their most sensitive period of development. Parvo is an extremely contagious organism that targets the sensitive intestinal lining of puppies. It can be fatal. Even if caught early, the treatment involves quarantine and is extremely expensive. “I remember when parvo first struck when I was in vet school,” recalls Dr. Paula Terifaj. “Puppies would die when we thought they’d live and live when we were sure they’d die. It’s a tough thing.” Parvo is spread through the feces of infected dogs, and some adult dogs can carry the virus without showing symptoms.
Dr. Paula explains, describing exactly what happened in our home with the Yorkies:
With the parvovirus, puppies are most likely to be exposed before they are adopted into their new homes. Kennels, questionable breeders, animal shelters, and pet stores are all breeding grounds for viruses. The exposed puppy will not show signs of illness for five to seven days, which is the incubation period. Often, a healthy-looking puppy is brought into the home and then becomes ill days later. Then people think that they were the ones who exposed the pup, but most times that’s not what happened. Most of the sick puppies I see came from a pet shop or the Internet and they are almost always from puppy mills. They are shipped or come from a contaminated facility and stressful conditions. Infectious diseases run rampant in puppy mills but not among puppies coming from respectable breeders, or good shelters and rescues.
Despite my recent experience with the virus, I still believe that many owners become so fearful of their puppies’ contracting it that they overprotect them, isolating them indoors for weeks or even months, and depriving them of much-needed exercise and socialization with their own kind. In coming chapters, I’ll offer more suggestions on how to safely socialize and exercise your puppy under sixteen weeks of age.
In the case of the Yorkie puppies, I’m happy to say that the little guy that survived received medication and went through a period of quarantine. He is now a much-loved, healthy adolescent, living in the comfortable home of a supporter of the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation.
GENERAL PUPPY HEALTH FAQS
“We generally say, ‘Don’t treat your puppy like a baby,’ but in terms of health, puppies are a little like babies—they do need a certain level of protection. They are vulnerable to the heat and cold and can dehydrate quickly. They definitely need more care and attention than adult dogs,” according to Dr. Paula Terifaj. However, because of the excellence of modern veterinary medicine, most of the vets I work with rarely see many sick puppies in their practices these days. “We do see a few health issues, such as diarrhea from worms and upper respiratory infections such as kennel cough,” says Dr. Charlie. “There have been a few recent parvo outbreaks in unvaccinated puppies, especially pit bulls, a breed that seems to be more susceptible and often dies. We hardly ever see lepto, hepatitis, or, thank goodness, rabies in puppies.” Dr. Charlie’s rural Pennsylvania practice has seen a recent rise in Lyme disease cases (also epidemic among humans in that region) but a definite drop in preventable illnesses. “Actually we don’t see too many major mistakes made by owners anymore, either. People seem to be more educated on the need for a series of vaccines and heartworm prevention. Most of the mistakes we see are on the behavioral side,” he says.
Good nutrition, a thorough vaccination program, regular vet checkups, and a good owner-based health check and maintenance program at home serve as prevention for many of the problems that plagued both grown dogs and puppies in the recent past. Drs. Terifaj and Rinehimer contributed their answers to a few of the most frequently asked questions about puppy health:
Q. Are there any symptoms in my puppy’s behavior that are red flags for health emergencies?
A. What people have to know is that when a puppy is vomiting or not eating—then you got a sick puppy! Puppies have two settings: play and sleep. If your dog is running around, playing, and just has a little bit of diarrhea, it’ll probably be fine. But if your puppy isn’t playful, and is vomiting and not eating, then you should see a vet right away.
Q. My puppy isn’t doing so well with housebreaking. How can I tell if it’s got a urinary tract infection?
A. Just because your puppy hasn’t picked up on housebreaking doesn’t mean he’s got a urinary tract infection. Puppies with UTIs will strain to urinate and go frequently. If the bladder is infected, the lining will become inflamed. When salty urine comes down from the kidney, it burns and the dog immediately tries to get rid of it. If there is blood in the urine or if it’s unusually smelly, you should check with your vet.
Q. How does a dog contract heartworms and what can be done about them?
A. Heartworms are spread from dog to dog by mosquitoes. The larvae actually have to go through a molt in the mosquito to become infectious. Preventive care is a monthly pill like Heartgard that kills any larvae that are introduced. Heartworm disease can be detected only by a blood test. It can be treated, but the treatment, although better than the arsenic compounds used in the past, is still somewhat risky and expensive. So prevention is definitely the way to go.
Q. How do you protect puppies from flea infestations?
A. Good diet and regular grooming should prevent most flea infestations. Puppies should be brushed with a fine-toothed flea comb. Sometimes you will catch the flea, but often you will find black particles that look like pepper. Fleas suck blood and what comes out the rear end is a black grain. To determine if a speck is flea dirt or just regular dirt, rub a piece in a paper towel with a little bit of rubbing alcohol. If it is flea dirt it will leave a red, blood-colored stain on the paper towel. A spot-type flea protectant like Frontline or Revolution should take care of the problem.
TEETHING
Between four and six months, most puppies will pass through a teething phase. This process is uncomfortable, and the increased chewing binges you’ll see in the puppy’s behavior at this stage are his attempts to relieve this discomfort—usually on your most expensive pair of shoes, since they are often made of natural materials like leather or suede, and since they carry the comfort of your scent. Don’t take any of it personally—pet stores offer thousands of teething toys to help you redirect this behavior. During this stage, all the puppy is focused on is “How can I relieve this irritation that I have in my mouth?” A big no-no at this time is to wear gloves and let the dog chew on them, or to play games where you allow the dog to bite you anywhere on your body. It may seem harmless now, but you will be conditioning your dog to see your hands or your body as a source for relieving his frustration. Teething discomfort can also be minimized through exercise. I’ve used swimming in the past, and not necessarily in a large pool. A bathtub or wading pool for a puppy or a medium-size dog will get his legs moving in the water, give him something healthy to focus on, and distract him from what’s going on inside his mouth. After the exercise, give the dog an object of your choice to chew on, and be relieved that the teething stage for puppies passes quickly—a month or two at the most.
When your puppy approaches adolescence—from six to ten months of age—he will go through a second chewing phase. His permanent teeth are coming in now, and the urge to chew is powerful. Remember to make the appropriate toys available to your “teenager” at this stage, and provide as much healthy exercise as possible. Often, dogs that don’t teethe at this stage may have dental problems later in life, so make sure you are seeing your vet regularly and reporting on your pup’s teething behavior.
SUPPERTIME
One of the most important lessons I have learned from the many fine veterinarians I’ve consulted with over the past few years is that a dog is what he eats. As a naive guy newly arrived from Mexico, I used to blindly accept as true all the extravagant claims and promises made by commercial pet foods in their ads and fancy packaging. Back then, I shopped for whatever seemed the best bargain on the shelves. Today, I feed some of my dogs an organic raw-food diet and I’m intimately involved in creating the recipe for my own Dog Whisperer brand organic dog food. What you feed your dog can affect a dog’s energy level, his digestion, his immunity, even his susceptibility to allergies, ticks, and fleas. In A Member of the Family, I discuss nutrition in more depth, and in Be the Pack Leader, I give a thorough description of my own personal mealtime rituals with the pack. In general, however, I recommend that new puppy owners avoid the supermarket and consult with their veterinarians about the many other choices that are available to them in order to safeguard their puppy’s long-term health. Instead of the big-box commercial puppy foods, look into the select number of excellent natural, organic, prepackaged pet foods created by smaller companies that you won’t see on the shelves of your local supermarket or discount store. Seek out the specialty dog foods at pet supply stores or at natural food stores, and learn how to read the ingredients on pet food labels before you buy.
The first three ingredients listed on the label are critical, as they account for most of what your dog will be ingesting. Look for animal proteins listed as meat. Limit or avoid those with processed cheap grain products. Immediately reject any products with artificial preservatives, food dyes, and any meat or grain by-products.
And resist the urge to overfeed a puppy with a bottomless appetite or indulge in too many between-meal treats, as these are habits that may be hard to break once your pup stops growing like a weed and burning those extra calories. Obesity is becoming as serious a problem among America’s dogs as it is among our human population.
MAKING VET VISITS FUN
If you are raising your new dog from puppyhood, you have the perfect opportunity to ensure that you never have a hard time at the vet’s office or with groomers. Veterinarians are trained medical professionals, but many of them aren’t dog behaviorists. Even if their foundation in dog psychology is sound, they don’t always have the time or energy to make sure your dog is feeling his best while they are focusing on his treatment. It falls to you to prepare your puppy for vet visits and to make the ritual of going to the vet or the groomer an exciting journey filled with fun, positive sensations.
The approach I used for all the puppies raised for this book—as well as for all the grown dogs under my care—began with getting them used to traveling in cars, from the first day I bring them home. If a puppy is stressed out by a car, he will be ten times more upset by the time you arrive at the vet’s office, so you as the owner must make getting in and out of the car as automatic a response for him as is going in and out of the front door for your daily walks. Going for a ride in a car shouldn’t be a traumatic chore for a dog—it should be a cue that he is about to experience something wonderful. I drive everywhere with my dogs, and they have come to associate a trip in the car with fun, adventure, and togetherness. They don’t know where we’re going when they pile into the back, but they know I will always make it a positive experience.
If your puppy feels hesitant or anxious about the car, condition him to go in and out of the car when you aren’t going anywhere. Leave the doors open, offer a treat, and play in the car while it’s in the driveway. Once you’ve repeated that exercise enough to make the transition in and out of the car go smoothly, add a ride around the block to get the puppy used to the sensation of movement. Gradually increase the length of these drives. Finally, once you’ve successfully passed these tests, add a destination experience to these practice excursions, but vary it, to expose your puppy to as many new environments as possible. Drive to your friend’s house, your mother-in-law’s, your local library, or your favorite sidewalk café, making sure you are aware and observant of your puppy’s level of immunity and therefore his exposure to other dogs. Let the puppy get out of the car, reward him, then bring him back. An important added benefit of these exercises is that they greatly increase your leadership position in your puppy’s eyes. The more places you go in which you display calm-assertive energy to your puppy, the more your dog recognizes you as the one who can guide him through any experience, no matter where you go.
However, some owners who succeed in conditioning their puppies to the car create another problem—overexcitement. The puppy gets so hyped up by the idea of a car ride that he can’t calm down, creating chaos that can be anything from a nuisance to a roadway hazard. Overexcitement can show itself as barking, whining, hyperactive movements, or even drooling. Crate training is the most obvious way to temper this problem. Once you have conditioned your puppy to remain calm inside his crate, when you move the crate into the car, they both can come to represent quietness. Follow the same procedure as above, but add the crate, and do not pay attention to your puppy until he is calm and submissive in the crate at all times. Correct him with a “Tssst” or a tap on the top of the crate if his excitement even begins to escalate. Then practice the exercise without the crate, using a safety gate or a doggie seat belt.
Chris Komives practiced this exercise with four-month-old Eliza when he noticed her developing a drooling problem in the car. “I put her in the car when we weren’t going anywhere, waited until she was calm, and then got out and did it again. We played in the back of the car. It wasn’t long before the drooling stopped.” I am constantly challenging my dogs to stay calm-submissive inside the car, even in the face of stimulating activity happening all around us. The other day, just for fun, I took a carload of puppies with me to share a drive-through car wash experience, to expose them to all the different sights, sounds, and smells. Everybody—Junior, Blizzard, Angel, Mr. President, and a visiting French bulldog named Hardy—stayed quiet and calm through the entire ordeal.
Once you are certain your puppy is comfortable about accompanying you anytime, anywhere, practice getting him used to your specific vet’s and groomer’s offices. Since sick dogs can be present at either location, don’t practice this part of the exercise until after your puppy is four months old and his immunization schedule is complete. I always recommend getting a dog used to the neighborhood of the vet’s office, parking a block away, and walking—or even Rollerblading—to the office itself. That mimics the experience of migration to a dog, so it makes sense to him when you arrive at your destination. When your puppy is young and still unsure of new places, don’t push him too far. Instead, start with a short walk across the parking lot. Don’t let the puppy pull and sniff the ground, but let him take his time at first. Take a few trips to the vet’s office, just for fun, and ask the office staff or vet techs to provide your puppy with a treat or a fun toy when he arrives. Remember when you were a kid and your doctor had the best lollipops?
It’s also important that your puppy gets to know the vet, and that the vet practices no touch, no talk, and no eye contact at the very first meeting. Finally, check your own energy when it comes to vet visits. Are you the type of person who always becomes tense before your own doctor or dentist appointments? Do you find yourself worrying about how your dog will cope with an examination? Unless your energy is calm and assertive, you can’t ensure that your dog will be able to relax either. Your dog will always mirror the energy you share with him. Puppies in particular are absorbing every cue their pack leader sends them about how they should feel and react when they are in strange new environments.
HOME CARE FOR YOUR DOG
The next thing you must do in order to ensure serenity during your vet or grooming appointments is to introduce your puppy to all the different ways a professional might examine his face and body. Since all veterinarians recommend that you perform regular home checks on your puppy’s eyes, ears, and mouth and teeth, this is your perfect opportunity to practice this activity. “A puppy’s ears should be checked at least once a week,” says Charlie Rinehimer, VMD. “More often if the dog is a flop-eared breed like a cocker or springer spaniel. Owners should also check their dog’s paw pads after long walks or play sessions on pavement for abrasions and scratches. After walks in the woods or high grass, run a comb through the puppy’s fur to check for fleas and ticks.” Bath time is another good opportunity to make routine health checks on your puppy. “Another misconception that I see is people don’t bathe their dogs regularly, thinking it dries out their skin. Not true! Wash your dog as often as you see fit,” advises Dr. Paula Terifaj. “Clean out the ears. Inspect them for redness, irritations. Look in the mouth—look for redness. Smell—is there any discharge? When you wash the dog, feel for lumps. Lift up your dog’s tail! I know you don’t want to look back there. But you can find things like tapeworms. Starting this with your puppy young will help them get used to it. Get active in your dog’s health care! Don’t just say to your vet, ‘Here’s my dog; take care of it.’ “Becoming proactive in your puppy’s health routine can also save you on vet bills in the long run.
MR. PRESIDENT’S JOWLS
The lovable bulldog is a feat of human genetic engineering so extreme that it requires special health care and maintenance throughout its entire life. English bulldogs tend to have respiratory problems because of their flat noses, which also cause them to snore and drool. Their unnatural body shape can cause them to develop joint problems or arthritis. Bulldogs also require regular, almost daily, cleaning between the jowls and the loose folds of skin on their faces, which can become dry and crusty—or even smelly and infected—if they aren’t tended to. It’s vital to start this regular cleaning ritual at an early age, even if the folds are fairly shallow and undeveloped. If you wait until the dog is an adolescent, he can interpret your touching his face as a challenge and may become belligerent and fight back. I’ve rehabilitated many dogs that have had serious issues around being touched on their bodies and their faces, and we’ve covered many such cases on Dog Whisperer. I made sure to start the process of cleaning Mr. President’s folds early in his puppyhood, to lay out the blueprint for stress-free vet and grooming sessions for the rest of his life.
THE HEALTH CARE RITUAL
My supplies for this regular ritual are a towel, a little warm water, some cotton swabs, and a cleaning pad with a little alcohol on it, as well as a few tasty treats for rewards and incentives. I begin by putting an organic lavender lotion on my hands. The scent relaxes me, so I can make sure my energy is calm and centered. Always remain peaceful—never rush any kind of grooming or health-related exercise, including bathing. Your dog needs to associate all these experiences with relaxation and he can’t achieve this unless your energy is calm first. I always approach these sessions with my dogs like a prayer or a meditation. Another advantage is that I am teaching Mr. President to associate the scent of lavender with relaxation. The memory of the scent becomes much more influential than my saying, “Calm down” or “Relax.” I want to create an imprint so that I can use that scent in the car or anywhere else that I need help creating a mellow bulldog.
I do this exercise on a raised table in my garage. After I lift the dog onto the table, I wait until he relaxes before I begin the session. I start with a treat hidden behind the warm-water-soaked towel. I want the scent to get him interested in the towel, but I don’t want the treat so close it creates too much excitement. I want Mr. President to see this as a win-win situation; when he entrusts me with his face, he also gets a treat. Mr. President is one extremely food-motivated dog. However, I don’t want to give too many treats; I want to create such a pleasant association with this process that eventually treats won’t even be necessary.
Gently, I place my hand under his chin and lift his face up. I’m projecting a serene energy that I want him to mirror. I use this opportunity to put drops in his eyes—bulldogs are also prone to eye irritations and infections, and their eyes must be kept clean and irrigated. He gives me a little protest when he feels the first sensation of the drops—just a little curl of the lip—but I soothe him with a deeptissue massage of his hindquarters. His reaction serves as a good reminder, however—a curl of the lip from a cute bulldog puppy can turn into a growl or a bite from an adolescent or adult bulldog if we don’t build the proper foundation early.
Next, it’s time for the cleaning pad and alcohol. Since he is naturally going to be repelled by the medicinal smell, I hide a treat behind the pad. This way, the unnatural smell is accompanied by a smell that definitely interests him. It’s a simple trick, to keep him engaged, so he wants to find out more about what I am doing, not shrink away from it. When I give him the treat, however, I always use my clean hand, not the one with alcohol on it, so he doesn’t accidentally ingest any alcohol. Using the cotton swabs, I wash between his folds. Every time I move toward his face, I reinforce the action with the association of a treat.
At the end of the exercise I clean my hands to remove the alcohol scent, then put some more lavender lotion on to end the ritual in the same way I began it. I give him one last treat, and the fact that he takes food instantly shows me that his mind is not under stress. Finally, I finish with a massage of his whole body and face, so he learns that when I touch his face it can be for pleasant sensations as well. He ends in a relaxed, receptive state—just the way I want him. I lift him back up by his scruff, using my hand to balance his weight, and place him gently back on the ground. The fact that he gravitates right back to me and doesn’t try to run away assures me that he had a positive experience.
My hygiene ritual with Mr. President should serve as an example of how to make a pleasant interlude out of any of your puppy’s health care and grooming needs. By applying this method, you will prepare him for future handling by other professionals, you’ll be taking a proactive role in his health and hygiene, and you’ll also be strengthening the bond between you, building a lifetime of trust.
Cesar Millan
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* DHP—3 in 1 vaccine
† May be considered on a regional basis where these diseases are known to be a true risk
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