In breeds such as labradors where there is a variety of colors there is one question that has been asked more times than I can put into words: “does the color of my dog determine his temperament?”. The assumption that bringing a chocolate lab home is going to result in a less rambunctious dog than bringing a yellow lab home is one which is widely believed and a myth that just seems to keep on going!

The truth behind this dirty little rumor is that there is absolutely no truth to it at all. Someone who tries to sell you on the fact that a chocolate lab is calmer than a yellow lab is the same person who will adamantly swear that a “silver lab” is not a mix of a lab and a weimeraner when in fact it is.

Dog’s individual temperaments are determined by your dog and the environment he is exposed to and the training he is given. Sure, some dogs do sleep puppyhood away and sure some spend it chewing a massive hole through your apartment foyer (*cough* Jet *cough*), however each one of these dogs is doing this particular thing because it is what he wants to do (or in fact he is insanely bored) but it is most definitely not because it is what the color of his fur told him to do. Think of this question practically, as humans do our temperaments depend on the color of our skin? Well there you have your answer.

Dog bites are a serious problem in the United States. Each year, an estimated 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Around 17 percent of these people require medical care. And in approximately 10-20 tragic cases per year, the bite victim is killed. The CDC has labeled dog bites in America an “epidemic.”

In response to this growing problem, some communities have banned ownership of certain dogs that are perceived as dangerous, particularly pit bulls and rottweilers. Are some breeds really more dangerous than others?

Breed characteristics

It’s difficult to determine just how much a dog’s genetics determine his behavior, just like it’s hard to know how much of a person’s personality is nature and how much is nurture. It’s true that some breeds simply have more ability to injure people than others do. Though it’s no more likely to bite than a smaller dog, if it does bite, a Great Dane can do much more damage than a Maltese, for example. (Even very small breeds can be dangerous to children, however.)

A study performed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the CDC, and the Humane Society of the United States, analyzed dog bite statistics from the last 20 years and found that the statistics don’t show that any breeds are inherently more dangerous than others. The study showed that the most popular large breed dogs at any one time were consistently on the list of breeds that bit fatally. There were a high number of fatal bites from Doberman pinschers in the 1970s, for example, because Dobermans were very popular at that time and there were more Dobermans around, and because Dobermans’ size makes their bites more dangerous. The number of fatal bites from pit bulls rose in the 1980s for the same reason, and the number of bites from rottweilers in the 1990s. The study also noted that there are no reliable statistics for nonfatal dog bites, so there is no way to know how often smaller breeds are biting.

Owner responsibilities

This study supports what many veterinarians have believed for years: nearly any dog can be aggressive or nonaggressive, depending on his training and environment. Owners play a big part in making sure that their pet is safe around other people. There are several steps you can take to help ensure that your dog isn’t dangerous.

• Restrain your pet. Unrestrained dogs cause about 82 percent of all fatal bites. Keeping your dog on a strong leash whenever you’re in public is a big first step toward preventing bites. Strangers and a strange environment may startle your pet. Extra precautions should be taken to make ensure your pet is at ease. If you leave your dog alone outdoors, your yard needs to be enclosed with a six- to eight-foot fence, depending on your dog’s size.
• Socialize your puppy. Puppies are more open to learning between the age of 8 and 12 weeks. This is the opportune time to start puppy classes and begin socialization with other pets. It is important to introduce the puppy to animals with a known vaccination history. Talk to your veterinarian about the proper time to take your canine friend to puppy classes, the park and the pet store. Socialize your puppy by taking him anywhere where he can interact with people and other dogs in a nonthreatening environment. Be sure to praise him when he interacts well with others.
• Spay or neuter your dog. Intact (non-neutered) male dogs are responsible for approximately 80 percent of fatal bites. When dogs are altered, they lose some of their territorial instincts, including a lot of their territorial aggression.
• Train him not to bite. Dogs will mouth, chew and bite everything from your hands to your furniture until you teach them that it’s inappropriate. If your dog is biting or growling at you or other family members, distract him with a quick sound, such as a clap or a sharp “ouch!” Then redirect his attention to a chew toy. Remember, timing is everything. Make sure your noise is heard at the exact moment the dog is biting. The dog will not understand what is going on if the noise occurs after the bite (they cannot make that connection). Also be sure to reward him when you catch him chewing on the right things.
• Watch your dog’s behavior. This may be the most important part of preventing your dog from biting. It’s easy for owners to be in denial that their sweet, furry Fido may be a threat. But if your dog exhibits any of the following behaviors, it’s time for your veterinarian’s help: growling at, snapping at, or biting family members; growling or snapping at strangers; or extreme fear of strangers.

If you see signs that your dog could be aggressive or dangerous, you can ask your veterinarian to refer you to a veterinary behavioral specialist. While your dog is being treated for aggression, be careful with him in public. Be sure to warn strangers to use caution if they interact with him. It may be important to wear a basket muzzle while out in public until the aggression is managed properly. A gentle leader may also be very helpful in controlling your pet when out in public.
Following these directions won’t guarantee that your dog won’t bite, but they’ll certainly make it less likely. Any dog that is well restrained and well trained can be perfectly safe, regardless of breed. The truth is, an irresponsible owner is much more dangerous than any dog.

Article Courtesy of HealthyPet.com

Many people seem extremely and overly concerned about the impact of letting their dog sleep on their bed and while in few situations it can be a severely impacting decision most of the time it is a personal decision based on how YOU feel about sharing your bed with a furkid!

There are a few reasons not to let your dog sleep on your bed:

1. If your dog has trouble recognizing you as the pack leader and exhibits dominance issues over you or whoever the human bed belongs to – allowing your dog on your bed can convey the message that “yes you are on par with me and not my subordinate.

2. Allergies – this is pretty self explanitory, allergies to extreme dog hair are only going to get worse as that hair collects on your bed. Your dog’s allergies can also play a part, if you have a goose down comforter and your dog has severe allergies, allowing your dog to sleep on your bed is a bad decision.

3. Arthritis – A dog with arthritis should not be jumping on to your bed, unless you have steps for him or lift him everytime you should not allow him to sleep on your bed.

Something else to consider when allowing your dog to sleep on your bed is that you are creating a habit and if you have a dog like I do then you are going to be subjected to many nights of fitful sleep as he bumps, wiggles and kicks his way to a comfortable place on the bed!

As humans we have a tendancy to over analyze the feelings of other animals and believe that they are as complex as ours. While dogs may not have feelings as complex and hard to understand as ours, however, they do have feelings and are able to experience such devastating emotions as depression and severe sadness.

How do you tell if your dog is depressed? Your first signs of depression in your dog will be a reluctance to do the things he has always enjoyed or doing them without the enjoyment he always had for them, things like going for a walk, eating treats, snuggling with you on the couch or playing with other dogs – your dog may also be reluctant to eat or drink and simply lay in one spot for most of the day. Unfortunately these are also symptoms of some serious physical illness so your first step should ALWAYS be to get to your vet and have your dog checked out, run his blood work and have a physical run just to eliminate any other possible cause for this change in behavior. If your dogs tests all come back clear you should ask your doctor about the possibility of depression as a cause for this change in your dog’s behavior.

What caused my dog’s depression? Dog’s are creatures who thrive on routine and often times it is a break to this routine that throws them in to a depression, whether it is your new job that causes you to be away from him more often or whether it is the loss of a family member or “fur sibling”, any of these can have a profound impact on your dog and each should be treated individually. If your dog seems to have developed depression due to a change in schedules try to reassure him that things are going to be okay by rewarding him for his patience, for example: if your dog has depressed since you have been away from home a lot more consider hiring a dog walker for an hour a day to give your dog a break in the monotony, also reward your dog when you come home (I keep a bag of treats in my glove box of the car so I bring one in with me when I get home.) If your dog seems depressed since a family member or “fur sibling” passed away, this is a more tricky thing to tackle since dogs, like us, need time to grieve. Give your dog adequate time to grieve while making sure you “treat” him to extra errand runs with you or extra walks, let him know that you’re okay and he will be too. Many families find that bringing a new “fur sibling” in to the home when the whole family is ready helps to distract  their dog from their grief by giving them a new sibling to bond with; however, be aware that this should only be done when the whole family is ready.

Finally your vet may suggest medication, I suggest trying holistic vets if you want to go this way because of the side effects that long term medication use (or even short term medication use in some cases) has on your dog’s liver. If you feel that medication is the only solution for you then make sure that you investigate every aspect of that medication and if you can find other people who have been using the same medication with their dog for a while and find out what you can expect from it and from your medicated dog. Over all I suggest this as a last resort,  your dog is depressed for a valid reason, unlike people they do not go through the stage of life where depression “just happens”, there is a reason for it and it is your job as pet parent to find out what it is.

Many dog owners aren’t quite sure what they’re getting themselves in to when they get a puppy. Despite all the research one could perform before bringing a puppy in to your life there is absolutely nothing that can prepare you for a hyper puppy. The thing about “hyper” puppies is that they are not limited to one particular breed, puppies are much like children, you can have a great dane puppy who is extremely calm and a great dane that is extremely hyperactive; however, it is more likely that you will have a puppy who is simply being a puppy.

A puppy who is simply being a puppy is one who has his moments of hyperactivity which are almost always followed by a long nap to restore the energy spent while being hyperactive. The real problem occurs with hyperactivity is boredom, dogs and puppies are generally not unmanagable, they are living breathing animals and have a real need to stay busy and exercise. A dog who is well exercised and mentally stimulated is tired and well behaved. Most often when your dog is misbehaving or appearing to be “hyperactive” he is simply bored and needs an outlet for his boredom and energy. If you think about your dog’s life as an indoor family pet, he thrives for a chance to get outside and explore and most of all exercise – can you imagine your life if you never got to go outside? No this does not mean that you should let your dog in the backyard and leave him there, exercise means walking, going to the dog park, playing a game of fetch or doing a training class or other training routine. All of these things will keep your dog both mentally stimulated and therefore happy as well as well exercised and therefore tired.

It is not to say that there is not a difference between puppy energy and adult energy, just like people as dogs age they slow down but the difference here will be the amount of exercise it takes to wear your dog out. If you want a calm dog, give him an outlet for his energy and I guarantee you when you get home with him you’ll both sleep through the night.