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WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR DOG EATS A LIGHT BULB

For emergencies where your dog eats a lightbulb or other fine glass such as Christmas ornaments, etc., have on hand AHEAD OF TIME a box of cotton balls. Be sure that you get COTTON balls...not the "cosmetic puffs" that are made from man-made fibers. You can get true cotton balls from your pharmacy. You will also need a quart of half-and-half coffee cream [also called light cream] on hand in the freezer. It is recommended prior to the Christmas holiday especially that you have these items on hand and ready for emergency use.

Should your dog eat a light bulb, glass ornaments, or other fine glass, defrost the half-and-half and pour some in a bowl. Dip cotton balls into the cream and feed them to your dog.

Dogs under 10 lbs. should eat 2 balls which you have first torn into smaller pieces. Dogs 10-50 lbs should eat 3-5 balls and larger dogs should eat 5-7.

You may feed larger dogs an entire cotton ball at once. Dogs seem to really like these strange "treats" and eat them readily.

As the cotton works its way through the digestive tract it will find all the glass pieces and wrap itself around them. Even the teeniest shards of glass will be caught and wrapped in the cotton fibers and the cotton will protect the intestines from damage by the glass. Your dog's stools will be abnormal for a few days and you will have to be careful to check for fresh blood or a tarry appearance to the stool. If either of the latter symptoms appear you should rush your dog to the vet for a checkup but, in most cases, the dogs will be just fine.

Dogs in Hot Weather

Reproduced with permission from writer- Karla Spitzer.

I know that many of you also show in hot climates...But many of you show indoors, and may not have had to develop the ingenuity that we Southern Californians have to deal with our dogs in the heat...We do have some winter (cool weather shows), but no one wants to show in the rain, so the bulk of our shows are from June through September...

Anyway...here are some survival tips that can work for shows or just for everyday life. I'm also referring this (to some extent) to a post on another list which addressed people at shows unplugging rigs from electrical outlets leaving the dogs inside the rigs at the mercy of the increasing temperatures.

Freeze water in plastic soda bottles and put them in your dogs' crates or exercise areas (this is especially good if the dog must be in the car or any enclosed space). As the ice melts, the water on the outside of the plastic evaporates, helping to cool the space. You can use as many as you need to comfortably fit in with your dog. It can be a life-saver. Some people have said that they'd worry that their dog would eat the plastic...While that could be a problem, the advantages of the cooling vapor outweighs that disadvantage to me. I never travel without them in the summer, and they provide a huge amount of fresh, cool water for your dog to drink.

I also always take 'wet coats,' which can be bought out here. They are fitted 'coats' of super-absorbent terry cloth, and they, too, make a huge difference. The best ones for Boxers, IMHO, are the ones that have a double velcro wrap around the dogs' chests. Keeps those big hearts and lungs cool. A good wet coat and a few doggy air conditioners in a crate have kept my Boxers comfortable up to about 111 degrees. I was working a show and couldn't go home...I had heat stress, but my dogs were fine.

The last thing that is always in my dogs' water on hot days is Nupro's Electrolyte Formula for dogs. It's the same principle as Gatorade for humans...I use it because my vet feels that the sugar in Gatorade and sports drinks are not good for dogs and can cause cramping, which no 'hot dog' needs. I know that some people on the list generally use Pedialyte very successfully instead.

A last good recommendation for hot weather is to give your dogs a human grade B-complex vitamin pill or capsule in their food once a day -- 50 mgs. It helps them to tolerate the heat better.

I find that my dogs WON'T lay on 'cool mats,' but they will lay on the plastic mesh mats that you can wet that 'wick' the water away. If you can find the plastic mesh mats, they're great.

If your dog does overheat, the best thing to do it so stick it's paws in water, or spray them, it's ears, private parts, and armpits with water...Plus, of course, have gallons available for the dog to drink. I've found that keeping the paws, ears, and privates sprayed makes a big difference.

Of course, it's best if your dog can stay out of the heat, but some of us live with long, hot summers, and some of us are foolhardy enough to show our dogs in it...:-) Makes you learn to cope effectively.

The following are submissions from boxer owners on suggestions to train your dog not to jump on you:

1)

No personal experience, but possibly you could carry a spray bottle and spritz the dog in the face every time he jumps on him. It may take a little bit, but he might make the connection. Water shouldn't hurt anything either. Diane Pinnow Jefferson, WI, USA

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2)

One of my puppies went to a lady in Arkansas that had a 3 yr. old little girl and a 5 - 6 yr. old little boy. She was having the same problem that this family is having with their dog. I made the suggestion that they put the dog on a long leash anytime (ANYTIME) the children were around including in the house. Of course, you could use a shorter leash in the house! When the dog would start to jump up or start to run by a child, the owner would have enough control of the dog to keep it from doing the jumping or knocking over. She also told the children to say, "NO, OFF" if it attempted to jump up on them. I suggested that anytime the dog was in the house and not sleeping, or anytime the dog was outside with the children that the leash should be attached. Everyday, no exceptions for at least 2 weeks. Then, for short periods of time after the 2 week mark, the dog would be allowed off lead and the same commands were given. If the dog behaved, it stayed off lead. If it didn't, it went immediately back on lead for another 2 weeks, no exceptions. The human enforcement on the owner end of the leash coupled with the children or any other human for that matter, giving the commands seemed to reinforce the appropriate behavior. And of course, lots of praise when the dog was obedient! The owner told me later that she only had to put the puppy on the lead once after the first 2 week interval and now she doesn't have any problem with him jumping up on anyone. Don't know if this will help, but it certainly did in this case! This way, all involved get the desired results.

Christi Dorsey

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3)

The easiest solution to dogs jumping up is Positive Reinforcement of NOT jumping up. IN most cases I reward a fast sit in front of anyone. I train my dogs to sit every time they come to me ... which can be funny ... they will come flying through the yard; looking like I will be bowled over ... and skid into position with their butts on the ground. I also taught my neighbours dog to do this; as she always seemed to be wet from the canal; and jumping up with muddy paws. THE secret is in the reward; people in my classes do not seem to care if the dog actually sits every time; and are happy to teach the dog to simply greet with all 4 feet on the ground.... so they reward when ever all 4 are on the floor.

D. Jill Flook

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4)

TEACH the dog to sit every time it greets anyone. AND, the adults should NOT be allowing the dog to mow down the running child ... it starts as play, on the part of the child but quickly becomes a pack issue. The child should also be taught to tell the dog to sit; and should not encourage these games of tag until PACK order is well and firmly established in the household.

D. Jill Flook

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5)

I had my girls walk my dog on lead(in the fenced yard of course, dont want to risk a dragging) and they helped with obedience, Phaedra would sit for them for treats. Once the boss is established, the jumping on them stopped, they would say NO Phaedra, Sit and she would. I used to teach obedience in the dog project for 7-9 yr olds and of course the dogs were always large and unruly, but with10-15 min a day(less if dog or child becomes frustrated) by the third week, we had nicely mannered dogs.

Joyce Peckham

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6)in the room with the jumper and as soon as it jumps they spray it in the face. It has worked 90% of the time for my 6 yr old. Good luck. Unfortunately occasionally you get a dog that thinks it is a great game and keeps coming back. Hope this helps.

Leann Lolar

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7)

For whatever its worth, here is my advice...Give special attention to situations where the boxer may knock the child down and have an adult close by to give strong correction to the dog when she tries to knock the child down. As few sessions of strong reminders and positive reinforcement to the dog should go a long way in laying down the rules of what is expected, and a consistant approach of not allowing the dog to jump up on anyone or anything should come close to modifying this behavior. Hope this helps!

Audrey

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8)

My youngest boxer, a one year old girl, has always tried to do this with my son who is now 6. When I watched her with him, both in the house and in the yard, it seemed to me that she was playing with him as if he were another puppy, and she was showing off her superiority. I taught him to stop, stand his ground, and forcefully give her the commands that we are teaching her. One she figured out he was people, she started minding him almost as well as me, and you should hear him belting out OFF - SIT - DOWN! They still run and play, and sometimes they run into each other, but he feels in control now, and is so proud of helping me train her.

Vicky Nixon Knoxville, Tennessee

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9)

This is one of those situations where the only solution is adult intervention. The adults must NOT be lazy about this. They must supervise the dog while the dog and child are playing and correct the dog when it behaves by jumping on or chasing the child. There is NO magic bullet here, I'm sorry to say. Young children and dogs should not be left together unsupervised.

Linda (Peter) Michaels

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Outside Dogs

by Michigan Humane Society

Many potential adopters ask "Is this an 'Outside' dog?" Our answer is, "Not anymore." We attempt to place dogs with people who understand the need of a dog to be a part of the family. Even thousands of years ago when man and all animals lived "outside", there was a cave or den for shelter, and man and dogs lived in small groups or "packs". The truth is, times have changed but we and the dogs haven't. Both humans and dogs are "pack" animals, we do not tend to be solitary. Domesticated, companion dogs no longer have packs of other dogs to live with, so dogs now need to be members of human families or packs. Furthermore, both people and dogs are "den" animals. This is the reason that dogs can be housebroken. Dogs want shelter in a safe, secure den - your home - and they want their den to be clean. Obviously dogs can be forced to live outside, alone and away from their families. But to force this kind of life on a dog is one of the worst things you can do to him. Such a life goes against a dog's two most basic instincts: the pack and the den. If you have any doubts about these ideas, think of all the whining, barking, clawing dogs you have seen tied up alone outside. Dogs trying desperately to get their human families' attention, and then just giving up to become hyperactive, listless, fearful, or vicious when the stress of enforced solitude becomes too much to cope with. The rationale given by people who permanently keep their dogs outside is that they will spend time with the pet outside. Even the most well-meaning pet owner does not spend significant time outside, particularly when it is raining or cold. Consequently, under the best of circumstances for the outside dog, a bowl of food and water hastily shoved before him, a quick pat given, and his owner, his WORLD is gone, leaving the animal to spend another 22 or 23 hours alone. A dog brings you the gifts of steadfast devotion, abiding love, and joyful companionship. Unless you can responsibly accept a dog's offer of these great gifts, please do not get a dog. If you already have a dog, perhaps this article will help you to see things from his point of view, and possibly motivate you to change your relationship with him. A sad, lonely, bewildered dog, kept outside, wondering why he cannot be with his family, brings only sadness and unhappiness to the world.

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