Sources: Dogtime.com, Wikipedia

Our first breed will be the Chihuahua. Chihuahuas are the smallest breed of dogs and are descended from the Techichi, a companion dog favored by the Toltec civilization of Mexico.

There are two varieties of Chihuahua — the smooth coat (short haired) and the long coat. Both breeds are easy to keep clean and well-groomed. The UK kennel club considers them to be distinct breeds.

They are a comical and entertaining breed They have a huge personality in an itty-bitty frame; however, they don’t have the best reputation amongst the general public. Some of this can be genetic in nature, but too often it’s because so many Chi parents treat their Chi like a stuffed toy or doll. They tote them around, don’t teach commands, laugh at signs of aggression, make excuses for bad behavior, and soothe and cuddle their dog constantly. All dogs whatever their size must be taught good doggie behavior.

There are some things to consider when deciding to bring a Chihuahua into your home.
FRAGILITY—many people acquire a toy breed (puppy or adult) without understanding how fragile they can be. All toy breeds can be injured by being stepped on or they can injure themselves by jumping. Constant supervision is a must. Chis are not suited for young children. Most Chis can feel overwhelmed at loud noises and quick movements and can cause stress and fearfulness to the Chi and that can lead to defensive biting.
HOUSEBREAKING—because Chis hate the rain and cold, housebreaking can be difficult and slow-going. A covered potty area is recommended and can be very helpful. A doggie door can be a great help in letting the Chi run outside when his/her tiny bladder is full.
SOCIALIZING — Chis are suspicious by nature and need extensive exposure to people and unusual sights and sounds; otherwise they can become yappy and skittish. Socialization is key to avoiding to the bad behaviors that can result when the Chi is threatened by the world.
BARKING — Chis are quick to sound the alarm. If training is to be successful, your Chi needs to learn to follow your cues to cease barking.
SHEDDING — Since they are so small, shedding is not usually a big issue for people; but Chis do shed. Many potential Chi pets are misinformed that Chis are hypoallergenic or light shedding. How much they shed depends on their coat. Chihuahuas come in four different coat varieties — short coat, single; short coat, double; long coat, single; and long coat, double. Proper grooming can curtail some of the shedding issues.
HEALTH — since they are so tiny most of their injuries result from their size — being stepped on, jumping from the bed or other furniture. They are prone to loose knee joints and dental disease. A good premium dog food is a must for any dog and can help alleviate a lot of the health issues.

Source Yourpurebredpuppy.com

Choosing any dog (or cat) is a key to a happy life. Knowing as much as you can about the breed’s personality and needs will ensure that you choose a breed that is best for your family and lifestyle. It can be difficult if you’re rescuing a mixed breed dog — especially when you’re not exactly sure what the mix is. Our two rescues — Long Way Home Adoptables and Long Way Home Pit Bull Rescue can help with a lot of those questions. Our fosters will have largely evaluated the dog in a home setting and can tell you all you want to know about a particular dog and can give insight into their housebreaking, socialization, and training . They are fully vetted, microchipped, and treated for any known medical conditions.

I have rescued two dogs — one a Poodle/Schnauzer mix and one a Yorkie/we-don’t-know-what-other-breed mix. I have also fostered six other dogs before adopting my seventh foster. Working with a reputable rescue is by far the best way to know exactly what you’re getting from a personality standpoint. The foster parents have loved their fosters as their own and are instrumental in getting their foster ready to be loved in a forever home.

To look at the furbabies that are available for adoption or to volunteer as a foster, please visit www.mylongwayhome.org or visit the Facebook pages for each of our adoption branches.

Aren’t They Both Canines?
Dogs and wolves are the same species (Canis Lupis), however, they makeup different subspecies. Unlike species, subspecies can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. For example, if you breed a domestic dog and a wolf, you get a wolf-hybrid; wolf-hybrids can breed with other wolf-hybrids to produce wolf-hybrid puppies. If you breed a Lion and a Tiger, you get a Liger, but Ligers cannot breed to make Liger cubs. Because they are the same species, wolves and dogs have a lot in common. They use the same body language signals to express fear, excitement, and social status, and they use the same rituals for mating and birthing/raising their young.

How Do Dogs and Wolves Differ?
Although they share many similarities, dogs are wolves are different subspecies for a reason. Their genetics are slightly different, and dogs’ domesticated nature greatly influences their physical and behavioral characteristics. Domestic animals tend to retain more juvenile traits throughout their lifetime, which means dogs are intellectually and behaviorally more similar to wolf puppies than full grown, adult wolves. Domestication and selective breeding also produced a wide variety of dog shapes, sizes, colors, and personality differences that don’t exist among wolves. These docile traits allow humans and dogs to enjoy a bond of companionship that has lasted thousands of years and earns today’s dog the tile of man’s best friend.

Nutrition
Ensuring our dogs get adequate, proper nutrition is one of, if not the most important element of canine health. Food becomes fuel for our dogs’ bodies, and they use this fuel not only to function in everyday life but also to fight off viruses and bacteria. A dog’s nutrition should support healthy growth and development while also promoting a strong immune system for taking on environmental germs. The typical consensus of canine nutrition research says a dog’s nutritional needs depend on their activity level and physical size. Adjusting our dog’s food intake to manage and keep their body weight at a healthy level can reduce the risk for health issues associated with obesity and malnutrition.
Knowing how much food to feed our dogs is important; however, knowing what kind of food to feed them is even more beneficial. Unfortunately, many commercial-grade dog foods lack the balanced combination of nutritionally rich ingredients necessary to avoid causing and exacerbating health problems over time.

Quality Ingredients
A recent trend in both human and canine nutrition has been the controversy over highly processed, artificial foods. Although some people argue its nutritional adequacy, a study published by the American Society of Animal Science suggests, “the processing of commercial pet food can impact digestibility, nutrient bioavailability, and safety.” Numerous brands attempting to avoid these negative labels boast the term “natural” to entice owners into buying their products; however, “the term ‘natural,’ when used to market commercial pet foods […] has been defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials and [only requires] the pet food be preserved with natural preservatives.” This phrase does not ensure the food’s quality of ingredients or overall nutritional value.

Canines Are Carnivores… Right?
Based on their ancestry, physical attributes, and biological characteristics, yes, dogs are technically carnivores; however, today’s domestic dog has developed an omnivorous, scavenger-type diet made up of a complex balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals and adapted for a life among human companions. Although the time and effort necessary to replicate our dog’s ideal diet is nonexistent to most of us, the following guideline can help owners choose brands that provide better nutritional value without necessarily breaking the bank.
Try to choose a brand of dog food that uses whole, natural protein sources for the first three listed ingredients. Whole, natural protein sources include “salmon”, “pea protein”, “beef liver”, “egg product”, “chicken meal”, “turkey”, etc. Avoid brands using large quantities of processed vegetables/grains, preservatives, or by-products like “ground whole grain corn/wheat”, “poultry by-product meal”, or “natural flavors”, especially if these non-protein alternatives are listed in the first three ingredients.
Providing our dogs with a strong nutritional foundation is a crucial step to enjoying a long, happy, healthy companionship with our canine friends.

Sources:
Buff, P. R., Carter, R. A., Bauer, J. E. , and Kersey, J. H. (2014). Natural pet food: A review of natural diets and their impact on canine and feline physiology. Journal of Animal Science, 92, 3781-3791. doi: 10.2527/jas.2014-7789

Praise VS Food

A study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience by Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns and his associates claims dogs prefer praise over food from their human companions. Bern’s team trained dogs to stand for an MRI scan to study their preferences for social interaction and food reward. In an interview for his school’s news blog, Berns discusses their findings: “Out of the 13 dogs that completed the study, we found that most of them either preferred praise from their owners over food, or they appeared to like both equally. Only two of the dogs were real chowhounds, showing a strong preference for the food.” Many people assume dogs’ continue their domestic partnership with us for the sole purpose of being fed, but scientific developments like these suggest this isn’t always the case.

Petting VS Talking

Another study published in Behavioural Processes by Erica Feuerbacher and Clive Wynne claims dogs prefer petting to verbal praise. Their research tested three different groups of dogs: shelter dogs, owned dogs interacting with strangers, and owned dogs interacting with their owners. Their first experiment allowed each dog to choose between an assistant offering verbal praise and an assistant offering petting so the experimenters could evaluate the dog’s preferred interaction type. According to their results, “dogs preferred petting to vocal praise even when the owner was providing vocal interaction.” A second experiment then allowed each dog to interact with assistants one at a time and observed how much time the dogs spent in each interaction; “even when vocal praise was the only alternative available, dogs did not remain in proximity to the experimenter to obtain it.”

Although these studies’ results won’t apply to every dog, their findings offer a new look at how dogs perceive the dog-human relationship. This information may or may not deter owners’ interests in concocting the ultimate oatmeal-carrot dog treat recipe or verbally expressing excitement when Rover nails a difficult trick, but at least it gives us some extra solace knowing our dogs truly do love our companionship!

Sources:
Berns, G., et al. (2016). Awake Canine fMRI Predicts Dogs’ Preference for Praise Versus Food. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. Retrieved from

https://scan.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/08/10/scan.nsw102.full.pdf

Clark, C. (2016). A Dog’s Dilemma: Do Canines Prefer Praise Or Food?. eScienceCommons. Retrieved from https://news.emory.edu/stories/2016/08/esc_dogs_motiviation/campus.html

Feuerbacher, E., & Wynne, C. (2015). Shut up and pet me! Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) prefer petting to vocal praise in concurrent and single-alternative choice procedures. Behavioural Processes, 11047-59.

Dealing with the heat…
Keeping cool is exceptionally important when the heat can reach temperatures extreme enough to endanger our health. Just like people, dogs need to stay hydrated and avoid overheating when the weather becomes too hot for their bodies to regulate properly. Ice cubes are a fun way to treat dogs and combat high temperatures at the same time, but be sure dogs with ice cubes are monitored to prevent choking.
Although dogs do have sweat glands on their paw pads and nose, they release the majority of their excess body heat by panting. If a dog is panting without engaging in any physical activity, panting more than usual, or panting excessively, they might be too hot or overheating. If a dog spends most of their time outdoors, they need constant access to clean water and shade so they can escape the glaring sun when it gets too hot. Dogs with thicker or longer fur may need to be shaved during the summer months to help them keep cool, and dogs with short or no fur may need to wear sunscreen to protect their skin from the sun’s UV rays.
Leaving dogs unattended in a car during the summer months can be very dangerous. Dogs should never be left in a car while it’s off, because they can easily die from overheating. If the car is left on to keep the A/C running, dogs can jeopardize themselves or others by having access to the car’s gears, pedals, and buttons. When travelling with dogs, bring another human companion who’s capable of staying in the car with four-legged passengers during stops or errands.

Just add water…
Swimming can be a great way to beat the heat, and it’s a wonderful activity for releasing our dogs’ excess energy. Although water is usually related to cooling down during the summer, dogs exerting too much energy for long periods of time can still overheat in the water. By insisting our dogs take periodic breaks during large amounts of playtime and have access to fresh drinking water when they are thirsty, we can prevent risks associated with heat overexposure.
Having fresh drinking water around is also important when taking trips to the beach, because like people, dogs should not drink salt water. If they mistake ocean water for drinking water, it can result in vomiting, diarrhea, or dehydration. When visiting any natural body of water such as a pond, lake, or ocean, keep an eye out for sharp objects and critters who may not want to play. Smaller animals like snakes, turtles, and fish will typically stay away from larger animals, but if they are cornered or feel threatened, they may sting or bite.
Although some people don’t celebrate July 4th or keep their celebrating indoors, many of us hit the lake to grill and shoot off fireworks at the end of the day. Keeping a watchful eye on dogs who may be sensitive to sights and sounds is important during these summertime festivities. While fireworks can be exciting and beautiful for people, many dogs become anxious and panic at loud noises. Overstimulated dogs may whine, hide, or even bolt to escape the noise. If a dog starts exhibiting any signs of nervousness or anxiety during a party or group gathering, putting them in a separate, quiet room may help them calm down. If this doesn’t seem to help, securing them to a post or tree nearby within eyesight can prevent them from running away and getting lost if they become too frightened.

Although the heat can be daunting, summertime brings endless opportunities for fun in the sun with our dogs. Whether relaxing with family and friends, enjoying a road trip vacation, or going about a normal routine, being able to enjoy the time we have with our canine companions year-round is what makes being a puppy parent so great!

The Learning Process
When we commit to the responsibility of owning a dog, we must also commit to learning their body language signals so we can ensure their needs are met and efficiently communicate to them what we want. All animals learn through the principles of “operant conditioning” which are a) behaviors which are rewarded/reinforced will occur more often, and b) behaviors which are punished/corrected will occur less often. The science of operant conditioning is much more complex than this simplified description, but today’s topic is plenty complicated without the extra details. The important part is realizing our physical, mental, and emotional reactions can either reward or correct our dogs’ behaviors without us even realizing it. Dogs notice the tone, volume, and pitch of our words more than the words themselves. They pick up on subtle physical, chemical, and emotional changes in their environment, which means they can feel what we’re feeling at any moment. When we get frustrated by how our dogs are behaving, our body language will convey this through muscle tension, lowering our tone of voice, chemical changes in our brain, facial expressions, movement, etc. and our dogs can literally feel the emotion. They may not understand why their owner is feeling a certain way, but they know what their owner is feeling. This information is crucial when starting the training process, because tiny changes in our emotional state can greatly affect the results we get. If we purposely put our minds in a calm, relaxed, confident state while working with our dogs, they will pick up on these intentions and may respond more positively to training. A dog working with a frustrated owner may become fearful, confused, or start to ignore the owner because the dog starts feeling frustrated too! Because dogs cannot verbally communicate to us what they’re thinking and feeling, we need to pay attention to their body language to understand how they are responding to ours. Once we become more practiced at understanding our dogs and effectively communicating with them, implementing the training process into everyday life becomes second nature.

The Teaching Process
Teaching a dog to respond to verbal cues is very different from teaching a dog to behave politely in a variety of situations and circumstances. Dogs don’t generalize like people do, which means they must practice and often relearn what they are taught in multiple environments before they actually understand it. If we teach a dog to “sit” on cue by giving them treats at home in our kitchen, we must also reteach or practice this command with them in the backyard, without treats, with friends, etc. before the dog will actually understand the word “sit” means ‘put my tail-end on the floor’. Taking a dog somewhere to be trained for us or teaching our dogs to respond to verbal cues without practicing those cues in a variety of settings will not solve behavior issues or ensure a well-trained dog. This doesn’t mean verbal cues and training sessions aren’t important, it just means the only way a dog can truly understand what we want from them is to utilize every moment of their life as a training opportunity. We want to set our dogs up for success by practicing and making habits out of good behaviors as often as possible instead of only during designated training sessions. When a guest comes over and our dog jumps up to greet them, how do we respond? If we’ve practiced some basic verbal cues like “sit” with our dog, we can ask them to sit and only pet or greet them when they’re sitting politely. If this doesn’t work, why is it not working? Have we practiced the verbal cues enough for our dog to actually understand what we’re asking? Are they releasing pent up energy from being inside all day and too excited to listen? Does the guest pet and talk to the dog while they are jumping, unintentionally reinforcing the behavior? Every moment with our dogs is an opportunity to understand them so we can ensure we’re communicating what we want in a way they comprehend, which is exactly what training is all about.

Once you’ve arrived home from choosing your new companion, immediately take them outside to go to the bathroom so you can avoid any accidents while you’re showing them around inside. Do your best to keep them on a consistent schedule by taking them outside every few hours or even more frequently if you’ve adopted a puppy. After they’ve had time to relieve themselves and sniff around, bring them inside and introduce them to their crate or bedroom where they will be staying when you aren’t home. Giving dogs a space of their own where they can relax and feel safe will help them feel comfortable in their new surroundings.

Some dogs can be a bit overwhelmed when settling into their new home. Keep an eye on their body language to watch for signs of fear or anxiety. If you notice your dog showing any of these signals, try offering them some tasty treats or toys to play with. If this doesn’t seem to help, slow, gentle movements and some quiet time might be a better way to help them adjust to their new surroundings. Patience is key when helping dogs adjust in their new home. Be sure to inform any other household members, especially children, your new dog needs time to adjust, and it might take time for them to warm up and be friendly.

A predictable feeding and walking routine will help your dog find stability and feel more comfortable. Ask the shelter or rescue what times they’ve been fed and what brand of food they use. Try to keep your dog on the same feeding schedule for the first couple of days to avoid giving them an upset stomach. If you’re eventually wanting to move them to new feeding times or a different type of food, change their routine gradually by slowly mixing in the new brand with some of the food they’re already used to over a few days.

Every dog is different. Watch and listen to your new companion as they settle into their life with you, and figure out what works best for both of you to encourage a happy, healthy relationship between you and your dog!

Emily Carney is the founder and head trainer of InterAct Canine Services.  If you wish Emily to answer a specific question or would like more information on a particular topic, please e-mail your ideas to paula@mylongwayhome.org.

If you are looking for some great stocking stuffers for the Christmas season, please check out our selection.  You can find the catalog here:  https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/sherry1tiffany2/guest-landing/8942166555803.  Please feel free to share it with your friends.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at paula@mylongwayhome.org