The first time I heard one of my clients refer to his dog as a 'chick magnet', it surprised me.  But the more I thought about it, the more I agreed.  When I am walking, I am naturally attracted to people with pets.  The pet is an ice breaker, a conversation starter for people who don't know each other.  
    In 2000, Dr. June McNicholas and Dr. Glyn Collis carried out a study to determine if dogs are indeed, chick magnets.  In the first phase of their study, they had a male test subject walk alone and with a highly trained therapy dog who would not solicit attention through a park and measured the number of social interactions.  Of course, the number of social interactions were the greatest when the dog was present.  In the second phase, they used a new male test subject and changed his appearance from well dressed to scruffy and measured the number of social interactions he received with and without the dog.  Again, the test subject received the most social interaction when the dog was present irrespective of his dress.  The scientists concluded that dogs are a great catalyst for human social interaction.
    People share an innate connection with animals.  Simply being around an animal will lower our stress and improve our mood.  Scientists call this 'the human-animal bond.'  My next series of blog posts will focus on this wonderful relationship.  In the meantime, please enjoy the picture posted below of Paul with two adorable chick magnets, Sasha and Captain!




-McNicolas, J. and Collis, G. 'Dogs as catalysts for social interactions:  Robustness of the effect.' British Journal of Psychology (2000), 91, 61-70.   

 

Dominance based aggression which is also referred to as impulse control aggression or conflict aggression is the last type of canine aggression. Frankly, I don't care too much which term is used as long as people understand how dangerous it is to interact with dogs with this kind of aggression. These dogs are bullies! They want to control everything and everybody in their lives. Thankfully, in my experience, this is the least common cause of aggression. Out of the hundreds of aggressive dogs I have worked with, only a handful exhibited this form of aggression. << MORE >>

Resource guarding is a common form of aggression in dogs. The dog protects valuable resources such as food, toys, treats, furniture, blankets, other dogs and even people. For this reason it is also known as possessive aggression. The dog protects its possessions with a growl or stare. If the warning is ignored, they may escalate to biting.<< MORE >>

As discussed in my prior post, some dogs become aggressive due to fear. These animals live by the slogan, "The best defense is a great offense." Some dogs become aggressive after a specific incident such as being attacked by another animal. The other common cause is anxiety. Anxiety causes fear in both humans and animals. If the dog can't escape from the anxiety provoking stimulus, it becomes aggressive. The principal behind treating an anxious dog is simple - build up their confidence. But doing that can be challenging. As is often the case, a little common sense and patience go a long way. Here are some tips for helping an anxious aggressive dog. Please note, some severely anxious dogs require anxiolytic therapy before implementing the following steps.<< MORE >>

Over the years, I have worked with many dogs who became aggressive toward other dogs after being attacked. These attacks usually occur during puppyhood when the dog is more vulnerable. Afterward, the victim is afraid of other dogs who look like the attacker. They often freeze, look away, try to escape and refuse to eat when confronted by a look alike. Unfortunately, the subtle signs of fear are often missed by the pet's people and not handled properly. The fearful dog begins to bark, growl and/or snap to drive the other dog away. With time, the fear spreads to other dogs, animals and even objects. This is when most people get professional help from a veterinarian or behaviorist.<< MORE >>

Aggression in dogs is divided into three types, dominance associated, fear associated and resource associated. Aggression may also be associated with dogs who suffer from pain or anxiety. For the next two weeks, my blogs will tackle this complex issue. This post will introduce the types of aggression. In the posts that follow, I will give general guidelines for treating each type. Please remember, most dogs require a customized long-term treatment plan for a successful outcome. Above all, be careful! Take precautions to make sure everyone involved, including other pets in the family, are safe at all times. << MORE >>

Whenever I work with a dog who suffers from chronic ear and anal gland infections, I worry about a food allergy.  My dermatology professor called it, "Ears and rears."  When I see a patient with ear problems and impacted anal glands, especially in younger dogs, food allergy goes to the top of my rule out list.  I recommend a 12 week food trial with a novel antigen or hypoallergenic diet.  If using the novel antigen approach, make sure both the protein and carbohydrate source are new to the dog.

During the trial, the patient cannot eat anything but the test food.  One treat can ruin the entire trial!  Here are some of the common ways that food trials are ruined;

1)  Treats - All treats are forbidden during the trial.  All family members and neighbors must be on board with the trial.  No sneaking allowed.  This includes treats through the backyard fence. 
2)  Medications - Heartguard may not be given during a food trial nor can other flavored medications.
3)  Free roaming - It is impossible to conduct a food trial on a dog who goes outside unattended. 
4)  Cat food, vomit or feces - During a food trial, the dog must be kept away from cat food, hair balls and the litter box. 

After the trial is over, I like to introduce the original food again and see if the signs return. 

It time for the annual 2012 Desert Dog Police K9 Trials!  Come to Scottsdale Stadium on Saturday April 14th and Sunday April 15th to see the police dogs and their handlers compete.  Pictured below is Kaos competing at the 2011 competition.  You may recall Kaos visited me in the hospital and brought great joy when I was fighting cancer.  I'm glad he didn't think I was a bad person like this poor fellow in the yellow shirt!  More information is available at http://www.desertdogk9trials.com/. 

It is my pleasure to announce the winners of the 2012 Animal Charity Grant:  The Humane Society of Southern Arizona in collaboration with the Pima Library Foundation!  This November 4th, I look forward to speaking on their behalf.  This is a great example of two terrific organizations coming together to create a wonderful event for donors. 

If you wish to learn more about these non-profits and their good work in Pima County, here are their links:

    www.hssaz.org

    www.pimalibraryfoundation.org


Around year-end, I will announce the application process for the 2013 Animal Charity Grant.  Congratulations to this year's winners! 

My last blog post discussed how several medical and behavior problems may cause nighttime meowing and yowling. This post will discuss treatments and how to get your cat back on your sleep/wake cycle. << MORE >>