Pet-sitting during vacation

Publication: Bangalore Mirror;

Date: Apr 29, 2014;

Section: City;

Page: 4

    Summer holidays. It’s time for a family vacation. But, what about the pet? While there are several pet friendly resorts and home stay options available, it might not be an option for you. What does one do if they are forced to leave their dog behind? There are several boarding options. But those are often booked out even before you plan your vacation. Then there is an interesting homestay option called Waggle, where regular dog lovers play host to your dog and you can find a home that is right for you. But what if you’d rather leave your dog with a relative or a neighbour? Then here are few tips to help you prepare.

    Plan in advance. Make several trips to your dog sitter’s house, so that your dog gets familiar and comfortable in the new environment. If you can afford to do sleep-overs, that’s even better. The more secure your dog feels in the new environment, the smoother this vacation is going to be for you. Visits and sleep-overs also help the dog and the hosts to develop a routine. The hosts need to know when to walk your dog and how. Your guidance is crucial. The dog needs to find his pee and poop spots around that neighbourhood.

    There needs to be some agreement on where the dog will sleep. While the dog may sleep in your bedroom at night, the arrangement may be different in the host’s home. Meal

schedules and meal contents need to be detailed out too. All these details get ironed out with sleep-overs. If a sleep-over is not possible, try to make a detailed list of your dogs routine — from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed and everything in between; walk schedules, meal schedules, supplements, toys, recreation, bowls, beds…just run through the entire day and write down every tiny detail you can think of. Discuss the list in detail with your pet-sitter.

    Change in meals can disturb a dog’s digestion. So discuss if it’s possible for your dog to get fed the same food that he is used to. If that’s not possible, find out what they can feed him and get him used to his new meal a few days before you leave. Dry dog food is the easiest option. Send sufficient dog chow to the pet-sitter. Dog food is not cheap!

    There are companies like Canine Cuisine that deliver freshly prepared meals every day. That’s a convenient option too if your pet-sitters don’t mind feeding your dog non-veg food. If you opt for the home delivery option, don’t forget to let the meal providers know the address and your travel dates.

    Leave behind as many familiar things as possible at the pet-sitter’s place. Food and water bowls are a must. A few toys, a bed or blanket will provide comfort. Leash, harness, collars should also be packed and sent to his temporary home. The idea is to keep change minimal.

    Last, but not the least, leave behind emergency numbers — your numbers, alternate numbers if you are unreachable, and your vet’s number. If your dog has any health issues, educate your pet-sitter on symptoms to look out for and inform your vet about your travel dates. There are several online support groups for dog lovers. Bombat Dawgz is one such community I moderate. It’s a good idea to enroll your pet sitter in such a group, so that in case of any emergency, your dog’s host has someone to consult. And do call in at least once during your vacation to check in on your dog and his host. Happy holidays! 

Leash Walking

I often love to demonstrate leash walking. Dogs seem to understand several languages and will follow me irre spective of what language I use -English, Kannada, French, Norwegian...it does not matter; human language is just noise to the dog. I rely on non-verbal communication -my shoulders pointed towards the direction I want to go and it's the dog's nature to join you and head in the same direction.

How often have we seen people standing adamantly, pulling back on a leash, facing a dog and yelling “Tommy come on! Let's go.“ All Tommy is understanding is: “Tommy blah blah! Blah blah.“ Tommy takes one look at your shoulders and assumes mommy wants to go this way, so do I. If you want Tommy to realise that you want to go in the opposite direction, then you need to turn away.

If you stand still and don't pull, but be adamant, you will notice something: your dog will sit down. This again is the universal language of the dog. You too can speak the same language by kneeling, facing away from the dog, in the direction you want to go to. And eventually the dog will turn to your preferred direction.

At the start, there could be a lot of changing of directions! Persist and soon your dog will be walking like a pro, as long as you are willing to respect the wishes of the dog to go sniff where he wants to. What matters is that your dog gets his fair share of things to explore -as long as he does not pull.

Now we come to equipment. Choke collars and regular collars go around the neck of the dog. Even the best trained dogs can sometimes pull or you might have to pull him back from one of the inconsiderate city drivers. When the pull happens the soft lower part of the neck takes all the pressure. This has some very drastic effect. In order to make walks a stress free pleasant walk remember the following » » Comfortable equipment like a good quality harness Give and take you let the dog where he wants to go when he is not pulling » No walk when he is pulling. Just change direction. Don't pull him as far as possible.

Summer Treats

Publication: Bangalore Mirror;Date: Apr 15, 2014;Section: City;Page: 4

 I feel like I am melting this summer and refuse to wear anything other than cotton at this time of the year. Think of the fur coats that our canine companions have to keep on at all times — breaks your heart, doesn’t it? Of course, our native breeds fare a bit better. They have nice long snouts that help them regulate body temperature, thanks to a cavity they have in their snout to serve this purpose. Their coat length is just perfect. Not too long, and yet long enough to capture a film of air to keep the skin temperature regulated. They are also lean. But all other breeds, particularly the dogs with shorter snouts, longer fur, and more fat, really bear the brunt of the summer heat. So here are some tips to ease their discomfort. 

    First, a note of caution — DO NOT shave them bald. The fur is necessary to trap air and keep them cool. So go for a light trim. Moreover, shaved off fur does not always grow back. 

    Second, an alert — Do not feed them anything from the freezer. Dogs are not the best at regulating body temperature. So the extremes in temperature can be quite damaging. ACs are also not the best of solutions, particularly for dogs with short snouts as it can dehydrate their mucous membrane, making it harder to breathe. Imagine the brain freeze you have when you swallow crushed ice. An exaggerated version of that is what the dog feels. So no ice, no shaving. 

    Your mantra this summer should be hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Give your dog as much room temperature water as he wants. Some dogs prefer drinking directly from the tap. Do grant him that luxury. After all he has the burden of his fur to bear. Some dogs will romp around in the water bowl and then lie in the water they have managed to spill. I’d suggest you help them and add to the water on the floor by mopping the floor, leaving it wet and putting a fan near it. The cool tiles will bring them some relief. 

    While it’s not great to feed ice, adding some ice to their meal is not a bad idea. It will cool down the entire meal and make it easier to eat. Try feeding diluted curd or buttermilk, if your dog is not lactose-intolerant. Don’t expect your dog to be too enthusiastic about food in general. Appetite and energy levels drop. There can be excessive shedding too. The dogs can be irritable, less interested in hugs and cuddles, and generally aloof. Think of the fur jacket and let the poor dog be. 

    There are a few cooling mats and jackets available in the market. But I am always nervous trying them out as I fear the consequences of the dog chewing through them in frustration. I prefer putting out damp old towels. Or wiping down the dog with a damp cloth a few times a day. However, if you have a dog with several folds in the skin, like a boxer or a pug, take care not to leave the folds moist. Those must be dry at all times. 

    And now for a fun recipe — Chilled Yogurt. All you need is a fruit — watermelon, banana, mango, apple, pear, and papaya are safe bets. Get rid of the seeds. Dice or grate the fruit. Add the fruit, two cups of curd, honey for taste, some cinnamon powder, and two tablespoons of unsalted peanut butter into a blender and run it. Pour the mixture into small cups that you get with takeaway food. Put them in the fridge (but not in the freezer). When it’s time to feed, leave the cup out for a few minutes, then serve it in the parking lot or garden because it can get messy. But there is nothing cuter than watching a dog grasp the cup between his paws and go at the treat. 

    Enjoy your summer and be kind to your dogs. Remember the fur coat? They have it hard this time of the year, so cut them some slack! 

Orion -the star

Apr 08 2014 : Mirror (Bangalore)

As a canine family coach I see several first-time pet parents who come to me. While all of them have a unique equation with their dog, one parent and her pet stands out in my mind -Smita Chowdhury and her dog Orion. She adopted him from an animal welfare organisation when he was about five weeks old.

I am curious about what goes on in the mind of a first time pet parent? I asked Smita: Being a first-time pet parent, what is the one thing you were least prepared for? Pat came the reply: “There is a reason it's called pet parent and not owner or lord and master. It consists of both joys and stress (toilet training, worrying about their physical and psychological health, etc.) of having a baby. The joys are actually innumerable and quite magical. You have to feel the love of another being to be able to articulate it.“ Her advice to other first time pet parents: go into it with eyes open, expecting immense joy and tremendous responsibility. How did Smita pick Orion? Prior to the act, did she mull over which dog to adopt?

Apparently, she was “not really looking for anything specific“. She wanted a puppy, “that's it“ and knowing that shelters were full of pups looking for home, she made her way straight to a shelter and picked this little brat (in the pic).
But, why did she pick an Indian dog? “I'm mighty glad we got an Indian dog for the sheer compatibility with our envi ronment,“ she said. “This translates to better health (no inbred issues common in human-bred pedigrees) and better comfort in our climate resulting in better tempers.“ It was clear that she had considered the welfare of Orion first and foremost.

Smita loves “everything“ about Orion. “From the nightly snuggles, the good morning kisses, the I'm-a-goodboy-now-go-get-me-some-treats-look, the mad, joyful running across the house, and finally, to the quiet settling down beside my feet whenever and wherever I may be.

Each day, just getting to know more about this mostly goofy and sometimes oh-so-solemn dog is a joy,“ says Smita. She is clearly smitten by Orion. Dogs are not a commodity for her -something to own or to `show-off'. I like pet parents like that. What do such pet parents desire for their dogs? “Dog Parks!“ says Smita promptly. “And Awareness! Awareness about community dogs and their stellar role in our lives. Irrational fear/contempt is passed on to unsuspecting kids and thus, the thankless cycle continues.“ The only regret she has is not having grown up with dogs.

Does it all boil down to what we teach our children? Vasudeva kutumbakam -whole world (and everything born of this earth) is one single family -is a major part of our culture. Do we really teach our children that? All people, all creatures -great and small -are to be treated with due respect. I wonder if we, by not recognising the soul within these beings (dogs), by not respecting them and teaching our children to respect them, if we are living up to our culture that we so proudly boast of.