Walking in summer

Feb 24 2015 : Mirror (Bangalore)

So it seems official. Summer's here. While we eagerly wait for the mango showers, we need to start actively thinking about providing respite to our dogs from the heat. Temperature control is one part of it that I discussed in an earlier article. Hydration is another issue that needs to be on our minds often.

More than a year ago, a project called the Water Bowl Project caught my attention.It was aimed at providing large urns on road sides and getting people to fill water in it for the dogs and cows on the streets. I thought that was a great initiative. So last year, I gathered a little group of my own and we did the same. I installed one of the urns near my then home. I put it there for Kermit, the street dog that had adopted our street. But it was not until recently that I realised how small gestures pay forward.

We were walking along the street in front of my old home. Our dogs were getting dehydrated and started panting. I wanted to stop the walk short and return. But Nishi, my boxer, insisted that we move forward. She went all the way up to our old home. I presumed it was some sort of nostalgia that led her there. But as we got in front of the home, she trotted off to cross the street. She went straight to the urn and had her head buried deep in it. When I caught up with her, I saw that there was fresh clear water in it and she was drinking gladly.

That's when it struck me. The ecosystem had worked and had come the full circle. Putting in place the urn and having a person there bond with the street dog ensured there was fresh water in the urn. Fresh water in the urn helped my dog when she needed it. So, it's perhaps time to think a little bigger and get a water source installed at least along your regular walk path and ensuring water in it for your dog and perhaps a few other dogs when they need it the most.

Apart from this, be mindful of carrying water during walks and car rides to vets, parks etc. If it's a car ride, you can carry a bowl. If it's a walk, then you might need a collapsible bowl or a specialised bottle. Some dogs are experts at drinking water off a cupped palm.

Hydration during walks is important because a dehydrated dog can get uncomfortable and irritable. Irritable dogs struggle to make the most of their walk. Walks are meant to stimulate a dog's sense of sight, smell, vision, feeling under their paws and give them new safe experiences.A comfortable dog will stop frequently to sniff, observe, walk on different surfaces and gradually explore new objects. An uncomfortable dehydrated dog will find it hard to concentrate, let alone explore. Walks can get very stressful for dogs and owners.

One quick fun tip for this time of the year. Tree's are shedding like there is no tomorrow. That means leaf piles.If there are fresh small leaf piles in non-snake-infested areas, then it's a good idea to let the dogs romp around in the leaves. My dogs love it! And finally, while you take care that your companion dog is as comfortable as you can make him, do consider participating in any project that provides water sources for a few additional animals.

Preparing for Summer

Feb 10 2015 : Mirror (Bangalore)

Ilove February. It does not have much to do with the exuberant display of love and affection towards the middle of the month. It has more to do with the season.

It seems like that time of the year when Bengaluru shows off its best. It's that season where one needs to be in jeans and tees during the day and has to carry a jacket for the evenings, though my wardrobe itself has a certain consistency of muddy paw prints irrespective of seasons and occasions. While we enjoy the typical pleasant Bengaluru weather, it's also time to start preparing for summer.

February is that oddly deceptive month where when you leave home, it is perhaps cool and comfortable, if not a bit chilly. But the afternoons can get quite warm. If you live in an apartment as most of the city does, then there is a good chance that the apartment is beginning to warm up during the day. And if you are away from home like most of working Bengaluru is, then it's quite possible that you are not realising that your dog may be overheating back home, while you are in your air-conditioned office, with memories of the cool morning and the chilly breeze of the evening when you see your dog again. So remember that the priority this season is to leave your dog with the right tools to cope with the warmth and the cold during the day.

When leaving home, leave the fan running in one room, so that the dog can go cool himself if he needs to during the warmer part of the day. If you are leaving home during the evening, then you need to ensure warmth for the dog. If you are leaving your dog in a single room for a stretch of time, ensure the room is roomy enough to have warm and cool spots for your dog and consider how the temperature drops and rises during the day in that one room. Be aware of what your dog's day looks like.

A dog will also need water to cool down. If your dog is emptying the water in his bowl, then you need to consider that your dog's water consumption is increasing during the day and you need to provide water accordingly. Some dogs will choose to cool themselves down further by splashing water around and lying in it. It is just a sign of a dog coping and should not be punished.

Try to regulate the temperature in the home by watching how the house heats up during the day and close the drapes if you need to keep the sun out to prevent overheating of any particular spot. At the same time, ensure that your dog has access to sunbathing some time during each day. Balance is the key.

Dogs like soft surfaces to sleep on. So blankets and mattresses should be left behind for them. Soft cotton blankets breathe and make for great surfaces for dogs to use during warmer hours. Mattresses, on the other hand, provide the warmth dogs need during the cooler hours of the day.

Discomfort is one of the primary reasons for behavioural issues. Providing a dog some control over his own basic needs like temperature regulation for comfort is one such thing that we don't always think about. I have been taught to emphasise on choice in a dog's life. This month, can you give your dog the gift of choice? That could be the grandest gesture of your love for your dog. Your dog will appreciate it for sure.

Bites due to poor health

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Feb 2, 2015, 08.38 PM IST

This week, I want to talk about a very serious topic - biting family dogs. A dog is a non confrontational animal by nature and gets along well with humans and other dogs. So a bite is very uncharacteristic for a dog and really is the dog's last effort at asking someone to back off. If a dog is feeling so cornered as to bite, we need to examine what is causing him to feel so insecure; and it's our responsibility as their pet parents not to put them in a situation that makes them feel so desperate.

Dogs bite when stress mounts so high that they don't see a way out. But realising that the dog is in that situation after the bite happens is a bit too late. As pet parents, we need to get good at reading our dogs' emotions well, so that we can tell if our dog is stressed early on and take the necessary actions.

To know if your dog is stressed, check for one or more of these odd behaviours - frequent loss of temper, biting the leash or pants, mouthing excessively, copious water consumption, repetitive behaviours like digging, chasing one's own tail, biting oneself in the same spot, scratching oneself in the same place etc.

Leading causes of extreme stress in dogs that can lead to bites is poor health, pain, hunger, being tied for long hours, being alone for long hours and punishments in the form of beating and intimidation. There are many other things that cause stress in a dog, but today, I want to focus on two things in particular.

Health and pain can be the most elusive of these, since it's hard for us to spot what's going on. That's why I'd like to focus on that today. Dogs can be quite stoic when it comes to expressing pain and discomfort and we too can be a bit blind sometimes in our busy lives. We do not see the signs that tell us that our dog is suffering. Regular visits to the vet will not suffice. These days, vets run so busy that it's easy to miss out less obvious diseases. But as pet parents, we need to watch closely and be responsible for the animal that is completely trusting us to do right by him.

Behavioural issues that have their roots in health issues will be combined with visible signs of poor health. These can include poor, dry fur, dandruff, bad breath, over or under weight, unclear eyes, funny gait etc. If your dog is falling sick frequently with repeated loose stools, tick and flea infestations, allergies etc. then you need to be concerned about his health.

Common health issues include joint problems like hip dysplasia, allergies, heart issues and hypothyroidism. These days, with all the extensive breeding going on, several of our dogs are coming with these issues coded in their genes. So unless you have one of those hardy Indies, do watch your dog closely for these recurring problems.

Behavioural issues that have basis in ill health cannot be fixed with any amount of behavioural corrections and should not be done so either. An animal in discomfort should not be kept in that state for the sake of the animal and the safety of people and animals around.

So, as responsible pet parents, it is down to us to observe the behaviour of our dogs, identify extreme behaviours and ensure that any underlying health issues are detected and taken care of.

Puppy Proofing is temporary lifestyle change

Published in: Feb 17 2015 : Mirror (Bangalore)

Most good puppy primers talk about puppy proofing as a necessary part of bringing home a puppy. Puppy proofing, in my experience, is the least stressful way to avoid destruction of valuable objects in the house.Additional techniques may be necessary. But along with other methods, effective puppy proofing is a must. It's effective irrespective of the age of the dog or the extent of destructiveness.

Puppy proofing is not as much a technique as a temporary lifestyle change. It may last a few weeks or a few months, depending on how entrenched old habits are. But if done effectively, it should get done sooner than you expect. However, you need to mentally prepare yourself for significant changes, albeit temporary. You may need to warn visitors with, “We will be puppy proofing for two months. So please excuse the way the house looks.“ You may need to change your cleaning ritual. But you need to sit down and give that some thought. Still with me?
Okay. Here we go.

Start off by envisioning the entire space your puppy can access. Be it indoors, outdoors or multiple locations. If you miss out a single room, you are at risk of losing valuable objects in that room.

Now puppy proof the entire space. There are plenty of resources online on this. But the gist of it is this ­ if you find objects that you value a lot, tell the object, “I value you a lot.So I am going to put you away for 2 months. This is for your own good. Bye for now“. This is important because, irrespective of any method followed, accidents happen and there are some accidents you would rather avoid. These objects are too valuable.

Puppies are very curious and love to explore and discover new things. The next step is to put a lot of objects like green coconuts, coconut stems, jute coir cotton ropes, jute bags, old cotton clothes etc. When your pup gets into a certain space and is looking for things to do, it's important to provide him with options in that room. Don't expect him to carry his entertainment with him. Exploring the room is his entertainment.

Puppy proofing from here on becomes an evolving one for the rest of the program. If your puppy goes into a certain space you did not expect him to or takes a valuable object that you forgot to put away, calmly walk away, find some old object that can be given to him and start making some sounds in another room. The object should be new to him. None of his own old objects, please. Once he comes there to examine the new object and is engrossed in it, calmly take away the valuable object or figure out a temporary barrier in front of the space he was not supposed to get into.

SOME THINGS TO AVOID ARE

1. Puppy proof once, no follow-up: Completely defeats the purpose of the initial puppy proofing 2. Not doing the proofing thoroughly: It's just too many “forbidden objects“ around for the dog. It's just too stressful for him to learn effectively 3. Not giving enough objects of his own: If the space is cleaned up and not replaced with other interesting objects, the dog is likely to get very bored. The next target will be immovable like furniture. The dogs may also start to get crafty figuring out how to bring down objects.

If your dog needs this, then I wish you the best for the next two months. If you have before and after pictures of your home after puppy proofing, I'd love it if you shared them with me.