ANIMAL
For a long, healthy life!
WELLNESS MENTAL ENRICHMENT… WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
8
WAYS TO
WHY SOME DOGS
BARK
TOO MUCH
– AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
SOCIALIZE YOUR DOG
— WHEN YOU HAVE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE
CAN A
RAW DIET PREVENT FLUTD IN YOUR CAT?
TOP TIPS TO KEEP HER
hydrated EMOTIONAL STRESS HOW TO STAY ON TOP OF IT
HOW
TECHNOLOGY
IS IMPROVING HIS LIFE JUNE/JULY 2021 Display until July 26, 2021
$6.95 USA/Canada
VOLUME 23 ISSUE 3
N U T R IT IO
US SUMM ER
SMOOTHIE BOWLS F O R YO U R DOG!
AnimalWellnessMagazine.com
CONTENTS June/July 2021
Columns 10 MIND, BODY & SPIRIT
Mental enrichment — why it’s so important for your dog
34 Features 34
ummer smoothies you can share S with your dog Smoothies are a delicious and refreshing way to boost nutritional intake. And with a few ingredient tweaks, you can also share them your dog!
40 Emotional stress in dogs — part 1 A close-up look at emotional stress in dogs — and how our own stress contributes to theirs.
56
How technology is improving your pet’s life
68
From pet cams to automated toys, here’s a look at some of the technological tools and devices that enhance the health and happiness of our dogs and cats.
Does your dog bark too much?
Dogs bark for many reasons, but if your own pooch is too “talkative”, it’s important to discover why, and find positive ways to curb his barking behavior.
16 4
Animal Wellness
24 TRAINING TALK 8 ways to socialize your new dog — when you have to social distance
Dogs get bored, frustrated, anxious and depressed due to lack of mental stimulation. Introduce more variety and fun into your dog’s life using mental enrichment.
How can you introduce your new dog to the world when we can’t freely interact with others? Here are eight suggestions to safely socialize your new dog during the pandemic.
14 LEARNING
28 FELINE HEALTH
CURVE
How to enhance your dog’s learning ability Improving your dog’s well-being through things like bodywork, diet, and quality time enhances her learning ability – and her quality of life!
16 HEALTH WATCH How to keep your dog or cat hydrated
Adequate water intake is essential to good health, particularly during the hot summer months. Here’s why, along with tips on keeping your dog or cat hydrated.
20 AT HOME Working from home with pets
Over a year into the pandemic, more people are working from home than ever. Here are ways to maintain your productivity while managing your dog or cat’s need for attention.
How a raw diet can prevent FLUTD in your cat
Lower urinary tract disease is one of the most common conditions affecting felines. Ridding your cat of FLUTD may be as simple as switching him to a raw diet.
32 SAFETY FIRST Does your dog love the water?
Your dog may get a big kick out of wading, splashing and swimming in lakes and streams. Read on for some tips to help ensure your aquatic pooch stays safe and healthy.
38 SPOTLIGHT
Which breeds make the best service dogs? Service dogs play a valuable role in the lives of those with long-term illnesses and disorders. Here’s a look at the breeds that make the best service dogs.
23 GOOD
44 ALTERNATIVE
LA animal shelters latest to achieve no-kill status
Chiropractic care for canine anxiety
TO HEAR!
APPROACH
We usually think of chiropractic care in terms of relieving pain in our dogs, but it can also have a positive effect on canine anxiety.
54 46 BRIGHT SPOT 50 NEED
TO KNOW
The case against declawing A growing number of countries have banned declawing. Learn why this procedure is so debilitating for cats, and consider some humane alternatives.
54 GOING GREEN
How sustainable is your dog or cat’s lifestyle? Your four-legged friend’s carbon “pawprint” is probably larger than you think! Here are 8 ways to make his lifestyle more sustainable.
60 ANIMAL HERO Doug to the Rescue
61 NUTRITION KNOWHOW
62 EMOTIONAL
74 KNOW
Do dogs grieve?
Kitty quirks
WELL-BEING
Gary the Cat
Dogs may not experience grief the same way we do, but their behaviors after a human or animal companion passes indicate they do feel a sense of loss and bereavement.
From the “zoomies” to kneading, our cats engage in some endearing but sometimes puzzling behaviors. Take a look at some common kitty quirks and what they mean.
66 HEALTH ALERT
Holistic vets who work with animal communicators
Foxtail barley — a danger to your dog
This feathery grass looks beautiful, but foxtail barley seeds have tiny barbs can attach to your dog’s coat and burrow into his skin, ears and nose. Find out how you can protect him.
72 HEALING
76 AT THE VET Once dismissed as bogus, animal communication is being taken more seriously by holistic veterinarians, some of who are now working with communicators to enhance patient care.
INSIDE & OUT
Preventing and managing arthritis in your dog or cat
Decoding pet food marketing jargon
Departments 7 Editorial
YOUR CAT
68
48 Newsworthy
79 Marketplace
27 Product picks
53 Let’s get social!
79 Events
31 From the NASC
59 Summer selections 81 Recall roundup 71 To the rescue 82 News report 78 Classifieds
43 Animal Wellness Academy product reviews
Social Media
Tips, contests and more! AnimalWellnessMagazine
Nutrition videos, recipes and more! Animal Wellness Magazine
Tips, pet photos, and more! AnimalWellnessMagazine
Crafts, laughs, and more! AnimalWellness
Animal Wellness
5
LEARNING CURVE
enhance
HOW TO
By Emily Watson
your dog’s
learning ability Improving your dog’s well-being through things like bodywork, diet, and quality time enhances her learning ability — and her quality of life!
Do you have the power to make your dog smarter? The short answer is “yes”! While some breeds such as border collies and German shepherds have a reputation for being the “smartest” canines, the truth is that all dogs are capable of retaining and applying a lot more knowledge than you might think. And we can sharpen their intelligence even further! While using the right training approaches is important, you can also enhance your dog’s learning ability by supporting her body, mind and soul. Let’s take a closer look…
BODY Illness and injury can hinder your pup’s willingness and ability to learn and behave, so keeping her healthy is vitally important. Not only will it make her a more successful student — it’ll make her a happier dog! Make sure she gets enough exercise
A bored dog is a bad-mannered dog. The easiest fix? Exercise! Not only will daily walks keep your pup fit, they’ll burn off her excess energy so she’ll be less scattered during your training sessions.
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Animal Wellness
Feed her a high quality diet
A well-balanced, biologically appropriate diet will vitalize your dog from the inside out, enhancing everything from her physical health to her attention span. Certain supplements can also increase her learning ability. Omega-3s, for instance, support cognitive function, behavior and memory in dogs as they age. Offer her regular bodywork sessions
Bodywork modalities such as massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, Bowen therapy, Reiki, and T-touch help improve your dog’s wellness on a “whole” level. Depending on what type of bodywork you choose, it can help balance your dog’s energy, reduce pain from injuries and muscle tension, induce relaxation, and improve focus — all factors that contribute to an enhanced learning ability. Use the right training tools
Gentle, size-appropriate tools will protect your pup from harm and encourage her to learn through supportive encouragement
rather than manipulation. Prong collars and choke chains, for instance, should be replaced with harnesses and clickers. Perform regular health checks
In addition to bi-annual vet appointments, performing regular health checks at home can help ensure your canine companion stays in peak physical condition. Remember — the healthier she is, the more ready and able she’ll be to absorb what you teach her! Learn how to do an at-home health check at animalwellnessmagazine.com/ home-health-check-dog-cat.
MIND Psychological enrichment plays a key role in your dog’s learning ability. Here are some tactics you can apply to keep her on her mental game! Buy her some interactive toys
Engage your pup’s mental faculties on a frequent basis by investing in some interactive puzzle toys! You can also turn suppertime into a skill-testing nose work
Visit animalwellnessmagazine.com/dog-better-student for even more ways to boost your dog’s learning ability! game by hiding pieces of kibble around the house or yard for her to sniff out. Activities like this will keep her brain sharp and teach her that learning can (and should) be fun! Be consistent
Always use the same cues and hand signals, and make sure the whole family is on board. Dogs learn through repetition, so it’s important to be patient and repeat the same requests until she catches on. And whatever you do, don’t change the rules! If she’s not allowed on the bed, making an exception on “special occasions” will only confuse her. Give her time to rest
Dogs need down time, too! Prevent physical and mental burnout by designating plenty of time for her to relax throughout the day. Keep it challenging (but not too challenging)
To keep your pup engaged during training sessions, find the sweet spot between too easy and too difficult. If she’s struggling to learn, ease up. If she’s catching on too quickly and getting bored, up the ante! Socialize, socialize, socialize!
No matter how old your pup is, continually expose her to different dogs, people, places, sounds, smells, and other stimuli. Socialization creates positive associations with different experiences so she’ll have less trouble adapting to new environments
and requests. (For more info on how to socialize your dog when we have to social distance, turn to page 24.)
SOUL When it comes to teaching your pup, don’t overlook the importance of her emotional health! Dogs may not feel the same way we do, but studies have shown that they have the capacity to experience joy, fear, anger, disgust, and even love.1 An animal that feels happy and safe will be much more open to learning than one that’s scared or angry, so take steps to nurture her soul. Use essential oils
Certain essential oils like lavender, vetiver, and valerian are known to improve focus and promote a sense of calm. Diffuse high quality oils before training sessions or dilute them and rub them into her coat.
behaviors and make training more fun for both of you. Stick to a routine
Our canine companions thrive on sticking to a routine, so try to establish one that works for both of you — and stick to it! If your schedule is sporadic, try your best to keep feeding, walking, and training times consistent. Keep her well groomed
Do you feel your best when your hair is matted and you’re covered in dirt? No — and neither does your dog! Boost her mood and behavior with consistent grooming. Some breeds need more attention in this area than others, but as a general rule of thumb, don’t go more than a week without brushing her coat. Nails trims, ear cleaning, and teeth brushing can be left to once or twice a month.
Spend quality time with her
We all know how tough it can be to carve out time in our busy schedules to just be with our canine companions. But building a better bond with your pup will make her feel more fulfilled and eager to please you! Choose praise over punishment
Positive reinforcement is starting to reign supreme over punishment-based training methods — and with good reason. Humane techniques instill positive 1
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201303/which-emotions-do-dogs-actually-experience
Animal Wellness
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