Tag: Dog

Canine myofunctional therapy

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While dogs may not fully understand everything humans say, they definitely understand body language and touch. Discover how massage used in canine myofunctional therapy can help to soothe a dog’s joints and muscles. 

When it comes to your dog’s muscles and joints, sometimes standard medicine cannot help every ache and pain. Sometimes, your dog will need the soothing touch of alternative medicine or therapy.

Alternative therapies support the overall health and wellbeing of your pup, recognising that a healthy dog is not just about the absence of disease. It’s important for your dog to maintain a healthy lifestyle, inside and out.

Alternative medicine encourages being healthy physiologically, strengthening your dog’s resistance to stress, disease, injury and illnesses. It’s about preempting and preventing rather than reacting.

A popular alternative therapy is canine myofunctional therapy. It’s beneficial for any dog, no matter how old or how strong.

What is canine myofunctional therapy?

Canine myofunctional therapy is a gentle, soothing therapy developed specifically for dogs to help muscle movement and increase circulation. It can be used to treat chronic conditions or help with your dog’s rehabilitation after surgery or an accident. It can also be used as a soothing massage to calm your dog down, or as a relaxing treat.

“Muscles are what allow dogs to move, run, jump, play and give the body power, strength and ability to move,” Heather Brook, a pet massage therapist explains. “They can become damaged due to injury, overexertion, repetitive strain or simply through the process of ageing.”

Canine myofunctional therapy gently treats the muscles to ensure your dog has the ability to live life to the fullest. “It’s a 100 per cent natural, hands on, non-invasive treatment,” Heather says.

While having a massage seems like a mere pampering session, canine myofunctional therapy is so much more than that.

Myofunctional therapy is used to treat the whole body of the dog, rather than specific parts, encouraging physical and physiological health and wellbeing. Kristine Edwards from Sydney Animal Physiotherapy says it’s great for a whole range of problems. “It’s great for stress reduction and pain management. It releases tight areas and tension in the muscle.”

It’s also preventative. If your dog gets used to being touched, it won’t mind being touched often by you. This allows you to really get to know your animal, meaning you’ll be able to feel if something is amiss.

The initial consultation generally involves a discussion about your dog’s overall health, any conditions it may have, gait, body and exercise patterns. This is followed by a massage treatment.

Follow-up consultations involve the therapist applying precise techniques and controlled strokes and usually include a stretching session.

Each dog is unique and will need its own tailored version of canine myofunctional therapy. Techniques used can include effleurage, which is long strokes, kneading, palpations and stretches.

Heather explains canine myofunctional therapy as a purposeful technique: “It’s a structured approach of applying precise techniques to help a dog’s muscles. The strokes are controlled in the amount of pressure, direction and intention that are used.”

Yay or nay?

As with any other medical or alternative therapy solutions, canine myofunctional therapy is great for some conditions, but shouldn’t be used for every situation.

It’s great for recovery after illness or surgery. “Massage can often shorten the healing time for dogs recovering from surgery, illness or injury,” Heather says. “It can reduce the impact of stress a dog feels during the rehabilitation period.”

Canine myofunctional therapy can also be used for competition dogs or working dogs. For competition dogs, massage is great for a stimulating, pre-competition warm up. “Elite athletes never perform without first warming up their bodies and it is no different for our canine athletes,” Heather notes.

As for working dogs, massage greatly reduces the risk of injury as it maintains overall good health and strength.

Kristine says it’s a useful technique to employ when it comes to old-age related conditions and hip dysplasia. “It works well for problems around the joints, especially stiff joints and muscle tears.”

While it may seem like your puppy just isn’t going to sit still for the duration of the massage, think again. “The calming and relaxing effect of massaging a dog may help reduce hyperactivity, nervousness and anxiety,” Heather advises. “It also benefits puppies to develop trust.”

Massage is definitely beneficial for some conditions, however, there are other times when it should be modified, delayed or not used at all. In fact, there’s a long list including pregnancy, heart conditions, neurological conditions and if your dog has a fever. It’s also not recommended if your dog has an open wound or infection. Kristine says you need to be careful when choosing a time, as this can impact the dog’s ability to relax and enjoy the treatment. “Pick the time and place. It’s got to be quiet and relaxed, and not at meal times or play time.” There should be no distractions such as other dogs, television or play toys.

Some dogs will love massage and alternative therapies straight away. Others won’t. In this situation, it’s best to try and get them used to being touched and stretched for a couple of minutes. Use treats so that your dog associates massage and touch with a positive thing.

However, Kristine says you’ve also got to be aware of your dog’s personality and whether something has happened to it that may make it cautious. “A dog with an injury may be on guard or aggressive,” she says. This is because it is associating being touched with being attacked or injured.

In this scenario, as its owner, you can prepare it at home. Make sure you get lots of hands-on time with your dog to ensure it’s aware that touch is okay.

While alternative therapies are great for some conditions, it’s important to remember that they do not replace traditional medicine. In fact, alternative medicine is commonly referred to as complementary therapy.

For example, cancer cannot be fully treated by alternative medicine or therapy, but the symptoms may be alleviated. As Heather explains, “Therapists have a place working closely with veterinarians in the treatment of dogs, but are in no way a substitute for traditional veterinary care.” 

Canine myofunctional therapy is available to download.

 

Toilet training 101

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Going back to basics is the best way to master toilet training with your pup.

Bringing your puppy home is a special time, however, it isn’t all fun and games. As soon as your puppy is in its new environment, it’s time to start housetraining, a major component of which is toilet training.

Andrew Peterson, a Delta Accredited Professional Trainer from Better Dog Schools, says it’s never too early to start. “It’s important to set reasonable expectations,” he says. “For the first few months of life, puppies may have very little control over their bladder and bowels, and this skill takes time to develop. Puppies may also not even realise that they need to go, so don’t expect them to know how to hold it in.”

Toilet training a puppy takes time and patience, for you and your dog. There is no magic number for when your dog will learn to go on its own. Every pup will learn at its own pace and it needs time to develop its own routine.

It’s imperative that you start toilet training from a very young age. Habits are hard to break, and if you create good and positive behaviours from when your puppy is born, these will last a lifetime.

Tips and tricks

The first step is taking your puppy for a routine vet visit to eliminate any possibility of health problems such as congenital, hormonal or neurological factors, which may contribute to toilet training problems. If you get the all clear from the vet, toilet training is as simple as following the steps. “Focus on teaching your pup when and where to go,” Andrew says, “rather than just expecting it to somehow know the rules or trying to punish it for going in the ‘wrong place’ and expecting that to work.”

Take your dog out frequently, and reward it every time it successfully goes to the toilet where it’s supposed to. Animal behaviourist, Dr Joanne Righetti, says: “Take your puppy out after every meal, every snack, every treat, every play session, every rest, every sleep, or every thirty minutes.” This gives the pup the opportunity to go if it needs to and avoids accidents in places you don’t want your dog to toilet. If your puppy successfully toilets, you can probably leave a bit of a longer gap between taking it out. If it doesn’t go, it’s best to take it out 30 minutes after the original try.” 

Andrew advises leading your pup outside, rather than carrying it, “Your pup will learn the habit more quickly if you lead it where you want it to go, rather than chauffeuring it
to the spot.” He also says the walk will help to stimulate the bladder helping your puppy to be more aware that it needs to go when you get outside.

Dr Righetti also encourages getting to know your dog’s habits. “Watch the dog’s behaviour,” she says. “Naturally, they start to circle and sniff. Yes, that may be because they’re about to lie down to sleep but if it has just got up and it starts circling and sniffing, chances are it’s about to go to the toilet so take it outdoors.”

Another tip to reinforce toileting outside is to take your pup to the same place every time. This will create a sense of familiarity. Dr Righetti recommends leaving a bit of faeces in that area to stimulate your puppy to go back there. Dogs rely on scent and if you take it to the same spot each time, its own scent will be there to remind it to go. Andrew recommends making this area as close to the dog’s living area as possible. “Try not to make the trip from living room to toilet area a marathon, otherwise you’ll find your pup may not be able to hold it in all the way.”

However, while you can definitely encourage your dog to go in a specific spot, Dr Righetti says to be happy that your dog has gone outside rather than having an accident. “I say to so many people, be thankful that your dog is going outdoors. Never mind that it’s going on the patio or right outside your deck, it’s going outdoors, it’s great.”

Always remember to praise your puppy when it goes. Nothing works better than an encouraging word and a delicious treat for the dog to associate doing its business outdoors with the correct behaviour. “If it starts to go, you can begin praising it,” Andrew says. “Once it’s finished make sure it feels like the most special pup on the planet, and offer a treat or two and perhaps a short play session.”

Crate training

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that a dog will very rarely go to the toilet where it lives. It’s therefore imperative to create clear boundaries for your puppy to understand. Crate training can be a fantastic way to speed up the process because it teaches your pup the lesson of patience.  

However, it’s very important to remember that puppies, much like babies, need time to learn bladder control. It won’t happen overnight. “People tend to expect their dogs to be trained immediately and sometimes don’t realise that they’re little, they’re just babies, and they have to learn to control,” Dr Righetti says. “They have to be taught where the toilet is.”

If you’re unable to watch your puppy every minute of the day, it’s recommended you create a small space for it to call its own. This may mean closing off certain doors in your home and creating a section of the home for the dog to use. It can also mean using a crate. However, you must make sure the crate is the right size for the dog.

It must be big enough for your puppy to turn around comfortably and lie down, but not so big that it can create its own toilet in the corner. This can help to housetrain your puppy as it won’t go in its living space, it will rather give you signs that it needs to go, and wait for you to let it out. Signs that your pup needs to go include whining, circling, sniffing or barking.

If you need to leave it for longer, Andrew advises creating a slightly bigger area where you don’t mind an accident if it occurs. “Confine them to a different, larger area that’s easier to clean up, perhaps with a pee-pad in the corner. This will let it sleep in one area of the space and toilet in the other without feeling stressed that it’s soiling its den.” 

Puppy problems

Your puppy may run into some problems along the way. What’s important is the way you deal with them. Andrew says that problems are usually caused by high expectations of owners. “We often forget that toilet training is a skill puppies need to acquire, and like everything it’s learned gradually,” he says.

A puppy may urinate due to excitement because it is unable to completely control its bladder. This can happen when you walk through the door after you’ve left it for a little bit or if new people enter its space. Andrew recommends training your puppy to be calm by being calm yourself. “The best thing to do is keep greetings calm rather than revving up the pup.

Acknowledge it when you first walk into the room, but don’t make a fuss, and instead head straight to the toileting area and wait for it to go – then you can greet it properly and play with it.”

Generally problems occur if there’s been a gap in applying toilet training 101. Andrew advises to have patience and go back to basics. Alternatively, if your puppy is still having problems and you believe you’re doing everything right, you can call in the experts.

Dealing with accidents

All dogs will have accidents, no matter how young or old. How you deal with these accidents, especially when it’s a young pup, will definitely impact on the way the dog reacts and learns from the experience. Do not punish the puppy. Effective toilet training is all about positive reinforcement rather than making the dog feel guilty or naughty because it made a mistake.

Accidents can also be a sign of anxiety. Punishing the dog will only reinforce any anxiety or nervousness the dog may be feeling and this can force education backwards. The first thing to do when you find an accident is to thoroughly clean the area to remove any smell. Dogs are creatures of habit and they thrive on their sense of smell. If dogs are given the opportunity to go indoors, they will continue to gravitate to that spot and it will become habitual. They will also follow the scent of their previous toilet stops. It’s therefore crucial to completely clean up after any indoor accident.

Dr Righetti advises dealing with accidents calmly and efficiently. “What is leading the dogs to go back to the same spot, is habit and comfort,” she says. “But there’s also a smell attraction. We need to remove the smell and we do that by using an enzymatic cleaner.” This can be bought or created at home using an enzymatic washing powder.

Another suggestion from Dr Righetti is playing or laying down treats in the area that the dog keeps going back to. “Dogs don’t like to go to the toilet in living areas. So if you start living in that area where they’re toileting, that will stop them,” she explains.

It’s also important to realise that there are other options to taking your dog outside. If you’re immobile, in a 20-storey building or on a boat, it may be impossible for your dog to toilet outside. “A lot of countries accept that their dogs will need to go indoors,” Dr Righetti says, “you can provide a toilet.”

This can be done by laying down paper, creating a litter tray, putting down pee-pads or investing in a pet-loo.

Training in this situation is still as important. Instead of training your puppy to go outside to toilet, you need to train it to go to the specific spot in the house where you’ve created the toilet. Use all the methods you would if you were taking it outside, but instead of taking it to the garden, take your puppy to its toilet.

Keep up the praise

Remember that just because a dog is trained doesn’t mean it won’t have the occasional accident. These can be brought on by stress or other emotions and it’s up to you to remind your dog that it’s okay.

To reinforce your dog’s training throughout its life, continually praise it
for doing the right thing. “As owners we sometimes take toilet training for granted, which means we stop rewarding our dogs for toileting success once they’ve grown up, and assume that the habit will just stay with them for life,” Andrew says. “Toilet training can lapse because it didn’t get reinforced enough. So it’s a good idea to still reward toileting success occasionally, for the whole of your dog’s life – even if it’s just with praise or play – to help maintain the habit.”

Toilet training 101 is available to download.

The golden years

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Your dog may be slowing down, but there’s no reason why its senior years should be any less fun, rewarding or happy.

Much like a human, a dog’s needs change as it gets older. It will still need exercise, just at a slower pace. It will still need to eat well, its diet may just need some adjustment to keep its joints, muscles and mind going strong.

As it gets older, your dog’s needs will depend on its breed, size and temperament. Breeds age at different rates and what may be necessary for a Labrador, may not work for a Jack Russell Terrier. Large breeds age more rapidly than smaller ones and are generally considered senior before they reach the age of 10. Smaller breeds only hit their geriatric years in their teens.

You are probably the person most familiar with your dog – its health, wellbeing, coat, temperament and all that’s in between. This means that you’re the best person to keep an eye out for early warning signs that something may be changing. Watch for a change in appetite, discomfort on rising or after exercise, weight loss or gain and confusion or disorientation.

The most important aspects to consider as your dog ages are diet, exercise and general body maintenance. Energy levels may decrease and your dog’s senses may decline, however, it’s still important to keep your beloved dog happy and healthy with exercise, a nutritious diet and some good old tender loving care.

Remember to schedule routine check-ups with your veterinarian. With regular vet visits, you may be able to detect cancers, diseases and organ deterioration early and, in turn, you may give your dog a few more years. Regular visits should include blood screens and urine tests to check for all possible conditions that dogs may develop as they age.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to treating senior dogs is finding the balance between too much and too little.

Rae Hennessy is an animal acupuncturist who frequently treats older dogs for joint problems. “Dogs are living longer and longer, which is probably to do with better healthcare and better awareness of owners in regard to their diet,” she says. “It’s really important that owners pay attention to how to treat old dogs, because we’re caring for older dogs longer than we used to.”

Exercise

Senior dogs tend to sleep a lot more than younger pups. However, they still needs to stay on the move. Your dog may not be able to handle the energetic playtime of an off- leash park or the vigorous runs that it used to, but a gentle walk around the block once a day will benefit it twofold. Not only will a regular stroll keep its muscles toned, it will also stimulate its mind with new smells and sights to keep it entertained.

When dogs come to see Rae, besides devising a treatment plan, she also recommends that owners maintain their dog’s treatment by themselves. This means regular, moderate exercise to keep the weight off. However, it’s very much about finding the balance between what is good for the dog and what is overdoing it.

Rae believes that giving in to your senior dog’s urge to laze around all day and snooze isn’t ideal or healthy for your precious pooch. “I’m not a fan of excessively resting old dogs. I find that stiff, old joints tend to seize up more if you don’t use them,” she says. If your dog is struggling to get up or resisting your calls for a walk, swimming is a perfect alternative. “It’s a great way to get good exercise without putting too much pressure on their joints,” Rae advises.

However, it’s important to keep in mind your dog’s limits. Exercise routines need to be tailored to its individual requirements, without stretching your dog too far. You must walk at your dog’s pace rather than yours.

Walking and swimming aren’t the only available options however. While your senior dog may not be up for intense play like it was when it was younger, playing fetch will still stimulate its mind and muscles. You can also jog slowly with your dog or take part in canine sports, as long as these activities don’t stress your senior dog too much, and you get an all clear from your vet. 

Diet

While holistically there may not be much difference between the diet of a senior dog and the diet of a younger dog, there are definite differences between the ways the body reacts.

Just like in the human world, joint pain is a common thread for older dogs and this can largely be influenced by the dog’s weight. Weight can be more of an issue for bigger breeds than smaller ones, but this is simply because a bigger breed carries more weight on its muscles and joints.

As your dog grows older, it’s generally not necessary to change its diet. However, you may need to alter its portion size. “The difference between old dogs and old people is that they don’t have control over what is in their bowl,” Rae says. A dog is not going to turn away a meal. It may take longer to eat a meal as it gets older but the food will definitely get eaten. This means it’s up to you to be firm with your senior dog and limit the size of its meal.

Rae says it’s a matter of whether the dog simply needs to lose weight or if there’s a problem with the food it’s being given. “I think, provided the dog is fit and well, and doing well on the diet that its owner has chosen for it, I’m generally happy for it to continue along those lines,” she says. However, as your dog gets older, it may develop digestive problems. This is when you should change the type of food it’s getting. “I’m more a fan of portion control and exercise than changing to anything that the dog
isn’t used to, unless I see a problem with the diet that is causing the dog issues. 

Michael Frizell is the CEO of Paws for Life, an online retailer of high quality pet food, medication and accessories. He agrees that it is more a matter of limiting a dog’s food intake when it comes to weight management, especially if it’s impacting the dog’s joints. “We sometimes see the issue of overfeeding. High quality food has a lot more nutrition and a lot more protein, but owners sometimes feed their dog the same quantity of food that they used to,” Michael says. “We advise people to pull the quantities back a little bit, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and generally the dog’s weight will come off.” 

In terms of helping your old dog’s joints, Michael suggests glucosamine as a supplement. “Glucosamine is very good for the joints,” he advises. “You can get chewable tablets for dogs, which they quite like, and they can be added to the dog’s food. There are also glucosamine supplements that you can sprinkle over your dog’s food and they tend to be quite happy eating that.”

Michael also says that you can even be preventative with helping your dog adjust to ageing. Feed it high quality food, modifying the quantity according to recommendations, and start taking glucosamine before it gets too old. This means the onset of the arthritis may not be so sudden or so frightening for your dog.

If you see your dog struggling to eat its food, it may have developed a digestive condition. Similar to humans, dogs can develop digestive problems as they get older. You do see sensitivities in senior dogs, however, this is generally on a case-by-case basis rather than a blanket condition.

A dog’s happiness is largely about what goes on inside. As your dog gets older, its diet becomes even more crucial to it leading a long and healthy life.

The golden years is available to download.

Room to run

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These days, a big backyard isn’t a given for all dog owners. Inner-city dwellers are taking their puppy pals to designated spaces in parks, beaches and camping grounds. 

Summer is often a time to spend with family – days spent lazing by the pool, frolicking in the water or on the sand, or playing sport in the park. But it’s often our pup that gets left by the wayside.

As housing trends change and people move away from the big backyard, it becomes even more important to take your dog outside to open spaces. Not only will your dog benefit from the exercise and socialisation, you will too.

The environment in which we live, work and play forms a crucial aspect in shaping our lives and behaviour. Physical activity, and that of our dogs, can often be influenced by the quality and quantity of open spaces in which to play.

Why the need for public open space?

Exercising your dog provides a whole range of benefits. While any exercise is definitely good exercise for your pup, variety is best. This means on-leash walks or runs, running and playing with other dogs off-leash, and playing with you.

Clover Moore, Lord Mayor, City of Sydney, actively promotes and encourages dog owners to get outside and get active with their dogs. “Dogs connect people with their local communities

by getting them out and about in their neighbourhoods. That’s why we provide open spaces where people can exercise their pets off-leash,” she says. “We know that this improves the behaviour and temperament of the animals and promotes social engagement and more healthy lifestyles for owners.”

Thirty years ago, taking your dog out to the park for a run around was a lot easier to do. The growing population of New South Wales, teamed with people moving into smaller homes, means it’s even more important to plan for dogs and their owners in public spaces.

Virginia Jackson is a town planner who has been involved in animal management policy for many years, developing guidelines for the integration of dogs and their owners in public open space. She says that there are several reasons why planning for dogs in open space is so valuable.

For the dog, there are an abundance of benefits that off- leash areas provide, including the all-important socialisation process. “A dog can be exercised when it’s on the leash, but they get really good exercise when they’re off the leash,” Virginia explains. “For some dogs, they really need that because they need the exercise to be even better behaved at home.”

The places to be

Around New South Wales, there are plenty of dog-friendly public open spaces for you to enjoy the outdoors with your dog. Many inner-city parks have designated off-leash areas. “More than 40 parks already include off-leash areas, and whenever a park is upgraded we look into the possibility of including space to have dogs off-leash,” Clover says. There are several beaches along the coastline that allow dogs to roam the sand and take a dip outside of peak hours.

More and more people are renting or buying apartments in the city or inner city suburbs, which means they need plenty of open space to take their furry friends. Even though it’s an off- leash area, it’s important to remember that your pup still has to be under the effective control of a competent person. This means your dog must be able to respond to your commands. 

The park

Hawthorne Cana Reserve in Sydney’s Leichhardt is renowned for not only its dog-friendly off-leash areas, but also for its dog-friendly cafe. Sitting on the border between Leichhardt and Haberfield, the reserve has plenty of space for your pup to run, play and meet other dogs. It’s also a wide-open space for you to enjoy together, playing Frisbee, fetch or just going for a run. There is an on-leash area of course, if you prefer to run with your dog on the leash.

Hawthorne Canal Reserve is a great place for your dog to socialise and play with others, and to learn obedience. With all the distractions around it, your dog must learn to respond to your commands and to play appropriately with other dogs. It’s all part of the socialisation process.

There’s also a place for you to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee or some food while your dog has a play. Café Bones even offers a puppacino for your pooch, which the owner describes as a lactose-free drink with a secret sprinkle.

The beach

If the beach is more your thing, why not take your pup along so it can have a swim too, and get some sun of course. Just north of the Harbour Bridge, Sirius Cove in Mosman allows dogs to roam the sand and take a dip at all times during the week. However, on the weekend, dogs are only allowed before 9:00am and after 4:00pm. Soft sand running is great exercise for you, and your pup will love the feeling of sand under its paws.

The water is calm as the beach is on the harbour, so if you have a small dog, it won’t be swamped by waves. There are also barbecue facilities for your use and a playground for the kids. Just remember to give your dog a good wash before you pop it in the car, as there’s bound to be sand all over it. 

The camp ground

If you fancy a stay-over with your pooch over summer, camping is always a great option. Maca’s Camping Ground in Mullumbimby, northern New South Wales, is the perfect place to spend a night, or several. Sites are available for long or short stays and powered sites are an option if you need electricity.

A family-friendly camping park, dogs are allowed off-leash at all times, however, they must be controllable and relatively quiet.

Maca’s is family run and set in a quiet, rustic area. Bush tracks surround the site so you can keep up your fitness routine with your dog. However, remember to put your dog on its leash as there is a lot of wildlife about.

Room to run is available to download.