Are leashed blood tracking dogs going to be legal in Pennsylvania soon

It has been a very long and difficult road to legalize the use of blood tracking dogs in Pennsylvania. Nobody knows it better than Andy Bensing, President of the United Blood Trackers and Deer Recovery of Pennsylvania. In October 2014 he wrote an excellent article "Why Cant I use My Dog?", which gave a good analysis of the situation and objections to tracking dogs in PA and other non-legal states.

Next week identical bills allowing leashed tracking dogs will be voted on in the PA House and the Senate. See the full text here.  Quote: "It shall be lawful to do any of the following:

(1) Make use of a dog to pursue, chase, scatter and track wild turkeys during the fall wild turkey season.
(2) Make use of a leashed blood-tracking dog to track a white-tailed deer or bear in an attempt to recover an animal which has been legally killed or wounded during any open season for white-tailed deer or bear." 

According to Andy there is a very good chance that both bills are going to pass. We are going to keep our fingers crossed that PA is going to turn green on this map:

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Why Does Doggone Safe Teach that Panting Dogs are Safe

Here is one of the most frequently asked questions about the content of the Be a Tree program:

Panting can be a sign of stress in a dog - why do you tell children that panting dogs are happy?

A panting dog is dealing with the stress by panting. A stressed dog that is not panting is much more dangerous because it has no mechanism to relieve the stress and is therefore more likely to react. Not all stress is bad stress. The dog might be waiting for a child to come and say hello. The waiting and wondering causes mild stress and the dog starts to pant. "Are we going for a walk?", "Are you going to throw that ball?", "Am I getting the cookie?" These are all circumstances that will cause panting due to mild stress and anticipation. We are trying to keep things simple for children and not providing an exhaustive course in dog behavior. Children obviously cannot be expected to tell the difference between a dog panting under mild stress or a dog panting with rapid frantic breaths that indicates extreme stress (still a dog less likely to bite than a highly stressed dog that is not able to pant).

Other things that the children learn during the program should prevent them from interacting with a dog panting out of extreme stress. They are taught to stand sideways and allow the dog to come to them to sniff their fist. A very nervous dog is apt to move away and not come forward to sniff - so they would leave that dog alone. They may also see the half moon eye, yawn, lick or the fore paw lift and realize that the dog is anxious. They are taught that if the dog stops panting if they come closer, that the dog does not want to meet or interact with them. Hopefully, handlers whose dog are very anxious will say no, when a child asks to pet the dog.

So for the most part a panting dog is a dog waiting with happy anticipation for something good to happen, or at least is a dog that is dealing with its stress. The panting/not panting differentiation is simple for children and immediately rules out many dogs that they may otherwise have wanted to pet and gives them a way to decide whether their own dog (who is the one most likely to bite them anyway) is open to interaction with them. We also teach that children should ask the dog handler to tell the dog to sit before they meet it. The cue "sit" is a stress reliever for most dogs because it is familiar and generally has a positive association and gives the dog some control of the situation. A dog that does not sit for the handler is not under sufficient control for a child to pet. An extremely anxious dog is unlikely to follow instructions and is ruled out on that basis, whether panting or not.

To summarize (so that a child can understand):

Panting and wiggly = safe

Not panting and stiff = dangerous

 

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Dogs Are Like Porn All Over the Internet and Waiting For You

Hi Mia,

(Source)

I’m coming to you hopped up on 3 cups of coffee, a chocolate chip cookie and a barrel of excitement. This weekend, I’m participating at Science Hack Day: Science in the City, an event in its second year running. The host is Francois Grey (Twitter:@FrancoisGrey) a physicist and the head of Citizen Science at NYU’s Center for Urban Science and Progress.

This two-day event is built on a simple premise:

Life in the city is complicated, and sometimes the only way to solve an urban problem is with a hack–a science hack, that is.

Science hacks are low-cost, elegant workarounds that create useful scientific projects. Science Hack Day is a two-day event that brings together scientists, designers, developers and innovators who will invent, build and test their projects.

On Saturday morning, thirteen hacks were pitched, and anyone who is interested can drop by to participate in Downtown Brooklyn. I’m surrounded by people either tinkering away on computers or other robotic-looking structures. Others took to the streets to record the sounds of the city or set-up hi-tech trash cans. Tomorrow I have the pleasure of sitting on a panel that will give out awards for the best Science Hacks.

(Source)

You know exactly what Im talking about because you were all jazzed after attending  Science Rewired (and covered the experience here), and a while back, I listed some of my favorite #citsci projects, including projects involving laughing babies, otters and clouds. 

For those less familiar with public participation science projects, here’s a short, quick and dirty video describing the wide range of projects that anyone can join. Being involved is not only about participating in research and helping researchers, its also about learning more about local communities, collecting relevant data (say on air quality in your neighborhood), and in some cases, making new discoveries:



But what about dogs? Much of the canine research in recent years is conducted in academic lab spaces or owner homes, but over the last few years, we’ve seen immense growth in virtual, online projects that require active participation from anyone in the world. As examples, weve previously blogged about Project: Play With Your Dog as well as Poo Power!

Here are online, public participation dog science projects that anyone in the world can join:

C-BARQ (Free)
A questionnaire designed to provide dog owners and professionals with standardized evaluations of canine temperament and behavior. 

Dognition 
A variety of science-based games that Dognition members can sign up for and play with their pup.

Emotional Content of Vocalizations (Free)
What is the emotional content of dog and human vocalizations? Listen and submit your answer (I covered this study on Scientific American, dedicating a lot of words to making fun of Bret Michaels, as is appropriate).

(Source)

Howl Coder (Free)
The Canid Howl Project is the work of a large number of scientists, trying to understand the range of different vocal behaviours of canids, primarily wolves, dogs, and coyotes. Participants listen to vocalizations and analyze the recordings.

Woof! (Free)
The Woof! experiment explores how people respond to dog barks. The study is trying to better understand how we respond to everyday sounds.

Risk factors for low-appeal shelter dogs (Free) 
This online study investigates how descriptors and physical appearance affect shelter dog length of stay and adoption success. Participants help by tagging images of dogs.

Factors contributing to aggressive impulsivity in the dogs (Free)
This is a serious welfare problem for both humans and dogs. PhD student Fernanda Fadel is trying to identify genetic risk factors in dogs which may allow researchers to develop a simple test to identify at-risk individuals. These dogs may need specific management measures to help them live happy and fulfilling lives, at minimal risk to others. Participate by completing a short questionnaire. 

Canine Researchers! Do you have an online, public participation project that we havent listed here? Email us, and let us know! doyoubelieveindog@gmail.com
~~

Projects often revolve around researchers and participants, and each group can have slightly different needs. 

(Source)

RESEARCHERS! I imagine that many of our colleagues are looking for study participants. Hooking up with citizen science project aggregators, like those listed below, is a great way to find interested participants. Researchers spend months and months on project design and methods, but recruiting and engaging participants is an entirely different bag of worms. Some of the below websites focus on participant recruitment and engagement. For example, SciStarter has many tools and resources for citizen science projects seeking participants.

PARTICIPANTS! Its not just about dogs, although dogs are very excellent. Many public science projects need help collecting and analyzing data on a wide range of topics. Interested in plants? Interested in birds? Interested in whale vocalizations? Theres something for everyone. Take a look below:

SciStarter

(Source)

“SciStarter is the place to find, join, and contribute to science through recreational activities and citizen science research projects. Our database of citizen science projects enable discovery, organization, and greater participation in citizen science.”

CitSci.org
“CitSci.org supports your research by providing tools and resources that allow you to customize your scientific procedure - all in one location on the internet."

Cornell Lab of Ornithology
"Anyone who watches birds, from backyards to city streets to remote forests, can help researchers better understand birds and their habits."

Zooniverse
"Zooniverse contains projects produced, maintained and developed by the Citizen Science Alliance. The member institutions of the CSA work with many academic and other partners around the world to produce projects that use the efforts and ability of volunteers to help scientists and researchers."

Scientific American
An aggregator of many public engagement projects.

Your Wild Life 
Many projects that "explore the biodiversity in our daily lives." I’m pretty psyched about the new Cat Tracker project. 

These are just a sampling of non-canine projects flying around the Internet. If anyone has contributed to public participation projects, wed love to hear about your experience.

See you in T minus 2 weeks!!!!

Julie

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Dog Shows are Fun!

I spent last weekend at Clicker Expo in Long Beach.  It was the first Clicker Expo I have attended and I had a great time.  There was a lot of great things about it, like seeing great speakers and meeting people that I have only corresponded with on Facebook or via email.  The other thing that I really liked was the general promotion of positive reinforcement, not only to animals in training but to people as well.  For instance, in your registration packet you were given a bunch of raffle tickets then you were asked to distribute those to people when you saw someone do something, anything you liked.  It could be giving their dog water, helping someone with something, or just anything in general.  Both your name and the recipients name were put on the ticket and they were turned in and people were given prizes. 

I thought it was such a great idea and it made me feel good to be able to reward people for nice things.  As I sat around a table with a couple of friends (Stacy Braslau Schneck and Daphne Robert Hamilton) and a bunch of strangers, we started brainstorming ideas.  I decided to create Dog Shows are Fun (www.dogshowsarefun.com).  The idea is that I will bring a collar charm which is an inexpensive but cute trinket to give to people along with a card explaining why when I see people at dog shows doing something I like.  I really just wanted to promote the use of positive reinforcement to dogs at shows and in training but Stacy pointed out that she likes that it will encourage me to look for good things at dog shows rather than focusing on the nice so nice things I observe.

Feel free to check out the website and join in the fun! 

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CANIDAE’S New Grain Free Dog Treats are “Pure Heaven!”

By Keikei Cole, canine guest blogger

Holy Mackerel! Correction, I should say yummy duck and salmon. I was going through my daily lessons the other day, not paying close attention to my regular tiny meal (aka my treat) the boss had in her hand. When I heard “Good Girl,” I knew my treat was on its way to my mouth. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a different taste. I noticed a hint of duck as I crunched away. No way! I figured it was my imagination left over from my duck hunting dream. Come to find out, it was one of CANIDAEs new grain free Pure Heaven dog treats.

I have no idea how the boss finds these great tasting treats, but she does a good job picking out some fine “motivators.” Thats what I call those tiny meals she rewards me with when I do something good. Sometimes I get some just because she loves me! Cool, huh? Anyway, she smiled while I smacked my way through one treat, and then gave me a different one. She said one biscuit was called Pure Heaven Duck and Chickpea, and the other one was Pure Heaven Salmon and Sweet Potato. Is a chickpea related to a duck? Oh wait... I bet thats what little ducks are called?

Later, I had the boss out for her walk and we ran into my canine buddies Gunner and Eva. The humans were yakking away when all of a sudden the boss pulls out some of MY new CANIDAE treats. Well, I sat immediately. Gunner and Eva took one sniff of the offered treat, and did the same thing. Gunners mom was surprised that he snarfed his, because he’s pretty picky about the treats he eats. Later that evening, Gunner sent me a message via doggy grapevine, and said he absolutely loved that treat! So, these new grain free treats must be exceptionally good if Gunner likes them.

The boss says I need to learn how to use my inside voice when were outside at night. Hey, I think barking is appropriate anytime I feel a need to speak! But with the right motivators, Im willing to learn anything. She gave me some of the new treats, and then wanted to know what I thought of them.

Well, Im a nose gal, and smell is the most important “ingredient” in any quality dog treat or food, in my view. So I asked for another one so I could evaluate it properly. BOL. It crunches nicely, so that must mean the texture is good. And it helps keep my teeth clean, which is a plus from where I sit.

Im gonna start holding out for the Pure Heaven treats for the advanced lessons the boss wants me to learn. Although just between you and me, theres no way Ill turn down a CANIDAE Snap-Biscuit or TidNips motivator either.

Want to know whats in the new Pure Heaven treats? I didnt, but the boss told me anyway, and now I can pass it on to you. A little history trivia, since I live with a history nut. One of the first seeds cultivated by early humans was sesame seeds, and they are mentioned in documents going back 3,600 years! Thats a long time, especially in dog years. Sesame seeds are a good source of vitamins and minerals, so that’s why they’re included in the Duck and Chickpea treat. Theres also avocado oil, which is supposed to be healthy, and turmeric, a spice that is thought to help boost the immune system.

The Salmon and Sweet Potato treat includes a superfood called quinoa. It comes from the ancient Incas who lived in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Quinoa is a good source of fiber and protein. Theres also extra virgin olive oil and cinnamon, a super-spice thats even good for humans to eat. And on top of all the healthy stuff packed inside these tiny meals – they are made right here in the U.S.A. Man, it makes my mouth water just thinking about them. I think its time for a training session!

So my fellow canines, dont be afraid to ask for the best and tastiest noms you can get. The Pure Heaven grain free dog treats are yummy motivators, and they’re really healthy. These tasty biscuits are aptly named too – because they are pure heaven!

Read more articles by Keikeis "boss," Linda Cole

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The Dogs Are the Experts

"This book ... is great reading for all terriermen and women." -- Jack Russell Terrier Club of America.  Order yours here.

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Agility and Disk Dog Seminar

Cyndy Douan of the Georgia Dog Gym put on a great hands on presentation hosted by PJ The Dawg Trainer in Foristell, MO.

Learning the correct way to teach your dog how to do a jump or obstacle from the very beginning makes the rest of the course run much smoother. Agility is much more than blowing through a set of obstacles as fast as your dog can run. Doing the obstacle correctly, safely, and confidently comes first.

The seminar taught us to work on jump drills that in itself can be great fun for the dog! and help with direction changes and working away from the handler, we learned the correct ways to teach the dog weave poles without having to lure the dog through the whole line, and we learned the importance of the Pre Agility work that can be done at home without the need of obstacles.

I highly recommend Cyndys approach to the sport even if you are just wanting to have fun with your dog. As for the Disk Dog part, well, I had no idea there was so many correct ways and non correct ways to hold and toss a frisbee and to do so that the dog can catch it correctly on top of that. I have a lot of practicing ahead of me just so DeeDee can go out and catch a few. Maybe Ill get good enough at it to keep the disk in the air long enough for her to actually catch one!

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Is There a Black Dog Syndrome

Hi Mia,

This was a summer of conferences squared! One of the topics that kept buzzing through my ears was a phenomenon commonly described as “Black Dog Syndrome,” an affliction suffered by dogs who turn black after eating too much licorice. But seriously, as you know, this is the commonly held belief that dark-coated dogs in shelters are less likely to be adopted than other dogs.

A recent proponent of this belief is Amanda Leonard. At the Association of Pet Dog Trainers 2012 Conference, Leonard gave a talk titled, “The Plight of the Big Black Dogs and Gender Myths.” As her website explain, "My year at the Washington Humane Society served as the inspiration and field work for a term paper for my very first class at [George Washington University]. That term paper turned into a multi-year project to expose Big Black Dog Syndrome and help shelters find homes for their black dogs (and cats)."

Leonard is not alone in believing in a “Black Dog Syndrome,” but does it really exist? In animal shelters, is there an adopter bias against dogs who are all black? Or maybe there is just a bias against dogs who are big and black, as some have suggested? Or maybe, people have less favorable opinions of black animals when explicitly asked but maybe it doesnt reflect in adoption rates? Maybe there is no bias against black dogs, there are just more of them in the dog population and therefore more in the shelter? Ultimately, how might researchers investigate this idea of a Black Dog Syndrome?


Research on Black Dogs 
There has been lots of research presented on this topic this Summer! At the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ), Heather Lum, Nicole Nau & Kymberly McClellan presented their study, Exploring the “Black Dog” syndrome: How color can influence perceptions of companion animals. In this questionnaire-based study, sixty-five people looked at pictures of animals of different colors and offered opinions on areas like the animals  friendliness, aggressiveness or adoptability. They found the black dog was rated as least friendly and most aggressive and the lighter colored pets were considered more adoptable (study summary available here).

Also at ISAZ, Heather Svoboda & Christy Hoffman -- from the Canisius Anthrozoology Masters Program -- presented a poster on A novel, empirical test of Black Dog Syndrome. Their study won the ISAZ Conference Poster Contest, and next week Heather will join Do You Believe in Dog? for a guest post to discuss her research. Excellent!

But there was even MORE black dog research this summer! Later in July, at the 50th Animal Behavior Society Conference in Boulder, Colorado, Patricia McConnell, Taylor Jarmes and Keira McIntyre presented The Black Dog Syndrome: Factors influencing difficulty of canine adoptions. (McConnell is the PhD, CAAB we often mention on this blog, and she has been thinking about this topic for quite some time, see her earlier post). Their study on the Black Dog Syndrome had an interesting twist, so lets take a look...

TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER black dogs are less likely to be adopted than other dogs, McConnell and her students looked at the amount of time dogs spent on the adoption floor, as opposed to the amount of time dogs spent in the shelter overall. There could be a myriad of reasons why a dog does or does not make it onto the adoption floor, and coat color is not necessarily one of them. For example, depending on the shelter, a dog might be held back from the adoption floor if its sick, has behavioral issues, was recently picked up as a stray or if all the runs on the adoption floor are taken. So time spent on the actual adoption floor is an important detail when investigating whether black dogs are bypassed.  

(How much time is spent on the adoption floor? Source)

By examining adoption records and photographs from a shelter in Stoughton, Wisconsin, McConnell and her team determined dog primary and secondary coat colors. This way, they could check whether dogs were in fact black or whether the dog had a more varied coat.

Ultimately, they determined that “coat color did not significantly alter a dog’s days on the adoption floor when analyzing the entire population or when eliminating puppies.” Additionally, the amount of black found in primarily black dogs did not influence how long dogs stayed at the shelter.

Where Are We With Black Dog "Syndrome"?

To date, there doesn’t seem to be much empirical support for the Black Dog Syndrome, but as you might imagine, there are many ways to go about investigating it. For example, within a particular breed, are certain colors preferred over others, and is black more or less desirable? Or, if we were to examine a large population of entirely black dogs of a certain age and size, might the phenomenon apply? Of course, when exploring this topic, data could be collected in many different ways -- from mass data sources that look at adoption rates to reports from prospective adopters. Researchers could even look at peoples

Newfoundland & Labrador

behavior towards dogs of different colors.

WHAT ABOUT A REGIONAL or cultural Black Dog Syndrome? Kalita McDowell of the Canine Research Unit at Memorial University of Newfoundland explored this question in her research, which she also presented at the 50th Animal Behavior Society Conference. McDowell wondered whether “breeds of dogs native to, and largely celebrated in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Labrador Retriever and Newfoundland, both of which have a dominant black coat colour, will be preferred by the residents of the province and thus contradict the BBDS [Big Black Dog Syndrome].” 

I checked in with McDowell for more details and heres what she had to say: "I found that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians only preferred more black Newfoundlands than other participants, however they did not prefer more black-coated Labrador Retrievers than other participants (everybody preferred black Labs to yellow and chocolates, and yellow more so than chocolates)." Lots to mull over!

Regardless of color, when it comes to dog adoptions, people give a hoot about the way dogs look, which kind of stinks because behavior is very much where it’s at! After all, looks fade, even in dogs ;) (kidding, totally kidding).

Glad y’all are getting some sun and beach and looking forward to next week’s guest post by Heather Svoboda!

Cheers!

Julie

More reading
McConnell, P. The Black Dog Syndrome: Fact or Fiction? The Other End of The Leash Blog. (Additional studies on coat color mentioned in this blog post).

References
Weiss et al., 2012. Why did you choose this pet?: Adopters and pet selection preferences in five animal shelters in the United States. Animals 2, 144–159. (Full article here)
ISAZ 2013 Conference Program
ABS 2013 Conference Program
 

The Black Dog Syndrome – Fact or Fiction?

The Black Dog Syndrome – Fact or Fiction?

The Black Dog Syndrome – Fact or Fiction?

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Happy Easter! Tuesdays puppies are one week old

This week has gone by so fast, and, again, I have found myself way behind with posts. Sorry about that as there is a lot to report.  Lets start with Tuesdays puppies, who are now one week old. They have already doubled their weight at birth:

Volt (lime) was 221 gr at birth, now 515 gr

Vincent (blue) was 232, now 470

Viola (pink) was 210, now 465

Vonnie (yellow)was 215, now 460

Vivica (red) was 232, now 470 gr

The first few days were a bit difficult as Tuesday was producing too much milk and puppies could not keep up with her "production".  She was uncomfortable, but this quickly passed and things have normalized.

Tuesday has a good appetite but she has not touched dry food yet. She has been living on raw venison, mixed with rice and egg, plus she drinks goat milk. Occasionally she gets several cubes of cheese. She turned out to be a superb mother, and so far she has been staying with the pups in the whelping box all the time. They are spotless clean. What I like about her that she not too possessive of her pups. She completely trusts us, and even if dogs bark outside my den, she does not get too upset about it

Happy Easter Everybody!

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Dog Bite Prevention in Liberia

by Morris Darbo

Students in Liberia holding the Be a Tree kit posters

Dog bite has been a serious concern in Foya District since the end of the war in 2003. In 2008, there was a mass killing of dogs in Foya as means of curtailing the spread of rabies and addressing the issue of dog bite in the District. This method failed to eliminate the spread of rabies or even significantly reduce dog bite cases in the district. Foya District is bordering with Guinea and Sierra Leone. There has always been an influx of unvaccinated dogs from those countries. The presence of large number of strange dogs in the districts has also been a threat in controlling dog bite.

Every year, there has been report of two or more deaths as the result of dog bite.  Children have been the main victims. In May, 2012, the Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society in partnership with Doggone Safe Canada took up the task to educate children in Foya District on dog bite prevention. The Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society visited 10 schools and 4 communities with the education program. 15,520 children were educated on dog bite prevention. In August, we visited the hospital in Foya to ascertain the number of dog bites since our intervention with the education program.

We were told by the hospital that since May, there has been no report of a dog bite case in the hospital.
We at the Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society want to extend our thanks and appreciation to Doggone Safe Canada for their support in empowering LAWCS to reach large number of children in the society. Our dog bite prevention program also ensures that today`s children grow up with compassion, empathy and respect for their dogs, as well as each other. We encourage compassion and responsible behavior toward dogs, as well as inspiring them to make a difference.

Morris Darbo is the founder and executive director of LAWCS and Doggone Safe Co-ordinator for Liberia

Visit the LAWCS website

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Training Your Dog to Run

How to Train Your Furry Friend to Be Your Running Partner

Dogs truly are a gift to humankind. They offer a unique companionship. Without ever saying a word, a dog will always want to be with you, always be happy to see you, and always love and depend on your love for their entire life. The friendship is pure and irreplaceable as a dog will never expect more from you other than your love and care. Naturally, if youre a runner and/or enjoy hiking adventures, your dog can be an amazing companion who will want to go however far you go, however long you go, whatever time of day. Being a responsible pet owner is being prepared so they can enjoy these adventures with you. 

Since the moment I began learning about Jane Goodall in elementary school on my own account, animal behavior has always been a huge intrigue for me. The beautiful thing about animals is they innately will strive for love, protection, and survival within their communities. Animals, just like humans, are innately active, some more capable than others. Its our job to responsibly prepare them so they can always be a healthy running partner. Below is an expanded version of my 2XU Q&A article on how to train your dog companion to be the runner he/she is meant to be. 

1. What are the benefits of running with your dog?

My two dogs are family: my 7-year-old labrador, Max, goes the distance on runs and swims. My 5-year-old boxer, Bruno, does sprints with me and chases me on my bike. The biggest benefit of running with your dog is to see their joy mirrors the exact same joy you have when you are out there running. To be able to share an activity you love with someone that will always be happy to be with you is a beautiful gift of companionship. You are their everything for their entire life. 

2. What are the best breeds for running?

Different breeds have different abilities and/or limitations on how far or fast they can run with you. Any breed will want to run with you: how far and long will depend on its physiology and how well you train your dog. For example, short snouts can limit a dog on how well they can cool themselves or short legs can limit a dog how fast they can keep up with you. They cool off from their paw pads and panting. Therefore shorter snouts makes it more of a challenge for dogs to run long. Size, shape, length of legs, length of snout, weight, and density of fur coat all influence the type of runner your dog can be. Dogs cooling mechanisms are key to understand when it comes to running so keep these factors in mind when training your dog to run. This isnt a complete list but here are some breeds to keep in mind when choosing a running partner. 

According to Outside Magazine:

We both made the list, mom!

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Weimaraner

Border Collie

Australian Shepard

German Shepard

Dalmation 

Alaskan Malamute

Vizsla

Airedale Terrier

Jack Russel Terrier

Poodle

Belgian Shepard

English Setter

Siberian Huskey

German Pointer

Brittany Spaniel

Boxer

Labrador Retriever

Australian Cattle Dog

American Staffordshire Terrier

3. What is the safe age for dogs to start running? 

Two factors need to be kept in mind: 1) size of breed and 2) age. We need to be more careful with younger and older dogs as they are either still developing into their adult phase or are slower to heal/regenerate cells. Smaller breeds tend to live longer; therefore, their rate of physiological maturity is slower than larger breeds. By keeping these two factors in mind, follow the key rule: dont do too much, too soon, too fast. Sound familiar? What applies to humans applies to dogs. Allow puppies to be puppies especially during those first six months dont do anything extreme. Focus more on dog commands (such as heel, sit, stay) rather than distance or speed. Commands and skills are important to incorporate into your dog training as it can save your dogs life on a run. The more you work on these commands and allow your dog to practice, the better he will become. 

For example, I adopted Max when he was six weeks old with the full intention he would be my running partner. Beginning at 2-3 months we would take casual 1-2 mile walks very early in the morning at the beach to avoid distractions. Puppies just like kids are VERY easily distracted so when training them aim to eliminate as many distractions as possible. We would practice commands on and off the leash and then I would allow him to splash around in the waves. By six months old, we started running 2-3 miles together only a couple times a week still focusing fully on the commands of him obeying on and off leash. From 6-12 months, I gradually extended the runs to 4-5 miles and started picking up the pace always listening to what his threshold was. After one year of training focusing primarily on commands and building mileage very gradually, then you can build more and run more often always listening to how your dog responds. At his peak shape, Max was able to handle 20-22mi trail runs at my pace and/or 7-8mi tempo runs at 6:00 min/mi pace. Anyone that has run with Max and I can attest how obedient he is when it comes to running out there. We usually opt for remote trails where there is less ped "traffic". He prefers cooler weather, though, like his mom. 

Keep in mind that how well trained your dog becomes is very fluid. If you dont maintain it then they lose it and you shouldnt aim to have your dog aiming to kill mileage all year. Their bodies require rest and periodization too. Be patient with your dog and give yourself a year of gradual mileage build up. 

Sunrise at 10,064

4. How far can dogs safely go? 

Just like humans, there is no magic number and every dog breed is different. With most dog breeds, you want to be mindful and not be selfish to push them too long. They will run till the end of earth for you, but you dont want to burn them out. Ive taken Max on +20 milers on the trails during cool weather when hes very well trained, but we arent doing this every weekend. It would be once every couple months. Labs tend to be prone to joint problems and hip dysplasia. Therefore, I keep this in mind by giving him dog glucosamine supplements, aim to keep him at a lean body weight (yes, you need to be mindful of dog weight if you want him to safely be active on his joints), and dont do the really long runs too often. When hes moderately trained, he can handle a 10-12 miler in the trails at my pace a couple times per week. I normally would not exceed 30-40 miles/week with Max, but then again I am a low mileage runner as well. I will admit he does fall a little out of shape when I train for an Ironman because I am running much less. Its always harder to train a dog (or even a human for that matter) to go faster than go longer. Treat your dog like a human. Listen to what their body is telling you. If they are starting to lag behind on the runs then back off the pace and/or cut the distance short. The human will need to be more patient than the dog when it comes to building mileage safely. 

5. How do you train your dog to drink/eat on the run?

You will need to train your dog to drink from your hydration pack/bottle and eat while on the run. This is more important for long runs and probably not as necessary for shorter runs. If its hot, carry more hydration for your dog and slow down the pace substantially. Dogs have a different cooling mechanism than humans do. As humans, we have a higher surface area where our sweat glands will cool us off when sweat evaporates. Dogs do not have that luxury. Chill the pace or instead go for a swim with your pooch on very hot days.

Introduce drinking from your hydration bottle/pack very early in your walks and/or runs training the dog you will not go further until they take a drink. Certain dog breeds can be stubborn, but again training a dog takes a huge amount of patience since they will not get it the first try. Always praise your dog when they listen. A treat is nice, but dont get in the bad habit of allowing your dog to associate that every good deed will yield a treat. Its like when humans develop the bad habit treating food as a reward. All they ask is for your love. Train your dog to seek for your praise saying: good boy or good girl and massaging them behind the ears goes a very long way for dogs. 

There are certain foods that are safe for dogs so learn to carry dog safe foods and electrolytes enough for your dog and yourself for the long runs. Labs have voracious appetites so my Max will eat anything. I give him a snack every hour when we are running for two hours or longer on the trails. I give him a sip of hydration about every mile depending on the outside temperature. Here are some food items that are unsafe for dogs.

6. How does temperature affect a dogs run? 

Mt. Islip Summit

For heat: Dogs cooling mechanisms are different than ours and less efficient than humans. They cool off only from their panting and paw pads so they will warm up quicker than you. Give them extra hydration, monitor they aren’t overheating, and slow the pace. 

For rain: they love it! Most at least. Dogs are like little kids at heart and they will play with you out there for hours. 

For cold/snow: Some breeds definitely can tolerate colder temps and are made for it. The colder it is, the longer and better they can run such as huskies. My lab absolutely loves it! My boxer is more cautious and not a huge fan of cooler temps so he wears the dog shoes as his paw pads are more sensitive to cold. 

 7. Who should dictate the pace – the human or the dog? 

Mt. Baldy Summit

The human commands the direction of the run. The dog should influence the pace. This goes back to listening to what your dog can tolerate and what he/she is trained for. Dogs, just like humans, can be trained to go amazing distances or speeds, but the training must be gradual so they don’t get hurt. They will want to please you so will go as long as you go so just make sure they are safely trained for it. I usually end up taking my dogs out on my long recovery runs so it is a run that is more for them than me. The human should always dictate the pace within the parameters and capabilities of their pup.  

The human is the alpha so the human needs to command the pace and direction of the run. If the dog learns that it can do whatever it wants and you follow him/her, it can lead to an unsafe situation for your dog. On leash, your dog needs to learn that it should not pull or tug on you rather run with you. When off leash, your dog needs to learn that there still is an invisible leash and should always stay within a certain distance of you as you run along together. 

8. What other issues are you likely to encounter when running with a dog? 

Strawberry Peak Summit

Dogs can have an off day. Learn to read their signs. If they just aren’t their energetic selves then call it early and shorten the run. If you’re running in populated areas, train your dog to listen to your commands because sometimes you might run into some humans who just don’t like to be close to dogs. Respect others personal space unless invited.

Socialize your dog as early and often as possible. Take them to dog beaches and dog parks so they learn how to behave around a pack of other dogs and humans. Train them to travel with you. Train them to behave in different settings. So that when you take them on a run, they will just flow with you as if you both were one. I absolutely love my dogs and am so grateful I can share their beautiful joy outdoors with me.

Sounds like too much work? Like any relationship--partner, child, parent, student, athlete--however much you are willing to put into it is what you will get out of it. Your lovable, cuddly popcorn-smelling buddy will be an amazing running partner and every minute will be golden out there, 
human and dog together. 

Maxs adventures @irondogmax

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Kansas and Pennsylvania are big deer hunting states where tracking dogs are still illegal

It is great to see some good articles being published in the states, where the use of blood tracking is still illegal.

• To read "Tracking dogs can sometimes help recover deer", but not in Kansas by Michael Pearce, The Wichita Eagle click here
• And in Pennsylvania the fight for legalization continues - read "Dogs could be useful in deer hunts" by clicking here

This picture shows Darren Dorans young dachshund Theo who recovered this deer in New Jersey yesterday. In New Jersey tracking is done on a special permit only. This was Theos 16th recovery this season (out of 36 calls that Darren has taken).

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