If you are a multi-dog household ..... don't forget that your dogs need to learn that it is okay to be without each other as much as they need to learn they can cope with you being absent as well.

Pro-K9 receives numerous 'cries for help' from people who have two or more dogs and have never had one anywhere without the other.  Then circumstances change.  Sometimes this is due to a necessary stay-over at the Vet, or because the owner for whatever reason can no longer keep both dogs, or because one has, sadly, 'crossed the rainbow bridge'.  The dog left behind (and who knows - perhaps the other dog having been re-homed) pines - becomes destructive; barks excessively, becomes depressed and/or is generally moping for a considerable period of time.

Train your dogs for independence.  Independence from you and independence from their other 'buddy'.  It is most ideal to prevent dependancy attachments BEFORE there are problems.  So from the 'get go' you can start by sometimes (eg) training the dogs separately from each other; walking them separately; doing other things with each of them singularly. Randomise what you do - sometimes they are out together, sometimes they are not.  

If however one or both of your dogs already show signs of distress at being the one left alone, it is adviseable that you contact your behaviourist.  In cases such as these a program can be devised so that the animal's stress is minimised and 'learning' is possible.  Time periods for being alone are gradually increased as the dog learns more and more to cope with being by his or herself.  If the attachment is dog/dog you might be able to begin independence training from each other by having one person take one dog and another person remaining home and playing with the other dog.  There are various ways to manage these situations and work towards rehabilitation - each situation needs to be regarded on its own merits and treated individually.  After all, our dogs are all individuals and response/react differently.

If you find the food-treat ball you leave for your dog to amuse him/herself with while you're

away from home ends up getting stuck in the corners of your yard boundaries, try putting

it inside a kiddies' empty wading clam shell.  Your dog will spend longer amusing

himself with the treat-ball sliding back down the sides of the clam shell.  

Note :  Make sure the clam shell is not in danger of flipping over on top of your dog during

play. 

Dogs feel heat more and are affected by heat stroke and dehydration at a faster rate than that of adult humans, and recover less rapidly and less well. It is a condition that definitely needs to be regarded as serious and urgent as it can rapidly lead to fatality.

Symptoms of heat stroke are :-      

Rapid breathing
Dry mouth and nose
Rapid heart rate
Dull, tacky-to-touch, greyish-pink, or red gums  (This Is An Emergency!)
Collapse (This is An Emergency!!)

What can you do in the event your dog shows symptoms of heat stroke? :-

• Immediately remove your dog to a cool, shady area.
  
• Wet your dog with water – running water is best as it will help to continuously cool the body as much as possible. If limited water availability prohibits you from completely wetting your dog, wetting to cool your dog on the chest, neck, head and underbelly is a priority.
  
• If possible, place ice packs around your dog’s body and head during transport to the Vet.
  
• Transport your dog with the air conditioner cooling concentrated as much as possible on your dog.
  

Early detection and action to cool your dog affords a greater chance that your dog will fully recover, although in cases of heat-stroke attention by your veterinarian is recommended.. Even at the earliest stage of heat stroke, you may be fighting for your dog's life. The symptoms of heat-stroke can be followed in minutes by collapse, seizures, coma and death. You must get him to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Your Vet will most likely administer hydrating fluids by way of IV drip to help your dog recover and to try to prevent organ shut-down.

Things you can do to help avoid the onset of heat-stroke :-

• Obviously, prevention of heat-stroke is preferred.

• If you are out, make sure that your dog has frequent access to drinking water. Cool your dog down with a swim or otherwise by wetting if possible, especially if he/she is panting more laboriously than usual.

• Try to keep in shady areas whenever possible.

• If for any reason you have your dog muzzled using the soft style muzzles that keep your dog’s mouth closed, your dog should be removed from the immediate environment which necessitates use of a muzzle in the first place and the muzzle must be removed frequently (at least every 10 minutes on warm days, more frequently if the weather is hot) and your dog given opportunity for a drink. If the weather is hot and it is necessary for your dog to be muzzled, a “cage” style of muzzle is best as this still permits your dog to fully open his/her mouth and pant – panting is your dog’s natural (and very necessary!) cooling system. Soft-muzzles are designed for short term use only (eg. during treatment at your veterinarian’s).

• If the weather is hot, say “no” to your dog coming for a ride in the car with you, but if that can’t be the case, certainly do not leave your dog unattended in a parked car. Temperatures in parked cars rise at an alarming rate – even within 1 minute the temperature can reach levels that can be catastrophic and fatal to your dog. If you do park the car, park in the shade and ensure all windows are wound right down to achieve maximum air-flow. There are grids available that can be easily locked into the window space to prevent your dog from jumping out.

• Saturating your dog’s coat with water to refresh and then jumping into a hot car can achieve the opposite effect than what we intend. Under normal circumstances, your dog’s coat is an insulater against cold and heat. Water in a dog’s coat absorbs the heat from the car and can cause your dog’s temperature to rise even higher than it might if its coat was dry. So if you’ve been treating your dog to a fun, invigorating and refreshing swim at the dog friendly beach or doggy swimming pool, dry off as much of the water from his/her coat as is possible. Start your vehicle and run the air-conditioning for a few minutes before your dog enters it.

• Make sure your dog has access to plenty of fresh, clean drinking water at all times. It’s always a good idea to have more than one drinking container filled with water, in case one is accidentally spilled. Larger volume of water remains cooler for longer, so larger drinking vessels are better.

• Try filling an empty ice-cream container with water and freezing it into a block. The block can be added to your dog’s drinking bowl – it will cool the water around it as it melts.

• Freeze a chicken-neck in a block of ice and leave this for your dog to slowly work on when you leave for work. Not only will it help to keep him hydrated by licking at the ice block, it can also be a source of occupation while he tries to work out how to get to the chicken neck!

• Ensure your dog has a cool, shady area within which to rest during the day.

• Exercise your dog in the cool of the day – either very early morning or after sunset.

• Leave a kiddies' clam shell where your dog can cool him/herself by taking a dip throughout the day.  Naturally, size of your dog -vs- depth of water needs to be taken into account and the clam shell/pond should be positioned so that it is safe from being tipped up and where your dog can easily step out.  Note:  Water restrictions may apply and you should check with your local Council/Water Supply Authority if you are unsure how the restrictions affect you.

Please remember – if you suspect your dog may be suffering heat-stroke, early and immediate veterinary attention is a must.

Did you know that your dog's name is actually a command?  A command for attention.

We so often forget this and go about our daily lives saying our dog's name countless times a 

day over without expecting any action from them.  And then that one time when you need it the

 most - when you really need them to turn around and pay attention to you (perhaps for that 

recall !), they don't respond.

Perhaps the reason for this is that we've been inadvertently teaching them their name doesn't 

really mean anything .... that it doesn't mean we want them to respond to it in any way.

Worth thinking about and taking note of how judicious we are when using our dog's name as 

well as what regular maintenance training we do for their name to continue to 'mean' something.