Purina One Dog Food Recall

I just wanted to let all of you know about another salmonella contamination recall. This time it is Purina One Beyond. Actually only one bag of actual contaminated food has been verified.

It only affects the 3lb bags of One Beyond Wheat Chicken and Whole Barley Recipe. So this is a very limited voluntary recall. All the information about the potentially contaminated product can be found at http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/purina-one-beyond-dog-food-recall/

The issue here is very similar to the IAMS recall that I posted about earlier. Except this recall effect a much smaller amount of product.

If you would like to switch your dog to a different food and have questions about which may be appropriate for your dog. Please contact me.

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Copper, Cody, Cuddles, Foster Girl Lovey, The Lovely Shane and I wish you a happy and safe labor day !

Mommy spending quality backyard time with the pack (notice
the porch refrigerator is gone... we finally found someone to take
it home!)

I hope that you all have a wonderful labor day! I really appreciate those of you who read this blog and find it useful!

Have a lot of fun with your little guys and girls over this long holiday weekend. Please remember do not leave them unattended in your vehicle. It is really hot this time of year!
Refer to my previous blog post for more information.

Also remember to keep them safe. Keep potentially poisonous food items out of their reach. Refer to my previous blog post for more information.

Ms. Lovey and me (do you like my festive headgear?)

Cute Little Lovey

Now Copper knows how to relax!

Cody enjoying a summer day on freshly
 mowed grass in the backyard.

 If you have any questions about how to relax this weekend, just watch a Beagle. Copper and Cody know how to do it first class!

Lovey is really growing fast! If you want to add a very active member to your pack, please contact me for more information on giving this cute little girl a forever home with you!

If you find that your dogs are less than well behaved and polite this weekend, contact me. Copper and I will be happy to help you work toward having a polite dog!

We always say, "Polite Dogs.... Happy People" so, be happy :).

Mommy  spending couch time
with eldest pack members

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore 

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Consequences of not exercising your Beagles regularly

Okay, my last post was about the importance of exercising your dog regularly. Well today Copper and Cody provided The Lovely Shane and me a reminder of why this is so important.

Last night The Lovely Shane and I attended a concert at Harp's Crossing Baptist Church. By the way, The Akins Family was performing. If you have not had the opportunity to see them I would highly recommend that you go the next time they are in town. It is really good Gospel music, a refreshing change from some of the modern contemporary stuff (at least in my opinion).

Well, getting back to the story, when we got home from the concert, Copper, Cody and I went for a long night time walk. We had great fun and were all tired when we got back to the shack.

Copper and Cody slept very well all night, as usual. They were both more tired this morning than is usual for them. Neither of them are morning Beagles but this morning they appeared especially lazy. I fed them breakfast and after The Lovely Shane left for work, I went out to do an estimate for a Lawn Maintenance job and to take care of some business in Fayetteville. I did not take the Beagles for a walk first because they seemed so tired. That proved to be a critical error.

By the way, speaking of Lawn Maintenance, I also run a Lawn Maintenance and Handyman Business. If you are ever in need of Lawn work or household repairs, please contact me (fayettelawnmoore@gmail.com). I service Fayette County and most of the adjoining counties in this south Atlanta Suburb.

Okay, so I was only gone for two hours. When I returned I found the destruction that you see in the pictures. Actually this is just some of the destruction. The bi-fold door in the kitchen pantry was knocked off the track. The kitchen trash was scattered all over the kitchen, living room and even part of the Dog Trainer Shack Office.

The Lovely Shane had been doing school work at her notebook computer in the office. She left a coffee cup there. Copper found the coffee cup. Copper loves coffee. He broke the cup. We later learned that he spilled coffee on the keyboard of the computer.

As you can see in the picture, the Beagles looked as surprised as me to find this mess :) .

So... lets list the mistakes that the Lovely Shane and I made here:

• I should have walked the Beagles before I left the house.
• We should have secured the pantry door better or removed the trash. (This is Beagle proofing 101 :) )
• We should not leave drinks (especially Copper's favorites) within Beagle reach.
• I should have probably taken Copper and Cody with me. I could have done that and normally would have taken at least one of them. But today, they really looked tired.
• Tired looks can be deceptive :)

Copper and Cody would likely not have caused all this destruction that took me hours to clean up if they had been properly exercised this morning. I am not suggesting that exercise is a miracle cure for behavioral issues however, in this case, I think our little angels were bored. They were not hungry because I just fed them before I left the house.

Remember Copper Whooper and Cody the Little Beagle are both seniors. In fact Cody could probably be considered geriatric. Cody has an bad hind leg from an old injury that never healed properly. If they can cause this sort of destruction in only a couple of hours, you can imagine the damage that can be accomplished by a younger, healthy Beagle.

You may be thinking to yourself, why did this Dog Trainer not follow his own advice and crate these dogs when he was away. Well, that is a very good question. The answer is that not all dogs are suited for crates. Copper has severe separation anxiety. He bent the bars on a crate shortly after I adopted him. He will injure himself if I crate him. Normally, he does fine with free run of the house. Cody is normally also very good outside the crate. I do not crate him mostly because of his leg injury and because normally it is not necessary. 

Our foster dog Lovey is crated when are away as was our previous foster girl, Penny the tiny Beagle. I do believe in crating however, like so many things in Dog Training, it is not suited for every dog. Not all training is cookie-cutter because all dogs are not the same.

So, again, remember exercise your little guy and girls and take them with you!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore 

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

William Moore Lawn and Handyman Services

678-702-4791

fayettelawnmoore@gmail.com 

The importance of exercise for your dog.

Cuddles and me walking on a trip to the mountains last year

Copper at work with me on a mild day.

 Sometimes I get frustrated because I don't think folks really understand how important proper exercise is to a dog of any age.

It is especially important for growing puppies but is also very important for adult, senior and geriatric little guys and girls.

In addition to the obvious health benefits for both you and your dog(s), it also helps them mentally and behaviorally as well.

In my experience, a large percentage of the problems and issues that my dog training customers experience with their animals is simply due to inadequate exercise.

Here is a partial list of a few of the symptoms of an under exercised dog ( I borrowed these from the Web MD site):

• Destructive Behaviors i.e.Chewing, Digging, Scratching, Eating remote controls, eating hearing aids (yes I had a student with a dog who did this once).
• Investigative Behaviors i.e. garbage can raiding, pulling items off counters, opening the cabinet doors to explore and perhaps participate in destructive behaviors :)
• Hyperactivity i.e. bouncing off the walls, awake all night
• Unruliness i.e. jumping on people, rearanging furniture, etc
• Excessive Predatory and Social Play
• Play Biting and rough play
• Attention Getting Behaviors i.e. barking, whining, etc.

Copper and Cuddles protecting the back yard

Dogs historically need a job to do. They need work. In some breeds this need is more pronounced than others. For instance terriers and shepherds very much need to have some job to do in order to be happy. Beagles, not so much :).

Without the proper amount of exercise, dogs basically get bored and that is what leads to many of the behaviors on the above list.

They also really need the mental stimulation that good, interactive(with the people) exercise provides.

Copper looking at something very interesting on the other
side of the fence (the grass is always greener there
 for some reason.

 There is a lot of good information available on how to exercise your dog.... there is also some not so great information out there. Here is what I suggest:

You don't have to be aggressive with it. I mean don't have to run any marathons with your dog or take him roller skating. I have mentioned before the importance of at least one good walk per day. This is a good start.  However, not all trainers agree with what I am about to tell you but, please resist the urge to get one of those fancy retractable leashes. They make proper leash control much more difficult and I have seen many people injured by them. That little line on them can burn you if you catch it on the retract. That little line is also very easy to trip over and become ensnared by. I very strongly suggest a good, old fashioned, flat leash. If you want a long one, you can get them 30ft. long if you like.

Cuddles and our normally very active foster girl Lovey
after a day of proper exercise.

Learn proper loose leash walking technique. If you do not know how to do this, Copper and I will be happy to demonstrate and teach you how. It is much easier to show you the technique than it is to write about it. It is one of those things that requires a developed feel. But, you can learn fairly quickly and easily.

It is very important that the exercise be interactive. Walking on the leash using proper loose leash technique provides a lot of interaction between you and the dog. Also, if your little guy or girl likes to play with toys, play with them. Play fetch or something like that. It is a lot of fun and it helps the dog exercise mentally.

Also practice some of the obedience behaviors with your dog (i.e. come, sit, stay, down, leave it, etc). This also provides some mental exercise.

Please use some common sense here. Don't over do it. And please don't exercise outdoors in the heat of the day in the summer. There are plenty of indoor places you can take your dog to exercise if you must do it in the heat of the day. Also be particlarly careful with the so-called brachycephalic dogs (those with short flat little  noses like bulldogs and boxers). These dogs tend to overheat easily due to their physiology.

If your veterinarian is an evil alien, let me
know and I will give you the name
of a vet who is a native of the planet earth

Small, short legged dogs will not have the endurance for walking that larger breeds will have. It is also not the greatest idea in the world to exercise dogs heavily immediately following a meal.

Please also remember, the sight hounds are typically sprinters. They are not endurance dogs. Please don't overexercise them.

Obviously, if your dog has physical problems, do only exercise for which the dog is capable. If you are unsure call your veterinarian he will be happy to discuss it with you.

There are some benefits of regular exercise that may not be exactly intuitive. Dogs, much like people, remain more agile and limber with proper exercise. Proper exercise sometimes helps with certain digestive problems in dogs. Because of the interactive element of proper exercise, it is often a great help to timid or anxious little guys and girls.

If you need any help teaching your little guys and girls to behave properly on a leash or if you have any other training needs or dog related questions, please contact me at anytime!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Dog Food Recall - P&G Brands: Iams and Eukanuba.

The Government of the United States via the FDA website announces yesterday that The Procter and Gamble Company has voluntarily recalled "specific lots" of "dry pet food". Apparently this is the Salmonella issue that has plagued many pet foods in the recent past. 

This recall covers "specific lots" of both canine and feline formulas of the IAMS and Eukanuba brands.

If you feed IAMS the procedure for determining if the food that you have on hand has been potentially contaminated is available at: http://www.iams.com/en_us/data_root/_pdf/8-14-13%20Iams%20Product%20Information%20Dog.pdf

If you feed Eukanuba the procedure for determining if the food that you have on hand has been potentially contaminated is available at: http://www.eukanuba.com/en-US/SpecialAnnouncement.pdf

I hate to beat a dead horse here, so to speak, but I always caution people to be careful to not buy a particular food or dog product based solely upon advertising. I understand that accidental contamination can occur during the manufacture of dog food. Everyone makes mistakes. I have made a great many of them over the years. However, it seems that pet food contamination (or at least contamination of which consumers are aware) is growing at a rapid pace.

So, look at the logos I have  attached to this post. I am not certain that Eukanuba is " The best you can do for your dog" (although I am not suggesting it is a bad food, generally, in the uncontaminated lots). Also, I would ask the question of the IAMS brand ; "Yes, What's really in your dog's bowl ?" Apperently if I purchased the wrong lot of some IAMS brand food recently, it could be salmonella.

Again, let me be clear, I am really not picking on these brands. I am sort of picking on the Dog Food industry in general. Lots of hype and marketing surround these dog foods today. Confusing claims, exaggerated benefits and lots of way overpriced dog foods are out there.  When I worked for Petco in Peachtree City, Georgia we actually carried a $80.00 bag of dry food (it was a little over 20 pounds if my memory is correct). That is about $4.00 a pound. Center Cut Pork Ribs are only $3.49 a pound at my local Publix. Beef Roast is $3.99 a pound.  However, we actually sold one or two bags of the $80.00 dog food  a week. I suppose P.T. Barnum may have been right. He is rumored to have said " There is a sucker born every minute" or something to that effect.  


The truth is however, that these contamination problems can (and do eventually) hit any of the brands regardless of price.

So, my advice has always been, don't overspend on food just for the sake of buying a "natural",  "holistic", "organic",  "essential", "freeze dried raw" etc. food simply because of the marketing. There are many marketing fads that come and go.

If your dog has dietary or health issues and needs a particular type of food buy what the veterinarian recommends. Otherwise, my humble opinion based upon many years of feeding and raising healthy little guys and girls, is that if the dog is doing well on the food you are feeding (regardless of how cheap and out of style it may be) why change? If it ain't broke don't fix it.

That being said, if you are feeding IAMS or Eukanuba now and are thinking of switching to a different brand due to availability or concerns about future contamination. Contact me and I will be happy to talk to you about what other food may make for the easiest transition for your dog. Many times switching foods can upset the stomach so it is important to switch to one with a similar formula to avoid potential problems. However this does not necessarily mean that the food you switch to has to be in the same price range. Believe it or not, it is possible to switch to a food in a lower price range and have the same or better quality.

If you are interested in more information about my opinions on dog foods I wrote a couple of earlier blog posts that may be helpful to you:

• You can read about Corn as a food ingredient. (you may be suprised about my opinion on corn)
• One of the first posts I wrote on this blog was about Nutrition. It goes into some detail about the different varieties of dog food that are available today.

Till Next Time

-William-
William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

The Foster File - Adventures in Fostering Penny and Lovey

This post is an update on the Fostering that the Lovely Shane and I are doing in our home (the dog training shack).

Our beautiful tiny beagle girl Penny found her forever home Saturday (August 10). I am sure that she is being well taken care of (I would write spoiled but we don't use that term). She was very happy and her new people were happy too. She will be an only dog (although she will live with a few cats). She will also have a couple of children with which to play. We were sad to see this little girl go but were happy to see her find a forever home!

This also allowed us to open our home to a new Foster girl. Lovey  is a really cute and very energetic mix breed puppy. She is about 4 months old. We think she is mixed with perhaps Border Collie, Pit Bull, and Labrador. She is a little bit of a challenge because her energy level is much higher than that of our senior guys and girl.

I have begun to work with her on loose leash walking. I must admit, for a young energetic puppy, she is progressing nicely. We have also been working with her on housebreaking and are thrilled to report that she is almost perfect in that regard!

Her recall is actually very good as well. She responds to her name and comes pretty consistently when called.

I have also taught her sit and down. We are next going to begin working on stay. She really seems to be eager to learn and Copper and Cody are helping her! I will keep you updated.

As I have mentioned many times before, if you are planning to add a new member to your pack, please, please, please consider adoption. There are so many beautiful dogs like Penny and Lovey who need forever homes.

If you need help locating a rescue group or shelter from which to adopt, please contact me. Also if you have a newly adopted guy/girl and need help training them to be polite dogs please contact me at any time!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Human/Dog Connection... Does my dog know when I am sick?

I have had some sort of stomach bug for the last couple of days. It has not been pleasant at all. I worked a little over half a day yesterday and have not done much other than rest since then.

I have written before about the Human/Dog Connection. In the earlier post I wrote about how dogs can tell how we feel emotionally. That is why it is important not to get frustrated while training your little guys and girls.

I also mentioned how Copper can tell when I am not feeling good. That post was written before we adopted Little Cody. This time, I have had two little guys taking care of me :) .

As soon as I got home from work yesterday, it was apparent that both Little Cody and Copper Whopper knew that I was sick. I spent the rest of the day in bed. Cody slept right next to me. This is unusual. Cody does sleep in the bed with us sometimes but he is not normally nearly as close to me as he was yesterday. I woke at one point to find Copper on the pillow next to me and Cody right against me. This is also very unusual. Copper prefers to sleep on the floor these days. I think the floor feels cooler and more comfortable for him.
\
At one point later I woke to find Cody right next to me and Copper lying on the floor in the bedroom doorway. As soon as I woke, Copper jumped up on the bed to check on me. He sniffed me, licked my hand , let me pet his head, then he jumped back down to lie in the doorway.

My point in relaying this story is that these remarkable little guys knew I was sick. I really think they were sort of worried about me. I have no real evidence to back this up but, their behavior changed quite dramatically when I was sick. Normally, at that time of the day, Copper Whopper likes to take his nap in the living room and you can hardly wake him.Cody really likes to have his afternoon nap in his basket bed in the dog training shack office.  Routine is important to dogs and they both broke that routine because they sensed that all was not right with me.

Today, I have been taking it much easier than usual. I have been in the house most of the day. Eating soup and crackers. My little buddies have been checking on me all day. One or the other of them has been right by my side all day.

One of the many advantages to having a dog is that they are a comfort when you don't feel well. I think it is because they sense that you don't feel well and try to make you feel better. I have been around dogs most of my life and have noticed this phenomena many times. I think it is perhaps universal (well maybe not on Venus... although I have never been there :) ) with dogs and people.

Take care of your canine buddies because they love you and will show it when you feel sick.

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Meet the breed: Border Collie

 The Border Collie is a herding breed. They are really energetic, fun little guys and girls!

Adult male height tends to be about 20 inches. The females tend to be slightly shorter. Adult male healthy weight tends to be about 40 pounds and the females tend to be slightly lighter.

There are varieties with short coats and varieties with longer coats.

The colors are quite varied. I believe this is a complete color list:

•  black and white
• tricolor
• red and white
• black and gray
•  yellow
•  yellow and white
•  sable
• all black

In my experience, this breed generally seems to be very eager to learn. They are extremely high energy dogs. They really excel in agility. They usually really love playing fetch with a ball, Frisbee, stick, etc.

Ironically, for such a high energy breed, I have found that many of these guys are sort of shy and timid. This is mostly true of puppies. Proper socialization is very important at an early age.

 As with most of the herding dogs, it is important to begin training as early as you can

Because of their instinctual herding nature, you have to sometimes stop unwanted herding behavior early. Many of these guys tend to nip at your heels when you are playing and they sometimes try to herd people as they would livestock. This behavior can be successfully addressed, but it is much easier to deal with it in puppy-hood than later in life.

I can not over stress that these guys/girls need a lot of mental and physical exercise. I mean several hours per day if possible. If you do not have that sort of time to put into a dog, the Border Collie is probably not a good fit for your pack.

Like most dogs, if the Border Collie does not get enough stimulation through exercise, he can become pretty destructive around the house. Many people get frustrated with Border Collies for this issue. Quite a few of these guys end up at shelters because their people simply did not take the time to work with them. These dogs, like all high energy breeds, need to work!

It is not nearly sufficient to simply walk these dogs a few minutes a day. They need more physical exercise and a lot of it should be interactive with the people. You can not just let these dogs loose in the back yard for a while and expect that to be sufficient mental and physical stimulation.

Please understand, I am not suggesting that the Border Collie does not need to walked on a leash. Quite the opposite is true! You should go for a brisk walk at least two or maybe three times a day with these guys in addition to the other exercise. The on-leash walking , in my opinion, reinforces the human/dog bond with these guys and for that reason I think it is essential!

These dogs are really cool because generally, their main desire is to please their people. They really bond closely with people in general and the people in their home in particular.

The Border Collie also has a quite remarkable stamina. This is part of the reason they require so much work and exercise. I tell people that when training a dog, most dogs are only good for about 15 minutes at a time of working on commands and behaviors. Most dogs lose focus quickly after about 15 minutes and further work is frustrating and counterproductive. My experience has been that Border Collies however, in general, can work on training much longer than that without losing focus.

There are a few health problems to which the Border Collie is more susceptible than are other breeds. The following is a list of the one of which I am aware:

• epilepsy
• hip dysplasia
• PRA (Collie Eye Anomaly) 
• deafness
• allergies to fleas occurs more often in the Border Collie than in most other breeds.

The Border Collie can be crate trained. Although he must have interaction with people more often than most other breeds. I would not leave a Border Collie in a crate or any sort of confined space for extended periods of time. Much like our friend the Beagle, the Border Collie can be quite the escape artist!

An interesting bit of trivia about the ancestry of this remarkable breed: The Border Collie is rumored to have descended from dogs that the Vikings used to herd Reindeer. So, if you need a good Reindeer herder in your pack, this breed may be a perfect addition!

However, the Border Collie is probably not the best choice for apartment dwellers due to the amount of exercise that they require.

Because they are so eager to learn, they can make great service dogs!

If you want an energetic, eager and fun little guy in your pack, the Border Collie is very much worth considering. If you have the time to spend working with these guys they make very loyal, intelligent, and eager companions!

As always, please consider adoption when adding a new member to your pack! Also consider an adult or senior dog, these guys need forever homes too and they make great additions to your pack!

If you have questions about rescue groups in your area from which to adopt, please contact me. Also contact me with your general dog and dog training needs at any time!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com






I

Why do hounds have floppy ears?

 All the pictures that you see on this post are of hounds with floppy ears. If you are like me, you have often wondered why hounds have floppy ears.

Truthfully, on the surface, it seems like a detriment to the little guys. The floppy ears tend to trap bacteria and nasty stuff (that is not a medical term, I am not a veterinarian, nor do I play one on T.V. :) ) and this leads to infection. The floppy ears also tend to get caught on things. Our little Beagle, Cody, had to make an emergency trip to the veterinarian on Friday afternoon last week because he got a splinter caught in his ear. The splinter actually pierced through the ear and was very painful to him. We are still not sure how it happened. But the fact that Cody’s ears are floppy did not help here.

From an auditory perspective, you would not think that the floppy skin and cartilage hanging down would impair the hearing. So, I don't suppose the floppy ears have much to do with enhanced hearing.

They are really cute. I suppose that may be enough reason for most of us but, I don't think that is exactly it either.

It turns out that there is another possibility. Look at our friend the Bloodhound in the picture (he is the guy with the loose skin above to the left (with the tree behind him). 

The Bloodhound has really loose skin around the jowls and the head. His ears are really long and floppy.

The Bloodhound is also known for his acute sense of smell and his tracking ability.

It turns out that the floppy ears and loose skin around the mouth and near the nose contributes to his great sense of smell (not to mention his overall cuteness). 

The large "lips" and long ears help to stir up and perhaps even catch these little scent molecules. (For those of you who attended public schools within the last decade, you can not see molecules, they are microscopic. It is beyond the scope of this post to explain in greater details, just trust me here). This does aid in the Bloodhound's acute sense of smell.

I think that is probably the real reason that we have bred the hounds to have those floppy ears. 

From a historical perspective , until relatively recently, within the last century or so, we bred dogs more for functionality than for appearance.

The hounds were bred to hunt and track. When you think about this, it is very desirable to have the long floppy ears. Since it aids in the scent detection ability, it is quite an advantageous and desirable trait.

So, now you know :). I really do think this is why we have so many hound breeds with floppy ears. Even the sight hounds tend to have floppy ears even though they are generally smaller than those of the scent hounds. 

The sense of smell is very important to any hound, I suppose.

But remember, as I have written before, cleaning the ears of these floppy eared guys is really important. Check them regularly and clean them regularly!

As always, if you have any dog or dog training questions, please contact me at anytime!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore 

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com