What to do with a dog who is malnourished or underweight.

If you look closely in this picture, you can see
that Foster Girl Penny the Tiny Beagle was
underweight when we first brought her to the Dog
Training/Foster Shack

All too often, we , as dog lovers we have to care for malnourished or underweight dogs. Sometimes it is a result of some sort of illness. Sometimes we take in a stray or adopt/foster a little guy or girl who has simply not eaten regularly in quite some time.

Boomer the Beagle in his later years

As many of you know, in the early 1990s I adopted a sweet beagle from the Dekalb County (GA) Shelter. He was a 9 month old anxious little guy named Boomer. Boomer was my companion until he died of renal failure at the age of 15 years. We had lots of fun together and I learned a great deal about anxiety issues in dogs from working with him.

When he was about eight years old, I was working as a Computer Network Engineer/Consultant at a now defunct company in Sandy Springs, GA called Consultec. Boomer got sick. I do not remember exactly what the health issue was now but a nasty side effect was that he lost a lot of weight very quickly. I could see all his ribs and some of his backbone. His normally extremely healthy appetite had disappeared. He would not touch any of his favorite foods. This was very unusual for him and just not at all beagle-like.

At the time, I lived in Marietta, GA. Dr. Tyler Huhman and Dr. David Lawless at Tritt Animal Hospital in Marietta, GA were the veterinarians that helped me to care for Boomer and a few cats that lived with me at the time (or maybe I lived with them.... you know how cats are ).

The guys a Tritt did an excellent job treating Boomer's illness! However, the home care was my responsibility.  I think it was Tyler who told me that the most important goal I needed to have was putting weight on Boomer quickly. I believe it was at his suggestion that I used Nutri-Cal in an attempt to stimulate his appetite and to load him up on the calories and nutrients that he desperately needed. I think Tyler gave me (or sold me, I don't recall) some prescription food that was formulated to help him gain weight (if I could get him to eat it).

You can't really tell now but, our little Cody was also
malnourished when he got to the Shack.

I worked from my small home office for about a week (we used to call that telecommuting). During that time I cared for Boomer almost 24/7. I gave him medication for his illness and almost constantly tried to get him to eat. He would eat some canned food and I slowly began getting him to eat the Nuti-Cal. Slowly he started to eating peanut butter that I offered him and eventually he began eating his dry food. It was a long week but he finally began eating well. After a couple of more weeks he was almost back to his healthy weight. And I seem to remember that after he put the weight on ,I spent a month in Minnesota on business over the next three days (at least that is what it felt like :) )

I did not just share that story with you so that you can see how cool my life was in those days (that is just an added bonus :) ) . I shared that story with you to make a few points about caring for a dog who is underweight or malnourished:

• If you notice a rapid weight loss, please, consult a really good veterinarian. There is generally an underling cause that probably needs to be treated.
• If your dog is not eating foods that he normally loves, if it lasts more than a day or so, you should really strongly consider taking him to a veterinarian.
• Once you have any health issues treated, it is your responsibility to care for the little guy or girl. You must be diligent about it! Always remember that your veterinarian will be more than happy to talk to you about methods that you can use to get him/her to eat. If your dog is not making progress, do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian for guidance!

I mentioned Nutri-Cal earlier in my work with Boomer. Nutri-Cal is a high calorie vitamin paste. There are other similar products on the market. Most large pet stores (i.e. Petco, Petsmart, etc.) have their own store brand products that are labeled for the same use. When I worked at Petco, I found that our vitamin paste was good but some really picky dogs seemed to prefer the taste of the Nuti-Cal product and the price difference is not huge either way.

In many cases the dogs will eat this stuff right out of the tube. However, in many cases you have to put it on the food. In Boomer's case, I put some of the stuff on my finger and sort of stuck it to the roof of the mouth to get him started. It is really sticky and he had to lick it off the roof of his mouth. He did not really like this but it worked.

Foster Boy Sammy

I decided to write about this subject today because, The Lovely and Awesome Shane and I are working with our new foster boy, Sammy on the same issue. He is very thin. His ribs and backbone are clearly visible. I am happy to report that he is beginning to get his appetite back! This morning he actually finished his entire bowl of food for the first time since he got here three days ago!

If you have a dog who needs to gain weight, it is not a hopeless problem! It can be very frustrating but, there is hope and it feels really good to see a little guy or girl finally eat and gain weight!

Our foster girl Penny the Tiny Beagle had the same issue. She gained a little weight we she was with us. I saw her with her adopted family recently and she looks great!!

If you have questions about getting your dog to eat please contact me! Also contact me if you need help teaching your little guy or girl to be a polite dog. I always tell you: " Polite Dogs = Happy People". Let me help you get happy today!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Progress report on our foster dog, Penny the tiny Beagle.

 I am not sure if you can tell in these pictures but, little Penny is making great progress! She is filling out. I really do think she is putting on weight though I have not weighed her. Believe it or not there is no scale in the Dog Trainer Shack, not even a bathroom scale. I suppose, at some point we should get one but it is not exactly a high priority in our lives right now.

She is eating like a little horse! As is typical with Beagles, she loves food. She is led by her little nose!

 As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been using Nutri-Cal in an attempt to put some weight on this little girl and I think it is working.

She is the first dog that I have ever seen that does not like Nutri-Cal right out of the tube. I take two small treats and make her a Nutri-Cal sandwich with them. She loves that! I have been doing this two or three times a day.

As you can see in the picture, she loves her new foster brothers, Copper and Cody, here they are relaxing in the back yard at the Dog Training Shack.

The Lovely Shane recently took her on a little trip to her parents house. She did this to see how well little Penny would get along with her parents toy poodle (Benny). We were also curious how well Penny would do around our grandson.

The Lovely Shane reports that Penny did great with the grandyoungun (for those of you who do not live in the south, that means grandchild). However, Penny was very vocal around Benny. She did not really like him getting in her face and barking. I suppose I would have been vocal too in her position.  However, this indicates that Penny may not be great around toy breeds. I think they probably make her anxious and nervous. This is something that may get better with time and more (slow and controlled) socialization with toy dogs.

Penny seems to be very willing to learn. Here is a video that I made of me and the Beagles. We were working on waiting at the door. Penny saw Copper and Cody working on that behavior and she joined in the fun. She did very well for a first attempt. Then we came in the house and the Beagle boys and I were working on "leave it" and Penny joined in with us again. For the first attempt, she did great!

Penny does still need some work on behavioral stuff though. It is all fairly minor things such as, she likes to jump on you for attention, we are working on this.  She also likes to nudge you with her nose when she wants to be petted. I discourage this behavior because, I should be the one who pets her, not the other way around. But, as I wrote, all this is minor. She is overall, a very sweet and fairly polite and well behaved little girl!

Penny is scheduled to be at Petco in Peachtree City  this Saturday. She will be there from around 11 till around 4. If you are interested, please stop by the Bully Wag table and see her. 

She will also probably make an appearance at a fund raiser for Bully Wag in Newnan on Friday. I will post updates here as we get closer to Friday.

If you would like more information on Penny or on adding an adopted dog to your pack, please contact me at anytime!

Also, if you have recently added a new member to your pack, I will be happy to help you with your in an effort to make your new little guy or girl a polite and well behaved dog.

Please also contact me with any questions/concerns. As always, my goal is to help you train a polite and well behaved dog!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore

William Moore Canine Training

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

678-702-4791

Meet the breed : Corgi

Our pretty little girl, Cuddles, is a Corgi mix. We are not sure exactly what other breeds make up her heritage but, we know she is part Corgi.

The cute little guy in the pic here is a Cardigan Welsh Corgi. You can not really tell in Cuddles' picture but their tails are similar .

The handsome guy in the picture here is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He bears the most resemblance to our little girl, Cuddles. However, a major difference between the Pembroke and the Cardigan is that the Pembroke does not have a tail.

The adult male height is 10" to 12" with the female being slightly smaller. The adult male weight is approximately 25 pounds with the female being slightly lighter.

Some Corgis, as with our little girl Cuddles, are born with longer hair than the guys in our pictures here. People who are familiar with the breed call these "long hair" or "fluffy" Corgis.

The Corgi is very likely descended from several breeds including: Keeshound, Pomeranian, Schipperkes, and Swedish Vallhund.

As you may have guessed, the Corgi breed originated across the pond in the area that we now call the United Kingdom.

The Cardigan is the older of the two Corgi varieties. The Cardigan, is believed by some to have originated with the Celts as early as 1200 BC. The Pembroke is believed to have originated with a group of Flemish folks who were employed as weavers to the Celts. This probably occurred in the 1100s BC. For those of you who attended public school within the past 10 years,  1100 BC is later than 1200 BC (it is beyond the scope of this post to explain this but, just trust me :) )

Corgis are part of the classification of working dogs that we call herding dogs. They were likely first brought to the USA in the early twentieth century (AD). They were used for driving cattle. They were also used for hunting small game and for guarding livestock.

The Corgi is especially well suited for livestock herding due to its relatively low stature. It can nip at the heels of the livestock and easily roll out of the way to avoid being stepped upon.

These guys are very loyal dogs. They can be pretty intelligent as well. They are very protective of their people. Believe it or not they make pretty good watch dogs as well. Our little Cuddles lets us know whenever any intruder is anywhere near the property here at the Dog Trainer Shack. She is also very protective of The Lovely Shane!

The Corgi is very prone to unwanted guarding behavior as well. Cuddles, for instance, tends to guard her food bowl ( a habit we are working to break in her). They tend to naturally, perhaps even instinctually , be wary of strangers. For this reason. it is important that they be properly socialized at a very early age!

The Corgi, as is the case with most dogs from the herding groups, tends to try to herd people. They will nip at your heels, etc. in an effort to move you along. For this reason, it is very important that obedience training begin early. The Corgi needs to see the human as being in charge. This needs to be taught, through proper positive reinforcement training methods, at as early an age as possible.

It is important that the Corgi get plenty of exercise. Because it is naturally a herding dog, this is very important. The Corgi will not be happy of he is not exercised properly.  I strongly encourage Corgi owners to walk their dogs at least once a day using proper loose leash walking technique. It is important that the Corgi knows that the person is in control of the walk and not vice versa.

My experience with this breed is that they can be easy to train if the training begins early. It is always important, with any dog, that training be consistent and routine. This is even more important with the Corgi than some other breeds. They really need the structure. These guys are generally eager to learn. They can also be very strong willed (however, this varies from dog to dog).

Corgis are generally good with other dogs. However, they do not like other dogs invading what they perceive as their space. I have also found that, particularly in Cuddle's case, and generally with most other Corgis, they get along best with dogs their size or smaller.

Cuddles gets along well with Cody the Little Beagle and Penny the Tiny Beagle but, she does not get along as well with Copper the Whopper Beagle. The Lovely Shane and I really believe that this is because of Copper's size. Penny and Cody are both a little smaller than Cuddles. Copper is a little larger than Cuddles. Cuddles will bark at Copper when he gets to close to her food dish or just generally too close to her. Often Copper barks back and I have to intervene to get them to be quiet. We are working on this and it is getting better but, it never happens with Cody or Penny.

So, in summary, the Corgi is a very loyal dog. They are generally good with their own people but tend to be wary of new people. They are generally good with other dogs of their size or smaller. They are very protective of their people. They require a lot of exercise but because of their small size they can be a viable consideration for apartment dwellers.

If you are looking for a new member of your pack the Corgi may be a good choice if you can devote the time needed for training and exercise. They can be very sweet and loyal little guys and girls!

As always, if you are looking for a new member for your pack, please, please consider adoption! There are may sweet little guys and girls (some of them Corgis or Corgi mixes) who desperately need good forever homes!

Please understand, I am not necessarily against breeders. There are some great ones out there. I will not be mad at you if you patronize a good breeder. I simply ask that you consider adoption first. By the way, I always offer discounted training services for adopted dogs and their new people!

If you are considering adoption and need the names of local rescue groups please contact me and I will be happy to get you together with someone who will be happy to help you find the perfect dog for your pack!

Please also contact me with your training needs or with any dog related questions or concerns!

Till Next Time

-William-

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

Welcoming a foster member to the pack.... Penny the tiny Beagle!

The Lovely Shane and I are trying something new. Today we welcomed a new foster member to our pack.

Penny is a tiny beagle. She is about a year old. She was rescued by Bully Wag from a  shelter in rural North Georgia. Because the shelter is in such a rural area the kill rate is comparatively high. She just got back from surgery today. She was spayed and had a hernia removed. She is doing pretty well from what we can tell. She is very underweight. We are going to work on putting some weight on her. I don't think it will be too difficult.

For at least the next couple of days she will be mostly resting to recover from her surgery. After she gets to feeling better, Copper and I will begin training with her. We are very encouraged because she is already responding to her new name. By the way, Michelle picked the name, Penny, because she has a copper like coloring on her head. Since Copper is more of a boy's name and Michelle already named one of her rescue dogs Copper (my demo dog, Copper Whopper) this new little girl was named Penny like the copper colored US coin.

Very soon we will be taking her to Petco in Peachtree City on Saturdays from 12-4pm. She will be with the other Bully Wag dogs. Her first trip to Petco will be Saturday August 3, 2013.



Her appetite seems to be very good. Tomorrow I am going to stop by one of the local pet stores and get her some Nutri-Cal. Nutri-Cal is a high calorie vitamin supplement. It is great for putting on weight and stimulating the appetite. It is a thick syrupy paste. The dogs really seem to love it. They will usually eat it right out of the tube.

I often recommend Nurti-Cal to people who have dogs that need to gain weight. But, if your dog has a health problem that is causing him/her to loose the weight always check with your veterinarian first.

In Penny's case the weight loss is most likely from malnutrition.

I do not normally encourage people to use a name brand when a generic is available however, in this case I always recommend the Nutri-Cal brand. When I worked for Petco, in my experience with customers, the Nutri-Cal worked much better than the Petco generic. It is worth the extra cost.

I will keep all of you posted on Penny's progress.

As always, if you are planning on adding a new member to your pack, please, consider adoption. If you are interested in adopting a cute little Beagle girl, please contact me or Michelle Crampo at BullyWag for more information on Penny and adoption in general.

If you have a dog related question or have any dog training needs, please contact me.

Till next time

-William-

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