Top Posts of 2011
It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone already, and what a year it was! Not only did we move into our new training center in Leander, but we started some new training programs like K9 Scent Games, Dine with your Dog, and a Puppy Board and Train Program, we held a contest to redesign our t-shirts, and we worked with even more incredible dogs and their owners!
We have also expanded our dog training blog with a lot more informative, useful, and educational articles. Check out the 10 most popular posts of 2011.
10. Why is Crate Training So Important?
9. Do You Use an Emergency Recall Word?
8. New Dog Park Opens in Cedar Park
7. Indoor Summertime Training Ideas
6. What’s the Big Deal with Hand Signals?
5. A More Detailed Look at Black Dog Syndrome
3. 7 Steps to Improving Your Relationship
2. How to Introduce 2 Dogs on Leash
1. Denial Aint Just a River in Spain
Feel like taking a stroll further down memory lane? Be sure to check out the top 10 Posts of 2009 and 2010.
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Dangerous Human Foods for Dogs
Each year the Animal Control Poison Center receives a few hundred thousand calls relating to dogs consuming dangerous human foods, plants, and other poisons. While some dangerous items like pesticides, non-food items, human medications, and household cleaners are clearly hazardous to our dogs, some other items that are commonly found in our homes can also be harmful. While we are all aware of the dangers related to our dogs eating chocolate, here is a list of some other dangerous human foods for dogs.
- Avocados - The leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of avocados contain Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.
- Macadamia nuts - These nuts have caused weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs. Signs usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion and last approximately 12 to 48 hours.
- Grapes and raisins - Although the toxic substance within grapes and raisins is unknown, these fruits can cause kidney failure. In pets who already have certain health problems, signs may be more dramatic.
- Xylitol (an artificial sweetener found in many items) - Initial signs of toxicosis include vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Signs can progress to recumbency and seizures. Elevated liver enzymes and liver failure can be seen within a few days.
- Onions, garlic, and chives - These vegetables and herbs can cause gastrointestinal irritation and could lead to red blood cell damage. Although cats are more susceptible, dogs are also at risk if a large enough amount is consumed.
- Milk - Because pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk), milk and other milk-based products cause them diarrhea or other digestive upset.
25 Worst Cities to Be a Postal Worker
Earlier this week the Postal Service released the statistics to draw attention to National Dog Bite Prevention Week. 5,669 postal employees were attacked by dogs in more than 1,400 cities across the United States, but do you know which cities have the most cases?
Houston, Texas was the city with the most dog bite incidents (62) on postal employees during 2010. San Diego and Columbus round out the top three with 45 bites each. To see where your city ranks, you can check out the rest of the list. So let’s say you’re a postal worker or just someone out for a walk, be sure to remember these tips for Preventing a Dog Bite.
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A More Detailed Look at Black Dog Syndrome
Back in September of 2010, we posted a short blog article on Black Dog Syndrome. We briefly defined black dog syndrome and pointed out that statistics were hard to find relating to the phenomenon. I recently became aware of an extremely detailed report (including those hard to find statistics) on not only black dog syndrome, but also relating to black cat syndrome!
The researcher, statistician, scientist and author of the report is a second grader from Austin named Parker!! Parker completed her science project on black dog syndrome and provided a ton of useful information in her report. Parker’s report has pictures, statistics from her classmates, statistics from Town Lake Animal Center and Austin Pets Alive! She explains her methodology and procedures and lists a clear conclusion and Parker even has pie charts to show her results.
So with all of the great research, did Parker come to the conclusion that black dog and black cat syndrome exist in Austin? Well you’re just going to have to read her report to find out! Great job Parker!
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2011 Most Popular Dog Breeds
The AKC released their annual list of most popular dog breeds today. The list for 2011 has only changed a little from the 2010 Most Popular Dog Breeds list they published last year. The list changed so little that the exact same ten breeds are on the list, only a few spots were shuffled around. Take a look at the list, arr you surprised by the dogs on the list, do you feel that your favorite breed has been overlooked?
10. Shih Tzu
9. Poodle
8. Dachshund
7. Boxer
6. Bulldog
5. Golden Retriever
4. Beagle
3. Yorkshire Terrier
2. German Shepherd
1. Labrador Retriever
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How Many Calories are in Dog Treats?
Obesity is a major problem in our country and it’s also affecting our pets. While exercise is a major factor in maintaining your dog’s ideal weight, nutrition is equally important. Although it will vary greatly based on the activity level and the size of each dog, it’s important to know the caloric requirements of your dog (this is a great question to ask the vet). Using that as a starting point, it’s important to know not only how many calories in are your dog’s food, but also how many calories are in those treats!
Take the quiz below to test your knowledge of the calorie content of some of the most popular dog treats. The correct answers and your score will appear at the end of the quiz.
[QUIZZIN 1]
Just to give a reference point, a 45 pound dog with a normal activity level should be consuming roughly about 900 to 1100 calories per day. While many of the treats appear to be “low” in calories, remember to factor in just how many treats your dog is getting, especially during a training session. Don’t forget, these numbers are in addition to your dog’s regular meals, all those calories quickly add up.
Treats are great! We love to use treats when we train, but consider rationing out part of your dog’s regular meal and use the kibble as treats during a training session. Also be sure to get out and explore your local hiking trails, go for a walk around the block, or play ball at the park. All of these fun activities will bring you and your dog closer together and also help burn off those extra calories.
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Top Posts of 2010
A whole year has come and gone, hopefully it’s been a year filled with good times with your dog! It’s been a very exciting year here at Unleashed Unlimited – we’ve added some new programs, successfully launched the Puppy Manual, hosted another great agility seminar, filled our online store with some more great items, and most importantly – we worked with a lot of fantastic dogs and their owners.
Just like we did last year, we wanted to share the most popular posts from our training blog for 2010. Enjoy the look back, and we are all looking forward to an even better 2011!
10. Tips for Choosing a Second Dog
9. Location Based Dog Training
8. Should You Shave Your Dog in the Summer?
6. An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
4. 5 of the Greatest Dog Inventions
2. 5 of the Worst Dog Inventions
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Google is Dog Friendly
I was reading an article recently and it mentioned that Google is a dog friendly company and allows it’s employees to bring their dogs to work! Everyone from the Senior VP of Operations to less senior staff have the option to bring their dogs to work with them! How cool is that?!
Now of course there are some limitations to the allowance, but they are totally legitimate limitations. Evidence of fleas, excessive barking, biting, chasing, and other similar actions are considered unacceptable and the dog will have to be taken home upon the first complaint. Limitations are also imposed if other employees who are allergic to dogs are being affected.
In addition to these guidelines, it’s clearly stated in Google’s code of conduct that Google isn’t cat friendly company: “Google’s affection for our canine friends is an integral facet of our corporate culture. We like cats, but we’re a dog company, so as a general rule we feel cats visiting our offices would be fairly stressed out.”
Not only can Google employees bring their dogs to work with them, but Google’s dog friendly nature carries over into another facet of their operations. Instead of noisy lawn movers, Google rents goats to help cut down the amount of weeds and brush at Google HQ. The operation of 200 goats (plus herder and a border collie) is kind to the environment, and as Google puts it: “A lot cuter to watch than lawn mowers.”
How about any of you out there, is your company dog friendly like Google? Do you bring your dog to work, would you if you had more control of your dog?
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Keeping Your Dog Cool in the Summer
Living in Austin during the summer can be hard on any dog, and we must train ourselves to keep our dogs’ needs in mind during the hot summer Austin days. As we covered in a previous post, Should You Shave Your Dog in the Summer?, we learned that dogs do not feel cooler when shaved. Since that is the case, what can you do to keep your dogs cool in the summer?
Here is a short list to help keep your dogs from over heating during the warm weather:
- Make sure the dog has plenty of access to fresh cool drinking water
- Never leave your dog in a parked car
- Make sure your dog has access to shade, and do not leave them outside when you are at work or away from home
- Set up a baby pool or a sprinkler in the back yard, or play some games with one of these
- Instead of pouring water on the dog’s back in efforts to cool him off, apply some water under the dog’s front armpits, belly, and inner rear leg
- If your dog has a dual layered coat, have a groomer brush out the undercoat to help insulate your dog
- Be sure to decrease the intensity of your play sessions, walks, and runs during extreme heat
- Be aware of your dog’s paws and pads when it comes to walking them, the street and sidewalks can get very hot
- Be sure to apply sunscreen to fair skinned dogs with fine coats
- Plenty of naps on the tile floors
Dogs are not only uncomfortable on hot summer days, but they are vulnerable to heatstroke and heat exhaustion which can be fatal, especially for overweight and older dogs. Regardless of your dog’s age, weight, breed, or habits, please keep an eye on your pets and make sure they have as much fun this summer as we do!
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