After Belle’s recent surgery, I’ve been keeping her indoors almost all of the time, only taking her out briefly for bathroom breaks.  Even still, her belly and legs get muddy and I have to towel her off when she gets back inside.

Yesterday I went out of town, so I had to leave Belle outside for the majority of the day. Although it wasn’t raining, her pen was VERY muddy. It’s important to keep my dog clean until the stitches come out, so I did what I could to make her pen more palatable.

Pine straw covering muddy spots

She also has another wood palette in the corner of her pen that gives her a place to lay that is off of the ground. This is really useful when the ground is as wet and muddy as it is right now.  It also provides a little more warmth than cold ground in winter.

My neighbor, Ms. Virginia, who owns a Jack Russell and another mixed breed dog, bought a bale of hay for her backyard this week. It helps her dogs stay out of the mud a bit better.

Although these aren’t the best options - a concrete floor in a pen would probably work best, they are temporary solutions to the wet ground in your backyard and help prevent your dog from getting too muddy during rainy seasons.

Stitches on my dog Belle after minor surger

The blood work came back normal and there was no sign of infection in her urine sample either.  The veterinarian and I discussed the frequent urination problem that she has been having.  He recommended that I begin measuring her water intake. If she is drinking more than six cups of water a day (based on her weight), then this may be an indication of other problems.

This is day three of me measuring the amount of water I am giving Belle and how much she is drinking.  She has not drunk more than three cups of water each day, which I think is a good sign.

Her requests to go outside to use the bathroom were very frequent on Tuesday (about 5 times in two hours one evening), but seem to have lessened as the week goes on.  I suspect it may be a bit of a boredom and lack of exercise problem, since I haven’t been walking her much at all due to my illness and the really cold weather.

I’m going to begin to walk her more, especially since the weather is warming up, and see if that helps the problem.  I will need to take it easy for another week though, due to the stitches in Belle’s stomach.

I asked my vet about the unusual skin growth on her stomach. He looked it over and said that although it didn’t look like it was something to worry about (something about it having hair growing out of it and maybe being an odd hair follicle), it was best to remove it and test it. That way we could be sure it was a benign growth.

Since I had not fed Belle this morning, since I wasn’t exactly sure of all that was being done for her exam, she was able to get in the queue for surgery this morning (dogs with a full belly can’t undergo anesthesia). We’ll know in a short while whether the growth is something that we need to be concerned about.

My vet is a great guy. My dog is very timid in the vet’s office; he actually gets down on the floor with her and examines her rather than put her on the table, which really makes her nervous.

Scheduled exams are a great time for me to get all of my pet questions answered, and I take the opportunity to do so. If I have anything I need to ask, I’ll write it down and bring it with me. I often forget, if I don’t write them down.

Since I have a home office, I spend a lot of time with Belle (and vice versa J). The pervious two and a half weeks I have had quite a nasty cold. As a result (and due to weather being in the teens), I haven’t walked Belle much at all.

I began to notice in the last week, that she is asking to go out to urinate a lot more frequently. Usually, she will go out in the morning to use the bathroom, and then maybe go out two or three more times that day.

In the past week or so, she has been asking to go out 4-6, sometimes 8 times a day. This is a behavior change for her, but I couldn’t see much more of a difference. She is drinking a bit more as well, but not showing any signs of discomfort.

I mentioned this to my vet today. Since she is already in for surgery, he recommended that we take a bladder sample and blood sample to see if she has a bladder infection or if her white blood count is higher. These would be indicative of some kind of infection which antibiotics would help.

He also mentioned that the increase in peeing could be due to bladder stones. But since she is not peeing in multiple spots when we go outside and not showing any signs of straining, it does not seem likely. I forewent the x-ray for this, for now.

We’ll see what he says! It really helps to know your dog’s behavior well to be able to spot any signs of trouble. Dogs will hide their illness or injury as best as they can. This is a biological response to avoid being eaten by a predator. But observant pet owners will be able to spot potential problems.

Recently, while rubbing her stomach, I found a strange bump on her skin.  I wasn’t sure what it was, so I pulled the hair back from the spot to see if it was a tick or something else.  I hate pulling of ticks, but I will when I have to!

This spot looked like some strange growth of skin.  It doesn’t seem to bother her, but since we are scheduled for a vet visit next week.  We’ll ask the doc what he thinks it is and what we should do about it.

Belle had another similar spot along her neck that we had removed largely because it was at her dog collar line and could get infected or irritated.  The vet also wanted to make sure it wasn’t a cancerous growth.  Luckily, everything was fine and the removal went smoothly.

I really hate to have Belle under anesthesia, but if the vet says we should get it removed, that’s what we’ll do.

As most of the U.S. is suffering really cold winter weather, the cold weather has hit the deep south too.  We aren’t used to the temperatures dropping down below zero, and it really freaks us out - and our pets too!

This morning we woke to snow falling, which eventually turned to sleet and then rain.  Belle didn’t know what the snow was, but she didn’t want to walk through it.  Needless to say, she was only out for limited amounts of time today and it looks like it will be like that for several more days.

In this cold weather, we all have to remember to make sure our pets stay warm and have plenty of water.  For the last several days, the outdoor water bowl has been frozen solid.  Cleaning out the ice and refilling it with fresh water is a must - and even the birds appreciate it.

Adding some bedding material to your outdoor dog house can help keep your dog warm too.  Straw or old bedding material will work, but when the temperature really drops down, bringing your dog inside is important.  And when that bedding material gets wet, it doesn’t keep the dog warm either.  With all the rain we’ve been having in the last several weeks, it isn’t long before bedding gets soaked through.  It is even more important in the cold weather to keep your dog and his/her bed dry.

Here’s hoping we’ll see more snow!

I have hardwood flooring throughout the house. I once had an area rug in the living room, but Belle continuously rubbed her head on it. This made it smell bad often and her collar caught a couple of times, pulling threads from the carpet. I cleaned it a couple of times, but decided it was easier and healthier to get rid of it. I still have a couple of doormats, which I wash from time to time.

Now, the couches are another matter entirely. My couches are a yellow-gold cloth; they don’t show dirt much, but they can get smelly. Belle is not allowed on the couches, but she does rub across the leg area pretty frequently. I start seeing a bunch of hair stuck to the sides of the couch and I know it’s time to clean it.

It’s a challenge to vacuum dog hair from fabric. It gets stuck in the fabric’s weave, making it difficult to remove. One product that I found that helps remove hair from many surfaces is the magic pet hair removal sponge. It really seems to get the hair up better than most other methods I’ve tried. Luckily, it’s washable too. I use this sponge on her bedding before I wash it as well, to remove as much hair as possible.

I use this to clean my couches

I clean the couch about once a month or whenever my house starts to smell like a dog. In warm weather, it takes about an hour for the couches to dry, but in winter it takes a little longer. I really like this product and recommend it to anyone with a pet. I once loaned my Little Green machine to a friend of mine with two dogs. She liked it so much that she bought her own.

I doubt it will work on all types of material, but you should be able to test a small spot to make sure the fabric won’t fade.

Now if you’ve been reading this blog, you know that Belle often displays aggression towards other dogs. So when a stray or loose dog comes running up to us, I have to be prepared. Surprisingly, I have become fairly good at standing my ground and chasing the other dog off. I was amazed at my ability to stop a charging German shepherd not too long ago. But I’m not successful every time, and then there are consequences. Not only do I get upset at these occurrences, but me or my dog could become injured.

Once, a dog came running out my neighbor’s open door and immediately this dog and Belle got into a fight. Belle, of course, was leashed, so it wasn’t a fair fight to say the least. I was yelling loudly to get the owner outside to deal with his animal and my instinct was to put my body in between the two dogs. This was NOT a good idea, but luckily I did not get bitten.

Loose dogs, whether friendly or not, pose a hazard. They can run into oncoming traffic, become involved in dog fights, or simply frighten people that are not familiar with dogs.

WHAT WORKS FOR ME

So what can you do when a strange dog without an owner comes running towards you or is paying a little too much attention as you walk by?

I have found that many dogs will respond to commands in a strong, forceful tone. If the dog has any training, using “stop” or “back” or “no” in a harsh, strong voice can do the trick. Picking up a stick and using it to display or warn the dog has helped me too (largely I think it makes me feel better). I have also picked up stones or pine cones to toss in the direction of a dog that continues to follow us. I am not aiming at the dog, but near the dog to scare it off.

If a dog is approaching me, I don’t turn my back on the dog, but don’t move towards it either. I try slowly backing up and keeping my dog under control as best as I can. Displaying aggression towards the dog can turn out badly. And, perhaps most importantly, I don’t run and do my best to remain calm, despite how upsetting it can be to have a dog run at you.

If this doesn’t work and the dog continues to approach, my next resort is to call out loudly to the owner or the house. Oftentimes the owner is at home or outside, but just didn’t think that their dog would get in a fight or cause problems. Remember that just because your dog is friendly and likes other people and other dogs, does not mean that the dog that is walking by is friendly. Leash laws help protect your dog and others.

I often carry a bottle of mace with me, just in case an aggressive dog comes towards us and I have no other recourse. I do not know if this will work, but I assume that it would. Unfortunately, I do not know how I could spray one dog and not the other or even myself. I can only hope that I do not have to use it.

Finally, if you know the owner of the dog that is loose, talking with this person and requesting that they keep their dog under control or in a fenced area may help. They may be unaware that their dog is getting out of the backyard or that it is a problem for you. Most neighbors want to be a good neighbor and will do their best to resolve a problem.

If talking with your neighbor doesn’t work and the dog continues to be left to his own devices, it’s time to call your animal control officer. Animal control officers will often give a warning to an owner before picking up a dog, but if the dog is aggressive, it’s important to get it picked up before it hurts someone.

This veterinary web page provides some very helpful tips on dealing with loose dogs.

WALKING BY MYSELF

There is a product called the Dog Dazer II, which I recently purchased. This device emits a high frequency sound that many dogs dislike intensely. Most dogs will retreat as quickly as possible.

It is impossible to know if this causes a dog pain or just discomfort. It is also a non-specific device so all animals in the area (the device says within 15 feet or so), will hear it and be affected.

It also does not work on all dogs. I have discovered that most large dogs will react to it, but the very small breeds have not, in my experience. You should also not use it when you are walking with your dog as your dog will react as well and may deem it a punishment for something.

I am not advocating the use of this device to try and modify the behavior of your neighborhood dogs or as a training device, but am speaking to my experience in deterring dogs as they approach you

I loaned my dazer to my parents, whom had recently been charged (and nipped at) by a pair of dogs in their neighborhood. Upon seeing the dogs racing towards them, my mother hit the dazer, and the dogs immediately ran back to the house. In addition to carrying this device, my parents discussed this problem with the local animal control officer who had a conversation with the pet owners and the problem has been solved.

Always be careful when strange dogs approach you or your dog, as they can often be unpredictable. Please be a responsible dog owner, obey leash laws and keep your own dog safe and under control.

Although a lot of people like to leave their dogs at home and have friends or family come to care for and walk their dog, there are many factors about Belle that makes me prefer to leave her in the hands of an experienced, safe pet boarding kennel owner.

There are few people that can handle Belle, especially in cases where she is afraid, like during a thunderstorm. I would not ask someone to enter her pen at that time, for fear that she might react out of fear. Sometimes when I go to retrieve her before a storm, she won’t even come out of her dog house. I have to enter her pen and put her leash on in her house before she comes out. This is not something that people she does not spend a lot of time around should try to do.

We get a lot of thunderstorms in the summer. I prefer to know that Belle is indoors during these storms and that if any severe weather occurs, someone who can handle my dog is close by.

Although my parents are willing to feed and water Belle, they are not comfortable enough around dogs to be able to retrieve her from her pen if needed. The few friends that she is very familiar with are very busy, and I would not ask them to walk her or spend time with her. I just feel safer with her in qualified hands.

So how do you pick a good kennel? One of the first things to do is ask around for recommendations. If you have friends with dogs (and they probably are as picky as you are), ask for recommendations. Most people will be happy to share their good (and bad) experiences.

Your veterinarian is another good person to ask about boarding your dog. Although many veterinarians will board dogs, I do not like to use them as there is usually less space available for each animal than in a boarding kennel and dogs and cats are usually in close proximity. This would also add to the stress which Belle feels when I am departing on a trip as she already associates the vet with unpleasantness.

Next, it is a good idea to make an appointment to visit some of the kennels you are considering. Ask to see where they will keep your dog. Any boarding facility that won’t let you see the dog runs and dog cages is probably a place that you would like to avoid.

Ask a lot of questions. Do they require proof of vaccination for each animal? Including the vaccination for kennel cough? How often do they clean the cages? How long are the dogs allowed outside during the day? What vet do they use in case of emergencies? What time do they feed the dogs? Can you supply your own food?

In hot climates, it is important that your dog have the option of finding a cooler spot in the heat of the day. Some kennels offer special dog houses with ventilation that maintain a cooler temperature. Some kennels have air-conditioned indoor and available outdoor facilities with a door that the dog can enter and leave by. Be sure to ask the kennel owners how often and how long the door is opened.

Look around carefully. Are the instructions/names/contact/vet information for each dog on the doors of each kennel? Are the kennels clean and does the area smell suitable? Is there enough ventilation and space for each dog? How do the other dogs act?

Talk to the boarding staff about your dog. Can they provide accommodations to fit your dog’s needs? I always let boarders know about Belle’s personality – that she can be dog aggressive and fearful in new locations, that she is afraid of thunderstorms, and that she is a little older and probably needs some way to retreat from the stress of the other dogs. I also mention that she loves the outdoors.

If the employees at the boarding facility provide suggestions and are willing to accommodate these needs, then they are probably a good choice for boarding your dog.

I have found two boarding facilities that suit Belle’s needs. Although she shows a little signs of stress when I return to pick her up, she actually wags her tail in pleasure as we approach the one facility as the owner is very caring and treats her well. This business is my first choice for boarding Belle and we have established a relationship with the owner.

Many dog trainers recommend that you build your dog up to staying for long periods in a boarding kennel by taking them for a one night stay first. This allows the dog get accustomed to the facility and to know that you will return for him/her after a trip.

Read the Humane Society’s recommendations for finding a good boarding kennel.

Gate with latch to Belle's dog pen

Most days, I would feed Belle her breakfast and then put her outside in the pen with fresh water and then head to the office. Sometimes I came home for lunch, but not very often. A few weeks after we started putting her outside, I came home at 5 to find my dog waiting for me at the door to the house. Imagine my surprise!

Now, Belle is a relatively small dog, but she’s not that small. I didn’t think she could get underneath any of the narrow spaces where the fencing and ground diverged. But just in case, I used a combination of rebar, some boards, and concrete blocks to close the gaps. She wasn’t digging holes in the dirt, so I knew she wasn’t getting out that way.

The dog fence with reinforcement

The next day I came home to found the dog outside of her pen again! I was thoroughly confused – she’s too short to jump and I thought that I had gotten all of the possible exits closed.

She obviously enjoyed the freedom and was panting and thirsty when I got home. But she doesn’t pay attention to cars when she’s chasing things and has been known to run into the side of a vehicle when loose. So I had to find the way she was escaping from her dog pen to keep her safe.

So, one day over lunch, I put her outside and watched her from a window.

Belle sniffed around her dog pen for a while, but eventually she decided it was time to make the break for freedom. Much to my surprise, she stood on her back legs, wedged herself between the fencepost and gate, and shimmied downwards enough to wedge the opening wide enough for her to push through. This dog is smart!

I ran outside and called her (one of the times she actually came to me!) and put her in the house. Now that I knew how she was escaping, fixing it was no problem. We simply added one more latch to the gate to make sure both the top and bottom were secure. She hasn’t escaped since then.

Just like humans, dogs are prone to forgetting things, or even testing boundaries. Thus, it is important to refresh your dog’s training “memory.” Dogs that respond to a given command for a long period of time can suddenly start acting like they don’t know what the command means.

For example, it took me quite a while to train Belle to SIT, especially when I gave the command out of doors. Since Belle was quite older when we started training, the distractions of the outdoors, like squirrels and cars and other dogs often won over her attention. I was so excited the first day that she sat on command outdoors!

Now I use this command to prep her collar when it begins to slide, or to calm her down when she is getting excited at the approach of another dog.

I also command her to sit before I put on her leash to go outside and after I have shut the front door so I can lock it. Lately she has been extremely slow to respond to the SIT command at the door. I have several times manually made her sit after giving the command.

Dogs can begin to forget the positive reward associated with a command after a time. When this begins to happen, it is important to retrain the command to reinforce the behavior that you wish to obtain.

It is pointless to repeat the command if it doesn’t work the first time, this will only train your dog to respond ONLY when a given command is said three or more times. A refresher course is the best solution.

Looks like Belle and I are off to work on the command SIT!