It’s no secret that dog sledding is about the toughest, most time-consuming, most expensive and most addictive of any dog activity. So what’s stopping you?

First you’ll need sled dogs. Don’t be dismayed if your dog isn’t a bonafide Husky-type. Dalmatians, German Shorthaired Pointers, Border Collies, Poodles and a bevy of other breeds have made it onto mushing teams. Most good mushing dogs weigh between 40 and 60 pounds and have the urge to pull. You can work with your own dogs and have loads of fun, but if you’re serious about getting a top team together, start with dogs from top mushing lines.

Equipment

A kick sled is a lightweight transportable brakeless chair on runners, made to be pulled by one or two dogs. Any more dogs and you risk being out of control! Basket sleds, in which the basket is set high above the runners, are next in weight. They are fast, easy to manage and ideal for recreational mushing with a few dogs. Finally, toboggan sleds, in which the load is carried only inches above the runners, are the choice for soft snow and added stability, as well as for camping and long-distance trips. Both basket and toboggan sleds have simple but effective brakes.

Next you need harnesses for every dog in the team. A good fit is critical for your dogs’ comfort and pulling ability. The harness of choice for speed or recreational mushing is the custom fitted X-back harness with padding around the front. For heavier loads, a weight pulling (or freighting) harness is preferred, which is the same kind of harness used in competitive weight pulling. These harnesses have a wooden rod (called a spacer) at the rear that helps distribute the weight for ultimate pulling ability.

Ganglines (towlines, tuglines and necklines) attach the sled to the dogs’ harnesses. The towline runs between all the pairs of dogs back to the sled, and tuglines run from each dogs harness to the towline. The neckline runs from the dogs collar to the towline, but is only there to keep all the dogs facing in the same direction - not for pulling. Never use cheap lines, and when possible, carry spares.

You’ll also need a snow hook, which you’ll be grateful for as your dogs are flying down the trail and your sled is careening behind them and your cries of “whoa!” are going unheeded. A snowhook is a big, heavy metal hook attached to the rear of the gangline that you can jab into the snow to try to slow your progress. It’s more often used, however, as an anchor when you need to be off the sled while the dogs are stopped and you wish them to remain where they are rather than taking off-without you.

Finally, what will you do if one of your dogs gets injured on the trail? A sled bag enables you to carry a dog on the sled without the dog jumping out. It’s essential when you’re anywhere away from civilization.

When Your Dog Jumps On The Bed: Because of their pack origins, dogs are very social animals and love to be with their people. Most dogs need little if any encouragement to jump up to be near them. With a highly social, friendly dog the solution to too much togetherness is to shock the animal out of the undesirable behavior.

Have a full water pistol or spray bottle handy, and the minute the dog starts to jump up, squirt it in the mouth or face and say “NO!” When it settles back down on the floor, you can pet and praise the dog, but in case it thinks this is encouragement to jump up again, keep the water pistol handy to spray immediately if the animal makes a move. Another way to shock a dog is to have a large cooking pot and spoon handy. The minute it starts to jump, bang the pot with the spoon and say “NO.” The dog will soon realize this is not a positive experience.

Alternatively, if you don’t care about your dog having the run of the house but still want it in your bedroom at night, leash the dog and hold the end of the dog’s leash. As soon as it begins to jump, correct it with a snap and say “NO.”

A long-term solution is to train your dog to Go to Your Place. Then it will stay quietly all night in its own bed or place.

When Your Dog Jumps On Chairs & Couches: Dogs and their ancestors the wolves always like to create a nest for themselves. A dog naturally finds a couch or chair more comfortable than the floor for its nest. In addition, the scent its owners leave on the furniture makes it an even more appealing nesting place for a dog. The best way to break a dog of this habit is to make the act uncomfortable in some way so it becomes pleasanter for the dog to sleep on the floor.

You can use a Setup. Put a bunch of balloons on the couch. Then, with the dog on a leash, walk over to the couch, point at it, and say “NO.” When you’re right next to the couch, pick up a balloon and pop it right in the dog’s face. Then walk a short distance away with the dog still on leash. Remove the leash and go into another room. If the dog wasn’t sufficiently startled by the popped balloon and is still brave enough to jump on the couch, the remaining balloons will pop and frighten it into getting right down.

With a very strong-willed, powerful dog such as an Akita, a popping balloon may not be deterrent enough. You may need to use a stronger Setup. Place a number of set mousetraps on the furniture with a light sheet on top (the sheet will protect the dog from being hurt by the traps). If the dog jumps up, the traps will snap and startle the animal enough to make it give up the couch as a bed.

Tug-of-war is a behavior cubs and puppies engage in with each other. Each animal grabs one end of a stick or toy and pulls and pulls, trying to get it away from the other. It’s usually accompanied by growling. This type of play is practice for serious adult battles. It’s actually a war game that brings out aggression in any puppy or dog.

When a person plays tug-of-war with a puppy or dog, he too is playing a war game, competing with his pet for an object. Tug-of-war forces a puppy to become a rough competitive player, whether it wants to or not. If the puppy is a naturally aggressive breed, tug-of-war encourages it and gives it an excuse to be aggressive with you. This behavior often escalates until a dog becomes aggressive with all humans.

Playing tug of war with your dog can be lots of fun and provides great exercise as well, but is it safe to continue to play this game as your dog grows up and gets much bigger? Will the aggressiveness that the game of tug of war provides safe for your children?

Rules

1. The single most important rule about tug-of-war is this: If there are children in your world, your own children or neighbors’ youngsters who might wander into your yard, don’t teach your dog to play tug-of-war, no matter what it’s basic temperament is. A dog that’s learned to play this game may easily decide to grab and tug on a child’s clothing or a toy and become aggressive when the child resists and tries to pull away.

2. If no children live anywhere nearby and you’re intent on playing tug-of-war with your pet, use your best judgment. Don’t allow your dog to become too intent or aggressive. If it begins to growl seriously, put its ears back, or raise its hackles, tell it “No” and stop the play immediately. You must retain your leadership role at all times, especially if your dog is at all aggressive, or the game will soon convince it it can bully you.

3. Be careful your dog doesn’t decide everything you pick up is a potential tugging object - otherwise you’ll end up with lots of torn clothes and towels. If a dog that regularly plays tug of war tries to grab something out of your hand, don’t pull away and turn its actions into a competitive game. Drop the object, scold the dog, and immediately take the object away. Don’t allow a dog that grabs your belongings to have the pleasure of keeping them or you’ll never train it to stop grabbing things.

6 Basic areas of a full examination

It is up to you to notice any changes in your dog’s behavior or other odd instances that may indicate that your dog is sick. After all, he cannot tell you when he is feeling bad. Any information that you can give to the vet will be helpful in determining what may be the problem. In most instances, the vet will carry out a complete basic physical examination. During this examination he will more than likely ask you a lot of questions about your dog.

The following are all of the common areas of the dog that your vet will look into during a full examination:

1. Nose: Dogs typically have cold and wet noses. Your vet will be looking for any discharge and/or physical changes in the appearance of the nose. However, the vet will not be too concerned if your dog’s nose is hot or dry.

2. Nails: The vet will take a look at your dog’s nails and also the nail bed for damage, if he shows signs of licking or lameness. Some dogs have uneven wear and tear on their nails which means that the dog has been favoring one leg and may have an injury. If the vet finds that the nails are flaky, then further steps can be taken for a possible metabolic disorder.

3. Eyes: Many dogs unfortunately inherit or acquire eye diseases. However, sudden changes in the eyes of your dog may indicate a more complicated disease elsewhere in his body. A thorough eye examination will help give the vet clues about where else he may need to look for problems.

4. Mouth: The mouth area is checked for gum inflammation and tooth decay. Examining the dog’s mouth will also give the vet a chance to check his blood pressure. This is done by pressing his finger up against the gums. If your dog has pale gums, then it could be anemia. If there is a yellowish color on your then this is possibly a liver problem.

5. Skin & Coat: By checking the coat and the skin of your dog, the vet can determine the possibility of other issues. For example, if the coat is dull in color, then this may be an indication of parasites or a minor infection that may exist anywhere else in the body.

6. Genitals: If your dog is female, then the vet will check the vulva for discharge or inflammation. Either of these two could represent a disorder of the urinary system or the reproductive system. Likewise, a male dog’s testicles and penis are examined for possible inflammation and swelling.

Most dog bites occur around the neck, face, ears, and the upper chest area. And although most skin punctures from other canine teeth look simple and clean, there is often a considerable amount of damage through the flesh. Injuries, bites, or stings from insects and venomous animals are often difficult to find and administer symptomatic treatment. Contact your veterinarian if the dog shows any agitation at all. Below are several bite and sting descriptions as well as how to best deal with them.

Dog Bites

1. If you are witnessing two dogs fighting each other then be careful not to get yourself injured when trying to separate them. A safe and effective way to break up two dogs is by throwing cold water on them. Be sure to allow the dog some time to calm down before examining for possible injuries. If you spot skin that has been lacerated or punctured, clip the hair away from the wound.

2. Remove all of the clipped hair then carefully wash the area with warm water and a mild disinfectant. To prevent further hair from getting inside of the wound and causing irritation, apply a small amount of petroleum jelly around the outside of the bite.

3. If the skin is punctured, then take the dog to the vet to receive some sort of antibiotic treatment. If the skin is lacerated, then be sure to apply antiseptic cream to the area. Do not be alarmed if bruising occurs. If the laceration is severe enough then your dog may need to get stitches.

Bee And Wasp Stings

While playing outside your dog may experience being stung by a wasp or a bee. Although both types of insects are similar, they each leave a different sting. Wasp and hornet stings cause pain and swelling. Some dogs are very sensitive and allergic to stings and will react badly. If there is acute swelling to the mouth then immediate veterinarian care is vital.

When a bee stings your dog, it leaves an embedded stinger in the skin. If you suspect that your dog has been stung by a bee then examine the area carefully to pinpoint the stinger. Once located, remove the stinger with a pair of tweezers. You may need to look through a magnifying glass just to be sure you get the entire stinger unlogged. If there is excessive swelling once the stinger is removed, then apply an icepack.

Many traffic accidents involving dogs, both minor and severe, could have been prevented with proper obedience training. Be sure that your dog is well trained and always under the control of a reasonable person when he is being walked outside, especially when being walked near a busy road.

If for some reason an accident does occur and your dog gets hit by a car, do not panic. Keep your emotions in check and use common sense. Your dog is still very much at risk for further injury, so be extremely careful when moving him out of further danger.

Warning: A dog that is badly injured may bite you if he is in shock or severe pain. This holds true even if he belongs to you and knows you. So before assessing the dog’s injuries, use a scarf or other piece of clothing to muzzle him. A rope or a tie will do just fine here as well. Examine the dog’s face and body for injury and get immediate medical attention.

Moving An Injured Dog

Regardless if the dog is conscience or unconscious, it must be moved to a safe place. Have someone watch out and block further traffic while you adhere to the following six tips:

1. Before attempting to move the dog out of the risk of traffic, check over the his body for obvious wounds, cuts, and distorted limbs,

2. With the help of another person, carefully drag and then lift the dog’s body onto a blanket or a coat if you have one. Pull the blanket or coat out of harms way. Avoid rubbing any obvious injuries.

3. It is important to keep the dog muzzled if he is experiencing obvious shock or pain. Be sure to securely tie the muzzle so as to prevent an accidental bite.

4. Gently feel every limb for broken or dislocated bones. And if you suspect a fractured limb, then move it as little as possible. Also, a dog with potential spinal injuries should be lifted on a flat board.

5. Some dogs whom have been injured in car accidents appear to be normal. But beware, he may have damage to internal organs. He will need immediate medical attention. Once the dog has been removed for further risk in traffic, examine it thoroughly and take him to the nearest vet.

Is your dog having a problem with diarrhea? Does he have “accidents” while trying to get outside to go to the bathroom? While your dog may not loosing too much sleep over the problem, there is no doubt that you are not happy with the runny mess being made in your house!

Diarrhea in dogs often happen because of eating something rotten from the outside, or even from getting into a chemical inside of the house. There are times when he may have an intestinal virus that could be the cause. Perhaps you suddenly changed his diet which may be a contributing factor to the problem.

Below are several tips in which you can use to effectively help your dog recover from diarrhea:

1. Do not let your dog have a continual feeding of food in the dish. If you stop putting food in your pet, then he will stop having to use the bathroom. So it is obvious that once you notice your dog has the runs, simply stop feeding him for 24 hours after the onset of diarrhea. This alone could be enough to knock out the problem. However, if after 24 hours have gone by and there is still a problem with your dog’s bowel movement, then contact your vet immediately because something could be seriously wrong.

2. Try feeding your dog bland foods for a while to keep her stomach calm. When your dog is ready to begin eating again you may want to have a week at feeding bland foods to keep her digestive system calm. Such bland foods may be skinless chicken or cooked white rice. Another ideal food that fits perfectly for the sour stomach is boiled hamburger meat.

3. Remove any dairy products from your dog’s diet. Because most dogs lack the enzyme “lactase”, they have a very difficult time digesting milk. Lactase is needed to properly digest the sugar in milk.. If you are feeding your dog any type of milk product and she has diarrhea, then completely eradicate milk from her food choices. You will see dramatic improvement within days.

4. Keep your dog’s system flowing with plenty of liquids. When your dog has diarrhea, his body is depleted of liquids and essential fluids. Be sure to keep your dog’s water bowl full at all times. And like people, dog’s also loose a lot of minerals when their body is depleted of fluids, so it is a good idea to keep a separate bowl filled with Gatorade. Gatorade is an excellent liquid that will help your dog’s body with getting enough of the potassium and sodium that it lost.

There are 2 effective methods for getting any form of liquid medication down your dog’s throat: Make a pouch or pry the mouth open.

1. Making a pouch: Using one hand, pull out the corner of the dog’s lower lip to make a little pouch. Keep his head slightly tilted back and pour the liquid into the mouth using your other hand.

In some instances, the medication does not go in right away. This occurs when the dog’s teeth are clenched too tightly. When this happens, gently pry his mouth open using your fingers. If the dog tries to move away, position his rear end in a corner so he will not be able to back away from you. You can also get another person to help you hold the dog during the process.

Another way of doing this method is to sit on the floor or a bed with the dog between your legs. Position his rear end toward you with his head facing away. This way, you can keep him positioned more easily. As soon as you have the liquid medicine in, induce swallowing by carefully and gently holding the dog’s mouth almost closed and lightly massage his throat. You can tell that he has swallowed the medication when his tongue emerges briefly from between the front teeth. You can also make him swallow the liquid by briefly and gently putting your thumb over his nostrils.

2. Prying the mouth open: Gently grasp the dog’s upper jaw using one hand and insert your thumb and fingers in the gaps just behind the fangs. For a tiny dog, just one finger is necessary along with the thumb. Most dogs will then relax their mouths a little so that you can easily pour the liquid with a dropper or a spoon between his front teeth. Make sure that his head is tilted back so that the liquid does not run down his throat.

How to administer capsules and pills

When giving a dog solid medication such as capsules or vitamin pills, open his mouth by grasping around his upper jaw, just like what you would do for liquid medications. Hold the capsule or pill either between your thumb and the first finger or between the first and second fingers. Use the remaining fingers to press down the lower front teeth to pry the jaw open.

Once you have managed to open his mouth, put the medication into the throat and push it as far back as you can. Induce swallowing the same as you would when giving liquid medication. This method may seem awkward and difficult at first. But after a few tries, you will get more experienced and find it much easier and effortless.

Anyone who has worked extensively with dogs has occasionally been confronted by an over-active, sometimes raging, vicious kind of dog, the handling of which has required a heavy duty tranquilizer and several helpers. In many cases, such behavior cannot be explained by improper handling or cruelty and neglect by their owners. When it seems that nothing can be done to correct the problem, then he is written off as “just a plain vicious dog” and relegated to the end of a chain or destroyed as a menace to the neighborhood. Since the early 1970s, such excitable and mean behavior has been identified in some dogs as hyperkinesis.

Hyperkinesis is a behavioral condition that is described as “a hyper behavior that is treatable with stimulants.” by Bonnie V. Beaver, in The Veterinarian’s Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior. Lack of accurate information from dog owners exists regarding this condition, probably because it has recently been given a new label which is “attention deficit disorder.” While ADD, as it is termed, may describe certain aspects of the readily observable behavior of a hyperkinetic dog, it lacks the physiologic symptoms which can be described and measured.

Signs associated with hyperkinesis in dogs are usually displayed when the dog is stressed by close confinement and/or social isolation. Signs include rapid heart rate and respiration, excessive salivation, a high metabolic rate, and reduced urine output. The major difficulty in identifying the syndrome, however, is that there is no apparent cause. Clinical signs may be evident in dogs that are normal in other circumstances. In addition, dogs identified as hyperkinetic do not always exhibit the same behavior patterns or physical symptoms.

Initial symptoms of this problem falls into the following categories: the dog cannot sit still, even for a minute; he never becomes accustomed to everyday situations; he cannot be taught anything (often an obedience school failure); and he salivates constantly and always seems very excited or very nervous. Many experienced, gentle dog owners were bitten, and some of these dogs will viciously attacked other dogs without hesitation, even friendly and docile animals.

In studies designed to evaluate responses to stress, some dogs did not respond to positive reinforcement, and tranquilization were all tried, but did not work.
Typically, such dogs would be eliminated from the study, but because the researchers were interested in the interaction of genetics and psychological environment, they were curious about dogs that appeared unwilling to be studied. Eventually the researchers decided they were dealing with the equivalent of hyperkinetic children.

A psychosis is defined as a mental disturbance of such degree that there is personality disintegration and loss of contact with reality. The line between neurotic and psychotic behavior is not well defined, even by psychiatrists and psychologists. Two prevailing criteria can be added to the definition of a neurotic dog to describe, for this purpose, a psychotic behavior. These involve circumstances in which the dog’s behavior is dangerous to himself or to the safety of others, and in which the dog appears to be unaware of the behavior during and/or very shortly thereafter his actions.

If only the first criterion were to be applied to biting or self-mutilating dogs, then they would incorrectly be considered psychotic. In fact, many people believe that any biting dog should be labeled as a “psycho” and destroyed immediately, regardless of the circumstances. On the other hand, if the second element applies, and the dog is unaware of his behavior, it would seem reasonable to apply the psychotic label. The dog that appears to have withdrawn from reality or suffers episodes of withdrawal could be either psychotic or physically ill. If the behavior fits the basic neurotic model and is also in some way harmful to life or well-being, then the animal may be psychotic, if otherwise healthy.

Dogs that are defined as psychotic have included the following symptoms: Dogs that suffer “avalanches” of rage for no clinical reasons and do not respond to external stimuli; manic-depressive animals that vacillate between depression and wild activity; and depressed dogs that fail to respond even to powerful stimuli, such as hunger, as when dogs starve to death in the presence of food. These cases have been seen in pet dogs as well as laboratory animals. The rage and manic-depressive states occur mainly in excitable types, whereas depression usually occurs in those with inhibitive tendencies. Some notable factors in the medical histories of apparently psychotic pet dogs are listed below.

* Early distemper (before 3 months of age).
* Serious parasitic infection (before 6 months of age).
* Severe beatings.
* Accidental injury, especially to the spine and/or head.
* Accidental drug overdose.
* Prolonged corticosteroid or other drug therapy.
* Diabetes
* Extreme psychic trauma.

The underlying physical problems are rarely, if ever, investigated with the same dedication applied to humans with similar conditions. As a result, the dogs are generally destroyed, which solves the owner’s immediate problem, but offers no progress toward understanding of the problem’s causes.