ANIMALS

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DOGS

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History of Dogs
Read this brief history of dogs and dog breeds to find out why your dog has certain instincts.

Origin
Wolves, jackals, foxes, and dogs are members of the family Canidae. Canis familiaris was probably domesticated from the wolf 10-12,000 years ago. It found its way into North America as far south as Idaho. Given thousands of years to selectively breed mutants that cropped up in their dog colonies, humans have manipulated an almost incredible diversity in this species. And there exists today more than 800 true breeding types worldwide. (Source: "Looking at the Wolf")

Characteristics
Even with this large number of different breeds, the common characteristics of a dog are fit muscles, high endurance, proportional balanced height and weight, and ability to use all five senses to the maximum, including a sixth sense which scientists call an electromagnetic sense that allows dogs to sense tremors and vibrations.

Regardless of the thousands of years of breeding, dogs are still pack animals, a direct relationship from their wolf ancestors. When you bring a dog into your home, it will view you/your family as its pack. Your dog should feel as though it is a member of the human pack but as the lowest ranking member. This ranking will be reinforced by your behaviors, such as always being consistent and fair with your correction. Do not over correct for an alpha leader (your role) deserves their position but never abuses it. A tap under the chin acts as a correction and expresses your alpha role.

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Guide Dog Training

Guide Dogs are professionals. Their skills are developed to enable them to perform their job with confidence. They differ from pet dogs in that they have been carefully bred, raised and trained for the express purpose of providing a safe means of mobility for people who are blind or visually impaired.

The people who train our dogs to become guides are also professionals. They not only train the dogs, they instruct our students during class training as well, helping them learn to work as teams with their new four-legged friends. The men and women who have chosen to pursue careers as Guide Dog instructors undergo three years of apprenticeship and rigorous testing before receiving their licenses. They are highly motivated and dedicated to our mission of providing the best training possible for our dogs and the clients we serve.

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Not All Dogs Can Be Trained. . .
"The Loving Way"

I dont think there is a "Dog Trainer" out there that would disagree with me.

I cant tell you how often I took "Tippy," my new training dog out for the first time, went to pet him and "WHAM", he bit me, or gave it his best try. We always ask "Does he nip or bite?" "Any aggression problems?" "Oh no, he just wont come when we call him." Or "Were going on vacation and thought it would be a good time to send him because we have to board him anyway." So I call Tippys mom and say "Tippy just tried to bite me!" and Tippys mom starts to cry and say "I know, but I didnt want to tell you because I thought you wouldnt train Tippy." She was sent home from two dog training schools and told to put Tippy to sleep by another. I tell Tippys mom its ok, it happens all the time and explain how some dogs have strong alpha personalities & learn how to use their teeth as a weapon, and a good one it is!

If a dog bites you, or tries to bite you, you need to give a firm but fair slap under the chin. With a young puppy, a flick on the nose most of the time will work. Then again, Ive had that cute 3 ? month old Cocker Spaniel thats tougher than some 14 month old Pit bulls, and Im not stereo typing Pit Bulls, they are a fantastic breed! There are dogs of every breed that can have that kind of temperament. The more the dog wins, the tougher he or she can be. A lot of times aggression is taught accidentally, for instance, your dog is eating, a child walks into the kitchen, the dog starts to growl at the child, "STAY AWAY FROM THE DOG WHEN HES EATING, HES GONNA BITE YOU!" or the kids are in the backyard running and playing and your dog starts to run and play too. But the dog starts to bite at the ankles of the kids, "DONT RUN BY THE DOG, HES GONNA BITE YOU!" Its your dogs behavior that needs correcting not the children.

If you let this type of behavior continue, youre asking for TROUBLE! Ive had the ones that want to do nothing but please you and are a pleasure to train. Ive had that 3? month old nipper that a flick on the nose was enough to tame, and Ive had that 5 year old German Shepherd Dog that wouldnt let their owners back in their own home.

RAISING PUPPIES

Raising on orphaned puppy or kitten is a noble and rewarding experience. But these newborns are very fragile, and raising them requires jumping numerous hurdles. Do no be surprised if you are not successful despite following these guidelines. These young animals get exposed to harmful viruses and parasites from the day they are born. Because they do not receive the antibodies from their mother's milk they are extremely vulnerable in the first weeks of life.

Warmth
If you find a litter of newborn puppies or kittens without their mother, they are in big trouble since chilling can lead to significant mortality. The most important thing to do therefore is to take them to a safe place and KEEP THEM VERY WARM! A newborn animal depends on radiant heat from its mother to help maintain its body temperature. In the absence of the mother, various methods of providing heat, such as incubators, heat lamps, or hot water bottles can be used.  Put the animals in a box or kennel with warm and  comfortable blankets. Carrying a pup or kitten close to your own body, for example in a special pouch under your sweater, may work well too. During the firs few days, a newborn must be maintained in an environmental temperature of 85°F to 90°F (29.4°C to 32.2°C). The temperature can thereafter gradually be decreased to 72°F (22.2°C) by the end of the fourth week. If the litter is large, the temperature need not be as high. As the newborns huddle together, their body heat provides additional warmth.
A note of caution: too rapid warming of a chilled puppy may result in its death. The warming should be done slowly.

Dehydration
The lack of regular liquid intake or the exposure to a low humidity environment can easily result in dehydration. Two signs of dehydration are the loss of elasticity in he skin and dry and sticky mucous membranes (gums) in the mouth. To test for dehydration, perform the "pinch test". Take the animal's skin between your thumb and index finer, pull it up gently, and release. If an animal is normally hydrated, the skin will spring back into place within a second (elastic). If the animal is dehydrated, it will take some time before the skin returns to its normal position (inelastic). In that case, ask your vet how to deal with this. You may have to inject fluids underneath his skin, or in severe cases the animal will need to get fluids through an IV.

Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is an abnormal decrease of sugar in the blood. Telltale signs are severe depression, muscle twitching and sometimes convulsions. If a puppy or kitten has hypoglycemia, a solution containing glucose will have to be administered. A few drops of corn syrup on the tongue can be life-saving in this case.

Nutrition: what do you feed them?
Total nutrition for the newborn orphans must be supplied by a milk replacer until the puppies or kittens are about three weeks of age. At this age, they are ready to start nibbling moistened solid food. Special milk replacer formula's can be bought in pet shops in Europe and the US, but not here in Egypt. Animal Friends usually has some in stock, so please check with our office if you want to buy some. Alternatively, you can make the milk replacer yourself:

1 cup of milk (full cream)
1 tablespoon corn oil or karo syrup
1 pinch of salt
2 egg yolks (no egg whites!)
a few drops of lliquid baby vitamins (if you have them)

Since the newborn may have trouble generating enough heat to maintain its body temperature, the milk replacer should be warmed to 95°F to 100°F (35.0°C to 37.8°C) for the best results. Testing the temperature on one's forearm (as you would do for babies) is generally accurate enough: the milk should be about the same temperature as one's skin or slightly warmer. As the puppies or kittens grow older, the milk can be fed at room temperature.

Nutrition: how do you feed them?
Tube feeding is usually preferred when an entire litter of puppies or kittens must be fed. It is faster than bottle feeding, but training is necessary to ensure proper insertion of the tube and to avoid putting milk into the animal's lungs.

Baby bottles made for puppies and kittens can be used quite successfully in most situations (check with our office if we have some available). The size of the hole in the nipple is critical for success. If the bottle is turned upside down and the milk drips from the nipple, the hole is too large. If you use this nipple the animal could drown! If the bottle is turned upside down and milk only comes out after considerable squeezing of the bottle, the hole is too small. If you use this nipple the animal will become discouraged and will refuse to nurse. The hole is the proper size if the bottle is turned upside down and the milk drips from the nipple with minimal squeezing of the bottle. To enlarge the hole, heat a needle with a match and push it through the nipple several times.

Nutrition: when and how much do you feed them?
Commercial milk replacers will have directions on the label for proper amounts to feed, usually given for a 24 hour period. Divide this amount by the number of feedings per day. Four meals spaced out over 24 hours are ample for feeding a puppy in good condition. Six or more feedings may be necessary if it is small or weak. Hand-feeding can generally be ended by the third week and certainly by the fourth.

How to get the newborn to urinate and defecate
This is part of the job! The animal's genital area must be stimulated after feeding to cause urination and defecation. The genital area should be massaged with a moist cloth or cotton ball to stimulate action. By doing this, you are mimicking the mother licking her young. This cleaning should continue during the first two weeks. If this procedure is not followed, the animal may become constipated.

When does the puppy or kitten start to eat from a bowl?
When kittens and puppies are about 3 weeks of age, a shallow pan of warmed milk replacer can be offered before each bottle or tube feeding. Once the puppies or kittens are capable of lapping milk, semi-solid food can be introduced. A thick gruel can be made by mixing a small amount of formula with dry or canned kitten or puppy food. 'The mixture should not be too thick at first or the animal will not consume very much. The amount of fluid in the gruel can be gradually decreased over the next few weeks. By four to four and one-half weeks, the orphan can consume enough moistened solid food to meet its needs, if it is in good condition.

Should a puppy or kitten be treated for worms?
Puppies and kittens can be treated for worms at three and six weeks of age (check with our office if deworming medications are in stock). Additional dewormings may be necessary.

When is the first vaccination given?
The first vaccination is normally given to puppies and kittens at 6-8 weeks of age. However, if the animal did not nurse from its mother during the first 2-3 days after birth, there will be no protective immunity passed to it. In that case, the first vaccination should be given at about 2-3 weeks of age.

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