Dog of the Month - Ziggy!

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Dog of the Month - Ziggy!

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It's a plane, it's a bird, it's a lightening bolt- it's Ziggy! Ziggy is such a fast mover at the park that all you see is a black streak running across the park. Ziggy loves, loves, loves to run and is happiest when he's in motion. He has been chosen as our Dog of the Month because of his much improved behavior. He has been such a good boy and is one of the best listeners in the pack now. We are so proud of his improvement and we are so in love with his awesome personality!

About two years ago, I received a call from Ziggy's owner, Leslie about her impossible six month old flat-coated retriever rescue. Leslie fell in love with Ziggy's bright brown eyes and agreed to take him home. At home, Ziggy was a maniac. Ziggy was wound up like a spinning top and would literally spin and chase his tail like a crazy pup. He was constantly barking at everything, jumping on people, lunging and pulling on the leash, terrorizing her other two dogs, and only knew how to sit. Leslie was in tears the first time that we met because she loved Ziggy so much, but had no idea how to control the dizzying energy of Ziggy.

Our first few sessions we worked on introducing Ziggy to several self-control impulse exercises. We worked on leave it, sit/stay, down/stay, and wait. We also worked on attention and focus commands, like "Look!" and "Touch!". Ziggy was very distracted by anything that moved- people, squirrels, skateboards, birds etc., so teaching him "Look!" really helped Leslie and Ziggy with making eye contact and breaking his fixation with certain distractions. We also worked on loose leash walking to make the walks more relaxed and to prevent leash reactivity. We fitted Ziggy with a Gentle Leader and a leash that snapped around Leslie's waist, and then we worked on 'heel' and 'wait'.

Leslie has always been extremely dedicated and consistent with working with Ziggy and he began to improve because of lots of patience and love. Leslie is also very diligent about giving Ziggy a lot of exercise and making sure that they practice all of the tools and techniques that they were taught. Ziggy also joins the midday play group once a week for socialization and fun while she is at work. Ziggy has improved tremendously with Leslie and in our play group in the last year and we are so proud of them!

Ziggy responds to me so well at the park and he is one of the first to come running when I call of the dogs. He happily sits and does 'down' when I ask him to even if there are a lot of other dogs around and he no longer gets leash reactive on the leash when he walks with the other dogs. He also used to panic and mouth me when I grabbed his collar, but now he nicely accepts a collar grab. He walks very nicely on the leash now without a Gentle Leader and he makes a lot of eye contact. When I used to walk in to the house to pick up Ziggy for the play group, he used to jump all over me, but now I've redirected his energy into doing "spins" on command instead of putting his paws on me. No dog is perfect and Ziggy is still working on a few things, but overall, we are so very proud of the leaps and bounds that Leslie and Ziggy have made together! Keep up the great work!

Helping Your Pudgy Pooch Slim Down

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Helping Your Pudgy Pooch Slim Down

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You're finally ready to admit it. Good for you! Fido is fat. Now what do you do?

Are you ready? It's just two itsy bitsy teeny weeny simple steps:

Cut Down on Calories & Increase Exercise

That's it! Really? Yes, a pet weight loss plan is as simple as that. It takes some planning, work, and determination. But everything you put into it is an act of love towards your dog. You are quite possibly saving their life. According to the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, between 60 & 70% of owners of fat dogs don't think their pet is fat. Just by reading this article, you are already ahead of the pack!

How Much Weight Should They Lose? Dogs should ideally lose 0.5%-2% of their body fat per week. See the following examples:

Dog Weight	Safe Weekly Weight Loss Range
25 lbs	1/8 lb. to 1/4 lb.
50 lbs	1/4 lb. to 1 lb.
100 lbs	1/2 lb. to 2 lbs.

Tips for Cutting Down on Calories....

o Check the Bag: Always look at the food packaging. Remember that the recommended serving size is for the WHOLE day. Not for each time you serve the dog food.

o Reduce Serving Size or Change Foods: If you chose to reduce the amount served, start with a 20-30% reduction. If you are looking for lower calorie food, be careful. Many "low-cal" foods just substitute in lower calorie carbohydrates. To safely loose weight, dogs need food that is high in protein. Look for "active weight loss" formulas. The first ingredient should ALWAYS be meat. Not soy, or corn, or wheat.

o Cut Back on Treats & Table Scraps: Treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog's total caloric intake. Yes, giving treats is fun. We all love that waggly tail happy dance around the biscuit jar. But there are other ways to show love and elicit excitement. Try rewarding with exercise, new toys, or extra affection. Try to only give treats when they are earned, not just randomly through the day. Try switching to lower-calorie snacks or start breaking them in half. Handing out table scraps can encourage begging, and human food is often too high calorie for dogs. It's best to break the hand-out habit.

o Small, Frequent Meals: Feeding your pet small meals throughout the day can keep hunger at bay. Try breaking the daily serving into 2-4 smaller meals. If you are leaving out a giant bowl of food for dogs to "graze" on all day, stop this altogether.

o Stop the Theif: Make sure your pooch isn't stealing food from the other pets in the house. Feed them separately, or closely monitor all pets during meal time

o Don't Guess - MEASURE!

Tips for Increasing Exercise....

o Start Gradually: Over-exercising an out of shape pet can be very dangerous. Start slowly and work your way up to your goals. Make sure to take your dog's current condition into account. A good place to start is with daily on-leash walks 5 days a week. Start with 20 minutes per walk and gradually increase by 5 minutes every other week. You'll be up to an hour in no time!

oLook for Fatigue: Make sure to keep a close eye on your dog. Heavy panting is a sign of possible fatigue or over-heating. On warm days, try walking in the mornings or evenings. Make sure to have water on-hand if you are far from home.

o Add In Alternative Exercises: Swimming is a great activity for old or very obese dogs because it's easier on the joints. Take your dogs along for hikes or walks on the beach. Schedule in daily games of fetch. Attend Doggie & Me Bootcamps. Arrange for play dates with other friendly pups. Hit up the local dog park. Anything to get those paws moving!

o More Muscle Tone = More Fat Burned

o Consider a Using a Dog Walker: If your own health or schedule are not conducive to regular brisk walks, consider hiring a professional. If you're concerned with the extra cost, just plan to use them until the extra pounds come off. In the long run, a healthier dog will save you money at the vet's office.

Should I consult my vet? It's always a good idea to consult your veterinarian before starting a weight loss program. They may want to test your dog for underlying medical causes of the weight gain such as hypothyroidism or gastrointestinal problems. They can also help you set a reasonable goal weight and recommend specific foods that are best for your dog.

It's up to you to stick with it! We know you can do it!

Is My Dog Overweight?

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Is My Dog Overweight?

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You look in the mirror. You notice a little extra jiggle - a bit of dreaded pudge. There it is - that thought: "Oh, no! Am I getting fat?!"

What do you do? Ignore it...deny it...swear to cut out the cream on the morning latte...sweat it off at the gym?

Our happy go lucky canine friends are lucky enough to avoid these dreaded moments of self-awareness. Unfortunately, they cannot take control of the situation themselves. Humans (should) control the food and the exercise level of their pets. It's up to us as responsible pet owners to realistically look at our dogs and ask:

"Is My Dog Fat?"

Yep, fat dogs are cute. But carrying extra pounds can have extremely detrimental health effects and can lead to premature death. High blood pressure, joint pain, and increased risk of injury and heart attack are just a few of the consequences of ignoring those few extra pounds on your adorable pooch.

It's Important to Be Realistic

FromStopCanineObesity.com: “The numbers are startling. Recent studies show that while veterinarians estimate 47% of their canine clients are overweight, only 17% of dog owners believe their dogs fit that description.”

How do I determine if my dog is overweight?

Here are a few simple test:

• Feel the pet's ribs. You should be able to easily feel individual ribs. There should be a slight amount of fat over them, but each rib should be distinct. If you can see the ribs, the pet is too thin. If you can't distinctly feel the ribs, the pet is overweight. If you can't feel the ribs at all, your pet is obese.
• Look at your pet from above. Your dog should have a definite waist behind its ribs. If the waist is extremely narrow or if bones protrude, the animal is too thin. If there is no waist, the dog is overweight. If the waist area is wider than the hips or ribs, the dog is grossly overweight.

Pet owners are often shocked and embarrassed to learn that their pet is overweight. It's hard for people to admit that their pet has a problem. We see our pet's health as a reflection of our love for them. But becoming aware of your pet's health risks and taking control of it is the most important thing. Changing their diet and exercise routine is a great way to show your best friend that you care.

Stay tuned for our next post: How To Help Your Dog Lose Weight

Doggie and Me Boot Camp!

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Doggie and Me Boot Camp!

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Drop down on all four paws and give me fifty! Introducing DogZenergy's Doggie and Me Boot Camp! 

After years of feeling guilty for going to the gym and leaving my dog Daisy at home, I realized that dog owners need a workout that they can do that will give them a challenge and exercise their dog all at the same time. I attended a human boot camp and asked if I could bring Daisy to the workouts. The trainer, Ray Wetterlund (best trainer in LJ!) agreed to let me try it out with her. Daisy loved it! I ended up getting my booty kicked and Daisy loved all of the action. Dog training in motion is much more effective because dogs love to be on the move. While I was doing crunches and pushups, Daisy had to be in a down/stay. As we were doing lunges and crab walks, Daisy had to do loose leash walking. Daisy most enjoyed the part where we had to jog and pass a tennis ball back and forth! The boot camp was not only tough, but really, really fun for both me and Daisy. We were more bonded after our workouts together and the best part was that we were both completely exhausted, balanced and zen. 

DogZenergy has now designed a workout and training regime for both dog and human. It combines fitness with physical and mental training, as well as team work and clear communication with body language. For most dogs, behavioral problems are the result of not enough exercise. It's important to get dogs on the move and do training at the same time so that the energy is released and the mind can be opened to learning new positive behaviors. Exercise also increases human and canine natural endorphins, which makes for a happy, zen dog and human combo! By releasing all of the stress and tension, it allows for a much more enjoyable and successful training session. 

So be prepared to sweat, power walk and get down and dirty! We will be starting at Windansea Veterinary and then power walking a mile long circuit from the vet, to the bike path and around down by beautiful Windansea beach. Along the way we will be doing a combined human and canine exercise circuit. Expect to do some push ups, sit ups, lunges, squats- you name it! All the while we will be training our dogs to do down/stays, sit/stays, watch me, loose leash walking and impulse control exercises. It's perfect for excitable pups and dogs with lots of energy that need to learn how to control themselves around other dogs and people. It's a great socialization experience in a controlled setting and it will teach your dog to walk nicely with other dogs. Don't worry if your dog doesn't know how to do the above mentioned commands, because we will be covering all of the basics and building on already learned behaviors. It's all about having fun and getting all of the energy out of our dogs while getting a good workout in for ourselves!

Please join us every Tuesday evening at 6:30 in the parking lot of Windansea Veterinary. Bring sneakers, water for you and your dog, and a towel. Don't forget your smile, a clip on treat pouch with delicious treats and a six foot leash that can be tied around your waist. Contact me, Brittany for more info and to sign up at (951) 538-5200 or dogzenergy@gmail.com. Can't wait to see you there!