Dog to Dog

Advice on an Indelicate Subject and Much More

Well-known authors Rex and Sparky have written an insightful and practical book for fellow canines, The Dangerous Book for Dogs (Villard Books, 2007).  With headings like Begging – A Primer, A Connoisseur’s Guide to Shoes, Creative Pee Stains and the ever popular Poop: An Indelicate Discussion – whether you’re a dog or a human, you’ve just gotta read this book.  

So what about poop?  Well, first there’s the obvious.  The authors advise that a good dog shouldn’t be made to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about the topic by a confused human.

Some dogs are embarrassed by the fact that they have to poop, and even conflicted by their feelings about poop.  Let’s make one thing clear right off the bat: Every dog poops. 

How about this only pooping outside thing?

Rex and Sparky advise: You really don’t have to.  It’s not like it’s impossible to poop indoors.  It’s just frowned upon by owners.  Remember this: It’s not your fault.  It’s your owner’s, and if you poop on a carpet, the odds are that your owner will not come home late again.

One obvious question, especially since this is appearing in the newsletter of a pooper scooper company, is: Why do humans pick up our poop if they dislike it so much?

No one can really tell.  They don’t like to talk about it.  . . One theory is that there is some kind of social pressure to pick it up so they can compare with other owners and brag about how great their dog is.  Another theory is that they are sending it to France, where they scatter it all over the streets and side-walks.

Now that we’ve established that pooping is nothing to be ashamed of and also that it is unwelcome in specific venues (like the living room), the question is: Where should a dog poop?

Rex and Sparky advise fellow pooches: You should poop wherever you like.  Some people try to get you to walk off the sidewalk and into the oily, grimy, hot gutter.  That’s nasty.  Instead of letting them dictate your duty, try pooping on tree roots, on the sidewalk, or in a tall patch of weeds.  Just poop where your mood moves you.  What does it really matter anyway?  Your owner will clean it up.

Some will find the next words of advice a little, well, disgusting; but we all know it happens.  Rex and Sparky dare to answer the popular question: Can we eat another dog’s poop?

Absolutely!  It’s a great way to find out what dogs have been hanging around, and what they have been eating, and its all part of being a well-adjusted, sociable dog. . . Humans have an expression: “Poop happens.”  As silly as it sounds, it is absolutely true.  Don’t try to stop it or hide it.  Go out and let it fly.  It’s all part of how we’re made.  “Poop happens.”  Let it happen to you.

Rex and Sparky have advice on many other things, but you’ll have to get their book to benefit from their smarts.  Yes, it’s a real 193 page book—and it may even be at your local public library.  In the meanwhile, you can lunch on a few kibbles of wisdom by visiting the Web site devoted to the book.  Rex and Sparky are actually five writers currently or formerly working for The Onion.  If a visit to The Onion Web site doesn’t perk up your day there may not be much that will.  You will probably find something that will make you howl for joy!

Helpful Hints for a Healthy and Safe Summer

Dogs Get Thirsty Fast

Dogs drink a lot.  For every 5 pounds of body weight, a dog drinks about 3 ounces of water.  Over the course of a normal day, a 25-pound dog will usually drink about a pint of water.  A 50-pound dog will take in about 30 ounces or nearly a quart.  Water needs increase rapidly with exertion and hot weather.  Be sure to carry water for your dog—especially in the summer.  Wet food helps; dry food does not.  We are sure you know that dogs have a fantastic sense of smell.  Did you know that moist nasal mucous has a lot to do with this? Nasal mucous stays moist only with adequate hydration.
 

Yawning Not Out of Boredom

Dogs do not yawn because they are bored.  A dog yawns to calm down; you may have noticed him do this in stressful situations.  Dogs also yawn for a quick boast of oxygen to the brain.  In these situations, yawning is a prelude to action.  If you want to “chill” with your dog, try yawning at her.  There is a good chance she will yawn back.
 

In An Emergency Yell Sit

Your dog is running toward a busy street.  “Come Sparky,” you yell.  She does not stop.  As a last resort, try yelling “Sit”.  Looking at this from a dog’s perspective, “come” often means the end of fun, but “sit” usually brings affection and even a tasty treat.  A sure way to lose even this option is to punish your pet after he either comes or sits.

When Dogs Attack

. . . in the past thirty years, the average number of dog-related fatalities remains just twenty, in a country with a dog population of nearly seventy-three million. . . 

Relying on Karen Delise, Ken Foster offers some thoughts on the topic in his Dogs I Have Met and the People They Found (The Lyons Press, 2008).  This quote is taken from Delise’s statistical study Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories behind the Statistics (Anubis, 2002).

Having studied dog attacks for more than seventeen years, Delise has little patience for the popular myth that there are dogs that “attack for no reason.”  The reason may sometimes be beyond our human powers of observation ... but there is always a reason.

This is a serious topic and it is covered very well by the Wikipedia article, “Dog Attack”.  See also “Why Dogs Bite People”.  The Web site by KidsHealth, Dogs and Preventing Dog Bites, is a wonderful guide for both children and adults.  It warns that a lack of “dog manners” can result in a bite.  There is definitely a proper and expected way to behave—failure to follow the customs of dog society, even if you’re not bitten, can make you look pretty rude and stupid—and even threatening and annoying.  In the latter situations bites can occur. 

There is an old saying “A barking dog won’t bite.”  It is simply not true.  A barking dog will bite and a silent dog will bite.  Tail wagging does not mean you are out the woods either. 

MyTopDogs.com: Dog Bites is also geared to kids and specifically advises against looking directly into the eyes of an unfamiliar dog.  In fact, never stare a dog right in the eye.  It may be challenging to the dog and may encourage a dominant animal to challenge you back—and bite you.  Remember, at their core, dogs are predators—this is where their instincts lie.  Following all the rules will not prevent every dog bite; but it will be your part in keeping the number of dog bites incredibly low. Loved and well-socialized dogs—just like loved, respected, and well-socialized people—will not become violent without cause.