QUESTION:
While at work, the 2 smaller dogs got into a fight. Usually it’s playful. But today it turned into full on war and I tried my hardest to help and break it up. Aussie vs Terrier. I am such a dog lover and HATE HATE HATE having to see or even get in the middle of something like that.

Mallory, I need your advice. I want to be strong, resourceful, less emotional, confident and quick to resolve any future situations I come across with ANY animal.

ANSWER:
The thing is that when you own a dog, especially multiple dogs, you have to keep in mind – they’re dogs. Dogs are living, breathing, sentient beings who get pissed off like the rest of us and they have bad days. Even dogs who have lived harmoniously together for years will have a spat now and then, so if these dogs live together, this is absolutely not uncommon. If they were strangers to each other, that makes even more sense. That being said, if you want to be strong, confident, and less emotional, you need to acknowledge two things:

A) Dogs are animals, animals fight. Mentally prepare yourself for the fact that this will always be a possibility when in the presence of multiple dogs. A lack of confidence comes from a lack of planning, or not knowing how to handle the situation. So…
B) These are the following tactics applied to breaking up dog fights as *safely as possible.*
1 – DO NOT GRAB THE COLLAR. That is an open invitation to be bitten.
2 – DO NOT GRAB THE COLLAR. Just driving it home.
3 – Bust out the garden hose. Old tricks are the best tricks.
4 – Petsmart carries a product called “DirecStop.” It’s a can of citronella spray that is a nasty scent deterrent for dogs. Popular for joggers. Supposedly works on bears, but I’ll pass on testing that claim. Spray it at their nose/mouth. I have used this product successfully 95% of the time, the other 5% was when it ran empty on me when I needed it. Keep 2 on hand.
5 – If all else fails, position yourself directly behind the more aggressive dog and pick it up by the back legs. The initial “what the hell?!” response to having their body picked up (usually) snaps them out of their fury to see what’s going on. If the dog is VERY energized in the fight, watch out for any redirected aggression as he’s turning around to investigate what is picking him up.
6 – If the dogs are not locked together, swing the dog you are holding to face away from the other dog, but keep a sharp eye out that the other dog does not retaliate. Make sure they cannot see each other for several seconds before attempting to guide the dogs away from each other.

If you’re by yourself, the best thing to do is find a way to separate them until they’ve calmed down, or until someone else is there that can help break up a second fight should it occur. Remind them of the list above. Often times, skirmishes happen over minor things between dogs who know each other, and once the situation is diffused, co-mingling is fine with initial supervision.

Another that will help with boosting confidence is learning how to read their body language. Often times dogs will give off cues to one another via subtle gestures in posture before engaging in a fight and by familiarizing yourself with these gestures, you can prevent a fight from taking place by intervening at the right time. I highly recommend anything by Dr. Patricia McConnell on the matter of reading dog language, especially her book “The Other End of the Leash.”

As for learning to remain calm in an excitable situation, look for opportunities to control your heart rate. Whenever you feel you heart rate pick up, make a mental effort to quiet and stabilize the rhythm. Watching scary movies is a good place to start practicing, then just be aware of external stimuli that might get your heart pounding. Take every opportunity you can to regulate your heart rhythm when given the chance. Controlled breathing is the start of it – long, slow deep breaths – and mentally setting your heart to pump at the same time that you’re counting backwards from 10 at a slow rate. Controlling your heart rate is key to making sure you stay cool, calm and collected should the fur ever fly. Your dogs will also pick up on and feed off of your energy, so bear in mind what kind of energy you’re giving them in such a heated moment. Even by doing nothing to break up the fight, your presence and energy are absolutely affecting the process, so check your own energy – are you chilled out, thus dousing the fire or are you panicking and fanning the flames?

Have a question you’d like answered? Shoot us an email and let us help!

Happy Summer, folks! We hope all of you and your pack are staying hydrated as our traditional Texas heatwave seems to have struck early this year. Our annual Lone Star NAVHDA meeting was held here at Spanish Oak Hunt Club in May and the upcoming year was discussed for scheduling. We will be hosting the next Snake Avoidance Clinic on August 27th. As always, the clinic will be guided by the very adept and masterful Wayne Lain, owner of Snakebreaker. We will be hosting a NAVHDA Training Day on October 8th focused solely on dogs training for their Utility test. On October 22nd, we will host a NAVHDA Training Day for all Natural Ability testers. The Fall NAVHDA Test has been set for the weekend of November 5th and 6th and the Spring NAVHDA Test will be held on March 3rd and 4th of 2012. Following the test, we will be having our first 2012 Handler’s Clinic on March 24th, 2012. Please mark your calendars for all NAVHDA dates and please remember to RSVP with Lone Star NAVHDA to reserve your spot for any training days or tests. As always, please do not hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions regarding NAVHDA or hunt training. We may be shut down for hunt training over the summer, but we are still providing hourly training and dog evaluations for potential future hunting candidates.

Speaking of future hunting candidates, the 2011 batch of Spanish Oak puppies are doing very well. All were shown birds last week, several of which picked them up and carried them around the yard with pride. They are all showing great drive and ability for 6 weeks old and we look forward to hearing about their growth and development from their new owners from across the nation. We still have THREE FEMALES left, so if you’re looking for a dog that will bring home dinner and do it with style, be sure to check out Spanish Oak German Shorthaired Pointers for more pics and info. All puppies come with a medical guarantee and if the dog doesn’t hunt for the first 2 years, send him back for a refund – no questions asked. We take pride in our pups and it shows! If you have any additional questions regarding the pups still available, contact the Spanish Oak Hunt Club office and ask to speak with Keith – he’ll tell ya everything there is to know about them.

In the mean time, remember to keep yourselves and your pups hydrated while out playing this summer and don’t forget we are still offering gift certificates for birthdays, graduation, retirement or even if you don’t need any reason at all to tell that hunter in the family you love them. They can also be used for our other services such as boarding or training, so it’s a solid win across the board!

Who doesn’t love puppies?? They’re tiny and cute and squeaky and fun and wonder-some and don’t even get us started on PUPPY BREATH! So you can imagine our excitement when Spanish Oak’s Diamond Diva presented us with EIGHT stellar babies just 4 weeks ago. A maiden mother, Diva took to this mama stuff like a fish to water, and a proud fish at that. She welcomed new people into her welping room with a “LOOK WHAT I DID!” enthusiasm that ya can’t help but admire. Careful and nurturing, Diva has proven to be an exceptional mother and we couldn’t be more proud of her. The babies are huge and thriving beautifully.

As if they weren’t perfect enough on their own (and they are!) the puppies have also been properly exposed to the veterinarian-crafted Superdog Program which promotes a healthy neurological stimulatory method that safely jump-starts a puppy’s future development. Several are already exceeding our expectations in response to this revolutionary approach at puppy rearing. Check out more about it at the link provided and read on to meet the new arrivals! Visit Spanish Oak German Shorthaired Pointers for more pictures and information on Mom and Dad.

For those working in boarding facilities and animal shelters, it’s anyone’s guess when you might hit max capacity.  During Christmas, (most) boarding kennels resort to stuffing dogs in crates stacked in bathrooms and offices. If a catastrophe hits, animal shelters wind up inundated with misplaced pets and suddenly within hours, there’s just no more space to accommodate everyone.  Then what?  Stack crates under a car port and wrap it up with a tarp?  Or worse, overcrowd crates with multiple animals?  Not anymore!  Kennels2You has arrived to solve all of your overflow issues!

As in human life, for the active working canine, nutrition is the absolute key to maintaining a healthy, happy dog in the field. A working field dog endures strain a good deal more than when compared to the average house pet and as such, requires optimum nutrition to support their bodies and reduce the risk of early retirement. So what is the most vital piece to the nutritional puzzle of a working field dog? CALORIES. Calories provide the required energy a field dog needs to perform at its finest. Where do we find these calories? In the last place you’d think – FAT. Fat contains at least twice the calories of carbohydrates or protein.1 Another perk to providing a diet high in fat is that fatty acids are derived from this as well. Fatty acids are central components in supporting the immune system and skin development. The two main types of sought-after fatty acids are the Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega fatty acids are considered the building blocks of the brain, nervous system, and the eyes, along with support for a dog’s inflammatory system (that responds to illness and injury.)

Good Omega-6 Fatty Acid Sources:
- Sunflower Oil, Safflower Oil, Soybean Oil, Corn Oil
Good Omega-3 Fatty Acid Sources:
- Canola Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Cold Water Fish Oil

With so many brands on the market, it can be intimidating to consider all the time and effort it takes to locate the “right” kind of food for your field dog. Ultimately, it will all boil down to what works best for him. However, there are many things you can look for “at a glance” when you’re browsing the pet food section. Listed below are several common ingredients found in basic dog foods that you always want to avoid.

- Ground Yellow Corn/Corn Meal
Often listed as the first ingredient, corn is a filler that provides zero nutritional support. You might as well feed him saw dust.
- Wheat/Brewers Rice
Wheat is used as a fiber source but lowers blood sugar levels. Brewers rice is a cheaper knock-off than whole or brown rice.
- By-Products (Chicken By-Product, Beef By-Product, Lamb By-Product, etc.)
By-Products are the leftovers of the animal (beak, hooves, intestines, etc.) that have no nutritional value and are cheaper to produce.
- Meat and Bone Meal, Blood Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal
These types of meals are also the leftovers of the animal and used as a source of protein. They are produced from “4-D” livestock (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter. Also may include rats, misc. road kill, animals euthanized at shelters and so on. It can also include pus, cancerous tissue, and decomposed tissue.
- Animal Digest
Another product of “4-D” livestock, it is a cooked down broth made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals used for flavoring.
- Gluten (Wheat Gluten, Corn Gluten, etc.)
Used as a binding agent, Gluten is not considered a harmful ingredient but should be avoided for its poor nutritional quality.

So now, we’re stuck asking ourselves… “Well, what should I feed my hunting dog?”

This is a compiled list of exceptional brands that will provide your field pup with the necessary nutrients required to keep him happy and healthy and doing his best! These are brands we have researched extensively and encourage others to research them as well. We receive no compensation for advocating these brands, so there is no uneven bias associated in their promotion. We have put this list together (in no favorable order) with the guidance of colleagues, professionals, and the ever-present information ready and waiting to be found on the Internet. We hope this guide has assisted you in the selection of food for your hunting dog and encourage you to contact us should you have any questions.

Suggested Brands of Dog Food

Taste of the Wild
Flint River Ranch
Blue Buffalo
Pinnacle
Evolve / Nature’s Menu
Evolve / Triumph
Holistic Blend
Solid Gold
Wellness / Old Mother Hubbard
PetGuard
Redpaw

Sources:
“The Hunting Dog” / Hunting Dog Nutrition
http://www.the-hunting-dog.com/dog-nutrition.html
“The Dog Food Project” / Ingredients to Avoid
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients