ONLY NATURAL PET STORE

September 2008

Back to School Days Springtime brings great momentum to our lives, but Autumn has its own energy that pulls us forward with change. Our shared lives with our dogs are often affected when September rolls around. Our children go back to school, and for some families, this means our dog may be home alone again, or possibly alone for the first time. Separation anxiety and boredom can stress our dogs and lead some dogs into destructive behaviors. We’ve got some suggestions for keeping your dog coping well in the empty house. See below to learn more on dealing with separation anxiety. For many of us, September’s school bells bring us more time for ourselves, and often more time to spend with our dog now that our kids are back into their homework and activities. Fall can be the perfect time to train your dog and help break bad habits that you both may have fallen into during the busy summer months. Read on for some training suggestions to help break bad habits. And some of us just feel nostalgic for our school days at this time of year, remembering the excitement of learning. If this is true for you, now could be the perfect time to brush up on natural pet care topics and start that new holistic remedy or new food you’ve been wanting to try for your dog. Check out our articles on the fundamentals of holistic pet care. See below what topics are on our A-list for Natural Pet Care 101. Whatever you’re up to this Autumn, as always, we wish you and your dogs the best of health! Home Alone... Is your dog feeling bored, anxious or lonely? We know that the canine-human bond is strong, and it's common for our dogs to miss us when we leave home. But some dogs can become extremely anxious when their owners are away, which can adversely affect their health and test the limits of our patience. Dogs that have separation anxiety may exhibit symptoms like: lethargy, depression, self-injurious licking or self-biting, destructive chewing or scratching, and urinating inappropriately. Some key steps to take for dogs that are anxious when alone are: Provide stimulating distractions/entertainment. Many dogs enjoy gazing out the window, and if your dog doesn't have a barking problem, be sure to give them access to a window. Some excellent DVDs and music CDs are available to entertain your dog. There are also many toys that can be safely left for your dog to enjoy while you are out, including clever food dispensing toys like the Buster food cube and Kong stuffable toys that can keep your dog busy for long periods of time. For dogs with extreme anxiety, consider the KongTime Automatic Kong Toy Dispenser, which drops a new treat-filled Kong at set intervals while you are away. Be sure that you spend quality time with your dog at regular times each day. A short walk around the block for dogs, or even five minutes of play time with a favorite toy or game before you leave can provide your dog with a great deal of satisfaction that endures after you’ve gone. Longer play and exercise time adds benefits - a tired dog is a happy dog. Don't make a big deal out of leaving and keep the "getting ready to leave" process short by being prepared to depart in advance (e.g., have car keys by the door). The longer the departure process is, the more time your dog has to get increasingly anxious. Consider whether your dog might benefit from a natural remedy for anxiety. There are many herbal, homeopathic, and flower essence remedies available that can work wonders in safely reducing your dog’s stress. Provide companionship – get another pet, or have a neighbor or pet sitter come by for a short visit while you’re gone to give your dog a quick walk or at least some company. At the very least, leave the TV or radio on and tuned to a station with friendly voices talking and/or soothing music. Looking for more insights on your dog's separation anxiety? Click here to read our article, "Separation Anxiety: How to Teach Your Dog to be Alone," in our Holistic Healthcare Library. Separation Anxiety Solutions for Your Dog Spirit Essences Separation Anxiety A blend of flower essences is designed just for pets experiencing separation anxiety and demonstrating behaviors like depression, scratching and chewing. Buster Food Cube This clever food dispensing toy has inner chambers that release food or treats when your dog rolls it in the right direction. A great "busy toy" distracter for playful, food motivated dogs. Dog DVDs We've got a great selection of "dog sitter" DVDs, which can keep dogs entertained for hours while you're gone. With scenes of dogs and other critters to hold their attention. Only Natural Pet Relaxi-Herb Formula Designed for nervousness and anxiety problems. The herbs in this formula have properties that may help quiet nerves and relax your dog. Homeopet Anxiety Homeopathic Remedy A homeopathic formula that promotes a sense of calm in animals experiencing fear, fretting, or anxiety from separation and other types of nervousness. Doc Ackerman's Excessive Barking An herbal remedy to help control dogs' excessive barking and to calm them. Comes in a convenient powder form that you mix with food or water. 10 oz. Pet Music CD Each CD contains over one hour of soothing original music recorded specifically to help reduce your dog's stress and separation anxiety. Even better than TV or radio, with no loud commercials. Kong Classic Stuffable Chew Toy Ever-popular, super bouncy toys have a cavity inside for placing treats, giving your dog lots of chewing pleasure as they work to get out the treats. The Holistic Approach to Training As with all other areas of pet care, we advocate the holistic approach to training pets. Holistic training involves: Use of positive reinforcement, and no physical punishments like hitting Considering problem behaviors in context – trying to understand and address the root cause of the problem and not just attacking the symptom (i.e., the problem behavior) Understanding that training is a two-way street, and knowing that we must give our dogs what they need to motivate them to learn Remembering that our human-dog bond is the most important thing and keeping our training goals second to our first goal of honoring our relationship with our dogs. Here are some suggestions for training your dog: Have a positive goal in mind – something you want your pet to do, not what you don’t want. For example, if your dog is jumping up, focus on the positive objective - you want the dog to stand (or sit) when greeting people. It may sound silly, but keep picturing the target positive activity and don't fixate your mind on the negative. Dogs are very intuitive and can often pick up on your thoughts, so keep them positive with the focus on what you do want. When possible, use baby step goals to shape the behavior you want. Reward your dog when their behavior is in the right direction, and gradually step up the target to get it closer to your desired end goal. For example, if you want your dog to stay on command, give a treat when he or she lies down. Next time, have the dog hold "stay" with you standing near for 30 seconds before giving the treat, and slowly increase the amount of time in "stay" and the distance you move away from the dog before giving the treat. Think about the context of your dog’s behavior. Is it something new? If so, when did it start? Are there any events or changes that could be at the root of the problem? Always consider whether the undesirable behavior may be caused by a health problem. When dogs are in pain, it is very common for them to “act out.” An all-too-common scenario is the dog that is urinating in the house due to a bladder or urinary tract infection. If you suspect your dog may be unwell, consult with your vet. Know what motivates your dog and use this knowledge to plan your training. If your dog is food motivated, give tasty training treats when the desired behavior is performed. Some dogs prefer play time or access to favorite toys over food treats, so keep this in mind. Keep training sessions short and try to end on a positive note. Remember that your overall goal is to make your relationship with your dog even better. If training time is no fun, you are unlikely to succeed. Dogs that are happy and that trust their owners will be more motivated to learn and to want to please you. Below are some training tools to help you work with your dog. For additional advice on training dogs, we recommend the books, "Don't Shoot the Dog," and "The Other End of the Leash." Training Tools For Dogs Only Natural Pet No Chew Spray A natural and highly effective spray that will stop dogs from chewing on rugs, paws, furniture, wounds, drapes, plants and more. Premier Easy Walk Harness This easy-fit harness is designed to gently discourage your dog from pulling while walking on a leash. Pet Essences Training/Breaking Habits Flower Essences Use this formula to improve communication between you and your dog, improve their attention, memory, and confidence. Zukes Treats For Dogs & Cats Ideal for training or anytime as a delicious reward. These healthy treats are the perfect size and will keep your dog motivated to learn. Only Natural Pet Stool Eating Deterrent Formulated to deter dogs from eating their own stool & deter dogs from eating the stool of other dogs in the household who also use it. Only Natural Pet HealthTreats Jerky Bites These ultimate training rewards are all-natural, healthy, scrumptious, non-messy and convenient. What more could you or your dog want in a training treat? Natural Pet Care 101 If back-to-school days put you in the mood to study, why not brush up on natural pet care topics and let your dog benefit from your learning? We’ve gathered some articles from our Holistic Healthcare Library that outline some of the basics of holistic pet care. Click on the links below to read the online articles: Nutrition 101 – “What You Need to Know About Your Pet’s Food” – if you’re still feeding commercial kibble to your dog, this article is for you. What’s really in your pet’s food? Supplements 101 – “Daily Supplements for Healthy Companions” – learn what we consider the “fab four” of daily supplements – what is your dog missing? Homeopathy 101 – “Homeopathy for Pets” – have you considered using homeopathic remedies with your dog? If not, read this article to understand why this holistic approach is growing more popular with well informed dog owners. If you're ready to learn more, please visit our Holistic Healthcare Library and Newsletter Article Archives on our website for more in-depth articles on a wide array of natural pet care topics. We also carry some great natural pet care reference books, including "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats," and "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care."