The Cold Turnkey

Many dog owners fail to recognize the importance of having a dog
that comes when called until there is a problem, such as the
collar or leash breaking, or the dog tearing free to chase a
person or another animal. These situations can be dangerous for
the dog, the owner and other members of the community. In areas
where there is a lot of vehicular traffic, the situation could
even prove fatal to the dog.

Unfortunately, many well meaning owners sabotage this important
part of their dog’s training by allowing it to run off leash and
unattended. Whether the dog is allowed to run in the park, on
the beach, or just play with other dogs, this teaches the dog
that there are many fun things that do not involve its owner. In
fact, from the dog’s perspective at least, these fun times are
often ruined by the appearance of the owner.

Look at things from the dog’s perspective for a moment. You -
the dog - are having a ton of fun running on the beach with all
your doggy friends, and suddenly here comes this human to take
you away from the fun. When you see the dog’s point of view it
is easy to see how the appearance of the owner, and the leash
can be seen as a negative.

This negative perception causes many dogs to delay this outcome
by refusing to come when they are called. From the dog’s point
of view, this makes perfect sense, since every minute of delay
means another minute of romping on the beach or in the park. In
other words, the dog has learned that the most rewarding thing
to do is to ignore the calls of its owner. While this may seem
like a good idea to the dog, it is definitely not a good thing
from the owner’s perspective.

For dogs who have not yet learned this type of avoidance
behavior, it is best to prevent it from happening by supervising
the dog at play, and making the time you spend with your dog as
much, or more, fun, as the time it spends alone or with other
dogs.

For dogs that have already learned the value of ignoring their
owner, some retraining is definitely in order. It is vital that
every dog respond to the “come here” command, for the safety of
both humans and dogs alike.

One thing to avoid is following the “come here” command with
unpleasant activities. Calling the dog, and then immediately
giving him a bath, clipping his nails, taking him to the vet,
etc. will quickly teach the dog that coming to the owner has
negative consequences. It is best to ask the dog to come and
then play with him, feed him, walk him or engage in other fun
activities. If you do need to take your dog to the vet, bathe
him, etc. be sure to allow some time to pass so the dog does not
associate the “come here” command with the bad experience.

It is important to remember that dogs are constantly learning,
whether a formal training session is in process or not. Your dog
is always learning something from you, whether good or bad. It
is therefore important to make every interaction with your dog a
positive one.

When teaching the dog to come on command, it is vital that the
dog be consistently rewarded every single time he does as the
owner wants. A reward can be as simple as a pat on the head, a
“good boy” or a scratch behind the ears. Of course, treat based
rewards are appreciated as well, and many dogs are highly food
motivated and respond quickly to this type of training. The key
is to be consistent. The dog should get some kind of reward,
whether it be praise, a toy, or a treat, every time he appears
at the owners side when called.

One of the newest health foods for pets and people is “coconut
oil.” Coconut oil is a saturated-fat vegetable oil. Coconuts
have always been a staple of tropical cuisines and people
following a coconut-based diet. These people rarely suffered
from heart disease, cancer, diabetes or other illnesses that
haunt modern America.

According to the people who use coconut oil regularly it can
reduce the risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions,
improves cholesterol levels and helps to fight heart disease,
improves digestion and nutrient absorption, contains
antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents that prevent
infection an disease……..some even use it to brush their and
for underarm deodorant. I do believe I have seen the ingredient
“coconut oil” in several of my favorite deodrants.

This is good news for people and their dogs since most of
coconut oil’s human benefits are the same for canines. Try
giving your shih tzu some coconut oil to see if he/she likes the
taste. It has been reported that most dogs do love the taste of
coconut oil, which makes feeding it to your shih tzu more
pleasant. I really don’t like giving my shih tzu anything that
is unpleasant even if it is for their own good.

You will need to get the right type. Most health food stores
carry at least one brand and you can probably find it online.
There are two main types of coconut oil. One is refined coconut
oil (might be labeled RBD for Refined, Bleached, and
Deordorized). It is made from copra, or dried coconut meat, then
treated to remove impurities. Most RBD coconut oil is relatively
inexpensive. It does not contain all the nutrients found in
unrefined coconut oil and in most cases the coconuts used are
lof low quality and chemicals like chorine and hexane are used
in the refining process. The other type is Unrefined or “virgin”
coconut oil and is made from fresh coconuts. hmmmm, sounds like
the kind I would like best. I truly like coconut of anything. I
want it to taste good and taste good to my dogs. I would go for
the more expensive type.

Of course the better of the two is going to cost you more.
Good-quality oil is colorless when liquid and pure white when
solid, never yellow or pink and it should not contain residue or
have an “off” or rancid odor. If you get hold of some coconut
oil that gives you a scratchy throat or like a “catch” in the
throat, this is probably a sign of poor quality. A smokey flavor
or aroma is another indication of poor quality.

There are also hydrogenated and fractionated coconut oils.
Hydrogenated coconut oil is not recommend for your dog because
it contains harmful trans-fats. Fractionated coconut oil is a
message oil and aromatherapy ingredient and is sold as a
cosmetic ingredient.

For your shih tzu, you would need to start out with small
amounts and increase gradually to about 1 tablespoon per 30 lbs.
body weight daily (no shih tzu weighs this much), so you would
need to adjust that dosage and ask your vet for help on that.
You need to watch for changes in your dog’s energy, skin, coat,
breath and body odor.

You can also apply coconut oil topically to cuts, wounds,
infected ears, bites and stings for both you and your pets.