By Kevin Fisher

It’s November and in most parts of the country winter is imminent. (It’s even getting a tad chilly here in Southern California!) Time to winterize your house with a little weather stripping and a few extra blankets; time to to winterize your car with anti-freeze and an ice scraper. It’s even time to start thinking about winterizing your best friend! No you don’t need to weather strip or de-ice your dog but there are a few things to bear in mind as the shorter days draw in.

It goes without saying that if you live in a cold weather area you should have a warm place for your dog to sleep . The back yard is no longer good enough unless your little guy has a somewhere to get out of the wind and the rain (but you knew that already didn’t you)

If you bathe your own dog make sure you use warmer water, preferably inside and spend a little extra time drying and brushing. Bubbles n’ Beads is the perfect cold weather product because it cleans and conditions in one go so your dog spends less time wet. If you want to skip a few bath times try DryDog Instant Clean , an all natural bath replacement spray that not only helps to clean your best friend but contains ordenone, an ingredient that traps and removes the bad smells that seem to flourish between groomings. TIP: Keep a rag and bottle at the door to use on after-walk muddy paws

Don’t leave your dog alone in the car; If the engine is left running there’s a possibility of carbon monoxide infiltrating the car, if the engine is not on it may just get too cold.

Salty frozen sidewalks can be a dogs worst enemy. Not only do his paw pads (and nose) get cold but they’re desiccated even further by the salt. It’s always a good idea to rinse and wipe his paws (and nose if he’s been sniffing around) when yo come back in from a walk. A great product to use before and after walks is bowWow Butter Balm . Apply a little before you go out and it forms a barrier between the skin and the environment and a little more after you come in will prevent irritation and heal dry skin. Note you should never use Petroleum jelly or Petroleum based products on your dogs pads; petroleum jelly contains petrolatum, which can cause gastrointestinal upset if ingested. bowWow Butter balm is all natural shea butter and is perfectly safe.

Be vigilant on walks, this is the season for antifreeze and some of which can spill on driveways, It’s a particularly lethal product because it tastes and smells good to your dog but contains ethylene glycol, which can be deadly even in small quantities.

If your dog is out in the cold and starts shaking or shivering get him inside as soon as possible. If the shaking doesn’t stop within ten minutes of being inside it’s a good idea to call your vet.

Like people, dog’s seem to be more susceptible to illness in the winter , so be alert for the warning signs; loss of appetite, drinking an inordinate amount of water or just general lethargy. Never give your dog over-the-counter medications meant for humans unless you’ve spoken to your vet first. Some products that are perfectly safe for humans are toxic to dogs; aspirin, in the wrong dosage can cause toxicity, pseudoephedrine can be very harmful or even deadly to pets, even breath fresheners can contain both menthol, (which can be irritating to the mouth and the stomach) and xylitol (which can cause liver damage).

If you want to be proactive in keeping your best friend healthy this year Eyemunity is the perfect product. It contains Epicor an all natural immune booster that will not only improve your dog’s overal health but also help prevent tearstains. Click here for more information on this product

But the winter is not all bad news, many people, and dogs find the chill in the air invigorating. (I’m definitely not one of them, 20 years shoveling snow in in New York were enough for me:-) As a dog owner you not only have a loyal playmate but you have your own personal heating unit; your dog’s body temperature is a few degrees higher than yours so cuddle up and enjoy the exothermia!

It goes without saying that dogs and fireworks don’t mix well. As July the fourth approaches it’s a good idea to start thinking of ways to make your best friend more comfortable during the evening hours. Don’t forget that your dog’s hearing can be up to ten times more acute than yours so the loud bangs, whistles and screams that may be fun for you are not at all pleasant for your dog.

And don’t forget that your dog has no idea what’s going on. You know this is all meant to be fun and will be over by midnight but dogs have no facility to anticipate the future. If you can, it’s best to stay with your dog. The fact that you’re there will reassure him and at least give him the feeling that the world he knows is going on as normal.

Here are a few things to try if you have an anxious dog.

1. In an effort to ease YOUR anxiety make sure your dog has his collar and ID tags on . Every year hundreds of frightened dogs escape the mayhem and run as faraway as they can. Make sure that if the worst happens (and we sincerely hope it does n’t) your best friend can be brought home quickly.

2. Prepare; Spend plenty of one-on-one time together before the fireworks begin. Give him plenty of exercise, a strenuous game of catch, a long walk (or run), or an afternoon of tug-o-war. Not only will a tired dog be less anxious but if you have to leave him home while you go see the fireworks he won’t feel quite as much resentment after he’s spent all that time with you. (He may even be grateful for the rest)

3: Make sure he’s been allowed to poop and pee a plenty before nighttime. Do you really want to be out walking your nervous guy after dark?

4: If your dog enjoys bathing (and you’re planning on staying home with him) why not give him a bath before the fireworks start "bursting in air". Most bathrooms are located in the interior of houses so they are more insulated from the outside noise of early fireworks and the sound of the running water and the warm humid air are very relaxing. We recommend Comfy Dog Shampoo with a little Fur Butter massage afterwards and of course a finishing spritz of Calming Aromatherapy Spritzer . It’s also a good idea to use the spritzer on his bed as the essential oil of lavender is very calming for dogs. You never know, if you get him relaxed enough he may sleep through the whole thing (right!)

5: If your dog is not allergic you might also try adding a little cooked plain potato or white rice to his food. Just as with humans the carbohydrates will help your dog feel full and sleepy. Oh and before I forget…I know we usually equate alcohol to relaxation but keep the chardonnay in your glass not his bowl, alcohol is just not good for dogs

6. However it is a great idea to add an all natural herbal remedy to help your guy relax. We recommend Sleepytime Tonic which you can give about 30 minutes before the fireworks begin. It won’t put your dog to sleep but the all natural Bach Flower Essences will help to make him less anxious and more able to deal with the stress of all that noise.

Of course if you have a dog who is terrified of fireworks, to whom the forth of July is a nightmare it would be a good idea to discuss this with your vet.

Just remember that not everyone likes fireworks and your job as pet parent is to make sure that your whole family has the kind of Fourth of July they’ll enjoy.

It certainly looks, sounds and feels like genuine affection but is the love felt by an owner for a pet reciprocated in kind? For dog owners there is no more interesting question.

We recently returned from a trip to Orlando and as usual Lorna’s two dogs Riqui and Bree were excited to pick us up at the airport (ably assisted by Lorna’s husband Jason). The reunion was touching… lots of licking, panting and petting (but enough about Lorna and Jason..the dogs were just as bad (…happily they had just used some Dog Smog Remedy and Dry Dog Instant Clean so they smelled great:-)  As we drove home it made me wonder about the age old question  “Does my dog actually love me? (Or in this case do Lorna’s dogs actually love her?)

It certainly looks, sounds and feels like genuine affection and for many people their relationship with their dog is more long lasting and meaningful than many human relationships in their lives. But is it actually love? Or more precisely is the love felt by an owner for a pet reciprocated in kind? For dog owners there is no more interesting question.

The idea of an animal having real emotions is easily dismissed as wishful thinking. But further study reveals it to be a more complex issue than one might think.

Lets look at Riqui, a pure-bred Maltese, she is indeed the result of hundreds, if not thousands of generations of selective breeding designed to amplify her breeds affinity for humans. (An affinity that is more welcome after a little Calming Aromatherapy Spritzer I might add) But just because these attributes have been selected and amplified over time doesn’t mean that they are not genuine. (I come from a long line of fishermen and I’m sure my dislike of seafood stems from that fact but my distaste for fish, I assure you, is real). Riqui is a genuinely affectionate (some might say needy) dog. She has been bred to be that way however there is no doubt in my mind that she is actually happier when Lorna is around.

All animals, including dogs have a pleasure center in the brain (in fact the brain has several areas associated with pleasure: the nucleus accumbens, the septum pellucidium and the hypothalamus… seems that we’re hard wired to enjoy life). When a dog is playing, dopamine is released into these areas and creates a feeling of happiness. The mechanism is almost identical in both dogs and humans; seems we are more alike at a fundamental level than we might have imagined.

Some fascinating research has been done in the last few years that sheds new light on this similarity. In 1990 Giacomo Rizzolatti, a neuroscientist at the University of Parma discovered what are now referred to as mirror neurons. A mirror neuron is a brain cell that not only fires when an animal acts but also when the animal sees that same action in another. They are essential for socialization within a species but also have been shown to work across species. Can anyone say empathy?

“We are exquisitely social creatures,” Dr. Rizzolatti says. “Our survival depends on understanding the actions, intentions and emotions of others. Mirror neurons allow us to grasp the minds of others not through conceptual reasoning but through direct simulation. By feeling, not by thinking.”

Any one who owns a dog already knows that they have a tremendous capacity for connection, especially with humans. I would suggest that part of the reason for this is because our two species evolved together. Recent studies suggest that dogs were domesticated very early on in the history of Homo Sapiens and played an important role in our success as a species. Our symbiotic relationship enabled both species to survive and thrive in an inhospitable world. Dogs provided everything from an early warning system against predators to assistance in herding domesticated animals. In turn humans provided shelter and food for their faithful companions and together we learned how to relate, communicate and empathize. This relationship has lead to a more comfortable and longer life for dogs .

One oft referenced quote on this subject comes from a gentleman named Fred Metzger a veterinarian from Penn State who observes “Dogs probably don’t feel love in the way humans do. Dogs make investments in human beings because it works for them. The more ‘cute factor’ they give us, the more we feel like they love us. This makes it more likely that we will give them more attention, food treats, outdoor access”.

But a competing opinion comes from Susan B. Eirich, a biologist and psychologist who cites Jane Goodall’s research with chimpanzees as evidence that animals do indeed have deep emotions. Eirich states, “From a behavioral perspective, it only makes sense that animals would experience emotions. Goodall notes that social animals must be able to read other animals in their society to be able to maintain social bonds.” If history has shown us anything it is that survival is not only for the fittest but also for the most cooperative.

“When you think about it,” explains Eirich, “strong emotion underpins social behavior and connection.”

So I think we can make the case that animals in general, and dogs specifically do feel real emotion but the question is do they love?

The obvious (if somewhat anticlimactic) answer is that we’ll probably never know, but more than anything this question gets to the heart (no pun intended) of how we gauge love? How do we know that we love one another? One simple measure is how much the person (or animal) is willing to sacrifice for the loved one. We revere hero’s, lovers and mothers because of their selflessness;  the hero dies to save his friends and the mother subsumes her life in her child’s. In Christianity we idolize the man who gave up his life not for his friends but his enemies. This is a thorny issue when it comes to animals because even though there are numerous stories of dogs sacrificing themselves for their owners the question is are they aware of exactly what they’re sacrificing?

Bearing this limitation in mind can we imagine a creature more self sacrificing than our dogs? They live lives completely determined by their owners. They eat when we say, sleep when we say and even poop when we say (yes I know the irony of this supposition for many dog owners out there…but play along with me here)  more importantly, they are always happy and joyful to live that way because it enables them to interact with humans.

We judge love on a sliding scale: we wouldn’t expect a 5 year old to be capable of the same devotion and self sacrifice as an adult. Most mothers will tell you that even though they fell in love and got married they had no idea what love really was until they had children. I suggest that we  must afford the same courtesy to dogs. Admittedly their love may not be human, but this is not completely a bad thing, it may not conform to our standard of the ultimate level of connection but at the same time it’s also not fickle, transitory, petulant or selfish.

It may be the greatest complement to say that dogs love to the best of their ability, and it gives us a chance to reflect on whether the same can be said for ourselves.

Of course you want to include your dog in the holiday celebrations but it’s easy to forget that the holidays bring a new set of safety concerns for your dog.

Holiday decorations.
Once you put up your decorations your dog will want to scope out the additions to his environment. And as you know the way dogs inspect is with their mouths and noses. Be especially careful with electrical chords, one bite through the plastic shielding could put a damper on your whole holiday season. Make sure they’re safely away from inquisitive noses or at the very least taped down or hidden.

It goes without saying that dogs and naked flames are not a great combination. If you do light candles make sure they’re safely out of your dog’s reach and (dog or no dog) candles should never be left unattended.

Be particularly careful of Christmas foliage. By now most people know that Poinsettia is poisonous but holly, lilly, Jerusalem cherry, and mistletoe can also make your dog (or you) sick if ingested. Pine needles, if ingested can puncture a dogs stomach so be watchful of your dog around the tree and don’t let him drink the tree water, it can harbor bacteria and pesticides.

Tip: Place crunchy aluminum foil or bubble wrap around the tree to prevent your dog from getting too close

Food
If your dogs are allowed in the dining room it’s going to be difficult to refuse them scraps, however be very careful of what you give them. Holiday foods tend to be richer and fattier than everyday foods. They will often contain more sodium and of course more sugar, all of which can play havoc on with a dogs delicate digestion. As a rule of thumb its never a good idea to give your dogs the following foods:

* Onions and garlic, which can both cause anemia
* Chocolate, especially dark chocolate
* Grapes and Raisins
* Cooked bones especially poultry bones)
* Alcohol not only is it unhealthy but do you really want to have to enroll your dog in a 12 step program?

But it’s not all doom and gloom here are a few items that are great for dogs:

* Raw Carrots, great for dental hygiene and most dogs love them
* Broth, an excellent way to treat your dog to a little extra flavor, let it cool and then pour a little over his favorite food.
* Cooked Vegetables, in small amounts, the one exception to this rule is corn, some dogs are allergic.
* Cottage Cheese a great way to add flavor to your dogs food.

Guests
Holiday parties are often loud and confusing for dogs, especially nervous dogs. It’s often better to have them stay with neighbors or keep them upstairs for the duration of the party. Even the most social dogs should have somewhere to retreat to if it all get’s too much Don’t forget to leave plenty of water and make sure you take time to take him for a nice long walk both before and after the party. It will help release some of the energy and make sure there are no accidents.

Tip: It’s a good idea to tell your guests in advance that you own dogs, some people are uncomfortable around dogs and of course there are those who are allergic.

And above all, whatever your dogma, whether you plan on celebrating Christmas, Hannukah, Kwansa or the winter solstice have a happy healthy and joyous time.

Your sad dog could be suffering from depression

As a society, we realize that our pets can get a lot of the same diseases as us. Our dogs can be diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, colitis, heart problems or any other number of problems. Yet somehow it seems silly to think that our dogs can become depressed just like a person can. But just because you don’t see your dog lounging around in his bathrobe, staring off into space doesn’t mean that he or she isn’t going through some sort of emotional instability. You may notice that your dog is depressed if he’s exhibiting some of the following behaviors:

• Seems mopey or lethargic

• Not eating or drinking

Dog depression can often take the form of some sort of anxiety. This includes separation anxiety, when your dog seems extraordinarily upset at being apart from you or being left by him/herself. Symptoms can often include:

• Pacing

• Yawning

• Drooling

• Destructive chewing

• Urinating or defecating in areas that they aren’t supposed to

• Excessive barking or whining

In addition, dogs that might be suffering from a serotonin imbalance (the chemical in your brain that regulates moods), might also exhibit signs of aggression. Some of the symptoms of an overly aggressive dog include:

• Excessive barking

• Attacks on other animals

• Overprotection of food and possessions(including snapping or growling)

• Snapping when being petted, lifted or groomed

• Fearfulness of new situations or strangers

• Overprotection of possessions

• Repeated escapes from home

While there can be many reasons that your dog is exhibiting these behaviors including grief, a change in environment, chemical imbalances and weather changes, often the behavior changes aren’t recognized by owners as a symptom of a larger problem, and they just try and correct the behavior itself.

If you notice that your dog is acting strange or seems overly aggressive, explain your concerns to your vet. They may put you on a monitoring program to watch for other symptoms and they might have suggestions on how to combat the problem. Since we have become more aware of the fact that depression can affect dogs, there have been developments with the methods of treating it.

Treating your Dog’s Depression

There are three ways that you can help lift your dog out of their mood: Training, Medication, Naturopathic Remedies, and of course any combination of the three.

Training

Often engaging your dog in some sort of new activity can help stimulate them and improve their thinking. Try joining a class that will teach your dog some behavioral basics and the benefits of this will be two-fold; they will learn which behaviors are unacceptable, thus getting a better-behaved dog and they will also be grateful for the mental stimulation. Dogs like to learn things and they also like to spend time with their owners, so taking training classes will please your dog.

Medication

As explained earlier, dogs can have serotonin imbalances which could explain their depression. Like a human, this is a medical condition that sometimes needs medication in order for the afflicted to feel better. In the past couple of years, the equivalent of Prozac has become available for dogs. This drug can have a calming influence on your dog, and you may notice a big change in the demeanor of your dog after they’ve been on the medication for awhile.

Naturopathic Remedies

If you take a more holistic approach to treating diseases, you might be more interested in improving your dog’s mood by a naturopathic method. Treatments like Sleepytime Tonic help to calm a nervous or anxious dog.

Although your dog’s behavior may seem frustrating at times, try and remember that sometimes the way they behave is not because they are a bad dog but instead may be a symptom indicative of a larger problem.