Michelle Douglas

If you’re planning to get a little something for your dog this holiday season, here are some suggestions on popular toys, trends, where to shop, and what to avoid.  First, What rates high on the dog-favorite list these days?  At the top of the list, are interactive toys that don’t simply offer your pet something to chew on, but that make your pet solve a puzzle, or offer rewards for playing.  Interactive games and toys, can be as simple as a Kong®, which offers hours of fun and combats behavior problems when filled with food or treats (and FROZEN).  More complex toys are also increasingly popular as well.

Lessons to Learn from Tragedy

On Friday, September 30, 2011, my home-town of West Haven CT experienced a horrible tragedy. Erica Hobdy was babysitting her 20-month old niece Neveah Angel Bryant. "I gave her lunch, gave her a bath, I layed with her when she fell asleep," said Hobdy. "When I went to get my son something from the store I told him just to listen for her because the only thing I was worried about was her waking up and seeing no one upstairs with her and start crying.” While she was out, her three pit bulls mauled her niece to death.

Story: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/new_haven_cty/no-arrests-made-after-toddle-mauled

As a behavior consultant, I am often asked to assess the behavior of a client’s dog based on their interpretation of what they think their dog is doing and what his motives are. For example, some recent comments include:
“She is very dominant of her toys and things she thinks are hers.”
“Even with someone holding her, she still wanted to continue attacking.”
“He really wants to be a part of his owner’s life. He really wants to please – you can just see it in his face...the way he turns his head up when he does something right with almost a smile of excitement.”
“After this incident...Buddy remained angry at our friends.”

With the holidays rapidly approaching, keep in mind that your stress and changes in routine can have an impact on your dog's behavior.  They may "act out" if they sense our frustrations and the typical attempts to get our attention fail. This can be avoided by maintaining some of your daily routines, like mealtime and a long walk.  In addition to keeping things “normal” for Fido, also try to make sure he has a quiet retreat, like a bedroom or his crate, just in case he wants to get away from your niece who wants to play dress up or Uncle Fred’s cigars.