An Oft Overlooked Factor of Canine Longevity

Last week the world was introduced to Chanel, the sweet and wizened Dachshund mix that is celebrating her 21st birthday. It’s quite an accomplishment. She is the world’s oldest living dog and she appears to be in excellent condition.

I know the news is a bit stale and has already been covered, but Chanel has stayed on my mind, and not because of her cute red sweater and matching doggles.

I couldn’t help but notice that in all of the stories about Chanel and what kept her healthy and spry, there was what I think an important omission.  Nobody mentioned Chanel’s behavioral health as part of the reason why she’s still alive today.

Much was made of her clothing, diet, and daily routine but Chanel came from a shelter and we all know that not all dogs leave the shelter out the front door, especially twenty years ago. In order to be considered adoptable shelter dogs must be considered safe for the public. Also, socialized dogs with friendly personalities are much more likely to be chosen by adopters than a snarling, nipping, or cowering ones.

Not only does behavioral health play a role in a dog finding a home, but also in keeping that home as well. “Behavioral problems” is still the number one listing among reasons that dogs are relinquished to shelters and why they are euthanized.

That is why early socialization and behavioral inoculations are just as important as a rabies vaccine and proper diet are to a dog’s longevity. It’s why Dr. Dunbar gives away two of his puppy books away for free on this site simply to get this essential info into people’s hands. And it’s why I developed the Open Paw Shelter Program to help shelter dogs reach their full potential by teaching them the skills they’ll need to not only get adopted, but stay in their new homes for a lifetime.

I am off to Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis, Oregon today to launch the implementation of the Open Paw program in their shelter. I love these trips, the dogs learn so fast and the humans catch up pretty quickly too! We’ll be working on creating a quiet (dare I say barkless) kennel environment as one of our main goals for the weekend. We’ll also be filming. I’ll report back on our progress soon.