The Dog Squad Monthly Bark Report

Volume 5 Issue 7

July 2014

Thank God The Fourth is Over!

The Fourth of July for some dogs can be a time of great stress. More dogs are lost during the fourth than any other time of the year according to the ASPCA.

I have heard too many stories from this last fourth to make me shudder and to be more committed about getting the word out to people to be better prepared for the future.

I heard about several cases of dogs escaping from their yards this last weekend due to fire works and they went missing for over 72 hours. Fortunately the dogs were found in local shelters, turned in by good Samaritans.

Another client contacted me with this following story:

"On the 4th we barely heard 4-5 fireworks in the distance from our home but, he went into an anxiety state that he has not been able to overcome.

Every sound in the house is causing anxiety which is exhibited by panting, wetting himself, curling up in a ball on the floor and trembling and if he goes in the backyard he goes straight to the gate and scratches at it to try and get out.

I gave him some sedation on the 5th in the morning when I noticed he was not improving, this helped him relax and sleep. When the sedation wore off the anxiety returned. I have walked him which was very stressful for him, I took him to the park where he played until he heard a sound in the distance and then he curled up under a bench."

Even though fireworks are illegal in the City of Oakland it was a constant barrage of explosions from 8:30 PM until past 2 AM. It was as if the city were under attack. It was unbelievable. I was fortunate to have two dogs that slept through all of it without distress. I know what it is like however, having owned a dog for 17 years that was scarred to death of fireworks and explosions. I always had to be sure I was with her on the fourth and on New Year's Eve. Even when she got older and had major hearing lose she would still react to the explosions.

If your dog had problems this last 4th start now by doing some desensitization work. There is a lot of information on the internet about how to do this. Just Google "Desensitizing your dog to fire works"

Here is a good article that I found Fear of Fire Works

Have a safe and wonderful Summer!

Steve Bettcher, IACP Certified Dog Trainer

The Dog Squad

The Dog's Nose Knows

Most of you are aware that I am teaching Nose Work and have been competing in NACSW Nose Work Trials. I have been doing this for over 2 years now and have learned a lot about the dog's ability to scent. I want to share with you some very interesting and fun facts about the dog's scenting ability.

The average dog has about 220 million scent receptors in his nose while a human has only 5 million. The average dog has around 7 square meters of nasal membrane compared to ours of only a half meter. Dogs can detect and identify odors that are so dilute that even the most sensitive scientific instruments cannot detect them.

Dogs have been used for to find lost people, search for victims of earthquakes and avalanches, to detect landmines and explosives, to find drugs and contraband, to detect illegal agricultural products coming into the US, to find bed buds and termites and even to detect cancer in people. The dog's nose has been used by mankind for centuries to find things and to detect illness in Humans.

Research work conducted by a South African company named Mechem found that a dog's nose is capable of detecting molecules as a concentration of 10 to the minus 18 (0.000 000 000 000 000 001). To put this into an understandable context it would be like a dog finding two grains of sand on a beach 1500 feet long by 150 feet wide and 40 inches deep.
The U.S. Army has done extensive research to test the dog's ability to scent. The Army did more than just lay human tracks across fields but they also ploughed the ground over their laid tracks, covered them with gasoline and set them on fire and still the dogs were able to track the person. They also had trackers use scuba gear and swim downstream under water before emerging on to a bank on the opposite side and the dogs were still successful in finding the trackers. The Army through their extensive research concluded that there was no mechanical peer to the dog for detection of mines, booby traps, and explosives.

So next time your dog is totally engaged in a sniff that you can't pull him away from try to imagine what his world is like. A rainbow of information and smelling pleasure that we really can't even comprehend. This summer do some fun things with your dog that let's her express her pleasure and ability to smell. Hide treats or toys and have your dog find them or take a sniffing class.

New Nosework Classes Starting August 5th

6 Week Class starting Tuesdays at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM.

Limit 4 Dogs

Cost: $225 per dog and handler

Location: San Leandro

The class is open to both beginners and intermediate dogs will be geared to getting dogs and handlers ready for Nose Work competition.

The class is structured for pet dogs but is based on the same training techniques and methods used for police and military sniffer dogs.

For more information and sign-up click on this link: Nosework Class

Private Lessons are also available.

Sign-up

Park Class Schedule July 2014

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Walnut Creek Class

Saturday July 5th Civic Park

Wednesday July 9th San Leandro Marina

Sunday July 13th Lake Temescal

Sunday July 20th Lake Temescal

Wednesday July 30th San Leandro Marina
Saturday August 2nd Civic Park

The Pleasanton Class has be Cancelled due to lack of interest.

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