How long do you think the line is to put your finger in your dog’s butt and squeeze their anal glands?  Probably not very, but if you’re a responsible guardian of a dog, being aware of the canine anal gland is critical knowledge.  Dog anal glands serves their purpose, but they can also cause discomfort in our furry friends if we aren’t aware of the signs and symptoms of irritated canine anal glands.

Have you ever seen your dog drag their butt across your carpet in some sort of back side boogie?… Hind legs in the air and the look of confusion on their face as if to say, “I don’t know why I’m doing this, but damn it feels good!”  One must admit, it’s a funny sight, but be aware, this is a warning sign usually indicative of impacted canine anal glands.

Calling Cards

Unlike humans, dogs have anal “perfume” sacs located just inside their anus.  Located at either 8 and 4 o’clock or 5 and 7 o’clock if viewing the dog from the back side, these bean sized dog anal glands contain a foul smelling, brown liquid unique to every dog.  Their smell is their identity.

I’m pretty certain if humans had these same canine like anal glands we’d do away with the formality of hand shakes when meeting new people for the first time and go right for the then socially acceptable butt sniff.  Fortunately for now, that’s not the case for us.  As we know though, it is for dogs.

When you see dogs meeting each other for the first time, tails will be high in the air, this is the result of them squeezing their sphincter muscle to emit a slight bit of the anal sac content so as to identify themselves which is the main function of a dog’s anal gland.  We humans get away with a calling card.

The canine anal gland has one primary function and that is to mark their territory.  Otherwise not needed, the anal gland of the dog is a primitive means to mark their feces and establish a territory.  Today, we would just build a fence and maybe put up a sign.  Each time a dog eliminates, the anal glands omit a slight bit of their original scent to identify the owner of the deification and claim it as theirs because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to claim their poop?.

D I Y

Through the process of fecal elimination, a healthy anus will squeeze the dog’s anal gland and keep it so that the fluid doesn’t get back up.  If it does, it’s at that point that that infections, also called dog anal gland disease,  may occur which can lead to bigger problems if not addressed, not to mention a much more potent odor that would make even a skunk jealous.  That’s why when you see your hound drag their south side on the floor, when you’re done giggling, have the anal glands addressed either by a groomer, a vet or you can do it yourself if you have a sturdy stomach or an urge to bond with your dog.

The below video is a good example of both external expressing (term used for manual manipulation of the canine anal gland) and if needed internal expressing where you would insert your finger into the dog’s anus.

Dog Nutrition Might be the Answer

Some canine anal glands are more prone to problems than others.  Theories exists that over weight dogs are more apt to experience canine anal gland issues, but the real culprit is improper dog nutrition.

Healthy poops are solid and expand the dog’s anus when eliminating therefore allowing the sphincter to express the dog’s anal gland and keeping it healthy by releasing the internal fluid.  Soft or runny stools, often caused by cheap dog food or a generally poor diet, won’t allow the gland to express.  Therefore the dog’s nutrition and diet play a key role in keeping the canine anal glands in proper working order.  Increasing fiber in your pooches diet say with vegetables, is a good way to firm up the stools because fiber rich foods will soak up water in the intestines.

As mentioned before, the dog’s anal glands are not needed and in some dogs with excessive problems, the canine anal gland will be removed surgically.

Keeping an eye on Fido will alert you to any possible issues with the canine anal gland.  Some Bowsers never experience a problem, some are occasional, some are frequent, but all will lick, bite and drag their butt if there is a problem. Happy pooping!

Within this past week, the city of Victoria, Australia has garnered world-wide attention with their declaration to the city residents that all Pitbull dogs and those dogs resembling Pitbull dogs will be detained and euthanized for the general safety of the community.

Wow, so the local authorities are going to knock on your door, see if you have a Pittbull or Pitbull “like” dog and if so, they will take it away right then and there to euthanize it.  That’s pretty harsh isn’t it?….Turns out that depends on which side of the dog yard you’re on.

One must admit, we hear the Pittbull attack stories pretty often, and  most of us thirty or forthy somethings struggle to fondly recall the childhood memories of two famous Pittbulls, the RCA dog and Petey, the Pitbull  from the Little Rascals.

The question of banned dog breeds has been raised many times before and coincidentally or not, Pittbulls are usually the dog breed being discussed. Currently over 500 cities world-wide, including Denver, Colorado (Boo Broncos) have banned dog breeds and not surprisingly, its the Pitbull.  Add to that the fact that currently 2 countries,  Great Britain and New Zealand have a current dog ban in place for Pitbulls and it’s no wonder why neighboring Victoria, Australia reacted with the same broad stroke with the fear brush.

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Unfortunately, that fear is not completely unjustifiable.  Within the last 6 days of the date of this article, there have been 4 reports of Pitbulls being aggressive and attacking people and dogs.  A pregnant woman was attached by a Pitbull in the South East.  Cops in Mississippi shot and killed a Pitbull that was running at them.  Earlier this week in Ontario this Pitbull was sentenced to death by a court action just 4 days ago, this 2 year old girl was killed by a Pitbull dog when in got lose.

As with any other self-justifying stereotyper, let’s come to grips with some facts before casting judgment on an already banned dog breed.

The Pitbull was bred between a Terrier and a Bulldog as a fighting dog.  It is bred for strength and does possess one a the stronger bites in the canine world due to a larger masticular muscle structure around the dogs head and jaw and has the ability to “lock on” to their bite in a vice grip sort of fashion.  These dogs were put into a pit to fight and thus the name Pitbull.  Sound like something you want to cuddle with so far?

Cuddle with Your Pit!

Defending the breed, there are advocacy groups for the Pitbull dog though and they speak out strongly that these dogs are simply misunderstood and often wrongfully accused statistically.  Do Pitbulls really just have a bad rap and are sweetheart dogs?

We are of the strongest opinion of the things we experience.  Personally speaking, I owned a Pitbull dog in my early teens before it was “gangster cool” to have one for a pet.  I had her as a puppy and she was a very sweet and affectionate dog.  That said, she maimed two dogs that had wondered in our yard, killing on of them but that was written off as “territorial” which was, at the time,  understandable;  but was it, or did something breed specific trigger an innate instinct to fight to the death?

I don’t agree with the idea of banned dog breeds.  It’s simply too vast a generality, but these fears of the Pitbull dog breed are justifiable and anyone saying different isn’t looking at the big pictures, I’d argue.

Much in the same light as those lobbying for gun control; it’s not the guns that kill people, its the people that kill people and for those advocates of the Pitbull, it will be the responsible owners that wipe the black mark off the breed.  We can’t blame the dog, but we can blame the owner of the dogs.

Do we really need to have dog fitness and wellness centers in the same fashion that people have gyms and exercise clubs?  Don’t dogs get enough exercise chasing cars, cats,  frisbees and tennis balls, or running in the opposite direction when you call them?

One would think, right?

Dog health, by way of over-all dog fitness and wellness, used to be a given in our society but those times, they keep a changin’. 10 or 15 years ago the words “dog” and “obesity” were used with one another about as often as “integral” and “politician” were (oops, was that out loud?). Dog health and fitness were really only considered by a seldom few who were most likely seen as outside the circle of normality and extreme.

Today, however, dog fitness and dog wellness are an increasingly popular topic within the realm of optimized dog health and as time goes on, we as a dog owning nation seem to be understanding that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure; especially if you’ve paid a vet bill lately.

Dog fitness and wellness centers are few and far between currently, but it’s logical to believe that trend is about to change in the coming decade as owners learn the benefit of possibilities like canine aquatic therapy and canine massage and if  for no other reason than it makes sense…and these dog fitness and wellness centers aren’t just for fat dogs, they are appropriate for working dogs, canine athletes, dogs recovering from surgery or injury and soon to be largest market, owners who are looking to maintain their dog’s fitness and wellness for a longer, happier and healthier life otherwise known as preventative maintenance.

Kumbaya…

What spurred my interest recently in dog fitness and wellness centers was the recent opening of one such place in Orlando, Florida called Rocky’s Retreat.  At first glance, I thought to myself, “oh geez, what is this, another foo foo dog groomer palace taking advantage of the “purse dog” population charging $200 for a bunch of hippies to burn incense and sing Kumbaya while holding hands around these poor dogs?”  I’m please to report, I was way off the mark.

I’m not affiliated with or benefiting monetarily from them, so I can say with a clear conscious, Rocky’s Retreat is a fantastic example of a dog fitness and wellness center aimed at total and complete dog health and I’m willing to bet that we will see these types of facilities more and more as time goes on.

Now, we aren’t going to see dogs bench pressing, but in addition to normal exercise dog fitness centers offer advantages like access to canine aqua therapy, canine massage, acupressure, and believe it or not, yoga and pilates.

Let’s Get Physical

Think back to the days of big hair, Olivia Newton-John, leg warmers, muscle shirts and Jazzercise.  Much in the same way that those trends sparked an understanding and eventual passion for human fitness, I believe we are on the cusp of a similar trend in dog fitness and wellness.

Certainly not to take anything away from doggie day cares or other pet sitting services because they are important and most beneficial for the mental well being of your dog where they can be intellectually stimulated while we are at work or out of town, but the key difference in dog fitness and wellness centers is that they are focused on the physical well being of dogs which has the side effect of intellectual stimulus; the very same way humans do with gyms and exercise clubs.

It was never thought that working with your dog’s fitness to develop strength, range of motion and flexibility through specific actions would have the profound effect that it does on over-all dog health, but consider this:  Prolonging the lives of dogs while keeping them free from injury, disease, obesity and that dreaded vet bill are what we desire for our furry friends in the first place, so why not dog fitness and wellness centers?

Once the general public recognizes that the same things that are important to human health are just as important for dog health, we will see more of these dog fitness and wellness centers pop up in our neighborhoods and I for one, look forward to it.

Dog shock collars, E collars, Training collars, Correction collars they’re called many things and we’ve all seen the advertisements promoting the use of electric or shock collars for dogs:

“Is your dog out of control?”, “Does your dog bark too much”, “Do traditional dog training methods not work for your dog”, “Do you want to change your dogs behavior in hours instead of weeks?’…then we recommend you shock the shit out of them for that well adjusted, lovable 4-legged, family fun dog you’ve always wanted!

Really?  Should we seriously believe that sending an electric shock into your dog’s neck is going to change their behavior for the better?  Didn’t we believe the same thing about people in the middle part of the 20th century?  How’d that work out?

Shock collars for dogs are often given the cutsie nick name of “E collars” for dogs with “E” meaning “electric”, because the marketing people don’t want us to associate the fact that we are purposefully inflicting pain on our dogs thinking in some way it’s changing their behavior for the better.  It’s changing their behavior alright, but we’d argue, not for the better.

1 Out of 100

Did you watch the above video?  I would venture to say that this illustration represents 1% of the actual use of shock collars for dogs.  Did you notice that there was no one in the room? That the trainer was using a “mild” shock and then immediately rewarding the dog for the desired action?  Although this video seems humane, does she really need the dog shock collar at all?

The real life uses of shock collars for dogs are more apt to be found being used by the general, untrained public or in conjunction with the “invisible fence”, which is another way to shock the crap out of your dog when your not around.  Most people do indeed have good intentions about the use of shock collars for dogs, and in certain situations under a watchful eye, these dog shock collars can indeed be a useful training aid, even though I may personally think there are other more acceptable options available.

I most often think that the Humane Society is a little over the top with some of their stances, but I must say I have to agree with them when they say, ” The least humane and most controversial use of the shock collar is as a training device. “  The city of Wales in the UK actually banned the use of shock collars on dogs and cats.

Positive vs. Negative

Any dog trainer will tell you that there are two types of dog training aides; positive and negative.  We either reward the dog for good behavior or “correct” them for bad behavior.  Human psychology is similar often referred to as pain vs pleasure or fight vs flight or as Momma used to say, “get your butt over here if you know whats good for you!”

Examples of negative training aides, where the trainer is identifying the unwanted behavior, are chokers, pinch or prong collars and e or shock collars for dogs.  All work in the same fashion where the dog receives a negative physical result based off their action.  One problem with this is cross associations.  Cross associations would be like when your dog sees another dog and runs towards it and we try to stop them with our handy dandy dog shock collar and give them a wallop, but the dog may associate that shock with the fact that they are looking at another dog, not the action of pulling.

At this point, the owner is changing the dogs behavior with the shock collar, but maybe not in the way they intended.  If repeated enough, this will cause the dog to associate negative ramifications at the site of another dog and may lead to aggression towards other dogs.

Other side effects of using negative training aides include fear, anxiety and general aggression due to the pain caused by dog shock collars.  This study outlines some other observed consequences of using shock collars for dogs.

Happy, Stable and Fun!

If one wants a happy, stable and fun dog, during training it’s our opinion that shock collars for dogs are not the way to go.  Instead there are positive alternatives to dog training which don’t cause fear, pain or anxiety and are still highly effective and what’s more, have a longer lasting effect than simply inflicting pain through use of a shock collar for dogs.

Using treats is a great training tool.  A head collar or a flat buckle collar can also be used effectively to correct and reinforce the positive actions we seek.  Clicker training, although maybe annoying to other humans, is another safe and effective alternative to shock collars for dogs.

Under certain circumstances there is merit, albeit minimal,  in using a shock collar for dogs, but it should be short lived and with low intensity and performed by a professional dog trainer. For the rest of us, realize that there are no training aides that will change our dog’s long term behavior in a few short hours, especially by causing pain through a shock collar for dogs.  It takes time, it takes patience and it takes consistency to train your dog properly.