Trick or Treat

Halloween is upon us and this weekend our homes will be invaded by ghosts and goblins of all shapes and sizes.  This can be a stressful time for our dogs.  Be sure to keep them in mind when planning your Halloween festivities.  Below are a few helpful hints to keep them safe.

 Halloween Candy – it's a good idea to keep your Halloween loot up high.  If you don't already have a table near your door, try moving one there for Halloween night.  A high sided decorative bowl will keep little noses and paws out of the candy too.  Chocolate and artificial sweeteners like xylitol can be very toxic to dogs but don't forget about your wrappers!  Wrappers that are ingested can cause choking, upset stomachs or blockages. 

 Halloween Decorations – if you have a dog who likes to chew, keep that in mind when decorating for Halloween.  Keep extension cords hidden and out of the way.  Keep an eye on your pumpkin Halloween night.  Most people use a candle to light their pumpkins and a curious dog might knock it over and become a fire hazard.

 Trick or Treaters – every dog is different so keep in mind your dog's habits when someone comes to the door.  Some dogs bark at the doorbell or a knock at the door.  This can become a problem if you live in a high traffic area and have lots of trick or treaters.  Also, some dogs like to dart out an open door to greet the visitors.  If you have a nervous dog, they might be a bit stressed over all the costumes as well.  It's a good idea to keep your dog in a secure area during the hullabaloo.  A spare room, exercise pen, behind a baby gate or their crate would be a great place to spend the night.  Set them up with a few toys, a nice bed and try giving them a new bone like a tarter buster or rawhide.  Keeping them occupied will make for a safe and quiet night. 

 If your dog has basic obedience training, commands like "Leave It" or "Wait" will come in handy when handing out treats Halloween night.

 Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Hiking With Manchesters

Hiking With Manchesters

 

One of the Key factors in deciding to get a Manchester Terrier was their athleticism but in a small package.  My husband and I live in an urban area and have a city sized yard but enjoy outdoor pursuits such as hiking.  We felt that the smaller size of the Manchester would be ideal for our home life and their athletic abilities a perfect match for our camping and hiking activities.  We were not let down in these expectations and the following blog is a look at some of our adventures as well as some thoughts on taking your canine companion on outdoor adventures.

 

Before I get started I do want to mention some common sense practice for any vigorous activity done with your dog.  Ensure that your dog is physically and emotionally prepared for the activity that you are planning.  Things to consider are the age of the dog.  Very young animals should not have any high impact activity; it could cause an injury that might have a life-long effect.  Elderly or senior dogs also need to have special consideration when it comes to any long-duration or high energy pursuits.  Make sure that your dog is physically fit enough for the activity that you are planning.  Just like a human couch potato a canine couch potato will find any sudden start into a high impact activity difficult.  And sometimes overlooked but still very important, make sure that your dog is emotionally prepared for your activity.  If your dog has never been for a car ride longer than 20 minutes, you may want to practice a bit before your 5 hour road trip.  If your dog is not good in crowds, you may want to skip the city hiking trail and hit a wilderness camp instead.

 

Advanced Planning

 

I have to admit I am a bit of a planner and when it comes to camping and hiking with dogs, this is a good thing.  One of the first things that you will want to consider, especially if you plan on travelling some distance, is whether or not dogs are even welcome at you planned destination.  As an example, a couple of years ago we were planning a camping/hiking trip to Yellowstone National Park in the US.  We were sourcing out campsites and looking at some advance reservations when a note on the webpage caught my eye.  It said "Planning on bringing your pet?"  After clicking on the link I learned that dogs were not permitted more than 100 feet from any paved road in the park and must remain leashed at all times and were not permitted on any of the hiking trails.  All the National Parks in the US that I checked had the same rules.  Thankfully we learned this before making the trip there and we planned a new trip to Banff National Park in Canada instead.  However, even if your destination allows dogs, some areas may be restricted year-round or parts of the year due to concerns over habitat or interaction with the local animals.

 

What To Bring

 

Some of these things might seem obvious but a few of them we had to learn about the hard way so hopefully the list will be helpful.

 

-Food, and lots of it.  After bringing what I thought would be plenty of food and then running out in the middle of no-where....well, the dogs were NOT pleased.   Also, you may have to double or triple their usual food intake if you are doing a lot of long strenuous hiking.

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Coats (even if it is summer).  If you are hiking in the Alpine at altitude, it can snow in August, and I think everyone knows what Manchesters think of the cold.

 

-Doggie ID.  Have them wear their dog tags and they should be either micro chipped or tattooed.  And have their ID#'s handy just in case.  I was once told to also always travel with a picture of my pet.  It makes me shudder to think of why, but it is a good tip.

 

-Emergency kit.  Everything you can think of and more.  A human first aid kit (which you should have anyway) is a good start but throw in some baby aspirin, your favourite diarrhoea/upset tummy medicine (trust me on this one) and something like nail polish remover to get pitch out of doggie hair (another one learned the hard way).  Also your vet's emergency phone number should be at hand as well, again, just in case.

 

-Tie-outs of some description or X-pens if you prefer.

 

- Crate

 

-Lots of poop bags

 

-Some favourite toys

 

-A few extra special treats for when you need to keep them occupied.

 

-Depending on where you go, bottled water and something to put it in.  If your dog will drink from a collapsible water dish, they are great for hiking.

 

On The Trail

 

Selection of your trail is an important consideration when hiking with your dog.  Trails that have rock falls, cliff-side or rock scrambling sections, assisted rope ascents/ descents, creek crossing or wet/swampy sections are not really appropriate to take your dog on.  No matter how wonderful the hike may be, think of your four-legged friend first and select one that they can safely navigate.

 

To leash or not to leash, that is the question.  I have taken my dog for off-leash hikes.  She loved it, me not so much.  I was constantly worried she would chase a squirrel off a cliff, get eaten by a cougar, get lost in the woods, get stomped by a moose, find a bear and then bring the bear back to me and many other things.  Sadly all of the things that I mention are possible and the best way to prevent them?  Keep your dogs leashed.  In addition you may be sharing the trail with people who are not dog lovers and you need to be respectful of that.

 

Trail etiquette.  The obvious one is of course pick up after your dog or remove any droppings to off the trail and bury if possible.  You are not the only one that may be using the trail, if you need to pass or are being passed make sure you dog is being polite.  Jumping up to say "Hi!" may be cute to you, but see above about people who are not dog lovers.

 

Water, water, water.  Unless you would drink the water where you are going, try and not let your dog drink it.  Parasites are no laughing matter and when you are in the wilderness, there are many more than there are in your back yard.  So pack enough to share or bring something to sterilize it with.

 

Which brings me to mosquitoes, black flies, horse flies, etc. take your pick.  Manchesters are not furry and so have no protection against these guys.  There are dog specific repellents out there but they are sometimes hard to find and some of them don't really work.  Yes, I have put DEET repellent on my dog on a horrible mosquito year (the one in Banff!)  It was out of sheer desperation.  When she went outside for a pee she was instantly covered in 300 mosquitoes.  I put the spray on my hands and then wiped her down.  It was the only thing that worked.

 

 

Hopefully you will find some of these tips helpful for any outdoor or wilderness pursuits that you have with your dog (Manchester or not).  We have greatly enjoyed our hiking and camping and with a little planning you can too!

 

Shay and Scott and Lola the Manchester

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Feeding Raw Food to Manchester Terriers

I have been experimenting with feeding raw foods to my two Toy Manchesters and thought I would share some of the information I've learned.

1. Dogs love it. It can take them a little time to get accustomed to manipulating a whole piece of meat and trying to eat it but with a little time the lesson is learned. This is, after all, yummy food!

2. It's not an exact science. The normally accepted ratio of meat/bone/organ meat is 80:10:10. This can vary widely between different dogs. Usually, if a dog is having very loose bowel movements then more bone is needed. If the dog is having very hard movements, the bone quantity should be reduced. The quantity to feed daily which is generally accepted is 2 - 3% of the dog's ideal adult body weight. For example, if your dog weighs 20 lbs and is a little heavy, you may wish to begin at 2% of her body weight (0.4 lb) and reassess her weight in a few weeks. If she's doing well, you can adjust to meet her activity level and body condition.

3. There are many types of "schools of thought" with regards to feeding raw. Some are based on prey models (simulating the consistency and makeup of typical prey animals) and other people feed ground meats with or without ground bone and some even feed vegetables. There are some people who will lightly cook their dog's food before serving, as well.

4. It can be messy. Especially in the beginning, my dogs were pushing their pieces of meat all over the kitchen floor with their noses and sliding around while standing on the pieces while they tried to tear off a piece. So I purchased a used ex-pen off Craigslist and put a gate between the two sides. Now they stay put in their corners and I don't have a lot of mopping to do afterwards.

5. It's not a fast way to feed your dogs. The chewing, ripping and gnawing action the dogs perform takes a bit of time. There is no gobbling if the pieces are large enough. If you have a dog who scarfs their food, it's better to feed a bigger, awkward piece to slow them down. But I have never fed a meal to my dogs that didn't last at least 40 minutes. This extra time is great for digestion since the stomach has lots of time to digest and process the bits as they come down "the pipe". Also, the gastric fluids have time to work on the food and break it down more efficiently.

6. It's better than any toothbrush on the market. The knawing and grinding the dogs do on the bony pieces effectively clean their teeth and the best part is that they did it all by themselves!

7. Raw bones are not as dangerous as cooked ones. Some people shy away from feeding raw because they believe bones can splinter and cause punctures within the intestines. While it's very important to always supervise your dogs while they are eating, raw bones do not splinter or chip off like cooked ones do and are consumed much more easily than you'd expect. I was very careful the first time I fed raw and was pleased to see that the uncooked bones were not difficult on my dog's systems. It's important to remember that weight-bearing bones of animals (leg bones) can be very hard on dog's teeth since they're so dense so it's best to steer clear of those.

8. Raw diets do not cause dogs to become ill. Quite the contrary. Raw diets eliminate all the unwanted processing and fillers so common in dog foods today. As long as the raw meat is human grade and not spiced or enhanced, it is safe to feed. If a wild type of meat is considered (deer, boar, bear, moose, fish) then freezing it solid for two weeks will eliminate any possibility of parasites being transmitted. Spoiled meats are not something you'd want to take chances with, either.

9. Raw diets can offer a lot of variety. If you can imagine it, it can be done. Remembering the 80:10:10 ratio, most of the meat fed will be, well, meat. A small quantity should be bone and organ meats. In the beginning, just use your eye to estimate the amount of meat:bone ratio and leave out the organ meat to give your dog time to acclimate to the change. Add in organ meat when your dog is eating well and eliminating regularly. Many people begin with chicken (fat removed) because it is very accessible and cheap. If your grocery store has a sale on duck, lamb, pork, beef, turkey, fish or mutton then stock up.

10. You need a freezer to efficiently feed raw. A chest freezer (or two) are absolutely necessary to be able to take advantage of sales and bulk purchases. Since I don't have the room for a chest freezer, I only feed raw a few times per week and make my purchases each week on grocery day. If you have multiple dogs to feed, the necessity for a large freezer is obvious.

If you're interested in learning more about raw feeding, here are a few links to get you started.

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:http://www.rawfed.com/

http://www.rawlearning.com/

There are many people on the internet that are happy to share their knowledge of raw feeding. With a little research you can see if this option is right for your dog.

Submitted by: Jennifer Legere