Your Puppy's Chewing Needs

Soon after you bring you puppy home you’ll realize that she is starting to chew, gnaw, mouth and pull on everything in sight.

Just like human babies, dogs receive two sets of teeth in their lifetime. The 28 baby teeth arrive between 3 and 6 weeks of age. By 4 months of age, these baby teeth begin to loosen in the gums and fall out, making way for the 42 new adult teeth underneath. Once the adult teeth have arrived around 6 months of age, it can take another couple of months before they settle in the jaw and firm up in their new positions. That means that the ravenous chewing period continues even after the adult teeth have arrived.

Puppy proofing your home is the first thing you absolutely must do. It's exactly the same thing as baby proofing but for dogs: removing unsafe things so puppy won't get hurt or into trouble. It helps to get down on your hands and knees and look from her vantage point. What can you see? Some of the most common targets puppies go for are:

• electrical cords and outlets
• pillows, blankets, throw rugs
• houseplants
• hanging curtains and towels, table linens
• cupboards that don't close
• garbage cans
• shoes in closets, slippers
• laundry left outside the hamper

Be prepared to keep your home puppy proofed until your dog is *at least* 8 months old. As she progresses, introduce a few new things slowly back into the household so she can become used to a normal house and its contents. Of course, medications, poisons, cleaners, garbage, houseplants must be out of the dog's reach FOR LIFE. We just cannot risk a curious dog trying an experiment.

Some rooms cannot be adequately puppy proofed so they become out of bounds. Close doors, use baby gates and block off areas that puppy is absolutely not allowed into. Your puppy won't need full run of the house right away because potty training is probably already in progress now. You want to keep an extra careful watch on her now to set her up for success. Keep the pup's environment simple, clean, safe and manageable. The thing your pup wants the most is your attention and guidance, not more space.

So, now that the house is "safe" for puppy, you have to provide her with alternatives to satisfy her chewing needs. Yes, dogs most certainly do have chewing needs (just some more than others). It excercises their jaws, calms them, feels good and can be just plain fun. A dog that has nothing to chew will either chew the wrong thing or chew itself. Give her at least 5 different things to chew. Some safe and guaranteed-to-please toys are:


Kong toys

(stuffed with dog kibble, a dab of peanut butter, frozen baby carrots, frozen peas, etc.) These can be a magical bit of wonder to a curious puppy. The deeper you stuff the goodies, the harder pup has to work to contort her tongue to get it out. Watch the calories, though. Try to stick to low calorie foods (frozen are good for sore gums), the pup's regular food, a couple of treats, and remember you can freeze the toy and offer for a cool treat. Not on carpets, though, for obvious reasons. Wash the toy in hot, soapy water. Supervision isn't necessary while pup is using this toy if the pieces are small and puppy understands the toy's concept.

Frozen Washcloth

A rolled up, soaked and frozen washcloth is a cost-effective thing to help pup get over chewing attacks and sore gums. Supervision is needed as some pups will pull the washcloth apart and eat it. Just watch her and see how it goes. Soak a washcloth in plain water (or add a tablespoon of prepared beef boullion, or a tiny sprinkle of garlic powder, mmmm), lay flat on the counter, roll up lenthwise and freeze for a few hours. Make a bunch all at once so you have a stack of them ready to go. Go to a dollar store, buy a 12 pack of washcloths, soak-em and go. Put in the regular laundry to clean.

Nylabones

Nylabone brand bones are excellent for heavy chewers (not gumabone: they’re too soft). They come in many shapes, sizes and flavours. Pick a few and see which types she likes. Beware not to buy them too small, though. Bigger is better with these as they provide more challenge and effort. Supervision isn't necessary with this toy if the size is appropriate and the dog can't swallow it.

Ice Cubes

An ice cube on a hard floor is fun to run around chasing, licking and biting. Supervise since it might go somewhere awkward or out-of-bounds or someone might slip on the water trail left behind. Dogs usually love ice cubes. Put a few in the water bowl and see what happens.

Puzzle Toys / Treat Dispensing Toys

My favourite is the orange-coloured “Tricky Treats” ball which must be rolled around on the floor so that treats inside fall out a bit at a time. This is a toy that you must teach your dog how to operate. Make a game of it. Sit on the floor with the toy and some really good treats (little pieces at first). Give the pup a few treats from your hand to get her charged up and interested. Then put a treat beside the ball on the floor for the dog to take. Then put a treat on top of the ball so the dog can get it. Do it a few times more to get the dog intereted in the ball. Roll it around for her to show her that it moves and is fun. Put a few very small pieces of treat in the ball and excitely roll it around, until one falls out - then celebrate! Show her how to get it started again if she's unsure. Soon she'll be ignoring you and focusing on the ball. Again, watch the calories with this toy. Only dry food really works in these types of toys as the wet ones stick inside, never fall out and go rotten. Wash the ball, inside and out, with hot soapy water when needed. No supervision is needed with this toy once the dog has the technique learned and has learned NOT to chew the ball apart.

Plush Toys

Plush toys are good but you really need to supervise and monitor their wear as many dogs can plow right through them and rip them to shreds. You might just end up throwing your money away once she gets good at "killing" the softer toys. You can always stitch up small holes that happen but sooner or later a plush toy "bites the dust" and cannot be salvaged. Why not take out plush toys only when you plan on playing interactively with her and put it away when you're done? You'll both get more mileage out of them.

To keep your dog's interest high and to keep your toy budget low, consider rotating your dog's toys on a weekly basis. Pick up all the toys from the floor and only put down, say 5, of your dog's favourites. Choose a rubber one, a plush one, a ball and something interactive or squeaky, for example. Once per week you can rotate the current toys "out of play" and replace them with new ones from your collection. This allows you to clean the toys at intervals and to monitor wear and tear on the toys. Items that are falling apart or nearly chewed-through can be tossed before they become dangerous to your dog.

Toys are critical to a dog's proper development - physically, mentally and socially. Even adult dogs need the enrichment and stimulation that toys provide. They help develop co-ordination, help burn off excess energy, strengthen the jaw, masssage gums and teeth, learn playing rules, feel good in the mouth and are downright fun.

Submitted by: Jennifer Legere

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.

-

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

Historical Notes: Why Weight?

Wondering why Manchesters are weighed and not measured, as most other terriers are? The answer speaks directly to the original development of the breed almost 200 years ago.

Today's use of weight versus height is primarily a reflection of purpose. Interested readers can trace the progressive importance of weight in the CMTC Reading Room as well as through a variety of on-line resources. Very early historical references make no mention of weight and, in fact, very little reference to size at all. As the sport of pit ratting became more popular in the 1830s-1850s and black and tan competitors became more successful, however, weight became a common accompaniment to descriptions.

Breeds that were bred to go to ground were measured for height in order to ensure that they could fit into the den. The Manchester, however, played an active role in the rat pit where the dog's weight was important because it was often tied directly to the competition. In addition to straight matches where dogs were matched against the clock or against a set number of rats, proprietors often had matches where they handicapped dogs according to their weight. Weight handicaps were particularly popular in later years when finding enough rats became difficult.

The basic premise of a weight handicap is that the heavier the dog was, the more rats it had to kill. This make sense, as a 5 pound dog killing 20 rats is a far greater feat than an 18 pound dog doing the same thing. Sometimes the handicap was a rat for every 3 pounds more a dog weighed, sometimes it was a rat for every one pound. The fastest dog killing their alottment was the winner.

According to one description "it was frequent to arrange a handicap where each dog had to kill as many rats as there were pounds in his weight, the dog disposing of his quota the quickest being the winner. For instance, a ten pound dog would only have to kill ten rats while Billy [who weighed 27 pounds] killed 27. This put rather a premium on small dogs and breeds were developed specially for this sport. The little smooth black-and-tan terriers of Manchester and the rough Yorkshire terriers were particularly good for this sport and a friend of mine owns a picture of three famous terriers ranging in weight from 5 ¼ lbs to 7 lbs." (see illustration at right "Three of the Right Sort Ratters, 1851").

Once established, the use of weight continued right through to modern day. Though the desired size range has changed over the years by a few pounds one way or another, the method of determining size has not. As for the current weight limit, I'm still looking but have not yet found the reason 22 pounds was selected. Historic breed standards have varied from a low of 18 pounds to a high of 25 pounds. Efficiency in the rat pit does not appear to be the issue as one of the most celebrated competitors in the history of the sport weighed in at 27 pounds, however anything is possible. Documentation from this era in history is scattered at best, so we'll keep looking and perhaps one day we'll have an answer!

Submitted by: Amanda Kelly

*http://www.staffordmall.com/stoutheart-rats.htm.
Scale illustration from The Complete Toy Manchester Terrier (Dempsey).

CMTC Logo Contest

Are you artistic? Have a great idea for a Manchester logo? We need you!

Members and non-members alike are invited to submit designs or artwork for a logo featuring the breed we all know and love. The designer of the winning entry will not only win bragging rights, they’ll also receive a copy of the 2010 CMTC calendar featuring the new logo and the last copy of the CMTC-commissioned print “Fetch” (shown at right). This 11x14” un-matted print was part of a limited run in 2003 and is hand-signed and numbered by artist Beth Rutherford.

To be eligible, logo designs:

• Must include both varieties of Manchester;
  Should feature a TMT (with naturally upright ears) and an SMT with cropped ears OR a TMT, an SMT with cropped ears and an SMT with button ears;
  
• Can show the dogs’ full bodies OR heads alone;
  
• May be any number of styles, from detailed designs to stylized line art. Hand-drawn artwork is welcome, but remember that the logo must be simple enough to be clear
  when big or small and to economically reproduce in a variety of mediums such as print, embroidery and silkscreen;
  
• Are limited to four (or fewer) colours and should be easily rendered in black and white. If you are working in a medium other than graphic art, consider preparing your design in a black and white version first, scanning it, and then adding colour and/or indicating that colour can be added if requested.
  
• Can include type (in which case it should clearly read Canadian Manchester Terrier Club), though this is not required. You may also consider incorporating a design element indicating this is a Canadian club.
  
• Must be received no later than October 15, 2009.

For information on how to submit your idea, visit http://www.canadamt.com/logo.htm

CMTC Fundraising

Raising funds to accomplish the many aspirations of the CMTC is a vital function, and sometimes a very challenging endeavour. We are a small club, and our annual membership fees just cover our basic costs of running the club.

To maintain our status as a breed club within the CKC, we are required to hold a national specialty a minimum every 2 years. This endeavour can easily cost $2,000+. Our ongoing health studies and the occaisional unfortunate circumstance of rescuing a Manchester in need, also are important uses of club funds. We cannot accomplish our goals without the generous support of our members and others.

While we receive cash donations throughout the year, it is not sufficient. In this section of our blog I would like to keep readers up-to-date on the various fundraising projects in progress. We are always looking for new ideas, and feedback and suggestions are always welcome.

Over the next few months we have a number of worthwhile projects on the go:

Bake Sale - coordinator: Janice Thompson thompsonsmt@eastlink.ca

The Atlantic Region members are planning a Bake Sale on November 13 and 14, 2009 at the Moncton Kennel Club shows and trials in Moncton, New Brunswick. The MKC has donated booth space for the weekend, and CMTC will also provide club literature and breed information. Janice is open to other suggestions for their booth and/or volunteers.

2010 CMTC Calendar - coordinator: Patti Taylor ptaylor1@telus.net

We are again selling our very popular Manchester calendar for the 2010 calendar year. The photos provided by participants are always outstanding and improve in quality and content every year. This year the calendars will be ready for mailing by Dec 1, and we are planning for a new lower price of $19.95 + mailing.

The funding for producing the calendar comes from the sale of each month to feature your Manchester in the calendar. A contribution of $50 features your Manchester exclusively for the month of your choice. You also receive a free calendar. All months have now been sold but you can still showcase your Manchester by purchasing a page without the month attached for $50 which includes a free calendar. We also offer commercial advertising for kennels and businesses at very reasonable rates. You do not have to be a member of CMTC to participate. Email Patti Taylor ptaylor1@telus.net for more info.

2009 CMTC Online Auction - coordinator: Tina Sandford

The club is planning an online auction to be held through the Manchester website. This will be a first for us, but we have high hopes for its success. We will be looking for donated items to list in the auction, so start gathering your wares you wish to list. More details will beprovided at a later date.

I would again like to invite anyone who wants to volunteer or has ideas to open up a dialogue in this blog.

Submitted by Patti Taylor