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House Training Your Dalmatian

When house training your Dalmatian puppy, you will need to take him out frequently and at regular intervals: first thing in the morning directly from the crate, right after meals, after the puppy has been napping, or when you notice that the puppy is looking for a spot. Choose more or less the same place to take the puppy each time in order to establish a pattern. If he does not go immediately, do not return him to the house because he will probably relieve himself the moment he is inside. Stay out with him until he has finished; then be generous with your praise for his good behavior. If you catch the puppy having an accident indoors, grab him firmly and rush him outside, sharply saying “No!” as you pick him up. If you do not see the accident occur, there is little point in doing anything except cleaning it up, because once it has happened and been forgotten, the puppy will most likely not even realize why you are scolding him.

If you live in a big city or are away many hours at a time, having a dog that is trained to go on paper has some very good advantages. In order to do this, proceed the same way as taking the puppy outdoors, except this time you place the puppy on the newspaper at the proper time. The paper should always be kept in the same area. An easy way to paper train a puppy if you have a playpen is to line the area with newspapers; then gradually remove a section of it until you are down to just one or two. The puppy acquires the habit of using the paper; and as the prepared area grows smaller, the dog will usually continue to use whatever paper is still available. It is pleasant, if the dog is alone for a long period of time to be able to feel that if he needs it the paper is there and will be used.

The puppy should form the habit of spending a certain amount of time in his crate, even when you are home. Sometimes the puppy will do this “voluntarily, but if not, he needs to learn to do so, which is done by leading him over by his collar, gently pushing him inside, and saying firmly, “Down” or “Stay.” Whatever expression you use to give a command, stick to the very same one each time for each act. Repetition is very important in training as well as association with what the dog is expected to do. When you mean “Sit” always say exactly that. “Stay” should mean only that the dog should remain where he receives the command. “Down” means something else again.

Do not confuse the dog by shuffling the commands, because this will create training problems for you. As soon as he had his shots, take your puppy with you whenever and wherever you can. Nothing builds a self-confident, stable dog like socialization, and it is very important that you plan and have the time and energy to do this.

Herniated Discs In Dogs

Cushioning the bony vertebrae protecting the spinal cord are discs. When a dog herniates or slips a disc, she has pierced the cartilage surrounding it, allowing the gelatinous
fluid within this cartilage to seep out and put pressure on the spinal cord. The result is an inflammation of the spinal cord that is painful to the dog and hinders her normal movement.

A slipped disc can occur over time or suddenly due to trauma, athletic activity, or everyday exercise. Dogs who have an extended back and short legs, such as the Corgi and the Dachshund, are especially vulnerable to slipped discs due to their elongated spinal column.

Symptoms vary because the rupture can vary in size and location from dog to dog. If the herniated disc is in the back, your dog will arch her back, walk with a clumsy gait that will appear especially exaggerated in the hind legs, and whimper. In certain cases, paralysis of the hind legs may occur. If the herniated disc is in the neck, your dog’s neck will stiffen and she will avoid moving it. She will whimper, especially if you pat her on the neck or head.

Herding Dog Behavior: What Makes Domesticated Dogs “Herd”?

One of the most consistent uses of dogs has been in the management and herding of livestock. Even in countries where dogs are considered unclean or despised for religious reasons, people still recognize that dogs serve an important purpose as shepherds’ assistants. While some dogs, like the puli or komondor, are basically guard dogs who stay with the flock to protect it from predators, the most widespread use of herding dogs is to keep flocks of sheep, geese, or cattle together.

Dogs have inherited their herding ability from wolves that hunt in packs. The coordinated activity of the pack involves keeping a group of potential prey animals together, driving them to a specific location, and then cutting out the single animal that will be the target for the kill.

These hunting behaviors are themselves based on five genetically programmed instructions. The first two have to do with positioning around the designated prey: Number one says that once the quarry is sighted, each wolf will approach the prey to approximately the same distance. Number two says that each wolf will remain equidistant from the hunting mates on its right and left. The implementation of these instructions results in the apparently elegant and complex pattern of encirclement, with the pack forming an almost perfect circle that closes steadily during the hunt.

How does a single sheepdog carry out the genetic instructions intended to guide the movements of an entire pack? From puppyhood on, a sheepdog will stalk and try to herd anything that moves. I have been told of such dogs spontaneously herding not only lambs but also chicks and even children. One person told me that her border collie attempted to herd some insects crawling across her driveway. Another told me that her Shetland sheepdog tried to herd the ripples in a puddle of rainwater.

All such herding represents the attempt to fulfill the first two genetic instructions concerning encirclement during the hunt. The problem for an animal on its own is that it will try to do the work of a dozen wolves, performing the entire pattern as if it were every member of the pack. First it decides on the proper distance that the pack should be from the flock. Next it dashes around to occupy the stations that normally would be filled by its packmates.

As it goes from station to station, playing the role of each of its missing hunting companions in turn, it encircles the flock in a wide casting motion. This curving outrun, with pauses at each outpost where another wolf should be, drives the sheep on the outer fringes to the center of the circle and thus keeps the flock together.