Did you know that the rabies vaccine might do more for your dog's health than just prevent rabies? According to research published in the journal Vaccine, dogs that have gotten a rabies vaccine experience better overall health. Over four years, a study showed that the risk of dying from any cause was lowered between 16% to 56%, depending on the age of the dog. The researchers believe that maybe the vaccine gives a boost to the dog's immune system, making his/her health better overall. That's another reason to be sure your dog is up to date on his/her rabies vaccine.
Tip of the Month
Throughout my dog training career, I've seen a lot of dogs. That is why I know that many dogs are wearing the wrong size collar. Too big or too small, having the wrong size collar on your dog can be dangerous. If the collar is too big, it's easy for the dog to slip out of it, leaving him/her loose without identification. If the collar is too small, it can easily choke the dog, especially if it accidentally gets caught on something. When fitting a collar onto your dog, use the two-finger rule. You should be able to put two fingers between the collar and the dog's neck. If there's more room, the collar is too big. If there's not enough room for two fingers, the collar is too small. Also, you want the collar to be snug enough that it can't pull past the dog's ears. Now that you know, you can go check your dog's collar.
Training Tip of the Month
Most of us that have dogs are familiar with certain signs of stress including panting and the tail being lowered or tucked. However, there are other signs that most people don't realize are stress indicators. Some of these include yawning (an attempt to relieve stress), scratching, sudden dandruff, and spontaneous hair loss. In most cases, just ignoring these symptoms of stress is the best thing you can do. That way if your dog's stress is due to a benign reason (being in a new place, loud noise, etc.), you won't reinforce the stress behavior.
Quote of the Month
"If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky." Proverb