Holistic for Dogs!

Archive for the ‘Socially Responsible Dog Owners’ Category

By now we’ve all heard about the massive oil spill in the gulf of Mexico.  But what can we as pet owners do to help?  Save your clean pet hair clippings and donate them to Matter of Trust!  They create hair and fur mats that can be used to soak up oil from the polluted waters.

Hair is amazing at picking up oil.  It isn’t any skin off of our backs to donate our waste clippings.  It was probably going to go into the trash anyway!   This is the coolest recycle/reuse idea.  The organization is also accepting human hair, wool, and nylons which they use to make mats and buoys.  Almost any natural fiber including horse hair, feathers, or other livestock hairs can be donated too.

How to donate

To begin, visit matteroftrust.org and sign up at excessaccess.org.  By signing up they can send you the address of where your donation is most needed depending on where that oil slick is heading.

If you want to donate please send in relatively clean fur.  It can’t hold much oil if it’s already a greasy, nasty mess already right!   Set up a box lined with a plastic bag to hold clippings.  Any type of hair or fur clipping can be added to the box but Matter of Trust asks that nothing foreign (trash, glass, paper etc) be added to the box.  After it is full, tie up the bag and mail it to the given address.  Be sure to mark the contents of the box.

If you would like to donate nylons, wash them and send them separately.

To get the most bag from your buck, try to hook up with some friends who also have hair or fur to donate.  That way one huge donation can be sent instead of many little ones which is more efficient for processing.  It’ll save you on shipping too.

P.S. Matter of Trust asks that you only send “head” hair if you know what I mean

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The modern lifestyle: fast paced, convenient, stressful, busy.  As our own lives evolve the lives of our dogs change too.  More and more of our families are what we term “modern”.  The stereotypical traditional family is becoming harder and harder to find.  The amount of free time we spend at home is dwindling and the amount of time our dogs spend alone is growing.

With the advent of the modern family our relationship with our dogs is being redefined.  A whole list of new problems is coming to light.  For instance, if everyone is working all day then who will take the dogs out for a lunch time bathroom break?  What legal implications does owning dogs bring?   Where will our dogs spend the majority of their time?   Do we really have to go for a walk?

Our dogs’ role in our families is also changing.  More often than not dogs are viewed as members of the family.  They are not as functional and more ornamental.  They provide us with much needed affection and comfort rather than practical work like herding or guarding.   In popular culture, dogs have been given the status of surrogate children or even accessories.  With this elevated status, what we are willing to give our dogs and the way we allow them to live create new issues that need to be thought over.

This new way of living is really conducive to behavioral problems with dogs.   Dogs left to their own devices can be a disaster waiting to happen.  This combined with our belief that dogs should be allowed in the house as part of the family can be awful.   Bored, under exercised, and unsupervised dogs are household menaces.

If this is the case and there is little chance of going back to a one income family, slow paced, non dog-centric lifestyles we as owners have to work out new ways to easily allow us to coexist with our beloved pets.  In my own meandering way, Holistic for dogs is a site dedicated to not only the improved health and well being of dogs but to the new modern dog lifestyle.  In my own life, I have limited time and resources to dedicate to my dogs and I’ve had to work tirelessly to conquer one problem after another, whether it’s those crappy puppy pads, crazy dogs, or their poor health.  I also hope that I can share all of this with others who may be facing similar problems.

Small dogs are notoriously difficult to housebreak compared to larger dogs.  Puppies and small dogs have smaller bladders than big dogs and can’t hold it as long.  While some dogs go only 3 times a day, I can’t imagine that it is good for the dogs’ urinary track/kidney health or the carpet.  I strongly recommend teaching dogs to use the toilet out doors rather than on puppy pads unless there are compelling reasons not to.  The grass would be the best solution but if not grass,  some type of doggy toilet would then be needed if an owner works a full day and can’t take the dog out to the bathroom.

I will admit that I used puppy pads for my dogs as puppies and also still use them when I know I will be gone all day.  Puppy pads are basically baby diapers.  They hold poop and pee and are not biodegradable just like diapers.  Not good for the environment at all!  Even if there were biodegradable puppy pads, they wouldn’t degrade in the landfill where they would end up.  Just like diapers, there is a large market for various products that provide convenient toilet options, while also being good for the environment.

Washable puppy pads

Similar to cloth diapers, dogs with toilet needs could be taught to use washable, cloth, puppy pads.  These are also called or considered whelping pads.  Usually they consist of a top cloth, an absorbent layer and a leakproof plastic layer.   Washable pads are less expensive than a box of puppy pads and can easily be washed instead of thrown away.  I’m sure many people will wonder if these are any more eco-friendly than disposable (just like the cloth v. disposable diaper debate) but this is a viable option for those with landfill guilt.

I bet my dog would want to sleep on it though.

If you are interested in washable puppy pads check out our store here!

Commercial dog toilets

I bought a Ugodog for my dogs a while ago but to be honest, I could never convince my dogs to use it.  The Ugodog is a plastic tray covered by grating that allows for clean dog feet and collection of urine in the tray below.  I wish I had known about this product when my dogs were small as retraining now is more time consuming than I care for.  I would recommend this product to anyone who has a new puppy as it contains nasties and can be used with or without paper in the tray.   It is also large enough that a larger dog/puppy could use it if needed.

There are also numerous dog toilets sold online and on tv that have artificial grass.

The only downside to these products in my opinion is that in terms of cleaning, they are no more pleasant that picking up used puppy pads.  Some of them have trays that need to be emptied (possible spillage?)  or have actual puppy pads/newspaper in them!  In some of the deeper boxes, maybe cat litter (non-clumping/not clay)  could be more convenient to remove dog messes.

Litter box train your dog

For some reason Emmala always wants to EAT litter not poop in it so I don’t feel like this is a viable option for my pups.  Eating clumping litter is a real danger to a dog so don’t use it if you are going to litter box train your dog.  Of all of the above options this is my favorite.

There are several biodegradable litters that could be used for a dog.  Feline pine is made of.. pine.  Clumping litters could cause obstructions so I wouldn’t recommend them.  There are also actual litters designed for dogs available for purchase along with specially designed dog trays.

My ultimate goal was always to litter train my dogs and buy a cat genie!!!!  But alas..

Always observe the dog carefully if using litter as it may be considered tasty not appealing for pooping.

Actual toilets

The human toilet may be an option for the novelty dog trainer.  Just like cats a few special dogs have managed to learn to go in the human toilet.  I don’t know if they flush too but it’s a start!

For those who are the most handy, or dedicated to dog toilet.  You could actually make and install a urinal type dog toilet or buy a “pet potty”.  As I can’t brandish my drill and hammer with any skill, I don’t have a dog toilet.  :(  It would be really cool though!

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Tip 1 Grow some Fruits and Vegetables

If you have a small garden, growing some fruits and vegetables can be a rewarding and frugal experience.   I’m sure doggy would enjoy some time in the fresh air and sunshine!  Some easy veggies for the novice gardener include tomatoes, beans, celery, eggplant.  If you are already an ace gardener then maybe you could leave us tips on other easy plants to grow. (squash? cucumber)

Tomatoes and beans will need some trellis to wind up on.  A quick trip to the garden or hardware store will be in order.

Eggplants are fairly hardy plants that sprout up with little assistance here in Hawaii.  There are several varieties of eggplant avaliable to grow.  I really like the thai eggplant.  It is long and slender and one eggplant would be the perfect size fruit for a doggy meal.  Not to mention I could make a little Green Thai Chicken Curry for myself.

When I was a little girl, we once tried to grow potatoes.  It worked and a tree grew in the pot we planted in but when we dug up the roots the potatoes were… small.  I’m not sure if our failure was due to our climate, the pot, or that we were not patient enough but I am certain that it wasn’t so hard.  Cut a potato in half and bury it preferably in a really big pot.  A plant should soon sprout.

Technorati Tags: budget, cheap eats, eggplants, gardening, home cooking, tomatoes, veggies

Dogs of any decent can be great pets granted that they are raised properly and trained.  There are advantages to both.  Pure bred dogs have been selectively bred over many years to achieve the look and temperament of the dog.  Mixed dogs may be perceived as being more healthy than pure bred dogs.  With the vast majority of dogs being of mixed heritage, there are more mixed breeds that need rescue.

Pure bred dogs have been designed over many generations to have a distinctive look and personality.  They have been purposely selected to do certain jobs ranging from herding to warming the laps of royalty.  In some dogs, it is inevitable that the traits bred into them will emerge even if they are not in, say, a herding environment.  The advantage to all of this selective breeding and the homogeneity of pure bred dogs is that a potential owner will have some idea what to expect.

When dogs are cross bred between different breeds this advantage is immediately lost.  The dogs do not necessarily inherit both of the good aspects of its parents.  One possible example is the American Mastiff.  From what I understand, the American mastiff is a cross between a traditional English Mastiff, known for its size and amazing drooling ability and the Anatolian shepherd, a dog prized for its guardian instinct and lack of drooling skills.  The hope of this combination is to create a dog that is large like an English Mastiff but without the loose lips that contribute to the excessive slobbering.  Anatolian shepherds are fairly primitive dogs that are used for guarding flocks in central asia.  They are smart and think for themselves. They also are known for their aloofness and caution of strangers.  This wariness of humans combined with the massive size of the English mastiff (up to 200 lbs) could be a disaster waiting to happen.  While some puppies in a litter may have the combination of desired traits, not all will and some may be combinations that are particularly unwanted.

Buying mixed breed dogs is a waste of money.  People who sell dogs as “designer puppies” are full of crap basically.  In the end, the puppy is a mixed breed that should not command the full price of a registered pure bred.  I’ve seen these dogs advertised as “rare” and sold for $2000, more than even the majority of pure bred dogs.   Often the people who sell their dogs as mixed breeds are selling irresponsibly small dogs (under 2 lbs).  Commonly, a chihuahua is crossed with a non-shedding breed of dog to produce an uncommonly small, non-shedding dog.  That doesn’t mean the dog will be hypoallergenic OR small.  With such a high demand these dogs will continue to be produced and people will continue to be take advantage of.

Buying mixed bred dogs from people who were too lazy to get their dogs fixed encourages the continuation of the breeder’s irresponsible behavior.  They are known as back yard breeders.  This isn’t to say that all pure bred dog breeders are responsible.  The vast majority of dog breeders breed dogs for the wrong reason.  The ONLY reason to breed dogs if for the betterment of the breed.  For this reason, finding a reputable breeder is incredibly important.  Examples of bad reasons: money, “I want my children to see the miracle of birth”, by accident, I think my dog is awesome.  And seriously people do actually use that last reason.

Many pure bred dogs do have health problems.  This might be a reason for some people to prefer a dog of mixed heredity.  The gene pool of pure bred dogs is understandably narrow. Maybe only one puppy per litter was utilized in a breeding program or one champion stud was used multiple times to sire puppies.  This leads to a concentration of unwanted genetic problems in certain breeds of dogs without proper testing.  Under the argument of hybrid vigor, a mixed bred dog will be stronger than its pure bred counter part if it is truly a distant genetic mixing.  However, any dog that has a smashed (brachycephalic) face will have some level of breathing issues even if it is a mixed breed.  Any large, deep chested dog could suffer from bloat.  Many health problems can be traced to the actual anatomy of the dog regardless of its heritage.

If one decides to adopt a mixed breed dog, the most responsible course of action is to adopt a dog from the local pound.  These dogs need homes and exemplify the problem of over breeding dogs and the over population that results.  Besides, the dogs there may have been the dog that that breeder was trying to sell you for 400 dollars!

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