Feliway Comfort Zone and DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone)

This post was intended to be a simple link to an article written by Nicole Wilde, CPDT, about a wonderful product called DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone). I first came across Nicole Wilde's work in my search for more information about fearful dogs. Indeed, she has two wonderfully informative online radio interviews about fear and aggression in dogs. (You can find a link to the aggression interview on our facebook page.)

In my attempt to write a brief introduction, however, I delved into my own positive experiences with a related product: Feliway Comfort Zone for Cats:

I have seen great results with Feliway Comfort Zone, the cat's equivalent of DAP. The Feliway Comfort Zone diffuser is usually marketed as a product that helps with cats who spray and/or do not use their litterboxes, however I have seen great results with various stress-related issues. While I'm on the subject, here's a review of Feliway Comfort Zone by the About.com Cats guide.

And finally, here is the article "What is DAP and How Can it Help Dogs?" by Nicole Wilde about DAP, the Dog Appeasing Pheromone.

Enjoy!

Also, if you've had any experiences with either DAP or Feliway, please feel free to add them to the comments section.

Clicker Training

I never gave clicker training too much thought, despite all the good things I'd heard about it. I recall thinking "Why would I buy and carry around a clicker when I can just use my voice and/or treats?"

However, as I become more and more interested in the world of positive dog training, I've gained a newfound respect for Karen Pryor, and consequently clicker training. Karen Pryor, one of the founders of clicker training, outlines 15 tips for getting started with the clicker on her website. She also answers my question: "Why can't I just use my voice?" You can read her response by following the link, but the gist of it is that the click offers a unique sound that your pet hears only as a reward marker, whereas your voice can signify very many different things.

You can pick up a clicker at virtually any pet store in town. Karen Pryor's website even offers a clicker leash, to free up your hands while you're working on loose leash walking.

What Really Prompts The Dog's 'Guilty Look'

ScienceDaily (2009-06-14) -- What dog owner has not come home to a broken vase or other valuable items and a guilty-looking dog slouching around the house? By ingeniously setting up conditions where the owner was misinformed as to whether their dog had really committed an offense, researchers uncovered the origins of the "guilty look" in dogs.

Here's the original article from Science Daily.

Counter-Surfing Cats

The About.com Cats page always has lots of good information on cat nutrition, behavior, litter recommendations, etc.

Check out this recent post on Counter-Surfing Cats: How to Keep Counters Clean and Cats Safe.

Dogs and Thunderstorms: Part 3 of 3

Reinforcing Fear II, Thunder Phobia III

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From Patricia McConnell, a certified applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer.

Dogs and Thunderstorms: Part 2 of 3

Thunder Phobia in Dogs

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From Patricia McConnell, a certified applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer.

Dogs and Thunderstorms: Part 1 of 3

You Can’t Reinforce Fear; Dogs and Thunderstorms

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From Patricia McConnell, a certified applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer

Pick of the Month-July 2009

This month's top pick for pets: Green Earth Pet Food.

I'm a big fan of raw food for pets. I feed my dog prey model raw food (80% raw meat, 10% raw bone and 10%organ) and I make raw food for my cat, following and modifying various recipes. Sometimes, though, I get lazy and I don't want to deal with grinding up eggshell powder for calcium or poking holes in dozens of Fish Oil capsules. Or I simply don't want to be messing with raw meat first thing when I wake up in the morning. For moments like this, I generally keep a three pound bag of commercial raw medallions in the freezer. I used to buy Nature's Variety, which is a premium food that I still recommend, but it is by no means a local product and the organic option is a bit pricey. Plus, I have to drive to either South Asheville (Pet Supplies Plus) or North Asheville (Asheville Pet Supply) to get it.

So, imagine my delight when fellow pet sitter Jane Mitchell mentioned a local, organic raw pet food she had read about and then found at Greenlife. The product I am referring to is Green Earth Pet Food. It is a local, human-grade raw pet food that is slightly more affordable than the Nature's Variety I'd been buying. The Green Earth Pet Food comes in 2 ounce patties: the exact amount of food my cat needs per meal. (I feed him 2 ounces of raw food, twice a day.)
Not only is Green Earth Pet Food human-grade, it is made with ethically sourced ingredients: it contains cage-free chicken, organic vegetables, and free-range eggs. And it's made in Candler, of all places! Who could ask for anything more?

If you're interested in trying a raw diet for your pets, but you're nervous about preparing the food yourself, Green Earth Pet Food would be a great way to transition!

Green Earth Pet Food is available at Greenlife, EarthFare in West Asheville, and Pet Harmony in South Asheville. Hopefully, it will be available at the South Asheville Earth Fare this summer.