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Doggy Kiddo Safety: Teach Your Kids How to Safely Interact with Dogs and Avoid Bites

2/19/2018

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​We all love adorable instances of doggy baby love: pictures of puppies snuggling babies at nap time, pit bulls standing guard over their little humans, dogs and kids running around outside together – they all warm our hearts.

We want our children and pets to have meaningful, fulfilling relationships, but there are rules involved in establishing and maintaining that sort of bond. Now, we can’t all be experts in animal behavior, and that’s okay. But there are some easy rules for us to follow as adults and that we need to pass on to our kiddos to ensure that all of their current and future animal relationships are safe and happy.
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  1. Don’t leave your dog and your kids alone together. She may be the sweetest dog in the world, and your kids may love her to pieces, but the fact is we all have moments when we’ve had enough, and kids aren’t the best at picking up those signals. If you’re not in the room, you’re not reading the signals either, and that may leave your dog feeling as if she has no choice except to growl, lunge, or, God forbid, bite.
  2. Learn about basic dog body language so you know how your dog is feeling. Again, you don’t have to be the Dog Whisperer, but if your dog is stressed, agitated, or afraid, you should be aware of it. If he’s backing away, licking his lips, or giving you whale eyes, you need to know what he is communicating and when to tell your kids to back off and give him space. (P.S. we’ll have a blog post on this next week, so check back on Monday!)
  3. Make sure your dog has a safe space to retreat to. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but she needs a corner with her bed in it, a crate with an open door, or any place that is a dog-only zone, and your kids need to know that they are not allowed to follow her there. My dog, for instance, has a crate with her favorite blanket inside, and we call it Daisy’s House. We’ve been telling our daughter that it’s Daisy’s House since she was only a couple of months old, and she knows she’s not allowed inside. The rule has to be constantly reinforced, but she knows it’s a rule.
  4. Talk to your kids about what’s nice and what isn’t. If you wouldn’t let them to it to another child, they shouldn’t be doing it to your dog. Don’t let your baby sit on the dog. Don’t let her hit the dog. Don’t let him chase the dog. In the moment it might be cute and funny, but your dog needs you to advocate for him, or he may feel he has no choice but to defend himself.
  5. Teach your kids to watch your dog’s signals. When you learn to recognize your dog’s body language, you should teach your children to do the same. They should know to watch for signs of stress, just the way they do with human playmates. Empathy takes a long time to learn properly, but it’s important to start early!
  6. Dog safety applies to all dogs, not just yours. Make sure your children know not to touch another person’s dog without permission. Kids who love dogs may be tempted to rush any dog they see, but not all dogs are friendly. Some are fearful, some don’t like strangers, and some don’t like children. It needs to be a hard and fast rule that we never touch anyone else’s dog without asking first.
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Can your kids cuddle with the dog, and play with her, and love her? They can, and they should. The relationship between kids and their dogs is a beautiful part of childhood, and nothing makes us happier than seeing a healthy bond between our rescue babies and their forever families. Follow these easy rules and your kids will experience it safely.
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Don't Kill them with Kindness: Treating Emaciation in Dogs while Avoiding Refeeding Syndrome

2/15/2018

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We wish it weren't the case, but emaciation is a problem commonly encountered in rescue. This is a treatable condition, but best practice is often difficult to stomach, even though it's in the dog's best interest. Pictured above is Piper, a recent intake who was emaciated almost to the point of death. 

This was written by our rehab coordinator, Paulina, regarding Piper's treatment:

I have recently been asked about Piper's slow recovery and want to post some information about the process of caring for emaciated dogs and refeeding syndrome...
Why do emaciated dogs take several weeks to gain proper health weight? Why not give them free choice of food?
When dogs that have essentially been starved suddenly have free access to large amounts of food, they can become very sick and even die. This is an especially tough situation because our natural first instinct to seeing an emaciated animal is to give it food … lots and lots of food. In truth, the best thing to do is bring the dog to the veterinarian immediately for an assessment and feeding plan. A refeeding plan can consist of very small amounts (1/3 cup) over several feedings (4-6) depending on the body score and previous access to food. It is ESSENTIAL to prevent Refeeding Syndrome. Don't kill them with kindness!
To read more: 
https://wagwalking.com/…/caring-for-a-malnourished-dog-what…
https://www.sheltermedicine.com/library/resources/…


Refeeding Syndrome, essentially, is when the malnourished dog's system is flooded with nutrients, causing sudden chemical changes in the body. The metabolism kicks into high gear, quickly using up nutrients that are already depleted in the malnourished body. This can make the affected animal very ill and possibly even kill them. ​
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The before and after pictures above accompanied the post. You can see in the upper picture that Piper has regained some weight, but is a long way from her completed recovery. As Paulina says, the best thing to do with any health condition, before anything else, is to take the animal straight to your local veterinarian. Health issues can be more complex than they first appear, the obvious answer may not be the correct one, and it's best to get an expert opinion.
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    Joy Shanahan is a student at Appalachian State University with a passion for community service. She can be found in the dance studios at ASU or researching helpful animal tips for Lee Shore.

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