The Canine Care Glossary
Learn more about Parallel Walking
Some dogs get overly excited when they see another dog. We use Parallel Walking to come together. A Parallel Walk isn’t a Social Walk. A Parallel Walk is what we do to come together for a Social Walk.
A Parallel Walk allows dogs the opportunity to get to know each other, to learn about each other, one dog at a time. A Parallel Walk is one dog and another dog; not more than two dogs total. One person with each dog, maybe another person splitting (sideways) in between. The space needs to be large enough, so there’s enough distance, and the environment not too stressful.
The operative words for Parallel Walking are: Parallel (side-by-side) and Walking (the dog’s not jogging or running).
Another key ingredient is a good harness and a ten foot leash. Less than a ten leash is too short. Other key ingredients include: no training, no commands, no treats, no toys; be quiet, let them sniff, let them look, let them learn.
Parallel Walks last just a few minutes, enough time for dogs to get to know each other from a distance. One of the most common mistakes is going too long. We either come together for a Social Walk, or we don’t. If not, it’s another day. It might take a few Parallel Walks, a few days, before coming together for a Social Walk. How many Parallel Walks depends on the dog and the day. Some days are too stressful, so we try again another day.
Learn more about a good harness
Why a Good Harness
- Up to 80 percent of Behavior Issues stem from Pain (Dr Daniel Mills et al)
- The throat is composed of many delicate structures such as the: larynx, pharynx, trachea, esophagus, lymph nodes, and thyroid glands
- The combination of Compression, Bending, and Twisting can cause neck and back pain; Compression happens when there’s pulling, when the body Bends around and gets Twisted up, there’s: Compression, Bending, and Twisting
- Using a good harness makes it less likely for your dog to associate pain with dogs, people, etc
- Use what’s going to be the least painful, use a good harness every time you walk your dog
What makes a Good Harness
- The leash clips on the back (not the front/chest – that causes Bending and Twisting)
- The neck strap rests low, at the Sternum (not up in the throat)
- The Girth Strap goes around the girth, the widest part of the Ribs (not around the shoulder/blades)
How to Size
- The girth strap should go around the girth. Not through the leg pits, not around the shoulder/blades. It should go further back, around the widest part of the rib cage
- One of the most common mistakes is the girth strap is too tight; the dog should be able to take a deep breath without squeezing
- Your flat fingers should fit in between the strap and your dog’s body
- It’s normal for the harness to slide a little side-to-side, and to slip forward when they lower their head to the ground
Putting on
- No treats
- Keep from leaning over, chasing after, yelling at
- Be quiet
- Go slow
- Dogs sometimes have a headache, toothache, jaw/mouth pain, and/or sensitive ears; be gentle
- Hold the neck strap open and down low for the dog to be able to see
- Gently lift the harness up and feed it around their nose, head, ears, and neck
- Do where your dog has good traction, not on a slippery floor
Where you can get a Good Harness
The Collarless Dog
Graceful Hearts Holistic Pet Care Shen Grace
Haqihana Overseas Distributor
828-545-2948
gracefulhearts2012@gmail.com
Learn more about Enrichment
Why Enrichment
- Conducive for Physical, Mental, and Emotional well being
- Fosters curiosity and exploration
- Confidence booster
- Fear reducer
- Facilitates fascial repatterning (Juia Robertson, Galen Myotherapy). Fascia is the connective tissue which surrounds everything in the body; it’s the body’s foundation, supporting and connecting various structures such as: organs, ligaments, tendons, joints, muscles, and the skeleton. Fascia has an impact on posture and proprioception (spatial awareness)
- The behavioral attributes of Enrichment are astronomical
- Behavior is impacted by Physical, Mental, and Emotional well being
- Up to 80% of behavior issues are rooted in pain (Dr Daniel Mills et al 2020)
- The part of a dog’s brain for olfactory, sense of smell, is around nine times larger than a human’s, relatively speaking; it’s good mental exercise
- When dogs sniff, their heart rate goes down (Cristina & Aurélien Budzinski)
How to Enrich
- Let dogs sniff, let them look, let them listen
- Be quiet; no treats, no distractions, no commands, no training
- Let their brain have time to process their senses
- Let them experience something new
- For there to be enrichment, the environment needs to be conducive
- If the dog is too stressed, it’s not enriching
- Enrichment can be Natural or Artificial
- Natural enrichment happens on a nice walk (operative word: nice)
- Artificial is when we set something up for the dog
Natural enrichment can happen out on a nice walk. When the environment is too overwhelming for natural enrichment, we can set up objects in a private space for artificial enrichment.
No treats to get a dog to do things, no commands, no baby talking. Be quiet. No stuffing treats into things to get a dog to be curious, just let the dog be curious. It’s ok to let a dog have treats, let them experience different tastes and smells, it’s just not to use treats to get them to experience anything other than the treat. Don’t use food to get a dog to do something. It’s not about getting a dog to do something. Offering a dog a wide variety of fresh foods, that’s enriching. They experience different tastes, something new. Using food to get a dog to lick a mat isn’t enriching, letting a dog have different kinds of fresh foods is.
A dog shouldn’t be hungry. Life isn’t enriching when one is hungry. Let them eat a good meal of fresh food so that there can be enrichment.
Be quiet. No treats. No distractions. No ball throwing. Let them look. Let them sniff. Let them learn.
A dog should be free to choose. It’s a sensory experience. Afford the opportunity for a dog to experience things, if the dog so desires. Be quiet. No commanding, no training.
The quality of an enriched life depends on the quality of food, water, sleep, toilet, and social. Food should be fresh and varied, water should be potable and accessible, toilet when needed, enough good sleep, and social: a person who takes care of the dog; and that the dog has some good friends.
Enrichment isn’t about games or tricks or licky mats, it’s not about wobbly treat-dispensing toys, puzzlers, licking a mat, snuffling around in a mat, not about throwing balls or sticks, or squeaking squeakies. Enrichment is not influenced by anything anyone does or doesn’t do, aside from providing a safe space for the dog to be comfortable.
Fostering an environment that allows sensory exploration provides a dog an experience that nurtures their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
People often think of enrichment as enrolling a dog in an agility or training course, or running a dog, throwing balls or sticks. Fast movements are often overvalued while slow movements are undervalued. Things like going for a nice slow walk. As with low impact yoga, tai chi, and pilates for humans: it’s slow movements. Slow movements, stretching, and breathing are often undervalued. We don’t need to take dogs to yoga class. A nice slow walk will do. Many people have a tendency to continuously walk. The walk should be a free walk, not forced. Dogs want to stop and smell the roses, their person keeps walking. People have to be quiet and to be still. No luring or commanding, no treats or baby talking to get a dog to walk, and no training. A nice walk should be easy and peaceful, and should be enriching. If it’s not, find somewhere that is peaceful and enriching.
If the environment is too stressful, find a less stressful environment. Bring objects into a space where the dog can comfortably explore. Providing a safe space for the dog to be comfortable includes good traction, not on a slippery floor.
Be quiet and let them look, sniff, learn about things on their own, at their own pace, without distractions, in a comfortable environment. Enrichment happens when a person returns home and sits on the sofa and the dog sniffs where they’ve been. Be quiet, be still, and let enrichment.
Doggie Daycare: Too Many Dogs
The problem with Doggie Daycare is: it’s too many dogs. It leads to a greater likelihood for:
- Illness
- Injury
- Being bullied
- Becoming a bully
- Excessive barking
- Jumping up
- Pulling on leash
There’s a point at which there’s too many dogs. Many Doggie Daycares consider 20 dogs “low volume;” 20 dogs is too many dogs. When there’s 20 dogs or more, there’s/often
- Unfamiliar dogs
- Too much activity & not enough sleep. Adult dogs usually sleep around twelve hours a day, while younger dogs sleep even more. However, dogs at Doggie Daycare may not get enough sleep due to excessive activity and stimulation.
- Too much noise
- Habits such as body slamming into other dogs or excessive barking
- Too much stress
- Illnesses
- Injuries
- Isolation. When not with too many dogs, left alone in a small room, kennel, or crate for example
- Aggression/biting
- Lack of Enrichment. Dogs typically don’t go off property and if there’s a walk it’s typically around the Doggie Daycare and never somewhere new.
Day care also often leads to bad socialization and learned bad habits. Daycare is incredibly stress inducing, not stress relieving; is overstimulating, not calming, and not peaceful for the dog.
Other options you should consider are:
- An in-home dog sitter
- A dog walker (let your dog enjoy the comforts of home before and after a walk)
- A low volume, not more than 5 dogs, daycare facility
Learn more about Social Dog Walks
A social walk is a dog walking with another dog. The walks are peaceful and for dogs who are up for a walk. The general rule for how much is the right amount of walking for a dog, six months or older, is two thirty minute walks per day. It’s ok to take a day off, once-in-a-while. Zero walks isn’t enough and more than two thirty minute walks is too much. Save one of the walks for us. We can do one or both of those daily walks, and with another dog. If you do the two walks per day, our walks are less about walking and more about social and enrichment.