Taking Control Of Your Dog’s Safety

00:00 — Kati introduces the episode and asks listeners to subscribe.

Speaker 1: Welcome to Off Leash and Unfiltered Trigger Warning. I'm Kati Peppe, delivering the Truth in Dog Training.

Speaker 2: Hey everybody, this is your host, Kati Peppe. Before we jump in, I just wanted to take a quick second and remind you to hit the subscribe button because that helps us so, so, so much. We appreciate every subscribe and follow, and we have so much valuable information we wanna share with you. So we don't want you to miss an episode. Without further ado, let's jump in. Hey everybody, thanks for joining me today for another episode of the Off Leash and Unfiltered podcast. Been on vacation, um, been all over the place. Been to New Hampshire, been to the North woods, and it's been total chaos, but it's been an amazing, amazing time.

Speaker 2: Uh, really needed it to recharge, um, and I think it worked <laugh>. So, um, we have a few dogs coming in this week. Um, Cora just came back today. She did her puppy program here.

Speaker 2: Now she's back for her big girl training already. Uh, seemed to go by so fast, but she's six months now and she's still super petite and cute and wicked sweet. So, um, a really, really enjoyable dog to work with. Um, and she's going to be a rock star. And then in a few days we have, uh, Kimber coming in, who I believe is a Malis mix, and I think she's gonna be a lot of fun to work with, and I'm hoping to actually, um, get a lot of footage working with her and maybe turn that into a behavioral course, which would be great.

Speaker 2: Um, and then in about a week we have Birdie coming in who also did puppy training here. Um, and she's a really fun dog to work with. Really, really intense. Uh, Brittany, I believe she's a Brittany, um, a bird dog, and she, she's a lot, but she's super sweet too.

Speaker 2: And she'll be, she'll be fun to work with if she comes back for her big girl training, which she's scheduled, so I'm sure she will. Um, and they have, they have two dogs, birdie and Tubs, and they both did their puppy training here. Um, birdie's coming back and then tubs may or may not follow, uh, afterwards. So we're excited for that. That's what's happening. Um, we've also had some unfortunate things happen. I say we, it's not really we, but it's not that often that we lose a dog or that a dog passes away that we're close with.

Speaker 2: Um, but we did have a customer lose one of their dogs, uh, right before I went on vacation. And, um, the only reason he wasn't with me when it happened is because I was going on vacation. Um, and so, uh, really, really heartbreaking. I don't think he was that old.

03:00 — A dog’s death while Kati was away prompts her discussion of controllable safety risks.

Speaker 2: I'm not gonna use his name or anything, just, you know, for the sake of privacy. But, um, the, you know, the unfortunate thing about it is this was the type of thing where there was, there was nothing anybody could do. There was no sign, there was no way to predict that this was going to happen. Um, it was just an internal health issue. Um, and everything just came to a head, unfortunately while his owners were away and he was boarding elsewhere. Um, just really, really awful, awful situation. Really sad. And we're gonna miss him because he was a frequent flyer here.

Speaker 2: He was here a lot. Um, but anyway, it kind of inspired me. And again, there was nothing that could have been done to avoid this situation with this dog. Um, but it got me thinking about, um, some of the other dogs we've had that had medical issues, um, or just accidents out in the wild <laugh>, um, and some of my own dogs that I own previously.

Speaker 2: And it got me thinking a lot about health and about about safety and all the things we can control, right? Because sometimes there's gonna be stuff that you just can't, you can't predict, you can't avoid it, you can't prevent it, it just is right? There are things that are out of your control like this case, but there are so many things that are not out of our control. So I thought it would be great to just do an episode where we're just talking about all those potential pitfalls and things that can sneak up on us and get us by surprise.

Speaker 2: Um, but there are actually things we can do, um, to try to affect that and avoid that and make everybody as safe and healthy as possible. So let's dig in. Um, well I think the first one that we have to talk about is training in general, right? So guys, the safest dogs are the well-trained dogs. So we can talk about behavior this and training that and everything under the sun. But at the end of the day, one thing that is just true and absolutely unequivocally, the most important thing is that your dog listens to you.

Speaker 2: And that's what we do. That's what training is, guys. It's not teaching your dog how to do things. It's not just teaching your dog how to do things, it's teaching them to do it, right? You listen to me. And that isn't to be mean. It's so that we can live a full enjoyable life that is safer. All of those things, right? We can have inclusion, we can have fun, we can have freedom, and we can do it more safely. 'cause your dog listens. If your dog doesn't listen to you, then you are in the high risk category all the time.

Speaker 2: Every time you go out with your dog or every time someone comes in or any scenario you can dream up, your risk is going to be much, much higher than somebody who has a dog that listens. And when I say listens, I don't mean that they know how to sit and they'll do it when you have a treat. I don't mean that they can give you their paw when you're sitting in the living room. That's not what I mean. I mean, you can take your dog outside, they can see distractions, people can walk by all these things and you can call your dog and they will come back.

Speaker 2: That's a dog that listens. So don't get it twisted, right? Because what I hear over and over and over again is, well, my dog is really good, except she'll listen until he actually listens pretty good.

07:00 — A dog that listens only when conditions are easy is not genuinely trained.

Speaker 2: Except when, until he sees unless their's. Those are not trained dogs. Those are not dogs that listen, your bar is too low, right? And the problem with that is you are in the high risk category for an incident, right? And not everybody wants to do all this training, and that's fine. I'm not passing judgment on those folks. I'm just saying your risk is much higher. And that also might mean that your dog is gonna bother or approach other people, other dogs. And that's really not okay. So your dog really shouldn't be off leash. If your dog's in that category of I don't listen, or I only listen when it's easy, right?

Speaker 2: To me, if your dog only listens when it is easy, then that goes in the category of does not listen. Right? Because there shouldn't be conditions.

Speaker 2: Either your dog listens all the time or they don't listen, there's no middle ground. Now, of course, nobody's dog is gonna listen a hundred percent of the time, right? And that's why there should be any color on them, at least when you're out in the wild. So that in the off chance your dog decides to take a different route, to push a boundary, to try something different, makes a mistake, encounters something brandy new, whatever it is, you have a way to override that. And that's why we love, love the eco. But having a dog that listens to you guys is going to put you just miles, light years ahead of everybody else in terms of safety.

Speaker 2: So that's like the biggest, most obvious thing you can do if you haven't done it. Okay? But aside from that, let's talk about some of the simpler, um, logistics of like having a dog and the things that can cause a problem. So one of the most obvious to me is feeding protocols.

Speaker 2: Um, and everyone wants to think, no, no, no. My dog would never bite. My dog would never growl. My dog would never guard, okay, it's a dog. They might, right? Especially if something changes. There's someone new around, there's a different dog around. They get approached, you get a new cat, who knows, right? The best thing to do is just feed your dog in their kennel. You guys, this one is so easy. Like, it's so easy. And it also, it's just, it becomes another benefit to being in the crate, right? This is where I get my food.

10:00 — Kati presents crate comfort as another practical benefit of crate training.

Speaker 2: I like it in here. It's just another like, positive trait to being in the crate. Like, what could go wrong there? Right? What do you have to lose? It's fantastic. And your dog, it's not just to protect people from your dog, it also protects your dog from other people and animals, right?

Speaker 2: They get their own space, they're left alone, they get to enjoy their meal. There's no tension. There's no one getting in the way, there's no conversations happening. They just get to eat. And everyone else is 110% safe. 'cause your dog's in the kennel, right? It's just feed your dog in the crate. It's so easy and it can make things so much safer. Even if you have a dog, it's never had a guarding issue, I highly, highly recommend just feeding them in the kennel. I love it, especially in a multi dog household, okay? Uh, daycare and dog parks too.

Speaker 2: So you're just kind of opening yourself up to all kinds of potential hoop blah. If you go to daycares and dog parks, and I understand sometimes people don't have a choice, and like the dog's gotta go to daycare. And if you're in that boat, then you're in that boat.

Speaker 2: Of course, there are some other options nowadays for most people. There's rover, there are third party apps. You can get someone to come, you know, walk your dog or sit your dog. And, um, that may or may not be the right choice for some folks, but if you can avoid it, avoid daycares, avoid dog parks. Why? Because they're full of other dogs <laugh>, they're full of other dogs, they're full of other people. Um, and you don't know those people. You don't know what those people know. You don't know what their skills are. You don't know what their abilities are.

Speaker 2: You don't, you don't really know much. Even if you think you do when you're not there, you don't really know what's happening. So you don't know what your dog is seeing. You don't know how they're being treated. You don't know how they're behaving. You don't know what they're getting away with.

Speaker 2: You don't know if they're being bullied by the other dogs. You just don't know. And some of these places have a very low, um, supervisor to dog ratio, and it can really be a mess if you get one dog just having a bad day, having an attitude problem, it can really turn into a mess. Um, and then there's all the disease and the sickness and, um, you almost can never send your dog to one of these places without them coming back with kennel cough. Um, and kennel cough is very common, and it's not usually a problem, but it's a huge pain in the ass.

Speaker 2: Um, especially for me. Like if your dog comes here and they have kennel cough, and then I'm trying to get rid of it for months, right? Because it just lives on everything. I hate it. Um, and it's not a big deal, but sometimes if you get an, an older dog, a geriatric dog or a dog that has health issues is unwell, it can be a big deal.

Speaker 2: Um, so I don't like it and I don't like taking dogs that have been going to daycare. Um, but we really don't recommend it because you're just, again, you're opening yourself up to unnecessary potential pitfalls when it comes to not just behavior and training, but also physically, right? Lots of pathogens, dog fights, bullying, all that stuff. So we don't like daycare, we don't like dog parks. We don't recommend them. Um, unless for some reason you feel it's your only option. Um, meeting with strangers is another one kind of ties in to the last one. There's just no benefit to it.

Speaker 2: It's like, I'm not asking you to be paranoid. I'm not asking you to label your dog as dangerous, but even if you have a really good dog that seems to be social, there just isn't a benefit to having a pet fest with a stranger.

Speaker 2: There's just, there's no real good that comes out of it, except that maybe you get to have the warm fuzzies for some reason. And I understand that totally. Um, it is nice to see our dog meeting someone new and being well behaved and enjoying the affection and affection, I understand, but it's not without risk. No matter how good your dog is, it's not without risk. And especially if your dog is just coming into maturity and they're between say, 10 and 18 months of age, that's when you're the most likely to see your dog do things that they haven't done before.

14:00 — Allowing unfamiliar people to pet dogs carries risks, especially during maturity between 10 and…

Speaker 2: And we hear this all the time, it gets sold <laugh>, right? Because it's like, we can talk about this stuff until we're blue in the face. But the fact is nobody wants to hear it. Everybody like, because everyone thinks that if they don't let their dog say hi to people, that means their dog is nasty, that they're labeling their dog as bad, right?

Speaker 2: Which we've talked about this. There is no bad, right? There's no good or bad, they're just dogs. Um, and we respect them and honor them as being dogs, um, who are autonomous and make decisions and are wired to bite and they have teeth. And you just never know what's gonna happen. Um, but one story that we just hear all the time is, you know, my dog is a happy, friendly, goofy social dog. Um, and then one time I let somebody pet him and he snapped all of a sudden out of the blue, it's like, well, no, probably your dog didn't really love meeting people, right?

Speaker 2: But the thing is, until your dog fucking bites somebody, you think they love meeting people because you're not a goddamn dog whisperer, <laugh>, okay? So you're not noticing all the subtle signs. Like here's, here's one.

Speaker 2: You walk into a place with other people around indoor, outdoor, whatever, and if the people are not immediately paying attention to your dog, like talking to them, looking at them, trying to touch them, your dog ignores them. Your dog isn't that interested in them. Your dog would rather sniff around or check other stuff out. That to me is enough of a sign that your dog doesn't want to interact with those people. I'm not saying your dog is bad. I'm not saying your dog is aggressive. I'm not even saying your dog will bite. I'm not saying that at all, right?

Speaker 2: But that is a dog saying, I don't know you. I don't wanna know you. I don't care, right? And so now when we say, sure, you can pat my dog, right? Maybe they'll be okay with it. Maybe they'll love it or maybe they'll tolerate it, right?

Speaker 2: And I think the most dangerous scenario is when the dog just kind of tolerates it. Like they kind of seem okay with it, right? But what happens is as they mature, things change, and then one day they decide they're not gonna tolerate it anymore. And so in that case, it wasn't that your dog suddenly snapped, it was that they just don't like strangers. And the truth is they never did. They never did, right? We just pinned that on them. 'cause in our brain, we only have two categories, right? Good dog, bad dog. And we can't put our dog in the bad dog category.

Speaker 2: So our dog loves people, okay?

Speaker 2: I'm getting carried away on this one line. But <laugh> strangers, yeah, I have no need for strangers to pet my dog. Occasionally I'll let a stranger pet my, my pug, but they're not really a stranger. Um, they're like friends of friends that happen to be around. Um, and then my pug can't do any damage anyway, even if he wanted to. He doesn't have the jaw string <laugh>. So, um, keep your hand flat. He can't bite you, <laugh>. All right, let's get off this one because I'm gonna go off on, on a tangent. I'll be here all day long lines, guys, leashes and long lines.

18:00 — Leashes and long lines provide management when dogs face unfamiliar environments.

Speaker 2: Oh my God, who would've thought? So management is a big piece of this. And I'm not saying rely on just management, but management is absolutely part of responsible dog ownership because dogs are autonomous, right? So if you're in a place with leash laws, use your leash.

Speaker 2: I don't care how good your dog is, it's so arrogant not to do that. It's so disrespectful. If you're in a place with a leash law, use your leash. Um, but even if you're not, if I take my dog out, especially to a new place where he hasn't been before or hasn't been in a long time, um, or it's just that, it's just a different type of environment that we haven't spent a lot of time in. I'm not just gonna take him off leash and throw him into the fire. My dog's well trained, my dog listens.

Speaker 2: But guess what? There are some places like I've never taken my dog to the beach. If we go to the beach tomorrow, he's gonna have a long line on. 'cause we haven't done that before.

Speaker 2: And I want to have a little bit of time to make sure he's tuned in, he's listening, and I wanna set the tone and I wanna make sure he knows what the rules are, what the consequences are, and that he is listening. Because again, if you don't, you don't have a safe talk. You're not safe if you haven't done that. So when we go out, we're gonna be on the long line until I feel good about things, and then it will come off right? And it, it might just be a minute, it might be the whole trip.

Speaker 2: It wouldn't be for us, it might be for some folks, but don't take it off if you're not comfortable.

Speaker 2: It's not worth the risk guys, especially if there's a lot of other people around, a lot of other dogs around. So you have to help yourself a little bit and um, just take some precautions, right? I'm not saying be paranoid, they're just precautions. I'm so when if I took my dog to the beach tomorrow, I'm not worried. I'm not worried about it. It's just common sense. Like we're gonna leave this long line on, we're gonna heal a little bit. I'm gonna ask him for a few things. I'm gonna see how it's going. I'm gonna let him see some stuff, see how he is responding.

Speaker 2: I'm gonna set the tone with him and make sure I'm getting all the same stuff I get when we're anywhere else. And if I see that good, I'll take it off.

Speaker 2: That keeps everybody safer. And arousal is at the core of all of our problems, guys. And what happens when you take your dog somewhere exciting, somewhere new, somewhere they haven't been before, somewhere that's crowded. Arousal, arousal, arousal. And it is your enemy. So taking some precautions until you get the arousal where it needs to be. And hopefully with the proper training, I mean, you pull up in the arousal's already where it needs to be and you don't have any of that to even deal with. But most people struggle with that piece, at least for a little while.

Speaker 2: It's a learning curve. But all those protocols we have where your dog holds it down in the car, they don't get out when I open the door. When they do get out, they settle next to me. That's why we do all those things. It's not because I want your dog to be a robot.

Speaker 2: It's not because we're trying to be militant. It's because we're teaching the dog how to do something besides just be a victim of intense arousal, right? Because when they're that aroused, they can't, they can't behave, they can't settle and they can't listen. Well, that's not a very safe dog. And the more you do all the stuff, the easier it gets, right? And then a trip to the park, a trip to the beach becomes a piece of cake. But you gotta put in the effort up front and enforce all these things and do the management and control the arousal and take the safety precautions, right?

22:00 — Consistent management and arousal control become easier when practiced on every outing.

Speaker 2: And every time you go out, it gets easier. And before you know it, you don't even have to think about it anymore. You and your dog are just in tune and they listen and you know you can trust them. And that's what we all want. But that is by far the safest dog is somebody who's not afraid. Click leash on them, right? And you can hang onto the long line, right? And you can get a longer one. You can have a 15 foot leash, a 20 foot, a 50 foot, whatever you, it is you feel good about.

Speaker 2: And you can hang on to the end. And if they're doing all right, you can let 'em drag it. And if things look spectacular, take it off.

Speaker 2: But highly recommend, um, that protocol when you're going somewhere new or somewhere you're not super confident. Okay? The next two are absolutely behavioral, which is high accountability. And we just talked about learning to control arousal. And those two, I think, are tied together somewhat. So if we're going to the beach, yes, I'm going to be a little bit of a hardass about arousal. You're not gonna pop up in my backseat, you're not gonna whine, you're not gonna pace back and forth sticking your head out the window. We are not going to do that. Why? Is it because I'm a militant hardass ice queen?

Speaker 2: No, <laugh>.

Speaker 2: It's because that's an unsafe dog who won't listen to me. We're not gonna do that. You're going to hold it down. You're going going to follow all the protocols of getting out of the car. You're gonna stick with me and do all the things I ask you to do until I tell you you're free to go. That's a safe dog. So that control of arousal is so important. So even though your dog might not be doing something bad, if they start losing their mind with excitement, somebody has to tell them no until it's time. Right?

Speaker 2: When it's time and you're throwing the stick in the ocean or you're throwing the ball, or you want them to go chase after their buddy or whatever it is fine.

Speaker 2: But right now we're in the car, right? Or we get outta the car right now. We're walking in a heel. Now is not the time to lose your mind. I will correct you for that. So controlling arousal and treating uninvited over arousal just like any other unwanted behavior, right? If your dog gets super excited before it's time, before you say it's okay, we treat that just like jumping on someone. Guys, there's a correction for that. We bring the arousal down, keep your dog's brain intact and focused. Okay? So important. And the high accountability ties right into that because that is part of the accountability, right?

Speaker 2: But then let's say my dog has passed all this stuff with flying colors. I've set him free, he's running down the beach. I can see someone kind of coming toward us that I don't like. So I'm gonna call my dog back.

Speaker 2: I call him he hesitates. Okay? Right there. We're talking huge correction. Now, this isn't a first time correction, this isn't the first training he is had, right? He's well-trained. He understands, recall, he understands the e caller, all these things. He knows it very well, right? We would never, ever take a dog into an environment like that, especially off leash. Um, and give them a high correction and just see what happens. That's a terrible, terrible idea, which is probably good to mention for safety purposes, right? Um, that's one of the biggest mistakes people make when they're DIYing their e-collar training is they're doing it off leash out in the wild and the dog doesn't understand it.

26:00 — e-collar training must teach dogs what the stimulation means before off-leash use.

Speaker 2: They don't know what to do with it, and they just run for the hills. You don't wanna be that person. Um, but my dog, that's not gonna happen.

Speaker 2: So, and I would even feel inclined to tell people, Hey, leave your dog on the long line and get this correction in before you take it off, right? Especially if you don't have a dog that's super sensitive. If you do, then maybe you don't wanna do it that way because then they, they might just be super Velcro the rest of the trip, um, which isn't the end of the world. But, um, you know, if you have a dog that's super, super sensitive, um, and is already kind of clingy, it's like maybe your corrections are lower, lower, um, maybe you wait until they actually ignore you, right?

Speaker 2: But if you have a dog that's really pushy and just really full of it, um, I would feel inclined to, while they're on the long line, just call them and give them a correction, um, if needed. Like if, if you know their boundary pushers.

Speaker 2: Um, and just set that tone right away. But the important thing is I'm not gonna call my dog five times, but probably correct them guys. So to be clear, that protocol is a protocol we send everybody home with with our, from our board and train. It's not something we tell them to do all the time, guys. It's a, it's like a one time thing. Go home, call your dog, provide a high correction. Doesn't matter what the dog is doing, just do it. Why? Because it ties gravity to your recall. It's not gonna harm your dog.

Speaker 2: It's not gonna harm your relationship. It's going to make it better because now your dog actually takes you seriously. And let me tell you, if I had to pick one thing that people struggle with when they go home, their dog just doesn't take them seriously. 'cause why would they So set the tone.

Speaker 2: Be someone that your dog should listen to <laugh>, because most people are not when we meet them, at least, right? But post training, they figure it out. And it's a journey for some people because it's not the easiest for a lot of folks. It's not the funnest thing, right? Corrections are are not fun. And for some people they're just downright scary. Um, and sad and I don't understand it, but <laugh>, but it is what it is. Um, and it takes some time for them to figure out, Hey, my dog just doesn't fucking listen to me until I let 'em know it's really uncomfortable if you don't listen to me.

Speaker 2: Right? And then the dog is great, spectacular. And then they can go have fun and they can do it safely. Um, and I love, I love, love, love seeing people cross that finish line <laugh> with their dog.

Speaker 2: Um, but that high accountability guys is so critical for safety, okay? You can't go into off leash situations like that with a dog that's like, maybe I'll listen unless maybe I'll come back until I see a dog or a seagull or whatever it is. It's like you have to know your dog will come back and how you make that happen is obviously training, which should already be done. Accountability for the training, it's great that they know how to do it. It's great that they know what you want. The question is, will they do it even when they don't want to?

Speaker 2: Will they do it even when they're distracted? Will they do it even when they're super excited? And for too many people that answer is just no. And then they're calling their dog 10 times. And I've told this story a couple of times, but we went riding our bikes, um, at some park on the coast.

Speaker 2: I can't even remember the name of it now, but there was a lady there with her off leash dog. And of course there's a sign there saying, your dog needs to be under voice control, but they never are. And you and I know that. Um, so just expect that too. When you go out into to the wild, like even if you're in a place where dogs are supposed to be under voice control, they're not. Um, but she had her dog there off leash. Um, he had me collar her on. So when I see that, I'm like, oh, well that's nice.

30:00 — Kati recounts a dog running toward an older woman after its handler failed to…

Speaker 2: That, you know, makes me feel a little bit better. I like to see that kind of thing, uh, for obvious reasons. Um, but there was an older lady who was walking and the dog started to run up to her and the owner called her dog back and he did turn around and start to come back.

Speaker 2: And she took that opportunity to brag about her dog's recall and how good it was. Um, and as she was doing that, her dog took the opportunity to change his mind and turn around and run back up to the lady and jump all over her. Um, and this, like I said, was an older lady and it could have easily knocked her down and hurt her. Um, and there's just no need of it anyway, your dog just charging into my space, there's no need of that. Um, wasn't my space, but you know, from her perspective and nevermind jumping on her.

Speaker 2: Um, so not acceptable <laugh>. Um, but so anyways, she had e-collar on the dog and the dog still didn't fucking come back because guys, the eco isn't magic.

Speaker 2: It's not about the eco. The eco won't do a damn thing for you. You have to do it. The eco is just the tool and it is a superior tool to every other tool. When we're talking about recall, it is the only real practical and efficient way to guarantee your recall. But it won't guarantee your recall unless you are using it properly. Just putting an eco on your dog will not make your dog come back. What will consequences a relationship predicated upon? You have to do what I say. And if you don't, there's a downside to that.

Speaker 2: There is a price to pay for not listening to me. And until, unless and until your dog fully believes that they are not safe, they're not safe, you're not safe, and no one else is safe either.

Speaker 2: So accountability, please do not wait until your dog is jumping all over an old woman to provide a negative consequence. You guys, that should already be fucking done. Why are you even uns snapping the leash before your dog believes there's negative consequences for not coming back? And they are right? Because that dog would've come back if he believed it wasn't worth it to do that, he wouldn't have done it. Dogs know your game. Ah, I get five free passes, I get 10 free passes. Or maybe I get a hundred. Maybe they never turn this thing up because they feel guilty.

Speaker 2: Okay, fine. Keep your dog on a leash.

Speaker 2: I'm in tangent mode again, guys. <laugh>, is there an off switch here somewhere? Um, so controlling arousal and high accountability for, again, just like I said, my very first like opening line, your dog listening to you makes the safest dog you can have, right? And without that real accountability, without real negative downsides, real consequences, your dog's not going to listen to you. And you don't wanna wait until you're in the middle of that situation to try to do it. Yes, you'll do it then if you have to, right? But if you do it before that preemptively, chances are that never happens.

Speaker 2: And then you're not in that situation. And that's the part that's so hard to communicate to people and convince them of. Um, and unfortunately they just have to learn it for themselves. They have to go out, they have to have the close calls.

Speaker 2: And I hate that <laugh>. I hate it. Um, but controlling accountability and no controlling arousal, sorry. And providing real accountability, um, are definitely two big pieces. Um, let's talk about medications too. So I'm not a vet, I'm not gonna give you advice. I'm not gonna make suggestions, recommendations, uh, I am not going to talk shit about any particular medication. I'm just going to tell you, I don't give it to my dogs. Like unless I had to board my dogs somewhere that requires it. Uh, I don't really give them any of that stuff because I don't trust it.

34:00 — Kati discusses medication decisions while emphasizing that she is not a veterinarian.

Speaker 2: I've just heard too many things. I've read too many articles. Um, there's been too many, you know, seizures and this and that and the other thing. We've had client dogs that have passed away after getting medications to me. Yes, I think for the most part, most medications are mostly safe, right? But that's just not enough for me. And I feel like we over vaccinate our dogs, we overmedicate our dogs and I'm just not gonna do it. Um, if we moved further south, I would worry a little more about heartworm. Um, but we're not, we're way up here in the north and I'm not as worried about it.

Speaker 2: Um, and I can do heartworm tests, right? I can, I can do that stuff.

Speaker 2: A lot of the vaccines too that they have for like Lyme, it just seems like they don't work, right? The dog still gets Lyme and, and I don't know, maybe it makes it less, um, severe. You know, again, I'm not a vet. I'm not here to say you should or shouldn't. I'm just saying if you're going to medicate your dog with these preventative medications and vaccines, do a little research and be selective. Because here's the thing, hopefully you have a vet you really trust, but a lot of vets are just pushing whatever the latest medication is.

Speaker 2: So I used to work in a pharmacy and I'm well aware that the reps come in and they sweet talk you and they butter you up and they give you goodies and they just want you to recommend their product, right? That's what they do. And there are all kinds of incentives for doctors, for vets to prescribe particular products, right? And they don't pick them because they are shown to be more effective or shown to be safer or any of those things. It's just the latest thing. It's just the trend. It's just what we're being told to do.

Speaker 2: Um, and that's not good enough for me.

Speaker 2: Um, so, you know, if you're gonna medicate your dog, I say, and again, I'm not saying you shouldn't, right? I'm just saying this is working for me. Like I'm not doing it with my dogs. Um, and it's working for me, but my dogs don't go anywhere, guys. Like they're with me, right? I don't board them anywhere. We don't go to daycares, we don't go to dog parks, we don't do any of that stuff. We don't go south. Um, you know, and if we did do something outta the ordinary, I might change that protocol. Um, and there are hazards, right?

Speaker 2: Lyme disease is a hazard. Fleas are a hazard. Ticks are a hazard. Heartworm is certainly a hazard. Like these are all things that can really cause a problem for your dog. A detrimental, a detrimental problem potentially, right? And everyone has to take ownership of their own dog's health.

Speaker 2: And there is no way to know what is the right thing to do. All you can do is make the best decision possible with the information that you have available to you. But with the internet, luckily, you know, you can dig in and you can find good sources of information, but it takes time. You can't just do a cursory Google glance. You can't just ask about, like, you have to really look at it. You have to look for studies, you have to read the studies, you have to look at the details. And frankly, I'm too lazy for all that <laugh>.

38:00 — Kati says medication risks can be difficult to evaluate because reliable information is hard…

Speaker 2: So, um, but it's hard to find the truth sometimes. It's hard to find the truth. Like, how many problems has this medication caused? How many deaths has it caused? What percentage? What's the risk? I mean, good luck finding the truth.

Speaker 2: Uh, and I I just feel like we're all kind of in the state of mind where we feel like this is what we have to do because it's what we've always been told we have to do. And it's what we've always done. And I'm not like a bad owner if I don't do it. Like neither of my dogs are neutered. I have two male dogs. They're not neutered. Uh, and I'm not going to neuter them unless for some reason I have to. And I'm not saying that I'm right in the people who neuter their dogs are wrong.

Speaker 2: I'm not saying that. But this is working for us. And my dogs are healthy and well. And I haven't seen any compelling evidence that tells me they would truly be better off if I cut their nuts off. I just haven't seen it. If I saw it, maybe I would do it. And maybe some dogs are better off. But again, the fact is kind of hard to know. And I think every dog is different, every family is different, every lifestyle is different. And I think everybody has to make the choice that's right for them. But I urge you not to just take your dog to the vet and just pump 'em full of whatever they tell you to give up.

Speaker 2: I would say put in a little bit of time and be more selective about what you choose to medicate your dog with. That's all.

Speaker 2: Feel your dog for lumps. Guys. I have a compulsive habit with all the dogs that come through here. I'm always feeling their skin and feeling through their fur, looking for every little lump and bump. And most of the time, lumps and bumps are nothing to worry about, but sometimes they are. Um, not this pug, but my previous pug, um, I found a lump on him and it turned out to be in a very, a very aggressive form of cancer. Um, but we were able to operate on it. And, uh, he lived many more years after that.

Speaker 2: And, and he wouldn't have if I hadn't noticed it. Um, and the vet at the time told me a story of somebody else who also I think had a pug. I could be wrong about that, but I think it was, um, and it had the same form of cancer and it was just all over his body.

Speaker 2: Like, it, it spreads really fast. It was very aggressive. So you never know, like if you find a lump, get it checked out, um, it's probably nothing, right? But it could be, it could be. So just feeling your dog all over for lumps. And it's a good bonding activity too, to just kinda sit there with your dog in your lap and, and just massage them and pet them. And while you're, while you're at it, just be mindful of finding any bumps or lumps. Um, we could talk about vomit, you know, dogs, they just vomit. Um, I recently had a dog in my care who started vomiting all of his food every time I fed him.

Speaker 2: Uh, and it really had me concerned, uh, well, I, that's not actually true. It happened once, um, at the end of his stay and then he went home and continued to do it.

Speaker 2: And I was very, very worried about him. I was worried that maybe he had somehow ingested something. Maybe he had an obstruction, right? Your mind just goes like crazy. Um, it turns out he, he didn't, um, he was just inflamed for some reason. Um, he's a pretty dramatic guy. So I guess that's kind of in line <laugh> for him. Um, or he may have had a bug 'cause after he left my own dogs threw up a few times. So who knows? Um, but when would I start really paying attention to vomiting? Number one, if there's blood in it or if your dog is clearly throwing up something that they shouldn't have eaten, right?

Speaker 2: Those would make me worry. Um, throwing up their entire meal after you feed them, that's always concerning. So if they do that 2, 3, 4 times in a row, you definitely need to have them looked at, 'cause they could have an obstruction, but even if they don't have an obstruction, your dog is going to become seriously dehydrated because nothing is staying down.

42:00 — Repeated vomiting can indicate obstruction and cause dangerous dehydration, requiring veterinary attention.

Speaker 2: Nothing is staying in. So it's a real problem. Um, but I mean, dogs, they throw up a lot, right? So I tend to not think too much about it unless there's something in it that shouldn't be in it or it's happening consistently. Um, and they're not keeping anything down, or if they're not drinking or if they have other signs, right? If they're super lethargic, listless, their breathing isn't right, which we'll talk about next. Um, those are all things that, um, would be a red flag for me to pay attention to. Uh, pooping blood, severe diarrhea.

Speaker 2: You know, I think a severe diarrhea can be kind of bloody and mucusy. I know this is so gross, like not what you wanna think about. Probably, um, <laugh>, hopefully you're not just like eating breakfast right now while you listen to this, but when in doubt, get it checked out, right?

Speaker 2: Um, breathing is another one. Uh, panting usually isn't a big deal unless it's clearly the dog is like distressed and it's been going on for some time. Maybe it means something, especially if the tongue is spatulate, that could be, uh, an indicator of high stress or heat. Um, meaning the tongue kind of hangs way out in the tip of it's really, really wide, uh, labored breathing. So, um, in addition to just panting, if you really see a lot of motion in the chest, that's a red flag that like something is up. Um, I had a dog with pneumonia one time.

Speaker 2: Um, owner dropped her off with pneumonia. It was pretty ridiculous to be honest. This was a while ago. Um, but anyway, it turned out she had pneumonia, but that was kind of her big sign was besides coughing or her chest was really heaving away.

Speaker 2: Um, and so I would always pay attention to that. And it's one of those less obvious things too. But if you see a dog whose chest is really heaving away, you know, if they've just been running around outside or something, sure. And give it a few minutes, but like all day, not normal. Um, so that's another thing I would watch for. Uh, what else? We've covered a lot. We've covered a lot. Some things. Not my field, like the medication. Um, but at the end of the day, I hope the takeaway there is just, it's not, don't use it, it's just be, be selective, right?

Speaker 2: Instead of just like, whatever the latest trendy medicine is. Um, do the best you can to make sure it's as safe as possible so that, um, hopefully you can avoid because there's nothing scarier than when you put something into your dog because I know people, this has happened to you.

Speaker 2: Put something into your dog and it causes a negative reaction. And again, it might be unavoidable. You might've made the right decision. There's no way to know, right? You did what you thought was best. Um, but you put something into your dog and it causes a negative reaction and you can't just take that thing out, right? It's in there now. Um, it's not agreeing with them. It's causing a problem for whatever reason. And now it's basically too late, right? And now you just hope that medical attention will, um, resolve the issue. But that's a scary, scary feeling, a scary position to be in.

Speaker 2: Um, you know, if you live in a place where you're infested with ticks, it's like maybe it is the right thing for you to do to use a tick preventative. Um, but there are so many options out there nowadays. It's like, which one do you go with? Do you trust it? So do a little research, ask some questions, ask some other folks that have used it. The internet in this respect is an amazing tool. We have social media. You can literally connect with thousands of people who have used that drug. Um, so anyway, those are my thoughts.

46:00 — Kati closes by returning to training as the central way owners improve dog safety.

Speaker 2: But at the end of the day, the biggest one, and this is my field, is teach your dog to listen to you <laugh>. Hey guys, thanks for joining us today. I really hope you enjoyed the show. If there's a specific topic you'd like to hear discussed, you can send that to me directly via email or fan mail. Just jump down into the show notes. That information will be there for you. I really look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for supporting the show and I look forward to next time.