There are many ways to celebrate, and you can find suggestions online — although, of course, many of those are more for the benefit of the humans than for our dogs.

But if you’d like to celebrate the week properly, here are some things you can do that your dog will appreciate, because they’ll make her a better dog and you a better dog lover.

Here are five ways to celebrate your dog during this week — and every other week of the year.

1. Let your dog be  a dog
   This is probably the hardest thing for people to do because of our tendency to treat cute things like they’re human babies. The problem is that dogs are neither humans nor babies, but we can teach them all kinds of bad behaviors if we try to reason or deal with them the same way we would with children.

   You can’t reason with a dog beyond simple behavior and reward interactions — “If you sit now, you get the cookie now.” But these have to be immediate. You could never tell a dog, “If you don’t tear up the sofa during the next five hours while you’re home alone, I’ll give you a steak when I get back.” Your dog won’t remember after you’re gone five minutes.

2. Stop being so anxious
   I’ve told you many times before that dogs reflect our energy back to us, which is why it’s so important for us to be calm. Show me a nervous owner, and I can guarantee you that they have worried, insecure dogs.

   Why? Because your dog will sense your uncertainty in a situation and respond accordingly. Some dogs will become defensive or aggressive and try to protect you. Others will become frightened or skittish, and try to get away from the danger they perceive because they’re reading it in your energy.

   One of the more common times for this to happen is when someone is walking their dog and sees someone with a dog coming toward them. They fear a confrontation or a fight, so they tense up on the leash. They may even abruptly cross the street. What they don’t do is continue forward quietly and confidently.

   All this sudden tension does is send a signal to the dog: “Danger!” It’s not only the best way to make your dog suddenly focus on the other dog, but the quickest way to set those two dogs up to get into a barking match — or worse — with each other.

3. Let your dog earn the reward
   What happens when you give kids rewards they didn’t earn? If you do it too often and they come to expect it, they can become spoiled and demand to get gifts all the time from everyone.

   Dogs can be the same way, and this is one of the areas where they are similar to kids. If your dog never has to earn a treat or a meal, then not only will they come to expect to get it for nothing, but they will think they’re the ones in charge of you.

   But if you get your dog in the habit of always having to do something you want before they can get what they want, you’ll teach her to be obedient and well-behaved. This is also a great way to build her confidence and make her happy, because it gives her an opportunity to figure something out and to show you how smart she is.

   In effect, it’s a double reward, really. Your dog gets to feel happy about having performed, and he gets to enjoy the treat. It’s a win-win for both of you.

4. Keep your dog healthy
   I cannot stress the importance of regularly taking your dog to the vet, making sure that she or he has been neutered or spayed, and is current on vaccinations, flea treatments, and tooth-cleaning. Your dog should also have a full wellness exam every year up until about the age of five to seven, and then every six months after that — starting the more frequent exams earlier the bigger your dog is.

   Prevention really is better and easier than a cure. Think about it like a car. You can replace your brakes now for a little bit of money — or spend a fortune having to replace the whole front end after your brakes fail and you crash into a wall. Dogs — and people — are exactly the same when it comes to medical care.

   It can also be good for your own mental health. Caring for a chronically ill pet can be just as stressful as being the caregiver for a chronically ill human.

5. Help other dogs
   Whether you have a dog or not, you can still help and honor dogs this week, or at any time. If possible, you can adopt another member for your pack, or you can volunteer at your local shelter. Also, in most cases when you renew your dog’s license you can also make a donation to the shelter, so consider contributing in that way.

   You can also get involved by contacting your local representatives in order to encourage pet-positive and dog-friendly changes to laws, like overturning breed-specific legislation or finding ways to get your local shelters to convert to 100% no-kill policies. If there’s a need and you’re ambitious, you can try to start a dog park in your neighborhood, or keep it simple and start a local dog-walking group. And, finally, help educate your friends and family about the importance of spaying and neutering in order to end pet overpopulation.

Enjoy your week with your dog, and celebrate what they add to our lives year round!

Stay calm, and show your appreciation!

The post How To Appreciate Your Dog appeared first on Cesar's Way.

My boyfriend has never wanted to get our dog fixed, even though the dog can become aggressive some times. He is normally a very social dog with humans, but every time he is around another un-neutered male dog or a female dog, he tries to hump it or bite the other animal. I recently moved into a large apartment complex and there are dogs everywhere. When girl dogs are in heat, he just sits at the door and begs to go outside. He also obsessively licks the grass. It is really annoying… is this problem related to obedience, or to neutering?

Thank You,

Allison and Chris

Cesar Millan’s Answer Regarding Unneutered Dog:

Dear Allison and Chris,

Being that your dog still has his testicles intact, he has natural biological needs. If your dog doesn’t fulfill those needs, then he will build up frustration, anxiety, and may even develop obsessive tendencies.

When your dog licks the grass, he is either releasing his anxiety, or it could be that he is also picking up the odor of a female in heat.

If you do not plan to breed your canine, then I highly suggest you neuter your dog. He’ll be much calmer and so will you.

Stay calm and assertive,

The post Problems With An Unneutered Dog appeared first on Cesar's Way.

Spaying or neutering your dog is part of responsible canine care. Not only does it help with the overpopulation problem, saving lives of countless animals, but it also has many benefits for the individual pup who has the procedure done.

Here’s how you, your dog, and even your community can benefit from this procedure.

Your Female Pup Will Live Longer

Spaying can help to prevent your female dog from having many serious health problems, such as uterine infections and breast cancer. Breast cancer is particularly dangerous, resulting in death for about 50% of canine cases. The most effective way to provide this protection is to ensure your dog is spayed before her first heat.

Your Male Dog Gets Health Benefits, Too

Neutering helps to prevents testicular cancer, another serious canine disease. For the best chance of prevention, you want to complete the procedure as early as possible. The right age varies by breed, so consult with your veterinarian.

Your Gal Will Be Better Behaved

Typically, after about six months of age, un-spayed females go into heat for two to three weeks at a time, usually twice a year, although this varies with size and breed. This period of time can bring about a number of troublesome behaviors, such as howling and even urinating more often (and in the house). It will also attract the attention of every unneutered male within smelling distance.

Your Guy Will Be Better Behaved

An unneutered dog is more likely to display a number of problem behaviors in an effort to woo a mate. He’ll want to roam, which can mean digging his way out of the yard and running away from you. Marking is another important mating behavior — but not a very pleasant one for a human pack leader’s home. And unneutered dogs are also more likely to display aggressive behaviors.

It Saves You Money

Huh? But doesn’t the surgery cost you money? Certainly, but the cost of caring for a litter of puppies is much more, and so is handling the medical and behavior issues that you can prevent by having the procedure done. You can help keep the price down even further by looking into low-cost spay/neuter programs in your area. Many animal shelters also require spaying or neutering before they will release an animal, and the cost is built into the adoption fee.

You’re Benefiting the Entire Canine Community

Spaying or neutering your pup means fewer dogs being euthanized and also fewer unwanted animals roaming our streets. Strays are more likely to cause trouble, such as destroying property, causing car accidents, and scaring (or even biting) children and adults. Issues like these can negatively influence an entire community’s opinion about dogs, even though it’s only a few strays causing the problem. If we can ensure that every dog has a responsible Pack Leader to care for it, we’ll be more likely to see support and positive changes in our communities for our pups!

If you haven’t had your dog spayed or neutered yet, what are you waiting for? Unless you’re using your dog specifically for breeding, there’s no reason not to. Thanks to the ASPCA, you can easily find low-cost spay and neuter clinics near you.

Did you take advantage of a discounted service to fix your dog?

The post 6 Benefits Of Spaying And Neutering appeared first on Cesar's Way.

Questions from a Reader

When a female pitbull goes into heat, does that cause them to become aggressive even if they never were before? –Janine Gennawey

Cesar Millan’s answer:

Hi Janine,

Aggression in female dogs during their heat is a common complaint. Drastic hormone changes can adversely affect a female dog’s mood and can predispose to acts of aggression even if she has never been aggressive before. These hormone changes cause irritability, nervousness and can even cause pain during ovulation. Keep in mind that instead of going into heat for a few days a month a female dog goes into heat for a few weeks twice a year which is a considerable length of time. If your dog is getting too hot to handle while in heat be sure to take the necessary precautions.

Identify the triggers that induce aggression and isolate her from these triggers while she is in heat. If she is aggressive towards other dogs, keep her away from them during her cycle. Unspayed females will sometimes compete for a male dog’s attention by fighting. If she is overprotective of her pups use extra caution when dealing with the puppies. It is common for the maternal instinct to go into overdrive during this time.

Be mindful of your actions while your dog is in heat

Be calm and assertive when picking up the pups and praise and comfort her when she is being good. Let her hear in your voice that you mean no harm to the pups and do not touch the pups until she is relaxed and comfortable with your presence. Do not leave children unsupervised with a dog in heat and if she displays any heat related aggression it is best to isolate the dog from children entirely.

If you have no intentions of breeding her then having her spayed will be helpful and might even eliminate the aggression entirely especially considering she has never been aggressive before. Keep in mind she may learn undesirable behaviors and continue to exhibit aggression after her heat ends if she learns that this behavior can get her what she wants. So it is best to spay her as soon as possible because while heat related aggression is usually temporary it can lead to long term problems with aggression.

Aggression is a serious problem and should not be taken lightly

Remain calm and assertive when dealing with her and please seek professional advice from your veterinarian and an animal behaviorist or certified professional dog trainer as soon as possible.

Stay calm and assertive!
-Cesar Millan

How has spaying or neutering affected your dog? Share it with us in the comments.

The post Female Dogs in Heat: How to Handle Agression appeared first on Cesar's Way.

Spaying or neutering your dog is an important part of responsible pet ownership. Unneutered male dogs that are not able to mate experience frustration, which can lead to aggression. Unspayed female dogs attract unwanted attention every six months. From a psychological and biological point-of-view, it is the best thing for your dog.

When you get your dog spayed or neutered, be sure your dog is in a calm and balanced state. Never spay or neuter a frustrated, nervous, tense, aggressive, or anxious dog!

In the United States, seven puppies and kittens are born for every one human. As a result, there are just not enough homes for the animals, and according to the Humane Society of the United States three to four million dogs and cats are euthanized every year.

Sterilizing dogs and cats has been hailed as the most effective method for pet population control. You can help save lives by spaying and neutering your pet. If pets can’t breed, they don’t produce puppies that end up in animal shelters to be adopted or euthanized. Currently, over 56% of dogs and approximately 75% of cats entering shelters are put to sleep.

The perpetuation of myths about spaying and neutering and the high cost cause many people to avoid the procedures, but the fact is sterilization makes your dog a better behaved, healthier pet and will save you money in the long run.

Myth #1: A dog will feel like less of a “man” or “woman” after being sterilized.

This myth stems from the human imposing their own feelings of loss on the animal. In fact, your dog will simply have one less need to fulfill. A dog’s basic personality is formed more by environment and genetics than by sex hormones, so sterilization will not change your dog’s basic personality, make your dog sluggish or affect its natural instinct to protect the pack. But it will give you a better behaved pet.

Neutered dogs have less desire to roam, mark territory (like your couch!) and exert dominance over the pack. Spayed dogs no longer experience the hormonal changes during heat cycles that turn your pet into a nervous dog that cries incessantly and attracts unwanted male dogs. Sterilized dogs are more affectionate and less likely to bite, run away, become aggressive, or get into a fight.

Myth #2: Spaying and neutering will cause weight gain.

Dogs do not get fat simply by being sterilized. Just like humans, dogs gain weight if they eat too much and exercise too little or if they are genetically programmed to be overweight. The weight gain that people may witness after sterilization is most likely caused by continuing to feed a high energy diet to a dog that is reducing its need for energy as it reaches adult size.

Myth #3: Dogs will mourn the loss of their reproductive capabilities.

Not true. Dogs reproduce solely to ensure the survival of their species. They do not raise a puppy for eighteen years. They do not dream of their puppy’s wedding. They do not hope for the comfort of grandchildren in their old age. Female dogs nurse for a few weeks, teach the puppies rules, boundaries, and limitations and send them off to join the pack. Male dogs are not “fathers” in the human sense of the word; they do not even recognize puppies as their own.

Myth #4: Spaying and Neutering is expensive.

Today there are enough low cost and free spay and neuter programs that this can no longer be an excuse! Even if these programs are not available in your area, the emotional distress and money spent on medical treatments you will save down the line makes it an investment that will be worth every penny.

Sterilization reduces the risk of incidence of a number of health problems that are difficult and expensive to treat. In females, it eliminates the possibility of developing uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the chance of breast cancer. Also, some females experience false pregnancies and uterine infections that can be fatal. Prostate cancer risk is greatly reduced in males. By sterilizing your pet, your dog will live a healthier and longer life.

Efforts by programs such as SPAY/USA already seem to be having an effect. In 1980, approximately 23.4 million animals were euthanized. Twenty-two years later, the estimate was down to 4.6 million. In towns and cities that have already implemented sterilization programs, the number of companion animals who had to be euthanized is showing a decline of 30 to 60 percent.

The truth is that neutered and spayed dogs are better pets. And though we’re heading in the right direction, the problem of euthanasia continues. Be a part of the solution. Spay or neuter your pet today!

Has this story debunked any spay and neuter myth you used to believe? Tell us in the comments.

The post What You Need to Know About Spay And Neuter Myths appeared first on Cesar's Way.

Dear Dr. Weaver,

I was writing to ask about the right time to neuter a Lab male.  When he got his annual exam and shots, the vet said to leave him unneutered until he was two years old as “large-boned dogs get cancer if they are neutered before then.”  I had never heard of this before and have always been a proponent of early neutering, but since this has come up, I am now unsure what to do.  Is there any truth to this?  What is the best time to neuter/spay a dog?

Thanks,

Eileen

Read Dr. Sherry Weaver’s Advice

Dear Eileen,

I would start by saying that there are many different vets with as many different experiences and opinions. In these articles, I try to express my personal experiences as well as current research. No research is perfect, and no experience is absolute. In reality, there are very few definite “right” answers.  The best answer to most questions is to find a vet who you trust to tell you the whole story and make your decision based on that information.

Early neutering is a controversial topic. A very few uncontrolled studies have shown a link with early neuters (before 14 months of age) and some forms of cancer and joint problems. Both the joint problems and the cancers that they have linked are relatively common in large-boned dogs, so the challenge is to prove whether the early neuter actually caused an increase in the incidence. There have been no studies that prove this.

On the other hand, there have been several good studies done to look at different potential complications from early neutering (as early as 6 weeks of age) that have found no adverse effects other than slightly longer legs and less “masculine” muscle development. These pro-early neuter studies were not carried out long enough to evaluate the risk of cancer.

In my experience, dogs neutered under 6 months develop less obesity and don’t establish some of the “male” behaviors that neutering is meant to treat. They are also less likely to jump a fence, fight, or get hit by a car. With no true proof of the risk of increased cancer–and the very real risk of bad behaviors or even physical injury from running away or fighting–I am letting my clients make their own decisions based on a debatable risk of cancer vs. the very real behavioral risks.

Spaying females before 6 months is less controversial than neutering; preventing the first heat nearly eliminates the risk of breast cancer which is much more common than bone cancer.

Dr. Weaver

At what age did you spay or neuter your dog? Tell us in the comments.

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