SUMMARY: Making eye contact with your dog’s eyes can do more than melt your heart—it actually strengthens your bond by synchronizing your brain activity with theirs, enhancing social and emotional connections. This fascinating insight could also explain why therapy dogs are so effective. Want to know how simple eye contact can transform your relationship with your furry friend? Read on or listen to the full article below.

Have you ever looked into your dog’s eyes and felt a deep, unspoken connection? Science says that a bond is more than just a feeling.

A groundbreaking study from the journal Advanced Science reveals that when we engage in bonding activities with our dogs, like eye contact and petting, something extraordinary happens—our brains sync up!

How Eye Contact with a Dog’s Eyes Strengthens the Human-Dog Bond: The Science Behind It

Using a technique called dual-EEG, researchers measured brain activity in both humans and dogs at the same time. What they found is mind-blowing: our brains literally “talk” to each other during these moments of connection.

This synchronization, known as interbrain coupling, happens mostly in the parts of the brain responsible for social interaction and attention, like the frontal and parietal lobes.

And guess what? We lead the way, with our dogs following along. It’s almost like we’re guiding them through this neurological dance.

But here’s where it gets even more fascinating. This connection can grow stronger the more time we spend with our pups.

Eye contact, in particular, seems to play a crucial role.

And while we all know that dogs are great emotional support companions, this research suggests that the bond we feel with them may have real, neurological foundations.

Unlocking the Secrets of Interbrain Coupling: The Deep Connection Between Humans and Dogs

The study even ventured into autism research by exploring dogs with mutations in the SHANK3 gene, which is linked to autism in humans. These dogs had trouble syncing their brains with humans, similar to how people with autism struggle with social cues.

And in a surprising twist, researchers found that LSD temporarily restored brain synchronization in these dogs, though this area of study is still in its infancy.

This incredible discovery opens the door to many possibilities, from understanding therapy dogs to exploring how our pets help with anxiety, PTSD, and more.

Conclusion: Embrace the Bond!

So, next time your dog locks eyes with you, take a moment to appreciate the deep connection you’re sharing. It’s not just love; it’s science.

By engaging in these bonding moments—whether it’s petting, playing, or simply gazing into your dog’s eyes—you’re strengthening a neurological bond that runs deeper than we ever thought.

Let’s cherish these moments and keep building that amazing human-dog connection, because it turns out, “man’s best friend” is a title that’s rooted in both heart and brain!

Now, go give your dog some extra love—you’re not just making them happy, you’re syncing your minds!

– Asia
Dog Whispering for 40+ years
© K-9SuperHeroesDogWhispering.com Since 2008

Asia

Asia Moore has been dog whispering for 40+ years, and along with K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team members Jim and Pebbles the dog, offers insights about dog behaviour and psychology and their relationships with their humans! Many humans don’t realize that they could have a much happier life with their canine counterparts. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of behavioral problems because with just a little dog whispering, everyone can live a happy, stress-free life together. ^..^

The post The Science Behind Staring Into Your Dog’s Eyes – A Magical Bond appeared first on K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering.

Proper dog nail health is important for the overall health of your fur friend.

Once they’re too long, the quick (the vein) will grow longer into the nail, which makes it impossible to trim the nails back far enough.

Save Your Floors – Save Your Skin

Short nails will also save your hardwood floors and nicely rounded nails, rather than clipped nails leaving sharp edges will also save your skin from scratches.

How Do You Know If the Nails Are Too Long?

If you can hear the nails clicking on the floor – they’re too long and you’re compromising your dog’s nail health.

If this is the case with your dog’s nails, you need to work on trimming them back a little bit every week, getting them as close to the quick as possible, so that the vein starts to naturally recede farther back into the nail.

Properly trimming a dog’s nails is a skill that should often be left to the professionals, and especially if you are nervous, uncertain, or have difficulties doing this yourself, it’s best to enlist the help of a professional on a regular basis.

If you’re a K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering client, “pawdicures” are one of the exclusive extra services we offer to our furry clients.

We use a specially designed Dremel tool to safely and painlessly grind down the nails to get them as short as possible, and then we finish up with an anti-bacterial Neem oil treatment for the paws and nails.

Asia Moore ~ Ask a Dog Whisperer
© 2023 – All Rights Reserved
K-9SuperHeroesDogWhispering.com

Asia

Asia Moore has been dog whispering for 40+ years, and along with K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team members Jim and Pebbles the dog, offers insights about dog behaviour and psychology and their relationships with their humans! Many humans don’t realize that they could have a much happier life with their canine counterparts. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of behavioral problems because with just a little dog whispering, everyone can live a happy, stress-free life together. ^..^

The post Dog Nail Health appeared first on K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering.

So many people are excessively humanizing their pets, and none more so than our canine counterparts.

For instance, you see cute, little humanizing sayings everywhere, such as “Dogs Are People Too”, “I’m Family”, and “Dogs are Children in Fur Clothes”,  just to quote a few.

Such as movies portraying dogs and cats as conversational, intelligent, puzzle-solving, clothed, miniature human-like creatures, etc.

How Can Humanizing Your Dog Be Harmful?

Generally speaking, the more you humanize your dog, the more likely your dog may be suffering from psychological problems that manifest themselves through your dog acting out in ways unacceptable to us humans.

Many behavioral problems can arise as a result of too much humanizing, including anxiety, barking, aggressiveness, obsessiveness, nervousness, confusion, fear, and more because the dog, try as it might, doesn’t have the capacity to turn itself into a fur human any more than we humans have the capacity to turn ourselves into hairless canines.

We love our dogs, but perhaps we humans need to ask ourselves how much we love dogs, as opposed to how much we want our dogs to change themselves into furry humans that also retain the loyal, unconditional loveable dog characteristics that attracted us to them in the first place.

Perhaps we humans need to exercise a little more understanding of how our excessive humanizing may actually be harmful to our dogs and instead of trying so hard to turn them into perfect little humans, we need to respect them for the wonderful dogs they are and all that being a dog actually means.

– Asia
Dog Whispering for 40+ years
© K-9SuperHeroesDogWhispering.com Since 2008

Asia

Asia Moore has been dog whispering for 40+ years, and along with K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team members Jim and Pebbles the dog, offers insights about dog behaviour and psychology and their relationships with their humans! Many humans don’t realize that they could have a much happier life with their canine counterparts. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of behavioral problems because with just a little dog whispering, everyone can live a happy, stress-free life together. ^..^

The post Can Humanizing Your Dog Be Harmful? appeared first on K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering.

We’ve all heard about how stress can kill humans, but have any of us humans ever stopped to consider how dog stress is also taking its toll on our beloved canine population?

Once we humans decided to domesticate dogs, remove from all they previously knew and fully integrate them into our immediate environment, they have become affected by all our human foibles and diseases, which includes a mountain of stress.

In many cases, we have unknowingly created situations that are unnatural to our dogs whom we now expect to function as small fur humans and just forget about the true nature of their very being.

There are many humans situations, which seem normal and every day to us humans, that when not approached in a way that the dog can properly comprehend can cause ongoing dog stress for your fur friend that will ultimately shorten your dog’s life.

Dog Stress Situations

There are multiple situations and daily activities in the human world that can cause a great deal of dog stress which the average human may not even be aware of.

When you start to think about how much we have changed the lives of dogs over the centuries and how much we expect them to accept or give up as they become part of a human family, we start to realize that all that is part of our daily routine, is largely foreign to our dogs.

Riding in Vehicles

Many dogs are just expected to blindly accept that they will ride about in vehicles, and for many of our fur friends, this simple transportation system that has been part of our human daily lifestyle for a very long time, and which we don’t even think about, if not introduced properly can be a big dog stress.

The Little Things

What we humans think of as simple, little things, such as nail clipping and bath time can cause much dog stress.

In the wild, dogs don’t need their nails trimmed because they wear them down naturally from all their daily motion, but when they come to live with us, we are much more sedentary than the average dog, therefore our dogs don’t get the exercise they need, and thus their nails grow too long, so require regular trimming.

When your dog is not properly introduced to a nail clipping routine, this process than cause traumatic dog stress so severe that your dog will do anything to avoid the procedure.

In the wild, dogs don’t take baths, but instead they run through streams and puddles, swim in lakes and oceans, and they never have to mask their natural scent with lovely human fragrances so that they are more agreeable to the humans.

No Job – No Exercise

Dogs are natural born athletes who, in order to stay healthy, need to move at a pace much faster than the average human is capable of.

Over the centuries our dogs have worked outside with us, providing valuable services to help us get through our daily grind, but today, many of our dogs are confined, must stay indoors all day long and just don’t get the exercise or mental stimulation they need. This causes a great deal of dog stress.

Victoria’s very own Dog Whispering team is concerned that the majority of the Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island dog population is suffering from stress overload that could very easily lead to an early death for many beloved canine companions.

The K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team believes that the majority of dogs are not receiving the leadership they need from their humans resulting in many stressed, unhappy dogs acting out in noisy, destructive and dangerous ways.

The K-9 Super Heroes team says that an out of control dog not only disrupts the household and puts children and adults in a potentially harmful situation, the stressful, ripple effect is also felt throughout the entire neighbourhood.

Of course, our fur friends can be easily integrated into our human lifestyle and learn to accept many unnatural situations without the stress than can shorten their lives once the humans understand that there are many things they can do to help extend the lives of their best friends.

How Do I Know if My Dog is Stressed?

There are many different ways that dogs display their stress, with the more common indications being excessive excitement, panting, barking, pulling, lunging, growling and aggressive behavior towards other dogs and humans.

Not only do the above behaviors put a tremendous stress load onto the dog, the result of which can shorten your best friend’s life.

Even worse, if left unchecked these types of unstable behaviors can escalate to such a degree that your best friend may hurt someone and be sentenced to an early death.

Also, the family that doesn’t know how to rehabilitate these unwanted behaviors may feel forced into making the decision to remove their dog to a local pound or rescue organization, which may also result in early death.

The K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team is often called upon to show humans how to stop this unwanted behavior and bring peace to the neighbourhood.

Help your dog live a stress-free, happy life. If you need help, please contact us today.

– Asia
Dog Whispering for 40+ years
© K-9SuperHeroesDogWhispering.com Since 2008

Asia

Asia Moore has been dog whispering for 40+ years, and along with K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team members Jim and Pebbles the dog, offers insights about dog behaviour and psychology and their relationships with their humans! Many humans don’t realize that they could have a much happier life with their canine counterparts. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of behavioral problems because with just a little dog whispering, everyone can live a happy, stress-free life together. ^..^

The post Is Dog Stress Killing Your Best Fur Friend? appeared first on K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering.

Is Your BFF Overweight?

Just like us humans, far too many of our best fur friends are overweight too.

Our canine companions suffer from many of the same health related diseases their human guardians suffer from, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Dogs are natural athletes, not naturally overweight…they get that way because they live with humans who do not take care of them properly and instead of getting them out there walking, running and exercising like dogs are meant to, keep them unnaturally sedentary.

There are only two reasons for a dog to be unhealthily overweight:

• (1) they are fed terrible, fatty food and/or too much of it; and
  
• (2) they do not get any or enough exercise.

Many of these problems can be helped simply by making healthier food choices and increasing daily exercise.

When you have a dog, you’ve always got a reason to exercise more and when you have an overweight dog, you really need to exercise more, if you love them and want them to live as long a life as possible.

There is a simple way to determine if your dog is overweight.

When they are standing, place your hand flat against their ribs and if you cannot feel any of their ribs when you apply a little firm pressure, this means that your dog is spending too much time at the feed bowl and not enough time being outside moving around and enjoying being a dog.

Don’t shorten your dog’s life…instead, help your BFF live a long and healthy life by making sure you are not over-feeding and that you and they are getting out for lots of exercise.

P.S. looking for a breed specific book? Perhaps I’ve written a book all about your favorite canine (400+ and counting). All my books are listed, or soon will be listed, at Must Have Publishing.

Asia Moore ~ Ask a Dog Whisperer
© 2023 – All Rights Reserved
K-9SuperHeroesDogWhispering.com

Asia

Asia Moore has been dog whispering for 40+ years, and along with K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team members Jim and Pebbles the dog, offers insights about dog behaviour and psychology and their relationships with their humans! Many humans don’t realize that they could have a much happier life with their canine counterparts. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of behavioral problems because with just a little dog whispering, everyone can live a happy, stress-free life together. ^..^

The post Confronting Canine Obesity: Is Your Dog Overweight and Unhealthy? appeared first on K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering.

Did you know that there are approximately 60 species of spear grass, commonly known under many different names, including, foxtail grass, porcupine grass, needle grass, silver spike grass, etc. and “spear grass” is the generic term used for any wild grass that has barbed seeds.

What Spear Grass Looks Like

There is dangerous foxtail barley grass growing everywhere in the Victoria, BC area (it looks similar to wheat), including the off-leash area of Beacon Hill Park, and although this grass is beautiful and graceful in it’s green and purple growing stage, once it dries out, the spears have a Velcro-like texture that easily attach themselves to anything that brushes past, including your best fur friends.

Each small piece that attaches itself to a passing dog also has a needle sharp end that can easily pierce your dog’s skin and work it’s way inside your dog’s body.

No matter what name you give this insidious grass, there is no denying that any type of spear grass and your pet are a dangerously unhealthy and treacherous combination that can cause your pet much pain and distress.

Spear Grass and Dogs Don’t Mix

Spear grass is most dangerous for dogs once it has become dried out and more easily falls from the stalks and is most often a problem from late spring through to the fall.

Make sure that you keep a vigilant eye during the spear grass season and if you allow your dog to romp through grassy areas, always check between the toes, underbelly, eyes, ears, nose, etc., because if just one of these Velcro-like seeds gets into an ear canal, for instance, your dog will be doing a lot of head shaking and ear scratching and may even whine or cry because he or she is experiencing extreme pain.

Once a spear grass has lodged itself in an ear canal or up the dog’s nose, removal will require an expensive trip to your local vet’s office.

The seeds found in the ears, eyes and nose can cause very serious problems, even to the point of becoming life threatening if not discovered and properly treated. Because these seeds literally stick to anything, and are designed to move forward through the hair, to pierce the skin, no body part is immune.

The seeds have been found in the urethra, vagina, anal glands, brain, and spinal cord. In one case a veterinarian found a seed in the lung, even though the original site of entry was through the paw. Spear grass can also gain easy entry through open wounds.

Final Thoughts about Spear Grass

To shield your furry friends from the hazards of spear grass, pet guardians can adopt a proactive approach with these steps:

• Thorough Checks Post-Adventure: Make a habit of a quick brush-down for your pet after outdoor excursions. Examine their ears, eyes, noses, and paws diligently for spear grass infiltrations.
  
• Awareness is Key: Post-playtime in grassy expanses, a detailed inspection is crucial. Keep an eye out for symptoms like head shaking, ear scratching, paw licking or chewing, or persistent whining, which could signal spear grass troubles.
  
• Strategic Grooming: A well-groomed pet is a safer pet. Trimming the fur around paws and ears lessens the likelihood of spear grass embedding itself into their skin.
  
• Preemptive Landscape Care: Eliminate any spear grass from your surroundings to drastically reduce the danger it poses to your pets.

Staying ahead of the game with these measures will greatly diminish the chances of spear grass incidents with your pets.

Spring and summertime in the Northwest is a wonderful time for dogs and their guardians to be outside enjoying the sites and sounds and you can make sure that all this fun activity remains a happy memory when you carefully inspect for spear grass after each outing.

Asia Moore ~ Ask a Dog Whisperer
© 2014 – All Rights Reserved
K-9SuperHeroesDogWhispering.com

Asia

Asia Moore has been dog whispering for 40+ years, and along with K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team members Jim and Pebbles the dog, offers insights about dog behaviour and psychology and their relationships with their humans! Many humans don’t realize that they could have a much happier life with their canine counterparts. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of behavioral problems because with just a little dog whispering, everyone can live a happy, stress-free life together. ^..^

The post Spear Grass: The Summertime Threat to Pets and How to Avoid It appeared first on K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering.

What’s a $250 Dog Poop Trap?

No doubt you’ve heard of a “speed trap”, but for irresponsible dog owners who refuse to pick up after their dogs, what about a “$250. poop trap”?

Sure everyone is more vigilant when they see the local enforcement authorities wandering about in their uniforms, but what if they were in plain clothes and just wandering about at the off-leash park or beach?

It’s a $250. Fine

Perhaps you’re not aware that not picking up after your dog is a substantial $250. fine – that’s more than not having a current dog tag on your fur friend’s collar.

What’s worse is that dog poop is highly toxic and when you don’t pick up, this toxin finds it’s way into our water supplies, and into our homes.

Why might it be a good idea for control officers to blend into society so that they can catch irresponsible owners?

Nobody wants to step in doggy do, and they sure don’t want to smell it when they’re taking a few hours to enjoy the sun and sea at the beach.

None of us conscientious dog owners want to keep on taking the rap for those who think it’s OK to operate outside of the rules of common decency.

I’m sure that all conscientious dog owners have many times seen a big pile of dog poo left on the side of the road in your neighbourhood, or at your local park, and I’m sure that being the conscientious dog owner that you are, you’ve picked up many loads that didn’t come out of your dog, while silently cursing the irresponsible dog owners who makes all the rest look bad.

Pick It Up – It’s the Law

Because there are so many more dogs in homes these days than ever before, this means that sadly there are many more piles of poop not being picked up.

Every time a dog owner does not pick up after their dog, this inaction creates a health hazard and puts all other dog owners in a bad light which broadens the wedge between those who love dogs and those who would rather see them banned from all public places.

As an example, just yesterday when we were pack-waking with our clients as we do every Saturday, the weather was gorgeous and we decided to return to the beach. There were lots of dogs and humans enjoying the sunshine and ignoring their off-leash dogs.

Within a space of just five minutes we saw two dog owners NOT pick up after their dogs.

One young woman actually dug a hole in the beach and buried her dog’s poop under an inch or two of small rocks and when one of our group called her on it, her excuse was that it was better than filling landfills with plastic.

When I replied that most doggy do-do bags are biodegradable, she became belligerent and said, “you look after your dog and I’ll look after mine.”

A minute farther down the beach and we witnessed another dog squeezing out a fresh pile of poop while the two young guys who seemed to be associated were already too far down the beach to ever notice.

We live very near a beautiful little park where we often walk our dog, and inevitably we are picking up after a dog and owner that has long since left the vicinity.

In fact, we seem to pick up far more dog poop from other dogs than from our own.

The Power of Peer Pressure

So what’s the solution to solving this problem before dogs are banned from all public areas?

Conscientious dog owners need to voice their opinions loudly whenever they see someone not picking up, as sometimes it’s a legitimate mistake, but for those who are purposefully not picking up, perhaps a little peer pressure or embarrassment might do the trick.

Of course, it might have the opposite effect and you will get a hail of four-letter words back at you.

No matter if this happens, as the person is really swearing at themselves because they know they are wrong and perhaps unbeknownst to you, they will change their errant ways somewhere down the road.

I say, why not set up poop traps and start making some serious money for the city?

If every time a plain clothes enforcement officer catches someone not picking up they fine the individual $250. wouldn’t you think that this considerable hit to the wallet would have a positive effect on teaching the irresponsible that the rules also apply to them?

If you have a good idea about how to get those dog owners to be more responsible, put it in play, and help all conscientious dog owners make our community a safer, cleaner and all round better place for everyone.

– Asia – Dog Whispering for 40+ years
© K-9SuperHeroesDogWhispering.com [Since 2008]

Asia

Asia Moore has been dog whispering for 40+ years, and along with K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team members Jim and Pebbles the dog, offers insights about dog behaviour and psychology and their relationships with their humans! Many humans don’t realize that they could have a much happier life with their canine counterparts. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of behavioral problems because with just a little dog whispering, everyone can live a happy, stress-free life together. ^..^

The post $250 Dog Poop Trap appeared first on K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering.

How to Avoid Dog Stress & Anxiety

Dog stress and anxiety management for our furry friends is crucial for their overall well-being, and there are various techniques and strategies that can help alleviate these issues.

As responsible dog owners, it’s our duty to understand from our dogs’ perspective and understand how their behavior is a sign so that we can effectively address their stress and anxiety.

One effective strategy is to create a safe and comfortable environment for our pets.

This can be achieved by providing them with a cozy bed or crate, toys, and a designated quiet space just for them to rest and relax.

Additionally, it’s important to establish a routine and stick to it as much as possible.

This can include regular feeding times, exercise routines, and playtime.

Another way to manage stress and anxiety in dogs is through positive reinforcement training.

This technique involves rewarding desirable behavior, such as calmness and obedience, and ignoring or redirecting negative behavior.

This approach helps build trust and confidence in dogs, leading to a more positive and relaxed demeanor.

It’s also essential to identify any triggers that may cause stress and anxiety in our pets.

This can range from loud noises to unfamiliar environments, or separation anxiety.

Once identified, we can then work on gradually desensitizing our pets to these triggers.

By taking a proactive approach to managing stress and anxiety in our dogs, we can create a happier and healthier environment for both our furry friends and their people.

Remember, don’t blame the dog, but rather take responsibility for their well-being.

Conclusion

Understanding canine perspectives is essential in building a strong relationship with our furry friends.

Rewarding positive behavior, socialization, training, exercise, and stress management are all important factors that contribute to a well-rounded and healthy dog.

Did you know that a recent survey found that 1 in 5 dogs suffer from separation anxiety?

This statistic highlights the importance of stress and anxiety management for our pets and the need for us to be aware of their emotional well-being.

By providing them with a safe and comfortable environment, along with proper care and attention, we can help reduce their anxiety levels and improve their overall quality of life.

As guardians of our fur friends, it’s our responsibility to educate ourselves on their needs and understand their behaviors.

By doing so, we not only improve our relationship with our pets but also ensure that they’re happy, healthy, and thriving.

Make sure that you take the time to understand your furry friends’ perspectives and provide them with the love and care they deserve.

The right Energy, Communication, and Interpretation play a crucial role in a happy dog, happy human relationship.

If you need help in this area, please contact us here at K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering.

Also, please check out my previous articles listed below in Part #1, Part #2, and Part #3 of this “Don’t Blame the Dog” series.

Asia

Asia Moore has been dog whispering for 40+ years, and along with K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team members Jim and Pebbles the dog, offers insights about dog behaviour and psychology and their relationships with their humans! Many humans don’t realize that they could have a much happier life with their canine counterparts. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of behavioral problems because with just a little dog whispering, everyone can live a happy, stress-free life together. ^..^

The post Dog Stress and Anxiety Management: Don’t Blame the Dog – Part #4 appeared first on K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering.

Dog Exercise

Exercising your furry friend is an essential aspect of responsible dog ownership that promotes physical health and mental well-being.

Regular exercise helps your dog maintain a healthy weight, strengthens their muscles and bones, and improves their cardiovascular health.

Additionally, it is a primal instinct of dogs to wander their territory and exercise helps to relieve stress and anxiety in dogs, which can lead to a happier and more well-behaved companion.

Understand the daily exercise requirements of your particular dog and make sure they are being met.

For instance, a high-energy working or herding breed will not be satisfied with a sedate walk around the block

To make exercising your dog more enjoyable, consider the following tips:

• Mix up the Routine: Take your dog on different routes during walks to keep things interesting. Try different types of exercise, such as swimming or hiking, to keep your dog engaged.
  
• Make it Social: Dogs are social animals and often enjoy the company of other dogs. Consider setting up playdates with other dogs or taking your dog to a dog park to run and play with other pups.
  
• Use Positive Reinforcement: Effective dog training techniques involve positive reinforcement. Use treats and praise to encourage your dog to exercise and to reinforce good behavior.

As we dive deeper into understanding canine behavior and perspective, it’s important to also consider what may be the cause of stress and anxiety.

The next blog post will discuss stress and anxiety in dogs and how to manage it.

If you missed Part #1 and Part #2 of this series here are the links below. Enjoy!

– Asia
Dog Whispering for 40+ years
© K-9SuperHeroesDogWhispering.com Since 2008

Asia

Asia Moore has been dog whispering for 40+ years, and along with K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team members Jim and Pebbles the dog, offers insights about dog behaviour and psychology and their relationships with their humans! Many humans don’t realize that they could have a much happier life with their canine counterparts. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of behavioral problems because with just a little dog whispering, everyone can live a happy, stress-free life together. ^..^

The post The Role of Exercise: Don’t Blame the Dog – Part #3 appeared first on K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering.

Now that I’ve got your attention – don’t worry…I’m not about to tell you a story about some evil-intentioned human blowing up dogs, although what I am going to chat about in this article certainly could have its own devastating effects.

What I am going to talk about is a problem that is part of all dog ownership and depending on the size of your dog can be a small, medium, or large problem.

Yes, whether we’re talking about dog feces, doggy do-do, doggy poo, scumber (the fancier name), doggy 2’s, or just that plain, old four-letter word – s-h-IT…whatever you call IT, if you have a dog, and you’re not out there picking IT up every day, you may be guilty of creating a problem far worse than you may be aware of.

Do You Pick Up?

As conscientious dog people, we’ve all seen the little or not-so-little dog poop bombs when out walking, and we’ve all most likely silently cursed those who just left it there for us to get all over our shoes.

However, for those of us who are lucky enough to have a lovely backyard for our favourite fur friend to romp about in, this is likely the first place that Fido or Fifi runs to every morning when first waking up, while we’re busy putting on the coffee pot or getting our kids ready for school, or ourselves together for the start of our day.

So, out runs our best friend(s), and what do they do when they get out in the yard and rip around for a few minutes? Yes, that’s right…they leave you a nice doggy poop bomb, water the grass or shrubs, etc., and back they race inside for their breakfast or hopefully a nice walk with you.

What a wonderful life and what could be easier…but wait…this wonderful and easy life is what could be creating a serious problem, because if you’re not being vigilant about taking the time to get out there and pick up the doggy poop bombs every single day, you ARE guilty of creating a health hazard in your own back yard that can eventually have far-reaching hazardous consequences.

For instance, you might not be aware that over two decades ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated pet waste as a dangerous pollutant, right next to oil spills and toxic chemicals.

Why Are Dog Poop Bombs so Dangerous?

Even though you may not live near water, if you don’t pick up your yard every day, unscooped dog poop bombs from your yard will be carried by overland water flow which is then washed into storm drains, ending up in far away streams, rivers, oceans, and groundwater, and if you do live near a water source, this problem is far worse.

Parasitic Infection

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that pet waste can and does spread parasites including hookworm, ringworm, tapeworm, and Salmonella.

For those of us living on Vancouver Island, where it rains a lot, the problem is even more quickly spread, because when infected dog poop comes into contact with your lawn, the dog poop will eventually seem to wash away or “disappear”, however, the hazardous parasite eggs can linger for years!

When a human or animal comes into contact with that soil through everyday activities like walking barefoot, gardening or playing, they risk infection from those eggs, even years after the dog poop bomb is no longer visible.

Do you think your dog cares about where it romps when it’s out in your backyard, or carefully makes sure that it doesn’t accidentally walk through some old dog poop bombs? Wishful thinking.

Consequences of Infection

You may not be aware that as much as we love our favourite fur friends, their waste is teaming with E. Coli and other harmful bacteria including fecal coliform bacteria, which causes serious kidney disorders, intestinal illness, cramps, and diarrhea in humans and when you don’t religiously pick up, you subject your children and yourself to infection.

Just 1 Gram

A very shocking statistic you may not be aware of is that there are 23 million fecal coliform bacteria in a single gram of pet waste!

As well, dog poop bombs often contain roundworm larvae, which can cause blindness. If a human ingests a roundworm larva, it can migrate through the body causing disease to the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, heart, or eyes. This means that when we humans (especially children) touch the soil, dog toys, or anything that has been in contact with dog feces and then touch their mouths, they can become infected.

Consider that if your dog is running about in your yard that has many dog poop bombs that were just left to naturally dissolve, they could be coming back into your home with this on their feet, then pawing you, your bed, their toys, your children’s toys and then you or your children touch your mouth and become infected.

Even a group of teens or adults playing Frisbee or touch football in an open area where someone hasn’t been picking up after their dogs could be putting themselves in danger. Parasitic infections can make humans extremely sick, and for pregnant women, can pose serious harm to their unborn child.

Further, leaving a yard full of dog poop bombs will also attract rodents, such as rats and mice who can spread Salmonella through their droppings and bring with them other diseases, including murine typhus, infectious jaundice, Weil’s Disease, and rat-bite fever.

What About the Condition of Your Lawn?

Besides all the other toxic and smelly health issues dog poop left on lawns can create, dog feces release nitrogen into the soil and can literally ruin your nice, green lawn. While small amounts of feces and urine create dark green patches of grass and noticeably taller grass, large amounts of feces left on the lawn for a long period of time will kill the grass by smothering it as well as leaving “burn” marks on the grass that creates ugly brown spots.

Pick Up Every Day

I think by now you must be really starting to understand that dog poop bombs don’t just “wash away” or disappear and if you’re not disposing of your dog’s waste every day, whether your dog is leaving it’s smelly calling card out in a public park, on the side of a street, or in your own back yard, you’re putting yourself, your family, your dog, your water supply and your environment at risk.

– Asia – Dog Whispering for 40+ years
© K-9SuperHeroesDogWhispering.com [Since 2008]

Asia

Asia Moore has been dog whispering for 40+ years, and along with K-9 Super Heroes Dog Whispering team members Jim and Pebbles the dog, offers insights about dog behaviour and psychology and their relationships with their humans! Many humans don’t realize that they could have a much happier life with their canine counterparts. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of behavioral problems because with just a little dog whispering, everyone can live a happy, stress-free life together. ^..^

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