Transform Dog Training: The Power of Conditioning

Building a strong, harmonious bond with your furry companion hinges on effective communication. Two pivotal principles in dog training are classical and operant conditioning. These psychological cornerstones underlie many training methods, molding behaviors and deepening the connection between humans and their four-legged friends.

Unpacking the Concepts of Classical and Operant Conditioning

Classical and operant conditioning are fundamental concepts that illuminate how behavior is acquired and shaped. Classical conditioning spotlights the associations between stimuli, while operant conditioning delves into the consequences of actions. Not only do these principles aid in understanding animal behavior, but they also have significant relevance in the realm of dog training.

Classical Conditioning: Forging Connections

Classical conditioning involves pairing two stimuli to evoke a specific response. Remember Ivan Pavlov’s dogs and their bell experiment? This classic scenario involves linking a neutral stimulus (the bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (food), resulting in a conditioned response (salivation) triggered by the bell alone.

Translating this into human experiences, consider the sound of a doorbell. In households with young children, the doorbell might signal a visit from a beloved grandparent. Over time, the doorbell sound becomes intertwined with the excitement of seeing family. Just as dogs associate the clicker’s sound with treats, humans also form emotional connections with various stimuli.

Now, let’s apply this to your furry friend. Think of the clicker, emitting a distinct sound. Pairing this sound with treats during training establishes a link between the click and a reward. Eventually, the click alone sparks excitement and anticipation. This technique effectively marks desirable behaviors, reinforcing actions like sitting or staying.

Operant Conditioning: Sculpting Behavior

Operant conditioning shifts the spotlight to consequences, aiming to modify behaviors based on rewards and punishments. B.F. Skinner pioneered this concept. Imagine teaching your dog to sit on command. When your dog sits (desired behavior), they receive a treat (reward), strengthening the behavior. On the flip side, withholding treats for jumping (undesired behavior) discourages such actions over time.

This principle extends to human behavior. Picture receiving a paycheck for completing work tasks efficiently. The financial reward reinforces the behavior of task completion. Similarly, an individual getting in shape through exercise (desired behavior) experiences positive reinforcement in the form of better health and physique.

Operant conditioning encompasses both reinforcement and punishment. Positive reinforcement, such as treats or praise, encourages desired behaviors. Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus after the desired behavior. Conversely, positive punishment introduces an unfavorable stimulus to deter undesired actions, while negative punishment involves withdrawing a positive stimulus, like attention, to curb unwanted behaviors.

Applying Conditioning to Dog Training

These psychological principles wield substantial influence in dog training. Understanding classical and operant conditioning empowers tailored techniques for your dog’s needs.

For example, if your dog feels fearful around visitors, employ classical conditioning. Pair guest arrivals with treats, associating visitors with positive experiences to ease anxiety.

Operant conditioning plays a role in teaching commands. When your dog obeys, promptly reward them. During leash training, offer treats and praise for walking politely without pulling. This links polite behavior with rewards.

Consistency is paramount. Both methods demand patience and repetition for lasting results. Gradually decrease rewards as behaviors solidify, but continue offering praise to uphold positive associations.

In Conclusion: Nurturing the Canine-Human Bond

Understanding classical and operant conditioning deepens your connection with your dog. These principles underscore clear communication and strategic reinforcement. By using classical conditioning to create positive associations and operant conditioning to shape behaviors, you’re laying the foundation for a well-behaved and emotionally balanced companion. As you embark on this training journey, remember that empathy, patience, and consistency are the keys to nurturing a strong bond with your cherished pet.

— Edited by Natural and Artificial Intelligence

Navigating the Tug-of-Wills: Communicating Effectively with Your Dog

Imagine the scene: you’ve prepared a mouthwatering meal and are ready to savor it. As you settle in, your furry companion approaches, catching the delicious scents with its keen sense of smell. Temptation hangs in the air, and your dog gives you an imploring look followed by an adorable sneeze. “Sorry, this isn’t for you,” you kindly inform them. Undeterred, your dog emits a soft bark and gazes at you. You try to focus on your food, but your dog’s restlessness grows, leading to pawing and scratching. Repeating your refusal doesn’t seem to work, as the barking and scratching escalate. Frustration builds, and you reluctantly give in, sharing a piece of your meal. In that moment, an unspoken battle of wills ends, subtly shifting your relationship dynamics.

This scenario sheds light on the psychological tug-of-war we often engage in with our dogs. The one who consistently asserts their intentions tends to become the leader, whether knowingly or not. While tossing a treat to your dog might seem harmless, it carries more weight than you’d think.

As emphasized before, building trust and respect forms the foundation of your relationship with your dog. However, this respect cannot flourish if you frequently cave to their demands. That said, this doesn’t mean withholding all treats; rather, it’s about not appeasing your dog’s desires just to quell their barks or nudges. Giving in only reinforces unwanted behaviors, perpetuating the cycle of barking, whining, or scratching.

So, what’s the solution? How do we communicate our expectations to our canine companions? Through actions—consistent, persistent actions. Verbal language remains largely lost on our furry friends; they’re like tourists in a foreign land when it comes to our words. Thus, we must communicate in a way they inherently understand: through actions. From the very onset of undesirable behavior, we must indicate disapproval and redirect their focus towards the preferred conduct.

In the specific scenario of your dog clamoring for your food, take a stand—literally. Rise and gently guide your dog to a designated spot, such as a mat or bed. Employ herding techniques by positioning yourself in front of your dog and guiding them assertively. By intruding into their space, you assert your position and claim that territory. You can even proactively train them by associating a verbal cue like “bed” or “place” with this action. Repeatedly perform this ritual—guide them away, return to your meal, and, if necessary, repeat the process until your pup respects your boundaries. Once you’ve finished your meal and your dog has remained in their designated spot, you can reward their patience by sharing a portion of your leftovers.

This approach not only addresses immediate behavior but also creates a positive connection between patience and reward. Your dog learns that by adhering to your expectations, they are eventually rewarded with a treat from your meal, reinforcing the desired conduct.

Remember, consistency is key. Establishing this routine over time communicates to your dog where they should be and how they can earn those delectable morsels. This strategy isn’t a quick fix—it requires patience and persistence. Ingraining this communication method helps you tackle various scenarios—mealtime, barking at the door, demanding play, and more.

Mastering this tug-of-wills necessitates practice, commitment, and time. Dogs possess an innate knack for this contest, often seeing it as a delightful game. Yet, by playing your cards right, you’ll reap the rewards—most importantly, your dog’s hard-earned respect.

In conclusion, effective communication transcends words; it’s about consistent actions that convey expectations and boundaries. By navigating these tug-of-wills with patience and determination, you’ll forge a stronger bond with your furry companion while establishing a harmonious dynamic.

Communication

Clear communication is key for any relationship to be successful. To take our own relationships for example, be they familial, platonic, romantic, or business, clear communication is a necessary condition for any of them to thrive. And so, to deal with all the other issues you may encounter with your dogs you will need to know how to best “speak” and “listen” to them. This last part is a vital component of clear communication – it must be bidirectional; you need the ability to clearly convey your intent as well as the ability to read your dog’s.

To pick up on your dog’s intent, you must be observant and attentive. You want to not only observe their behaviors but also objectively decipher the emotion behind them and what environmental stimuli might be creating your dog’s current mindset so that you can respond correctly (if respond at all). Regarding observing behaviors, it is crucial to always look at the whole picture. Do not fixate on one behavior but always zoom out and see it in its full context. For example, dogs growl in a variety of situations – during a game of tug, while playing with another dog, while protecting a resource, and while getting groomed – just to name a few. So, if you just focus in on the growl and assume that growl equals bad, you may very well misread your dog’s message. You need to take a step back and look how the growl fits into the whole picture; what is the environment that the dog is in, is the dog’s body stiff or relaxed, is the tail still or wagging, if it’s wagging is it tense or loose, is the growl a high or low pitch, etc. When you can see all these behaviors in concert, you will be better informed to understand your dog’s true messages.

For the very reason that we are more concerned with the forest than the trees, instead of going over individual behaviors, I think it best to discuss this from the perspective of understanding different common emotional/psychological states and the combination of behaviors that manifest because of each condition. In much the same way that we are always sending out messages, both voluntary and involuntary, about our current state of being, dogs are sending messages as well that we can pick up on. Dogs “speak” for a variety of reasons, all of which I cannot possibly cover. However, some common states include being content, being excited/playful, alerting the pack, being anxious/fearful, and guarding/displaying aggression. Let’s go through this list and see how dogs express each of these emotional communications.

Let’s begin with the state of just being content. Not necessarily excited, but truly enjoying the present moment in a serene state. A content dog, for starters, will either be laying down or lounging – it’s that sit position but where one foot is tucked under the other and they’re sitting on the side of their rump. Their ears will be in a relaxed, neutral position – whatever that may be for your dog. Their eyes will be soft, perhaps even a touch dazed, with their mouth slightly open and the tip of their tongue hanging out for some cool, refreshing air. Overall, they will look very hippy-esque. Regarding vocalizations, during a good stretch or belly rub you may hear some grateful grunts and groans. Overall, you will see a satisfied, calm, and pleasant companion.

While we weren’t necessarily talking about excited dogs above, we are now! Happy and excited dogs! We have all had the pleasure of seeing a dog who simply cannot contain their emotion. Their body is all over the place but loose, with no sign of tension. Their tail is wagging wildly, but still has fluidity to it, no stiffness. If your dog has a docked or short tail, then their rear ends might wiggle to the point where they cannot walk straight. This may be accompanied by repetitive, high-pitched barks trying to engage others into play. Additionally, dogs may take the classic play-bow position, with their head, front legs, and chest on or near the floor, while they stand on their rear legs, butt high in the air, their mouth open, perhaps with a slight pant and their eyes will be wide but soft. When you see a combination of the above behaviors, you are most likely looking at a happy and excited dog.

I purposely used both the adjectives happy and excited to describe the dog above because, as we will see here, you can have a dog who is excited but not necessarily happy. I’m referring to a dog who has sensed a threat, real or not, and is trying to alert the pack to said threat. If you live in an apartment, this is what happens when your dog hears noises in your hallway. If you live in a house, this is what happens when the delivery truck pulls up. If the perceived threat is distant, your dog’s head will perk up with their intense eyes and open ears pointed at whatever they just sensed. You might even hear a forceful, nasal exhale like a bull or a light “woof.” If the threat is closer or approaching, your dog will stand up, as will the hackles on their back and their tail, which may wag in stiff short movements. They will run to or even lunge at the direction of the threat, all while barking incessantly on the medium to high pitch range of the spectrum. Side note – when I talk about higher or lower pitches, this not absolute, it is relative to your dog’s natural voice. A higher pitch bark from a German Shepherd will still be lower than the lowest pitch bark a yorkie can make. While we want to be thankful to our dogs for alerting us to danger, we also want to make sure this doesn’t turn into an unhealthy obsession. Hence, we don’t want to get mad at them, but we do need to step in and help them settle down from alert mode. So, you want to watch out for this type of excited, but not happy, state.

While some dogs go into alert mode when they perceive a threat, other dogs will freeze up and go into a state of anxiety and/or fearfulness. This usually occurs when dogs find themselves in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable situation. The image that comes to mind is one of a dog with its head cowering, sad puppy eyes, and ears pinned back against their head. Typically, their tail will be in the signature tucked position, completely hidden between their legs. However, in some cases of insecure anxiety, as opposed to fear, you may see a tail that is rigidly wagging in a low position. The body will be tense, sometimes to the point of trembling. Occasionally, this will be in conjunction with either heavy panting, lip-licking, drooling or a high-pitched whining. If an anxious dog is approached, they may even give a growl or a quick snap, or they may urinate, to express their level of discomfort with the current circumstances. If you see your dog in such a state, try to figure out what is causing it and go slow with them, but stay composed to help them get through it. You want to be careful not to validate their fears/anxiety by coddling them or becoming anxious as well.

Whether fearful or alert, if a dog feels it has no other choice, say a threat is getting into or near a dog’s personal bubble, especially if there is a valuable resource around (e.g. bed, toy, bone), then you will see a very different state; guarding and/or aggression. In this situation, the dog will go entirely stiff from head to tail, maybe stretching its neck up and out over the resource it’s guarding. The hackles will also raise up and the dog will give a stare of death either with direct, hard eye contact or that side-eye look. Additionally, you may hear a low but audible grumble in conjunction with some snarling. If the threat continues to approach that grumble will quickly turn into deep, guttural barks alongside snapping with teeth fully exposed, sometimes even foaming at the mouth. All these behaviors serve the purpose of letting the threat know that a bite is coming next and, hopefully, preventing a full-on fight. If your dog ever gets into this state, try to remove them or the source of aggression from the situation, and get professional help.

While the emotional/psychological states described here are some of the more common ones, they are certainly not the only ones. However, I think it’s a good foundation of behaviors to start looking out for. Moreover, it helps you to keep in mind to always look at the whole picture. A wagging tail doesn’t always mean happy, and a growl doesn’t always mean angry. Take a step back, try to remove your own emotions from the diagnosis, and simply observe your dog to understand what state they are in. Building this ability to read your dog’s emotions and messages will be fundamental in developing trusting and respectful relationships. Just as fundamental, you will also need to hone your message-sending skills, and that is what I will discuss in the next article.

Setting Boundaries

The Importance and Difficulty of Setting Rules with our Dogs

As a species, we humans create boundaries everywhere. We’ve made boundaries to separate oceans and continents. Within continents, there are boundaries to separate countries. Here in the USA, we have boundaries to demarcate states. Within states, you have counties. Then cities, boroughs, and towns. In any given town you have boundaries between neighborhoods. Within neighborhoods, streets forge the boundaries. On streets, you have separate lots and houses or buildings. If you’re in a building, then you have separate apartments. Whether in an apartment or house, you have boundaries between rooms. Inside rooms, we divide closet space, drawers, and shelves. Down to which side of the bed you and your partner sleep on, we have boundaries. And those are just the physical ones.

We haven’t gotten to the social boundaries we have in our various life roles. You have very different boundaries when it comes to friends versus family. While it may be okay with your friends, it’s probably not a good idea to pants your dad. In work environments, whether you’re interacting with a colleague, subordinate, or boss, will have an enormous impact on how you behave. It may be fine to talk about with your coworker, but you might not want to tell your boss that his toupee is crooked. Even within the groups of family, friends and all the others in your life, your social dynamics and boundaries will vary with each individual. They will even vary with one individual over time. For example, you have a long-time friend you begin a romantic relationship with you and then, a few weeks later, you break up. Each role of friend, romantic partner, and ex comes with its own rules and regulations.

The point being here to illustrate that we have layers upon layers upon layers of boundaries that we have created. However, the one place people seem to have a lot of trouble setting up and keeping boundaries is with their dogs. Why is that? Perhaps it’s boundary exhaustion and we simply cannot establish any more boundaries with anyone else. But that cannot be the case because when that homeless person sat next to me on the train yesterday, I moved immediately. I have another 3 ideas why people have issues creating boundaries with their dogs…dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.  These are the hormones and neurotransmitters that, while being involved in many functions of our bodies, most relevant to my discussion, play a major role in making us feel good.  Dopamine is literally known as the “feel good hormone”. It is used in our brain’s natural reward system to help us learn. Serotonin is associated with regulating anxiety and stabilizing mood. People who are depressed have lower levels of both dopamine and serotonin. And if you would like to up your levels, simply give your dog a good petting. Studies have shown that petting your dog (or any dog for that matter) increases your serotonin and dopamine levels, which explains why dogs make such amazing therapy animals. Side note – petting your own dog increases these hormone levels more so than petting another dog. The other chemical I mentioned above, oxytocin, also known as the “love-“ or “cuddle-hormone,” is one of the major hormones involved in building the mother-infant bond in humans and other animals. It also plays a part in the connection between romantic partners. Oxytocin promotes pro-social behavior including eye contact, empathy, trust and generosity (side note – oxytocin has also been found to play a key role in increasing maternal aggression and other anti-social behaviors with out-group members, indicating that it promotes pro-social behavior with your own group while promoting anti-social behaviors with those perceived as “others”).  Here’s the kicker, our oxytocin levels rise simply from looking into our dog’s eyes, which is what happens when we’re setting boundaries.  When people look at and caress their dogs, they have the same biochemical and neurological response as when they look at and caress their children. And if there’s any other group of wildlings that get away with too many boundary crossings, it is our children. So how do we address this issue? How do we combat these natural feel-good hormones? Conscious effort.

Think about every time you need to let your dog know that you do not like their current behavior in the current context (a.k.a. correcting your dog ). To do that with the proper assertiveness, you have to look your dog in the eyes (assuming they are looking at you). As mentioned above, when you look in your dog’s eyes, your system is being pumped with oxytocin, making you more likely to be empathetic, trusting, and generous. Additionally, we already associate our dogs with feeling good, thanks to the dopamine and serotonin upticks we get from petting them. Knowing this, it is easy to understand and forgive anyone who has issues with correcting their dogs, however it is still our responsibility to teach them that there are rules (not malicious ones, but rules nonetheless) that need to be abided by. To do that, we have to train ourselves to resist the natural response in our hardwiring that makes us more likely to be pushovers with our dogs during the very moment we are trying to draw lines in the sand. You have to talk to yourself in the moment and remind yourself why it is important that you stick to the rules you are trying to put into place. And why is it important you ask?

Well, first, it’s important to stick to it because that is the only way you will ever get the message across to your dog. Consistency, consistency, consistency. This is how we can clearly send our intentions to our dogs. For example, let’s say you are trying to teach your dog to not get on the couch. That means every time she jumps on there, you have to tell her to get off or lead her to the edge until she jumps off on her own (NEVER manually remove the dog from the couch – she must do it on her own for the lesson to be learned quicker). Once she’s off the couch, you must block her from getting on. If she even looks at the couch like she’s about to jump back on, give an assertive audible correction (e.g. “eh-eh”). Then, keep doing this over repeatedly, until she finally gives up and walks away or lays down on the floor. Then, one hour later, you’ll have do it again. Then the next day, you’ll have to do it again. You’ll have to consistently “explain” the rule through your behavior until your dog “gets it,” until that light bulb goes off. This is the first point of significance regarding consistent rules, sticking-to-it-ness.

Secondly, putting rules into place is important because creating a structured world where the actors in it know what the consequences of their actions will be, is conducive to a secure and stress-free life for said actors. This is as true for dogs as it is for people. Imagine if we lived in a land with no laws or rules or codes of conduct. Take a simple act like crossing a busy intersection for example. Except there are no crosswalks, no lane lines on the road, no stop signs, no traffic lights, and no traffic laws to follow. Every person, and vehicle, for themselves. How safe would you feel about crossing there? Would the uncertainty cause you to have anxiety? Would the chaos drive you crazy? This is how some dogs feel in a home with no structure or rules or routines, they don’t know how or when to cross that intersection. I know that the bond between dog and people is a beautiful thing, that’s why I work in this field, but having the perspective that all dogs need is love (via affection, praise, treats, toys, beds, clothes, etc.) does a huge disservice to those we call our best friends. A lot of dogs with anxiety, overexcitement, or aggression issues develop those issues as a result of not being provided with structure. Nobody gave them guidance on how to behave in the world they now live so they had to figure it out on their own (let’s also remember that we took them from their natural family who would have provided this guidance). And for those dogs that didn’t have the natural genetic constitution to figure things out on their own, it caused excessive and constant stress which eventually manifested as anxiety, or overexcitement, or aggression. We need to provide our dogs with structure to help them navigate living, not just in the world at large, but, more specifically, in the human world. It’s like when you take your kids bowling and they put those bumpers to keep the ball from rolling in the gutter. You need to create bumpers for your dog’s life to keep them from the behavioral gutter.

I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Alright already, we get it! It’s important to set boundaries. Geez! What kind of boundaries am I supposed to be setting exactly though?”  Great question! The list of potential boundaries is endless, depending, mostly, on your personal preferences. But let me give a few examples I think are healthy for everyone to follow.

Boundaries with food. Your food is your food, until you decide to share it. Food is a highly valuable resource that belongs to you. It is also difficult to enjoy a meal or a snack with a barking dog jumping all over you. To prevent this situation from occurring do not give nor let your dog take your food while you are eating. Do not let them demand your food via pawing, barking, nipping, etc. (note – calmly sitting and drooling is completely acceptable as long as they aren’t in your space). If you would like to give them some of your food, wait until you are done eating and give them the leftovers away from where you were dining (ideally in their usual feeding place). Remember to be consistent with this rule, as with all others.

Boundaries with space. Your couch, bed, and lap are your couch, bed, and lap. These are also resources that belong to you. There is nothing wrong with letting your dog into your couch, bed, or lap (I personally have always enjoyed a good doggy cuddle session), but you want to invite them into that space. You do not want them to think that those resources belong to them. While this may not be an issue for some, there are dogs who aggressively guard what they perceive as their couch, bed, and lap from any potential pillagers, including their own humans. I’ve heard too many stories about people getting their feet bit in the middle of the night when they dare shift in bed and accidentally touch their dog. And I’ve seen too many dogs who sit on their person’s lap snarling, growling, and snapping at anyone who comes near their zone, including the person whose lap they’re sitting on. As mentioned above, I’m not trying to take these things away from dogs, but I believe it is important that, both, they and you see that bed, couch, and lap as yours. If you want them up there, invite them when they are behaving the way you would like and have a blast! And, of course, remember to be consistent.

Boundaries with other people. Whether walking on the street, or at home, it is common for dogs to get overexcited and joyously jump on anyone that gives them the slightest bit of attention. I’m sure you’ve been on one end or the other of that interaction. Despite some of the people being jumped on saying “I don’t mind, it’s ok,” it’s not ok. It is lack of impulse control and, even in the world of dogs, an inappropriate way to greet someone. It may take time and effort to teach, but it is important that we show our dogs how to calmly greet others. Show them how to earn those people’s attention and affection, which is what they are motivated by in the first place. Note – make sure to let the person that you’re greeting know that they should be calm and composed as well when saying “hello” so as not to exacerbate the excitement. And, as before, remember to be cons-…oh, I think you get it by now.

These are just a few examples of boundaries that you can set up with your dog. There is a myriad more – walking without pulling, stopping at curbs, not barking every time a kid rides by the window on scooter or skateboard, etc. Depending on your home, lifestyle, and preferences, you will have countless opportunities to show your dog the rules of the road.

As a species that naturally creates numerous physical and social boundaries between each other, I believe we have the capability to set some rules with our dogs. But we do have to overcome our hormonal boundary to setting boundaries – the roles that dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin play in making us feel good, generous, and trusting. We can jump these hormonal hurdles through conscious, mindful effort. We have to remind ourselves that creating structure is ultimately beneficial to our dogs and that the only way to create it is with consistency. Admittedly, while this sounds simple, it is not always easy. It takes a lot of patience and persistence, which can be draining, especially if you’ve already had a hard day. However, I believe that, with the right mindset, you can accomplish this goal because the one place you should never put a boundary is on yourself.

Resources:

Montgomery, Sy. “Psychological Effects of Pets Are Profound.” Boston Globe, 12 Jan 2015, https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2015/01/12/your-brain-pets/geoJHAfFHxrwNS4OgWb7sO/story.html

Sapolsky, Robert M. Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. Vintage Publishing, 2018.

Keeping Them Cool

The summer is coming upon us and it is predicted to be a very hot one.   Staying cool during high temperatures is not only important for us, but for our dogs as well.  Our furry friends can experience the same problems in the heat as we can –dehydration, overheating and sunburn.  It is essential that we know how to prevent these issues from occurring.

   Dogs have sweat glands only on their noses and their paw pads, which makes it more difficult for them to cool off in the heat.  Their main mechanisms for regulating overheating are panting, laying on cold surfaces and drinking water.  So, during high temperatures, make sure to always have fresh, cold water for them to drink (Asobu has a good choice for a bottle and bowl combo or you can simply choose a collapsible bowl like this) .  You can also keep some chilled water in a spray bottle and use it to wet their belly and paw pads.  Additionally, ice cubes or some crushed ice make for a great snack on a hot day.

   When taking your dog for a walk, feel the ground with the palm of your hand.  If it’s too hot for your hand, then it’s probably too hot for your dog’s paws – they can burn their paw pads when on that hot of a surface for too long.  Try to keep your walks to the morning and evening hours when it is not as hot out. If you must go out in the afternoon, keep the walk short and try to stay on grass if possible.

  If you take your dog on car rides, then you must remember not to leave them in the car alone without air conditioning or without opening the windows.  The temperature in a car can and will increase dramatically and quickly, which can be dangerous, even life-threatening, for your dog.  If you have to leave them in the car, then carry an extra set of keys.  This way you can leave the car and air conditioning on, as well as lock the car doors.

   One issue that most people probably don’t think of in terms of their dogs is sunburn.  However, it can happen, particularly in dogs with short or shaved hair and dogs with a pale coat.  It usually occurs on the bridge of the nose and tips of the ears.  The belly and the insides of their legs can also get burned.  There are sunscreens on the market made particularly for use on animals (here a good option from Epi-Pet).  If you purchase this product, make sure to read the instructions carefully and be cautious of applying it on areas where your dog can potentially lick it off.

   If you are fortunate enough to have a pool, you can definitely let your dog go for a dip to keep cool.  Just make certain that they are never left unattended or unsupervised around the pool area. If your dog is just learning to swim, you can buy them a life vest to help with the process (check out this great vest from Outward Hound).

   Remember these tips on how to cool your pups off, as they could prevent a serious or even life-threatening condition.  Keep them cool and keep them safe.  Have a great summer!