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"Beyond the 'No': Building better communication with your dog."
"Why positive reinforcement outshines negative responses in training and bonding."

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Diet affects behaviour


Running jokes across social media are that "millennials" are obsessed with treating their dogs as fur babies and that by being obsessed with their nutritional intake we could effectively be harming them. One article the other week by the' Telegraph' headlined its article with,"stop feeding your dogs homemade diets, charity warns". (19).


Reading this article was a waste of time with a misleading headline, it was a clear case of an article space need's filling. What can it be filled with?


With research there are lots of conflicting statistics from blogs and websites written by non researchers that all claim different percentages of diets fed to dogs. All you have to do is pop over to Google to see this for yourself.


There's lots of inflammatory headlines that one type of food is bad for a dog and harmful and again absolutely none of them agree or come from science based research.


Looking at the dog holistically, every single dog is an individual with dietary needs and food preferences, just like humans and there is scientific research to back this up as well as testing foods and changes in dog's based upon different diets.


We also know that diet affects behaviour and this is something that many dog owners (guardians) are becoming acutely aware of but it is still not general knowledge.


All over social media, no matter which one you will quickly find, enriching aesthetic accounts with dog food, people posting all of their dogs meals, people arguing about food for dogs and quality.


This is all irrelevant for this blog; we are simply looking at how diet affects behaviour and not at brands or types of food.


"A dog's behaviour is not only controlled by the environment, but also by genetic, cognitive and physiological factors. (20) Physiological factors in turn can be affected by nutrition. (21)


The brain is full of an amazing communication system and within this communication are neurotransmitters and hormones and both of these components can be affected by the nutrition that a dog receives and when the brain is affected negatively or positively we can see these effects manifest through behaviour.


In looking at the dog's welfare this is why it is so important to ensure that our individual dog is receiving the best possible nutrition that they can receive.


The gut microbiome is the most important area of looking at the dog's diet as this area is needed to remain as undisrupted as possible, a healthy gut microbiome means that the brain communication system should be working well.


When the gut microbiome is affected, the healthy balance is disrupted and many changes can occur such as inflammation, infections and the production of serotonin 90% of which takes place in the small intestine can be affected. (22)


When serotonin is affected, cortisol can rise and the brain can become affected and stop or hinder normal communication and functioning. (Refer back to my brain blog last week). As well as infections and inflammation affecting the dog negatively just as it does in humans. When we have an infection or inflammation we may not be ourselves and our behaviour is altered and sadly this is the same for our dogs.


A study with shelter dogs of the same breed was conducted in Italy alongside a veterinarian behaviourist and a dog handler, 18 dogs were classified as aggressive and 11 fearful and 13 dogs exhibiting normal behaviours and fed them all the same food. They then did a second study and worked with three shelters with different breeds and different food. The results showed that there were marked differences in the gut biome of the dog's with no reported behavioural issues and the dog's reported to have aggressive or fearful traits. (23)


So considering the dog holistically, if we were to work with a cross section of professionals, vets, nutritionists and behaviourists we can then look at the whole dog and have a faecal exam to ensure that the dogs gut is healthy and if it isn't, then work with a nutritionist to get the right balance for the gut biome and work in tandem with a behaviourist to help to change the emotions driving the behaviours. (24)


References


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/01/15/stop-feeding-dog-homemade-pet-food-charity-warns/


Miklosi, A. (2014). Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition. Oxford University Press. Pp. 16


Bosch, G., Beerda, B., Hendriks, W.H., van der Poel, A.F.B., Verstegen, M.W.A. (2007). Impact of nutrition on canine behaviour: current status and possible mechanisms. Nutrition Research Reviews, vol. 20, pp.180-194.


Harju, C. (2016) Epsilon Archive for Student Projects, Welcome to Epsilon Archive for Student Projects - Epsilon Archive for Student Projects. Available at: https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/ (Accessed: January 23, 2023).


Tizard IR, Jones SW. The microbiota regulates immunity and immunologic diseases in dogs and cats. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. (2018) 48:307–22. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2017.10.008


Mondo, E. et al. (2020) Gut microbiome structure and adrenocortical activity in dogs with aggressive and phobic behavioural disorders, Heliyon. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6994854/ (Accessed: January 24, 2023).

Being calm is really important for both your optimal health and for your dog's optimal health and development. Especially when we consider the sensory sensitivities of dogs and how this can impact them from day to day.

Creating a safe and comforting space for your dog can be so beneficial for your dog and for you! Building safe spaces for my dogs throughout the home is a kind of cathartic experience. Ensuring in each room that they have the opportunity to relax, feel safe and comfortable and focusing on creating really nice spaces in rooms such as the living room and bedroom and the craft room.

The craft room has the backdoor so the dogs have both the opportunity to go outside and fully relax in this room, they can take themselves away from the business of the home and relax or play outside or they can also relax upstairs or in the living room.

You can make a basic space or you can really go all out, for example the dogs love watching TV and cartoons, so they have disney - stitch themed everything, mostly for myself and my personality but I feel that by working on a theme for them, that it kind of reflects the effort and the love and care put into these projects for them.

Many people worry you need a big house to do this, but I don't have a big home and I have just incorporated spaces within the rooms that I do have which gives them lots of choice and space. Sometimes we all just want our own space to a degree don't we?

As well as a dog bed, toys and blankets I also made home made wax melts with lavender, chamomile and clary sage for soothing aromatherapy for them, we also use pet remedy diffusers (I'll drop a discount code in for you at the end).
They also have a TV, white noise machine, radio and fairy lights, so you can make the space as elaborate or basic as you like, you choose if you want to have a theme or if you want the space to match the aesthetic of your decor. There is no right or wrong way to build a space as long as you feel your dog is comfortable!

This is so important to ensure that if your dog has a negative experience they can decompress over the next few days with choice of freedom of movement and choosing where they feel safest to enter into deep sleep, rest and recover from the experience whilst the hormones and brain chemicals are levelling back out.

Exploring any environmental triggers within the home is important to ensure your dog can truly relax. If there are construction workers at home, or a neighbours the noises and smells can often cause some dogs distress, neighbours who utilise bark machines can cause dogs distress and interfere with them being able to relax, dogs next door and barking, growling etc from the dog(s) next door can also trigger your dog's, loud traffic and so on.

When we identify these triggers we can then do our best to eliminate them, but of course not everything is within our control, if you find your dog is barking from the window, window privacy film can really help in blocking out visual triggers.

If your dog is affected by environmental sounds, playing a white noise machine and a radio simultaneously can help them to not hear the environmental sounds.

If your dog is affected by a dog challenging them through the fence for example, adding a secondary perimeter away from the neighbours fence, with a second fence or bushes or an additional perimeter based on your budget can also help your dog in reducing stress for them. You can also make a sensory garden for them within the new perimeter.

Sometimes being within the situation like any situation is that you don't always consider all of the different triggers, this can be because of the stress, because you're in the situation and tired and we all benefit from a fresh pair of eyes and perspective concerning stressful situations.

Utilising enrichment within these spaces can also really help them to decompress and shake off the negative emotions from the negative experience, enrichment can aid nervous or anxious dogs in building confidence and optimism and enrichment is just fun and stimulating too.

But enrichment like anything in dog training can be misunderstood. This is because every dog is individual and unique and not all dogs will enjoy the same benefits from any one type of enrichment.

A recent study found that stuffed food enrichment wasn't as impactful for military working dogs on changing their behaviour or meeting their welfare needs when it came to behaviour. Gaines. S.A, et al (2008).

Studies have also found that for some dogs food enrichment does help with reductions in barking and stress and other studies have found that social interaction when the human is involved in the enrichment shows that dogs had greater sociability, decreased cortisol concentrations and increased relaxation. Belpedio. C, et al. (2010).

Researchers looked into assistance dog's within an office setting and how enrichment affected their behaviour following different types of enrichment. The behaviours that they wanted to examine was a reduction in stress and barking and if enrichment provided relaxation and less anxious behaviour such as waiting for a noise to alert to.

This included stuffed food items, human involved enrichment, and a bubble machine. The findings were that although the dogs are and appeared to enjoy the stuffed food items, the greatest changes in the behaviour were from the bubbles which also included scent as the bubbles were bacon flavoured and human interaction enrichment such as tug or enrichment games played with the human. Hunt, R.L., Whiteside et al, (2022).

So it's much better to engage in a variety of enrichment activities to help a dog to meet their biological needs and as a dog owner (guardian) see marked changes in behaviour over all.

I have worked with many people who share that their dog doesn't like food stuffed enrichment or isn't food motivated and this is completely valid and understandable.

Many times a dog isn't food motivated in 9 out of 10 of these cases because the dog has separation anxiety and is simply too anxious and stressed to eat when in this state, just like us,or there are visitors in the home or there are noises that are causing the dog to feel unsettled.

But there are things that can be done to help a dog with feelings of anxiety for whatever reasons, such as a tailored separation anxiety plan as generalised behaviour advice doesn't work for every dog because of all dogs being individuals.

Enrichment can be done as a part of a dog's daily routine and bringing down cortisol levels, which can help our dog's to have healthier and more enriched lives.

So if you are struggling with your dog feeling uncomfortable with visitors, the neighbours dog, not being able to monitor your dog whilst occupied with work or other activities, resource guarding issues etc, setting up a Doggy Enrichment Land really can be a huge game changer for the whole family and benefit your dog in a multifaceted way! Michaels. L. (2022)

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References

1. Gaines, S.A.; Rooney, N.J.; Bradshaw, J.W. The effect of feeding enrichment upon reported working ability and behavior of kenneled working dogs. J. Forensic. Sci. 2008, 53, 1400–1404.
2. Belpedio, C.; Buffington, L.; Clusman, S.; Prete, F.; Sadler, A.; Whittemore, L.; Mungre, S. Effect of Multidog Play Groups on Cortisol Levels and Behavior of Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) Housed in a Humane Society. J. Appl. Compan. Anim. Behav. 2010, 4, 15–27.
3. Hunt, R.L., Whiteside, H. and Prankel, S. (2022) Effects of environmental enrichment on dog behaviour: Pilot study, MDPI. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/2/141/htm#B25-animals-12-00141
4. Michaels, L. (2022). The do no harm dog training and behavior handbook: Featuring the hierarchy of dog needs. Do No Harm Dog Training. PP. 262 - 270

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Muzzle shaming needs to stop!!
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Many people have a dim view of muzzles and think that a dog wears a muzzle because they are dangerous and or a bite risk. This is simply not the case, muzzles keep you and your dog safe from others, if they are emotionally challenged and or a bite risk to humans or animals. Muzzles are also used to prevent scavenging, this is one of the major causes of dogs needing to go to the vets.

If we break down the behaviour and understand the emotionally challenged dog is not a bad dog, anymore than someone with anxiety then we can appreciate that a dog growling or snapping is not a bad dog but a dog who needs emotional healing. Link to a quick summary: https://www.facebook.com/share/f187GkeQfiT4dyhe/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Dog to dog altercations or dog to human altercations in public can be hugely reduced by using a muzzle, this protects the dog and others, but the label that a muzzled dog shouldn't be out in public is ridiculous. I appreciate dog guardians who muzzle their dogs for my dogs, myself and others safety. This is how we should be viewing muzzles for emotionally challenged dogs.
Assumptions also need to stop as to why another dog is wearing a muzzle because unless we ask, we don't know. Many dogs wear muzzles because they have a habit of eating food on the floor which can also risk their life in many cases.

Using collaborative care and games can make muzzles a fun experience for dogs, so that they consent, have agency and are not afraid nor uncomfortable in the muzzle.

Using the muzzle in games and in the home on a regular basis when it isn't used a lot is a great way of building and maintaining a positive relationship with the muzzle as many dogs can find the muzzle uncomfortable or a predictor for a stressful situation.

Desensitisation to muzzle training can take quite a bit of time and it can be a good idea to begin muzzle training using a cup with treats in, first placed on cue than a muzzle itself, just to help your dog get used to the idea of something being around their muzzle and pairing this with a good experience.
I have made a series on muzzle training which you can access here for free. I began the process with a tupperware tub as I didn't have a cup big enough and we also play Muzzle games to build excitement for the muzzle so they are never uncomfortable with the muzzle. These are all available on our Youtube channel: Mutts & Mischief.

There are absolutely fantastic muzzle manufacturers such as the Muzzle Movement and the Muzzle Shop, they will also help with the correct sizing and fitting so that your dog is comfortable and has plenty of pant room.

Regardless of breed, all dogs should be muzzle trained, in the event of an emergency as a first aid canine instructor we are taught to muzzle an injured dog with a makeshift rope because dogs in pain can bite no matter how docile they are, which is why some vets will insist on a muzzle because many vets are afraid of dogs.

It is much nicer for the dog to have experienced fun wearing a muzzle and desensitisation should the need ever arise for the use of a muzzle, rather than a traumatic experience of wearing a muzzle when they are already scared and or in pain.

If you are fearful of people commenting because your dog is wearing a muzzle, you shouldn't be as dogs wear a muzzle for lots of reasons and not just BSL laws. This can be due to preventing the risk of consuming potentially dangerous or toxic items on the floor or to prevent poop eating from the same or other species. They maybe wear a muzzle as a preventative if the guardian is worried that their dog could potentially bite another dog or a person, they can be used for the vets and in times of unwellness and they can also be used at the groomers.

You can also get vests for your dogs or lead slips that ask for space or state your dog is in training which can quickly change the conversation. You can get these from Yellow Dog UK which is a registered charity and they have a legal team too which means that their products are within the bounds of the law, no matter who says anything whilst you are on a walk, such as “you are declaring your dog is aggressive”, which is absolutely not the case you are asking for space and for the space to be respected, they also do great materials such as posters, leaflets, stickers so you can educate others also.

Unfortunately I have seen many reports lately of dog attacks and muzzles not being utilised, which is dangerous both for the victim, the dog and the guardian. Ultimately the dog pays the price and if not given a destruction order from court, most likely there will be a proviso destruction order like a suspended sentence for a human. Where the dog is placed on probation if you will, in which the guardian of the dog is solely responsible.

If you have a dog (as not all dogs that are legally required to wear a muzzle are on the banned breed list) who is emotionally challenged, follow along over the next couple of weeks for education and tips!

All animals can learn without pain, fear and intimidation, no animal needs to endure pain and or fear from humans, especially in the name of training and behaviour modification. The world can be scary enough for them with naturally occurring stimuli, they can feel pressure from the environment and social situations. If you care about animals, why would you want to intentionally hurt them?
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Image description: orange background with paler circles, a brown leaf to the top left and bottom right with yellow veins. There is a tiger with a mouse on his head to the back of the image, a brown bear sat in front, with a cream and grey Wolfdog in front of the bear, a parrot flying overhead which is based on a Scarlet Macaw, a baby gorilla covering his eyes at the front and a green Clicker with a blue handle. The text reads: We can all learn without pain, fear and intimidation. Can you teach without it?

The tools that we choose to use to walk our dogs are really important, tools can absolutely have a positive or negative effect on our walk, based on how the tool is making our dog feel. As well as either negatively or positively impacting your dog’s emotional and physical health and wellness.
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When discussing tool usage with guardians, many guardians shudder at the thought of using a prong, an e collar, a choker or tightening harness. But what many guardians do not consider is that utilising a collar, a halti or a restrictive harness can impact how your dog feels and also control the type of walk experience that you are about to have or do have.

However as dog professionals we have a duty of care to help guardians and not vilify them, if we meet guardians with judgement straight away the guardian is going to defend themselves as human nature dictates, we could then seriously harm this relationship and furthermore contribute to the negative welfare for the dog.

Flat collars are just as restrictive as a prong collar, choke collar or slip lead in that they can impede the airway. A friend's dog, before I knew her, dogs' oesophagus collapsed and needed emergency life saving surgery due to using a flat collar.
We also need to be mindful that halti’s and figures of 8 devices do have a collar component to them as well as the strap across the muzzle.

A guardian surmised this perfectly: “Until I knew about Truelove Harnesses, I felt the only way I could walk my dog was with a halti for fear of being pulled over. I never enjoyed using it and did wonder about the damage it could potentially cause.” Please refer to this blog on haltis.

I would like to clarify as well. I am a full time wheelchair user and I also have arthritis in my shoulders and very limited feeling or sensation in my hands. I use Y Front Harnesses. You can check out my previous blog on Head halters or haltis - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/KLXwMvTgN7KLSaDS/?

Nottingham Trent University investigated the force and the pressure from a collar on the dog’s neck, they wanted to explore how collars can negatively impact dogs' health and wellness. They did not test the force on a dog due to the ethical implications and safety and well being of a dog, but instead used a cylinder with sensors and pressure points.

They tested a wide range of collars, including the slip lead, wide fitting collars and padded collars. They found that all of the collarsa could cause risk of injury to the dog, they exerted the force of 40 newtons onto the cylinder, which was classified as a firm pull, a strong pull at 70 newtons and a jerk which was 141 newtons. (Newtons is the range of measured force).

There was no collar used in the test which was considered that harm would not or could not be caused by. They also found that extension leads provided the force of the jerk measurement, when the lead abruptly stopped which was equivalent to not only a jerk but also a correction to the dog.

Thanks to the Nottingham Trent University study we now know of the damage that flat collars can do, researchers have also found is that if we look at the area in terms of diameter and circumference of the dogs neck and collar, this is a small contact area when we change this observation from a flat collar to a prong collar it is a much smaller contact area digging into the skin causing skin and nerve damage. (1)

Guardians also reported that their dogs coughed and hacked whilst using these devices, which reports to the researchers the hypothesis of the neck injuries which can be sustained from using these devices. (2)

It was also found that the pulling on these devices caused intraocular damage (eyes), they also found that this was higher during periods of pulling due to the valsalva manoeuvre, which means tightening of the glottis (the area between the lungs and the vocal tract), so airflow is completely cut off. It was found in humans when this is repeatedly done that there is an extreme loss of the field of sight, which they believe is the same result for dogs. (4)

Pulling on the collar and lead has been shown to increase the risk of permanent tracheal, laryngeal, oesophageal and ophthalmic damage in all dogs, and a much higher risk in brachycephalic breeds. (3)

I just want to reiterate that I am not sharing this information to upset anyone but to raise awareness of the damage that these tools can do, there are many injuries in which dogs attend the vets due to these devices and like any major injury the damage can be critical and life changing.

So if we explore harnesses, it is really important when selecting a harness that the harness is well fitting to your individual dog.

Chest strap harnesses have been found to impede shoulder and thoracic limb extension. This was done by measuring the dog’s gait. Gait analysis is used on both humans and animals to measure the kinetic and kinematic measurements. Kinetic is measured by measuring ground reaction forces, from the foot going to the ground using force platforms. Kinematic is measured by the position and body orientation segments or bony landmarks of the linear and angular velocities and accelerations and joint angles being determined. (4)

Linear motion is the motion of moving along a straight path and then measured in units of length, angular motion is the circular motion of objects at a fixed axis and the associated variables are measured in radians or degrees.

Researchers also hypothesised from their findings that prolonged use of repeated strain of a chest strap harness could cause tendinopathies which is damage to the tendons, tiny tears form, this can cause chronic, intermittent or unilateral lameness. (5)
It was also found through the research that the secure attachment and the type of attachment p[layed a role in guardians ease, enjoyment and ability to walk their dog on a loose lead, with little to no pulling. Guardians who walked their dogs regularly also reported that they felt that they had a strong attachment to their dog, whereas it was found that using aversive equipment weakened the attachment between guardian and dog as an indirect outcome. (6)

So when we look at an emotionally challenged dog not only do they have to contend with the environment and triggers, but they are also having to work with the equipment being used on them, now we have looked at various tools at length and the outcomes, it is time to consider how this can be damaging to a dog.

They may already be in a state of fight or flight which means that their muscles are tense, the brain is working at a very high speed sending information throughout their body and then we add the pain and the uncomfortability of the use of an aversive tool.
The dog could possibly redirect due to the pain and the triggers, this is when a dog could potentially bite their guardian, if their communications are not heard and acted upon, another dog or someone in their personal area that they can reach, this is not a bite aimed at anyone this is sheer frustration and fear of the situation that they are in, in an attempt to flee.

We also see dogs fighting the lead, this is also a sign of frustration, normally exhibited when the dog feels all of their other communications have been ignored, grabbing on the lead and the guardian pulling may feel like a game of tug to the dog. But due to the complexities of the dog's body and potential for injury it is much better to take a tug on a walk and redirect from the lead. Playing tug properly can help them with their feelings of anxiety and frustration. (7)

Many guardians do not see this behaviour as a game but disobedience and they become frustrated by the behaviour which depending on the guardian can lead to a correction. Consider instead taking out a favourite tug toy as a secondary rewarding reinforcer. This is not a cure to the frustration or the feelings of helplessness but this can be a communication tool between you both for your dog to help you to understand it is time to retreat and go home.

If your dog is doing this indoors, a vet check is needed, ask someone to record the behaviour or set up your phone in an area it can view but not get knocked over, also ask someone to video your walks, the vet can then analyse what is happening to the dog physically or refer you onto a canine chiropractor or hydrotherapist. You can also book a chiropractor or hydrotherapist yourself and just give the referral forms they give you to the vet receptionist. The chiropractor or hydrotherapist may even do this for you, but they will talk you through the process at your first appointment.

Every part of the anatomy has a purpose and a role to play, the muscles in the neck surround the vertebrae completely. This muscle's purpose is to provide flexibility and movement within the neck and head as well as protection for nerves and nerve impulses travelling to and from the brain.

When a collar is tightened on a dog the muscles become bruised, the damaged muscle fibres then shorten as they go through a self healing process. During this process however the muscles are drawing the vertebrae of the neck closer together, compromising the gaps between the vertebrae and impinging structures, this can result in devastating effects on the major nerves and vessels in the region. (Please refer to the anatomy diagrams for specific injuries and locations).

If a dog were on a collar and pulled sideways this would be a whiplash injury in a human. This type of force is too much for the dog's neck, this can leave the dog with chronic and repetitive whiplash pain.

Everything that a dog does with their body for movement is controlled by the neck, the neck has to be mobile and flexible working in tandem with the dogs shoulders, working together they allow the dog to turn and coursing ability. When they are damaged by a collar or a poorly fitted harness this can not only impact the dogs mobility but also their physiology.
If the dog's neck is injured or damaged then just like us humans, their posture will also be altered, this can further affect the internal organs as you can see in the diagram.

When the dog pulls on the lead, the lower back is affected in the lumbar region. Both in a rapid and chronic way, the changes may not be visible immediately and there could be other symptoms which bring about a diagnosis without the neck even being addressed, whilst more damage is being done by the dog pulling on the collar.

Due to the shapes and sizes of our dogs there is no harness yet manufactured where it is one size fits all, harnesses that are well fitted are much less likely to chase any damage, ill fitting harnesses can do damage as well as harnesses with the strap across the chest due to impacting the gullet and the windpipe, these injuries can also further damage the tongue.
The harness straps over the shoulders need to float over the body so as not to damage or restrict the shoulders, front strap harnesses also damage the shoulders and can alter gait.

The strap of the harness must be set on the ribs and not under the forelimb as this can cause rubbing and affect major neurological junctions. A neurological muscular junction is the synaptic connection between the terminal end of a motor nerve and a muscle. It is a site for transmission of action potential from nerve to muscle.

Action potentials are the changes in the electrical potential in a cell. For example, when you smell a scent such as food the olfactory neurons fire action potentials as a response.

The buckles and fastenings should also be fitted properly and not rubbing or bouncing on the back, this can make the back feel sore and irritated. (7)

Incorrect biomechanics of the dog's musculoskeletal structure can lead to the loss of joint confirmation and function leading to abnormal wear which can cause inflammation and arthritic conditions.

Biomechanics is the study of forces acted on and generated within the body, and the effects of these forces on tissues, fluids or materials, used for diagnosis, treatment or research purposes, this is exploration of the locomotion of the body, the biological occurrences within the body and especially focusing upon the musculoskeletal elements of the body.
(Physically the areas of damage which can occur to dogs with the use of collars, chokes, slips, haltis, e collars and poorly fitted harnesses are as follows.

The supraspinatus muscle can suffer tendinopathy, a condition in which the tendon becomes painful and has a limited range of motion. The supraspinatus muscle is a part of a muscle group which forms the rotator cuff, it is the smallest of the group of 4 muscles, which includes the rotator cuff of the shoulder joint. (From someone with arthritic shoulders, it is a daily struggle with the pain and the use, let alone walking on them, running on them and needing them for all of my movement needs, which is how dog;s differ from us and suffer more as a consequence.

There can also be damage to the infraspinatus muscle, this is another muscle within the group of four, this muscle is also a part of the rotator cuff, their role is to stabilise the glenohumeral joint, this is the ball and socket joint of the shoulder. (9)
It has also been found that there can be injury to the biceps, the biceps are a large muscle situated between the front and the upper arm. This muscle rotates the forearm and flexes the elbow. In Latin this muscle is known as the ‘two headed muscle of the arm.’

Infraspinatus myopathy is a uni or bilateral fibrotic myopathy of the Infraspinatus muscle which is normally a secondary trauma. With this injury we will see acute lameness, pain, and swelling within the shoulder area. Acute conditions are a severe and sudden onset, acute lameness means an inability to use a limb properly due to injury, illness, sprain, break or dislocation. (10) (11)

Myopathy refers to a generalised term of any disease that affects the muscles that control voluntary movement in the body.
Forelimb gait and lameness issues are a result of medial shoulder syndrome caused by repetitive microtrauma to multiple elements of the shoulder joint. Medial is the inner area of the shoulder and medial shoulder syndrome is when the area is overworked, which leads to degeneration of the tissue, which can further develop into fraying, disruption and eventually complete breakdown. (12)

When damage to the muscles occur, much like when we go to the gym or for a run, micro tears develop in the muscle which is seen as damage that the body will repair and also make the muscle stronger. However, the micro tears can lead to partial tears. Partial tears means that the tear has further torn the tendon, but does not specify dimensions. Partial tears can heal with the proper care and rehabilitation. If a full tear occurs, surgical intervention will be necessary. (13)

Dystrophic mineralisation which is the deposition of calcium salt in degenerated tissues can also occur, with this process the tissue is either necrotic (dead) and cannot be repaired due to the lack of blood flow to the tissue. Tissues can also go through this process when they degenerate, degeneration means that the condition such as osteoporosis is only going to get worse. This condition is mostly associated with trauma, inflammation and infection.

Chronic tenosynovitis of the shoulder usually occurs in middle aged dogs but can be diagnosed in young dogs of any breed, dogs seem to show an intermittent to constant Forelimb lameness which is further worsened by exercise.
Tenosynovitis is repeated injury to the biceps tendon, acute severe trauma and chronic osteochondritis dissecans of the shoulder joint. (14)

Changes in the biomechanics can potentially cause adverse pressures in the caudal anatomy which may exacerbate or hasten any conditions the dog is already predisposed to. Caudal means the lower end of the spine, tail and limbs. (15)
This can cause severe dysfunction, pain, referred pain, pins and needles, numbness in the paws which can result in chewing and licking behaviours of the paws. Referred pain means that there is pain occurring in one area of the body but the injury is actually somewhere else within the body, the common occurrences of referred pain are self mutilation of the paws even though the pain is elsewhere. (16) (17)

We discussed earlier, how tissues can become necrotic or degenerate due to the lack of blood flow, as can be seen in the diagrams, the blood flow can be cut off which essentially kills tissues within the dogs body. The blood flow to the brain can also be impacted by the tightening of a collar, which also impacts normal hormonal delivery which can catastrophically damage the eyes, ears and nose. (18)

The trachea and oesophagus are at risk also and are not well protected, we can see enlargement of the oesophagus and lack of muscle tone. Collapsed tracheas are also not an uncommon concern from the collar due to the pressure forcing a collapse.
The jugular vein and carotid artery can cause poor health around the head when they experience trauma or obstruction, the blood, nerve and energy flow to the dogs brain is vital, use of a flat collar, prong collar or electric shock collar can damage the vein and artery, again affecting dogs longevity of life.

The thyroid gland is located exactly where the collar puts pressure on the front of the neck, which can reduce thyroid hormone production due to the inflammation of the thyroid and by communicating that inflammation needs to be removed from the body.

The neck is the most critical region for balance, impulsion and flexibility. It is not just the neck that can become damaged but as a result of the damage to the neck, can further impact the rest of the body and create systemic issues. Systematic issues affect the endocrine system, which includes a complex network of glands and organs. (19)

The endocrine system is a group of tissues, richly supplied with blood, that release hormones into the circulation of the body, they can aid with nutrient uptake, to alter cell division and differentiation. (20)

The dog's tongue can also be hugely affected by collars, the dogs tongue is not just for taste and licking, the tongue is a vital muscle which is essential for the dog's balance, if the tongue becomes damaged the entire of the dog's balance can be affected.

The parasympathetic nervous system is also affected, this system is meant to lower arousal in dogs and calming them, this is done by slowing the heart rate, breathing rate, lowering blood pressure, promotes digestion and brings the body into a state of relaxation.

One of the responses of the parasympathetic nervous system consists of the working of the optic nerve to constrict the pupils, during rest, the glossopharyngeal nerve is activated, stimulating the flow of saliva to aid digestion and activates the bronchi to constrict for rest.

The parasympathetic nervous system is a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system integrated into the vagus nerve and regulates bodily functions outside of voluntary control. The parasympathetic nervous system begins at the brain and travels out throughout the body to the organs for quick communication. These organs include the lungs, liver, kidney, bladder and stomach.

The vagus nerve affects most of the body and retains trauma. We work with the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system to heal many areas of the body. The areas in which the vagus nerve controls such as the immune system, digestion and heart rate are involuntary body actions in which we cannot control, damage to any of these areas of the body are extremely worrying.(21)

The thymus is also affected and is another crucial organ for developing cells which fight off foreign cells that enter the body, the thymus is most active for puppies whilst the immune system is building, puppies don't know how to walk with any kind of restriction until they do learn and the thymus can be massively damaged during this time by a collar and can impact life longevity.

We often see puppies first scratching at their collar as they get used to the collar, we then typically see the puppy fighting with the lead and playing tug with it, we then see the puppy not understanding the radius of the lead and the collar can cause a snap back effect which is going to cause a lot of damage. This is why it is best to allow your puppy to wear a free range of movement harness from the start and also use a house line, a house line is very long and very thin, light lead this is NOT tethering, house leads allow the puppy to acclimate to the lead, doesn’t experience any jerks or corrections if properly supervised and the guardian gets to the lead before it could potentially get stuck under furniture.

Harness desensitisation is really important, this is to ensure your dogs comfortability and that the harness is the correct fittings so that they are not impeded in their movement and or injured. https://youtu.be/D3c5HeSrmK8?si=-jL3vWUJEtTb3A3b
Play with the harness and lead for trauma or pain related desensitisation after all clear: https://youtu.be/oOkonHEwbLU?si=NRxnvHjsUkZ7sj77

When your puppy is desensitised to the feel of the lead being attached to them in the home with the long line and you are ready to go outside, going up and down a few yards within a few repetitions using high value food and verbal reassurance and communication can really help your puppy to engage with you on a walk to avoid pulling, when Zombie pulled ahead I communicated with him, he turned back had a treat, then continued to check in due to the reinforcement. https://youtube.com/shorts/L1SrHikOYHM?feature=share

************************************Trigger warning, discussion of morbid outcome, please stop reading if you will be affected by the information. **********************************************



When people say that chokers don’t hurt, it's just a tug, a prong is just a pinch and an e collar is just a tickle, it is important to remember we do not have the statistics of the number of fatalities of dog’s killed by these devices either immediately due to the trauma or later due to the internal trauma and prolonged illness. I do not share the following information to scare anyone but be totally honest about my research findings, the next paragraph is a hard read.

It has been found that a year old German Shepherd was choked in the air for 60 seconds due to “misbehaving” during training. Four hours later finally the dog is taken to the vets, he is suffering with neurological damage and walking in circles, due to the lack of oxygen to the brain it was found that the brain and brainstem were compressed and herniated due to the lack of oxygen. So sadly the dog had to be euthanized as he could not survive this.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog and have a deeper or maybe even new understanding of why we as dog professionals constantly talk about tools and the impact that they can have on dogs. We are not commissioned to encourage you to buy Y Front harnesses or Tellington ttouch harnesses, we encourage you to do this to keep your dog happy and as healthy as possible and reduce the risks of injury either externally or internally.

So coming back to vet checks, when we encourage you to have a Vet check, all of the above is why, because we need the dog to have a thorough check to know absolutely that there is nothing going on internally which could affect their behaviour.
If we work with a dog without asking about a veterinary appointment and intervention, we are not doing our jobs correctly and doing yourself and your dog a disservice. If you have friends or family who need help with their dog and there has been a behaviour change especially, please encourage them to go to the vets first!

References

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