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Hello everyone! Welcome to Mighty Mutts!
This week we’re talking about separation anxiety and whether a dog’s diet can affect his or her personality. This issue includes some ways to calm your dog while you’re away so any destructive behaviour gets nipped in the bud. You’ll also read about some tips on how to make sure your dog is getting all the nutrition they need for a well-balanced personality!
The Mighty Mutts kitchen also has a great Easter treat recipe that your dog is sure to love!
And of course, Pablo has some things to tell his furry friends out there.
-Enjoy!
Don’t keep us a secret – share this with another large breed dog owner: mightymutts.beehiiv.com
Pablo’s Ponderings
When Brandon puts my glow collar on at night, I know it’s time for a walk 🙂
Hello all of my furry friends! Oh I’m so excited - all of my favourite people are coming this weekend and I can’t wait! I am going to get so much attention, and I’m gonna get to play and jump and run, and…sigh - it’s going to be heaven 🙂 Of course, mom said I’ll get some ham and some vanilla ice cream and maybe some other treats too.
Do you guys do anything special for Easter? Send me pictures of you and your hoomans, I’d love to see them!
Stay safe and warm my furry friends, I’ll see you next week! Happy Easter.
--Pablo
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Does Your Dog Have Separation Anxiety?
Does your dog have separation anxiety? Or do you look at you as you walk out the door and say, ‘see you when you get home hooman’ and go back to sleep? The truth is, most dogs have some sort of separation anxiety; some worse than others. So how do you know? Here are some signs:
destructive behaviour when you’re away: do your favourite shoes now have holes in them? Is there garbage or toilet paper strewn about? Are things knocked over?
House accidents: even the most house-trained dog can mess in the house if he’s feeling anxious, nervous or upset.
Whining/howling when you’re gone: you may not have heard it but your neighbours did, and they won’t hesitate to tell you about it.
Signs of distress: pacing, drooling and panting while you’re getting ready to go.
Dogs know when you’re about to leave the house because they pick up on cues, like:
turning the tv or radio off
putting your shoes and coat on
grabbing your keys and phone
Pablo can be anywhere in the house fast asleep but as soon as he hears me go into the closet for my coat, he knows I’m leaving and he starts to whine and pace as though he’ll never see me again!
He never used to be that way; in fact he was used to being left alone. His previous owners both worked 12 hours a day and he was cooped up in a small apartment all day (that’s part of the reason they re-homed him). Anyway, he’s now used to me being home 90% of the time and he’s quite content as long as someone is with him. So now he doesn’t like to be alone for even five minutes.
So what to do about it?
Luckily there are things that can ease separation anxiety. Here are a few tips:
desensitize the cues: grab your coat/purse/shoes - but don’t go anywhere
if the anxiety is severe, ask your vet about anti-anxiety medication
avoid dramatic goodbyes or long greetings when you get home
provide special treats or puzzle games only when you’re leaving
a tired dog is a calm dog. Take them out for a walk before you go
make the departures gradual - start by leaving them for 5 minutes, then 10, then longer so they get used to you not being there
NEVER punish your dog for their destructive behaviour or their anxiety. This will only stress them out more. Talk to your vet if you have any concerns or the anxiety worsens or is severe.
Can Diet Affect Your Dog’s Behaviour?
Think back to a time when your diet hasn’t been the best - maybe too much junk food, processed food, or not enough food. How was your mood? You were probably irritable, lacked energy, uninterested in daily activities, and probably feeling generally unwell.
Could the same be true for dogs? Research and experts seem to suggest that YES a poor diet can definitely have an effect on your dog’s behaviour.
Big dogs, in particular, need two particular types of protein in order to keep them healthy and happy.
From the bigdogspetfood.com site:
When it comes to behaviour, two of the key amino acids our dogs need are tryptophan and tyrosine. Tryptophan is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which plays a role in mood and can influence behaviours such as anxiety, stress, fear, and aggression. Animals who consume diets with suboptimal levels of tryptophan have been shown to have increased anxiety and instances of aggression.19
Tyrosine has been shown to have a beneficial effect on aggression and stress in animals.20 Tyrosine is also an important component of thyroid hormone production. As such, reduced dietary intake can negatively impact thyroid hormone production and contribute to behavioural issues such as aggression.21 Tryptophan and tyrosine can be found in a variety of protein-rich foods, including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products.
The site also lists a chart of the highest quality foods to feed your dog:
A note on Carbs:
Highly processed carbs that are present in most commercial dog food can lead to the following behavioural problems:
Hypersensitivity to normal everyday stimuli
Uncooperative and disobedient behaviour
Hyperactivity and lack of focus
Whole foods like fruits and vegetables are a much better option. You don’t have to cut out all carbs entirely, but smaller portions and more frequent feeding may avoid the ‘sugar rush’ that affect us humans too!
Visit the website for more information on how to make sure you give your Mighty Mutt a balanced, nutrition-based diet.
Dr. Alexa Diaz, PhD, one of the instructors of the workshop
Transform Your Dog Using the Same Secrets Used to Train Service Dogs!
(you’ll also learn all about potty training and fixing 11 common dog behavioral problems)
A small sample of what you’ll get in this free workshop
• The secret methods that service dog trainers use to housebreak dogs
So that your dog never has accidents inside your house ever again.
• How service dogs are trained to never bark out of excitement
Contrary to what many people believe, you CAN’T stop a dog from letting you know that someone has come to your front door – they are simply hard wired for it. Instead, find out the “QUIET WAY” that you can teach your dog so that it still gets to alert you to strangers – without barking even once.
• Why service dogs behave so well when walking on the leash without pulling
So that you can leash train your dog just like a service dog.
• How service dogs are trained to ALWAYS come when called
So that your dog too will come back to you the moment you say its name in the dog park or anywhere else (no matter what it might have been doing at that time).
Grab your seat here!
Mighty Mutts Kitchen
Happy Easter Crunchies
Ingredients:
110g peanut butter (xylitol-free)
90ml semi-skimmed milk
1 egg
1 large carrot
175g wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
30g rolled oats
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°C/ 160°C Fan/ gas 4
Add greaseproof paper to a large baking tray
Into a bowl, add the peanut butter, milk, egg and carrot and mix
Stir in the wholewheat flour, baking powder and oats until the mixture forms a dough
Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough a little
Once the dough is ready, it should be thick and heavy
Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out until it is about 1/4 inch thick
Using the Easter themed biscuit cutters, or template, cut out the biscuits
Add them to the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown
Leave them to cool on a wire cooling rack
(source: Royal Kennel Club)
That’s it for this issue. See you next week! Feel free to share this with other dog owners!
--Maryanne and the Mighty Mutts team
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