 Hey Adam, did you see that picture that I sent you? That is Belly in the snow!
Hey there, yah - Belly looks content! Are you sure? That is actually my question. I constantly think that he is cold in the cold weather. I bought him many sweaters and jackets but he seems to hate them. How can I keep him warm in the winter? Also, often I avoid walks when it's too cold outside, just because I am afraid Belly will be uncomfortable. What do you think? I think that dogs communicate if they have an issue through their body language. For example, if you go out for a walk with Belly in weather that's too cold for him, he will either motion to go back into the house, resist moving forward, or walk with his tail in between his legs. In the picture Belly is laying in the snow and he looks very comfortable... That is very confusing to me. How can a domesticated dog be comfortable laying in the snow? He is not a penguin:-) I see. Even though Belly is not as adapted to the cold as his ancestors, he does look like a herding dog. These dogs have been selectively bred for about 4000 years. That's 4000 years of adapting to being outdoors. Because of this, it's very likely that Belly has strong instincts for surviving happily outdoors. Even so, I have seen many Chihuahuas who do well in similar weather as long as they keep moving. Their bodies are designed to move blood quickly and keep their core temperature warm. So don't skip out on the walks, they are more important than you may think, and a source of wellbeing! // Disclaimer: The contents of this blog are intended for informational purposes only. The contents are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your vet with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition of your dog/s.
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 Hey Adam, my precious dog Scout is amazing and so smart! I spend a lot of time with him just telling him how smart he is and he loves giving me kisses which is super sweet! Can you tell me how to stop Scout from smelling poop of other dogs when we go for a walk? I can't tolerate it that he does it, because I believe this poop is full of pathogens and will make him sick. I am also afraid it would make me sick later when he give me kisses.
You can teach your dog not to smell poop, but in order to do this you would have to teach Scout to be afraid of doing something that his body wants to do. So, I wouldn't do that. Your dog is investigating other dogs and animals by smelling their poop. Asking Scout not to smell the poop of other dogs would be similar to someone asking you to never smell your food again. Imagine having a bowl of strawberries that for some reason you guardian doesn't want you to smell. That would suck. Although, how can you compare strawberries to poop? When you smell the strawberries you are investigating them. Do they smell sweet? Bitter? By smelling what you eat, you get information about your environment. Dogs and many other mammals are the same: they get information about their environment through their sense of smell. But why poop??? There is a long scientific answer to your question. Feel free to google it. The short answer is that there is a great deal of information that is contained in the poop. By smelling it, dogs can learn about health, emotional state, fertility... They can also recognize if it's a friend or an enemy etc. I don't like it, but I get it. Your answer makes sense. Although, it doesn't resolve my issue with harmful bacteria that is in the poop. I am really afraid that Scout or I will get sick. There is a rare possibility that simply smelling poop can lead to illness in your dog, and even more rare are the cases where that passes on to a human. I base my decision on whether or not to let my dogs sniff or run free on the health of the environment. For example; if I'm walking through a dried out lake bed and there are several rotted fish carcasses in the area, the health of the environment is poor and I keep my dogs close. Or if I know I'm in an area where a family of raccoons live- as their droppings can carry a nasty kind of air born worm, and so I keep my dogs close. So basically what it boils down to is knowing your environment. It may be helpful to ask your local vet what kind of sicknesses are common in your area and then make an informed decision about where it's safe for Scout to smell poop of other animals or where it's not. // Disclaimer: The contents of this blog are intended for informational purposes only. The contents are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your vet with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition of your dog/s. |
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Adam is the owner of Your Passionate Groomer. He is here to bridge the gap of communication between you and your dog/s. If you have a question in mind, just email: YourPassionateGroomer@gmail.com Archives
May 2020
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