Food AllergiesHow to identify them and what to do if you suspect

your pet has one

Pet CPRWhere to learn it, and why it’s so important to

know

Why Dog’s LickFind out what’s behind all

those “kisses”

While many people feel that crat-ing their dog is cruel or unfair, it actually provides a sense of security and is one of the fundamentals of having a well-behaved, balanced dog. Often times, a dog makes poor choices in its home due to stress that he or she feels. This stress is often caused by too much freedom and lack of leadership. The crate handles both of those issues. Crating can be used when you are home to create a calm environment for your dog while cleaning or working around the house. A dog that follows its owner constantly and is always under foot is actually stressed. Teaching your dog the crate creates a calm state of mind at home will help your dog tremendously in many situations that involve crating outside of the home.

Using the crate is also necessary if you leave town and have to board your dog, or if it has to spend significant time at the vet (over-night or teeth cleaning). Practicing duration in the crate when you’re home allows you to teach/correct any negative behavior. When choosing the crate, opt for a size that is large enough for your dog to stand in and be able to turn around. But bigger is not al-ways better. Selecting a crate that is too big can also create stress, so be sure to properly fit your dog to the correct size. As far as ma-terial, wire crates tend to be most popular and work great. Dogs find it comforting to have a “cave like” feel. Cover all sides but the front with a blanket. This should have a calming effect on your dog.

The Balanced Dog -

DYNAMIC DIRECTIONS

Remember, to never use the crate as punishment. It cannot be a positive experience and a negative experience. The crate should only be used for security and comfort. Lastly, don’t feel guilty about crating your dog when you leave home. What is ideal behavior for your dog in the home when you’re away? Relaxed and sleeping. Provide a crate for your dog and that is the behavior that you will see. You will have less stress too by knowing your dog is relaxed at home and not destroying any of your belongings.

The author of this article, Karen Harrell, is the owner/operator of Dynamic Dog Training AZ LLC out of Mesa, Arizona. She is a balanced dog trainer dealing will all types of dog issues. For more information please visit: www.dynamicdogtrainingaz.com, Karen@dynamicdogtrainingaz.com, www.facebook.com/dynamicdogtrainingaz or call 480-540-1089.

Crating For Leadership

A Different Kind Of AllergyHow to identify and treat food allergies in your dog

While most people assume their dogs itching and scratching is due to fleas or environmental allergies, one out of every ten dogs has allergies that have nothing to do with either of those things. Food allergies, although slightly less prevalent than fleas, account for 20 percent of all “itching” related veterinary visits. And unlike environmental allergies, food allergies have no preference when it comes to breed, size, shape, or age. Studies have shown that the biggest food culprits are beef, dairy products, chicken, lamb, fish, chicken eggs, corn, wheat, and soy. Unfortunately, these also happen to be the most common ingredients in most dog foods. It is thought that this is not a coincidence as overexposure to these ingredients can trigger an allergy. Other causes for food allergies are a dogs genetics and predisposition. Food allergies can be hard to diagnose, and even harder to target the individual food or foods causing issues.

Constant itching, scratching, watery stools, ear inflammation, swollen paws, excessive licking, and gassiness are some of the obvious symptoms, but others such as chronic ear infections, or several bowl movements per day can also be signs. Because ingredients cannot be separated in dog food, it can take trial and error of eliminating specific ingre-dients. Many people will begin with a homemade diet (chicken and rice, for example), and add food back, one ingredient at a time. With elimination diets, it can take up to 12 weeks before proteins and other allergens are out of a dog’s system making the process slow and tedious. Blood draws, which have been the traditional way of testing food allergies, have proven ineffective for dogs, thus making the elimination diet one of the only effective methods for diagnosing and treating food allergies. If your dog shows signs of allergies and you think that they might be food related, there are a few things you can do to find out for sure. Look at the primary ingredients in your dog’s food and make a change. Because pro-tein is a big allergen, change to a food with a different protein. Also, try a food without grain or dairy, which are also big culprits. Before starting a new food, begin with a diet of chicken and rice for four weeks and then make the transition. While it can take a lot of work and time to pinpoint the allergen, it is well worth the effort, for the health of your pet.

Itching, scratching, excessive licking, swollen paws, gassiness,

ear infections, watery stools,

and an overabundance of stools, are some of the obvious signs of

food allergies

“Before PawTree, my dog Lily had the worst food allergies ever. She had swollen paws, runny eyes, ear infections and couldn’t stop itching. She even developed a skin related tumor due to her allergy. We tried topical creams, ear washes and even steroids to combat her symptoms. After doing research, we tried PawTree. Twelve weeks after her first bowl, she is a totally different dog and allergy free. Kudos to PawTree for

changing our lives.” - Krista

“I spent so much money trying to cure my Husky, Fenix, of his stomach issues. He would throw up after feed-ings, have runny stools, and was overall extremely lethargic. I purchased Paw-Tree with skeptism thinking it was just “another dog food.” I was completly wrong. He immediatly quit throwing up, he got his energy back, and his coat has never looked better. This custom

dog food is truly incredible.”-Heather

For More Information or to Order Custom Nutrition Plans for your Dog please visit www.berkelysrun.com/custmized-nutrition-plan

Cure Food Allergies From the Inside Out - Custom Dog Food Plans

Oh That Tongue!Why your dog licks

You get a slobbery surprise every time you walk in the door, when you are watching TV, cooking dinner, reading a book, and it doesn’t stop there. They lick your face, hands, feet, and toes, and that’s just you. When they lick themselves, they lick everywhere. Yes, everywhere. So why do dogs lick? While most people assume it is to show affection and love, that is just one of the many reasons dogs use so much tongue. Another reason they lick is to gather information. Scent receptors located in their nose and mouth help them process information. Human sweat and sebaceous glands provide a lot of detail for dogs about the mood, health, and overall wellbeing of the person on the receiving end. Not only does it allow them to gather information, it also gives them pleasure. The act of licking releases endorphins that give dogs the feelings of security and comfort. Besides being both pleasurable and informative, it is also a natural instinct that dogs learn from their mothers at birth. From the moment they are born, a mother dog licks her puppies to stimulate breathing and to clean them up. It is thought that this in-stinct continues on throughout the rest of their lives. Another theory behind licking is that it is a submissive gesture that dogs use in the wild to maintain harmony among members of the pack. By licking, your dog is showing that you are the dominant being and the one in charge. So the next time your dog licks you, he might be showing you affection, letting you know that you are in charge, or maybe he just wants to make sure you are feeling ok.

INFO@BERKELEYSRUN.COMWWW.BERKELEYSRUN.COM

14% OFFDISCOUNT IS GOOD FOR ALL PET SITS THAT ARE BOOKED DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.

PET SITS MUST BE REDEEMED BY APRIL 30, 2015OFFER IS GOOD FOR PET SITS ONLY. DOG WALKS AND POTTY/PLAY BREAKS NOT INCLUDED

OFFER EXPIRES: 2-28-2015

14% OFFDISCOUNT IS GOOD FOR ALL PET SITS THAT ARE BOOKED DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.

PET SITS MUST BE REDEEMED BY APRIL 30, 2015OFFER IS GOOD FOR PET SITS ONLY. DOG WALKS AND POTTY/PLAY BREAKS NOT INCLUDED

OFFER EXPIRES: 2-28-2015

Pet CPRKnowing the basics of first aid and CPR can make the difference between life and death. The same is true of knowing it for your pet. By being prepared both proactivly and reactivly, you can prevent accidents before they happen as well as act appropriatly if one does happen. Understanding potential hazards and removing them from the pet’s environment is always the best preventa-tive method and should be the first line in the protection of your pet. Many things we have around our homes are toxic to our animals. Do some research on the poten-tial hazards that you have in your home. Some of these include, many plant specis, household cleaners, and even certain plastics. There are many resources online and at your veterinarian’s office to review and keep in mind. One very good source is the Pet Poison Helpline. It has an excel-lent online data base, and for a fee, you can call a number that is monitored 24/7.

There is also a very helpful “emergen-cy instructions” page that can walk you through what to do if you think your pet has been poisoned. Because accidents do happen no matter how prepared we may think we are, it is a great idea to put together a pet first aid kit in your house in case of emergencies. There are a number of helpful websites with numerous lists of what to include in a pet first aid kit. A good list is available at the Ameri-can Veterinary Medical Association’s website. They also recommend hav-ing your veterinarian and the after hours emergency veterinarian phone numbers handy, and keep your pet’s medical records within easy ac-cess in case they are needed during the emergency. To become certified, there are several training courses around the valley. For class information please visit: http://www.pettech.net/index.php

Local Dog EventsFiesta Cluster Dog Show & Agility Trial

February 26th- March 2nd 2015Westworld of Scottsdale Polo Field

Free Admissionwww.fiestacluster.com/

If we have missed an event that you would like listed in future publications, please email: info@berkeleysrun.com with all details, including; date, time and cost.

DogFest Walk and RollMarch 7, 2015

8:00 am - 10:15 amThis community dog walk supports the mission of Ca-nine Companions for Independence, to provide highly-trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities

free of chargehttp://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1113696

Phoenix Pet ExpoMay 9, 2015

10:00 am-6:00pmWestWorld of Scottsdale

www.phoenixpetexpo.com

Doggie Street Festival November 28, 2015 (Location- TBD)

10am-4pmwww.doggystreetfestival.org

6th Annual Holiday Pet FestivalDecember 5, 2015

10am to 5pmWestWorld of Scottsdale

Free Admissionwww.holidaypetfestival.com