Frequently Asked Questions
© 2010 Ted Kerasote
Web design by Dina Sutin
Merle
How can I let my dog be a dog in the city or suburbs?
Despite the challenges of living in cities and suburbs with a dog, many people give their dogs rewarding lives. Foremost is making sure that your dog has off-leash time in a safe, green space. Virtually all cities and suburbs have such parks. Allowing your dog to play at dog speed with other dogs in these places will do wonders for your friend’s physical and mental health. Remember, jogging or running with your dog isn’t a substitute for allowing your dog time to follow its nose, to explore paths that aren’t on your route, and to stop and converse with other dogs.
In addition, taking your dog along on weekend excursions to the woods, the beach, or the mountains, where it can really explore a big area, will help it to stay fit and happy. I also take my dog on most of my errands. Wherever a store is dog friendly, I bring my dog in with me, on-leash of course: the bank, the post office, the various sporting goods stores, the book stores, the dog-friendly cafes. If I don’t know if a store is dog-friendly, I assume it is until told otherwise. Nine times out of ten, people welcome dogs.
Incorporating a dog into one's life in this way makes a dog feel like it's a team member instead of a second-class citizen who's always left at home. Even when I go to the movies, I take my dog, letting him sleep on his bed in the car.
There’s also a way to give a fenced dog more freedom. This suggestion came from a reader in Philadelphia: He and five other neighbors live on a busy street. After fencing in their yards to contain their dogs, they put dog doors in the intervening fences as well as in each of their homes. Their six dogs now go back and forth among the yards and houses while their people are at work. This is a very creative solution to the problem of fenced dogs becoming bored.
My dog is small and I’m afraid to let it play with bigger dogs. How can I help it become socialized?
It’s important not to be overly protective of small dogs, especially when they’re young. They need to romp and play with other puppies and build confidence while learning bite inhibition—in other words, if I bite too hard no one will play with me. Scooping up a puppy the instant it cries out, or hovering over it and not letting it engage other dogs, or keeping it on a leash, are sure ways to create a maladjusted dog. Of course, I wouldn’t I let my small dog, even one with a lot of confidence, play with dogs who were sixty pounds larger than it until I had watched these dogs over a period of days and could trust their manners and gentleness.
I’m afraid to let my dog off its leash even in a safe location that has no cars. It may never come back.
What should I do?
First off, consider that you give your dog love and food, and it knows this. It’s unlikely that your dog will willingly abandon you. It could, however, get distracted by other dogs, interesting smells, or wildlife. Therefore, it’s important to teach your dog a strong recall. Practice in the house by teaching your dog to come at the word “come,” then rewarding it with a treat it likes. Increase the distance until the dog is coming from anywhere in the house. Once “come” is learned, teach the dog to come at two blasts of a silent whistle. This sort of whistle carries for great distances and is a far better way to recall your dog than shouting at it (http://www.gundogsupply.com/asw032.html). Once a whistle recall is learned, practice outside at increasingly greater distances and with increasing amounts of distractions, rewarding your dog when it returns, until it has an infallible recall.
Why two blasts on the whistle instead of one?
Because you’ll want to teach your dog to sit and wait on one blast of the whistle. Case in point: Your dog runs across a road. Cars are coming. You do not want your dog to come; you want it to stay put. You blow the whistle once: your dog sits. The cars go by. You blow the whistle twice and your dog comes.
Is having two dogs a good idea if one has to spend long periods of the day away from them?
Yes, if the dogs like each other. If I had one dog and I was thinking of getting another to keep it company, I would let the first dog choose its companion. Dogs, like people, have their preferences, and if you want a happy household, it pays for the dog and the human to choose the new four-legged member together.
When did you and Merle meet?
April 21, 1991
When did Merle die?
June 10, 2004
Do you still live in the same house that you describe in Merle’s Door?
Yes.
Are Merle’s pawprints still on the balcony above the great room?
Yes.
How did you get over Merle’s death?
I wrote his biography. In this way he was with me every day for three years and then for another year while I was on his book tour. Even today, Merle is still with me, and I see him often.
Pukka
What does Pukka mean?
It’s an old Hindi word for "first class" or "genuine" and is pronounced like hockey puck.
What kind of dog is Pukka?
A yellow Labrador Retriever.
Is Pukka like Merle?
Yes, in some respects. He likes to ski and hunt and swim. But he doesn’t sing. So far, he doesn’t roam as much as Merle did. He comes and goes through his own dog door and stays much closer to the house. Unlike Merle, Pukka barks, which he learned to do from a new generation of dogs in Kelly, who unlike the dogs of Merle’s time, have decided to be barking dogs. Also unlike Merle, Pukka loves to bird hunt and keeps his eyes on the sky, watching jets and the moon in addition to ravens and pheasants. Merle loved big mammals and watched the ground ahead.
Applying Merle & Pukka's Lessons
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This topic is the subject of my new book Why Dogs Die Young and What We Can Do About It. It’s impossible in this space to cover the many issues that the full book will contain, but here are some pointers:
One of the best sources of information on keeping dogs healthy is Dr. Karen Becker's archives of Pet Health articles.
Contaminants
Don’t expose your dog to environmental pollutants, particularly the herbicides and pesticides that are applied to lawns and golf courses.
Nutrition
Rotate your dog’s food on a weekly or monthly basis. Would you be healthy if you ate the same thing your entire life? Reduce the carbohydrates your dog eats (corn, oats, soy, barley, rice) and replace it with high-quality protein.
Helpful Links:
The recommendations of an increasing number of veterinarians as summarized by Dr. Marty Goldstein
and Dr. Karen Becker.
Vaccinations
Once your dog has gotten its course of vaccinations and boosters, eliminate yearly vaccinations except those required by law (rabies) and those that are recommended by your veterinarian for your area. If your veterinarian says that a full round of yearly boosters is a must (e.g., parvovirus, distemper, adenovirus, kennel cough, leptospirosis) get a second opinion.
Helpful Links:
Vaccinations 101: Dr. Ron Schultz shares his vast expertise in vaccines with dog owners. (HEALTH): An article from: Whole Dog Journal.
Genetics
If you’re looking for a new dog and are getting one from a breeder take a close look at the dog’s family tree, finding out how long its ancestors lived and what they died of. Case in point: 61.4 percent of Golden Retrievers in the United States die of cancer (http://www.grca.org/pdf/health/healthsurvey.pdf, p. 142). Researching your pup’s ancestry before you even lay eyes on it can save a great deal of heartache a few years down the road. Take Dr. Karen Becker's 18-Point Assessment of a breeder and his or her facility before committing to a pup.
Spaying and Neutering
There is a growing body of scientific evidence that points to the harmful effects of spaying and neutering: shortened life span, increased risk of certain cancers, and increased incidence of ACL injuries. Depending on your situation, you may wish to delay the spaying or neutering of your dog until it is 14 months old or not sterilize it at all. If you’re worried about not being able to control your dog when it becomes sexually mature, consider a vasectomy or tubal ligation, which will prevent your dog from becoming a parent, but retain the beneficial effects of the dog’s sex hormones.
Helpful Links:
Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation
Prevention
Run your hands over your dog every day. The instant you feel a lump take your dog to your vet and get the lump aspirated and an analysis made of its contents. If your veterinarians says, “Let’s watch it,” find a new vet. Tens of thousands of dogs needlessly die of cancer each year because their humans “watched” a lump that could have been easily removed before the cancer metastasized.
What do I do if my dog gets cancer?
When humans get cancer, they seek specialized care. So, too, should it be with dogs. Below are three major cancer centers that provided state-of-the-art cancer treatment and a veterinarian who many have relied on for advanced integrative cancer care.
What are the key elements of having a long-lived, healthy dog?
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