Veterinary Medicine - December 2007 - (Page 786)

2007 Highlights O Central Practical advice from the presentations Counseling new puppy owners: Normal play vs. aggressive tendencies Help owners learn how to play appropriately with their puppies from the start to ensure a lifetime of safe and happy interactions. Wayne L. Hunthausen, DVM M any owners begin their relationship with new puppies armed with misinformation and an idealistic view of the pet-owner relationship. Owners often don’t know how to properly shape behaviors or handle problems, and one area that needs special attention is play aggression. PUPPIES CAN PLAY ROUGH Most puppy play consists of chasing, pouncing, barking, growling, snapping, and biting. So how can new owners tell the difference between normal play and possible signs of true aggression in puppies? In normal play, a puppy may play bow (lower its head and raise its hind end), present its front end or side to the owner, hold the front part of its body up, wag its tail, dart back and forth, emit high-pitched barks and growls, and spontaneously attack. Of course, even normal play can become too intense. Behaviors that may indicate a problem are prolonged, deeptone growling; a fixed gaze; a stiff posture; and aggression that is situational or stimulus-dependent (not spontaneous). These aggressive behaviors may be related to fear, possessiveness, conflict, or pain and necessitate immediate evaluation by you or a behavior expert. PLAY BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION Puppies must learn how to play appropriately, so suggest these forms of intervention for your clients. • Distract the bad behavior. Always have a toy on hand that the puppy can transfer its attention to. • Speak up and step out. If the puppy is biting hard, yell “Ouch!” and stop playing. • Interrupt problem behaviors. A shake can, a water gun, or compressed air will startle puppies and stop the behavior. But don’t use these techniques if a pet has a sensitive temperament or if the techniques seem to make things worse. • Set up a dragline. Both indoors and outdoors, make sure the puppy is on a leash that you can quickly grab to stop the behavior. • Use head halters. These halters provide a more natural sense of control than ordinary collars do and limit the chances of biting. • Consider muzzles. In extreme cases, muzzles may be used for short periods to prevent biting. Continued on page 787. ©iStockphoto.com/Yvonne Chamberlain Wayne L. Hunthausen, DVM Animal Behavior Consultations 4820 Rainbow Blvd. Westwood, KS 66205 786 December 2007 VETERINARY MEDICINE

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - December 2007

Veterinary Medicine - December 2007 Contents Letters Editors' Guest Thanking Our Valued Reviewers The Veterinary Medicine Interview: Dr. Joseph Harari Clinical Exposures Idea Exchange Answers to Three Commonly Asked Questions About Lyme Disease Practical Ideas for Managing Common Internal Medicine Problems A Tip for Interpreting Leptospira Species Titers Investigating Proteinuric Kidney Disease Counseling New Puppy Owners: Normal Play vs. Aggressive Tendencies 11 Guidelines for Conservatively Treating Chronic Kidney Disease CE Form Product Preview Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller Merial Insert

Veterinary Medicine - December 2007

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