Soggy Dog Grooming

04/22/2025

04/20/2025

Matting isn’t just about looks!

Pet grooming is vital to an animal’s health. Just ask Rosie. The 9-year-old Shih Zhu came into Denver Animal Shelter in February severely and dangerously matted.
Her owner surrendered her after trying to get care for her at Banfield Pet Hospital.

Banfield then called us to take her into protective custody. The dog’s matting on her leg was so bad it cut off her blood circulation, damaging her flesh, and forcing our vet team to amputate her leg.

Rosie recovered well from the surgery and now has a new home! A veterinarian at Banfield who initially treated her ended up adopting the pup.

04/19/2025

04/19/2025

Love these science based posts! I believe all Retrievers have the soft muzzle thing going . . . but Goldens may be the softest - any Lab folks know how they compare?

04/17/2025

Many Livestock Guardian Dog breeds are white, large, and powerful, but the Akbash (bred for centuries to protect sheep in Turkey) is somewhat unique from other LGDs in that they are docile to the point of being submissive to livestock under their charge, but heaven help the predator on two or four legs. This is a breed accustomed to working with people as partners, not as subordinates, and not at all with four legged creatures that aren’t stock.

The breed has a huge white head (in fact, “Akbash” is the Turkish word that means white head) that houses strong jaws and well developed teeth. Akbash Dogs are special in other ways, as well: They have bursts of amazing speed; They’ve also developed the sense of knowing when they are overpowered and outmatched, and this means they’re less likely to become a meal for a wolf pack than some of the other LGDs. Put another way: They live to protect their flock another day.

The Akbash Dog was introduced by the US Department of Agriculture to the country’s Predator Control Program in 1980. The 40 Akbash Dogs imported to the United States became the foundation stock of the dogs now found in Canada and in United States. In 1998, the Akbash was officially recognized by the United Kennel Club.

What we find particularly interesting is that of all the livestock guardian breeds, the Akbash shows the greatest influence of a sighthound ancestry. Yes, a molosser heritage is evident in the breed, but keen eyesight, long legs, a tall, lean, “tucked up” and flexible build, along with speed and agility comes from the sighthound, possibly the Tazi (it’s said the breed can jump over an obstacle as high as a man). In fact, the Akbash even shares a similar genetic intolerance to barbiturate-based anesthesia as do modern day sighthounds.

Image: An Akbash dog guarding a flock of sheep in California by Jerry Kirkhart is shared from WikiMedia under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license

04/17/2025

What a good boy!

A 2-year-old Arizona boy survived a night in the high desert and was rescued by a loyal ranch dog named Buford 7 miles from home.

04/13/2025

When you learn that a lot of animals have lighter-colored bellies than the color on their backs, you’ll start to notice it everywhere: Deer, foxes, squirrels, humpback whales, the dark-eyed junco, coyotes, and yes, purebred dogs.

There’s a name for that. Scientists call it Thayer’s Law, but the rest of us know it as countershading, a form of camouflage in which a dog’s coloring is lighter on the underside of its body. Here’s how it works: In nature, light comes from the sun above, so naturally, a dog lit from the sky will seem lighter colored on its back, and darker on its underneath area where it’s usually in its own shade. If you want to hide from predators, or sneak up on prey, this stinks because shadows essentially alert a predator or prey with visual cues where you are, and if you’re moving.

Countershading reduces the visibility of the dog by balancing out the amount of light that reflects off their bodies. A dark topline and back absorbs more, the lighter colored belly reflects more. The contrast between top and bottom is diminished making it easier to blend in. Even German and U.S. military planes used countershading to hide from their enemies by painting the bottom of their planes white, and the top of the planes to match the surrounding area.

Some breed standards allude to this: The AKC standard for the Shiba Inu reads:: “Urajiro (cream to white ventral color) is required in the following areas on all coat colors: on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, inside the ears, on the underjaw and upper throat inside of legs, on the abdomen, around the vent and the ventral side of the tail.”

As far as we know, it’s not yet known what causes countershading, or urajiro, but some theorize that it’s connected to the C or I series, others think urajiro is simply tan points diluted to white, and yet another thought is that the gene that causes it is utterly unique because it restricts pigment to the upper half of the dog, but the legs, underneath parts, and other extremities white.

We should mention another theory about countershading, and that is that having a darker color on top shields against ultraviolet radiation and helps a dog get more heat from sunlight. In 2016, a study published in Functional Ecology suggested that countershading was probably important for UV shielding, heat optimization, and camouflage, and that some countershaded animals evolved their body orientation in order to optimally exploit their gradient of coloration to enhance camouflage, rather than the other way around.

Ain’t nature grand?

Photo of a Shiba Inu by Kate Lu

04/09/2025

Gus and Dennis are loving this Spring weather!

04/07/2025

Good information on keeping paws safe in the cold weather!

Summer is nearly here in North America, so what better time to talk about cold feet?

If you’re game for an experiment, turn on the radio to your favorite music station. Next, fill a bowl with ice water. Now slather shortening around the index finger of one hand. Put it on thick, and don’t forget to cover the tip of the finger. Ready? When a song on the radio starts to play, stick the index fingers of both hands into the ice water, and keep them there until the song is over, usually about two minutes (note: if the radio starts to play Procol Harum’s “In Held ‘Twas in I,” wait for the next song. “In Held ‘Twas in I” is over 17 minutes long).

The point of the exercise is for you to understand the insulating properties of blubber which you experienced when it took longer for the finger covered in shortening to get cold than it did for the “naked” finger.

The pads on a dog’s paws have a thick layer of fatty tissue that insulates the inner foot tissues from extreme temperatures, so it doesn’t conduct cold as rapidly. What makes a dog’s foot so interesting is that as the paw gets cold when it steps in the snow or frozen ground, arteries transfer the chilled blood back to the body where it warms up again. This was learned when Japanese researchers used electron microscopes to look at the paws of domestic dogs. What they found was a circulatory adaptation unlike other animals. Dogs can transfer heat from the artery to a network of veins in the area so that colder blood is unable to return to the body. The heart is able to pump warm blood to the feet fast by utilizing the artery closest to the neighboring veins in the footpads. This system, dubbed the “counter-current heat exchanger,” also limits the amount of blood near the body’s cool skin.Coupled with a high amount of freeze-resistant connective tissue and fat (remember the blubber) located in the pads of the paw, and a dog’s paws stay warm. All of the aforementioned is why scientists now think that domestic dogs first evolved in cold environments before spreading out into other climates. Dog nerds will want to read the technical paper on the subject, “Functional anatomy of the footpad vasculature of dogs: scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts: https://shorturl.at/QE1KB

There are still reasons to put booties on a dog, particularly working dogs, and those competing or playing in the snow for longer periods of time. Rough ground, toxic covered surfaces, and the potential to step on sharp objects are also causes for booties. Read this review of the top rated booties, as well as this one. Be aware, too, of Musher’s Secret, originally developed for sled dogs. It’s a non-toxic natural wax that rubs right onto the pads of a dog’s feet to create a barrier from harsh conditions.

Ok, the Pug is a little derpy looking, but hey.....Photo taken by Brian Jones in
West Queen West, Old Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

04/04/2025

Understanding Littermate Syndrome in Puppies

Bringing home two puppies from the same litter might seem like a great idea—they’ll have built-in companionship, right? However, many dog owners are unaware of the challenges that come with Littermate Syndrome, a behavioral condition that can develop when sibling puppies are raised together.

What is Littermate Syndrome?

Littermate Syndrome is a set of behavioral issues that arise when two puppies from the same litter (or even unrelated puppies of the same age) are raised together. These issues often stem from excessive bonding between the puppies, making it difficult for them to develop independence and proper social skills.

Signs of Littermate Syndrome:

Severe Separation Anxiety: Puppies become highly distressed when separated, making training and socialization more difficult.

Fearfulness: They may become overly reliant on each other, leading to increased anxiety in new situations or around unfamiliar dogs and people.

Difficulty in Training: Since they focus more on each other than their human, training sessions can become ineffective.

Inter-Puppy Aggression: As they grow, fights between littermates can become more intense, sometimes escalating into serious conflicts.

How to Prevent Littermate Syndrome

If you’re raising two puppies together, consider these steps to ensure they grow into well-adjusted, independent dogs:

Separate Training Sessions: Train each puppy individually to ensure they learn to focus on you rather than each other.

Encourage Independence: Allow them to spend time apart daily so they learn to be comfortable alone.

Socialization: Expose each puppy to different people, dogs, and environments separately.

Individual Bonding: Spend one-on-one time with each puppy to strengthen your personal relationship with them.

Should You Get Two Puppies?

While raising two puppies is possible, it requires significant effort and commitment. If you’re considering adopting littermates, be prepared to implement structured training and socialization strategies to prevent Littermate Syndrome.

By understanding and addressing Littermate Syndrome early, you can help your puppies grow into happy, confident, and independent dogs!

04/04/2025

Please vote for your evergreen favorites!

🎉 The 2025 BEST of the BEST Contest is Here! 🎉

It’s time to celebrate the incredible people, businesses and services that make our communities shine! 🌟 It’s your chance to recognize those who make a real difference in our daily lives.

🗳 Vote now through April 15! Your voice decides the winners, so mark your calendar and make your vote count.
https://coloradocommunitymedia.secondstreetapp.com/Evergreen-Best-of-the-Best-2025/

04/02/2025

Callie getting ready for the dog show this weekend!

04/01/2025

We are now at our new location.
30596 Bryant Dr, Evergreen co 80439! Right above Friends for life Training and next door to Liberty Painting! Hope to see you soon!

03/29/2025

Little Daisy has a perfect pose and the best smile!

03/27/2025

Miss Leyla is ready for some spring flowers!

03/26/2025

Simba, Ziggy, Ali and Mr. Charlie freshly groomed for Spring

03/25/2025

https://www.goerie.com/story/money/2025/03/23/dog-cat-ownership-costs-2025/82516821007/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2LcTKxhxFgA9fgR0U07yRTvkkwg61irp99OZYOjbj9CgD6KHigd7lo5Zg_aem_xaIJTcylMJ1Ahf0EvB0zHg

Dogs and cats aren't cheap. The pet industry is big business.

03/25/2025

Roscoe chillin’ after his haircut