Lower Jaw Entrapment

A friend's tiny dog recently had a major scare with an OurPets IQ Treat Ball. This is a hard plastic ball with a round hole that allows food and treats to fall out of the ball as the dog rolls it around. The ball comes in two sizes, but both have the same size of exit opening.

Sedated, unhappy, but ok.

The poor little papillion got her lower jaw stuck in the hole, and panicked. The pup began bleeding from the mouth, and her tongue was turning purple. She was rushed to the emergency vet, where the was sedated so the ball could be cut off her jaw.

The packaging for the IQ Treat Ball says it should not be given to dogs large enough to fit the entire ball in their mouths. It does not, however, have a warning about giving it to small or toy breed dogs. In fact, it is actually advertised as being perfect for small dogs.

It's worth noting that this dog was being closely supervised as she played with the ball, and immediate help from her owner did not prevent her from panicking. The dog ripped both dewclaws off trying to get free from the ball.

Dogs getting their lower jaws caught in toys is a fairly common occurrence, I've seen pictures of dogs stuck in marrow bones, classic Kongs, and Kong Wobblers. There were a couple of reports of dogs getting their mouths caught in P.L.A.Y.'s Wobble Ball, however the company has since redesigned the toy to make it safer.

Amazon.com has a surprising number of reviews that mention small dogs getting stuck in the IQ Treat Ball. This seems to be a somewhat common occurrence, and that really bothers me.

We Killed a Rubit

Rubits were my favorite quick-changing tag clips for a long time. I love the design, and for a while I was pretty sure they were indestructible. I did begin to worry about Brisbane's original Rubit Curve because it had thinned over a span of six years, but it's currently holding Sisci's tags and has been used on my various foster dogs almost continuously.

The one we killed had only been in service for two years. It was a large purple heart Rubit. Although it was holding Brisbane's tags, Ranger was wearing it when it failed because I usually put my dogs' tags on visiting dogs.

I don't actually know what happened to this thing. It's bent open so that the wire gate can't reach the other side, and the split ring is also pretty bent. This was on the floor with the tags still on the ring when I got home from work a couple of weeks ago.

The most likely answer is that the tags or the Rubit itself got caught on something and Ranger struggled until the clip bent far enough for him to get free. It apparently wasn't too traumatic an experience for him because he acted fine that evening and didn't seem injured or out of sorts. Once I found the tags I checked him over to see if he had a sore toe or dewclaw that might have gotten hung up, but I didn't find anything. I don't know what else he could have gotten caught on since the tags were just laying in the open and not stuck anywhere obvious.

Whatever happened, I'm taking it as a reason to try a different type of tag holder for Brisbane. I've been using a plastic Links-It to hold Ru's tags for a while now, so I went ahead and ordered one for Brisbane. I'll let you know how it works for us. Have you tried any quick-change tag-holders?

CHIP BAGS OF DEATH!!!

Is that an eye-catching title or what? It's true though, and worth catching eyes for. Last spring I posted a picture of Brisbane with his head in an empty SunChips bag. For most people, it's just a cute picture. For some, it is downright horrific.

NOT SAFE!

You see, a dog can suffocate in a chip bag. I had actually heard of this happening before, in a news article some years before I got Brisbane. For this reason I've always kept an eye on him when he has something he could suffocate in. The reason I was able to take this picture was because I was monitoring his chip bag enjoyment.

My dogs go for shredding stuff rather than burrowing their noses into bags normally, so I hope that reduces their risk of undignified death somewhat. Still, I will be reconsidering what I give them to shred after visiting the Prevent Pet Suffocation Facebook page.

Aside from keeping the garbage locked up tight and assuming your pets will happily suffocate themselves in anything that once contained food, there's a simple thing you can do to help prevent this kind of tragedy. All you have to do is cut or rip the sides of your food bags open before you toss them. A chip bag with the sides open is just a strip of plastic or foil. Not nearly as dangerous.

Product Review: Petco Premium Pink Seatbelt Harness

The Petco Premium Seatbelt Harness is a safety harness designed to reduce driver distraction, and is not intended to protect your dog in an actual collision. This appears to be a previous iteration of this product, as the one currently available looks more like the Kurgo True-Fit harness. Ours is pink and gray, with reflective striping on the back and metal quick-release buckles. This one comes in three sizes to fit dogs with chests up to 34" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

While this is definitely a sturdy and heavy harness, the package doesn't say anything at all about crash protection or testing. That means the Petco Premium Seatbelt Harness only keeps your dog from moving around the car, and won't help in an accident. I think it's important to explicitly state this because there is a very widespread misconception that extra-sturdy car harnesses will help prevent injuries in an accident. In fact, these untested products may actually hurt the dog when put to the test.

This particular harness is kind of weirdly-sized. It claims it will fit dogs up to 24" around the chest, but is a couple inches too short to go around 22" Sisci. (Maybe she grew when I wasn't looking?) It does fit Ru pretty good, but it's also super heavy and stiff on such a little dog. Even though they both fall into the advertised size range of "up to 24 inches", I think this harness is better suited for dogs 14-20" around and weighing 10-20 pounds.

I'm sure the original design for the Petco Premium Seatbelt Harness was much larger. This small one looks like they took the big one and just made everything a little smaller without altering any of the proportions. The result is that the neck straps, while technically adjustable, actually have a range of well under an inch. The size range for the neck is about 10-11", why even have it adjust?

I've actually encourntered this harness in the wild, we have a couple of dogs at work who wear this exact size. It works better on dogs well in the middle of the stated range.

Pros: Sturdy, reflective, easy to put on. Inexpensive. Probably won't maim the dog wearing it if the car stops abruptly.

Cons: Doesn't fit well on dogs at either end of the size range. Neck adjustment is so limited it's comical. Rugged design and metal hardware can lead users to believe this product would provide some protection in an accident despite it not being explicitly marketed that way.

Bottom Line: For some reason this harness makes Ru look crazy long. He's pretty long, but I specifically use gear that minimizes it. This thing maximizes it. Soooo looong.

Bad Idea: Why Can't I Use a Flexi Leash With a Gentle Leader?

Working at a doggy daycare, I see a lot of egregious misuse of dog gear. Some are merely self-defeating, others are actually dangerous. My least-favorite gear combo is a retractable leash attached to a head halter.

Not pictured: the leash I'm standing on, attached to Brisbane's collar for safety.
Photo by Erin Koski

Why Is This a Bad Idea?
A Halti, Gentle Leader, or other head collar with the leash attachment at the front of the dog's head, has a surprising potential to cause harm. These tools require very little strength on the part of the handler because they control the dog's head. This is at the very end of his spine, obviously. A head collar is intended to teach loose-leash walking, mostly by making pulling on the leash uncomfortable for the dog.

A retractable leash, like the perennially popular Flexis, works by means of a spring inside the leash casing. This spring applies continuous tension to a wheel in order to keep the leash taught and off the ground. While it does not apply a lot of force, the entire reason retractable leashes retract is because they exert continuous leash pressure.

So the first problem with the Flexi/headcollar combo is that the leash puts continuous pressure on the headcollar and therefore the dog's face. They can't really walk on a loose leash unless the brake is locked. This is often uncomfortable for the dog, and habituating them to leash pressure is the exact opposite of teaching them to walk nicely on a leash.

The second problem with this gear combo is that retractable leashes tend to be longer than fixed leashes. The longer the leash, the more speed a dog can build up before he hits the end of it and comes to an abrupt stop. Hitting the end of a 15' leash at top speed on a neck collar, where the pressure is closer to the center of his spine, is bad enough. Hitting it on a head halter can cause serious neck injuries and even be fatal in certain circumstances.

Good Idea
I would love to see the general public give head halters a little more respect. It needs to be used with very light pressure, otherwise you're torquing your dog's neck around all over the place. I like to use a 4' leash to limit how far my dog can get from me, and remind myself that we are using a training tool so I need to stay attentive and hopefully redirect my dog before he tries to run somewhere.

I'm not a big fan of Flexi leashes in most public spaces, but I still own and use several of them because they are just so convenient is certain outdoor spaces where it is acceptable for my dogs to be 15' away from me. I always attach a Flexi or any other long leash to a harness. That way, when my dog suddenly sees a squirrel, or hears a poorly-timed firework, or any other unplanned event causes him to suddenly speed off without warning, he won't get hurt when he hits the end of the leash. Not every dog is prone to bolting, and it may not happen very often, but I still think it's wise to be careful. If my dog suddenly finds some reason to run to the end of his leash at top speed (deer, mail carrier, gunfire, zombie attack, clowns) there's no chance he's going to injure or break his neck.

Product Review: Fido Float Life Jacket

The PetSafe Fido Float is a doggy lifejacket that is supportive, easy to put on, and very secure. It is a step-in style lifevest that closes with a zipper on the back. The smaller sizes have a single handle on the back for helping the dog out of the water, the larger sizes have two handles for more support. The Fido Float personal flotation device comes in six sizes to fit dogs with chests 10-37" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

The vest is well-designed in my opinion, but I do have some concerns about material durability. I think the step-in style is very supportive, there is a mesh panel supporting Ru's entire chest instead of concentrating all the pressure onto a few straps.

Though it's not terribly obvious from the pictures, this little life vest has two handles. When the vest is zippered shut, the handles can be grabbed together in one hand. This allows me to lift Ru without ever putting pressure on the zipper at the top.

Photo by Erin Koski

The design basically guarantees that there is minimal pressure put on the zipper. This is important because that zipper is a major weakness of the design. One bad grab that misses a handle and you've likely destroyed the zipper for good. The good news is that a faulty zipper shouldn't cause the Fido Float to fail while your dog is swimming. The bad news is that it will likely fall off as soon as he gets out of the water.

The mesh bottom between the foam panels is a clever was to make this a supportive and somewhat form-fitting design. However, it is a very wide mesh. Most dogs won't have an issue, but I've heard of several short-haired highly-active dogs getting nipple irritation after a while.

I think durability is my biggest concern for the Fido Float. It looks nice, and I even bought this one secondhand, but I don't think the orange material on the outside would hold up to that much action. It makes a great just-in-case safety device for a dog that just sits on a boat, but I would choose a sturdier personal flotation device for a pup that is going to party hard at the beach. The difference between the Fido Float and the Ruffwear Float Coat is like the difference between an inexpensive kids' life jacket and a serious fishing life vest.

Pros: Inexpensive. Brightly colored and easy to spot. Supportive and easy to put on older dogs. Design will still support a swimming dog even if the fastener fails.

Cons: Not durable enough for serious active dog use. Zipper is likely to fail under stress. Mesh bottom can irritate some dogs.

Bottom Line: For keeping a sedentary dog safe on the water, for occasional use, and for helping an old dog swim, this is an economical choice. I would not expect it to hold up to a whole lot of adventuring.

Product Review: Ruffwear Float Coat Life Jacket

The Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat is a life jacket designed for active dogs and extended wear. It features a grab handle strong enough to actually lift a dog out of the water, reflective trim, and closed cell foam inserts that allow for a natural swimming position. It is currently available in two colors and six sizes to fit dogs with chests 13-42" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Ruffwear Float Coat shown in this picture is not the current model. Ours is almost 10 years old and still going strong. It is slightly faded in a couple of places from being stored in my car, in the sun, for months at a time. I think it has a spot of beach tar on one side. It has been used extensively and remains beautiful without showing much wear.

Brisbane normally hates wearing clothing, this is one of the few things he will wear without complaint.

When Brisbane was a pup, I used to take him to a tiny beach inside the harbor where there were no waves. We could play fetch without him getting swamped by waves. The only problem was that the beach was situated near the mouth of the harbor, and so there were often boats passing by. Brisbane mostly wanted to swim out to get his ball, but occasionally he would spot a boat and decide to paddle out into the channel. I was always worried that he would get too tired to swim and just sink out there, so I got him a life jacket.

Being a total dog nerd, I wanted to get Brisbane The Best Dog Life Jacket. At the time, my options appeared to be the flimsy big box store life jackets that often didn't make it out of the store unscathed, or the Ruffwear Float Coat.  Since Briz did quite a bit of running on the beach, I really needed something that would allow him to move freely without chafing even when he was wet and sandy.

My very first interaction with the Ruffwear company was nearly a decade ago when I bought this life vest. According to his chest measurement, Brisbane should wear a size small. However, at the time the Float Coat fitting chart gave both the chest circumference and length, and by length Briz would fit into a size medium. I contacted Ruffwear to ask which measurement I should use, and they said to go ahead and get the one that fit his chest measurement. They have since updated the fitting guide with that information, while providing both the length and neck circumference for each size to help get the best fit for every dog.

Pros: Allows enough freedom of movement to wear on a long hike or a hard run. Helps boost swimming confidence for newbie dock divers and beginning swimmers. Ridiculously durable. Obviously comfortable.

Cons: The straps on ours tend to slip looser after a few hours. I believe this issue has been fixed on newer models.

Bottom Line: Hands down the best dog life jacket on the market. Better pick a color you like because you'll be looking at it for years to come.

Product Review: Sleepypod Clickit Sport Harness

The Sleepypod Clickit Sport Harness is a crash-protection harness that has been independently tested and rated by the Center for Pet Safety. This harness received the Center's highest rating, and is now the gold standard for dog car safety. The Sleepypod Clickit harness surpassed all other products tested, not only for strength and integrity, but for head excursion as well.

Photo by Erin Koski

What is head excursion? It's the distance the test dummy's head travels during a crash test. Simply put, the further the head moves, the greater the chance of a head injury. Manufacturers of child safety seats have to prove that their products pass head excursion tests.

There are currently no standards for pet safety products. Let me say that again. There are currently no standards for pet safety products. As horrifically demonstrated by the Center for Pet Safety, the vast majority of car safety harnesses will either fail catastrophically in an accident, or actually cause injury to the dog. Even products that worked as intended often sent the stuffed test dogs bouncing all over the car seat.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Sleepypod Clickit is part of a new generation of crash-protection harnesses. In the crash tests by the Center for Pet Safety, the Sleepypod Clickit Utility harness outperformed every other product tested. It was the only harness that actually kept the dog on the seat, in position, with minimal head excursion.

The original Clickit Utility harness attached to the child seat anchors as well as the seatbelt in the car. These three points helped anchor the test dog and keep it on the seat in the crash test.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Sleepypod Clickit Sport harness is more versatile because it only uses the seatbelt. At the same time, it meets or exceeds all of the standards set by the Center for Pet Safety and performs as well as the Clickit Utility. The Sleepypod Clickit Sport harness is the first CPS Certified crash-protection harness. Check out that link for crash test videos if you like watching stuffed dogs bouncing around in slow motion. (I love crash test videos.)

The harness has two grey-striped loops on the back. The seatbelt is threaded through each of these loops and then buckled. To put on the harness, the dog steps into the leg holes and then two buckles are fastened at the back. In a crash, there is no force placed on these buckles. When buckled into the car, Brisbane can sit up or lay down.

Photo by Erin Koski

There are rings on either side of the top buckle for attaching a leash. Brisbane isn't a huge fan of this harness so far. He mostly refuses to walk in it, and if I try to pull him along the top strap slides up at the back of his neck. I may be able to adjust it to prevent this. We just got our Clickit Sport and I'm still fiddling with it.

Pros: Literally the safest thing I can use in the car. Comfortable for Brisbane, even if he's a bit dramatic. Easy to use, requires no flexibility on the part of the dog. Two feet, two buckles, done. Does not impede movement. Can be used in the front seat of the car.

Cons: Not terribly functional as a walking harness just yet. Threading the belt to buckle him in is kind of awkward. They don't make a Clickit harness small enough for Ru.

Photo by Erin Koski

Bottom Line: This harness is infinitely better than our Ruff Rider Roadie. I feel significantly safer with Brisbane wearing the Sleepypod Clickit harness.

Happy Valentines Day!

Valentines Day is one of those candy holidays, and one of the most chocolate-intensive celebrations. I think most people know by now that chocolate is bad for dogs, but beyond that the details tend to get a little fuzzy. Should I be worried if they lick my face right after I put on chocolate-flavored lip gloss? What if they snag a dropped chocolate chip cookie? Can they have white chocolate?

How Much Chocolate Does It Take to Kill a Dog?
First, it's important to know how much chocolate is in your chocolate. When it comes to chocolate toxicity, quality is everything. The most dangerous substances contain high percentages of actual cocoa. That chocolate-flavored lip gloss? They could eat the whole tube and be fine. Chocolate-flavored breakfast cereal? I'm not worried unless Ru somehow manages to eat an entire box.

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, white chocolate is an insignificant source of theobromine, the compound in chocolate that is toxic to dogs but not humans. The lethal dose of theobromine can be as low as 100 mg per kg of dog weight, with mild effects occurring in some dogs with as little as 20 mg/kg. Serious cardiac effects are more likely at 40 mg/kg or more. Dry cocoa powder can contain as much as 800 mg/oz of theobromine. Unsweetened baking chocolate has about 450 mg/oz, while milk chocolate has around 64 mg/oz.

Ru weighs about 3 kg, so an ounce of milk chocolate could be enough to make him sick, and two ounces could make him really sick. A Hershey's Kiss weighs 0.2 ounces, it could take up to five of those to make him queasy, and if he eats less than ten he's unlikely to have serious heart rhythm issues. Since Ru doesn't really like food, I'm not seriously worried about him eating enough milk chocolate to make himself sick.

Of course, different dogs feel the effects of theobromine at different doses. Brisbane has a stomach of steel and would have to eat a whopping 360 mg of it before he got so much as a tummy ache. That's 28 Hershey's Kisses. It would take nearly an ounce of cocoa powder to put him in the cardiac danger zone, and more than an ounce of baking chocolate. I happen to know that Briz tolerates theobromine remarkably well, as he has eaten half a flourless chocolate cake off the counter on two separate occasions with no ill effects. He got a tummy ache once from eating an entire bar of 85% chocolate bar. I feed him the occasional M&M, secure in the knowledge that the theobromine will be out of his system within a day or two.

Chocolate is really nothing to freak out about, though it can hide in unexpected places. Coco mulch is sometimes used in landscaping and also sometimes eaten by undiscriminating dogs with unfortunate results. I think it's wise for dog owners to have a rough idea of how much theobromine is in chocolate, as well as a general estimate of how much it would take to harm their particular dog. That way we can all stop freaking out when a lucky dog snarfs a stray piece of candy off the floor.  PetMD has a really cool chocolate calculator for those who find all that math a bit daunting.

Has your dog had any close encounters with chocolatey goodness?

Product Review: Baskerville Ultra Muzzle

The Baskerville Ultra Muzzle is a basket-style muzzle by The Company of Animals, makers of the Halti head collar. It is made from flexible rubber, and is designed to allow the dog to eat, drink, pant, bark, and even play with certain kinds of toys. This muzzle comes in black and pastel blue, and is available in six sizes to fit almost any dog.

Photo by Erin Koski

Muzzles are pretty awesome, and I'm glad there are groups like the Muzzle Up Project dedicated to normalizing and encouraging their use. A lot of people see a dog in a muzzle and immediately assume that it is unsafe to be around that dog. The reality is that a muzzled dog is often much safer to be around than an unknown dog with nothing on its face. When I see a muzzle on a dog in public, I am delighted to see that someone is taking the responsibility to protect both their dog and the public.

Just because my dog doesn't routinely need to wear a muzzle right now, it doesn't mean that he won't need this skill at some point in the future. Like crate training, muzzle training is a proactive way to reduce stress in unforeseen situations. Someday I might need to prevent him from eating things off the ground. Someday we might need to evacuate in close quarters with many strangers. I already know that Brisbane needs to be muzzled for certain veterinary procedures. He might as well think this whole face cage thing is awesome.

To be fair, I do sometimes use a muzzle purely for the "yikes!" factor. When Brisbane is wearing his Baskerville Ultra Muzzle, people that would normally shout "It's okay, he's friendly!" suddenly gather up their off-leash out-of-control dog while apologizing.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Baskerville Ultra Muzzle is basically the best muzzle ever. The holes are wide enough that I can easily feed Brisbane lots and lots of treats. The adjustable strap has a zillion little holes and is super long so it will fit around tiny heads and giant heads. There is a loop on the bottom for attaching the muzzle to the dog's regular collar for extra security. The Baskerville Ultra Muzzle also comes with a removable top strap that runs between the dog's eyes, but ours was missing from the package.

The basket itself is somewhat flexible, but not enough to allow the dog to bite. It is very strong and mostly holds its shape. For a custom fit, it can be dunked in hot water, shaped, and then cooled off. Over at The Muzzle Up Project, I've seen some cute fleece and felt cozies made for the top for extra comfort.

Pros: Comfortable! Highly adjustable and very secure. Difficult to escape. Designed to be comfortable enough for extended wear. Easy to feed treats for training. Dogs can still toss and carry toys like ropes and stuffies. Did I mention comfortable?

Cons: A lot of dogs don't like the strap that goes between the eyes, fortunately that part is removable.

Bottom Line: Brisbane hates having stuff on his face, but is totally chill when wearing the Baskerville Ultra Muzzle. This is partly the result of training, and partly because this muzzle really is comfortable enough to not bother my special snowflake dog.

Is your dog trained to wear a muzzle?

Assessing Chewing Style

I usually have a foster, transport, hospice, or dogsitting charge in my care, and this means that I get to work with at least a couple of new dogs every year. I use crates, xpens, and baby gates to keep the new guys from destroying my house while they learn where to potty and how to not eat my mentally deficient cats. Since it would be unsafe to leave a new dog loose in the house, I like to give them plenty of things to do while they are crated or otherwise confined.

Photo by Erin Koski

For most dogs, the safest place to leave them is in a wire crate in the center of the room with nothing touching it, no bedding, and no collar or anything else left on the dog. This way there is no blanket or bedding for them to eat, no toys to chew and swallow, nothing to choke on, and nothing that will get caught and cause strangulation. It is also incredibly boring for the dog, and one with separation anxiety may panic if left like this. An easily bored or under-exercised dog might eat the plastic crate pan, though a metal pan will prevent this. Still, the bare crate with nothing close enough to be dragged inside is low on comfort and far from ideal. My first priority is to find a toy or chew that the new dog can enjoy with a minimal chance of getting hurt.

Here's my process for determining what my dogs can play with safely:

Safety=Supervision+Intervention
It is absolutely vital to supervise a dog whenever they are given a new kind of toy. After nine years I feel fairly confident that Brisbane is not going to eat anything that is not food, but I still watch him carefully whenever I give him a new product to test, like the Kong Marathon. I can be confident in a company and their products, but until I see my dog use it, I have no way of knowing if this product lives up to the advertising. There can be bad batches of rubber, design flaws, and sometimes a dog is just plain good at defeating a particular toy which is why we no longer have an Everlasting Fire Plug.

Photo by Erin Koski

Watching closely for danger signs helps, often rubber toys begin to split before the dog can actually pull pieces free. Playtime ends when the rubber splits, cracks, or otherwise loses integrity. Just watching isn't enough though, I also need to be able to get the toy away from the dog, preferably without getting bit or justifying a dog's fears that I am out to steal their precious. A new dog could be a serious resource guarder, and a dog with an unknown history may have been punished for warning before a bite. When I first give a toy to a new dog, I like to leave a leash on them so I can move the dog without putting any of my body parts in biting range. I also like to have some smelly treats nearby.

The procedure for taking a toy away from a new dog should go something like this: Notice the toy has developed a tear, toss treats on floor away from dog, happily point out treats, use the leash to lead the dog away from the toy and prevent him from returning to it, heavily reward the dog for putting up with all this weirdness, secure the dog before retrieving the toy. At no point will I be putting my hands near the dog's mouth while it has a toy. It is a serious breach of Dog Etiquette to take a resource by force when someone else has it, and even non-guarders deserve to get praised and treated for tolerating this rudeness.

What if the dog is hellbent on consuming that Extreme Kong even when the floor is littered with steak and hot dogs? If I've done everything right, I should have a little bit of wiggle room between "toy looks questionable" and "surgery to remove toy pieces". I could start dragging the dog around by the leash and force him to walk until he drops the toy. I could potentially use a shake can, vacuum cleaner, or anything else that makes a scary noise to frighten him into dropping the toy. I could use the leash to drag the dog outside and turn the hose on him. Obviously scaring the dog s is going to severely damage our relationship, and could teach him to resource guard even if he didn't before. It's only worth it to use punitive tactics if I've run out of healthier options and truly need to save him from serious harm, and most dogs won't be able to continue demolishing a toy while walking.

Bigger is Better (Except When It's Not)
The larger the toy, the more durable it will be. This means the safest option is almost always the largest toy. The exception is when the largest toy has a hole large enough to trap the dog's lower jaw. I do not have XXL Kongs because Brisbane and Ulysses could probably get them stuck on their faces. Ru cannot play with a large TreatStik for the same reason. This type of entrapment isn't common, but it can result in a broken jaw, emergency vet visit, or worse if the dog is left unattended long enough.

Photo by Erin Koski

Plenty of toys don't carry that entrapment risk, but few are as tough as the black Extreme Kong I give my new dogs as their first test. The only thing tougher than a black Kong that I am aware of is the Goughnuts product line. If I worked with bully breeds and hosted power chewers often, I would actually own some of these as they are well and truly indestructible, guaranteed.

Know the Toys
Is the dog going to town on the XL or XXL Extreme Kong and putting puncture marks in it? We have a power chewer, time to skip the peanut butter and invest in some Goughnuts. If the Kong isn't showing any signs of weakness, I will make it more exciting by stuffing it with peanut butter and maybe a biscuit or two and see how it holds up. If the dog is only interested in the food and not the gnawing, or it clearly no match for the Kong, I feel safe leaving him unattended with it and introducing something less extreme. If the dog is showing signs of nervousness, tensing up or chewing faster when I get near him and his toy, I will work on building his confidence via high value treats. This is a good idea anyway, it really pays to have a dog that happily and readily gives up his treasures because he is confident he will get something even better.

The next toys I use to assess chewing style include the Bionic Urban Stick, blue Kong, and Starmark Everlasting Treat Ball. After the Extreme Kong test I should have a pretty good idea what a dog is going to do with a toy, but I still need to keep supervising and getting ready to intervene. Watching a dog eat is also helpful, inhaling food or swallowing biscuits whole is a red flag for toy swallowing. A dog that is willing to eat things that aren't food is at greater risk for ingesting toy parts. Ru happily eats beads and other craft supplies, it is safe to assume that he would swallow pieces of a toy if he managed to chew them off. Ulysses very clearly enjoys removing food from toys, but not gnawing the toys themselves. I feel safe giving him a red Kong, anything from Starmark, and a variety of other stuffable toys.

Photo by Erin Koski

Introduce Edible Toys
Some dogs are completely uninterested in toys they can't eat, and rawhides and bully sticks make great entertainment for these guys. These require similar precautions though, as they can still present hazards. Bully sticks are a great place to start because they are completely digestible, I like to give the new guy a large one to see whether he gnaws slowly or takes bites off and swallows them. Large, unchewed chunks of anything present a choking hazard, so I am unlikely to give a gulper any more edible stuff.

If a dog gnaws a bully stick down rapidly but doesn't actually take bites off, I might introduce him Wholesome Hides rawhides. These are extremely difficult to take big bites off, but could present a choking hazard when chewed down small enough to swallow. Whole, swallowed chunks are also more likely to upset tummies, and I am careful to monitor how much rawhide my dogs are ingesting.

Bottom Line (Too long; Didn't read)
I want every dog in my care to be safe, and this means knowing which toys can be safely used to entertain them when unsupervised. Provided there isn't a hole large enough to trap the dog's lower jaw, the biggest and toughest toys are the most durable and best to start with. I begin by introducing big, tough toys like the black Kong with no food in them, then with peanut butter inside, and then I gradually allow the dog more destructible playthings. I supervise dogs with new toys until I am confident that they aren't going to destroy it, eat it, or choke on it. I not only need to supervise, I also need to know the signs that a toy is under too much stress, and have a plan to get it away from the dog without teaching him that I cannot be trusted.

Product Review: Doggles

Doggles are tinted goggles designed to protect a dog's eyes from the sun, flying debris, or accidental injury. Doggles come in an enormous range of sizes, colors, and styles to fit every dog. They are the first eye protection designed just for dogs, and still the best product on the market in my opinion.

Photo by Erin Koski

We jumped on the Doggles bandwagon very early, back when they came in five sizes but only one color. I actually bought these right when I brought Brisbane home as a baby puppy. I expected them to be a passing fad and wanted to grab them while they were available. Expecting him to grow to the 60-lb dog based on his size at 7 weeks, I purchased Large Doggles. A size Medium would fit better, but Briz hates these so the fit has never been an issue. I mostly just put them on dogs to laugh at them. Still, their pretty awesome and I wish they'd been around when I had a dog with glaucoma stumbling around.

When Brisbane was a baby, I used to take him to a morning playgroup at the Camarillo dog park. A hound mix named Stubbs had eye issues caused by flying crud getting lodged in his eyes when he stuck his head out the car window on the freeway. Rather than take this joy from him, Stubb's owner got him a set of Doggles and put them on him faithfully every time they got in the car. The eye issue resolved right away and Stubbs still got to feel the wind up his nose.

Pros: These come in an enormous variety of sizes and shapes to fit any dog. The company continues to improve their products, and if I had a dog that didn't fit any existing products I would probably contact them and see if they could take on the challenge of designing something that would work. The product line has been extended to include goggles with interchangeable lenses, fashion sunglasses, and the EYME UV protection mask that works like a flymask on a horse. Doggles provide UV protection just like human sunglasses. They also stay on thanks to a strap around behind the ears and one under the chin.

Cons: Not every dog will tolerate wearing them. Doggles make Brisbane want to give up at life. He doesn't care how well they accompany his fabulous steampunk outfit, he just doesn't want anything on his head.

Bottom Line: Doggles for dogs with injured or injury-prone eyes. Doggles for dogs that ride in the open air at high speed. Doggles for blind dogs with eyeballs at coffee table corner height. Doggles for desert hiking dogs. Doggles for everyone!

Wholesome Hides are the Best Rawhides

I recently read a 2009 article from the Whole Dog Journal about rawhide chews. Everyone is concerned about imported dog products, especially those from China. I don't buy rawhide chews for Brisbane very often, but I have only ever bought ones that were made in the USA. I knew that imported rawhide has been processed with more chemicals and has a greater chance of being contaminated with something that could hurt my dog.

Photo by Erin Koski

This article, "Finding the Right Rawhide Chew for Your Dog", neatly filled in the gaps in my knowledge and gave me a whole lot more information about rawhide and the process of turning into chew toys. Basically, the USA is the world's largest producer of beef and cow products, so the hides come from here. Domestic manufacturers have access to fresh hides, turning them into dog chews is a fairly simple and straightforward process.

Foreign manufacturers must have hides shipped to them from overseas, and a large part of their dog chew manufacturing process involves first undoing what time and decay have done. This process involves a lot of harsh chemicals and plenty of opportunity for the rawhide to become contaminated. The phrase "black with rot" really stuck with me, apparently "basted" and flavored rawhide chews have been prepared that way to hide the effects of decay. "American" rawhide isn't always safe, either. Often the fine print reveals that the product is actually "made in China from American beefhide" like every other rawhide chew.

Finding domestic rawhide is a good first step, but a chew that is free from processing chemicals is not necessarily safe. The author of the article points out the danger that small chunks of unchewed rawhides pose. Knotted bones almost always have separate, smaller pieces of rawhide forming the knots. Rolls are often a single large piece stuffed with random chunks that are prone to falling out and getting gobbled up.

So which rawhides are the best out there? The article helpfully pointed me toward Wholesome Hides. These are domestically produced, and designed to keep dogs chewing happily and safely for a long time. The rolls are made from one big, fat piece of hide that has been rolled up tightly, so there are no smaller bits that can be easily removed. This makes the chew much more difficult to destroy, and makes dogs work very hard without ever swallowing more than a tiny bit at a time. I originally bought some for Josie, and Brisbane enjoys having a gnaw now and then. He usually ends up scraping his nose.

Retractable Leashes Ruin Everything

I am not a fan of retractable leashes most of the time. I actually own several and use them regularly, but I think the vast majority of people aren't actually thinking enough when they clip it on their dog and leave the house.

When is a Retractable Leash OK?

Photo by Erin Koski

I use a retractable leash when I am taking my dog to a place where it is always acceptable to have him 15' away from me. This means there are no obstacles, roads, or other people. Basically, I use these for parks and hikes. One of our favorite hiking spots has clearly-posted leash laws that limit leash length to 6', so I leave the retractables at home when we go there. 

Anywhere there might be a danger, hazard, or other person within 15' of me, I leave the retractables at home. It doesn't matter that the leash retracts and can be locked at a fixed length, I can't rely on it performing perfectly in an emergency. When I use retractable leashes I always carry regular ones along in case I need to control my dogs. I have never walked into a store or a veterinary clinic with my dog on a retractable leash because I would not do the same with my dog off-leash.

Which Retractable Leashes are OK?

All retractable leashes are not created equal, and I really only trust the ones by Flexi. These leashes retract because they each contain a tightly-coiled spring that stores an enormous amount of energy. I wouldn't purchase a small bomb or a gasoline-powered device from any manufacturer that I did not trust completely. I've seen several very old Flexi leashes that were still in good working order, and I've used several dollar-store and value brand leashes and had them break. The best case scenario for a broken retractable leash is one that has jammed and no longer extends or retracts. The worst case scenario is one where the leash is fully extended and then the clip breaks and flies are uncontrolled while the leash retracts at top speed. Those things sometimes end up in people's eyes. Honestly, the Flexi leashes are also the least-bulky and most comfortable ones to carry, on top of performing better than anything else on the market.

Tape, Because Cord Cuts Like Piano Wire.

The cord is basically invisible.

I do own a cord Flexi leash that I use for Ru, but only because he generates very little pulling power. For anything more than a featherweight dog, cord leashes are basically like walking a dog on a cable saw. Retractable leashes are designed to extend and retract very quickly, and they can cause friction burns or serious cuts because they concentrate all the force into a very tiny area. It's like grabbing a moving fishing line with something powerful on the other end.

Getting the cord wrapped around a body part is even worse. I was once walking Brisbane in a park when I saw a large, unruly Labrador towing a guy around with a reatractable leash. They were between us and the exit, so I put Brisbane's regular leash on and tried to stay as far away as possible. As we got closer I realized that the other dog's retractable leash had jammed and he was attempting to untangle it. The cord was wrapped around his hands when his dog spotted Brisbane and lunged very hard, pulling it tight. There was a lot of blood, and I don't know what happened because all I could do was get my dog away so his would stop pulling. He could have lost a finger, and he wouldn't have been the first. 

The Flexi leashes for large dogs all use nylon tape instead of string, this makes them easier to see and less dangerous. There are also all-belt leashes for smaller dogs, this is what I have for Brisbane.

There is No Kill Like OverKill

Of course, it's also perfectly ok to use a giant dog Flexi on a less-than-giant dog. I like to make sure my dogs are well under the limits for their Flexi leashes. That means 40lb Brisbane uses a leash for dogs under 55 pounds. Ru weighs 6 pounds, but uses a leash for dogs up to 25 pounds. I see an awful lot of broken and repaired Flexi leashes, and each of these represents a chance for a dog to run into the street, start a fight, or escape in an unfamiliar area. Going up a size just means more security, and less chance of ruining an expensive leash.

Retractables are for Harnesses Only!

Brisbane is extremely good at walking on a loose leash, especially when he is wearing a collar. The spring inside the Flexi leash keeps tension on the dog at all times, so I attach it to Brisbane's harness instead. He has been taught to pull in a harness, so he knows a little tension is ok. Of course, I wouldn't attach the Flexi to any type of harness that discourages pulling, either. That wouldn't be fair. 

Retractable leashes attached to collars are pretty much always a bad idea, even for dogs that are willing to pull. Most Flexi leashes are 15' long, and the world is full of squirrels and mail carriers and other excitement that could tempt a dog to run to the end of his leash. When a dog has been running all-out for 15' and hits the end suddenly, he can hurt his neck, throat, and spine. The absolute worst combination is a retractable leash attached to a head halter. 

Basically, I only use Flexi leashes, preferably the all-belt style, only on dogs that can walk nicely on a regular harness, only in open areas free from hazards. It means I don't get to use my Flexi leashes very often, but it also means I don't have to worry about my dogs darting into traffic, knocking over store displays, tripping people, harassing other pets, or generally doing things they would have to be off-leash to get away with.

Product Review: Premier KeepSafe Collar

The Premier KeepSafe Collar is a breakaway collar designed to release in an emergency to prevent the dog from strangling. It comes in five sizes to fit dogs with necks 7-34" around. The collar is nylon with a quick-release plastic buckle, a breakaway release, and two D-rings. It comes in four colors.

Photos by Erin Koski

When Brisbane was a puppy, he slept in a plastic airline crate every night. One morning I found him sitting forlornly against the side of his crate. One of his tags had slipped through a vent in the side and then rotated so that he was trapped. I was extremely fortunate that he was able to sit there and wait for me to rescue him, and I was acutely aware that he could have strangled to death within minutes if he had gotten hung up in a different spot.

At work we also occasionally see dogs get their faces caught in each other's collars. The policy is

The breakaway section separated.

that collars that tighten (martingales, chokes) and collars without buckles come off before the dog comes into the yard to play. If one dog is grabbing another dog's collar in play, we remove that collar until playtime is over. When a dog does get caught, it is usually because they grabbed a friend's collar and then spun around, twisting the collar around their lower jaw. Someone is always watching the dogs, and there are always several people around, so separating them is usually quick and efficient. The first dog to grab is the one wearing the collar on their neck and being strangled, this one needs to be held still so the collar can be unbuckled.

The Premier KeepSafe collar conveniently removes both of these dangers. I had seen this one at the store prior to Brisbane's incident, and I bought it the day he got caught in his crate. I wasn't comfortable leaving him without identification tags, so this was a perfect compromise.

Leash attachment feature.

The collar has a standard plastic quick-release buckle for taking it on and off. It also has a breakaway section that is slightly more difficult to put back together. It comes apart with a good tug, the grabby section is made from a slightly more flexible material to help it separate easily. There is a D-ring on either side of this section for attaching the leash. Clip it through both and the collar won't break open with pressure.

Pros: Breakaway feature literally saves lives. Collar strangulation is a serious hazard, but dogs also need to be wearing identification for safety. The KeepSafe collar is a happy compromise between the two issues. This is an extremely well-made collar, Premier makes great stuff. Brisbane's looks great years later.

Cons: The downside to the KeepSafe is that it does not make a convenient grab handle for your dog in emergencies. I once grabbed Brisbane's collar to keep him from greeting someone too enthusiastically, and he popped right out of it and went charging over to visit. When I worked at a pet store I saw a nervous Vizsla slip out of a Halti and then pop out of a KeepSafe collar as her owner attempted to capture her. If the collar breaks open while the dog is running off-leash the collar and attached tags can get lost. Tags are a pain in the butt to replace.

Bottom Line: My dogs don't normally wear collars around the house these days for a number of reasons, including safety and reducing skin irritation. Still, I have kept Brisbane's KeepSafe collar because it is so valuable in certain situations. For dogs that love to play and wrestle together, breakaway collars could save their lives.

Product Review: Ruff Rider Roadie 2012 Edition

The Ruff Rider Roadie is a crash protection harness for dogs riding in vehicles. The harness does not rely on hardware of any sort, and uses a one-piece design for strength.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Roadie was once once of the top safety harnesses on the market, but the product has gone through a number of redesigns that have made it significantly less awesome. The ease of use has gone way down, and the harness has some serious sizing issues that the company does not acknowledge.

Photo by Erin Koski

Several years ago I decided that my dogs needed seatbelt harnesses, and I realized that the average pet store product wasn't going to hold up in a real accident. Videos of crash tests showed plastic buckles and stitching failing catastrophically, and I decided that I needed something that would really hold up. I purchased a 2009 Roadie for Brisbane after getting a number of enthusiastic recommendations from my friends, but what I received wasn't what I expected. The original Roadie had a clip under the belly of the dog, this hardware would not be under any force in an accident. The buckle made it possible to get the dog in and out of the harness. The 2009 Roadie redesign eliminated the buckle and just made the harness all one piece.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane's 2009 Roadie was huge and heavy, but it was nearly impossible to get him into it because I had to pull his feet up to his elbows and force them through the harness. He had a lot of trouble walking in it, and I never really used it because it made both of us miserable.

The 2012 Roadie has gone through another redesign and is now slightly less horrible, but still not ideal. The harness now has an adjustable yellow strap on the belly that allows me to buy a gigantic harness and then cinch it down somewhat tight. The larger sizes also have a yellow chest strap to help tighten the harness, but the concept is still the same: buy a humongous harness so the dog can get into it, and then tighten it down a bit so it doesn't fall off.

I bought my Roadies on Amazon, and I was prepared for fitting issues after reading dozens of reviews. Brisbane measures right at the bottom of the size range for the Medium 1, so I thought it would have enough room.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Medium 1 size was so small that I could barely shove Brisbane's front legs through the openings without dislocating something. Once on, the harness visibly cut into his armpits, and I was afraid to have him walk in it. I exchanged the Medium 1 for a Medium 2, and that is what Briz is wearing in these pictures. I no longer worry about actually harming him by putting on the harness, but it is still an uncomfortable process. The harness is obvious huge and hanging off him in the pictures, but it still cuts into his armpits.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Roadie is advertised as a hiking and walking harness, but I'm afraid to put it on my dogs before they get into the car for fear it will rub them raw. I had the same fitting issue with Ru, at 7-pounds with a 13" chest he should fit perfectly in an Extra Small, but it was too small to even get on him. Ru wears a Small 1, which looks huge on him.

I contacted the Ruff Rider manufacturer with my concerns, and was told that they do not have a sizing problem and I must be using the harness wrong. Supposedly the reason I couldn't get Brisbane into the Medium 1 harness was because it was actually too big. They did not have a good answer for why I could get him into the Medium 2 harness so much easier.

The Ruff Rider website changed abruptly during the Center for Pet Safety harness tests. The company's Facebook and Twitter disappeared, although the webpage still invites visitors to check them out. The product currently for sale on the site appears to be the same one I own, but the product photos show something different. The harness in the big splashy pictures has clips on the sides, and one also has plush lining. Neither of these harnesses is available for sale as of today's date, though they have been prominently displayed on the website for months.

Pros: This is a strong harness that will probably help contain my dogs in an accident, and might also prevent injury to them and to human passengers. It is one of the less expensive safety harnesses on the market, and placed third in the Center for Pet Safety's 2013 harness test.

Cons: The harness is extremely difficult to put on the dog, and a good fit must be sacrificed in order to get a harness that a stiff and inflexible dog can get into comfortably. I can't find a happy medium between so-big-it-hangs-off and so-tight-it-dislocates-their-elbows. The tether is too long and is really only safe when used on the shortest setting. The company does not appear willing to entertain the possibility of sizing or fitting issues, and does not actually sell the products most prominently displayed on their website.

Bottom Line: I got these because they were $25-30 on Amazon and at the time they were one of the only reliable crash-tested harnesses available. I find the current iteration of the Ruff Rider Roadie to be difficult to use and uncomfortable for the dog. I will be upgrading Brisbane to a SleepyPod Clickit harness as soon as I have $100 to spend on it.

Is a Crate Safer than a Harness in an Accident?

While I was researching vehicle safety harnesses and obsessing over crash tests on YouTube, I had several people tell me that they had dispensed with the question entirely by securing their dog in a crate in the car. Many people seemed to have the notion that crates were the absolute safest option, and I thought so too until I found these videos.



Holy crap! When an animal hits the inside of a plastic crate in a collision, the crate EXPLODES! The seatbelt puts stress on a very small area of the crate, and the plastic breaks. Those car barriers designed to keep dogs in the back of a hatchback of SUV are also going to fail as soon as a dog hits them with the force of the collision.

Fortunately, this video does have a very important lesson. Plastic crates should not be buckled into the car with a seatbelt, the safest way for a pet to ride in a crate is with the long side of the crate contacting the back of a seat in the car. This will spread the force out so that the crate hopefully does not break, but the pet is still going to hit the side of the crate very hard. After watching these videos, I do not feel safe transporting my dogs in crates. The Center for Pet Safety is currently doing a study on crates in collisions, and will hopefully begin to dispel the notion that crates are automatically safer.

The Center for Pet Safety

It may come as a surprise to many pet owners, but there are no standards for pet safety devices. No governing body or independent organization requires companies to test their pet products, and recalls are normally at the discretion of the manufacturer even when a product has been shown to cause harm. Consequently, pet product companies can make all sorts of claims about their products.

Car safety harnesses are my pet peeve, because manufacturers can claim that their products will actually protect dogs in collisions. The vast majority of car harnesses are absolutely not built to withstand the force of an actual accident, and many dogs have been injured while wearing them because the harnesses fail in unpredictable ways.

Not long ago, someone decided to actually do something about this, and the Center for Pet Safety was formed. This is a non-profit organization devoted to testing products and developing safety standards for pet products. They launched their campaign by releasing these videos of car harnesses failing miserably. Most of these companies claimed their products were "crash tested", yet they failed in some horrific ways. One cinched down tight enough to cause crushing injuries, another failed in such a way that it nearly decapitated the stuffed test dog, a third simply failed at every seam and hardware point.



I saw this test and pretty quickly identified the "crash tested" harnesses as being made by Bergan, Kurgo, and Coastal Pet Products. I went looking for high-performance safety harnesses and had only the Champion or the Roadie harnesses to choose from. I ended up buying a couple of 2012 Roadies on Amazon for $25-30 because they were less expensive and didn't have huge hardware.

The Center for Pet Safety completed a landmark harness test in 2013, in which they stress tested, crash tested, and evaluated the performance of every crash-protection harness on the market. The SleepyPod Clickit was easily the best product, with the Klein Metal Allsafe harness coming in second and the Ruff Rider Roadie coming in third.

The Center for Pet Safety is currently finalizing their safety standards for crash protection harnesses, and the Sleepypod Clickit may be the only product that makes the grade. I am hoping the published standard spurs other companies to improve their harnesses too. CPS is also testing crates to see what happens in a collision.

A Pocketful of Paperwork

In my purse I carry a pouch with several important papers pertaining to my dogs. I have copies of their vaccination records, their microchip registration, and their neuter certificates. While I've never needed them for more than convenience, having these records with me could help us get out of a potentially serious situation.

Let's say, hypothetically, one of my dogs bites someone in an obviously-provoked situation. Maybe they ran up and tried to grab my phone and Brisbane bit them. Maybe there was a fight at the dog beach and we're not really sure who bit who. Anyway, the hypothetical authorities have been hypothetically called, maybe the police or Animal Control. Having the shot records on me could mean the difference between being allowed to leave, or my dog being seized and quarantined.

I keep my pets' microchip information up to date and registered with the Found Animals Foundation free microchip registry. Between my two dogs and three cats, we have chips from Home Again, AKC CAR, and InfoPet, and keeping them all up to date can be a challenge. Having Brisbane and Ru's microchip numbers with me is mostly for convenience, though. Lots of places ask for chip numbers on forms, from vets to boarding kennels to city licensing offices. None of these actually require the number, but I figure the more place their chips are connected to my information, the better.

Likewise, I have copies of Brisbane and Ru's neuter certificates with me. Not every place allows intact (un-neutered) dogs, and some dogs have undescended testicals, so it's not enough to just look and see that there are no balls. The city licensing office, boarding kennel, and various other places want confirmation by a veterinarian that the animal has been rendered incapable of reproduction.

I'm not expecting to actually need any of these documents most of the time, but I like having them with me. It's convenient, and could get us out of an otherwise unpleasant situation someday.