Tail Language

Dogs convey their feelings in all sorts of ways.  They speak to us through vocalizations like barking, growling, and yelping.  They speak to us by bristling fur, exposing teeth, and the posture of their body, head, ears, and tail.  Most of us are good at interpreting these signals but sometimes the wires can get a little crossed.  Maybe your dog is growling but his front end is dropped to the ground.  Is he going to attack or does he want to play?  This is why it's good to study each of the ways that your dog communicates in order to get a complete picture.  After all, you don't want to punish your dog for playing and you don't want him to start a fight either.  In this post, I'd like to discuss tail position.  The following is a general description of the various tail positions and if your dog could speak, what he might be saying.  Keep in mind that if your dog's tail is naturally curled over the back (think Siberian Husky) or naturally tucked between the legs (Greyhound) that some of these don't apply.

Wagging from side to side, parallel to the ground - "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!  This is SO awesome!! I'm so happy to see you!  I love you!  Did I tell you that?  I love you.  I love you. I love you."  And the wider your pup is wagging his tail the more excited he is.

Tail tucked between legs - "I'm scared."

Tail slightly raised but not yet parallel to the ground, may be wagging - "You're in charge.  I'm gonna relax and enjoy myself."

Tail parallel to the ground - "Hmmm, what's this?"

Tail parallel to the ground and stiff - "Hmmm, what's this?  I'm not sure if I'm going to like it."

Tail pointing up -  "This is my territory.  I just want to make sure you know that."

Tail pointing up and stiff with the tip curved forward - "I'm king of the world!!!  You may all bow to me now."

Above all else, get to know your dog's personal signals.  Tail position alone won't tell you everything but it might give you a clue.

Reduce Pet Overpopulation - Get a new license plate!

Hi Folks-
The California Veterinary Board is sponsoring a brand new pet lover's license plate.  Proceeds from these plates provide funding for low-cost spay and neuter services throughout California.  It features artwork by actor, Pierce Brosnan, of an adorable dog and kitty. Take a look at the link below:

http://www.caspayplate.com/

Is Your Cat A Decorator?

Ms. Claudia's paws

Cats make excellent home decorators.  At least, they think they do.  The problem with their style of decorating is too much fringe.  If they had their way, every piece of furniture in your home would be covered in ripped strands of fabric from their sharp little claws.   I can't tell you how often I've pushed a sofa into a corner or added one too many throws to a chair to cover up kitty's recent decorating job.  I've tried all the methods you can think of to stop her clawing sessions:  spray bottle, sticky strips,  yelling and screaming (doesn't work.  do not try.) and sour apple spray.  Most of these were met with haughty looks of annoyance and silent snickering behind lethal paws.  Well, I've finally found something that works and though I'm not into product endorsement (I am not receiving compensation in any way for this post), I thought I needed to share this with you because it has cut down on my frustration significantly.   The product is called Soft Paws and they are basically plastic claw covers.   You put them on and within a month or two they fall off naturally as your cat sheds layers of her claws.  When you order the kit, they supply you with the plastic tips and glue.  The trick here is getting kitty to let you hold her paws long enough to apply them. To overcome this hurdle, start touching your cat's paws when petting her.  Just a little bit everyday.  Eventually, she'll get used to it.  To apply the covers, you trim the very tip of her claws, put a drop of glue inside the plastic tip, flex one of kitty's digits, then put on the tip and hold for about 15 seconds.  It dries very quickly.  After you finish applying them all, you'll want to monitor her for about 15 minutes to make sure she doesn't try and pull them off.  She'll still go through the motion of clawing but won't be able to tear anything.  Every once in a while she'll pull one off during a claw grooming session, so you just replace the missing one. They come in a variety of colors.  The picture above shows Ms. Claudia wearing the pink and blue combo pack.  If you'd like to order some for your little rascal, go to  www.softpaws.com  

Lastly, whatever method you end up using to save your furniture, never declaw your cat.  Declawing is severely detrimental to your cat's body and mind.