Detection dogs learn their trade through play and rewards

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

You’ve probably seen beagles in airports, checking luggage for contraband foods and other items, or a German shorthaired pointer at a train station checking areas for explosives. A Labrador sniffs out electronic evidence in child predator cases. Search-and-rescue dogs seek survivors after disasters.

That’s because no electronic device has yet been created that beats out a dog’s nose. The number of olfactory receptor cells they have ranges from about 125 million for dachshunds to about 300 million for bloodhounds, compared to the measly 6 million or so doled out to humans.

Thanks to that powerful sense of smell, dogs are our partners in all kinds of detection. They sniff out prohibited fruits, vegetables and meats in airports; explosives, weapons and drugs; missing persons, alive or dead; and even termites infesting homes.

But dogs aren’t able to solve complex scent problems right out of the gate. They learn their job through a simple but highly effective technique: positive reinforcement.

“Training a detection dog is all fun,” says Chris Oliver, a full-time K9 handler for the sheriff’s department in Placer County, California, and owner of K9 Furst, where he trains professional and sport detection teams. “We don’t use fear. We don’t use force.”

Instead, handlers tap into a dog’s primal instinct -- sniffing -- and make it fun for them by pairing odors with rewards. Once the dog makes the association between odor and reward, he understands that odor yields reward, and his expectation and excitement for that reward increases, says Deresa Kenney, an instructor at the K9 Sport Scent Work Conference with more than 40 years’ experience in training service and search-and-rescue dogs.

When dogs discover that sniffing is fun and rewarding, they want to do it again and again. A narcotics or other detection dog will happily search for hours with the incentive of a few minutes of play with a tennis ball or tug toy. It’s not just the opportunity to play with the toy. Interaction with the handler is a reward, too.

Dogs learn to differentiate between and indicate the presence of specific scents by being rewarded for making correct decisions. Punishment isn’t part of the program. Too much pressure or intensity can cause the dog to stop working.

“It’s not fun to get hammered all the time,” Oliver says.

Positive training techniques encourage the dog to do exactly what the handler wants. The attention or rewards they receive when they make a find encourages them to repeat that successful behavior.

That’s not to say mistakes aren’t made, by either the dog or the handler. Inexperienced dogs may accidentally alert because of eagerness or confusion.

Handlers can accidentally cue dogs with body language -- reaching for a toy too quickly, for instance -- causing the dog to alert in the wrong area. Anything the handler does -- talking or not talking, increasing or decreasing speed, leash handling -- can influence the dog, says Christina Bunn of Puget Sound Detection Dogs, speaking in January at the K9 Sport Scent Work Conference in Palm Springs, California.

When that happens, physical or verbal correction isn’t the way to go. The stress that accompanies those actions makes it more difficult for a dog to learn, and can stifle his ability to blossom into a precise and accurate detection dog. Instead, a handler simply ignores the incorrect alert and lets the dog work out the puzzle by redirecting him.

“If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not learning,” Oliver says. “If you don’t fail, you don’t grow.”

And when it all goes right, it’s not only a successful search, but also a bonding experience.

Q&A

How often should

pets visit the vet?

Q: My 5-year-old cat is in good health and up-to-date on her vaccinations. She’s never had any health problems. Does she really need to see the veterinarian every year?

A: If your pet is healthy and in good condition, you may think it’s OK to skip annual veterinary exams, but a yearly look-see from your pet’s veterinarian is an essential part of keeping her healthy. Annual exams help ensure that disease doesn’t sneak up on you and adversely affect your cat’s health before you realize a problem has developed -- and I can guarantee that your cat’s not going to tell you about it.

Annual examinations (or twice-yearly for senior pets) are the foundation of preventive care. They can prolong your cat’s life when your veterinarian discovers a problem early so that it can be treated before it becomes serious -- and expensive!

You may even save money if you and your veterinarian team up to prevent health problems by ensuring that your cat (or dog) gets the right amount of food and exercise to prevent or reverse obesity, for instance.

I believe that young or adult pets need at least one wellness check annually, and seniors benefit from twice-yearly checkups. Because pets age at different rates (large dogs age most rapidly; cats and small dogs, more slowly), exactly when those twice-yearly exams begin depends on the individual animal.

I’ve been a veterinarian for close to four decades now, and I don’t know how many times I’ve had to give someone the worst news possible about a pet, knowing that if I’d had a chance to catch and treat a medical issue earlier, I could have saved the pet.

The bottom line? Don't skip that yearly visit. You'll be doing your cat -- and your wallet -- a big favor. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Mayor is real

“paw-litician”

-- Georgetown, Colorado, has gone to the dogs -- in a great way! The town’s newly elected honorary mayor is Parker the Snow Dog. Wearing a tie and glasses, the Bernese mountain dog, who is also the official mascot of Loveland Ski Area, was sworn in by police judge Lynette Kelsey. Parker campaigned on a platform that promised hugs, love and cookies to the people of Georgetown and was unanimously chosen by the town’s Board of Selectmen last month. When he’s not presiding at city hall, Parker is busy being furr-iendly with the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies, and visiting news personalities, as well as serving as a therapy dog at the Easterseals camp in Rocky Mountain Village.

-- You’ve seen lost-pet flyers on telephone poles, but pizza boxes? Following in the pawprints of breweries that put pictures of missing pets on cans, John Sanfratello of Angelo’s Pizza in Matawan, New Jersey, decided to put lost-pet flyers on boxes of pizza being delivered after he saw a post about a lost cat on Facebook. Hazel the cat came home before her flyers went out, but Sanfratello is implementing the idea for other missing pets. He hopes other pizzerias will follow suit.

-- Bird owners, beware! The polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fumes from the self-cleaning oven process can kill avians, who have highly sensitive respiratory systems. Fumes from overheated nonstick pans are also deadly to birds. For both reasons, it’s best for birds not to live in the kitchen (not to mention the risk of burns from a stove). Even moving birds to a well-ventilated room in another area when cleaning the stove or using nonstick cookware is often not enough to protect them. Avoid using the self-cleaning feature on your oven -- using elbow grease is safer for your bird buddies. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by “The Dr. Oz Show” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

How do we really know if our dogs are happy? A new book digs into the science of dog happiness

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

You probably know when your dog is happy. His face and body are relaxed, his expression is soft and there’s a good chance he’s wiggling his butt. But is there evidence to back up the idea that those behaviors are an expression of happiness?

More and more scientists are studying the emotions of dogs, including happiness, and coming to conclusions that back up what we think we know about canine joy. And writers are addressing what that research tells us about the emotional needs of dogs.

Inspired by her own dogs, Ghost and Bodger, Zazie Todd, author of the blog Companion Animal Psychology, took a deep dive into the science behind canine happiness. As a psychologist with a Ph.D. in social psychology, she wanted to study not only what makes dogs happy, but also how that knowledge applies to the “best friends” relationship between humans and dogs.

In her new book “Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy” (Greystone Books, out March 10), Todd explores how dogs look and act when they’re happy; how we know they’re happy; and ways to ensure happiness throughout life, from puppyhood to old age. Her goal is to share “what science tells us about dogs and what it means for their welfare.”

That’s important, because when our dogs are happy, we’re happy. Happy dogs are less likely to have behavior problems, and that means we are likely to have a better relationship with them, she says. “I wanted to look at the science and give people a better understanding of their dog, as well as tons of practical tips that they could use in everyday life in order to have a happier dog.”

Take sniffing. How many of us are frustrated on a daily basis by our dogs’ desire to thoroughly sniff a given spot on a walk before moving on -- and then doing it all over again a few feet later? I do nosework with my dogs because I know how much they love scenting out their surroundings, but that seemingly excessive sniffing on walks can still be annoying. Instead of being exasperated, try looking at it as taking your dog on a “sniffari,” Todd says.

Sniffing is how dogs get information about their environment. Letting them sniff is one of myriad ways we can enrich their lives. Other forms of enrichment include rotating toys so the dog always has something “new,” giving puzzle toys to stimulate the dog’s brain, teaching tricks, playing games such as tug or providing digging areas in the yard.

From body language to functional MRI (fMRI) studies, “Wag” deconstructs dog behavior and how it relates to our everyday interactions with them. Building on this foundation, Todd takes readers through getting a dog -- choosing the right one is a key underpinning of happiness in a human-canine relationship -- how dogs learn and what motivates them (often food, glorious food, but also toys or play), and how to make daily life -- playtime, grooming, veterinary visits, meals, bedtime -- pleasurable, not painful. Each chapter ends with tips on how to apply the science at home.

What will readers take away from the book? Todd hopes each will find something specific to their own dog.

“I have a checklist for a happy dog at the end of the book, and I think readers will be glad to find things that they’re already doing right,” she says. “And they will also be able to hopefully find some things that may be good to try to see if it will help make their dog happier.”

Q&A

Can pets catch or

spread new virus?

Q: I’m hearing a lot about how the new coronavirus may have “jumped” from bats or other animals to humans. Do I need to be concerned that my pets could catch it from other animals or that it could be passed between humans and pets? How can I safeguard my pets and myself?

A: Great questions! There are many different types of coronaviruses, some of which affect humans, and others that circulate among animals. The COVID-19 virus, as this particular one is known, is thought to have originated in bats, but so far it’s not clear whether there was an intermediary animal host.

Coronavirus infections can occur in cats and dogs, causing such illnesses as canine cough, sometimes called kennel cough. (It is more formally known as infectious tracheobronchitis complex, or ITB.) Other types of coronavirus can be serious or life-threatening to pets, but they are species-specific. In other words, they can be passed from cat to cat or dog to dog, but not, for instance, from dogs to cats or cats to humans.

In an article from the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University, associate professor Kate Creevy, DVM, says, “At this time, we do not believe humans can catch (any form of) coronavirus from their pet.”

Even though the COVID-19 virus originated from an animal, it spreads person-to-person. There’s no evidence that pets or other animals in the United States could be a source of infection, or that they could become infected through contact with a human who has the virus.

It’s always a good idea to avoid handling pets or other animals if you are sick, and to avoid petting or otherwise coming in contact with unknown or stray animals if you are traveling to another country. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Poodle is 10th to

win Westminster

-- A standard poodle named GCHP CH Stone Run Afternoon Tea, known as Siba, took best in show at the 144th annual Westminster Kennel Club show last month. She was the fifth standard poodle to strut out of the ring with the title. Standards are the largest of the three poodle varieties (the other two are toy -- the smallest -- and miniature). Miniature poodles have won the coveted title three times, and toy poodles twice. Poodles of any size are prized for their intelligence and versatility. If the stylized show coat puts you off, never fear: Your pet poodle will be perfectly happy and beautiful in a simple puppy cut trimmed the same length all over the body.

-- You can get pet health insurance for your dog or cat, but what about other pets? Until recently, people with birds, potbellied pigs, chameleons and other exotic animals were out of luck when it came to insurance coverage, but pet insurance provider Nationwide now has plans for those pets, too. It’s the only avian and exotic plan available in the United States, says Heidi Sirota, Nationwide’s chief pet officer, in a news release. Covered animals include chinchillas, goats, sugar gliders, iguanas, tortoises, and parrots and other birds. Not eligible are animals that are venomous, endangered or illegal to keep.

-- You probably have never seen this word in print, but a word for a small pet dog is “messan,” according to dictionary.com, which recently included it in a “word of the day” post. Messan, a noun, comes from the Scots Gaelic word “measan” and means “small dog.” It entered the English language in the late 15th century and generally refers to a dog favored by her people. It’s little-used in the 21st century -- but it is a valid Scrabble word! -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by “The Dr. Oz Show” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

Pet-friendly fabrics and flooring make decorating a breeze for dog and cat lovers

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

We’re in the market for a new sofa, and my friend Tamela Klisura, an interior designer, is urging me to get one in a light neutral shade instead of the colorful patterns that I love -- in part because they hide pet hair so well.

“It’ll get dirty,” I argued. Dogs will be napping on it all the time, after all.

Tamela, who has three dogs herself, pooh-poohed that.

“They have performance fabrics now that clean up really easily,” she says.

She’s right. You don’t have to buy furnishings that are the same color as your pug or Labrador’s fur -- or the Holstein cow pattern I’d need for my chestnut-and-white cavaliers. If you’re considering buying new furniture, reupholstering what you have or putting down new flooring, you have a lot of options to help keep your home looking and smelling clean, even if you have multiple dogs and cats.

Many fabrics and carpets these days are made to withstand odors and stains from spills, dog drool, pet accidents or animals who simply need a bath, thanks to a moisture barrier that keeps liquids and other messes on the fabric’s surface instead of soaking in. They can even be safely disinfected with a product that knocks out pathogens including E. coli, salmonella, MRSA, parvovirus and canine distemper virus.

“Those Crypton fabrics are made for a variety of high use and abuse,” says commercial architect Heather E. Lewis of Animal Arts, a firm that designs veterinary hospitals, shelters and other facilities. “What I have seen as an architect is an explosion in the number of cleanable fabrics that are used in health care, and those fabrics are also appropriate for use in a home.”

Flooring and carpets are also more pet-friendly, thanks to advances in materials. Vinyl, for one, has come a long way. Rosemary George replaced her wood floors with commercial-grade vinyl. “It looks just like wood but holds up better and is impervious to accidents,” she says. Melissa Frieze Karolak has vinyl planks in her basement, “luxury” vinyl in one bathroom and old-fashioned linoleum in the laundry area. “I like them all, and so far they have held up well to our two dogs and three cats,” she says.

If you’ve ever wished that you could just throw large rugs into the washing machine, well, now you can. A company called Ruggable makes lightweight rugs that go over a nonskid pad. The low-pile rugs, which come in a variety of styles, sizes, colors and patterns, are stain-resistant and waterproof. When they need to be cleaned, even the 8-by-10-foot size fits in a home washing machine.

“I have Ruggables and love the look, durability and washability,” says Marion Schuller, responding on Facebook to a friend who was considering buying one. “There is little or no padding, but the dogs like them and choose the rug instead of tile.”

Another option is carpet squares made with solid vinyl backing. When vomit, urine or poop accidents happen -- and they will -- the affected squares can be pulled up and cleaned or replaced altogether.

Wall-to-wall carpets are also made now to resist depredations from dogs and cats. Some are treated to prevent stains from forming after spills or pet potty accidents, prevent urine from penetrating to the pad and resist soiling. They can be good choices for people with asthma or allergies who prefer carpet to hard-surface flooring.

Whether it’s furniture or flooring, homes are being designed around pets. “I think that’s cool and it makes it easier for busy families,” says Lewis, who has kids and pets. “I love to see that.”

Q&A

How to build

a feline fort

Q: I want to build a safe outdoor area for my cat. What features should it have?

A: A “catio” is a great way to give cats some outdoor time and space so that they can sleep in the sun, nibble on grass, stalk bugs or scratch on logs.

Start by providing as much space as possible, both horizontal and vertical. Cats love to climb and be up high, so a good-size structure should be at least 6 feet by 6 feet, with perches at various heights. Walkways should hug the walls as well as cross the space diagonally so the cat can move around easily.

Use sturdy materials. Strong screening will protect your cat from invasions by other cats or by predators such as dogs, coyotes or, in some areas, mountain lions.

Minimize territorial disputes with free-roaming neighborhood cats by building a solid base wall about 3 feet high and then having screening go up from that surface.

Choose flooring that other animals can’t tunnel beneath to get into the enclosure. If possible, a sealed concrete floor is a good choice, and it can be hosed down for ease of cleaning, especially if you build it so that it slopes to a drain.

Cover the catio to prevent escape and to provide shelter from sun, rain and snow. Design the cover in such a way that your cat has access to both sunny and shaded areas.

A litter box inside the enclosure should be easily accessible for scooping and changing the litter. Other accessories your cat will appreciate include a small fountain with running water to splash in and cat-safe plants on which she can graze. Of course, one of those plants should be catnip!

For more tips on building a catio, visit FearFreeHappyHomes.com. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Vet camp for

pet-loving kids

-- San Diego-area kids who are interested in becoming veterinarians or veterinary technicians can get a leg up on their career goals at Helen Woodward Animal Center’s You Can Be a Veterinarian Camp. Experiences include practicing suturing by sewing together the skin on a banana, using a syringe to inject liquid into a section of an orange, drawing “blood” from a balloon, and examining cells under a microscope. Half-day camps are $77 per child, and the next one is scheduled for March 7. Full-day camps, which cost $144 per child, are scheduled for May 3, Sept. 19 and Nov. 7.

-- A distillery in Montana has jumped on the bandwagon of breweries around the country that spotlight adoptable dogs on their labels. At Headframe Spirits in Butte, “Orphan Dog” side labels on bottles of Orphan Girl Bourbon Cream Liqueur sport images of area adoptable dogs from Chelsea Bailey Animal Shelter. The goal is not only to help the dogs find good homes, but also to raise money for the shelter. In addition to Headframe, the effort is supported by Highlands Veterinary Hospital, which paid printing costs. The dogs are photographed by Alycia Holland Carriger, who has been taking pictures of shelter dogs for the past three years to help them find homes.

-- Many cats around the world are thought to bring good luck. In the Land of the Rising Sun, the Japanese bobtail is the traditional feline luck-bringer. The cats with the kinky tails come in many colors, but the tricolor -- or mi-ke (pronounced “mee-keh”) -- is best-known. The cats stand out for their rich, vibrant coat colors; pompomlike tails, which come in varying lengths; and entertaining behavior. Their soft, silky coat can be short or long, and they are on the small side, weighing 5 to 10 pounds. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by “The Dr. Oz Show” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.