D G
DoD Overseas Newsletter / April 2005 / volume 3 / Issue 28
Rescue
a Poodle, Snowy
H
illaryis a black with a white
chest, female Collie mix
who weighs about 80
pounds and she is almost
12 years old as of Feb
2005. She is overweight and I’ve had
her on a restricted calorie diet. Hillary’s
nicknames are, “Hills”, “Billy”, “Billy Goat”,
and “Goat”. Hillary knows everyone of
these names is hers. Hillary lives in the
house. She does not care for strangers,
and can bark or cuss a stranger pretty
convincingly. We got Hillary in August of
1993. She was being given away at the
local Safeway in Conifer, Co. She was
the last puppy, and no one seemed to
want her. We took her and she is now a
best friend. Hillary has developed lots of
gray in her face as she has aged. Hillary
has developed a cough and has a large
breast tumor. The vet thinks it is cancer,
but a biopsy was inconclusive.
Okie is a black and white female long
haired Chihuahua, who weighs about 6
pounds and about 13 years old as of Feb
2005. Okie’s nickname is “Okie-Bokie” or
just “Bokie”. Okie is a very sweet lap dog.
She gets along very well with all of the
other dogs. We found her in June 1996,
while on a fishing trip to Oklahoma. The
vet said it appeared by her condition she
had probably been out on her own about
3 weeks. She was eaten up with mange
and near death. It took her three weeks
to get her strength back and to get rid
of the mange. She is very happy today.
In Okie’s old age she suffers from skin
allergies and is having a hard time seeing
in the dark. She has also developed a
catarack in both eyes.Update- Okie has
lost her left eye due to glaucoma. She
has become my mother-in-law’s dog
but not by my choice. Ann allows her to
sleep in the bed, so Okie stays with her.
We just had Okie’s teeth cleaned and
blood work done which showed slight
elevated enzymes in her kidneys. She
is pretty healthy otherwiseeat Pyrenees,
LOVERS stories | care | health | training | events
who weighs about 100
pounds and is about 9.5 years old as
of Feb 2004. She has one blue eye and
Current Issue
one brown eye. Chelsea is very sweet.
She is a very docile dog. Unless you Cover Story 1
know her well, you can’t tell when she
gets excited other. Chelsea guards the Adoption Information 1
back yard these days and in her old age
she is still very healthy. We still have no Obedience Training 2
major health issues with Chelsea.she is
still very healthy. We still have no major
health issues with Chelsea.
Nutrient for Dogs 3
pounds and is about 9.5 years old as of
Feb 2004. She has one blue eye and Photo Taking Tips 4
one brown eye. Chelsea is very sweet.
She is a very docile dog. New Event 4
Unless you know her
well, you can’t tell when
she gets excited other.
Chelsea guards the back Next Issue
yard these days and in her old
age she is still very healthy. • Competitions Entrying
We still have no major health • Homemade Dog Food
issues with Chelsea.she she is • Tricks Training
still very healthy. We still
have no major health issues • Travel with your Dogs
with Chelsea.
Snowy is turning three and
happyly living with the Sun
DOG LOVERS
How and Where to Adopt a Pet
If you are interested in adopting dogs, please come to visit us. U.S. citizens who live
overseas having military or civilian ID are able to adopt pets from the base clinic.
Most military overseas vets clinics open from 9 am to 4pm through the weekdays. You
can come anytime during office hours to search for a pet. But the adoption process
will be handled from 3pm to 4pm only. Prior to the adoption procedures, please have
pet cage, ID, and US$70 ready. The pet will be checked, administer required shots,
and implant ID chip, before leaving the clinic. If you have further questions, please
contact your local military vet clinic.
1
 i n g

O
in
t ra
c e
n
die
be
and your dog are skilled at several obedience commands, then take
these commands to different areas.
Keep the obedience training sessions short and sweet. It is dull and
boring to schedule tedious and lengthy training sessions. Instead,
integrate training into your daily routine. Make obedience training
interesting and meaningful to your dog. If Puppy insists on following
you from room to room while you are getting ready for the day,
then insist he have something to do too. “Rollover” for your wake-
up greeting. “Heel” from the bedroom to the bathroom. “Down-
stay” while you’re brushing your teeth. “Heel” from the bathroom
to the kitchen. “Sit-stay” while grinding the coffee beans. “Go find
the ball” while you get dressed. Now “go get the leash” so you can
go for a walk. “Sit” when the door is opened, “sit” again when the
door is closed. And so on. Be sure that obedience training infiltrates
your dog’s favorite activities and that your dog’s favorite activities
infiltrates training. Your dog’s favorite activities should become
training, so that training becomes the dog’s favorite activity.
By Kelly B. Holland
Photograph by Brian Smith Reward While Training
The single most important aspect of training is rewarding your dog
for good behavior. The more times the dog is rewarded, the quicker
he will learn. Therefore, it’s essential that you set up situations
Obedience training is one of the best things you can do for your repeatedly in order for your dog to get plenty of practice at doing
dog and yourself. It doesn’t solve all behavior problems, but it is the right thing. It’s equally as important that you always praise
the foundation for solving just about any problem. Training opens your dog for good behavior instead of taking it for granted. It’s
up a line of communication between you and your dog. Effective easy to forget to praise good behavior because it goes unnoticed.
communication is necessary to instruct your But the very nature of misbehavior gets our

“
dog about what you want her to do. Dogs are attention. We don’t notice when our dog is
social animals and without proper training, lying quietly, but excessive barking gets our
they will behave like animals. Nearly all The single most attention. How many of us take notice and
behavior problems are perfectly normal canine
activities that occur at the wrong time or place
important aspect of praise our dogs when they chew their own
toys? But we all go berserk when we notice
or are directed at the wrong thing. The key training is reward- our favorite pair of shoes chewed up! Praise
to preventing or treating behavior problems ing your dog for good “ and reward are the most important part of
is learning to teach the dog to redirect his maintaining good behavior and preventing
natural behavior to outlets that are acceptable behavior. problems from arising.
in the domestic setting. Obedience training
is also an easy way to establish the social Reprimands While Training
hierarchy. When your dog obeys a simple request of ‘come here, Some dogs feel they are constantly bombarded with, ‘NO, Stop that,
sit,’ she is showing compliance and respect for you. Most dogs love get off, Bad dog!’ They tend to get used to it and so the reprimands
performing obedience commands for you which also pleasantly become meaningless and are ignored. If most of our interaction
acknowledge that you are in charge. with the dog is praise for good behavior, then reprimands will take
DOG LOVERS
Obedience training should be fun and rewarding for you and your on much more meaning. Whenever you find the need to reprimand
dog. It can enrich your relationship and make living together more your dog, immediately show him what you want him to do, then
enjoyable. A well-trained dog is more confident and can more safely reward him for getting it right. If you catch him chewing the
be allowed a greater amount of freedom than an untrained one. furniture, tell him, ‘Off!’ Then immediately direct him to his own
Some people debate whether or not it is possible to train puppies, toys, enthusiastically entice him to chew on them and praise him
and others ask whether it is possible to teach an old dog new trick. for doing so.
The answer to both questions is an unequivocal YES. Whatever If done correctly, your voice alone is sufficient for reprimand. A
the age of your dog, the right time to begin train ing is right now! correct reprimand is short, sharp and immediate. Don’t continue
The most important time in your dog’s life is right now. Your dog’s to nag the dog and never reprimand him unless you catch him
behavior is constantly changing. A dog that is well-behaved today in the act. Never hit, kick, slap or spank your dog. This type of
will not necessarily remain that way forever. New problems can inappropriate punishment always creates more problems and
always develop. Existing problems can always get worse. It is best usually makes existing problems worse. Not only will you have
to begin training in an area that is familiar to your dog and with the a barking, chewing dog, but one that is leery, hand-shy, fearful or
least amount of distractions as possible. When you feel both you aggressive.

2
Nutrient Requirement of Dogs
Your dog’s behavior, happiness, health, longevity and overall well-being
are inextricably intertwined with what you feed him. Dogs, just like
everyone else, have specific nutritional needs.
BY SUSAN McGRATH
Feeding Puppies
For the first seven to ten days of life, the newborn puppy’s
eyes remain closed. Yet during that time, puppies double their
birth weight and become increasingly more active. As a rule
of thumb, each puppy in a litter should gain approximately its
birth weight each week during the lactation or nursing period.
While most females are excellent mothers, some nervous or
inattentive dams may require special attention to help them
calm down and accept their new offspring. This may involve
working with both the dam and/or puppies, and placing pups
near nipples at feeding time. Poorly nursing puppies may be
smaller in size, cooler in body temperature, and weigh less.
Routinely handling the pups will allow for an opportunity to
check their condition and progress, although excessive handling
may be stressful for the dam and pups and should be avoided.
The typical introduction of a puppy to solid food (around 3 to
4 weeks of age) usually amounts to the pup romping around
and through the dam’s food bowl, and licking moistened dry
food from its paws. Puppy traffic will tend to compact the
food, so stirring the compacted diet or offering fresh amounts
periodically should be considered. By six weeks of age, most
puppies are ready to be weaned. If they have started to eat solid
foods from the dam’s dish, it is not unusual for puppies to begin
to wean themselves at about four to five weeks of age.
The nutrient requirements to support normal growth and
development of puppies are greater than those for an adult
dog. For this reason, nutritionally complete and balanced diets
designed for growth and reproduction or all life stages are
recommended. No additional supplementation in the form of
vitamins, minerals, meat, or other additives is needed.
A puppy’s stomach capacity is not large enough to hold
sufficient food in one feeding to provide its daily requirement
of needed nutrients. Young puppies should be fed at least three
times a day until their food requirements, per pound of body
weight, begin to level off as they mature. Feeding schedules
can be reduced to twice a day when pups are four to five months
old, and once a day when they are eight months or older. Fresh
water in a clean bowl should be available at all times.
Establishing routine eating habits by feeding a puppy in the
same place and at the same time each day is recommended
and can help in housebreaking. Offering human foods from
the table is not recommended because it encourages begging
and may create a finicky eater. Puppies consuming a complete
and balanced diet do not need supplemental vitamins, minerals,
or meat. In fact, over supplementation has been shown to be
detrimental to proper development of young, growing pups.
Feeding Adult Dogs
When a dog reaches full maturity, it enters the maintenance
period. Normal healthy dogs who are not pregnant, nursing,
or hardworking have relatively low nutritional requirements
for maintaining an appropriate body condition. A good body
condition is one in which the animal is well proportioned, with
observable waist behind the ribcage, and ribs that can be felt
with a slight fat covering over them.
With the variety of nutritionally complete and balanced dog
foods available, providing a proper diet for an adult dog can be
straightforward and simple without the need for supplements
of any kind. If supplemental meat or table scraps are fed, they
should account for no more than 10% of the total diet. Higher
levels can dilute the nutritional value of the commercial diet,
predispose an animal to obesity and may create a finicky eater.
For dogs with lower caloric needs and/or for dogs that are less
active, attention should be paid to the potential for excessive
weight gain. Often a dog’s weight can be reduced simply
by eliminating table scraps and treats from the diet and by
avoiding high-energy dog foods. Overweight dogs may have
more health problems and a shorter life expectancy.
Feeding recommendations for adult dogs can vary, depending
upon the breed, activity, metabolism and owner’s preference.
Whether or not an animal is fed once or twice each day, it should
be fed at the same time, and fresh drinking water should always
be made available. Just as with humans, a dog’s appetite may
vary from day to day. This should not pose a problem unless
the loss of appetite persists or the dog shows signs of illness or
weight loss. In these situations, the dog should be examined by
a veterinarian.
Feeding Older Dogs
Aging dogs are defined as older or geriatric when they have
reached the last 25 percent of their expected life span, which
is directly related to size or breed, as well as the care received
during a lifetime:
 Small breed dogs greater than 12 years of age
 Medium breed dogs greater than 10 years of age
 Large breed dogs greater than 9 years of age
 Giant breed dogs greater than 7 years of age
Some signs of aging are described as: changes in body weight
 difficulty in locomotion (movement)
 changes in hearing and/or eyesight
DOG LOVERS
 changes in skin and/or haircoat
 changes in urine or bowel habits
 bad breath associated with teeth or mouth problems
Studies have shown that healthy older dogs utilize protein in
a manner similar to the young adult dog, and that geriatric
dogs may need about 50 percent more protein than younger
adult dogs. However, current commercial diets formulated for
adult dogs at maintenance generally provide adequate protein.
Less active animals may have reduced energy requirements,
and caution should be used when feeding energy dense diets to
avoid the risk of excessive weight gain.
3
 Pet Photo Tips By Rose Mary
 Take the photos outdoors, on a fair day, in early morning
or late afternoon, or indoors in a bright and well-lit
room. Avoid taking photos outdoors at high noon or on
overcast days, or indoors under artificial lighting. You
want the colors in the photos to reflect the true coloring
of your pet
 Take the photos in a place where your pet is comfortable
"being him/herself", such as in the corral, in your yard,
in the park where you walk your pet, etc
 Have help. Someone should be free to take the photo
and someone else to pose the pet.
 Use a telephoto lens to get close-up photos without
getting too close to your pet. An ideal photo for portraits
has the pet filling over half of the picture, with the
surroundings filling the rest.
 Get down or up to pet eye-level to take your pet’s
photos. You should be looking straight at your pet from
the camera.
 Take many photos, several rolls, if possible, in many COMING NEWS
different poses.
 Don’t use instant film developing types of cameras. Winners of 2005 spring canine photo and essay
 Watch the background! If your pet is dark-colored, try competitions will be announced on next month’s issue.
to take photos in front of lighter backgrounds; if your The summer season canine photo and essay competitions
pet is light-colored, try to take photos in front of darker will be entering on June 30 and end on Aug. 30. This
backgrounds. In general, keep backgrounds simple and year’s theme is “Dog’s Best Summer Spot.”
uncluttered.
For details, please visit the Dog Lovers Web site:
 Try to use a camera with an automatic focus. Animals www.doglovers.org.
move quickly and often, and adjusting the manual focus
can take a little time.

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