Recently, my favorite online veterinarian, VirtuaVet (aka Doc Truli), wrote a blog post on How to Cover a Leg Sore on a Dog.
She focuses on preventing further licking and chewing of lick granulomas and offers a terrific solution for making a wrap to cover the legs.
I asked in the comments section what the material she suggested is made of, if behavioral modification could help prevent licking, and if she had ideas for keep an injured paw clean and dry.
She offered a terrific solution of using plastic IV bags (which I happen to own) as a sturdy paw-covering to keep the foot dry for outdoor walks and romping. If I had but known this a few weeks ago! (Scroll down to her comments in this post.)
This led to a discussion of stress behaviors in assistance dogs and why I continue to choose Bouviers as my service-dog-breed-of-choice. (Hint: They see a major part of their job as holding down the floor — or bed.)
Jersey "at work" inside her favorite futon.
Gadget "at work," making sure I get my rest.
Barnum, still in training, carries on the grueling tradition.
She replied with some interesting studies on scent-detection dogs’ behavior with positive reinforcement versus harsh corrections.
In other words, we covered a lot of ground! (Good thing our paws aren’t sore.)
I thought the information might be of interest to readers of After Gadget. I’m also curious about your experience and opinions on stress-related behaviors in working dogs. Have your assistance dogs exhibited signs of work stress? How do you prevent stress-related health issues or burnout/washout? What do you think about what Doc Truli and I said about different types of training methods affecting performance?
Please comment! (I do read every single one, right away; lately I’ve been too sick and overwhelmed to reply quickly, but I value your comments immensely.)
-Sharon, the muse of Gadget, and Barnum (aka “Pause or Fast-Forward Boy”)
After Gadget 