They are a great help, and I’m not going to tell you not to use them. But I want you to be careful.

What Is A Lick Mat?

A lick mat is a textured flat surface made out of rubber, usually with suction cups to attach it to the floor. The pattern on the top is designed to trap food and make it hard to eat quickly. The aim is to get dogs and cats to spend their time in licking instead of other unwanted behaviours, or to alleviate boredom and anxiety. Unlike other slow feeders, licky mats promote licking behaviour, instead of food seeking or foraging.

Uses For A LickiMat 

The uses being promoted for the LickiMat® on their website include:

• Entertainment & distraction
• Reduction of anxiety & stress 
• Boredom buster 
• Slow feeding
• Raw feeding
• Environmental enrichment
• Improving oral health

Some of these uses make a lot of sense. A lick mat is a great way to get a dog to tolerate unpleasant situations like bathing, grooming, nail clipping and vet visits. That’s only so long as your dog is highly food-motivated.

You could also use it as an aid to crate training and getting your dog accustomed to car trips. It’s also a great way to alleviate stress in temporary situations, like fireworks and thunderstorms, or owners leaving the house.

So what’s the problem? Firstly, some of the claims make little or no sense.

Do Lick Mats Improve Oral Health?

LickiMat’s manufacturers claim that by stimulating saliva production it can clean the tongue, teeth and gums. Well, as someone who is well-acquainted with the literature on what actually keeps pets’ mouths clean, this statement lacks any basis in fact.

In fact, the sorts of treats being used on these mats should logically make periodontal disease worse, not better. Always remember that periodontal disease in dogs and cats follows the same course as it does in humans: you wouldn’t expect your teeth to be better by licking peanut butter off a rubber tray either.

What about the claim that scraping the tongue freshens your pet’s breath? Ludicrous. I’ve been a vet for close to 30 years, and I’ve never yet seen bad breath caused by tongues!

Are Lick Mats Calming?

One of my major concerns not just with lick mats but more generally is the contrast between being busy and being happy. While I think these products are great for preventing anxiety in stressful situations, it’s a big claim to say that such products improve anxiety that’s already present. As with my complaints about Adaptil and Feliway, such claims might stop dog and cat owners choosing remedies that actually help them.

Beware the manufacturer claim that “the extended licking action promoted by LickiMat releases a calming hormone”. So far there’s no evidence for anxiety reduction with lick mats or any ‘hormone’ being released. Yes, a mat might keep them busy and less prone to expressing anxious behaviours, but that’s not the same thing.

These two complaints are minor quibbles compared with my concerns about safety. Here are two ways.

Intestinal Obstruction & Hygiene

In the past month we have seen two animals need veterinary attention as a result of lick mats.

The first is a dog called Murphy. He was left alone with a lick mat for just a moment, and promptly chewed it up and swallowed it. Thankfully his owners immediately saw what happened and brought him down. That’s his vomit in the picture at the start.

The second is Tex the cat. He ate a piece of his lick mat without anyone noticing. When he started vomiting, his owner realised what was wrong. That’s his x-ray below; the white rectangle in his belly is the piece, now blocking his intestines.

There’s also a picture above of that piece matched with the rest of the mat, after we took it out. Without major surgery, he would have been in a lot of trouble. The same could have been true for Murphy of course.

This should come as no surprise. Vets have always said that anything flavoured like food, but not digestible is extremely dangerous. So here’s the newly updated list:

• corn cobs
• satay sticks
• icecream sticks
• meat wrapping
• cooked bones
• lick mats

How To Use Lick Mats More Safely

“You must fully train your dog before leaving her/him alone with a LickiMat.” So say LickiMat.

These products are being promoted for pets left home alone, which in my view is madness. In the general enthusiasm for anything new, we’ve forgotten some basic rules.

It is my strong view that no dog should be left alone with a lick mat. Even after ‘training’, whatever that is. There’s no telling when a dog will get frustrated and just chew it up. Cats might be at a lower risk, but Tex shows us it can still happen, especially with the softer silicone products.

Another thing: watch out that these mats are properly cleaned after each use. This is particularly important if you’re using them with raw food. It would be smart to buy ones that are dishwasher safe.

What Can I Use Instead Of A Lick Mat?

I’m not opposed to using food as a distraction when they need to be left. If you do, I recommend slow feeder bowls, Kong Wobblers, Bobalots and Nina Ottoson products with long track records of proven safety. Or you can hide food around the house or garden.

To be fair, LickiMat make a ‘Tuff’ version, and even a keeper tray to make chewing harder. But I have seen both the red and black rubber Kongs destroyed and know only too well how destructive a determined dog can be.

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

You’ve read all the tips for toilet training. You understand the theory. So why does this happen?

There’s actually quite a simple explanation and a not-so-simple solution. Be prepared for some basic neurology!

Why A Puppy Holds Pee Until Inside

The explanation has everything to do with how our nervous systems work. By oversimplifying, I’ll put it into two basic categories:

1. The voluntary nervous system
2. The autonomic nervous system

The voluntary is you in control of your body, walking, talking etc. At the start, this isn’t what a puppy is using when they urinate. They’ll learn this later.

The autonomic nervous system is attending to all our basic functions. A bit like the computer I’m using, it’s chugging away in the background doing major tasks while I use a simplified interface to type. The essential fact today is that this system can be further divided into two arms: sympathetic and parasympathetic.

I have no idea why they’re named this way, but that’s not important. What matters is to know that these two arms are in opposition like a seesaw: when one is high the other is low.

The Sympathetic Nervous System

The sympathetic nervous system is our ‘fight or flight’ network. It’s activated during stress or danger. When there’s high sympathetic tone, you have:

• suppressed gut function (which is why you feel butterflies in your stomach)
• increased heart rate, dilated pupils and sweating (humans)
• increased blood supply to the brain, lungs and muscles
• shut down of rectal and bladder function

This last one is obviously the key point here. The result is either an absence of ‘feeling the need to go’ or with even higher sympathetic tone, letting it go uncontrollably.

We all know this. When you have a stressful day, you often forget to eat, drink or go to the toilet. A bad fright and you might even wet yourself.

The Parasympathetic Nervous System

A state of high parasympathetic tone is our body in ‘maintenance mode’ when we have:

• feelings of hunger and thirst
• low heart rate and blood pressure
• reproductive behaviour
• regular urination and defaecation

This is the resting state, and it’s clearly what we need puppies to be in when we want them to toilet. So hopefully you can now see the explanation as clearly as me.

Even if a puppy knows to pee outside, they physically can’t if they have high sympathetic tone.

Getting A Puppy To Pee Outside

The reason puppies hold on outside and then pee immediately once they get back in is that the house is their happy place and the yard is not. As soon as they come inside, their parasympathetic tone increases and only then do they feel the urge to urinate.

Your job is simple in theory: make outside a happy place too.

In practice this is not so simple. They need to spend enough positive time out there to make it no longer stressful. There are issues like:

• wet grass
• bad weather
• unusual noises
• the sky above
• impatient (or absent) people

You certainly can’t just shove them out and wait for them to pee. Your task is to get them to relax and enjoy it instead of wishing they were safe and sound inside. You’ll need treats, protection from wet, cold or heat, and fun stuff to do.

The older a puppy is acquired, the harder it will be. You want them to be able to adjust quickly, which is often best between 8 and 12 weeks. But you can do it for all ages, it just takes longer.

Once they start going, it gets easier and easier. Eventually you can just open the door, they run out to pee, and then run back for their reward.

This is your reward too, for all the hard work!

You might also like: Simplified Toilet Training Advice

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here. The information provided here is not intended to be used as a substitute for going to the vet. If your pet is unwell, please seek veterinary attention.

So let’s start with a few myths that need busting.

How NOT To Settle A New Puppy

Don’t…

• use a crate: it’s way too soon. All you will do is make sure they will never want to be in a crate again.
• think it’s because they need to toilet. Your pup is distressed first, and needing to toilet second.
• fix it by co-sleeping. Having your pup with you overnight now only makes it harder to change later.
• expect reassurance to work. Sure, when you go in they settle down, but they’re no better straight afterwards and possibly even worse.
• try to tire them out. Young pups have a natural wake-sleep cycle. What you do during the day doesn’t have much effect on nighttime until a dog is older.

So let’s stick to what works. It starts with understanding the problem.

Why Puppies Cry At Night

New puppies are unsettled overnight due to their sudden and forced change from a natural to an unnatural environment. Puppies are never alone in nature unless something is wrong, and your new pup understands this innately.

Their distress is caused by separation from not just their mother, but also the other pups and the nestbox they were raised in. Importantly, this perception is mediated mostly through smell, although sight and sound also play a role.

To help new puppies cope, we need to keep this in mind, but also be realistic about how much we can improve them in the first few days.

How To Settle Pups & Stop Crying

I’ve been advising new puppy owners every day for nearly 30 years and they always come good if you do it right. Here are my tips:

The First Night

Don’t try to get it right on day one. Taking a puppy directly from the breeder into isolation is setting yourself up for failure. The first night should be either in your bedroom or you should sleep out where your puppy will be.

Letting a puppy sleep on your bed exposes them to the danger of being crushed. I would set up a bed on your floor within easy reach so you can console them as needed. Prepare for an unsettled night.

Why Can’t Puppies Sleep In Your Bedroom For Ever?

Humans are unreliable, and we need pups to learn this harsh fact early. Most people who work with dogs agree that puppies who become accustomed to sleeping with owners have more trouble separating later.

Co-sleeping would be fine if we could guarantee to our pups that we’ll never leave them. But we’ll go to work, go on holidays, even go into hospital at times. If you set them up at this sensitive age to expect you to always be there, that expectation may stay for life.

We’re only going through this pain so you have a happier dog later. Like with every new puppy experience, the earlier you make the changes, the easier it will be.

Creating A Nest

Start by imagining what they’ve left behind and try to recreate it as best you can. Create a warm, quiet den in a small room, a corner or under a table wherever they will feel most secure. Try putting soft toys or puppy-sized filled socks in the bed, possibly a warmer, and avoid noises and draughts.

Music probably isn’t much good, but a human voice may be soothing, perhaps an audiobook read by a calm, even voice. A familiar smell is best and although one of your unwashed T-shirts might be OK, a piece of blanket from the breeder is ideal.

Using A Crate At Night

A quick word on the bed, too. The most success is had with a pen that is large enough to enclose a comfy bed and a toilet area. This is not crate training, where toileting is excluded, as it’s too early for that. We’re just trying to contain them to one area so the toilet training isn’t lost overnight.

You can also set up a small room or create a pen out of furniture. The important thing is to cover any parts of the floor outside the bed with something you want them to toilet on.

Should You Leave A Puppy To Cry?

The second nights and on are best with the pup in their new bed. They will cry and you will face the terrible dilemma of whether to go in or not. However, no matter what you do, it’s going to be bad.

Go in every few hours to clean up and check on your pup, but don’t make a fuss. Just be calm, keep the lights low, and expect the crying to start again as soon as you leave.

How Long Does It Take A PupTo Settle?

Usually, the first separated night is completely unsettled. You may hear crying all night, on and off. Because your puppy is awake, they will wee and poo frequently, and then tread it everywhere. You’ll really doubt yourself.

The second night should already be better. Most pups will cry for around half the time. By the third night it should be just a few hours, and an average pup is quiet for the fourth.

Once they are settled, you will actually need to go in at least once overnight to take them out to toilet! This is when you can swap the pen for a bed-sized crate.

An Alternative: The Walking Bed

If crying will be a problem for housemates or neighbours, or if it isn’t for you either, here is a slower alternative. Start with the pen in your room. They should settle faster this way.

Once they are OK, start moving it each day, maybe only by 30cm (1 foot) each time. The pen is going to walk itself out the door of your room so slowly that your pup will barely notice.

At least that’s the theory, but it mostly works. The end result is the same: a pup that can sleep separately without being distressed.

Other Animals

When we talk about the evidence-based ways to settle new pups, there are two clear answers. The first is other animals. Pups who sleep with another animal settle better on average.

Look at this graph. This study measured how often owners stopped trying and let their pups in to the bedroom. Forget DAP, which I’ll mention in a minute and focus on the orange squares and blue triangles.

These are puppies that slept with another animal, typically a dog. Note how rarely they failed compared with the solitary pups.

There is a catch, though. The pups will become dependent on the other animal, the same way they would on you. You can counteract this by separating them when possible during the day, even for short periods.

DAP or Adaptil®

The second evidence-based way to stop puppies crying is DAP, or dog appeasing pheromone. This scent is released by nursing mothers and so it is logical that replacing it might help (DAP is also promoted for inappropriate reasons in my opinion, but that’s another story).

Now look at the next graph. It shows a comparison of how often owners were woken up on successive nights between pups wearing DAP collars and those with placebo collars.

If this evidence is to be believed, this is the most significant single intervention you can make to settle a new puppy.

The study does have two problems: the subjects were pet shop puppies, which are associated with higher levels of anxiety, and the study was run by the company itself. However, the size of the effect is so great that even with these concerns, I am certain that the results are valid.

A second study backs up these findings by observing improvement after DAP in gundog breeds such as Labradors, Golden retrievers, Spaniels and Weimaraners.

I recommend an Adaptil Junior Puppy Collar for every new pup, and especially those bought from pet shops or similarly unsettled places. The best time to fit it is prior to adoption, but later should still help.

Stay Calm

Here is a very similar graph from the same study showing how many pups caused disturbances such as whining, howling, or scratching at the door. Once again, it appears to show a striking effect of DAP, but this time, I want you to look at something else.

By Day 5, the DAP pups have settled, and then one un-settles. Read what the researchers said about this:

However, one puppy relapsed on night 6, after three quiet nights, after an excessively punitive confrontation with its owners over house training; this puppy continued to wake them up by whining…

This is my final message: no matter how tired you are, no matter how frustrated or angry, you must hold it together and stay calm. You will do lasting damage otherwise, and nobody wins.

But let’s not be negative, as failures like these are rare. I see new successes every day and I hope I’ve helped you become another one!

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here. The information provided here is not intended to be used as a substitute for going to the vet. If your pet is unwell, please seek veterinary attention.

Sources

Gaultier, E., Bonnafous, L., Vienet‐Legué, D., Falewee, C., Bougrat, L., Lafont‐Lecuelle, C., & Pageat, P. (2008). Efficacy of dog‐appeasing pheromone in reducing stress associated with social isolation in newly adopted puppies. Veterinary Record, 163(3), 73-80

Taylor, K., & Mills, D. S. (2007). A placebo-controlled study to investigate the effect of Dog Appeasing Pheromone and other environmental and management factors on the reports of disturbance and house soiling during the night in recently adopted puppies (Canis familiaris). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105(4), 358-368

It sounds too good to be true. Can a harmless treatment undetectable to you or I really work to ease anxiety?

The answer is, of course, that it depends. You certainly aren’t going to get it out of the box and suddenly everything is OK. How well it works for your dog will mainly depend on:

• what type of problem you’re trying to treat, and
• what else you’re doing

What Is Dog Appeasing Pheromone?

DAP is one of the rare mammalian pheromones, and is released by nursing females during the first few weeks of the puppies’ lives. It seems to act to encourage relaxed behaviour in the nest.

DAP is sold as Adaptil in three forms:

• a plug-in diffuser, which lasts around a month and treats 90m²
• a treated collar, which also lasts 1 month
• a spray bottle for daily use around the house or on wearable items

You’ll see that different studies used different products. I’ll try to make this clear as I go.

Problems With The Evidence

I’ll present the evidence under headings for each condition or problem. While there are some excellent studies among the 20 available, there are also two large problems:

1. Many studies or researchers are directly funded by the company that owns the molecule
2. Many studies are not placebo-controlled

Of course, just because a career or a study depends on the whims of a pharmaceutical company doesn’t mean the science will be bad. It just introduces a risk of bias. This will come up especially when I talk about puppies later.

One thing companies definitely do not do often is publish studies that don’t give the desired outcome. This is a subtle form of bias because if we remove studies that say something doesn’t work, it can make uncertain efficacy seem certain.

The lack of placebo control is a bigger problem. I will just say that any behavioural study without a placebo group is very likely to find that the drug works, whether it does or not. You can read why here.

For this reason, I have discarded 8 studies (listed below) that all found benefit without comparison to placebo. These are often the same studies being quoted at you to say Adaptil works. You might be surprised by what’s left.

Adaptil For Separation Anxiety

There is no high quality evidence that Adaptil works for separation anxiety in dogs. The one good study¹³ found that a DAP diffuser did not improve behaviours such as barking, scratching, whining, howling, trembling, nor heart rate, eye or ear temperature of dogs.

Normal dogs were separated from their owners in a laboratory setting and observed for signs of anxiety.

My view: the results could have been different if dogs who suffer from separation anxiety were used instead. However, separation anxiety is usually severe by the time a vet is consulted, so I am not surprised that a mild treatment like DAP had no measurable effect. Of course, it is harmless to try as long as it’s not used instead of a more effective remedy.

Adaptil For Barking

One study¹¹ on dogs in a shelter provides indirect evidence that Adaptil can reduce the intensity of barking. Dogs exposed to a person walking by or a friendly person barked less often and the average loudness was reduced compared with placebo. Peak loudness was unchanged.

My view: although the study has some statistical problems², it seems likely that the effect is real. Just a warning though: barking is a complex problem, and Adaptil would probably only help in those dogs where it is caused by anxiety.

Adaptil For Firework & Thunder Phobia

There is only minimal evidence that Adaptil helps dogs with sound‐induced fear and anxiety. Two very problematic studies (discarded^5,8) are often quoted but neither are placebo-controlled, and both use other treatments simultaneously.

One better study uses normal dogs and exposed them to thunder sounds at 83.9 dB (thunder itself can be up to 130dB). They found that a DAP collar reduced global measures of anxiety and active signs of anxiety and increased the use of a den. However, have a look at their experimental schedule.

My view: as all of the placebo dogs and then all of the treatment dogs were assessed together, I would not be surprised if the researchers were able to tell which dogs were being treated with DAP and which were not. This is called a detection bias. I will say that intentions were good, and the researchers are well-respected in the field.

I also suspect that if dogs who suffer from noise phobias were used (which for welfare reasons is impossible) and the noise intensity matched that of thunder, the effect would have disappeared. Read here about treatments for dogs scared by firework and thunder.

Adaptil For Puppies Crying At Night

Two studies have found positive effects of Adaptil collars on recently adopted puppies. The first¹² fitted collars to purebred puppies and found a benefit only in Gundogs (mainly Labrador retrievers, Weimeraners and Spaniels). Those receiving Adaptil cried for a median of three nights versus nine for the gundogs in the placebo group.

The second study³ pre-fitted Adaptil collars to puppies prior to sale from pet shops. A striking effect was observed where all 32 treated puppies settled within three days. Two thirds of the 34 puppies receiving placebo were either still disturbing their owners in two weeks or only stopped when being allowed into the owner’s bedroom or to sleep with another dog.

The same authors published a later study of the same puppies⁴ showing fewer signs of avoidance and uneasiness when facing unfamiliar people and new environments, although the effect was not as striking.

You can view these studies in more detail in our guide to helping puppies sleep overnight.

My view: There is a potential conflict of interest in the two pet shop studies because “the owner of the company that produces the commercially available canine and feline pheromones was a coauthor”². I certainly think this is worth considering, but the study design appears sound, and I find the results hard to ignore.

The purebred study is in partial agreement. The reason for the smaller effect may be that pet shop puppies are known to experience higher levels of anxiety. They suggest this could be due to the increased number of translocations, the lack of a home environment, and the average of 2-3 weeks spent in the shop.

Summary: based on these results, I recommend Adaptil collars for all pet shop puppies, Gundog breeds and any that do not settle quickly.

Adaptil In Puppy Classes

One study fitted Adaptil collars to puppies attending puppy preschool classes. At various points during the classes, treated puppies showed lower fear, lower excitability and higher learning. In addition, dogs in the DAP groups had a higher degree of socialisation at followup phone calls, compared with dogs in the placebo group.

My view: effects were not so great that collars should be considered essential in classes. However, for fearful, excitable or anxious puppies they are highly recommended.

Adaptil For Travel

There is no high quality evidence that DAP assists dogs who are anxious about car travel. As always, there’s no harm in trying but you might want to consider some of these options too.

Lastly, two other specialist uses are worth mentioning. Adaptil diffusers have been shown to increase the quality of mothering behaviour in breeding dogs with young puppies^8,9. Adaptil as a diffuser^5.7 or spray¹⁰ was also associated with reduced signs of anxiety in hospitalised dogs.

It might seem harsh to have excluded so many studies in this review of Adaptil. However, in such an important welfare issue we have to apply the evidence rigourously. I see far too many dogs in which Adaptil has been tried for wildly inappropriate reasons, and for far too long when much better treatments are available.

The company that own Adaptil are sitting on a gold mine, and in my view if real therapeutic benefits existed for the questionable problems, the research would have come out by now. And if it hasn’t, well it’s time. It’s a great treatment as long as we stick to its strengths and stay realistic about what it is unlikely to do well, at least on its own.

Next week: Feline Pheromones in the spotlight

References Used

1. Denenberg, S., & Landsberg, G. M. (2008). Effects of dog-appeasing pheromones on anxiety and fear in puppies during training and on long-term socialization. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 233(12), 1874-1882
2. Frank, D., Beauchamp, G., & Palestrini, C. (2010). Systematic review of the use of pheromones for treatment of undesirable behavior in cats and dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 236(12), 1308-1316
3. Gaultier, E., Bonnafous, L., Vienet‐Legué, D., Falewee, C., Bougrat, L., Lafont‐Lecuelle, C., & Pageat, P. (2008). Efficacy of dog‐appeasing pheromone in reducing stress associated with social isolation in newly adopted puppies. Veterinary Record, 163(3), 73-80
4. Gaultier, E., Bonnafous, L., Vienet‐Lagué, D., Falewee, C., Bougrat, L., Lafont‐Lecuelle, C., & Pageat, P. (2009). Efficacy of dog‐appeasing pheromone in reducing behaviours associated with fear of unfamiliar people and new surroundings in newly adopted puppies. Veterinary Record, 164(23), 708-714
5. Kim, Y. M., Lee, J. K., Abd El-aty, A. M., Hwang, S. H., Lee, J. H., & Lee, S. M. (2010). Efficacy of dog-appeasing pheromone (DAP) for ameliorating separation-related behavioral signs in hospitalized dogs. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 51(4), 380
6. Landsberg, G. M., Beck, A., Lopez, A., Deniaud, M., Araujo, J. A., & Milgram, N. W. (2015). Dog‐appeasing pheromone collars reduce sound‐induced fear and anxiety in beagle dogs: a placebo‐controlled study. Veterinary Record, 177(10), 260-260
7. Mills, D. S., Ramos, D., Estelles, M. G., & Hargrave, C. (2006). A triple blind placebo-controlled investigation into the assessment of the effect of Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) on anxiety related behaviour of problem dogs in the veterinary clinic. Applied animal behaviour science, 98(1-2), 114-126
8. Santos, N. R., Beck, A., Blondel, T., Maenhoudt, C., & Fontbonne, A. (2020). Influence of dog‐appeasing pheromone on canine maternal behaviour during the peripartum and neonatal periods. Veterinary Record, 186(14), 449-449
9. Santos, N. R., Beck, A., Maenhoudt, C., & Fontbonne, A. (2020). Influence of ADAPTIL® during the Weaning Period: A Double-Blinded Randomised Clinical Trial. Animals, 10(12), 2295
10. Siracusa, C., Manteca, X., Cuenca, R., del Mar Alcalá, M., Alba, A., Lavín, S., & Pastor, J. (2010). Effect of a synthetic appeasing pheromone on behavioral, neuroendocrine, immune, and acute-phase perioperative stress responses in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 237(6), 673-681
11. Tod, E., Brander, D., & Waran, N. (2005). Efficacy of dog appeasing pheromone in reducing stress and fear related behaviour in shelter dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 93(3-4), 295-308
12. Taylor, K., & Mills, D. S. (2007). A placebo-controlled study to investigate the effect of Dog Appeasing Pheromone and other environmental and management factors on the reports of disturbance and house soiling during the night in recently adopted puppies (Canis familiaris). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105(4), 358-368
13. Taylor, S., Webb, L., Montrose, V. T., & Williams, J. (2020). The behavioral and physiological effects of dog appeasing pheromone on canine behavior during separation from the owner. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 40, 36-42

Discarded: Not Placebo Controlled

1. Gandia Estellés, M., & Mills, D. S. (2006). Signs of travel‐related problems in dogs and their response to treatment with dog appeasing pheromone. Veterinary Record, 159(5), 143-148
2. Gaultier, E., Bonnafous, L., Bougrat, L., Lafont, C., & Pageat, P. (2005). Comparison of the efficacy of a synthetic dog‐appeasing pheromone with clomipramine for the treatment of separation‐related disorders in dogs. Veterinary record, 156(17), 533-538
3. Hermiston, C., Montrose, V. T., & Taylor, S. (2018). The effects of dog-appeasing pheromone spray upon canine vocalizations and stress-related behaviors in a rescue shelter. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 26, 11-16
4. Kim, Y. M., Kang, B. T., Gu, S. H., Yoo, J. H., Park, C., Jung, D. I., … & Park, H. M. (2006). Comparison of Acupuncture with Dog-Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) Application in separation anxiety of hospitalized dogs. Experimental Neurobiology, 15(2), 81-87
5. Levine, E. D., Ramos, D., & Mills, D. S. (2007). A prospective study of two self-help CD based desensitization and counter-conditioning programmes with the use of Dog Appeasing Pheromone for the treatment of firework fears in dogs (Canis familiaris). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105(4), 311-329
6. Osella, M. C., Bergamasco, L., & Costa, F. (2005). Use of a synthetic analogue of a dog appeasing pheromone in sheltered dogs after adoption. Current Issues and Research in Veterinary Behavioral Medicine, ed. D Mills et al, 270-273
7. Osella, M. C., Bergamasco, L., Odore, R., Beck, A., & Gazzano, A. (2015). Adaptive mechanisms in dogs adopted from shelters: a behavioral assessment of the use of a synthetic analogue of the canine appeasing pheromone. Dog Behavior, 1(2), 1-12
8. Sheppard, G., & Mills, D. S. (2003). Evaluation of dog‐appeasing pheromone as a potential treatment for dogs fearful of fireworks. Veterinary Record, 152(14), 432-436

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Is this the single most important question of dog ownership? Could getting it wrong be the reason why so many dogs end up unhappy or worse?

I’m not going to solve it, because in 2021 that still isn’t possible. What I can do is show you some tantalising recent science that’s starting to give us glimpses of the truth . And what is said is probably also true for how cats hear us.

By the end of this article, you should be better at:

• Choosing a good name for your dog, and
• Giving commands a dog can perceive, not just hear as noise

Dog vs Human Perception

First, some theory. What sets humans apart is our exceptional ability to communicate. When I did psychology there was a ferocious debate between two camps:

• Those who believed our language skills emerge as a general result of our intelligence
• Those who believed that we are ‘hard-wired’ to learn language

In other words, is language software or hardware? Today, the consensus is that it’s both. Intelligence gets us a long way, but our brains do appear to have in-built language structures. That’s why any toddler can master all the complicated rules of grammar without seeming to get enough to work on. 

If true, this matters a lot for dogs. If we have brains dedicated to language, what they hear will be very different from us.

The best way I can explain it is to compare a musician’s experience with the rest of us. Functional studies show that a larger number of their neurons are dedicated to music processing. Therefore, although we all hear the same tune, only the musician is likely to hear:

• the key it’s in
• the actual note values
• the individual instruments
• whether it’s in tune

The difference between dogs and humans is likely to be even greater. We need to throw out any assumptions about what dogs are hearing, and try to only use hard evidence to make decisions.

Canine Speech Discrimination

Here is all the available evidence for how dogs hear human words.

1. Dogs can discriminate ‘ga’ versus ‘ka’¹
2. Dogs can discriminate between ‘a’ and ‘e’² and ‘a’ and ‘i’³
3. Their name before a command reduces the response to a new command but not a known one⁴
4. The addition of a new word reduces the response to both known and new commands⁴
5. Dogs who know ’sit’ respond better to ‘sik’ than ‘chit’⁵
6. Dogs do not discriminate a change in the first vowel in a command (e.g ‘beck’ vs ‘back’⁶
7. Short rising notes are more effective than one longer continuous descending note⁸
8. Dogs hear a vowel change in their name more than a consonant change (e.g. Digger will respond better to ‘pigger’ than ‘dogger’)⁷

Point 6 seems contradictory, given that (unlike us) dogs hear vowels better than consonants. However, it’s either saying that dogs miss many details that we think are obvious, or that when it comes to commands they choose to obey similar sounds.

Choosing A Good Dog Name

Now let’s make the best evidence-based dog name for your new puppy!

• Use different vowel sounds from commands (e.g Pitt and Sid are not great choices)
• Choose names that everyone can say in a distinctive and consistent manner
• Create ’singsong’ calls (most dog owners do this instinctively)
• Use the fewest words needed
• You can even start names with a vowel*

* For example, one of our nurses’ dogs called Akira doesn’t answer to ‘Kira’, showing he hears the difference

For helping dogs hear their names around other dogs or people:

• Use different first letter and vowel sounds (e.g Loki & Tinker!)
• Avoid names that rhyme with household members (e.g. Johnny & Bobby)
• You might even check this list of common Adelaide dog names if you plan on visiting dog parks or beaches

I don’t think it matters if you choose one or two syllables as dog owners tend to lengthen or repeat names when they need to.

Let’s not forget that there are a lot of other factors that influence how well dogs understand our voice. Some are:

• Our emotional state
• Our voice character
• Local distractions and noises

And lastly, it would be criminal of me to not mention the obvious: that dogs probably get most of their information from non-verbal cues. Dogs rely on gestures, facial expressions and lip movements more than we realise.

Thanks for reading! If you (like me) have already chosen names that don’t fit all these parameters, it really doesn’t matter that much. Names that come from the heart create their own special connection. And the fact that you’re reading this means you’re interested in being the best dog owner you can.

Related: Dog Colour Vision, Visual Acuity & Near-Sightedness

1. Adams, C. L., Molfese, D. L., & Betz, J. C. (1987). Electrophysiological correlates of categorical speech perception for voicing contrasts in dogs. Developmental Neuropsychology, 3(3-4), 175-189
2. Athanasiadou, P. (2012). Studying speech sound discrimination in dogs (Master’s thesis)
3. Baru, A. V. (1975). Discrimination of synthesized vowels (i) and (a) with varying parameters (fundamental frequency, intensity, duration and number of formants) in dog. In Auditory analysis and perception of speech (eds Fant, G., Tatham M. A. A.), pp. 91-101. Waltham, MA: Academic Press
4. Braem, M. D., & Mills, D. S. (2010). Factors affecting response of dogs to obedience instruction: A field and experimental study. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 125(1-2), 47-55
5. Fukuzawa, M., Mills, D. S., & Cooper, J. J. (2005). The effect of human command phonetic characteristics on auditory cognition in dogs (Canis familiaris). Journal of comparative psychology, 119(1), 117
6. Magyari, L., Huszár, Z., Turzó, A., & Andics, A. (2020). Event-related potentials reveal limited readiness to access phonetic details during word processing in dogs. Royal Society Open Science, 7(12), 200851
7. Mallikarjun, A., Shroads, E., & Newman, R. S. (2020). The role of linguistic experience in the development of the consonant bias. Animal Cognition, 1-13
8. McConnell, P. B. (1990). Acoustic structure and receiver response in domestic dogs, Canis familiaris. Animal Behaviour, 39(5), 897-904

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

The Google map allows you to see where they are and after that is a list with each dog park address. Unlike our list of Adelaide suburban dog parks, we have not visited them all so in some cases we are relying on information from dog owners and local councils.

Please note: we’ve only included parks that we believe to be fully fenced and not shared with other users. If you know of more, or want to make a comment about any on our list, please, please do below!

Dog Parks in Regional SA

Berri: Off Leash Dog Park

Within Colin Jennings Apex Park, enter off Old Sturt Hwy opposite Lean St.

Burra

Dog Park, Smelts Rd, Burra North.

Two enormous enclosures overlooking the town with good gates, fences, shade and water. Not watered so quite dry with some grass seeds in Summer-Autumn.

Clare

Pioneer Park, Pioneer Ave.

Smallish single park just north of the main street.

Coonalpyn

Dog Exercise Area, Dukes Hwy. Small single park. Believe it or not, this was the first South Australian dog park, opening in 1995!

A little hard to find as its main access is on the other side of the railway line. You get to it from the Duke’s by crossing a walkway opposite Morton St or driving around.

Farrell Flat

Duncan Park Off-Leash Dog Park. Cameron Terrace. 2 separate large areas with double gates, water, bin, poo bags.  Obstacle course in one. Bench seat in each. Lawned but each with a scrubby treed area along one side.

Thanks to Tania for this information.

Hawker War Memorial Dog Park

Corner of Flinders Ranges way and Chace View Terrace. Two identical large areas with shaded seating and some obstacles. Presumably dog owners can choose which one to use based on the other dogs at the time. 

Thanks to Rose for this.

Kadina Dog Park

cnr Doswell & East Terrace.

Small, single park with bark chips and small grassed area plus agility equipment, water.

Thanks to Judy for this information.

Loxton Off Leash Dog Park

136 Bookpurnong Road (adjacent Loxton Tennis Club)

Mannum Enclosed Off Leash Park

Mannum Oval, North Tce. Between the football oval and netball/tennis courts. Grass, trees, a dirt area with a built in pipe for a tunnel and a concrete path around a sniffing garden. Double gated. On Hardy Street, opposite the golf club

Meningie Dog Park

Meningie Community Sports Ground, Narrung Road

Single park with water, shelter, seating and dog exercise equipment.

Moonta Dog Park

Corner Robert Street and Bay Road

Single park with good fencing, jumps, tunnels, tall trees. Not a big area but well-designed, and close to undercover BBQ, playground and toilets. Thanks to Lorna for this.

Mt Barker: Barka Park

Access from end of Zanker Drive (nr Bluestone Estate). Signposted from Flaxley Rd.
Vast large dog area with range of amusements; separate small dog area also good sized, mostly grass.

Mt Gambier

Hastings Cunningham Reserve Dog Park, Shepherdson Rd.

Huge double dog park separated into small and large dog areas. Many amusements and obstacles plus water and shade.

Murray Bridge

Murray Bridge has several off-leash areas, but does not appear to have a designated ‘dog park’ as such. The closest in function seems to be Kuchel Park, at Lot 524 Lachlan Avenue.

Naracoorte

Market Square Dog Park, MacDonnell Street, Naracoorte

A medium-sized single dog park. Gates don’t have automatic latches so care needed when closing.

Nuriootpa Dog Park

Penrice Road, in the linear park opposite the school sports field.
A long, narrow single park parallel to the road with a central ridge. Nice leash walks nearby.

Peterborough

Dog Park, Telford Ave (Main St). Western end of town, just past Steamtown on the opposite side of the road (next to the Nissen Hut).

A medium-sized single park with dry ground at the front and a beautifully maintained grass area, plus picnic table.

Port Broughton

Single bone shaped large grassed area bordered by a path and sand. Located on the southern edge of town past the caravan park between the Spencer Highway and the coast. Easy access to a quiet beach.

Thanks to Lorna for this information.

Port Elliot

Dog Park, Kurramin Ct (Waterport Heritage Reserve). Greyhounds are being allowed to exercise off leash here between 9 and 11am every second Sunday (the park is closed to other dogs at this time). Check the Alexandrina website for more info and see also West Torrens.

Quorn Dog Park

Corner of East Terrace and First Street. Large single park with many trees. Jumps, slides and other activities for dogs.

Renmark

Off Leash Dog Park, cnr Seventeenth & Paringa St.

A large single park with shade trees and tunnels.

Tailem Bend

Rogers Park, North Terrace/Railway Tce.

Fairly small single park, recently upgraded, and a welcome respite on the way.

Tintinara

Dog Exercise Area, Dukes Hwy

Single dog park right on the Dukes Highway opposite Gully Street.

Truro Enclosed Off Leash Park

Pioneer Park, Moorundie Street.
A very small dog park with dog water and adjacent parking set back behind a children’s play area in the main street. Very useful for a short stop on the way to or from Adelaide.

Victor Harbor

cnr of George Main Rd and Oval Park Rd. Small and large dog exercise areas.

Waikerie Off Leash Dog Park

Sichler Street (opposite the Waikerie Bowling Club)

Wallaroo Dog Park

Heritage Drive

Medium sized single park, no grass in 2021

Thanks to Judy for this information.

Whyalla

Whyalla Dog Park, Searle St. Large single enclosed area to run.

That’s it, so far. Keep me updated!

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

One particular harness stood out from the rest: the Perfect Fit®. At the time, I had not heard of it, and it was hard to purchase due to the need for a custom fitting. Then, an existing Adelaide importer asked me if I could start to stock it.

You see, the problem with selling Perfect Fit harnesses is that you need to keep many individual pieces in order to be able to fit it correctly to any dog that comes in. That is very hard unless you have a large storefront.

Well, I thought, life’s not already complicated enough, so why not?

Why A Perfect Fit Harness?

The Perfect Fit harness is a modular, custom fitted harness unlike any other available in Australia. It:

• Avoids pressure points, soft tissues and the throat/neck area
• Gives the dog full range of shoulder movement to run, swim and jump
• Cannot easily be pulled over the dog’s head if fitted correctly
• Is covered in thick padded fleece to prevent chafing and slipping

Additional benefits include:

• Its modular design allows it to fit virtually any size or shape of dog
• It does not have to go over the head of anxious dogs
• It’s great for uniquely shaped dogs like sight hounds, Dachshunds, Basset Hounds, Bull Dogs, and giant breeds.
• There are 2 attachment points front and back
• It’s machine washable
• It is probably the best fitting harness for 3-legged dogs
• Each piece can be purchased individually as they grow without full replacement*

* Generally, from the age of 20 weeks the top piece tends to stay the same but the front and girth will need replacing over the coming months.

Cost Of Perfect Fit Harnesses

The biggest disadvantage of Perfect Fit harnesses is their cost. Here are some guide prices. The exact price will depend on which fittings are used.

• 15 mm clips: $90
• 20 mm clips: $95
• 40 mm clips: $120

We hope that once you see one in action you will see the value of these special harnesses. My experience with my own dog Loki (pictured) is that he’s gone from pulling hard in a poorly fitting harness to walking on a loose lead even when I only use the back attachment. Note, too the freedom in his shoulder as he runs.

Getting The Right Fit

To choose the right combination of pieces for a perfectly custom fitted harness, you will need to bring your dog into the clinic. If you are not an existing client, it’s a good idea to ring ahead to make sure one of our experienced fitters will be available when you arrive.

You can view some of the specialised fitting instructions for Perfect Fit harnesses here. Please note that we only stock a limited range of colours, but special orders can be made with enough notice.

Putting The Harness On

There is no question that the Perfect Fit harness can be very confusing for the beginner. Most dog owners develop their own special way, but here is a good starting guide.

1. Connect the Perfect Fit Harness by one clip at the front only, as shown in the diagram
2. Put the top piece on the dog’s back and clip the Y shaped front piece around the throat area like you’re putting on a collar
3. The rest of the harness goes between the dog’s front legs and then clips up either side of the chest behind the front legs

If you live in Adelaide, and you want what I believe is the best available dog harness, please get in touch. For residents outside of Adelaide, we apologise that we probably can’t provide an adequate service without a custom fitting. You are welcome to come in with your dog trainer too (a new harness is a great time to start positive dog training!).

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

This information is a guide only and is intended to be used in-store during the fitting process. In almost every case, one or other of the pieces will need to be swapped out to customise the fit properly.

Step 1: Choose A Girth Piece

Measure the dog’s girth snugly as shown in the diagram. Now select a girth piece using the first table below.

• If the dog can go into 2 different sized girths, then pick the bigger option as this gives more fleece coverage
• If the dog can go into 2 different size ranges, i.e. either a 20mm or a 40mm then you need to establish how strong the dog is and remember that a thicker harness will spread the weight more evenly through the body
• Try both harnesses on to find out which ones gives the better fit.

Step 2: Choose The Top & Front Piece

Now look up your dog’s breed and size in the second table below. Read the code like this:

SIZE – TOP – FRONT – GIRTH

If the measurement from step 1 suggests that your dog needs a different sized girth then you can substitute it. Or try both.  *Please note, you cannot interchange pieces from different size ranges eg 20mm and 40mm.

Step 3: Try The Harness On The Dog & Adjust

Trial the fitting and adjust by tweaking the 5 areas of adjustment and then by trying on alternate pieces if necessary.  Be sure to adjust the harness equally both sides.

• The Perfect Fit Harness should sit snugly on the body
• You should be able to get 2 flat fingers comfortably between the harness and the dog’s body
• From a side-on view, the girth strap should be as vertical as possible, avoiding pinching the arm pits
• The dog must have full range of leg movement and the neck area should be free from material.

Table Of Estimated Breed Sizes

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | W | Y

This question is not just relevant to the police, military or farming sectors. It matters to all of us who want a well-behaved dog.

The main debate is of course with male dogs. To this day, you will see that most protective and guard dogs around the world are not castrated. Now for the first time, a research paper has specifically looked at this question.

Working Dogs & Neutering: The Evidence

Young adult male military dogs in Switzerland were either left ‘intact’ or given a hormonal implant called Suprelorin that blocks testosterone production. This gives the same result as castration, except chemically not surgically.

Then they were given these tests:

The results? Castration had no measurable effect on any of the results.

This may surprise you, but it’s exactly what I would have expected. A 2005 study of trainability in 11 common breeds found the same thing for 9, and an improvement after desexing in the other two. These were Rottweilers and Shetland Sheepdogs.

It also fits well with our theories of dog learning. Studies in wolves have repeatedly shown how badly they train compared with domestic dogs. Trainability is a genetic trait that humans have selected, not something ‘natural’. Why should it be affected by sex or neuter status?

How well a dog works is far more likely to be governed by the quality of the training and reward techniques being used. These dogs may be showing aggression while working, but this aggression isn’t hormonal, it’s learnt.

Not only does this news give us a whole lot of new respect for dogs (what, more?), it also gives us the freedom to neuter based on a dog’s needs. These same results are likely to be equally as applicable to farm dogs or even your dog training classes.

And just to show there’s nothng new under the sun, here’s a quote from 370BC.

When dogs are neutered they stop running away from their owners, but they are no worse at shepherding and hunting.

Xenophon, Cyropaedia 7.5.62

Related: Desexing & Human-Directed Aggression | Why Desex Male Dogs?

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

References

Gfrerer, N., Taborsky, M., & Würbel, H. (2019). No evidence for detrimental effect of chemical castration on working ability in Swiss military dogs. Applied animal behaviour science, 211, 84-87

Serpell, J. A., & Hsu, Y. A. (2005). Effects of breed, sex, and neuter status on trainability in dogs. Anthrozoös, 18(3), 196-207

Limited puppy preschool places are also available at our clinic on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Why Socialisation Matters

The simple message is this: whatever a puppy has never experienced in a positive way before 14-16 weeks of age is likely to cause fear later.

This brief time is called the sensitive period. It’s when they soak up sights, sounds, smells and new experiences, and say, “this is what my life will contain, and it’s all good”.

Puppy preschool is an integral part of this, by encouraging dog sociability. Just as important is making sure that your puppy experiences what you do. They need to meet lots of different people, go to a variety of places and see, smell and hear a wide range of stimuli.

In the process they normalise these experiences. That way, their life becomes exactly as they expect it to be, and it’s a fun one.

Now contrast all this with the puppy who’s left at home. The lack of dog socialisation makes them fearful of other dogs, so that in time they learn to keep them away using aggression. They rarely play with strange dogs, and instead try to avoid them.

The lack of environmental exposure at the critical time makes them afraid of the world. Anything outside the their narrow social upbringing now gives them fear and anxiety. This might be strangers, cars, crowds or (highly embarrassingly) people who look different.

A Puppy Socialisation Checklist

Just have a look at this checklist of recommended positive experiences for puppies. As you do, think how many of these things we can still do easily. Afterwards, I’ve got some suggestions for using it.

Socialisation Guidelines

So here are my suggestions for doing everything possible:

1. It will be impossible to cover every point on this list; focus on the experiences that your puppy needs to be comfortable with and don’t worry about the rare or unlikely ones unless you have plenty of spare time.
2. I’ve put five check boxes but just get in as many as you can. Many of these you can do or simulate at home but I have no faith in sound recordings as a substitute for real sounds. Remember that each exposure needs to be a happy one.
3. You can probably tick off 3/4 of your list just by making sure your puppy goes where you do as much as possible. Vaccines are available that allow puppies to walk from 11 weeks of age* so get on the streets, into parks and down the beach.
4. Ask your vet about the rate of parvo in your area. Some suburbs are so low in risk that even walking an unvaccinated puppy might be allowed in certain areas.
5. During walks, ask well-meaning people of all ages, sizes and appearances to make friends with your puppy.
6. To socialise to a wider range of people, visit other people’s houses, such as an old couple up the street.
7. Seek out friends with good-natured dogs and do the same, this time for dog socialisation.
8. Take the time to also teach your puppy to be able to be alone without anxiety. This must be a gradual process, often helped by crate training.
9. Seek help from the experts. Our puppy preschool instructor, Susanne Eckert (and many like her) is also available for private one on one sessions.

What I wouldn’t do much is use your walks as a way to meet other dogs. Yes, some encounters are great, but I’ve written before about the common problem of on-leash aggression. Too much of it could change how your pup relates to other dogs for good.

Remember: every experience must be a positive one. Make sure your puppy stays relaxed throughout and don’t overwhelm them with too much at once.

Now, it’s over to you.

* These vaccines are given at 10 weeks of age. Ask your vet for more details. If your puppy is not fully vaccinated yet, you can still socialise safely by:

• Taking him for car rides – stopping the car, put the window down or open the door, letting him view the environment from the inside of the car, or outside of the car in your arms
• Use a picnic blanket and lead to contain your puppy while at the park or watching people and dogs in the distance
• If you are able, carry your puppy around to different places, i.e. outside of kids play areas, quiet shopping areas

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.