Veterinarians Debunk 15 Dog Myths

Ann Hohenhaus: "One human year is equivalent to seven dog years." Myth. Myth. We could cut it right there. Carly Fox: "Certain dog breeds are hypoallergenic because of their coat." This is a very, very important myth. "Only male dogs hump." Hi, I'm Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, I'm the veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center here in New York City. My name is Dr. Carly Fox and I am an emergency and critical care veterinarian at Animal Medical Center. Hohenhaus: Today we

debunk

myths

about dogs. Fox: I honestly think that most male dogs like to hump, but I suppose females exhibit that behavior too.

Hohenhaus: But men fuck each other more than women. Fox: Definitely, yes. But, I mean, I guess bitches can hump too, that is, if they're in the mood. Hohenhaus: Next myth: "Dogs are color blind." Dogs are partially color blind. People used to think they were totally color blind. Dogs have some color vision, so they see things in shades of blue, yellow, and gray. But they don't see much color. Fox: "Dogs don't like to be hugged." I mean, the biggest myth. Physical contact is one of the things that makes a dog a dog, so I can't imagine dogs not liking to be hugged.

I mean, dogs will literally climb into your laps to get you to hug them, so this is an absolute myth. You cannot and should not just walk up to any dog ​​and hug him. Dogs are still different, just like people. Some people are huggers, some are not. So some dogs don't like that direct attention from someone they may not know, so be sure to ask the owner if he can pet or hug your dog, and read the dog's cues. Hohenhaus: Next myth: "One human year is equivalent to seven dog years." Myth. Myth. We could cut it right there, but there is some really interesting research behind this question.

So the seven years probably comes when people lived to be 70 and dogs lived to be 10, so 70 divided by 10 is seven. Maybe that's where that number comes from. Nobody knows, it's a myth, so there is no data behind it. Then, several years ago, a group of researchers at Purdue University sought to develop a formula for dog age based on the size of the dog and its chronological age, or how many calendar years it was. And that formula might actually be the best one. This is a myth, but there are ways to calculate your dog's age based on a complicated mathematical formula.

The next. fox: Ah, okay. "You should shave hairy dogs in summer." This is mainly a myth. Many people shave their dogs in the summer because they think it will keep them cooler. That's not necessarily true. Dogs have adapted to all types of climate and, in fact, shed different coats at different times of the year to feel comfortable in that climate. Hohenhaus: I think they don't like being shaved because they feel naked. Fox: Yeah, probably. I mean, why wouldn't they? They have no idea. Hohenhaus: Yeah, they've never had hair before. So I'm not sure shaving them is always a good thing either, so it's a myth. "Dog saliva can heal wounds." When was the last time you were bitten by a dog?

Fox: Probably last year. Hohenhaus: And it's ugly. It is not healing wounds; It's making the wounds worse. This is a total, total myth. Dog bites are no laughing matter, and most vets get their hands bitten, so we are always worried because we work with our hands, so any dog ​​bite should see a vet because it is potentially an injury. infected and you need to go to your doctor to have that bite checked. Fox: "Certain dog breeds are hypoallergenic because of their coat." This is a very, very important myth. So all dogs produce allergens and some dogs will produce more allergens than others.

Dogs that don't shed, like poodles, or smaller dogs that shed less are less likely to produce a lot of allergens that can cause allergies in the environment, and it really has to do with how often they shed. the one that sheds its hair or if it sheds its hair at the same time. all. But all dogs definitely produce allergens, and all dogs can be allergens, but some dogs will produce less. Hohenhaus: And now we have a different myth: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." I think it's more of an idiom than a myth, right?

Some famous saying. I think that's a myth. Training a dog is never easy and it takes repetition, perseverance and rewards to train a dog successfully, but I don't think age is the problem. I think the problem is bigger if we don't stick to training a dog. Fox: Yeah, they actually did a study on this, and they taught the same trick to young dogs and old dogs, dogs that were six months to a year old, and then dogs that were 10 years old. And in fact they discovered that both groups of dogs can learn a new trick. However, older dogs took twice as long to learn it.

For them to learn it, it's something that takes more time and it's definitely something that you're going to have to commit to. But it is possible and they can definitely learn new tricks. Hohenhaus: "Dogs feel guilty." I think humans want the dog to feel guilty for making a mess, chewing the furniture, removing the fringes from the couch, destroying the pillows, because we want them to be like us. So, I don't think dogs can necessarily feel guilt, but since they don't talk, it's very hard to know if that's true or not. Fox: Our dogs will show guilty behavior when they do something wrong, like, they will put their ears back, hide, and look very guilty.

But I think in most cases, that's really a reaction to you and your tone of voice or your anger toward them and your body language, rather than true guilt. Hohenhaus: One of the reasons dogs have been so effective at integrating into our lives, the lives of humans, for millennia, is because they are very good at picking up on social cues. Fox: "When dogs wag their tails, it means they're happy." I would say that many times when dogs wag their tails, they seem very happy. However, tail wagging is a behavior in dogs that can mean many different things, not necessarily happiness.

Hohenhaus: And I think humor matters. So you have a dog whose tail shakes like that, that's not a happy movement. Think about the Labrador, swish, swish, swish, swish, they are almost always happy. And then there's the dog whose tail twitches and then curls up. That's not a happy joke either. That's an "I'm really upset" joke. So, in addition to looking at the ears, eyes, and body posture, ask yourself: what type of wag is this dog doing? Because that will give you an indication of the beast's mood. Fox: "Human food is bad for dogs." Well, there are very particular types of human food that are definitely bad for dogs.

For example, chocolate is obviously bad for dogs. Grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs. Onions, garlic, those things are bad for dogs. However, human food in general is not necessarily bad for dogs. We always want to limit the amount of human food for dogs. I usually tell people that less than 10% of their diet should be human food. Human food in moderation is not bad for dogs. Hohenhaus: Well, dog food is a good balanced meal for a dog. I interpret it to mean should I cook for my dog? And that is a bad idea because what we eat is not a balanced diet for a dog.

Therefore, homemade diets are at great risk for deficiencies in nutrients that are critical for your dog, primarily calcium and phosphorus deficiencies. Therefore, cooking for your dog, unless a diet has been developed by a certified veterinary nutritionist, is a bad idea. "Dog mouths are cleaner than human mouths." No. Human bites are supposed to be worse, although we don't see many human bites at the Animal Medical Center. But we have all been bitten by a dog and know that they can become seriously infected. What I have read is that if a human bites another human, it is horrible, it is a terrible infection that you get.

So no, I don't know if either is better. Fox: Dog mouths and human mouths are actually, it's interesting, they're kind of similar. Both humans and dogs have more than 200 types of bacteria in their mouths. However, because the disease is not really transmissible between dogs and humans, or there is not much zoonotic potential between dog saliva and human saliva, they are clear in the sense that, you know, when you make out with your dog, you will not contract the common disease. Cold, but kissing a person, maybe you can. So in that case, they are cleaner. However, they still have tons and tons of bacteria, just like people's mouths.

Hohenhaus: "Dogs are afraid of their reflection." This is... just not. Just Google “puppies in mirrors” and you will see that dogs love, are so in love with that other dog they have never met before. They are really cute. "Dogs can't digest grains." So, this is a very, very important myth. Dogs can digest grains perfectly. And not only can they digest grains, but recent research shows that they need them in their diet. Dogs on a grain-free diet are predisposed to developing a very serious type of heart disease called DCM, or dilated cardiomyopathy. And dogs that eat a diet that includes grains are not as likely to develop this heart disease.

So if your dog is on a grain-free diet, it is absolutely necessary for him to put grains back into his diet and you should talk to your veterinarian about it. "Poking a dog's nose in his poop will break a bad habit." This is definitely a myth. I think this is a training method that people introduced a long time ago. However, I think with a lot of research and time we discovered that negative reinforcement is very bad for dogs, it definitely does not correct bad behavior and can actually lead to bad behavior, as well as creating aggressive behavior and fear in our pets, and That's definitely not something we want to do.

Ideally, you should always reward your dog with positive behavior, such as treats, playtime, or feeding rather than punishment, which is never recommended in dogs. Hohenhaus: So today we talked about dog

myths

. And it turns out that there are many myths. In fact, Dr. Fox and I disagreed with almost all of the signs we were given today because most of them are myths. So beware of Dr. Google. Be careful with what your friends tell you, or the friendly passerby on the street who tells you that you are not taking good care of your dog. And get an expert opinion when it comes to your dog.