Should my dog have a sedative before he travels?

Not as a general rule. Sedatives are best reserved for dogs that become distressed by travelling, but even then only when they have to undertake a long journey. Most dogs will accept travelling by car or public transport without problems arising, though some become hysterical with excitement while others are clearly afraid of the experience. Fearful dogs become very upset, show dilated (i. e. wide-open) pupils and salivate. Excessive salivation and panting are in fact features of both extreme anxiety and true travel sickness.

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Do I need to make any special arrangements to take my dog for a car ride?

Most dogs enjoy car travel, at least for short distances – probably because they have learned to associate the journey with an opportunity to exercise and explore new ground when the car stops. They regard the car as an additional piece of personal territory and will guard it from strangers. During a journey the dog should be kept under control because accidents can be caused if it ceaselessly yaps or leaps over the seats, distracting the driver’s attention and getting beneath the driver’s feet so that the pedals cannot be operated. And if it becomes necessary to stop or swerve suddenly the dog may suffer severe impact injuries.

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You say that I should weigh my dog regularly. What’s the best way to do this?

In the early stages of puppyhood the kitchen scales may be used, provided the scale pan is well washed afterwards; it should be protected with a couple of paper towels in case of accidents which won’t alter the reading significantly. Later the bathroom scales can be used, preferably with the puppy inside a cat basket or laundry basket, or even a cardboard box, to prevent him from jumping or falling off. Weigh this container without the animal first, and find the puppy’s weight by subtracting this figure from the weight of the puppy and container together.

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My dog is difficult to handle. Can the vet give him a ‘whiff’ of something to control him?

Admittedly some dogs are very difficult to handle, sometimes almost impossible, but the miraculous ‘whiff of something’, like other forms of magic wand, just doesn’t exist. Anaesthetizing gases or vapours (inhalation anaesthetics) all have to be brought into close contact with the animal before sufficient will be inhaled to be effective. Any attempt to blow these at an unrestrained animal from a distance results in them being considerably diluted by the air; the dog simply moves away in the meantime to avoid the unpleasant smell. Other problems are that some of these vapours are explosive and inflammable, others can produce delayed toxicity, and others are extremely expensive; and all of them will affect humans as well as dogs. Also, if you administer an inhalation anaesthetic on its own, a stage of excitement occurs before the individual becomes relaxed, and this adds to the problem. When inhalation anaesthetics are used in the operating theatre, a premedicant drug is injected beforehand to control this excitement phase, but of course to do this means that the animal needs to be restrained already.

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Does my dog need a coat?

In general coats are unnecessary for dogs, although they are valuable in very cold or wet weather for:

1. Short-haired dogs, especially of the small breeds which tend to lose body heat comparatively quickly. Greyhounds and Whippets usually wear a coat at cold evening meetings (in addition to the numbered racing jacket) except when actually racing.

2. Dogs that have lost a lot of hair, as the result of clipping or a skin disorder, or (in rare cases) those that are naturally hairless. The owners of dogs suffering from diseases which produce baldness are often so embarrassed by the appearance of their pet that they prefer to hide the problem under a coat.

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Is it bener to get a collar and lead or a harness for my dog?

Guide dogs for the blind wear harnesses, but most pet dogs are better controlled wearing a collar, especially as any training will almost certainly be carried out using a check (choke) chain around the neck. Harnesses are best reserved for small dogs that frequently need to be picked up, e. g. on public transport and in shops (they can be lifted by the harness if it is secure), and animals with neck injuries such as skin wounds or cervical ’slipped discs’.

As soon as you acquire a puppy, after it is eight weeks old, it should be fitted with a collar for a few minutes each day so that it gets used to the idea of wearing one. Initially the pup’s reaction will be to scratch it off, but gradually it will accept the collar. You can then leave it on permanently, which means not only that you avoid having to fasten and unfasten the buckle every time the dog is taken out, but that it is convenient for restraining the dog and, if a name tag is fitted, means that it can be identified if it escapes from the home or garden. Later, a lead can be clipped on to the puppy’s collar so that the puppy can grow accustomed to its presence in the same way.

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I have heard that the eyes of a Pekingese can drop out if it is grasped too tightly around the neck. Is this so?

Yes, it is. If the scruff is firmly held it increases the pressure behind the eyeballs, and in the flat-nosed breeds such as the Pug and Pekingese whose eyes are protruberant, the eyeballs may be dislodged (prolapsed) forwards from the shallow eye sockets. Because it is difficult to apply a tape-muzzle to these breeds, they are best restrained by a hand-towel twisted into a spiral and passed under the chin and around the neck, the two ends of the towel being held securely above and behind the dog’s head. The towel thus acts as a very thick ‘collar’ around the neck and makes head movements difficult.

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