Dogs and Kat: Dog Training & Behavior Counseling

05/29/2026

Important info!! 🐶

Tonight I ended up trying to help a friend whose puppy ate a kid's vitamin containing xylitol. Simple accident: kid dropped vitamin, puppy scarfed it down. (Note: this household is knowledgeable and is xylitol free, but a relative bought the vitamins, unaware of the risk to the dogs.)

The puppy only ate *one* vitamin. Which turned out to contain 1500 mg of xylitol.

100 mg/kg is the threshold for hypoglycemia which can be fatal. At 500 mg/kg, hepatic necrosis occurs -- destruction of liver tissue.

So just ONE chewable vitamin ended up creating a serious problem for a 30 pound pup (which is not quite 14 kg).

The emergency vet induced vomiting. Thankfully, the puppy had had a meal and so there was food in her stomach. In the vomit was the orange tablet, identifiable though dissolved.

Quick thinking on the owner's part (including grabbing the bottle of vitamins) and fortunately a nearby 24/7 emergency vet hospital meant that this pup received prompt treatment, and should make a full recovery.

Check your medications, vitamins, gum, candy, toothpaste, mouthwash, peanut butter and more for xylitol, also known as birch sugar.

This is useful information to have on hand:
https://www.calculatorsfordogs.com/health-nutrition-calculators/xylitol-toxicity-calculator

ALWAYS contact vet and ASPCA Animal Poison Control center immediately!

As for everyone (the non-vets) recommending the use of hydrogen peroxide, please update your understanding:
https://www.gsvs.org/woodbridge-nj/blog/hydrogen-peroxide-for-dogs-emergency/

Pass this along. I hope you never have to use it.

05/21/2026

😁

05/07/2026

Say hello to Benjamin Burrito aka Benny Beans! This cute little guy just graduated our Puppy Manners and Positive Play class. A class in which much fun learning happened, safe supervised socialization and play was enjoyed, and skateboards were ridden at graduation! 😃

We love what we do here at Dogs and Kat! Can you blame us? 🐶

05/07/2026

Thank you, Dr. Lisa Radosta, for this great share.

If you are the caregiver of a dog with behavior challenges and are doing all you can to help them with their challenges, we see you and are DEEPLY grateful for you! Having walked in your shoes ourselves, we understand the sadness, frustration, isolation, and, yes, embarrassment that we all feel in certain situations with our struggling pups.

The phrase, “Your dog isn’t giving you a hard time. He is HAVING a hard time.” is one we often share with our clients as it helps us to reframe these moments and respond with the empathy and understanding that our dog really needs from us.

At the end of the day, what matters is your RELATIONSHIP with your dog and NOT the opinions of anyone else. Give yourself lots and lots of both grace and high fives! You are doing all you can to help your struggling pup and, for that, we think you should be celebrated!! ♥️

05/05/2026

Great graphic and info from ABC Dogs NZ.

Give the dog the time they need to process your presence without invading their personal space bubble. They do NOT need to smell your hand.

The best approach? None.
None at all.

I want a dog to feel safe.
Secure.
To understand, clearly, that I am no threat.

And the quickest way to do that?
Take the pressure right off.

No reaching. No leaning in and no stepping into their space.

Because the moment you move toward them, or bend down in an attempt to connect with them, you’ve already changed how it feels for them.

Dogs don’t need us to prove we’re friendly.
They need us to be non-threatening.

There’s a big difference.

And this isn’t just about them.
It’s about you too.

You may know nothing about this dog. That matters.

If you crouch down right in front of them, you’ve just put yourself in a compromised position.

Your centre of gravity is now off.
Your movement will then be slower.
Your ability to step away quickly is reduced.

If this dog reacts?
You’ve lost those crucial seconds and your face is right there directly in front of theirs.

So, try this instead

Turn your body.
Stay upright.
Give lots of space.

Let them decide if they want to come closer.

Because the clearest and best message you can send a dog is this:
I’m not here to pressure you.

05/04/2026

🐾 Can We Really Recognise Pain in Dogs?

This new study by Gardeweg et al. (2026) confirms something many of us working in canine therapy see regularly—pain is often recognised when a dog limps, but much less when it shows through behaviour.

In the study, 647 people were asked to identify signs of pain in dogs.

Most people easily recognised movement-related pain such as limping, stiffness, or reluctance to move.

But behavioural signs were far less likely to be recognised, including:

• changes in sleep
• reduced play
• clinginess or shadowing
• reduced sociability
• lower tolerance
• difficulty settling
• restlessness at night
• grooming changes
• personality changes
• mood changes

Even experienced dog owners were no better at spotting these subtle signs than non-dog owners.

This is important because chronic pain rarely starts with obvious lameness.

Often, the first signs are small changes in behaviour.

Things like:

❗ “He seems grumpier lately”
❗ “She doesn’t want to play as much”
❗ “He follows me everywhere now”
❗ “She struggles to settle at night”
❗ “He seems less tolerant than usual”

These are often dismissed as behaviour problems, ageing, or just “slowing down.”

But sometimes, they are early signs of pain.

By the time obvious lameness appears, compensation patterns, muscle tension, and long-term discomfort may already be well established.

Pain doesn’t always look like limping.

Sometimes it shows up in the quiet changes first.

Recognising those signs earlier means earlier support, better welfare, and better long-term outcomes.

📚 Reference:Gardeweg, S.M.A., Picard, D.E. and van Herwijnen, I.R. (2026) The abilities in dog pain sign recognition as assessed by presenting seventeen listed dog behavioural signs and three case descriptions to dog owners and non-dog owners. PLOS ONE, 21(4), e0344512.

04/12/2026

Your rare opportunity to have Kat as your class instructor! Starting THIS Wednesday night.

Or have the always fun and charming Josh in the Tuesday evening classes!

Either way, it’s a win for you and your canine companions. 🐶

04/11/2026

6 spots per class! Grab them while you can!!

04/08/2026

We finished our first pilot Private Puppy Day School recently and had so much fun with these adorable and super clever pups! The next session will start in June. More details to come soon! 🐶

11/28/2025

♥️