💡 DID YOU KNOW?

"Dog years" are a myth

There are many myths that have persisted in the dog world without much evidence but few are so well known and wildly used as the dog years myth.

You have probably heard that if you want to know how old your dog is in human years you simply multiply their age by 7.

To this date, plenty of resources and websites on the internet still use this equation although it is not proven.

More research suggests that it's not that easy to compare human to dog years as we don't age at the same rate.

The younger a dog is, the faster he grows compared to humans.

After maturity, the growth rate slows down significantly. 👵

Simply looking at when a dog could technically become pregnant (6-12 months) would leave us with a 3.5 to 7-year-old child which perfectly illustrates the inaccuracy of the 1:7 ratio.

One study, which came to a more realistic conclusion, looked at samples from 104 Labrador Retriever and tracked the molecular changes in their DNA.

They found the following age comparisons:

• 1-year-old dog = 30-year-old human
• 4-year-old dog = 52-year-old human
  
• 9-year-old dog = 67-year-old human
  
• 12-year-old dog = 70-year-old human
  

"In seniors, the expected lifespan of Labrador retrievers, 12 years, correctly translated to the worldwide life expectancy of humans, 70 years."

You can really see how much the growth rate slows down once a dog reaches the age of 7 years.

Now more research needs to be done to find out if the same applies to other dog breeds.

🧠 BEHAVIOR

How weather influences behavior

Now that spring has arrived in the northern parts of the hemisphere, many people feel different with the change in season.

While we might feel less sleepy and happier during the day, most animals greatly change their schedule.

Squirrels start scurrying around, bears wake up from their long nap and birds focus on nesting. 🪺

This leaves the question of what our dogs like to do in spring and how the season makes them feel.

Similar to humans, every dog can react differently to weather depending on their breed, age, coat type, and health.

My three-year-old Rottweiler, for example, would love to have winter all year round.

When the sun comes around the corner, she loves to bathe in it but any exercise leaves her panting almost immediately.

Other dogs however might become extra active during the warmer months as they actually produce less melatonin in the spring and summer.

With all the extra smells exploding from the ground, your dog might be inclined to spend more time sniffing everything out. 🌷

If you have a dog that is susceptible to quick movements, he might be super reactive to all the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks.

Now let's look at what other owners are saying.

Using an international online survey, researchers collected data on how dog activity levels change from summer to winter.

The 3,135 respondents reported reduced exercise duration and vigor for their dogs in warm weather.

About 90% of dog owners like to carry or walk near water to give their pets the opportunity for a cool down.

This would also be my number one tip and it's what I do to get my dog through warmer months.

Lastly, shedding season occurs in spring and fall and lasts for about 2-4 weeks.

💊 HEALTH

Embracing spring with a sneeze

Spring is such a beautiful time of the year, you just got to love it.

Seeing the first few tulips sprout from the ground has me aggressively grabbing the closest tissue and hovering around the box for the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, dogs are also not spared from this spring feature and can suffer from seasonal allergies just like we do.

So this week I wanted to share a few tips with you that will hopefully make the allergies more bearable. 🤧

But first, let's find out how you can even spot this discomfort in your dog:

• head shaking
• excessive licking
• sneezing (although less common)
• swollen eyes
• scratching of the armpits, chest, and paws
• eye discharge
• hair loss

Now, these signs can greatly vary in severity and don't necessarily have to be linked to seasonal allergies so keep that in mind.

1. The first thing you can do to remove some of these allergens is to regularly clean your dog's bed, blankets, and toys.
2. Use wipes to gently clean around the face, between the paw pads, and around the eyes. Brushing and bathing your dog also helps.
3. Try your best to keep floors clean and most areas dust-free.
4. Pollen levels are the highest in the morning hours and afternoon so, if possible, try changing your walking schedule.
5. If your dog has really irritated skin, supplementation with omega-3 can help to strengthen the skin and ease allergy symptoms.

If all is lost and your dog is really suffering, definitely take him to the vet as he can prescribe antihistamines.