Sunscreen, body language and puppy voice tricks

DEAR OLD TRAINER: Excellent column on summer haircuts for dogs, but you forgot one important thing. A dog can get sunburned the same way a human can if the sun hits a spot of skin exposed by the cut.

A: Excellent point, Allison, thanks for reminding me.

Dogs get sunburned easily, and it’s not limited to dogs with new haircuts. Many breeds have areas on their body that are subject to sunburn because of the way their coat grows. Border collies have a pink spot next to the nose that burns if the owner does not protect it.

If you clip your dog and see bare skin, buy dog sunscreen and apply before taking her out into the sun. You can use human sunscreen on dogs, but they may lick it off or absorb it through the skin, so check for toxic ingredients.

Skin cancer rates have soared among dogs the past few decades. Protect against sunburn and avoid toxic lawn and flea products, and you cut that rate dramatically.

DEAR OLD TRAINER: In a column on body language you mentioned dogs also communicate by voice. Will you explain that a little so I know what to look for with Spook, my 8-week-old puppy?

A: Dogs are masters at learning which voice trick works on their human.

They know a sad whine is the best way to manipulate you. Every owner hears that whine when their dog wants to play or get fed or get invited to go wherever they see the owner headed.

They squeal with excitement to let you know they are having fun. They have a series of howls they use to let you know they are hurt (and will fake this one with ease when it is to their advantage).

They have one growl when they warn a stranger, another when they playact with their human, and dozens of different barks depending on the occasion.

If one voice doesn’t get what they want, they try another, so pay attention and you will be amazed how fast Spook learns to tell you what’s on his mind.

DEAR OLD TRAINER: Lucy, my 6-month-old Sheltie, seems to love every dog she meets. She goes up and licks the mouth of all the dogs at the park. Is it normal for a dog to do that?

A: Lucy probably does love other dogs because Shelties, like most herd dogs, have a loving personality. So part of it may be her sweet disposition, but I think there is another reason for the licking.

During the period in the life of wolf pups between the time they are nursing and the time they join the hunt, the mother wolf swallows food when the pack finds prey, then returns to the den and regurgitates the prey for the pups to eat. They show their hunger when she arrives by licking her mouth.

Lucy is not a wolf, but she is a canine and still has that wolf DNA. She may not know why she is licking the other dogs, but she can detect the smell of food around their mouths and her instinct tells to lick the mouth and she might get fed.

This story was originally published August 12, 2016 at 1:26 PM with the headline "Sunscreen, body language and puppy voice tricks."