Dogs: The Cheese Whiz Fix

July 29, 2006, 9:42PM
Cheez Whiz may be dog's best friend
Shelter officials think they can use the treat to make pooches more adoptable


By SALATHEIA BRYANT
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Think that pound puppy leaping up at you just wants to be your new best friend? Smell his breath.

Just as sugary treats turn kids on, Cheez Whiz, the thick, orange processed cheese spread, and popular punch line, may be the city's answer to igniting the inner frolic in dogs to get them adopted.

Reasoning that people tend to be more interested in dogs that show social presence than those that hang back, Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care Director Kent Robertson wants to use the pasteurized product to make shy dogs come to life whenever someone walks through the kennel. In Pavlovian style, he wants to train the shelter's dogs to associate human kindness with a dab of Cheez Whiz.

"The people tell us that dogs will do anything for Cheez Whiz," Robertson said. "We need to do whatever we need to do to make these dogs highly adoptable."

Robertson got the idea from an expert on creating no-kill animal shelters during a recent visit to Houston.

Veterinarian Patricia Cooper, who is working with Robertson on the project, said Cheez Whiz wouldn't be harmful to the dogs ?- given in moderation. In her practice she said she's seen pet owners slip nutritional supplements into cheese, peanut butter or cream cheese. She said BARC officials also could pack some play toys with Cheez Whiz.

In addition to training the dogs with the orange goo, staff members will give Cheez Whiz to visitors looking to adopt a new best friend.

"We want the dogs to come to the front of the kennel and sit when someone walks in," Robertson said.

Loralei Zwitt, a local canine behaviorist who has been working with pets and their owners for 18 years, said that although cheese, or Cheez, is a tasty treat for pooches, body language is equally important.

Zwitt, who consults on cases involving rescued dogs, said such animals typically have not been properly socialized. If a person is standing, using eye contact, leaning forward or extending the treat directly in front of them, the dog likely would consider that to be assertive behavior, she said.

"They are going to be a lot more cautious and defensive," Zwitt said. "The more you look them in the eyes or lean forward, the more suspicious the dog will be. The lower you are, the less threatening you are. It's got to be up to the dog to walk up to the person."

Robertson said the bottom line is to put the dogs in a better position of being adopted.

"The main thing is we want to get them to the front of the kennel," Robertson said. "Cheez Whiz is where we're starting."