Animal Advocate

Dog Property Laws...

2012-02-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist sharing this.

Lisa Evans has started a discussion: Dog Property Laws. Lol!

Dog Property Laws. Lol!

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my mouth, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm chewing something up, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it just looks like mine, it's mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it's broken, it's yours.

Please visit our website athttp://www.anythingdogz.co.uk For Dogs and Dog Lovers! Thank you and have a pawfect evening. Woof, woof."

A Tribute to Elvis

2012-02-27T11:16:00.002-08:00

Elvis and friend

I can't write it any better than Carol did in this tribute to Elvis. Elvis was one of those older, dearest dogs that bounced from home to home without missing a stride or becoming pessimistic about his life. He was loved by all, humans and dogs alike.

Huge thanks to Carol for adopting him and then caring for him as we learned about his true medical condition.

Elvis

Dearest friends,

I am heartbroken to share the sad news of the passing of a very special pup. Elvis was put to rest today at approx. 11:30 am. at Sylvan Vet Hospital. Dr. Rojas made sure it was peaceful and swift.

After giving much thought to the options for treatment - being just one, amputation - I decided that this was not an option as it was not a cure for his cancer. He could have a recurrence in a matter of months or years - something I was not willing to gamble on and certainly would not chose to put Elvis through.

We spent the past week making daily trips to the clinic for dressing changes on his foot. They used sugar dressings and a third antibiotic which seemed to help ease the infection a bit. I wanted to buy a little more time and make him more comfortable and mobile - just to let him enjoy life a little. But we all knew these treatments were futile in the end.

Everyone at Sylvan who met him loved him. He loved all the attention as well. Elvis was the best patient - never complained. He was a love muffin.

I am grateful to his dad for bringing him back to us - his WAA family. I am grateful that i got to provide a loving home for this noble creature in his last days - away from the shelter.

I would have given anything to keep Elvis here, whole. He was the best dog ever.

His body was taken to Family Pet Mortuary for cremation. His love will remain in my heart forever.

Thank you all for loving him.

Love,

Carol

A Good Found Dog Story

2012-02-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

Two women brought a wire fox terrier in last night having found it running on a busy local street. They took it to a local vet for a scan and no chip was found. The women called the newspaper who sent them to our shelter/pet resort. I scanned again and found a chip on the right shoulder. It was a 15 digit number I didn't recognize but knew it was an ISO number which meant it was international or a company in the US that is starting to use ISO standards.

After calling my vet to figure out what company it could be, calling HomeAgain because I learned they were switching to ISO numbers, and calling PetLink after HomeAgain referred me there, we tracked down the registered owner who gave us the phone and name of the current owner who was home! Phew.

Dog and owner were reunited.

YEA!!!!!

A True Life Story About Mercy

2012-02-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

Mercy's true story.

Thank you to William Oxenrider, a volunteer with Westside Animals for Adoption, for putting together this show. Watch but get out the kleenex.

Mercy will soon finish her meds by the end of February 2012 and will be looking for her forever home.

Why Dogs Eat Sofas

2012-01-30T16:08:00.000-08:00

I just read a list of notable items that pets can ingest and get away with living. These are only a few of the items mentioned by Veterinary Pet Insurance as paid claims.

Box of razor blades
Foot-long metal hanger, and along the same lines, a tent stake, chopsticks
A cholla cactus, and slightly less thorny, a rose bush
A dead porcupine, a dead rat
Two plastic eyeballs and a bunch of broccoli stems
A burrito wrapped in foil
15 vanilla votive candles
Hot chili peppers, poison ivy,
The corner of a bed, a cellphone case, a package of florescent light bulbs

plus dozens more but to me the oddest, human feces.

Now, we know that dog's eat dog, horse, and cat feces, not to mention a host of other animal waste. Why would eating human feces warrant a vet visit? In fact doesn't this just fit the theory why our human ancestors encouraged the wild ancestors of the wolf to hang out around our camps? These early dogs/wolves were the camp scavengers eating whatever was consumable. While I doubt early man had votive candles or razor blades, I bet we'd find the familiar in items dogs might fancy lying around the camp, such as, tools, dead animals, toys, weapons, personal ornaments, clothes, baskets, house coverings and yes, human feces.

I wonder if these early dogs were tougher than our dogs or ended up dying a quick death without benefit of modern veterinary medicine and a loving home life.

New Anesthesia Guidelines

2012-01-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

In this era of information overload on the internet, it's a treat to be able to source accurate information. AAHA(American Animal Hospital Association) has published new anesthesia guidelines to help us understand what our veterinarian is doing to keep our loved pets safe while undergoing surgery. With these guidelines along with the published ones on vaccination protocols we, as pet owners, can become better informed consumers of veterinary medicine and advocates for our pets. No more guessing by you or your veterinarian when there are clear protocols to follow.

To pick a practice following these guidelines look for the AAHA sign displayed in the reception area. Veterinarians are proud to hang the sign because it means they have passed the most rigorous scrutiny for veterinary and hospital practices. These practices should also welcome any questions you have about the protocols and how any variations might apply to your pet.

Playing nice

2012-01-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

As I learn more about getting to know dogs that we are adopting out to families, one issue that keeps recurring is the presence or lack of dog-dog social manners. Perfectly nice dogs that are even good with children may never get homes because they don't know how to play nice.

I have 3 videos now on YouTube showing Coca, our mystery breed puppy, learning the power of Diamond's authority and how to learn to"turn the other cheek" to avoid a fight. I wish the first encounter had been filmed because Coca did not back down. It took a little intervention from me and some persistence from Diamond, but now Coca recognizes the go away sign, generally a lifted lip and teeth. The tail going up means beware a charge, which you can see on the final video.

Diamond, on the other hand, gets a bit carried away with her importance and the "all things and all space is mine" mentality. So once she had made a point with Coca, it was time for me to step in and limit her bullying behavior. I asked her to do the same thing she asked Coca to do, turn away and disengage. Peace was made.

Coca learns to be careful around her elders, Lesson 2

Diamond learning not to bully 1

Diamond learning not to be a bully 2

Amazing Animal Behavior Story

2012-01-13T17:43:00.000-08:00

Amazing Animal Behavior Story

Sometimes there is something really interesting that catches my eye. Here is an act of mercy by one animal toward another. Or is it merely a coincidence that the moose thought that the lump was a piece of greenery that he needed to move out of his way?

What do you think?

"Cheap" Dogs: An adoption fee education or not.

2012-01-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

The phone rings. It's after 6 in the evening and I'm home greeting my dogs and feeding, Mercy, the dog we still have in quarantine, but I answer. It is a woman wanting to know prices for the adoption dogs. She starts off with saying we have pekingese mix puppies and wanted to know their price. I assured her that we didn't have such puppies and before we settle on a price for our dogs (we have a range dependent on many variables) we need to know more about the adopter and how that dog will fit into his or her lifestyle. She insists that we have a small dog, which we do, a chihuahua princess, and wants to know that dog's price.

As we talk I'm beginning to get the feeling that they are either trying to price their own puppies or are looking for something cheap, her words. Turns out it's the latter. Her son doesn't have any money and wants something cheap. I explain that the princess needs a special home, but she blasts past that idea. I start to suggest the local public animal shelter and Craig's list as other sources and she hangs up before I can finish.

I tried.

Wish for a Happy Holiday for All our Furry Friends

2011-12-25T11:41:00.000-08:00

Coca playing

We had a wonderful response to our reduced fee "Home for the Howlidays" adoption event at PetSmart last weekend and on Friday night. Ten dogs got our holiday wish of a happy holiday in a forever home.

We were worried that we were almost out of dogs...but we know to wait and sure enough three walked in at the hands of people who had found them wandering. While Tramp, Bruno and Coca don't have forever home, they did have a holiday dinner and are safe and cozy at Best Friends Pet Resort.

We know soon we will be able to find them a holiday next year in their very own forever homes.

Welcome to www.k9ballistics.com - Strongest Chew Proof Dog Beds

2011-12-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

For those of us with dogs that like to pick and rip their beds, these people seem to have the best guarantee. The dogs eats it; they eat it.

Welcome to www.k9ballistics.com - Strongest Chew Proof Dog Beds:

'via Blog this'

Tears of Joy; Tears of Sadness

2011-12-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

Both men left their dogs in tears.

Sweet Elvis

One man fell on hard times. losing his home and with a wife sick with cancer needed to return sweet Elvis. Obviously this dog was his pride and joy, but he knew he was unable to keep him healthy and happy so returned him to us. Truly, having to watch someone give up a dog they love has to be one of the hardest parts of adoption and rescue.

Another sees the dog of his dreams at our adoption event, but family members nixed the idea and the adoption volunteers also didn't want to let Rommey go unless the whole family was on board. Fortunately for the man, when he got home and the tears fell, the family rallied around dad and decided to come back and adopt Rommey as a surprise. We had a long talk with the family and decided that the placement would be good after all. So the next day we all met back at PetSmart. The joy on the man's face was priceless.

Hug your dogs and cats, say a prayer for fortune in your lives, for family and for others not so blessed.

Hard day as a rescue/adoption worker

2011-12-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

This is one of those days when you just have to suck it up.

Here's the background: Two plus weeks ago we received a white husky from a customer who found it as a stray. Legally we have to hold it for 2 weeks and we do our due diligence of notifying the public that we have the dog. Plus this dog had a chip so we called AVID who had only the name of the vet who implanted the chip. After we called the vet, we called the breeder contact name they had. She never called us back after repeated calls.The owner wasn't listed on the AVID chip site so AVID considered the dog ours.

Tip: Register your dog!

This morning i took the dog to the local vet for spaying. She called us a few hours later, upon discovering a large surgery scar, saying she knew the dog from a previous surgery. Ironically we had boarded the dog years ago and had the owner's contact information as well.

The hard part was not giving the dog back.

The hard part was having to tell the person who wanted to adopt the dog that it wasn't available any more.

The hard part was listening to one of our volunteers who had visited the home address and hearing the husband say he was tired of the dog.

The hard part was listening to the lame stories about how the dog had been missing a few days, and she had looked in the paper but must have missed our listing, and how the dog always comes back, and then watching her drive off with the dog chained in the back of the pickup so that it could jump out and hang itself. My employee and I looked at each other in total resignation and disgust as she drove off.

Ironically, that morning I had told a person who called that she didn't have the right to determine whether she gave an emaciated stray dog back to an owner during the legal hold.While the husky was beyond the hold period, the right thing to do was give the dog back. But it was a hard thing to do.

Fusel finds the scent

2011-11-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

Fusel video

Here is a demo of a dog that has achieved a high level of nose work training. The odor he is looking for is attached on the vertical service of the garbage cans. On the day before the scent was attached under the lid on the propane tank which is where he keeps returning. The odor is essence of birch and it is in a small metal container with hold punched in the top.

Any dog can do this if it likes to eat or play with toys.

Larry Goes To School

2011-11-25T18:13:00.000-08:00

Miles and Larry with 2 feet on floor

This morning Miles, one of our junior volunteers, walked into the rec room with slightly glazed eyes. It seems that Larry got a little too rowdy on his walk and kept jumping up and nipping his sleeve. We decided that it was time for Larry to go to school.

Miles and Larry at heel with 4 feet on floor

Larry needed to learn 3 lessons. To help him chose a good behavior instead of jumping on people we fed him food at heel position so he would start anticipate getting rewarded for 4 feet on the floor at heel position. To stretch Larry's knowledge we asked him to sit without luring as he already could sit with a food lure, and, finally, some practice going to and staying on his bed seemed like a full session to teach him to be more responsive to what people wanted of him, instead of him making up his own agenda. We also discovered that he either knows or will be easy to teach "shake hands".

Larry waits on his bed for his reward

By the end of the lesson Miles was back in charge and Larry was calm and focused. Good job both of you.

Gizmo goes home

2011-11-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

Well, Lucky dog, then Gizmo, got really lucky and went home to his real parents. The story isn't exactly clear what happened, but it is very clear that dad loves his boy and his dog boy loved his human dad. The owner was heartbroken to learn of the accident and the disappearance of his dog. Seems like he was out of town so it took a while to find us. But by his diligence he tracked down the dog and we finally connected. Good thing we are in a small town as the veterinarian he called knew we probably had the dog. Good thing for Gizmo that he is young and bounced. While he is not exactly bouncing around yet, it is clear that he will mend with good home care.

Watch the nosework videos

2011-11-20T17:09:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for something fun to do with your dog? No worries about your dog's education or lack thereof. Any dog can do this unless they are really fearful in strange environments. And the fun part is that success comes one nosefull at a time. You don't have to wait days, weeks or months to see your dog progress.

Here is Melissa and Zorro really getting the hang of it. Zorro is a former stray, waiting for a new home with Westside Animals for Adoption.

I'm gradually getting a string of videos on YouTube so you can watch the progress we achieved in just a few hours. Dogs ranged from the fearful to the curious to the airhead (owner's words, not mine). We had dogs raised from puppy to strays off the street in the workshop.

A Walk In Your Dog's "Shoes" Lesson

2011-11-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder how some people have dogs that come when called and others don't?

I had a second lesson today with a young man and a nice adolescent German Shepherd Dog. I start off asking how the first week of homework went and then we decided on what we needed to work on. He wanted his dog to meet other dogs. So being a first things first dog trainer, I asked about the recall and learned that it was non existent. Since a large part of letting dogs safely play together is being able to verbally control them, I want to be sure I can call my dog away from a pack in the event the playing gets a bit too rough.

I always start off my recall lesson by having the owners clarify for themselves the exact behavior they expect the dog to do. It is really a simple behavior to visualize...once you get the idea that what the dog has to do is pivotal to getting a successful recall, not what you say. After you have defined to yourself the behavior you are teaching, you can figure out how to get it and most importantly when to reward and correct it.

The process of visualizing a behavior is hard for most people as it was for this young man. He kept wanting to say what he had to do. In the middle of working to elicit from him how he defined the behavior, I saw him get a little frustrated with the process. At that point I turned to him and asked him to take a moment to reflect how his dog must feel the same way when she is trying to figure out what he wanted. Quickly, after that he verbally got the picture of what he wanted her to do. Then we proceeded on with a simple first lesson for the recall.

If you can walk a mile in your dog's "shoes", you will always be more able to calmly and clearly move through the sometimes unpredictable progress and frustration, both yours and the dog's, of learning a new behavior.

My favorite quote: Art ends when violence begins; Violence begins when knowledge ends.

A new photo of Gizmo

2011-11-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

Gizmo is slowly starting to take a few steps when he goes out to potty.
Here's a photo of Melissa and Gizmo enjoying a quite moment.

Lucky now Gizmo

2011-11-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

Gizmo standing on Wednesday night and eating.

Gizmo stood to eat tonight! This is a miracle as we had only hope that he would walk again. He is very quiet but eating and peeing and drinking water. Thanks for your prayers.

A woman walked into our resort hoping we were the ones who had picked up the hit by car dog on her street Monday night. She indeed was from one of the only two houses in the vicinity and had told us that the dog was being fed by the other neighbor who denied the dog was theirs. She said she had named him Gizmo and he was a stray that had been traveling back and forth between the two houses.

Lucky is resting.

2011-11-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Our Lucky little terrier that was hit by a car is back at our resort resting. He is more alert and eating, but still isn't using his back legs much. The veterinarian thinks there is a herniated disk behind the front legs. So we all hope, pain meds and antibiotics for the fluid in his lungs will get him running around again.

Feline Population Symposium

2011-11-07T21:07:00.000-08:00

The Symposium's date has been change to November 19, from 1-5pm at the Harvest Hall on the corner of Crows Landing and Service Road in Ceres. Actual address is 3800 Cornucopia Way. Admission is free.

Focus will be on methods to educate the public and government about methods and programs that will reduce the stray and feral cat population.

A Face and a Bloody Nose

2011-11-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

That is all I saw when I stopped my car. I was cruising down the middle of the road near my home at a decent clip. I saw a small object in my path and took a moment to decide whether to run it over or go around. Lucky for the dog I couldn't decide and slowed down. All I remember seeing a small scruffy dog with its head raised, the bloody nose and eyes looking straight at me; the rest of its body was not moving.

I scooped it up in an old space blanket and tried to find its home. Neither of the two nearby homes claimed it, although one woman said it was a stray being fed by the other neighbor. Since the local veterinarian was closed, I raced it to the next closest one a half hour away, looking every few minutes for signs of life.

X-rays show a broken rib and probably blood in the lungs. The hind legs are tucked up and not working although there is some resistance to pressure. We decided to give it pain meds and antibiotics, keep it warm and see what happens in the morning.

Through the whole ordeal, he never offered to bite and is obviously a sweet boy.

Where is my anger? That someone was so mean to run over a dog and not stop. That someone else was so irresponsible to let a dog run loose, much less on a street where people go 60 mph. That someone could feed a dog and give it a new collar, but not have the heart to go one step further to claim it during the hard times.

Light a candle that this sweet dog gets to live to find a forever home.

A Eureka Moment

2011-11-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

One of the moments I love about being a behavior trainer for dogs and their people is watching the Eureka moment.

A client called for a lesson with a dog recently adopted from a shelter and had fallen in love with it already. The family had had it for 4 days and were running into some behavior problems. One of the more puzzling problems was that it was now refusing to go outside to potty and to relax there until asked to come back in.

I asked my client, "Where is the payoff?". She proceeded to tell me that she would send the dog out and then in a few moments open the door for it to come back in at which time she would feed it a cookie.

All of a sudden her eyes widened and you could see the light bulb go on. She was rewarding it for coming in, not going or staying out. And the timing was off to really reward for going potty. I love these moments when the mind works behind the scenes and people can find their own answers.

I gave her more suggestions for making his stay outside more fun and we are working on the other problems.

Junior Volunteers Help with Dogs in Adoption Program

2011-10-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

Grooming and smooching all in one.

Westside Animals for Adoption in Patterson is the place to be if you are a junior and want to work with dogs.

From 3:30 to 5pm on Wednesday afternoons 6-10 students, ages 8-16, join the Best Friends Pet Resort staff in grooming, bathing, (watch a YouTube clip), training, walking, feeding and medicating, not to mention, cleaning up after the dogs waiting for "forever homes". It's a chance for the dogs to get more exercise, attention and socialization with young people so they become more adoptable and for our youngsters to satisfy a craving to care for something who needs their love and attention.

Creating adoption posters

Contact Best Friends Pet Resort or call 209.892.3114 for more information about the Westside Animals for Adoptions Junior Volunteer Program.

Other opportunities for juniors to work with rescue and adoption pets can be found at the Humane Society of Stanislaus County and Stanislaus Animal Services Agency in Modesto.

La Llamada

2011-10-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Claudia Rico CPT, who works at Best Friends Pet Resort where we also shelter some of the rescue and adoption dogs in the area, took this call a few days ago. Daily we field calls from the public looking for their lost pets, who have found strays or who want to relinquish their own pets. This woman in the story below was lucky enough to get Claudia to share information about how to find her pet, but figure out what breed her dog was. Claudia graciously agree to write up her story for the Spanish-speaking public and has agreed to translate this to English for those of us not fluent in Spanish. Check back soon for the translation.

Thanks Claudia.

Augusta

Esta tarde recibimos una llamada de una señora quien estaba preocupada buscando a su perro que se habia perdido. En cuanto me dijo eso yo pense que alomejor era uno de los que recientemente habiamos aceptado. Le pregunte que clase de perro era y se quedo callada pero podia escuchar que alguien atras de ella hablaba y le decia que empesaba con “pu”. Le volvi a preguntar y me dijo que no estaba segura pero que empesaba con “p” asi que le pregunte que si era un poodle y dijo que no sabia. Le dije que me describiera y asi fue como supe que era un Pug porque dijo que tenia la cara chata y cola corta y como enroscada. Pero nosotros no tenemos pugs asi que le di informacion sobre otros lugares que podia contactar . Al colgar, me senti un poco frustada porque me di cuenta que hay muchas personas que no saben donde buscar a sus animals perdidos y mas alguien como esta señora que no habla ingles y se le hace mas dificil contactar lugares en donde la puedan ayudar. Le comente a Augusta sobre la llamada recibida y al igual que la llamada y la reaccion de Augusta me hiso realisar que esto es un gran problema y tenemos que tomar accion en casos como este. by Claudia Rico CPT

Registered Kitty Caretakers Help Feral Cats

2011-10-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

Countless feral cats and kittens are losing lives because there are too many to save and too many to stay healthy. Besides the health nuisance of sick animals and fecal matter in public places, people who find a feral cat or kitten are distraught at being forced to take it to a shelter with no guarantee of its adoption.

To address this problem Stanislaus Animal Services Agency (SASA) has announced a new initiative to reduce the numbers of feral cats. Because the law recognizes anyone as an animal owner who feeds an animal for more than 14 days, many feral cat colony caretakers are in violation of the ordinances limiting numbers of animals owned. Colonies can be on public or private land, anywhere feral cats are found.

So that kitty caretakers are not penalized and to reduce cat overpopulation due to random breeding, SASA provides for the registration of caretakers and colonies. Once the colony is registered SASA is offering free spaying or neutering with an identifying ear mark and rabies vaccination. The cats will be trapped, neutered and released back to the same area.

By spaying and neutering large numbers of feral cats this winter before they start reproducing in the spring, SASA has predicted that the population will drop over time and thus reducing the burden of care on the public, rescues and the shelters.

If you are interested in becoming a Registered Kitty Caretaker call 209.558.PETS and ask for Dorothy DiGino or email diginod@stancounty.com.

Understand the Misbehaving Dog

2011-10-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

A happy adopter, happier when puppy learns to walk on leash.

Yes, with good teaching this dog will learn to walk politely on leash.

I teach a monthly class for adopted dogs at the local public animal shelter and always start by asking what people want to work on. I get the usual list of problem behaviors: dog jumps up, won't come, pulls on leash, all relatively easy behaviors that can be solved with training or some management.

What I find much more difficult to address is the mindset exhibited when people complain about a dog being stubborn, defiant or inattentive. As a dog trainer I cringe at each word because the assumption here is that the dog completely understands what the human owner wants and deliberately misbehaves.

If you have ever had those thoughts, and it takes training to do otherwise, here are some tips to shift perspective slightly to see the misbehavior as confusion or an unfinished education. To do so guarantees more effective communication rewarding you with a fully engaged, responsive and biddable dog who understands what you want.

Embed this concept in your memory. A good trainer/teacher believes that if a dog misbehaves and does it persistently, it is the trainer/teacher who has failed to teach, not the dog/student who has failed to learn. (A long time ago I attended a sheep dog clinic with a trainer from Scotland who persistently used the phrase "learn a dog" instead of "teach a dog" , the phrase we use in America. Interesting how "incorrect" grammar actually had a more correct meaning for what we wanted from the dogs.)
Don't be fooled by the "knowledge curse"... because I know it, you must know it.
To engage your dog in your world, you must possess something it wants enough to work for. Examples are: food, attention, praise, toys, walks, rides in car, snuggle on couch, sweet talking and inviting body language. Does your dog pay attention to you when you offer these? If yes, use them as a reward (reinforcer) for a desired behavior. Sometimes you have to work to make the resources more valuable.
Rewards are consequences that increase and strengthen behaviors. If you want a behavior, reward it. If you have a behavior, whether you want it or not, it has been rewarded by you or self rewarded by the dog.
If your dog gives you a behavior you don't want, try withholding a reward. If it jumps on you, take away attention until its feet are on the floor for at least a few seconds. Then reward feet on the floor.
All beginning dog teachers miss rewardable behaviors most of the time, particularly good behaviors. Notice when your dog is paying attention to you, is calm, or makes eye contact. Reward these engagement and listening behaviors consistently and frequently.
Visualizing a behavior you want, such as, a dog turning to look at you when you say its name, will focus your brain and actions on rewarding the solution, not on complaining about the problems of inattention, misbehavior and defiance.
If your dog fails to perform as you expect, ask yourself if you have taught it to do so at that level of difficulty. Once the basics are taught, the dog needs to learn to perform simple behaviors at an increasing level of difficulty. Just because it can sit stay in the living room doesn't mean it can sit stay at the front door to greet a guest. Practice under all situations if you want your dog to behave under all situations.
Corrections are also consequences and have a place in training. You will be most successful using them if you can recognize and have taught a rewardable default behavior as the alternative to the corrected one.

Adoption or New Puppy?

2011-09-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

If anyone is ever worried that by not getting a puppy, you might miss a deep bonding, watch this video. Nissi's home is Trix-C's fourth. She has brought joy to so many people.

Trix-C's new home

To microchip or not

2011-09-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Overheard in a discussion between two people: A friend refuses to microchip his dog because if it is caught off his property by animal control, the guilty finger points directly back to the owner. No more dodging responsibility.

The good news is that the most of the rest of us are realizing the good deal microchipping brings to us and our pets. If they become lost, there is a chance that they will be reunited with us.

Recently almost everyone who brings us a stray mentions needing to have it scanned for a chip. The word is getting out: Microchip your pets!

Mia Is Reunited With Her Real Family

2011-09-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

Mia reunited with her family.

Once in a while true miracles of finding lost dogs really happens. This is Mia's story as we know it.

Three weeks ago a Weimaraner female was brought to us as a stray. We temporarily named her Girl.

We now know that Girl aka Ginger aka Rose is really Mia. After months of being lost to her family, a fluke phone call to us reunited Mia with her real family. We know parts of her miracle story. Mia left home with a 4-legged buddy months ago; she survived the streets; was brought to us by a Good Samaritan; got turned down two days ago by a potential adopter from San Francisco who decided he wanted a puppy; and to whoever had her for the weeks before residing at our shelter, thank you ;) for not keeping her contained properly.

Mia had been held by us the 14 days required by law, then we spayed and chipped her a week later per the standards for rescue and adoption programs. Northern California Weimaraner Rescue had agreed to find her a home as that organization specializes in the breed. She was ready to go to a new home.

What lessons did we learn? Don't give up. Keep talking to people. Microchip your pets. Run an ad in the local papers. Look at lost and found classifieds daily and weekly. Don't assume that a dog that has never left home in the past will never leave home in the future. Fence in your dog for safety. Keep cats in the house. Use all the resources out there to get the word out, Craigs List, Petfinder, Adoptapet, etc.

The owners were most worried that Mia was going to miss laying in front of the fireplace this winter.

Finding Fluffy and Fido

2011-09-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

As a small non profit adoption and rescue shelter for dogs we have our share of strange, sad and happy stories.

The themes of the latest stories seem to have much in common, namely, that many owners do not know how to find their dogs when they lose them. We have had very little luck in finding owners, but in the last week or so we actually have had contact with some owners of dogs brought to us. One called hours later, the others called weeks or months after they lost their dogs.

Because I am amazed that we find so few owners, I make it a point of asking how they found us. Here are some of their stories.

The first called almost immediately as he had called the local police department who gave him our shelter name. By evening the grateful owner and loved dog had been reunited. Because we immediately fax a found dog report to the local public shelter on Crows Landing Road, Stanislaus Regional Animal Services (SASA), he could also have found his dog in the Found-Dogs binder available to the public. That was the easy one.

I'm still scratching my head on the others. All of the other dogs were here for days or weeks. Three of the owners said they "asked around" and that was it. One was "busy" and almost two weeks after his dog went missing only just thought about running a classified in the paper. While he was doing so, he saw our Found-dog classified.

One couple lost their dog more than 6 weeks ago but only went to SASA once to check, never placed an ad in the paper or Craig's List, notified the veterinarians, or actively kept contacting the shelters and rescues...all standard practices when searching for a dog. Admittedly 6 weeks is a long time to look for a dog when it is easier to assume it permanently lost. We have had the dog for only three weeks, but she must have been lurking somewhere else as she was in good condition. While anyone finding a pet is legally obligated to notify the local animal services or place an ad in the paper, few people know this. Read about Mia

Even stranger, once the owners of one of the dogs made contact with us, there was no further attempt to come get his puppy in spite of another phone call by me four days later. We still have his puppy.

At the beginning of this journey into rescue and adoption I thought lack of information about how to find a lost pet prevented a successful reunion, but now I think we need to consider a lack of commitment, empathy and respect for the animal and for the individuals who are forced to personally become involved in the stray animal problem.

And my heart goes out to those who are totally committed and resourceful trying to finding their lost pets and never do.

Realities of Adoption...Dog Ownership

2011-09-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Frequently, I will touch on issues in rescue and adoption of dogs. Daily I am immersed in the minute details of rehabbing, evaluating what behaviors a dog does or doesn't have, and helping new owners quickly and joyfully adapt to the quirks of their newly adopted friends.

Couple comes to adopt a shy dog and they ask if he is house trained. I said he had been living in a foster home prior to coming to my pet resort, but I wasn't really sure. I mention the use of a crate and the couple assures me that they love dogs and have never had a problem. (This dog was being adopted from another rescue and had already been screened for compatibility.)

Adopters called back the next morning to return dog. Seems he wasn't house trained in their house and they have wall to wall white carpet. Fortunately this time I had a chance to talk more about the concept of crating. They left still looking for a dog and with a little more knowledge about preventing housetraining problems using all the resources available.

I'm sure they will be successful in finding a dog. They showed flexibility by not being bothered by shyness, although the timidity might have contributed to the house training problem. The couple will either become lucky or maybe the next dog will be lucky that these adoptive pet parents will love it and now be more able to work with potential problems.

As a trainer and a person who has lived with many puppies and dogs, I always assume there will be a problem and manage so that the dog, my possessions and I can all live in harmony as quickly as possible. Mistakes become my responsibility to fix, not the dog's.

New Pet Ordinance in the Making

2011-09-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

On September 15, at its quarterly meeting, the Joint Powers Agency (JPA) approved the drafting of a new animal control ordinance to act as a model ordinance for its 6 members. The JPA governs the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency (SASA), which provides animal control services plus the adoption shelter for Stanislaus County and five associated cities, Waterford, Modesto, Ceres, Hughson and Patterson.

One of the two significant proposed changes will be the mandatory spaying and neutering of the "American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier or any dog displaying the physical traits of any one or more of the above breeds"... A SASA staff member will make the determination. Exceptions to mandatory altering for show dogs are noted.

The second change proposed will be to allow SASA officers to issue citations to an owner whether or not the owner is home. Currently, it is my understanding, that SASA officers (Modesto officers excepted) cannot issue citations for code violations except directly to the owner. This new ordinance allows officers the same powers as parking enforcement officers; commit a violation, expect to see the piece of paper tucked perhaps on your front door.

The proposal is still in early draft form and soon will be sent to attorneys at the County and five cities for comment and review. Once the JPA approves the document, it will be taken back to the 6 entities for approval as a model for their own jurisdictions to make the codes in the area more consistent. At the meeting the JPA representatives discussed need for public comment as the breed specific component may draw strong public debate.

Unquestionably there are pit bull lovers and pit bull haters. There is certainly a problem with the bully breeds being over represented at our regional shelter. If you think mandatory spaying and neutering should or should not be included in your local code, contact your local elected and salaried officials to voice your opinion.

Looking to Party for a Good Cause?

2011-09-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

Join the Shelter Pet Alliance on Saturday, September 17 from 5-8pm. Donations taken at the door in any amount go toward caring for the animals at the Oakdale Shelter. There will be a silent auction, music and a great time in a beautiful setting.

Email shelterpetalliance@sbcglobal.net

Spectacular weekend

2011-09-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

The doggie gods were with us this weekend helping us adopt out 5 dogs of all shapes and sizes.

First we place an adorable little pitbull, Kyle, that had been picked up off the street with a collar embedded in his neck. His new dad was in heaven finding a buddy that was going to be a handful (everything is going in that dog's mouth until he grows up) and fun.

Then Paco, the Mali, went back to his previous adopter. Mom said she finally put her foot down and said it was her house and her dog and her adult children were just going to have to knock before entering. Seems that Paco objected to people walking in unannounced to "his" house. She missed her walking partner and came back to get him.

Mick, the terrier that a customer picked up off the side of the road injured by a dog or coyote, found a great home and is sure to entertain the family with his go go, curious and happy personality.

Dylan, the Lab mix puppy who fell asleep on someone's feet and, we hope, endeared himself for life. Fortunately, he accepted the alpha female's reminder who was in charge of the new pack.

And finally, Ringo, a 6 year old German Shepherd, who has languished at my pet resort in limbo between rescues (another story, another blog). The more our volunteers (at Westside Animals for Adoption) walked and handled him, the more we realized what a gem he was. Having him at the adoption events gave us a feel for his behavior around children and in public...a perfect gentleman. His turn came on Monday when a family of 3 young boys walked in looking for a family dog and watch dog. I don't know about the watch dog but he looks to be a good family dog. Now Ringo can show his belly rub begging trick ad nauseum plus play ball all day.

Don't know why we were so successful, but let's wish all our dogs and new owners love and joy in their new family. If you are on Facebook, here is the page for Westside Animals for Adoption. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Westside-Animals-For-Adoption/261045522921

A "carrot" to help Fido and Fluffy Lose Weight

2011-09-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have someone come up to you and your dog and remark that your lean and fit dog is skinny, or tell you you're not feeding it enough? The flip side is the owner who is clueless about how obese his or her dog is, doesn't know how to determine the body score and shows with his or her hands how much the dog is fed if it is not fed free choice..

Veterinarians and pet professionals are looking for ways to help people recognize overweight pets and motivate them to get the weight off. It's not easy for people to change a way of looking at body mass or habits leading to overfeeding.

Since I own a pet resort and see the problem daily, I came up with an idea to help motivate the humans. We will offer coupon for $15 off any activity if our customer reaches the targeted weight for the pet that is set by the veterinarian. We have a card they can take to the veterinarian to complete, or absent that a note will suffice.

It's not much but I wanted to do something to help the animals live longer, happier lives.

A milestone for mutts and the AKC

2011-09-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

The AKC has made a concerted effort to include all dog owners, not just purebred owners, in many of their events over the last decade.

Mutts or mixed breeds or All Americans are now invited to compete in the premier event for highly competitive obedience competition dogs and their handlers, the AKC National Obedience Invitational.

My first dog as an adult, Chui, a GSD x Lab mix was the first mutt to get a ATTS temperament test certificate. She and I then went on to earning a UDT in fun matches and that was the beginning of my career in dog sports and as a pet care professional. I wonder what we would have done if we had been able to compete officially.

http://links.mkt2242.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MzYyNjEzMQS2&r=MjM0MjE1ODczMjQS1&j=MTE0MTgzMDEwS0&mt=1&rt=0

Cat Population Control Symposium in Modesto CA

2011-09-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Finally, the ball starts rolling to reduce the horrendous feline overpopulation in our county located in the northern San Joaquin Valley near Modesto. Multiple strategies are in the works to educated the public about causes and solutions to the problem, the reduction of adoption fees for at-risk cats, and to enhance services that the regional animal services can offer to the public.

Here's a link to my posting on Facebook about the symposium, a much needed effort to get control of the stray and feral cat population. Best Friends Pet Resort & Canine Academy (24)

For those not on Facebook, Dr. Mike O'Brien (Clinic: Maze Animal Hospital. Address: 201 Maze Blvd. City: Modesto. State: CA. Zip: 95351. Phone #: (209) 524-9281) is spearheading the symposium with UCDavis Shelter Veterinarian, Kate Hurley, as the main speaker.

Dr. O'Brien wants the symposium to educate people about the causes of the problem as well as to explore the solutions. The goal will be to reduce the feral and stray cat population to numbers that the environment can safely hold. That environment is both our social and physical community, and the animal shelter. Thousands of kittens and cats are being euthanized because the supply exceeds demand.

Who is invited? Rescues, interested people, veterinarians, Stanislaus Animal Services Agency, government officials.

I'll post more information as I get it.

Spike's brother

2011-08-27T20:36:00.001-07:00

Westside Animals for Ado

Spay operation modernized

2011-08-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

I got to watch a spay operation up close and personal thanks to Dr Solvin at Westside Animal Hospital. I stopped by to drop off information about our new weight loss reward program, and got invited to watch. She has a neat set up whereby her customers and passers by can watch from the outside through a window. What a great education for customers who aren't sure exactly what happens during a spay.

Because Dr Solvin uses a laser to cut tissue, there was very little blood even from this female in estrus. Vital signs are monitored throughout. I think I was most fascinated with the final procedure to hide the last piece of thread. Who invented that? Finally the dog was placed in a warming area to bring her body temp back to normal while she woke up.

How lucky that our pets can experience modern surgery just like we can for these routine procedures.

Brownie reincarnated

2011-08-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today I had the most delightful first lesson with an 8 week old baby chocolate Chihuahua named Cocoa. Cocoa's pet parents used to have a dog named Brownie, perhaps a chiweenie and also chocolate, who was one of our most beloved guests. It was a sad moment a few years ago to learn that Brownie had had a fatal seizure. His owners were devastated and decided no more dogs...until a tiny dog wiggled its way into their hearts.

Cocoa worked hard on her first lesson learning to go to bed, sit and run fast to Dad's lap. She wiggled into my lap numerous times and into my heart. Just at the end of the lesson she had a wild spurt of grabbing dangling bracelets, shoes and a blanket...then she conked out on her blankie. Done with school and ready for a nap.

Brownie on speed is back.

Doggie daycare pressures and realities

2011-08-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

A recent headline in The Wall Street Journal...Sit, Stay, Ace the Interview. It seems that some doggie daycares put applicants through a rigorous application process, exhaustive "interview" and the nerve wracking experience of being told their "best friend" didn't make it. You might ask if this is the norm.

Certainly to lower the risk when putting groups of dogs together screening for compatibility is important. Dogs can have bad days or unlucky bites that can't be always predicted, but daycare staff can make predictions about future behavior based on applications and "interviews". Thus these procedures are critical for making this social activity work for the majority of daycare clients.

No daycare will knowingly place a truly aggressive dog in a group, but many daycares can take the more borderline ones because they have the ability to arrange dogs so that the group plays more harmoniously. Sometimes in daycare we, at Best Friends Pet Resort & Canine Academy, have a dog that needs to stay the day but is not a "dog park dog" so we take them out for a walk or one on one personal time with one of our guest caretakers. We don't want anyone to feel like his or her dog has flunked out of daycare.

Perfectly matched play buddies

Ideas in the article for prepping baby Fido for daycare included early socialization with other dogs and people, puppy and adult dog classes, exercise, good management and a clear set of rules at home. Even when the best preparations have been perfect, not all dogs like group activity. Don't feel guilty that your dog isn't PC (politically correct). It is just telling you that it would rather do something different.

Pit bull in the press again

2011-08-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

There is no way to know exactly what happened in the fatal dog bite situation in San Mateo county described in the Chronicle on Saturday, August 13. We do know that a woman appeared to have been fatally mauled by an unneutered male pit bull owned by the couple.

I don't want to address the pit bull issue here, but I do have some experience with unneutered males. One of the comments by a trainer interviewed for the newspaper article stated that unneutered males are more likely to protest being "given a strong command" by the owner when not properly trained. Whether or not it was the case in this fatality, this statement is consistent with my experience.

Unneutered males are more likely to push back by threatening the owner for a perceived transgression of the owner's right to tell it what to do. In my 30 years of professional dog training all of the serious threats, true gray hair training moments or ER visits, have come from unneutered males. Fortunately the majority of unneutered males are sweet and compliant and most people get away with the usual laissez faire leadership.

However, if you have a male puppy who makes an attempt to guard an object, lifts its lip or growls at you or uses its teeth to protest, please run to the nearest good dog trainer to start puppy training. Next stop (or first, if it is over 5 months) is the vet for neutering. Female puppies might do this too, but testosterone will not compound the problem as they get older.

If you choose not to neuter your pet, there is no choice but to assume the extra responsibility for managing and training your dog beyond what most neutered males require, particularly if you have children or other family members in the home. This is imperative if you own a breed bred to be protective, such as German Shepherds and Rottweilers, and now with the bad press, any bully breed. Even the wimpiest male can learn to be a bully if it gets no guidelines for manners, and worse, gets rewarded inadvertently for such behavior. With a good start on early training and sensible management your dog and family have an opportunity to live in harmony.

We hope Paco gets lucky

2011-08-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

Paco, a gorgeous Belgian Malinois, presented us with presents this morning. One of our dogs that we adopted to a family 9 months ago, came back yesterday. The red object, perhaps a Kong piece, looks like it has been in the stomach for a while as it has some discoloring. We sent him off to the vet this morning for a rabies update and a checkup, but he is acting fine so far.

Time will tell if his body is harboring more inedibles and undigestibles. We can only hope that his stomach is now empty of all foreign bodies.

Anyone want to adopt Paco? He comes with his own cloth crate so there are some things he doesn't chew.

A great adoption story

2011-08-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

Grayson, now Cosmo, came out of a local shelter starved and in terrible shape. He has blossomed in health and shown everyone what a great, lovable dog he is in spite of what he has been through. I am so proud of the Weimaraner rescue group who pulled the team together to save him and get him adopted into a home he deserves.

http://ncwr.weimaraner.org/albums/grayson-stanislaus

Not sure if this oxymoron is scary or sad

2011-08-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

This morning I took 3 dogs to a veterinarian for a check up. While waiting in the lobby for our turn, I perused the bulletin board and found my self reading a lost dog flyer in detail. Embedded in the description of the dog was the statement that "the dog didn't have a microchip because it had never been lost or missing before and the owners hadn't anticipated that it would happen".

Sad for the dog and owners and scary that people don't think ahead. I would guess the majority of us has had a dog escape or get at least temporarily lost at least once in our lives.

Who Are All Those Walkers?

2011-08-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

I just ran into a neighbor in the supermarket. She remarked on all the people she sees walking dogs on the roads in our neighborhood. I explained that they were volunteers with our adoption program giving the dogs exercise and a mental health outing, not to mention, much needed burning of calories in a fun and relaxing outing. My neighbor got excited and asked if her daughter could join us.

We do have a junior program that pairs juniors with our mentor volunteers. During the summer we have had a number of volunteers under 16 who have been great with the dogs, taking them for walks, playing in the yard, throwing balls in the pool and attending our off site adoption events.

For the school year we want to set up a time in the mornings on weekends for juniors to join us. We love their enthusiasm, willingness to help us train and socialize the dogs, and to add a few hands in helping to care for them.

Mandatory microchipping in CA soon?

2011-07-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

It looks like we are close to mandatory chipping in CA. The bill still has to move through the legislative process to become law for any pet adopted out through a shelter or is returned to the owner. This is the rule here in Stanislaus County at the Stanislaus Regional Shelter and for dogs adopted from Westside Animals for Adoption, a rescue/adoption organization housed in Best Friends Pet Resort.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j3aN3bdyuHVc6mIRIAw8ei0Z_4ag?docId=80ee6883fb62497db83160e86b095c4e

Pierre is really Bob

2011-07-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I got the answer to my question about Pierre's story. Pierre is really Bob. His owner claimed him 16 days after he took off from home. In a public shelter he would have been adopted or dead.

When asked why it took so long to find his dog, the owner said he thought someone had just kept him. A friend gave him the idea of placing an ad in the paper, because he said he went to look at the paper to see how to do it and saw our found dog ad. The owner didn't know about looking in the public shelter or putting up posters.

His kids and dog are happily reunited with a newly microchipped dog.

This is truly a miracle story as we reunite very few found dogs and owners.

One upsmanship at the vet today

2011-07-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

Dog people can be so funny. What would we do without all the "bad dog" stories.

I walked into the local veterinarian's office today to get some meds for rescue puppies. In the office a couple of my customers were chatting. One volunteered that she had brought her dog in because the dog ate an electric toothbrush. When we started talking about "bad dogs" everyone had a story. The other customer mentioned that her small Yorkies are now throwing around their beds and toys during the day while the owners are away. They start off with a clean organized room and it gets turned into a teen parents' worst nightmare.

But the piece de resistance was the first customer saying that once her dogs tore up the front bumper of a car trying to get at a poor rabbit that sought refuge there.

We all know the feeling when walking in on a bad dog destruction event, but somehow days, months and years later what was so irritating or worse at the time can often morph into a deeper relationship as sweet, playful and touching moments we all have with our pets start to become the most important memories. Perhaps the story telling is how the warm memories become embedded.

What do you think? What are your stories?

Best Friends Pet Resort and Canine Academy: "Fun"Raiser for a dog park in Modesto

2011-07-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

Best Friends Pet Resort and Canine Academy: "Fun"Raiser for a dog park in Modesto: "This is going to be a great event with loads of activities to watch and do, from dog training and sport demonstrations to Ask a vet booth to..."

"Fun"Raiser for a dog park in Modesto

2011-07-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a great event with loads of activities to watch and do, from dog training and sport demonstrations to Ask a vet booth to rescue dog groups to a wheel of fortune.

If you want a place in the near future to take your dogs off leash for a run, go, donate and participate in this event. The organizers want you to keep your dogs at home for the safety of the working dogs at the event.

Tickets $10, children under 12 free

Saturday, August 20, 9am to 12pm at Elk Park, 601 W. Morris Ave

For more info: modo@friendsofmodestodogpark.com

Do you know how many pets are euthanized each year?

2011-07-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Cute dog...yes? A customer asked if she could bring us (Westside Animals for Adoption) a stray nicely behaved poodle mix that she had just found dragging his leash Thinking this a no brainer that the owner would soon call, I told her to bring it over. Two weeks later...nothing.

So what is my irritation and sadness with this situation? The question comes back to the title of this blog. Do you know how many pets are euthanized in animal shelters each year? In Stanislaus County?

According to a study by Petsmart Charities, people underestimate the numbers of unwanted and stray pets that never find homes and have to be euthanized to make room for the unending supply of other ones found on the street or, if they are "lucky", relinquished by owners. People estimate one million a year, when in fact, three to four million never make it back out of shelters. In Stanislaus County the number varies with the summer months swelled by too many cats and kittens and not enough homes. Here is a quote by our Regional Shelter veterinarian from July 2011, "We euthanize 80 to 90 animals a day in peak season,” says Kwane Stewart, DVM ..." A DAY!

So where is this boy's owner? What is his story? Is the owner irresponsible? Incapacitated? Ignorant about procedures to find a lost dog? Lazy?

Pierre is lucky that we know we can find him another home, but when do we get serious about solving the problem of unwanted or unclaimed strays?

Jo's tale

2011-07-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

Little Josephine came to us at Westside Animals for Adoption as a stray. The family who picked her up brought her to us since they couldn't keep her. We noticed that she had a slight bulge under her tail to the side of her anus but thought that might be normal for her. However, when she went to be spayed, the local veterinarian, Dr. Robyn Herman, noticed she had a discharge in the vaginal canal. She thought it might be a foxtail but wasn't sure. Just in case she prescribed antibiotics.

Not two days later, I was holding Jo upside down for a cuddle and to look at her suture line when I saw the front end of a foxtail poking out of the middle of the bulge. Luckily for Jo the foxtail and turned around to come back out the then path of least resistence. Dr. Herman surmised that Jo, being low to the ground, squatted to pee and came back up with a foxtail that moved up the vaginal canal. Watch those low-to-the-ground dogs.

That is one lucky dog. Now we have a photo of the culprit.
Augusta

BTW As of this writing Jo is one adorable small girl needing adoption.

Frequently Asked Questions About Vaccinations

2011-07-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

We get calls frequently asking about our vaccination requirements. In those questions, I detect some confusion not only about what we require, but what is standard for the dogs and cats. I just got off the phone with someone who said he vaccinated his dog 3 years ago and therefore couldn't find the records. Not finding the records may be normal for those of us with less than ideal storage systems, but this comment gave me a chance to update him on the vaccination requirement of dogs.

Since we require a rabies, a combination and Bordetella vaccinations, I was able to share this information with my future customer. For his 3 year old Chihuahua, a rabies vaccination would be due. According to California law the first rabies vaccination is due at 4 months and the second, at 12 months. After that every 3 years will suffice.

Veterinarians differ on how often the Distemper-Hepatitis-Parainfluenza-Parvo combination is due, but the longest recommendation for the majority of veterinarians is 3 years. This statement is according to AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) and other veterinary sites. This is a core vaccine that all dogs should get, although some veterinarians recommend other combinations depending on your dog and lifestyle.

The same site recommends that Bordetella is given every year since its efficacy has not as good as some of the other vaccines. Bordetella is not a core vaccine but is recommended whenever your dog congregates where other dogs do, like dog parks, events, and at boarding and grooming facilities.

For cats we also require rabies and a combination, usually, FVRCP. The letters of this core vaccine stand for feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia. Rabies vaccination is not a state law in California, but is recommended. Some kitties will also come with other vaccinations such as Feline Leukemia which adds extra protection for your cat.

We can't vaccinate for all the diseases dogs and cats get, but a good vaccination schedule not only keeps all our furry friends healthier but makes the population around us healthier. If everyone vaccinated puppies for Parvo Virus, for example, there would be far less of it in the area threatening the lives of young and unvaccinated dogs.

For the final word on vaccinations, please contact your veterinarian. We work closely with the veterinarians and I am always evaluating my requirements based on what they are seeing in the community. For an on-line site for pet medical information try this one, http://blogs.webmd.com/pet-tales/.

I wonder if dogs can change the world

2011-07-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

When I read this, I wondered if Iran, or at least their conservative Muslim community, will come to love dogs beyond "social status" and, instead, for their ability to awaken the soul, to paraphrase Anatole France. Who is going to teach them about pet owner responsibility, training, play and care? This must be a huge step for them. I look forward to sharing all the information, silly stories and love that these creatures bring to our world.

From today's WSJ:

Buying and selling dogs is illegal in Iran ... Dogs are considered "haram," or unclean, in Islam. Until recently, keeping dogs as pets was limited to a small circle of Westernized Iranians.
But access to satellite television—and American programs depicting families playing with pups—has turned dog ownership into a sign of social status in Iran. ...
Vendors charge the equivalent of up to $10,000 for top dogs and operate so covertly that some blindfold potential buyers en route to the kennel.
"It was crazy," says Ali Shekouri, a 32-year-old businessman who pursued three dicey strategies before obtaining a local beagle. "After a while I didn't know if I was buying a dog or dealing in an international drug trade."

Ambo has a home

2011-06-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

Ambo got lucky and moved out to a new home. I'd like to think that the little extra work to bring a dog to that place of working fluently and willingly with its pet parent makes them more attractive to people looking for a best friend. Dogs that come when they are called and who actively solicit attention appropriately from people will draw far more love and interaction. Let's hope that Ambo gets to continue his lessons and is able to become a homebody for somebody.

Ambo learns to come lesson 3

2011-05-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Ambue joined my dog, Sake, in a play session. Sake is fairly mellow and didn't get Ambue too excited and distracted so I have to say the lesson was almost a total success. I still don't have a rocket recall, but I did get a response on the first cue to come. He even came when he was playing with a toy, although he dropped the toy first. Since I was working on come and not a retrieve, I was happy that he just came at all. I did have the collar on but no leash. Sake just wandered around with only a little throwing of the toy. She was willing to let him have it with no arguments.

Since Ambo was off leash, I added more prompting with my voice to pull him toward me. My plan is to keep doing that until I get more history of faster recalls. Once I have many repetitions of coming reliably I can go back to quickening the initial response. I don't want to put pressure on this dog until I am sure why he is slow. Is he slow because he doesn't want to come or because he is unsure how to respond or whether it is safe. This is a BIG difference and I prefer to err on the side of believing the dog unsure rather than believing it defiant. Misreading the two mental and emotional states can mean never being successful in getting a recall.

On my slow computer the video sound and image didn't always synch so it looks like I am saying good dog when Ambo is still debating whether to come or not. Note that I am doing a lot of verbal prompting. I would add some hand clapping and walking away if I didn't have a camera in my hands.

Ambue's recall lesson

2011-05-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a difference a day makes when a dog is on the edge of learning something new. I set Ambue up by the tree and sure enough he preferred to hike his leg to coming. It took one correction, again with a leash tug, and he was perfect the whole rest of the lesson. In fact too perfect. I tried to set him up with a distraction, but he figured it was easier just to never leave my side. That is not exactly the lesson I had in mind, ie, come to me from a distance. But what this does allow me to do is give him more freedom and set up harder distractions since I now have his attention at least in a small yard.

Tomorrow, I'll take the leash off, but leave the collar on. I may try another dog or a play toy as a distraction.

I did use food on the last recall which was a no brainer as he was only a couple of feet away. But heck, it just reinforced the behavior that sticking close is a worth while endeavor. And I did walk away as a prompt after I called him the second time from the tree. We'll see if the walk away comes in handy in the future as a prompt to come.

Ambo learns to come

2011-05-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

I've been working with Ambo, a sweet, funny Am Bulldog mix, for a month or so, teaching him on leash manners. Today we started a more serious effort to improve his recall. He can come inside a building with prompting and random food rewards. I've used food rewards liberally in an outside yard. Ambo already sits in front and makes eye contact, but what he can't do is come from a distance of 30' or so reliably. In fact he is mostly reliable about not coming.

"Ambo, Come". I prompt by clapping my hands and making my voice exciting. Ambo lifts his head and looks, but no forward motion. I say "No" calmly, then walk to him and give him a tug on the leash (yes I left the leash on because I wasn't sure at all what he was going to give me). I walk away a short 10' distance and call again with lots of prompting. He strolls over...slowly...but ends up in front of me for sweet talking and petting. I rewarded because I got some of what I wanted...straight and a front. The whole behavior will come together over time.

I repeated the above sequence about 20 times (as I mentioned, he is reliable about not coming), setting him up with a few different minor distractions, such as leaving him near a tree to sniff or by the gate. I also just walked around with him following me until he got bored and started sniffing the ground. Sometimes I called him and he looked away, sometimes he dropped his nose to the ground; he never came the first time with a new distraction.

Each time I said "No", walked to him, gave him a tug on the leash to start him toward me. Dropping the leash I walked away a bit, turned toward him, prompting him to keep coming. When Ambo arrived in front of me, he got lots of much enjoyed pets and silly talking . Each time he was slow starting but, interestingly, speeded up when he got close to me.

Finally, success! He came the first time! When I called him to come away from the tree, still with lots of physical and verbal prompting, he came right away...slowly again but thinking, and trying out the behavior of moving toward me. Yeah!!!!

Tomorrow we try again, setting up the same problem, still on leash, maybe with one surprise food reward for the first time he comes from the first distraction on the first recall. Yes, Ambo looks like he is going to be one of the harder dogs to convince that coming is fun. He also isn't always impressed by my prompting either. Next time I'm going to try walking away as a prompting cue to see if he follows.

How do I teach a reliable recall? The first step is determining what I consider an acceptable recall? When I call a dog, I expect it to stop motion, turn toward me and in a straight line run to me, stop in front within reach. If I want a little more polish, I ask for a sit and eye contact.

There are a multitude of little steps that go into making a reliable, working recall. Much depends on me, the trainer, being able to teach the dog to associate all my cues with the recall behavior I want. Then I have to get the dog to associate those behaviors with the consequences. A good recall should feel good; no recall should not be rewarding.

The first trick with Ambo was to set up simple distractions. For example, I saw that Ambo liked to sniff around the tree so I would walk him to the tree and walk away, leaving him to his pleasures.

Second was to repeat the scenario if I had to correct him for not coming. There are various ways to correct. As he is a fairly sensitive dog, with Ambo I just said "No" quietly, went to him and tugged on the leash then dropped it and prompted him to keep coming. If he didn't come and I had to correct him, I would put him back near the tree again. If he came, I would reward him and go find another distraction.

The final trick is to not expect perfection at first. Ambo came slowly, but he came and he had lovely eye contact when I asked him to sit. I believe his slow recalls were due to confusion. Fast recalls come when your dog trusts that he is doing right and that there will be a reward at the end. Let's see over time what will happen.

Bradley finds a home...finally!`

2011-05-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

Bradley in love with people

Bradley is the oddest combination of dog, maybe Bassett and Mastiff. Short legs and massive blocky head and body, that is full of scars from his adventures. He used it to barrel through fences, gates and legs if they were in the way. Bradley boarded with me for 2 months as a rescue to see if we could make him more adoptable.

I had my doubts at first; my ankles kept score. Even the volunteers who take the rescues for walks were not enamored of him. He was into his own thing and not interested in engaging.

But I persisted. First I had to get him interested in eating from my hands...he wasn't hungry and wasn't interested in me at all. Once Bradley began to get the hotdog game, however, I started getting him to engage me with eye contact. That was not easy as his nose lived on the ground plus he was actually quite submissive so it was hard for him to look up. Concurrently my staff and I worked on his leash and gate manners to move him without being run over or dragged by the equivalent of a sack of potatoes.

To make a long story short, over a period of time, we found Bradley's personality. He learned to sit stay, to lie down and stay, to back up at gates and look up to ask permission to exit, and to come when called. This latter, I think, is what cemented my relationship with him. He got sillier and sillier about coming and flopping for a belly rub. He had a mind set change about coming and began to enjoy me and the whole game.

Thanks to Petfinder a great family came to visit him. While before I would have said no children because he had no respect for bodies, I gave them a chance. True to form, Bradley spent time on his back begging for a belly rub.

Good luck to them all.

Cubby goes to a new home

2011-01-23T22:20:00.000-08:00

Nothing is more satisfying than having a hard to adopt dog go to its forever home, particularly if they come in with nothing going for them other than someone saw potential.

Cubby is a Foxhound. He had a nose and that was about it except he liked to eat too. His nose was stronger than his liking to eat but the appetite opened the window to getting him to be more responsive and engaging. I remember trying to get him to sit for his meal as a test to see what he knew when he first came. Too hard. I backed all the way up to just feeding him from my hands for days, weeks...working to get a sit. He barked, he bounced, he got disinterested, he backed up and occasionally sat. Weeks later I realized we had some progress when he would bark once and then sit for his meal. After that Cubby started to be able to concentrate enough to work for his food. We progressed through the downs and stays and go to beds and all the other basic training a lucky dog up for adoption should be getting. A final video showing his goofy side and some fantastic fronts with great eye contact convinced a lucky adopter that Cubby was the one for them.

An interesting blog spot

2011-01-12T19:55:00.001-08:00

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2011/jan/ten_popular_issues_vet_medicine

Dog training tip 1

2011-01-09T22:08:00.001-08:00

If you train with a leash but you want to eventually want your dog to respond off leash, always precede the use of the leash with your cue/command. Voice or signal comes first, followed by the use of the leash. Say "sit" then help with your leash pressure to get the sit behavior.

The gap between cue and use of the leash should be no more than 1/2 second. The leash should be a help to get behaviors in a trained dog, like training wheels on a bike help the rider learn balance.

Don't pull first and ask later. Do the correct order so your dog will listen to your voice and not be slave to the leash.

1st post

2011-01-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Libbie starting with "guests"

Libbie pays attention.

Libbie has finally settled in.

Where to start. Libbie just came for her first follow up lesson with her teen aged handler. While the family was on vacation I got to start her education, taking her from "she won't listen" to "wow, she's not done that before" in 2 weeks. Libbie, a young Lab, was a recent second-hand dog for the family. The first few days I got nothing...no attention, no focus, and an inability to take food from my hand. She was a bit overwhelmed, shy, fat and overfed. I knew I only had 2 weeks for a transformation. My goal was to take her to the ready to learn stage where she was at the least engaged with me. I would know that stage by her willingness to focus on and pay attention to me. That starts with a willingness to work for food, not just eat it but to get to the understanding of the trade off. I want the dog to realize it has to give me a behavior before I will give it what it wants. Food training is a good place to start, although I added attention from me as she became more comfortable with me and the routine, and a chance to play with other dogs.

Gradually over 10 days I had a dog who became responsive to me and the training in basics such as sit and down, stay, walk politely on leash and come became easy and predictable. From frustration in having nothing I got a gift of a lovely, happy, silly, fun to teach dog.

In our lesson I moved her from the basics with no distractions to being able to apply the basics in a much more distracting environment. While she crashed into the building, with a little tutoring of the owner and use of a Gentle Leader, she left being able to walk through the door with the right pace and position and without pulling (the 3 Ps) even with another dog waiting in the lobby (but we didn't let her get too close.) Then we practiced having guests over by having Libbie go to her bed and stay on it. I loved the smile on her owner's face. Too cool.