Human and Dog Anatomy are, unsurprisingly, quite different… although there are similarities. In the third in our summer infographic series we give a fun, light-hearted look at the inner workings of our canine friends!
Dog Anatomy graphic created by Pet365. Click here to view the full post.
Thanks to our friend at the Animal League for sharing these helpful tips for traveling with your furry friend! Some pets really enjoy traveling with their families on vacation – we’ve seen quite a menagerie of pets happily ensconced in their RV rolling down the highway! Other pets need their owner’s help to not get stressed out or – nightmare of nightmares – lost while traveling.
Summertime and holidays mean vacations and road trips with friends and family. Taking your pet that enjoys traveling with you for the ride could make vacation memories all the more special. Here are some tips from The Animal League on traveling with your pet that will help get your vacation off to a great start, and keep everyone happy all the way home too.
We are loving the new series of blog articles over at CatooDesign.com! The section is called “Team Cattoo” and spotlights animal rescue groups and organizations that proudly wear their love of cats… in permanent ink tattoos! The first article has photos from one team of rescuers from the San Francisco SPCA, and shows the incredible range of designs that are possible within the category of cattoo tattoos. They have one of the most impressve collections of cattoos ever! Some of the other categories on the CattoDesign.com website include different characters and artists (think Hello Kitty and Cheshire Cat), Styles like Tribal and Black & Grey, and even breed categories like Maine Coon, Siamese and Domestic. The art is amazing, and if you’re looking for inspiration, or just to appreciate the designs, there’s lots to see!
If you work with an animal rescue group that collects cattoos, please submit your photos and stories and they’ll add you to their Team Cattoo section.
The minute we saw this simple but amazing do-it-yourself kitty play house on our beloved blog Moderncat, we knew what we’d be doing this weekend! For less than $40, this project from Lowe’s comes with a supply list, tool list, and super easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions with big beautiful photos – there’s even a how-to demo video! It starts with a cardboard concrete form and a carpet runner. A little adhesive (look for one that says non-toxic when dry) and voila! It makes this super sleek looking 3-section carpet-covered kitty condo playhouse. Visit the Lowe’s Creative Ideas website for all the instructions and to check out the video to see how it’s done.
Nothing can cut the enjoyment out of a walk out with your dog like having your dog go berserk when they see another dog! There may be as many reasons for why dogs bark at other dogs while on leash as there are breeds of dog, but the end result is the same – and not fun for you or the other dog and person being barked at! But how can you convince your dog that this very common and natural response isn’t desired? We’ve discovered one method that works quickly and easily for many treat-motivated dogs!
How this method works…
Barking is fun. If you’re a dog that is. Some of the most common reasons that dogs bark on walks are (1) to to alert you another animal or person is coming (as if you didn’t see them too!), (2) to let you know something is making him or her uncomfortable and that more distance would feel better, or (3) to communicate something else, like to go say hello to the other pooch. Dogs get an adrenaline rush when they bark. Adrenaline feels REALLY GOOD. So, once they’ve started barking… it’s pretty close to impossible to either give them something that feels better, or feels bad enough (and isn’t cruel) to make them stop.
So…
Step #1: Anticipation
You need to anticipate when they are going to bark. Ideally, try to stay as far away from the other dog (cross the street for example) so that they are less stimulated, and BEFORE they get close enough to the other dog to start even thinking about barking (watch for staring, hackling, or growling), give them something to focus on that they really really really like, that’s even BETTER than their slightly fuzzy dog-memory of how good the adrenaline felt the last time the saw a dog and barked. That would be…
Step#2: The BEST treat in the world
You know, the one that makes them start drooling when you open the cabinet you keep it in. Eventually you can “ramp down” to lower-value treats, but when you start… stock up on those Bacon-Flavor Beggin Strips! Just like we’ll work a little harder for $100 than $10, a high value treat will increase your chances of trumping the desire to bark! It will also mean more when paired with the new behavior because the reward is greater.
Step #3: Reward Reconditioning
Currently when your dog sees another dog and barks, he gets the adrenaline reward. You want to retrain your dog so he sees another dog, he instead LOOKS AT YOU and gets the treat reward, along with a verbal reward! And not just one treat… break up your treats into tiny bits, so you can be feeding him with tiny ongoing rewards the entire time the other dog is walking by or you’re walking by the other dog. To get your dog to look at you you can try making kissy or clicking sounds, or speak a command – “watch me”, “look” or a single word like “focus”” tends to work best.
If you dog barks – stop the treats and just try to get past the other dog as quickly as you can. Crossing the street or turning to go the other way are helpful methods to head off an uncontrollable barkfest. Then start again on Step #1 with the next dog that approaches. Remember that working with your dog before he/she escalates is the only way to change the behavior and let the lesson sink in.
If treats aren’t enough to keep your dog’s attention on you and not on the other dog, you can try different treats, and you can try taking you dog to an area where other dogs are but you can stay far enough away – like outside a fenced-in dog park, to work with your dog focusing on you as you gradually move closer, maybe a few feet a day, over a few weeks of reconditioning.
Step #4: Practice!
The more times you practice this, the more engrained the behavior of looking at you when you see another dog will become. You may find you are able to reduce the number of treats over time, but do so very gradually, if at all.
Note: Some dogs are too aroused or entrenched in their “leash aggression” for this method to work. But is a safe method to try, and you’re not going to make their leash-aggression worse as long as you don’t reward the dog after they bark!
One of the most beautiful things about dogs is that no matter how old they are (you can teach an old dog new tricks) or what their past experiences have been, they learn through association. Therefore, we can give them new associations and thus shape new behavior by positively reinforcing what we want, instead of focusing on and fighting what we don’t want. Be patient with your pup as they don’t speak our language! With patience, time, and practice your pooch will learn to understand you and you will learn to communicate the desired behavior better.
Dog aggression is a very complex issue, and there is no way we could cover all the possible reasons and solutions that a dog might bark, lunge, hackle, growl or generally go bananas when they see another dog when on leash. Very often with young or less-socialized dogs, barking at other dogs on walks isn’t leash aggression at all, rather excitement or anxiety about not knowing what to do. But we’ve found that this one method has helped us and our friends with many leash-reactive dogs, and we hope it will help you too!
Written by Jennifer Warner, Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Director of Shelter Outreach and edited by Katya Friedman, Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Director of Partnerships & Promotions and certified dog trainer.
We recently received the following letter. We just love helping make matches like this! Dear Adopt-a-Pet.com, If not for your Search Saver emails, I would have missed the opportunity to adopt the world’s best little dog. On July 12th I received an email from you telling me there was a dog available at Wood’s Humane that met my criteria. Fortunately, I was able to drop everything and go down to see her. It was pretty much love at first sight. Mimi was a Beagle Cocker mix with beautiful brown eyes and a gentle manner and a loving personality.She also seemed to be bright, eager to please and well mannered. What’s not to love? She is wonderful and seems to think I am too.
I decided to crate train her which was new to both of us. Within 24 hours she was entering her crate on her own and napping in her bed. She has perfect manners and is now walking well on a leash and is riding well in a car. Both experiences were new to her. She needs these skills because she goes nearly everywhere with me. We start obedience school on August 10th. You have probably guessed that we have also moved from the crate to the bed at night. I can’t thank you enough for the message that got me to her.
By the way my friends and I have been making up breed names for her a la the doodle craze. So far we have Beaker, Cockle, Spangle and Coggle! I’m thinking about having a contest.
Again, my deepest gratitude,
Georgie A.
Did Adopt-a-Pet.com help you find your best friend? Would you like to share your Happy Beginnings story? Email us at info@cms.adoptapet.com!
We just love it when animal-loving sites like the Wet Nose Guide feature pets for adoption! This week their adorable dog blogger Sweetie The Papillon picked another equally adorable adoptable to highlight and help find a home. Chewie, a mature Cocker Spaniel mix, is available through Adopt-a-Pet.com. He’s located in the Manhattan area, neutered, house trained, and up to date with shots. He gets along well with children, but doesn’t see eye-to-eye with cats. He’s one of the friendliest dogs around and found his way to a shelter after his owner became too ill to care for him.
He enjoys the company of others so much that his whole body breaks out into a wiggle of excitement! At 8 years of age, Chewie is an adult and although he is evenly tempered, at times he can be nervous with new people and places. Those who know Chewie best believe he’d be a great addition to gentle families with children ages 9 and up. He enjoys meal time most, but prefers to enjoy his food on his own (he may growl or snap if you try to take it away from him)…but, who can blame him? After a long day of waggin’ he needs his energy, right? Check out a video of that tail in action! You can see his Adopt-a-Pet.com listing here: http://www.adoptapet.com/pet5841396.html
Thanks Wet Nose Guide for supporting pet adoption!
Do you have a blog or website that is featuring an Adopt-a-Pet.com pet for adoption? Let us know about it, and maybe we’ll feature your blog and pet pick here too! Email jennifer@cms.adoptapet.com.
This is a story about how one dog went from a Death Row at an Animal Shelter to having his own scrapbook of heroic achievements. German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County (GSROC) learned of a male 1 year old German Shepherd at the Devore Animal Shelter in November 2006. Jambalaya, who quickly became known as Jambie, came into that shelter listed as a stray. He lay there, a very depressed and forlorn Shepherd languishing in on the shelter floor. Shepherds are extremely sensitive and intuitive, and they know when their families have cast them off. There was no doubt that this dog had lost hope of being rescued. But GSROC came to his rescue and proved him wrong! He was worth saving and they were committed to making him a happier dog.
Jambie was small GSD with good markings and a rumpled coat. Once out of the shelter, personality wise he was like a highly alert teenager who had never been given any boundaries or direction. He was a handful but in a cute “Dennis the Menace” kind of way. GSROC enrolled him in a basic obedience class, but his handler had to stand at the back of the class with him because he was frequently misbehaving. Much later on, they figured out that Jambie has just been plain BORED with the basics!
Because there are never enough foster homes, Jambie had to go into boarding at a kennel that they use regularly. Fortunately, GSROC has a great team of dog walkers who exercise their dogs regularly, helping keep their spirits up and teaching them some basic leash manners. Jambie hated confinement in the boarding kennel but he loved time with the volunteers. He would do anything for a tennis ball – even if that anything meant leaping onto the conveyor belt while a cashier rung up a tennis ball gift from a nice volunteer during a PetSmart outing. People clapped and whistled with glee watching Jambie in action on that thing! Little did they know then that it would be this obsession with toys that would be his ticket to the big time.
It was almost as if Jambie knew he had been saved by GSROC. His spirit soared. He began to prance energetically when he walked. He was relentless and uber focused. He was silly and boisterous. Based on his enthusiasm and agility, German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County rescuers felt that Jambie had tremendous potential that was worth developing. One of GSROC’s favorite training facilities, Sirius K9 located in Yorba Linda, had put out a ‘casting call’ looking for candidates for working dog opportunities. It’s important that in order to be a working dog, rescued dogs must pass both the aptitude tests and a rigorous physical screening in order to make the grade. So they took Jambie to “audition” at Master K9, a facility known for developing top quality Search and Rescue and Detection dogs. Jambie would have to undergo an evaluation, then two weeks of intensive training to see if he was cut out for a “job”. It was here that Jambie tackled the exercises with ease and grace and his knew life as a hero was about to begin.
At the test for working dog candidates, every rescue group was there with high hopes that hey had a dog with that special something needed to be a working dog. When the test started, Jambie’s alert and professional side emerged. He transitioned from a goofy, naughty, distracted pup to the regal Shepherd with a job to do. Jambie passed every test with flying colors….he calmly retrieved every thing that was tossed out or hidden for him, proudly trotting back to the trainer with each new prize. After that, the secret was out – Jambie’s potential seemed endless.
At the very same time the Orange County Sheriffs were looking for a dog for a pilot program, a unit that would be dedicated exclusively to drug detention, particularly drugs coming up through the southern county from Mexico. The dog had to be the best available to handle the drug smugglers that had been virtually unchecked by standard police measures.
Looking at the all dogs available, the prospective handler, Dennis, an OC Sherriff Deputy, kept looking at Jambie who excelled in all venues and who also happened to remind him of his childhood companion, Copper. Jambie was then and there chosen by Dennis to be his partner, and Dennis changed his name to Copper, in honor of his first GSD. GSROC felt like they had a child who got into an Ivy League college! Here was their little shelter rescue dog learning beside pedigreed dogs imported from Germany especially for their skills! The now Copper went to live with Dennis and his family in his Riverside home and service life was about to begin.
The dynamic duo trained to work as a unit in the OC Sherriff’s Department. Copper’s specialty was finding guns, money and drugs; he and Dennis were frequently called in to search homes, businesses and vehicles. He had graduated as a certified K9 excelling every step of the way. Copper was certified in five scents, his nose considered an expert witness in court and “reasonable cause” in the event a warrant was required. But best of all, Copper also had a home with Dennis where he hung out with the family’s toddlers and was loved family life .
Here is some information about two of their search and rescue missions:
In October 2007, only weeks after being in service full time in a black and white, Copper and I assisted another unit on a stop. The handling Deputy conducted a search prior to our arrival and located 1 kilo of cocaine on the rear floor board of the vehicle. I ran Copper around and eventually inside the vehicle and he alerted on the rear floorboard, near where the earlier mentioned kilo was found. Suspecting that he was alerting on the residual odor from the kilo, I aired out the vehicle and ran him again. Copper gave another strong alert in the same place. I began a more intrusive search and found an electronically controlled hidden compartment underneath the center console. In the compartment, we located an additional sixteen (16) kilos of cocaine.
In March 2008, Copper and I were working the Orange County/San Diego County border when we received a call from a regional team. They were calling from the City of Industry and requested a search of a car that they had stopped. Investigators had searched the car for a little over an hour but were not satisfied with the outcome. Copper and I responded as quickly as the law allowed and moments after our arrival, Copper alerted on the passenger rear quarter-panel of a high end European passenger vehicle. I checked a database for known concealments on vehicles of this type and there was only one, the rear quarter-panel. A subsequent search revealed $175,000.00 in U.S. Currency. The investigative team made it clear that without our response, the money would have been lost, so needless to say, I was very proud of Copper.”
Copper has saved our community from drugs, violence, and other illegal activities. During his years as a detection dog, Copper had the highest drug bust rating of any So Cal K9, and was the only OC Sherriff K9 to work specifically on drug trafficking.
Copper is still an adventurous dog that amazes his family with antics – but he’s also an OC cop! Dennis and Copper as a team had an impressive record while they worked together. Copper holds the honor of being the first, and to GSROC’s knowledge, the only Southern California rescued German Shepherd to make it into law enforcement. Copper just recently retired and remains with his handler and family. While he still enjoys a rousing game of ball, he can appreciate lying in the sunlit grass almost as much. His hard-earned love and security are here to stay. The moral here is that Jambie wasn’t a bad dog at all—he was a working dog whose talents had yet to be discovered. Once he was in the right hands, he blossomed into HERO dog that he was meant to be.
German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County is a 501c3 all volunteer organization. They were founded in 2005 and boast over 250 volunteers. On average, they place approximately 350 shepherds into loving homes each year. They have no paid staff and receive no government funding. All of their resources come from donations and kind people.
What are the differences between cats and dogs? Find out with this infographic.
[Source: OnlineSchools.org for Neatorama.com]
