12 dogs of Christmas graphic produced by Pet365 – a UK stockist of brands like Waifs and Strays & Hamish McBeth.
Author: David
Survey of 200,000 dogs reveals surprising news…
A new survey released by Bark Busters, a world wide dog training company, found some surprising data: you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks! What matters most isn’t age or breed—it’s the owner. That’s right, it’s all about who’s training. Another interesting conclusion: this survey found that Pit Bulls are actually easier to train than many other breeds! The majority of the participating trainers stated that they see more Labrador Retrievers than any other breed, followed by Pit Bulls. They found that Pit Bulls came in a very close second in terms of easiest to train, meaning they are the “least time- and effort-intensive to train” next to Golden Retrievers. Given the high numbers of Pit Bulls in shelters across the county, and the difficulties we face adopting them out due to unfair stigma, we hope the results of this survey can help when adopters come your way. The 155 trainers from across the nation who are responsible for this data represent collectively 750 years of experience and 200,000 dogs trained. Click here: http://www.barkbusters.com/page.cfm/ID/457 to see the full results of the survey with all the questions and graphs of the answers!
So if you want a well-behaved dog and you’re willing to invest the time and effort to train him, that 3-year-old Pit mix waiting for a forever home at your local shelter might not be a bad idea after all—and you could put the money you didn’t spend on a purebred puppy toward training to start you both out on the right paw. All dogs need positive training, regardless of where they came from, so please choose to adopt and save a life while you’re at it!
Stray Pets: What to do if You Find a Stray Pet
Found a stray animal and not sure what to do? Here are ten tips to guide you.
Losing a pet can be a traumatic experience for a pet owner. If you find a stray animal and you think it could be someone’s pet, it’s important to do all that you can to reunite the animal with its owner. Here is a list of things you should do if you find a stray animal.
- Approach with Caution – A frightened, injured, or feral animal may act aggressively or bolt away. If the animal looks threatening or makes you feel uneasy in any way you should stay away and notify your local animal control center. If you do decide to approach the animal, speak calmly and warmly and make sure you are clearly in views.
- Assume there is an Owner – Although the pet may seem afraid, this may be his natural behavior, even at home. His appearance may also be deceptive – if he has fleas, seems malnourished, or has an injury, it may simply be because he has been lost for some time. It’s best to assume the animal has an owner until all measures to find that owner have failed.
- Take the Animal to the Shelter – The animal shelter is often the first place pet owners will look for their lost pets, but the last place where people will take a found animal because they fear the animal will be euthanized. Many shelters will let you shelter the animal if you fill out a found report with a description of the animal, the location you found it, and your contact information.
- Check for ID – Many pets will have ID tags on their collars or a tattoo on the inside of an ear or leg. You may also want to have the animal shelter or a veterinarian search for a microchip embedded under the animal’s skin with identification.
- Go for a Walk – Something that often works well for adult dogs is to put a long leash and secure collar on the dog, then tell him to “Go Home!” Many dogs will be familiar with their own areas and will lead you right to its home. However, don’t release the dog to anyone unless you are sure that you have found the rightful owner(s).
- Look for LOST Signs – Look in a one-mile radius around the area where you found the animal for LOST PET signs. Keep in mind that signs may not appear right away if the owner was on vacation or has a disability, or if the animal was lost relatively recently. Don’t assume there is no owner if you don’t see signs – keep checking for signs whenever you can.
- Make FOUND Signs – Make large, brightly colored FOUND signs with a few descriptive words such as “SMALL BROWN TERRIER” that can be read from far away, along with your contact information or the number of the animal shelter. You may also want to take a picture of the animal for the poster. Then you should put a poster near the spot where you found the animal, as well as a few others nearby where they can be seen by many people. You may also want to consider putting signs at animal shelters, pet supply stores, and animal rescue centers.
- Check Other Sources – Periodically check the “Lost & Found” section in your local paper for an ad about the lost animal–you may also want to place a “Found” ad in this section. You may also want to look on the internet for local lost pet websites, as well as online classifieds like Craigslist.
- Make Sure You’ve Found the Right Owner – If you receive a call from someone claiming to be the owner, have them give you a full, detailed description of the animal. Don’t ask leading questions such as, “Does the dog have a brown spot on its back?” but you could ask something like, “What does the dog’s fur look like?” Leave it to the caller to give you a full description. If you agree to deliver the animal, bring someone else with you and let someone know where you are going.
- If You Cannot Find an Owner – Check with your local animal control for what the legal requirements are for when you’ve found a stray pet. Some cities laws require you surrender the pet to them for a certain number of days to give an owner a chance to reclaim their pet, before they can adopt it to you or anyone else.
If you cannot find an owner, and have checked with your local animal control about the laws, you can decide if you want to adopt the pet yourself, or want to help that pet find a new home. Please read Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Lost Pet Guide for helpful tips!
Ashley Porter is a pet lover who writes about various topics including pet health issues and is the owner of the site Guide to Becoming a Veterinarian Technician.
Dog Anatomy Infographic
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.
Dogs vs. Cats Infographic Poster
What are the differences between cats and dogs? Find out with this infographic.
[Source: OnlineSchools.org for Neatorama.com]
Shelter Dogs: How To Adopt A Dog From A Shelter
Thinking of adopting a shelter dog? Learn more about the challenges of shelter life and how you can help transition a new friend into your home.
A while back we featured Abbie’s 10 Tips For Welcoming Home Your Newly-Adopted Dog in this blog, and it was so popular, we’re revisiting the topic with this article written by Diane Anderson, an expert animal behaviorist with the Central Florida SPCA. “When you make the life saving decision to adopt a new furry friend, you have great expectations… unfortunately, sometimes things don’t go quite as planned… now what? Remember, when you adopt a pet you are making a promise to them to provide them with food, water, shelter, training and companionship. Your new pet is more than willing to hold up their side of the bargain by providing you with unconditional love!
Strain is sometimes put on the relationship when human expectations differ from reality. One must remember that any dog has the potential to become an ideal companion under the right circumstances. You must ask yourself what those circumstances might be, and then begin to implement them.
It is important to remember to build your bond with your new dog and always love the dog you HAVE, not the one you wish you did! Once your pet enters your home it becomes your responsibility to deal with their behavior, whatever it may be. If the dog is yours, so then is the responsibility.
Dogs, like us, are a combination of nature and nurture. Every dog has a behavior potential that can be shaped by consistent and positive training. Dogs are incredibly resilient; they can begin to adjust to a new life today, no matter what their past might have held. Adjustment periods can be tough, but the end result is always worth the effort! If your dog just isn’t meeting your expectations… adjust them! Make it a point to seriously tackle each problem.
7 Tips For Getting Started With a New Shelter Dog
- Introductions: If you are bringing your new friend into a household with a resident dog, make sure to introduce the two on neutral ground. Go for a walk! Do NOT walk he dogs right up to one another nose to nose, a side by side walk will encourage companionship and tire them out!
- Behavior & Getting Comfortable: Begin obedience classes and have the whole family participate. Learn to shape what is desired rather than punish what is not. Obedience training has a settling effect on a dog and gives you an opportunity to bond and re-direct focus. Take time to touch your new dog all over. (Feet, ears, teeth, tail, paws…) This will make trips to the groomer and veterinarian easier for everyone!
- Around the Home: Remember to dog-proof your home. (Especially important with puppies!) Walk around your house and yard and move anything you do not want the dog to get a hold of. If you do not want your new dog in certain rooms of the house, purchase baby gates to block their way. Remember it is YOUR responsibility to keep your dog away from things you do not want destroyed or that might be harmful to them.
- Buying A Crate: If you will be crate training your dog, make sure to purchase a crate that is just large enough for the dog to stand up and turn around in; no more, no less. If you are buying a crate for your puppy to grow into, you can block off part of it with cement blocks. Stainless steel water and food bowls are recommended as they can not be torn up and ingested. Also, be sure to look for durable bedding; hard to chew up and easy to clean will make your life much easier!
- What To Buy: You will want to purchase a simple 4-6 foot nylon leash with collar. No flexi-leads, harnesses or pinch collars will be necessary with proper training. You’ll want some toys as well. Get a nice variety and then rotate them every month so your dog doesn’t get bored. Hard Rubber toys are wonderful for dogs who chew, especially those that can be stuffed with anything from peanut butter and cream cheese to wet food and bananas! (You can freeze them to keep your pooch busy for a longer period of time!)
- When Feeding: Feed them their food at set times. As long as they are healthy, when they are hungry, they’ll eat. (If will not eat anything for a day, check with your vet.) Do not leave food down for longer that 20 minutes; after that pick it up. Also, refrain from ‘free feeding’ your dog. It can lead to obesity and makes it difficult for you to monitor their eating habits.
- Vet Visits: Even if your pet is healthy, make an appointment for your new dog at your veterinarian about two weeks after they’ve joined your household.
- House Rules: Make sure the entire family understands the ‘doggy’ rules and that there is a clear consensus of what behaviors are to be reinforced and which ones will not.
If all of this sounds like a lot of work, it’s because it is! But life with out dogs is not much of a life at all… in my opinion anyway!”
This post was written by Diane Anderson, she is an expert animal behaviorist with the Central Florida SPCA: www.orlandopets.org
Learn more about Jennifer, our blog author at Google+
Is Your House Ready for a Catio?
If you are unfamiliar with the term “catio,” it is an enclosed patio designed especially for cats. Cats who roam freely outside generally have shorter lives than cats who remain indoors. A catio provides a fully protected outdoor environment for otherwise indoor cats. The wonderful Catio Showcase website showcases the many fabulous catios that people have created for their beloved cats in order to inspire you to create your own. They also feature products that can help you easily create an outdoor space for your cats without extensive construction. And of course, many fabulous photos of incredible catios and other outdoor cat enclosures (like a Catitat) submitted by cat-lovers around the world!
Adoption Can Help Heal the Loss of a Pet
Handling the loss of a pet is difficult. That animal had become a member of your family, and was built into your daily routines. He or she made you laugh, maybe even consoled you after a hard day, or possibly offered themselves as a loving companion during times of loneliness. Many people say, “I will never find a replacement.” While that is true, you can take comfort in knowing you were able to provide a safe home, well nurtured lifestyle, and an enriching life for your pet. This is something not all pets get a chance at having. As the weeks go by and the sting of losing your loving household companion begins to pass, consider adopting a new pet. After all, you were a good owner and your past pet will be happy to know you’re again providing loving nurture and care for another of its kind. Losing a pet is tough, but knowing you can continually help save the lives of pets is something to help ease the mourning, and celebrate as life goes on.
You can read another article on paying tribute to a beloved pet through adoption in Pia’s MarthaStewart.com blog here.
Hello from All Things Dog Blog
In our mutual efforts to help dogs live happier lives, Adopt-a-Pet has been rubbing elbows with a new friend. She writes: “On the All Things Dog Blog, I share tips, tricks and generally helpful knowledge for keeping your family and your dog happy and healthy. My pack-oriented approach comes from owning 3 dogs, a diverse group of mixed and pure breeds, all of whom once were on the brink of homelessness. My Golden Retriever, Tanner, was adopted as the last available male pup from a litter of 12. Tanner’s physical features, such as a knobby head and extra height, are not exactly up to par for his breed, yet his temperament was exactly what I was looking for.
This high-activity, athletic dog matched my personality perfectly, and off we went to prepare for a life of vigorous outdoor fun. My pack of 3 includes 2 additional rescues–Retriever-mix, Xena, and a once-sickly, Papillon cast-off from a pet store–Oliver. Each has brought their own special brand of joy to my family of 5. On my blog, I share many ideas on activities to keep your pups busy, stimulated, and physically-challenged, such as walking and hiking, biking, running, swimming, playing fetch, Frisbee and running agility courses.
The focus of maintaining my 3 dogs’ cohesiveness as a pack, has been in constantly training with discipline, obedience classes, and plenty of socialization. Dog park visits are a regular part of our routine, providing plenty of stimulation, socialization, and the always-welcome opportunity to run off-leash. With this love of dog parks has come a comittedness to protecting these assets. After declaring National Clean Dog Park Awareness Week, I started a website, Adopt a Dog Park, designed to remind owners of their part in maintaining our precious dog parks. I am hopeful that others will catch on to participate in helping to care for their local parks as this website is passed among dog owners. The goal is to register volunteer park caretakers, showing the world that we care about our dog parks. You can adopt your local park by writing to LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com.
All Things Dog Blog’s readers have enjoyed some highlights from Adopt-a-Pet’s Blog, and we are doing our part to support your cause. We will continue to offer Adopt-a-Pet’s search boxes to promote adoption among our readers. In addition, we published another post on April 9, 2010, sharing additional insights on Adopt-a-Pet.
When thinking about my proudest moments in starting and building my website, I suppose there are three that come to mind first:
- Adding an Ask a Vet column, with veterinarian Jacki Bert
- Starting an ASK THE TRAINER column, with trainer Judith Joseph
- Seeing a rescue dog that was once listed on my site, find a forever home and become a notable Frisbee dog. His owner, Chris Engle, has now written a series of articles for my, blog entitled Frisbee Dog 101. I hope you will take an opportunity to enjoy this extremely educational series of 5 posts.
I invite you to visit our site at All Things Dog Blog, and be sure to take advantage of a free subscription to my posts, so you won’t miss a one. The subscription box is in the top right sidebar. I’ll look forward to your visit for a dose of ‘dog doings’, as I continue to share more about happy dogs and their ‘forever families’.”
Maggie the dog who changed my life
Guest Post by Dawn Kairns – Thank you for inviting me to write a guest post about my book, MAGGIE The Dog Who Changed My Life on the Adopt-a-Pet.com blog. It is truly an honor. I’d like to share with you why I wrote MAGGIE the dog who changed my life, a few impressions from readers, and a short excerpt from my book. I donate a portion of my book royalties to Main Line Animal Rescue to support puppy mill rescue and awareness. Maggie was a very special being I was blessed to share my life with. The depth of our love for each other, of our human-canine bond, was deeper and beyond anything I imagined a bond with a dog could be.
Maggie’s way of being so present in the moment brought me more into the present moment. She reached out to people and brought them into our circle. Maggie’s genuine, loving way brought people into their hearts, and so my communication with others became more genuine and from the heart. Through her I learned to live in the present, to trust my intuition and messages in my dreams. She showed me that the most important things in life are love, connection, and following our hearts
My journey with Maggie helped me make important personal and professional decisions about who I wanted to be and how I wanted to live; to honor my wants and question. She taught me the importance of being over doing and to follow my intuition.
Maggie showed me that she read my thoughts somehow and understood me more than I thought possible in a dog. Call it telepathy. Call it a sixth sense. I wrote MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life in the hopes that you, the reader, will tune more into your own dogs and see them through the eyes of beings who understand you, their human, and read your thoughts and energy more than we realize; and in the hopes that you will look at animals as different beings, not lesser beings.
I also wrote Maggie the dog who changed my life to encourage you, the readers, to listen to your intuition, and to question veterinarians when your gut feelings disagree with a vet’s diagnosis. I also encourage you to evaluate the information available about pet food and vaccination frequency and ask yourselves as I did in Chapter Nine, “What’s Really Best for Our Pets?”
Finally, my hope is to help you know that the deep grief you feel when you lose your precious pet is normal; to help you feel supported and understood, and most important, to not feel isolated in your grief.
If you want to learn more about my book, visit please visit my website at www.dawnkairns.com. Maggie the dog who changed my life is also available in Colorado Bookstores, on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or order from your local Barnes and Noble.
What Are Reader’s Saying About MAGGIE The Dog Who Changed My Life?
“It’s simply a beautiful book…” — Karen Bingham, Murfreesboro, TN “
“… I was with you on every page.” — Ellen Mikula, Broomfield, CO
“Last year I picked up a copy of Marley & Me. I was so moved by this book … I recently searched the internet for another book similar to Marley & Me and came across your book … I couldn’t put it down … I loved your book … It’s just nice to have someone else out there that understands my connection with my dog and the loss that I feel.” — Angie Bitz, Parker, CO
“…Your book was really healing for me…” — Patty Bakken, Minocqua, WI”
“…What an inspiring story–I cried and laughed throughout the wonderful tale of love and ‘finding yourself.’ You are an inspiration. I can relate to … the connection with your animal teachers… the holistic approach to healthcare … the spiritual aspect … ” — Sue Mallery, Laguna Vista, Texas
“I enjoyed reading your book so much … I began reading it, and I just couldn’t put it down. It’s lovely.” — Glenda Denham, Boulder, CO
“It is one of the best written books I’ve ever read.” — Marcy Spiker, Minocqua, WI
To see more Reader’s Comments visit: www.dawnkairns.com/index.php?page_id=273 or
Amazon Reviews for MAGGIE the dog who changed my life
Excerpt from MAGGIE: The Dog Who Changed My Life
“Once in every dog lover’s life, if you’re lucky, that special once-in-a-lifetime dog comes along. You know this relationship is golden, a gift from the spirit world. You have found a soul mate. Animal and human spirits are inextricably intertwined, and you know there will never be another dog that comes close to the presence of this one and the bond that you share. For me, Maggie is that dog.
You know it when it happens. You think a thought and your dog responds. She knows what you’re asking of her, even though you never trained her to do it. You recognize that your communication is beyond words, beyond training. How do you explain it? You peer into her eyes and know you are looking into the depths of a loving, advanced soul. You may wonder, as I did, who are you in there?
When Maggie and I are out hiking, running errands, or just hanging out being “girlfriends,” I meet several people who have loved and lost such powerful relationships with their canine companions. They recognize that magic between Maggie and me, for once you experience it with your dog, you can’t miss it when it appears before you. I see the longing in their eyes, the painful missing, and the ache of irreplaceable loss.
“You just made my day,” one man wistfully tells Maggie when she greets him at the coffee shop. Sometimes I see this man keep his distance, and he just nods at me—as though it’s too unbearable for him to touch the pain of his loss at this moment. I imagine his own precious memories with his dog dancing before his eyes.
“Enjoy every moment you have with her,” the gentleman at the coffee shop tells me.
I do enjoy her every moment. I know the day will come when I will walk in his shoes with that mournful longing, when I’ll be forced to learn to live with her absence. But to know it intellectually and to live it, I would later find, have nothing in common. That day, as far as I am concerned, is so far in the distant future it doesn’t even exist in my awareness.
As a child, I was taught that animals were inferior to humans. We were superior to all life on Earth. This teaching was inherent in both culture and religion. Maggie helps me challenge that belief. She shows me over her lifetime that she is an intelligent, emotional being with a huge presence. I learn to respect her as a being who I share this planet with—a different being—not a lesser being.”
© By Dawn Kairns
http://www.maggiethedogwhochangedmylife.blogspot.com/
Author Bio
A family nurse practitioner turned writer, Dawn Kairns is a lifelong animal lover. Her passion for dogs led her to volunteer with the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Front Range Labrador Rescue, and Freedom Service Dogs. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dawn volunteered with the Humane Society of the United States in Mississippi, assisting the displaced Katrina dogs. Her own dog and cat are rescues.