Author: Jennifer

Our friends over at www.mypethealthguide.com are featuring another adorable adoptable from Adopt-a-Pet.com! Calling all Chicago-area Beagle lovers! We just got word that Jack, a purebred Beagle pup, needs a new home. Jack’s at least five years old, neutered, housetrained, and up-to-date on all shots. He’s a happy dog and his tail is always wagging despite a less-than-perfect past.

Jack hasn’t had much consistency in his life, ignored by his owners for years and finally taken to a shelter. Now Jack lives in doggie foster care, where he loves to go for walks and gets along very well with his canine brothers and sisters and humans of all ages.

If you’re looking to adopt a medium-size dog for a somewhat quiet, patient household, please consider teaching Jack about the finer things in life (e.g., a warm dog bed inside opposed to being chained to a doghouse in the backyard).

To read Jack’s full story, visit Adopt-a-Pet.com. He’s currently available for adoption at BREW Midwest, a Beagle rescue that consists of a network of volunteers and foster homes across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and western Pennsylvania.

 

Here is a great idea that an Adopt-a-Pet.com shelter partner shared with us! We liked it so much, we wanted to share it with you too. It’s an activity that can be fun for animal lovers of all ages to participate in making the promotional cards and handing them out in your local shopping centers. If you don’t already volunteer for a shelter or rescue that has black pets that need homes, you can run a search on Adopt-a-Pet.com, and then contact the shelters or rescues that have them listed, offering your free promotional help. We bet they’ll be thrilled! Here’s how Black Friday and a little creativity can help black shelter pets find homes:

“When we had a few black pets that needed a home around Thanksgiving we made up little cards that said ‘Black Friday’ with a really nice picture of the pet and a lot of the pet’s stats on the back like favorite toy, weight, age, breed, known tricks, nicknames, etc anything really that lets the potential adopter know about the animal.

We handed out the cards to shoppers who came out for all the deals for ‘Black Friday’ the day after Thanksgiving. It was a big hit! We had more adoptions that winter than in the 3 previous years!”  – Tracy Lee, Sheyenne Valley Friends of Animals, Lost and Found Coordinator

Thanks Tracy!

To make this super easy, we created a free Word document Black Friday Adopt A Pet flyer template you can download and edit with your shelter’s information:

Download: BLACK FRIDAY adopt a pet flyer (Word document)

Does your local shelter or rescue have a great idea for helping their pets get adopted? Email it to jennifer@cms.adoptapet.com for consideration as a future blog post here!

Note: The beautiful black cat in the photo above is Cleopatra, available for adoption in Southern California. See her video and find all about her on her Adopt-a-Pet.com page here: www.adoptapet.com/pet3883094.html

 

The dog-lovers over at the Wet Nose Guide are at it again, promoting adorable pets for adoption! Here’s their latest featured furry friend: “I’m Sid. I’m a 6-year-old Lhasa Apso Shih tzu mix. I came to a shelter with my friend, Sam, who recently left to join his forever home. I know I’ll find mine because I have a lot to offer. I’m neutered, house trained, up to date with shots, and I get along well with other animals – even cats! I do have a tough time with young children, but I think that’s because I like to be the center of attention – I mean, check out my hair! I wear it this way so everyone will notice me! As I take pride in my coat, I do require regular grooming appointments.

I very much enjoy walks (who doesn’t?) and glide along the street. That’s because you can’t see my legs too well with all this lustrous fur. Everyone tells me what a good boy I am when we go for walks, and I have to agree with them. I do prefer if people approach me slowly, though – no fast movers, please – so I can sniff you and determine where you’ve been. After I’m comfortable with you (it doesn’t take long), I’ll snuggle up to you with no problem at all.

To find out more about Sid visit his Adopt-A-Pet.com page!

The wonderful pet-loving folks over at PeoplePets.com are celebrating Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month this month by introducing their readers to extraordinary canines who need homes throughout October, including Zelda from Adopt-a-Pet.com (update: Zelda was adopted!). Zelda is a sweet blue tick beagle who just wants to snuggle with someone who loves her! Eighteen months ago, Zelda was saved from doggie death row by the Midwest Beagle Rescue, Education & Welfare of Illinois. She’s been living with the same foster family ever since, and recently had a breakthrough with her anxiety around other dogs. Between 5 and 7 years old, Zelda is completely housetrained and walks great on a leash, but because of her confidence issues, Zelda wears her Thundershirt whenever she’s in public. It would be preferable for her to find a home without small children or other dogs.

“She’s a total cuddle bug, loves her people, she enjoys going for walks, she enjoys food,” says Clausen, Zelda’s foster mom. Zelda gets along with cats pretty well, as long as they don’t go near her food. “She does not like to share,” she says. The perfect owner for this pooch would be a semi-retired person or couple looking for a loyal friend. “Someone that just wants someone to curl up with this winter at the fireplace,” she says.

Read more about Zelda and how to adopt her on her Adopt-a-Pet.com page at http://www.adoptapet.com/pet3572932.html

Dogs may jump on people either as a friendly greeting, or to show dominance. It’s natural for a puppy to jump up on other dogs and people. Many people find it cute when dogs are small or puppies, and encourage it by petting them. However then when the dog gets big, jumping up ends up being not enjoyable or even dangerous. Teaching all puppies and dogs not to jump up on people can prevent children, seniors, and less dog-savvy people from getting hurt or scared. It helps a pup understand that people have different rules than other dogs – it’s good doggie manners!

Here are tips to train Miss Jumping Jellybean not to jump up on people:

• Turn away and ignore Jellybean jumping up. For this to work, EVERYONE must be on board: family, visiting friends, everyone must be told “TURN & IGNORE when Jellybean jumps on you!”
• Be still & quiet. Kids and people that squeal, make noises, or move around when a dog jumps on them are rewarding the jumping up! Kids sometimes understand this better when you tell them “be a boring tree”.
• Don’t look at Jellybean. Just looking at her is also a reward!
• Reward for standing! Once Jellybean puts all four of her paws on the floor, everyone can look at her, pet her, talk to her, praise her! If she jumps up again, return to being a boring tree until she’s four paws on the floor again.
• No contact. Never use your knee, hands, feet or legs to push into a dog that is jumping up. That is physical attention – again, a reward, the opposite of what you want to do when Jellybean jumps up. Crossing your arms will help keep your hands out of the mix.
• Ouch! Never step on their back toes or squeeze her front paws!! That painful punishment is just not necessary, and doesn’t make them understand what they should be doing instead of jumping up. (And sometimes dogs will then try to “squeeze” your front paws aka hands back – with their mouth!)
• Sit! If she’s sitting, she’s not jumping up! Chewy has a great article on teaching sit.
• Stay! Teach her the “stay” command, and have her “stay” as you come in and out of the front door. Lots of rewards when she holds her stay when you come through the door! Then get friends and family to practice with you.
• Play & shake! Some super energetic dogs do better shaking a toy or catching a ball when greeting someone new, rather than sitting for petting. Keep a toy by the front door or with you out on walks when you might meet people, and use it as both a distraction and reward in addition to the praise when they meet someone and don’t jump up.
• Take a training class. Learning basic commands will help Jellybean listen when you say “sit” and to improve her overall control of herself and ability to listen and take cues from you about what you like and don’t like. You’ll also then have the help of a professional trainer if you are facing a challenge with jumping Jellybean even after consistently following the tips above for a few weeks.

Last but not least, remember to focus on what the behavior you want, the behavior Jellybean is doing that you like. Praise her for it, let her know, and pay attention to that — what we focus on grows, especially with dogs as it’s all reinforcement to them!

If your dog just can’t stop jumping for joy, you may want to talk to your trainer about giving her “jumping outlets” and structured time when you ask for a jump and she can release that urge at the appropriate times. Putting “jump” on command is a great way to let her know it’s not ok to jump other times. Just remember to give her jumping time – like in an agility course or out on a hike – so she can remember it’s now become a command. And hey, you could always try jumping with her for some fun!

Sugar gliders are small marsupials of the gliding opossums group. If you recently adopted a sugar glider you might know that they are nocturnal and sleep during the day. You’ll want to make sure you are ok with their active nightlife before adopting this type of pet! Sugar Gliders are extremely social beings and so adopting more than one is recommended. They are used to living in groups and this way they can be companions, play together, and also help keep each other warm!

Pet Sugar Gliders are prone to low calcium levels and obesity – common issues due to improper nutrition. They need certain foods, and variety is best for this species. Not sure how or what to feed your adopted sugar gliders? Click here: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1798&aid=2442 for in-depth information on how to best keep them healthy!

You can find Sugar Gliders for adoption on Adopt-a-Pet.com under the “small animals” search at http://www.adoptapet.com/other-pet-adoption.

 

 

 

We’re so happy to be partnered with the dog-loving folks over at the Wet Nose Guide! They feature pets for adoption from Adopt-a-Pet.com to help them find loving homes, like Bay-Bay. This beagle/foxhound mix may be young, but he’s not your typical energy-crazed puppy. He is very sweet, and super playful. He even entertains himself with his favorite toys! At first, he may be standoffish with new people, but warms quickly. He doesn’t discriminate on who is allowed to give him love, either. He is good with people of all ages – he gets along well with children. And, because he’s a puppy he not only loves cuddling, but he also needs to be potty trained. He has difficulty going when he’s on a leash. Owners with a fenced-in yard would be the perfect place for Bay to grow. He is a great walker, and is quick to socialize with other pups. Plus, who can deny that face?

Bay is available in the Freeport, Maine area through Tall Tails Beagle Rescue. If you’re interested in adopting Bay, visit his Adopt-A-Pet.com page at http://www.adoptapet.com/pet6058359.html for more information.

Just when we think our friends over at The Way of Cats blog have covered every possible topic relating to cats, they post yet another great article that makes us think, educates us, and amuses us! Their latest is titled “Cats Who Are Attracted To Us” but as is their style, they start off on what seems like a totally different topic at first, which is the huge range of emotions an adopter can feel when walking into a shelter and seeing the cats for adoption. Then they delve into how that emotional response evolves into a connection, and some of the emotions that could motivate you to pick a cat that might not be the best match for you home. Then… well, we’ve given enough away for now! You can read on to find out the rest below…

Pamela writes: “My friends like to tease me that I will choose the “most pathetic kitten in the shelter.” It’s not that I choose them because they were pathetic; I chose them despite their pathetic-ness. I chose Reverend Jim and Olwyn because they were the right type of cat for our situation. But also because they both reached out to me and declared they liked me on very short notice.

This is like going out with someone who we know likes us. We have a head start on the relationship.

It’s not that people don’t use emotion when they choose a cat. It’s that they often use the wrong ones.

Nostalgia. There’s nothing wrong with choosing a cat who looks a lot like a favorite, past, cat. As long as we realize we are getting a new cat; not a replay of our old one. We can grow fond of a Maine Coon Cat’s cuddling style or the talkativeness of a Siamese. Discovering which breeds we love can help guide us to suitable choices. But we must never expect a “replacement” cat. This will disappoint both of us.

Amusement. I see it over and over; people are captivated by the little clown who has endless antics. They bring them home to the mild-mannered older cat who has never lived with another cat. This is the operating springboard of most situation comedies. But we don’t want to actually live with this much conflict. By all means bring home the lively little one, only make sure they have a playmate. If our existing cat or cats will not fill the needed position; there’s a whole roomful of applicants right there.

Aesthetics. Oh, the pretty ones. There’s nothing wrong with choosing a beautiful cat; unless that is the only reason they attracted us. This can often take the form of seeing a “purebred” and finding the prospect so appealing we overlook warning flags about this cat’s suitability for us… or even, at all. Many people will go for the cheap purebred, discover the serious issues that come from ignorant breeding of a restricted gene pool; and abandon the cat. It’s not that such cats cannot be good pets; my Chantilly/Tiffany rescue, Smokepuff, was both gorgeous and sweet. But he also had problems my vet agreed could have a genetic origin.

Pity. I only get the “most pathetic” if that cat has problems I know how to fix. A kind heart that overrules a cool head is the quickest way to take on far more than we can handle; and then find our whole household disrupted. It is delightful to bring a shy cat from their shell, rehabilitate a little bag of bones, or turn an aggressive cat into a love bug. But we must be prepared that our efforts might only make these cats more comfortable being the way they already are. This will make for a happier cat, but might not bring much change to their outward behaviors.

These are all strong emotions, but better expressed when applied to a cat who is suitable in many ways; not just this one.

People who don’t feel much confidence in their ability to figure out cats will feel reluctant to choose. That’s why choosing a cat, who chooses us, means so much. It means we’ve already demonstrated the ability to emotionally communicate.

In my experience, humans make a fundamental mistake when they do not use emotion to make an emotional decision. We are looking for a cat to feel close to. That is not a given.

Except when we choose for it.”

For more about choosing cats from an emotional linkage, see The Way of Cats post on Feeling the Connection.

Meet Jenny-fur! She’s a pretty princess of a pup who likes to wear a pink sweater. The now 10-month-old pooch arrived at Bedford, Texas-based Homeward Bound Animal Rescue as a three-month-old puppy after she was surrendered to a local shelter shortly after being purchased at a pet store. The purebred Catahoula Leopard Dog is a medium-sized pup who is spayed and up-to-date on all shots. Jenny-fur has been a good girl while in foster care—she has befriended doggie playmates, loves the water, and has a ton of energy! Thanks to our pet-loving friends at MyPetHealthGuide.com for featuring Jenny-fur and helping homeless pets!

Last month Time Magazine reported that dogs are being trained and can successfully sniff out lung cancer more reliably than traditional tests currently used by most doctors! A dog’s sense of smell is infinitely better than a humans, some sources say 100 times better, while others report up to 1,000 times better, so it’s no surprise they can smell the cancerous cells, but quite amazing that they can be trained to detect them so accurately. Time Magazine reports: “German researchers report in the European Respiratory Journal that dogs can be trained to detect lung cancer by sniffing human breath. The scientists worked with an admittedly small number of canines — just four, including two German shepherds, a Lab and an Australian shepherd — but the dogs had good success. They were able to suss out cancer in 71 out of 100 breath samples from lung cancer patients, and were able to correctly identify 93% of cancer-free samples, giving them an impressively low rate of false positives. That’s better than the imaging tests that most physicians currently use to detect lung cancer.”

Back in 2006, dogs in labs were shown to be able to successfully sniff out both lung and breast cancer, as you can read about in People Magazine too. You can read the full recent Time Magazine article here: http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/18/a-new-way-to-detect-lung-cancer-dogs-can-sniff-it-out/#ixzz1YQco8S00