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Dog Hobbyist News In This Issue:
Message From the Alpha Dog
Next, my 11 year old, Jadzia needed her teeth cleaned also and had an infected tooth. Let me say that greyhounds tend to have bad teeth and my girls are no exception. Jadzia didn't need any special precautions, and bounced back very quickly.
I need to be more vigilant on the care I give my old girls, as we all do with seniors. Seniors have different requirements to keep them feeling well and going strong. Lyta will be going this week for evaluation to have acupunture for pain in her back. I hate to just start giving drugs, and will try some alternate forms of pain relief. All seniors need regular vet care, good nutrition and extra soft places to lay. They have given us so much pleasure in our lives, they deserve the extra care and attention we can give them. I love young dogs, but a senior is so special. They may not want to chase that ball near as much as we would like them too. Our walks may take twice as long since they just don't walk as fast as they used too. The love they give us is still strong, and my girls enjoy cuddling more than they ever did. They will get it, in abundance from me. Enjoy your young dogs, but enjoy them more when they become seniors.
Melody Golubski NEW at DogHobbyist! Looking for a dog to adopt, or trying to find a good home for a dog? Be sure to check out the DogHobbyist.com/RescueNetwork Adoption Center! They're here! The 2006 Dog Calendar sections in the DogHobbyist bookstore are updated with next year's calendars featuring your favorite four footed friends! Don't miss it! Do you have a room or wall devoted to dog art? If so, you may want to check out the DogHobbyist.com Art Gallery. Our newest artist is Milla Crowe. She was born in Russia and has enjoyed drawing and painting since she was 5 years old. Check out our Art Gallery.
Emma has been featured on the following television stations: Boston Neighborhood Network, WB56, and New England Cable News, discussing various topics on canine behavior, including how to manage and reduce canine aggression. Emma has also taught clicker training classes in conjunction with Tufts Veterinary School of Medicine and Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue. Emma runs her own dog training business called The Creative Canine, which specializes in canine aggression issues. Emma is an active member of the following organizations: The National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors, The Association of Pet Dog Trainers, The Heritage Trail Keeshond Club (President for several years), The New England Dog Training Club (President for several years), Massachusetts Animal Coalition (Charter Member), and the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (Treasurer). We hope to see you on Friday, the 26th, at 10 PM ET! You can find a link to the chat room, along with a place to sign up for a free email reminder, here.
We give them the love we can spare, the time we can spare. In return dogs have given us their absolute all. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made. -Roger Caras Why do you have a dog? The reasons people give are many: For companionship, protection, to play with the kids, to bark at intruders. Not too many answer, "To leave outside in the yard all day and all night, except for the occasional Frisbee game, trip to the beach, vet visit, or romp with the kids." But that's the sad fate of many outdoor dogs. Sad fate, you ask? What's so sad about it? He has a dog house to protect him from the weather, and we play with the dog and take him to the vet. Many dogs are a lot worse off than ours. That's right, many dogs probably are. But when you consider what the dog is capable of, the extent to which a dog can bond with and become part of a human family, the life of the outdoor dog begins to seem sad and limited by comparison. Dogs, like wolves, are highly social pack animals. In nature, a wolf is never alone for even one moment in its whole life, unless it has been ostracized by the pack: "The lone wolf." Being cast out from communal life is the worst fate a dog or wolf can experience, and the message it teaches is a harsh one. You are not one of us, it says. Most "lone wolves" go out and seek another pack to join, or attempt to create one of their own. Our dogs, by virtue of fences, chains, tethers, runs, and leash laws, don't have that option. It's true that some northern breeds find it hard to spend large amounts of time indoors, and seem to prefer to sleep outside at night. I have a dog like that, and he comes and goes through his dog door, sometimes sleeping on the deck, sometimes in the house. But he is not ostracized or kept outdoors or isolated; his distance from the rest of the pack is in his own control. Legally, as long as you don't let your dog roam, license it, and give it food and water and (sometimes) shelter, you've done all that's required of you to own a dog. But for many outdoor dogs, that is all they get. Do they get love, attention, training? Are they mentally challenged, emotionally stimulated? Is their potential developed and fulfilled with appropriate interactive experiences with their substitute pack? Gina Spadafori, author of Dogs for Dummies and a nationally syndicated pet columnist, wrote, "I have never understood why anyone would want to keep a dog entirely outside. What's the point? You don't get the benefits of companionship from a dog you see once or twice a day, just to throw down some food for or maybe play a quick game of fetch with. How can you know an animal you don't really live with? How can he know you?" This is the point that eats at me. Sharing my life with dogs has taught me just what they are capable of, how much love and humor and devotion and entertainment and true companionship. Keeping a dog outside is like having a million dollars in the bank but choosing to live in your car. Many people start out with good intentions, and relegate the dog to the backyard due to behavior problems, usually destructiveness and not being housebroken. They have often added a dog to their family without a full grasp on the simple steps that will mold a rambunctious puppy into a well-behaved adult. They let the puppy or new dog have too much freedom and not enough structure, resort quickly to ineffective punishment techniques to try and "train" the dog, and finally bar the dog from the house entirely in sheer self-defense. There is help for those people and their dogs! Ask your veterinarian for a referral to a good trainer or behaviorist, or call the Denver Dumb Friends League Helpline at 303-751-5772, Ext. 1420. A trained staff member will return your call during normal business hours, to offer free advice about behavior problems in dogs. You can also find advice on their website. A great online resource for integrating your dog into your family is the Canine Behavior Series at VeterinaryPartner.com, run by the Veterinary Information Network. In addition to providing an archive of canine behavior problems and solutions, the site's author, Kathy Diamond Davis, author of Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Help Others and a contributor to a number of dog magazines, including Off Lead and Dog Fancy, can often by found answering questions on the Dog Behavior and Emotions Forum right here on DogHobbyist.com. Making an investment of time and love in your dog will pay off big for you and your family. Make the decision to bring your dog inside today! You can discuss this article in the Outside Dogs Forum on DogHobbyist.com.
Copyright 2005 by Christie Keith. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
1 cup potato, sliced fairly thin
Brush slices with olive oil.
If your dog doesn't like them, you can eat them!
Dog Chats in the The Dog Den Free email reminders and more, in the DogHobbyist Chat Center!
All chats in The Dog Den.
DogHobbyist News is copyright 2005 by OnlineHobbyist.com unless otherwise specified. All rights reserved.
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My girls are 12 and 11. I'm having to deal with several things that we have to deal with when our dogs get old. Lyta, my 12 year old, stopped eating. We found out, she had a bad tooth and it was infected. Well, none of us want to eat when our mouth hurts. Being she is a greyhound and old, they had to use a specialized anesthesia protocol. We had the office keep her overnight for observation, to make sure she would be ok. When I picked her up the next day to go home, she was so out of it that she looked really old, and it took her nearly a week to recover.
This book was inspired by her work with Ben, her Golden Retriever, who
became severely aggressive to other dogs after being severely punished by an
aggression expert. Emma turned to clicker training while working with Karen Pryor
and successfully eliminated Ben's dog-on-dog aggression. Emma has been
sharing Ben's story and the knowledge gained with her clients ever since!
Doggie Potato Chips