I THINK I CAN....
I THINK I CAN....
I'M PRETTY SURE I CAN......
I KNOW I CAN!! I DID IT, I CAN CLIMB A TREE!!
Yippi!! You did it Isis, you are an inspirational doggie, indeed.
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Apparently Dogs Can Climb Trees!
In the park one day, Isis had a brilliant and daring idea.....
I THINK I CAN....
I THINK I CAN....
I'M PRETTY SURE I CAN......
I KNOW I CAN!! I DID IT, I CAN CLIMB A TREE!!
I THINK I CAN....
I THINK I CAN....
I'M PRETTY SURE I CAN......
I KNOW I CAN!! I DID IT, I CAN CLIMB A TREE!!
The Funniest Dog Video EVER Made
For today's post, I thought I'd help you start your week off with what I think is one of the funniest dog videos ever made! The guy who created this YouTube video is so talented - and so is the dog for that matter.
The video came out a couple of years ago, but if you've never seen it before you are in for a treat and a lot of laughs!
I hope you enjoy The Ultimate Tease dog video!
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Why You Should Consider Adopting A Senior Dog
You don't have to wait until the official Adopt A Senior Dog month to consider adopting an older dog. It's a sad fact that at shelters, as a cat or dog's age increases, the likelihood of them being adopted decreases.
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| One of these cuties is much older than the other one, and will likely take a lot longer to find a home. |
She's 5 years old, she probably has health issues and her family didn't want to pay the vet bills
She's older already, if she doesn't have health problems now she probably will soon
We won't get many more years with her. It's not worth it
He's too old to train, I want a dog I can train
He probably won't be able to love me as much as his first family, he was with them for so long
We really want a puppy! We don't want an old dog
We want an active dog that can play with the kids in the yard. This one won't have enough energy
We don't want a dog that's more than 3 years old. I don't know, anything over 3 just seems old!
The list goes on, but you get the idea. If a dog is more than 7 years old, we have an even more difficult time adopting them. Not many people want to adopt a senior dog. The 10 year old dogs we've had.... well, it's a special person that will open their home to a 10 year old dog.
One of my absolute favorite adoptions was a 10 year old blind Daschund. I was so worried that no one would take him. One morning a man showed up at the shelter, he was an older military Veteran. He had driven all the way from a city about 50 miles North of Phoenix just to adopt this dog. He'd seen him online and said that he and his wife felt the dog "deserved to live out the last years of his life in comfort". He didn't mind that the dog was blind, he had researched tips on living with a blind dog and how to make things easier for the dog in the home. He didn't mind that there might be veterinary bills. They loved Daschund's and wanted this sweet, beautiful little dog to join their Doxie pack and spend his last years with their family. I could have KISSED that wonderful man!! My eyes are tearing up now just thinking about that great adoption. I'll never forget it.
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| My darling girl, Phoebe. She was about 6 years old when we adopted her. She's brought us so much joy! I can't imagine our family without her! |
Don't make assumptions! Senior dogs can make the best pets! Here are just a few benefits of adopting an older dog:
Senior dogs are often already house trained
Older dogs may be well trained in general, and possibly easier to teach new things
Older canines are usually much calmer than a puppy or 1 to 3 year old, but still have plenty of energy for walks, hikes, and playtime!
An older shelter dog is probably just as healthy as any other dog of the same age. Don't assume they have health problems!
Your senior shelter dog just might outlive that shelter puppy or 1 year old dog. You can never tell how long any dog will live. Just like people, a dog's health is as individual as he is!
Older dogs available for adoption are often Owner Surrenders due to divorce, death, or failing health of the owner.
Sometimes older pets are surrendered due to extreme financial issues in their family. We saw a lot of that at the animal shelter during the economic downturn. It's heartbreaking.
People sometimes forget that puppies are a TON of work, and that they are only puppies for a few months. An older dog will bring your family just as much joy and love as any puppy can.
Spring and Summer are Puppy and Kitten Season. It's the time when animal shelters and animal rescue organizations have an abundance of puppies and kittens. Senior dogs and cats are often passed over for adoption in favor of irresistible puppies and kittens at the shelter. One thing is for certain, when you adopt a senior dog, especially in Spring or Summer, you SAVE A LIFE!!
Have you adopted an older dog or cat? Please leave a comment and share your Senior pet's story with us!
HOW THE LEAVE IT COMMAND CAN RESTORE HARMONY IN YOUR HOME
Sometimes I listen to people describe life with pets in their household and it sounds like pure chaos! They go to great lengths to keep the dog away from the cat, the toddler, the hamster, the guests, and who knows what else. They live life skillfully orchestrating mealtime, walks, and family time like it's a stealth mission.
Does this sounds like your household, or the home of someone you know? Want to get back some sanity? Well, let me introduce you to the all powerful LEAVE IT command.
When we first got Icy she was about 14 weeks old. She was your typical rambunctious puppy, getting into everything and curious about everything and everyone. The everyone included Maggie, our senior Calico cat. Maggie was 14 years old at the time and the only pet in our home, when this bull-in-a-china-shop puppy came barreling into her peaceful life. Needless to say, Maggie was NOT amused.
Icy was enthralled with Maggie from the moment she laid eyes on her. All she wanted was to play with the little furry toy that moved all by itself! She wouldn't leave poor Maggie alone. Icy was getting bigger by the day and things quickly spiraled out of control. They couldn't be in the same room without Icy desperately trying to chase after Maggie and Maggie skittering away from her like a bat out of hell.
All we wanted was for Icy and Maggie to co-exist peacefully. We wanted to watch TV in the family room together without Icy bothering Maggie. Was that too much to ask?
Does this sounds like your household, or the home of someone you know? Want to get back some sanity? Well, let me introduce you to the all powerful LEAVE IT command.
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| The Leave It! command restored harmony in our home and enabled Icy and Maggie to co-exist peacefully |
CATS ARE IRRESISTIBLE
When we first got Icy she was about 14 weeks old. She was your typical rambunctious puppy, getting into everything and curious about everything and everyone. The everyone included Maggie, our senior Calico cat. Maggie was 14 years old at the time and the only pet in our home, when this bull-in-a-china-shop puppy came barreling into her peaceful life. Needless to say, Maggie was NOT amused.
Icy was enthralled with Maggie from the moment she laid eyes on her. All she wanted was to play with the little furry toy that moved all by itself! She wouldn't leave poor Maggie alone. Icy was getting bigger by the day and things quickly spiraled out of control. They couldn't be in the same room without Icy desperately trying to chase after Maggie and Maggie skittering away from her like a bat out of hell.
CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
All we wanted was for Icy and Maggie to co-exist peacefully. We wanted to watch TV in the family room together without Icy bothering Maggie. Was that too much to ask?
Our PetSmart trainer, Ricky, introduced us to the Leave It command and it changed our lives! It took time and effort, but we finally got to the point where Icy would leave Maggie alone. The first time we all sat in the living room together watching TV, with Maggie on the couch and Icy laying peacefully on the floor beneath her was a joyous moment indeed. From then on we all lived happily & peacefully together. What a relief!
The Leave It command can be useful in getting your dog to leave another pet alone, such as a cat or hamster, leave your children alone, and not lunge at guests when they enter your home. It's useful when food drops on the floor, if your dog spies something unsavory in the street, or if they spot an animal in the yard or another dog on a walk.
When Icy was a puppy, she spotted an apple core in the street on a walk and quickly grabbed it. She began to choke and my husband, quick thinker that he is, reached in and pried it out of her mouth. Now we use the Leave It command whenever she sticks her nose where it shouldn't be during our walks. We use it when walking by other dogs as well to ensure she ignores the other dog.
> Start with treats. Keep your dog, preferably on leash, about 4 feet away and drop a treat on the floor.
> As the treat falls to the floor, firmly say "LEAVE IT" !
> When your dog lunges for the treat say "AH, AH!!" and cover the treat with your hand. Your dog will likely try to get it out of your hand but firmly say AH, AH! (or NO! if you prefer) and don't let him get the treat.
> When he finally stops trying to get the treat, mark that behavior with a YES! or Click if you use a clicker for training.
> Reward the behavior of not trying to get the treat by giving him a treat. Ideally, you should treat with another treat from your hand rather than give up the one you dropped on the floor.
> Keep repeating this, dropping the treat closer to the dog as he progresses by leaving the treat alone.
> Keep practicing until your dog gets it and doesn't lunge for the treat you drop on the floor closer and closer to him.
> Practice by dropping treats on the floor in a line and walking your dog past them, while he's on leash so you can keep control.
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| My sweet girl Maggie, relaxing on the couch |
The Leave It command can be useful in getting your dog to leave another pet alone, such as a cat or hamster, leave your children alone, and not lunge at guests when they enter your home. It's useful when food drops on the floor, if your dog spies something unsavory in the street, or if they spot an animal in the yard or another dog on a walk.
When Icy was a puppy, she spotted an apple core in the street on a walk and quickly grabbed it. She began to choke and my husband, quick thinker that he is, reached in and pried it out of her mouth. Now we use the Leave It command whenever she sticks her nose where it shouldn't be during our walks. We use it when walking by other dogs as well to ensure she ignores the other dog.
HOW TO TEACH A DOG THE LEAVE IT COMMAND:
> Start with treats. Keep your dog, preferably on leash, about 4 feet away and drop a treat on the floor.
> As the treat falls to the floor, firmly say "LEAVE IT" !
> When your dog lunges for the treat say "AH, AH!!" and cover the treat with your hand. Your dog will likely try to get it out of your hand but firmly say AH, AH! (or NO! if you prefer) and don't let him get the treat.
> When he finally stops trying to get the treat, mark that behavior with a YES! or Click if you use a clicker for training.
> Reward the behavior of not trying to get the treat by giving him a treat. Ideally, you should treat with another treat from your hand rather than give up the one you dropped on the floor.
> Keep repeating this, dropping the treat closer to the dog as he progresses by leaving the treat alone.
> Keep practicing until your dog gets it and doesn't lunge for the treat you drop on the floor closer and closer to him.
> Practice by dropping treats on the floor in a line and walking your dog past them, while he's on leash so you can keep control.
Give the Leave It command as you start the walk, say it again if needed. Reward him for not trying to grab the treats on the floor with a treat from your hand at the end of the line of treats.
If you need to pull him away to keep him from lunging for the treats on the floor that is NOT success. Don't reward him for that, just keep trying until he learns to leave the treats alone and not try to grab them.
> Ultimately, you should be able to place a treat on his paw while he's sitting or lying down and he won't try to grab it when you give the Leave It command. Be sure to give the command really early, right before you place the treat on his paw or as you place it on his paw.
> Ultimately, you should be able to place a treat on his paw while he's sitting or lying down and he won't try to grab it when you give the Leave It command. Be sure to give the command really early, right before you place the treat on his paw or as you place it on his paw.
Be prepared to grab the treat away the first couple of times until he learns not to try to get the treat until you let him know he can take the treat. Give him the OK or Take It command to let him know that now he can reach for the treat on his paw and savor his success!
> Once he gets it reliably, progress to training Leave It with other objects like toys you walk him passed on leash, and a toy you toss in front of him.
There are many reasons to teach your dog to Leave It We use this command constantly. This is what makes Leave It one of my favorite and most important obedience commands. It could actually save your dog's life when your dog tries to get at something that's dangerous to him.
Have you used the Leave It command? Tell us how it's helped your dog. If you haven't taught it to your dog yet, could the Leave It! command help you restore some peace in your home? Leave us a comment, we always want to know what you think!
> Once he gets it reliably, progress to training Leave It with other objects like toys you walk him passed on leash, and a toy you toss in front of him.
There are many reasons to teach your dog to Leave It We use this command constantly. This is what makes Leave It one of my favorite and most important obedience commands. It could actually save your dog's life when your dog tries to get at something that's dangerous to him.
Have you used the Leave It command? Tell us how it's helped your dog. If you haven't taught it to your dog yet, could the Leave It! command help you restore some peace in your home? Leave us a comment, we always want to know what you think!
Dog, You're Hired!!
Apparently, Isis has gotten a job at PetSmart. Now she can contribute some money towards all those expensive treats she like so much!
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| Isis wants to work at PetSmart, one of her favorite places! |
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DOG TRAINING TIP: An Emergency Recall Can Save Your Dog's Life
How many times a day do you call your dog? "Here, Phoebe!" "Phoebe, come!" You call them when it's mealtime, you call them to go for a walk or get in the car, you call them back to you when they're off leash, you call them to stop tip toeing through your flowers or to come sit with you on the couch. "Phoebe come back here, get away from those flowers!"
After awhile your everyday dog training Recall command may lose it's sense of urgency. In an urgent scenario, your typical "Come" training command for dogs may not be strong enough. Let's say an irresistible squirrel is perched on your front lawn, taunting your poor dog. As you open the door to retrieve the mail, your dog door dashes and lays chase! The offending squirrel then dashes across the street with your precious pooch in hot pursuit, just as a car is careening down your street! You call him to you frantically, but your dog has tuned you and your boring "Come!" command out. It's a disaster in the making.
For situations like that, it's critical to have an Emergency Recall Command in addition to your everyday Come! recall command. The difference is that teaching your dog an Emergency Recall Command in addition to your regular Come When Called command makes the emergency recall command one that is reserved for more extreme situations like a speeding car or a vicious dog approaching. My Emergency Recall Command for Icy and Phoebe is "DANGER, DANGER!!". Whatever my dogs are doing, wherever they happen to be, they stop and immediately come running. Why? Because they know that along with those two magical words comes delicious.... BACON! It is the only time my dogs ever get bacon or bacon flavored anything. That makes bacon their most highly valued treat. They come running because they never know when they might ever get that delicious bacon again.
Icy is enthralled with whatever lurks behind the garage. Don't ask me why, personally I think it's kind of gross back there. She is always reluctant to come out, and sometimes I need to call her a couple of times before she'll emerge. It's a great opportunity to practice our Emergency Recall training. In the video above, you can see how she responds to my Emergency Recall.
I never use the Emergency Recall unless I'm reinforcing that particular dog training command, and of course if there's an urgent situation. Thankfully, I only had one urgent situation, when Icy got loose as I dropped her off for boarding. In a nano-second, she ran and was barreling towards the door to the parking lot! I quickly yelled our Emergency Recall Command, "DANGER, DANGER!!", stopping Icy in her tracks, sending her running back toward me. I breathed a huge sigh of relief and nearly bit off the head of the poor employee for letting her slip out of his grasp.
Training your dog to respond to an Emergency Recall Command is just like teaching any other command. Find one thing you can use as a super high value reward that you will only use for Emergency Recall. A treat, a toy, whatever will seriously float your dog's boat.
Your command can be anything at all. Just make it a unique word or phrase you won't use for anything else, and one your dog isn't likely to hear from other people. It should be short, one or two words. Say your Emergency Recall Command and immediately reward your dog with the high value reward you've chosen. Do this a number of times until your dog gets it. Continue practicing in various places where there are distractions. Once it's solid, continue to reinforce the training with your dog every now and then to ensure he remembers it. Don't practice too often, keep it special and unique.
Does your dog have an Emergency Recall Command? What do you think about having an Emergency Recall Command, separate from your daily Come command? Leave us a comment, we always want to hear your thoughts!
After awhile your everyday dog training Recall command may lose it's sense of urgency. In an urgent scenario, your typical "Come" training command for dogs may not be strong enough. Let's say an irresistible squirrel is perched on your front lawn, taunting your poor dog. As you open the door to retrieve the mail, your dog door dashes and lays chase! The offending squirrel then dashes across the street with your precious pooch in hot pursuit, just as a car is careening down your street! You call him to you frantically, but your dog has tuned you and your boring "Come!" command out. It's a disaster in the making.
For situations like that, it's critical to have an Emergency Recall Command in addition to your everyday Come! recall command. The difference is that teaching your dog an Emergency Recall Command in addition to your regular Come When Called command makes the emergency recall command one that is reserved for more extreme situations like a speeding car or a vicious dog approaching. My Emergency Recall Command for Icy and Phoebe is "DANGER, DANGER!!". Whatever my dogs are doing, wherever they happen to be, they stop and immediately come running. Why? Because they know that along with those two magical words comes delicious.... BACON! It is the only time my dogs ever get bacon or bacon flavored anything. That makes bacon their most highly valued treat. They come running because they never know when they might ever get that delicious bacon again.
Icy is enthralled with whatever lurks behind the garage. Don't ask me why, personally I think it's kind of gross back there. She is always reluctant to come out, and sometimes I need to call her a couple of times before she'll emerge. It's a great opportunity to practice our Emergency Recall training. In the video above, you can see how she responds to my Emergency Recall.
I never use the Emergency Recall unless I'm reinforcing that particular dog training command, and of course if there's an urgent situation. Thankfully, I only had one urgent situation, when Icy got loose as I dropped her off for boarding. In a nano-second, she ran and was barreling towards the door to the parking lot! I quickly yelled our Emergency Recall Command, "DANGER, DANGER!!", stopping Icy in her tracks, sending her running back toward me. I breathed a huge sigh of relief and nearly bit off the head of the poor employee for letting her slip out of his grasp.
Training your dog to respond to an Emergency Recall Command is just like teaching any other command. Find one thing you can use as a super high value reward that you will only use for Emergency Recall. A treat, a toy, whatever will seriously float your dog's boat.
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| An emergency recall is one of my dogs most valuable obedience commands. |
Your command can be anything at all. Just make it a unique word or phrase you won't use for anything else, and one your dog isn't likely to hear from other people. It should be short, one or two words. Say your Emergency Recall Command and immediately reward your dog with the high value reward you've chosen. Do this a number of times until your dog gets it. Continue practicing in various places where there are distractions. Once it's solid, continue to reinforce the training with your dog every now and then to ensure he remembers it. Don't practice too often, keep it special and unique.
Does your dog have an Emergency Recall Command? What do you think about having an Emergency Recall Command, separate from your daily Come command? Leave us a comment, we always want to hear your thoughts!
Offering Incentives For Adoptions; Great Idea or Potential Disaster?
Lately I've been hearing about shelters offering incentives to staff and volunteers based on the number of adoptions they make. Could this be a great way to find homes for more shelter animals, or would it foster unhealthy competition among shelter workers?
Here's my take on it. As a shelter volunteer my main role is adoption counseling. READ: Adoption Counseling. I endeavor to make a good match between a homeless dog or cat and a potential adopter. It doesn't need to be the most perfect match, I'm not sure perfect matches even exist. But a good match, a responsible match, can and should be made for the good of the animal and the adopter.
Personally, I don't need "incentives" to do the right thing by the cats and dogs in my care. I worry that if incentives are offered based on the number of adoptions made, some shelter staff or volunteers will feel compelled to become pushy with adopters in an attempt to rack up adoptions. In doing so they may lose site of the need to make a good match between pet and adopter. Pet adoption should not be about pushing dogs and cats out the door like cattle. The attributes and lifestyle needs of both the animal and the potential adopter should be considered.
Shelters are increasingly under pressure from the communities they serve to increase adoptions and eliminate euthanasia. These are worthy goals, but when shelters start thinking about finding homes for the animals in their care as largely a numbers game it concerns me. If a shelter Director pulls her staff and volunteers together for a meeting and talks about how she wants everyone to increase their weekly adoptions, then offers incentives for doing so, that is worrisome. What's next, adoption quotas? Doesn't it remind you of the sleazy used car salesman cliché?
Poor adoption matches are likely to result in more pets being returned. In my experience, once the Kennel card shows "Returned" as an animal's status, it often frightens people away. They assume the dog or cat was returned to the shelter because of some horrible infraction they must have committed in their new home. In addition, making a poor adoption match can cause a shelter to lose that person's trust. If you lose their trust you lose them as a supporter of the shelter and as a future adopter. One bad adoption experience will travel far by word of mouth. Add social media to that and it will travel exponentially further and could damage the positive public opinion a shelter worked hard to earn.
As for me, I would not agree to play a numbers game. The canine and feline lives entrusted to us are far too precious to let statistics get in the way of finding them a good, loving home. The right home.
What is your opinion on shelters offering incentives to staff or volunteers based on the number of adoptions they make? Has anyone experienced this type of model in a shelter or rescue, and if so what was the impact on adoptions, returns, and public opinion? Please leave a comment and weigh in on this concept, I'd like to know what you all think!
Here's my take on it. As a shelter volunteer my main role is adoption counseling. READ: Adoption Counseling. I endeavor to make a good match between a homeless dog or cat and a potential adopter. It doesn't need to be the most perfect match, I'm not sure perfect matches even exist. But a good match, a responsible match, can and should be made for the good of the animal and the adopter.
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| Isis playing ball. Believe me, Siberian Huskies are NOT for everyone! The few times we've had them at the shelter, I've thoroughly discussed the challenges with potential adopters! |
Shelters are increasingly under pressure from the communities they serve to increase adoptions and eliminate euthanasia. These are worthy goals, but when shelters start thinking about finding homes for the animals in their care as largely a numbers game it concerns me. If a shelter Director pulls her staff and volunteers together for a meeting and talks about how she wants everyone to increase their weekly adoptions, then offers incentives for doing so, that is worrisome. What's next, adoption quotas? Doesn't it remind you of the sleazy used car salesman cliché?
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| Phoebe doing her movie star pose. I adopted her from the shelter I volunteer at. If an adopter is looking for a dog to go running with, lazy Phoebe would NOT be a good choice! |
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| This gorgeous, friendly dog was Big, Powerful, and super Energetic! He'd be a great dog for many individuals or families, but may not be the best choice for every lifestyle. |
What is your opinion on shelters offering incentives to staff or volunteers based on the number of adoptions they make? Has anyone experienced this type of model in a shelter or rescue, and if so what was the impact on adoptions, returns, and public opinion? Please leave a comment and weigh in on this concept, I'd like to know what you all think!
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