SPCA/HS Prince George's County

Celebrating Fall the PGSPCA Way

2011-10-13T20:08:00.012-04:00

October started off with a bang for the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County (PGSPCA). In the first two days of the month, we celebrated 25 years as an organization committed to protecting the health and welfare of county animals AND continued that mission by holding one of our monthly low-cost shot clinics.

Although Mother Nature didn’t smile on our anniversary celebration, the rainy weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of the volunteers and members of the public who gathered under a pavilion at Cosca Regional Park in Clinton, MD. We didn’t get the attendance we’d hoped for but those of us there enjoyed the opportunity to gather and socialize…with the added indulgence of pizza and beverages. Some of our canine companions tried to access our edibles while others were more interested in visiting with the clown, checking out the agility tunnel, and testing their olfactory senses in a doggy version of the shell game.
Talk about turning lemons into lemonade.

Some of the same volunteers who helped plan—and attended—the anniversary event got together again the very next day to assist at the PGSPCA monthly shot clinic in Forestville, MD. They and other volunteers helped collect client information, process payment, and escort animals to the veterinarian, who administered a whopping 108 rabies vaccines and 118 distemper vaccines, as well as inserting 11 microchips.
And the month isn’t over yet. The PGSPCA will celebrate Halloween with a presence at the annual Barkin’ Bash at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis on October 29. From 11 am to 3:30 pm, volunteers will conduct games for dogs and their people and hold a Canine Good Citizen test between 12 noon and 2 pm. So if you and your canine companion are looking for some fun in the sun (we hope), join us there. You’re sure to have a barking good time. For more information, click here.And if you want to learn how you can get involved with the PGSPCA, go to pgspca.org or call our main line (301-262-5625), choose Option 2, and leave a message for the volunteer coordinator.

Fireworks Top the List of Fourth of July “No-No’s” for Fluffy and Fido

2011-07-01T11:08:00.002-04:00

For many people, nothing beats lounging in the backyard on the Fourth of July with good friends and family—including the four-legged members of the household. While the desire for such companionship is only natural, it’s important to take some special precautions when including your furry friends in such festivities.

The following tips from the ASPCA will help Fluffy and Fido enjoy a safe Independence Day:

• Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. If ingested, alcohol can cause an animal to become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed, or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.

• Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.

• Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.

• Keep citronella candles, insect coils, and oil products out of reach. Ingestion can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.

• And when it comes to fireworks, it’s best to just say “no” when pets are around. While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious animals, even unused fireworks can pose a danger; many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic, and other heavy metals. And while you may enjoy an evening public fireworks display, your pets don't! So keep them safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered, and escape-proof area at home.

Tackling the Problem of Unplanned Fatherhood

2011-06-27T14:37:00.003-04:00

While most of us were celebrating Father’s Day with family and friends, a group of dedicated individuals was ensuring that area dogs and cats will not become fathers of unwanted four-legged offspring.

It was day two of a spay/neuter weekend held by the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County (PGSPCA) as part of its efforts to reduce the population of homeless animals. Veterinarians Dr. Shawnne Spencer and Dr. Jenna Mosier spayed and neutered a total of 83 animals—43 cats and 40 dogs—at the PGSPCA’s clinic in Forestville, MD. Thanks to a grant from the Snyder Foundation and the generosity of donors, the PGSPCA covered the cost of surgery for the pets of limited-income Prince George’s County residents…people who receive disability payments, have recently lost jobs, are in the midst of foreclosure, or are living on a reduced income for any other reason.

Two veterinary technicians and three veterinary students assisted the veterinarians while several PGSPCA volunteers handled the scheduling, paperwork, intake and release. These individuals also provided clients with practical information on nutrition, vaccines and other pet care issues.

The PGSPCA is committed to such spay/neuter events to help meet public demand. “Our phone never stops ringing,” says President Tamela Terry. “Every week we hear from people all over the metropolitan area who desperately need help altering their pets. They want to do the right thing but the cost is often prohibitive. Giving them access to affordable surgery really makes a difference.”

The next spay/neuter weekend is planned for the fall. Check the website—pgspca.org—for updates. And if you’d like to help us in this important work, just go to the website and click on “Donate Now.”

Heat Stroke: Know the Signs and Treatment Steps

2011-05-29T14:57:00.007-04:00

Have you ever been outside on a hot summer day and suddenly felt faint, flushed, and confused, and perhaps had an increased pulse rate and trouble walking? If so, you were exhibiting symptoms of heat stroke, a condition that occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature, which then rises rapidly. Untreated, heat stroke can quickly lead to brain damage or death.

Dogs, too, can suffer heat stroke. In fact, they are even more susceptible to this life-threatening condition. Think about it: Dogs don’t sweat like we do; instead, they depend upon rapid breathing to exchange warm air for cool air. When air temperature is close to their body temperature, the process becomes less efficient, leading in an increase in the animal’s body heat.

Although your goal should be to prevent heat stroke in your pet by making sure he or she gets plenty of fresh, cool water and shade from the hot sun, it’s important to recognize the signs so you can respond quickly if necessary. They include heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, dizziness, lack of coordination, vomiting, and a deep red or purple tongue.

If your dog shows any of these signs this hot holiday weekend...or any time, the following steps—designed to lower body temperature—could save his or her life:

Move your dog into the shade or an air-conditioned area.

Apply cold towels to the head, neck, and chest and poor cool (not cold) water over his or her body.

Let your dog drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes.

Take your dog directly to a veterinarian.

Wild Babies: When to Help and When to Leave Alone

2011-05-08T14:22:00.003-04:00

Spring brings with it the temptation to pet, touch, or “help” furred or feathered babies. In most instances, however, it’s best to leave baby fawns, birds, or other wildlife alone.

First, try to determine whether the animal is hurt or sick. Is the animal shivering, vomiting, or bleeding? Does the animal have an apparent broken limb or wing? Has it been attacked by a dog or cat? If the answer to any of these is yes, then the animal needs assistance. The best thing to do is to contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately. These experts care for injured, ill, and orphaned wild animals with the goal of releasing them back into their natural habitat.

If the answer to the above questions is no, then try to figure out if the animal really is orphaned. Spring is a busy time for wildlife parents, who typically leave their young alone, sometimes for long periods, throughout the day. This does not mean that the parent is not nearby and very conscious of its young. The following guidelines from the Humane Society of the United States will help you determine whether help would be intervention or interference:

Birds

Nestlings (naked or with beginning feathers)

A nestling may fall or be blown or pushed out of the nest. Try to place the nestling back in the nest. Human scent on baby birds will NOT discourage parent birds from caring for their young. If the nest is out of reach, construct a makeshift nest out of a margarine dish with several holes punched in the bottom or use a small basket—straw, wicker, or the lattice type used for berries. Attach a wire or twine so that you can hang the basket from a tree branch. Pad the interior of the basket with soft, smooth cloth or paper toweling, place the nestling inside, tucking the feet under the body, and hang the basket as close to the original nest as possible. Watch for the return of the parents; if no parents return by dark, the nestling may be in trouble. Call a rehabilitator for advice.

Fledglings (feathered, sometimes with downy tufts)

These young birds are learning to fly—a process that may take several days—and should be left alone to practice hopping and flying from low shrub branches to the ground and back. The parent birds should be within view of the fledgling; you may not see them, but you probably can hear them making sounds from a nearby tree.

Rabbits

Rabbits are independent animals, not orphans, if they are more than four inches long and have full fur, open eyes, and erect ears. Rabbit nests are usually found in a shallow, furlined depression in the grass. If you come upon furless young who are out of the nest, return them to the nest. Reform the nest if it has been destroyed, cover the young rabbits with loose grass, and then mark the nest with an X using sticks or some natural-colored material, such as wool ribbon. Female rabbits only feed their babies at dawn and dusk, so you are unlikely to see the mother return. If she returns, she will move the marker when she enters the nest. If the marker remains undisturbed and the baby rabbits’ abdomens appear sunken the next day, then the mother has not returned to feed them, and you should contact a rehabilitator. Young rabbits easily succumb to stress, so you should handle them only as a last resort.

Fawns

Young deer are also left alone, usually hidden in tall grass, for long periods of time while the mother feeds. Unless the fawn looks injured, diseased, or dazed, leave the animal alone and vacate the area so that the mother will feel safe in returning.

Squirrels

A baby squirrel on the ground probably needs help. If he is very small and has closed eyes, he is unable to climb or fend for himself. Place him in a box at the base of a tree and stay completely out of sight. The mother will usually retrieve her baby squirrel within a couple of hours. If she does not, call a rehabilitator for advice. Do not leave the squirrel out overnight. Older juveniles who are fully furred and climbing are capable of surviving on their own.

Opossums

Opossum babies are carried in the mother’s pouch as they mature; when they grow too large for the pouch, they often cling to the mother’s back. Occasionally they fall off, and opossums less than seven inches long (not including the tail) may need a rehabilitator’s assistance, as the mother will not come back to retrieve them. However, opossums who are longer than seven inches and have fur are independent and should be left alone. Many opossum babies have been saved from death on the road by being retrieved from the mother’s pouch or from the area where a mother has been killed by a car. (Note: Do not try to remove a baby opossum from the pouch yourself. They actually swallow the mother’s nipple and require an expert to remove them.)

Get Help

If you determine that a wild animal needs assistance, a wildlife rehabilitator is the best person to call. A rehabilitator can explain what to do to keep the animal safe, quiet, warm, and protected until you can get the appropriate help. It’s important to keep cats, dogs, and children away from the animal while determining if the animal needs help or remains in the area. Dogs and cats are natural predators, so it’s up to you to make sure they can’t harm newborn wildlife.

Never attempt to rehabilitate a wild animal yourself. They have very specific needs, and the care that would nurse a human or domestic animal back to health could harm a wild animal. Plus, in most states it’s against the law to keep wild animals unless you have permits to do so, even if you plan to release the animal.

Who to call about sick, injured, or nuisance wildlife…

Department of Natural Resources, 1-877-463-6497 (Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.) DNR also can help you locate a wildlife rehabilitator.
Prince George's Animal Management Division, 301-780-7200.
SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George's County, 301-262-5625 (press one for emergencies).

The Complete Package

2011-04-25T09:53:00.002-04:00

Although I don't consider myself a superficial person, I admit I can be swayed by a pretty face...especially when that face is furry, is framed by fuzzy ears, and rests on a four-legged, tail-wagging body. And I readily admit to finding some dogs "prettier" than others.

I also realize, however, that good looks don't always mean good--or psychologically stable--dogs. There are plenty of canine Sylvia Plaths hiding behind Audrey Hepburn facades and Charles Mansons masquerading as George Clooney. But still, it's hard not to be influenced by appearances.

So how wonderful it is to discover Mother Theresa in the doggy equivalent of Giselle Bundchen or Bill Gates behind the fido face of Daniel Craig.

Last week, I met such a dog. His name is Patrick. He's a 9-month-old Plott hound/Boxer mix currently residing in a foster home of the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George's County (PGSPCA). I had the pleasure of sharing a car ride with him on his way to a TV appearance on WUSA-TV9's "Petline Nine" segment.

Patrick was a perfect gentleman. Although I'd never met him before, he hopped on my lap (yes, he thinks he's a lap dog) as soon as I sat down on his foster family's sofa, ready for a quick cuddle (typical male!). He went willingly with PGSPCA adoption coordinator Sandy Twigg and me to the car and positioned himself on the floor where he could occasionally stick his head up between the front seats for a scratch behind the ears.

Once at the station, Patrick went about making friends with staff, even endearing himself to an on-air guest waiting to film her segment on mint juleps. He sat and shook paws with anyone who asked. And once on air, he calmly received the attention of the news reporter.

What amazed me most about the whole experience was the fact that here was a dog about whose early life we know almost nothing, who was found as a stray, and ended up in the county animal shelter. Yet he exhibited a more adaptable, accepting, good-natured personality than many dogs I know--including my own--some of whom can trace their ancestry back several generations. Like I said, wonderful!

I expect that Patrick's TV appearance will result in lots of adoption applications. Still, if you're looking for a handsome, medium-sized dog who gets along well with dogs and people of all ages, you may want to check him out. If I were in the market for another dog, he'd already be home.

Another Saturday, Another Adoption Show

2011-03-30T16:28:00.000-04:00

I apologize in advance for the poor-quality photos. We have some great photographers in our volunteer base but, alas, I am not one of them. And it was an iPhone. And I was holding a rottie puppy that REALLY wanted to splash around in the water dish.

One of our most typical and most visible events is the adoption show. We hold these at different locations, three Saturdays per month. Last weekend was the Bowie show, and we had a great turnout of volunteers and foster animals. Asking our volunteers to spend time nearly every Saturday at a Petsmart with an antsy animal is asking a lot. I am constantly surprised and awed at the dedication and generosity of our volunteers—we are so lucky to have them!

Above are some of our current foster animals (Patrick and Mattie, with Abby and Nabisco hidden in back). These happy sniffers look pretty content, but Petsmart can be a pretty stressful environment for them—strange dogs, new smells, curious kids. Our volunteers continually monitor the animals they are handling, looking for signs of stress and potential dangers that might come around the corner. While it may sometimes look easy-breezy, a two-hour stint at an adoption show is hard work!

This was my date for the afternoon, handsome Andy. And OK, I'll admit that he really was easy-breezy. He is sweet as pie and amazingly gentle for a 9-month old growing pup. Look at those soulful eyes! (If you can see beyond my fuzzy photography).

Miss Dolly did a great job at the Bowie show, managing to keep her calm stationed smack dab in the middle of the black dog line up (Tan dogs were on the left, black on the right. Very odd.)

At the end of our canine line was the lovely Cora. She sat very quietly, chewing on her rawhide sticks, keeping close tabs on anyone who might be after her crumbs. Again, the terrible photo doesn't do her beautifully soft and shiny coat justice.

So, there you have it. A typical SPCA Saturday. I went home tired, covered in dog hair,, and chatted out (which for me, takes a lot.) Come visit us next time!

Free Spay/Neuter Weekend Targets Pet Overpopulation

2010-11-18T11:05:00.003-05:00

The SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George's County (PGSPCA) kicked off the holiday season last weekend by performing spay/neuter surgeries for almost 70 Prince George's County pets, many of them free to residents who receive public assistance or are on a limited income. We also offered rabies and distemper vaccinations, nail trims, ear cleanings, and microchipping in conjunction with surgery, at a very low cost to the pet owners.

The free surgeries were made possible in part by a grant from the Snyder Foundation. They were performed by two local veterinarians (Drs. Shawnne J. Spencer and Karen Blanchard) with support from two surgical technicians (Pamela Ferguson and Jim Richey) and two veterinary assistants (Liz Fox and Emily Milchling, both pre-vet majors at the University of Maryland). All administrative functions, including appointments, billing, patient check-in and discharge, and all required paperwork, were handled by several volunteers.

Surgeries were performed at the PGSPCA Spay/Neuter Clinic in Forestville, MD, where more than 20,000 animals have been spayed or neutered since 2001. The clinic is not currently operating full-time but is used for special spay/neuter events and monthly low-cost shot clinics.

We expect to host another spay/neuter weekend in February 2011. "The demand for such services, especially in this economy, is greater than ever," says PGSPCA President Tamela Terry. "At a time when many pet owners are forced to relinquish their animals for financial reasons, it’s a real pleasure to be able to provide low-cost or free services that will help the owners keep their pets and care for them properly."

You can help us continue such efforts by going to our website--pgspca.org--and clicking on "donate now."

Help Our "Golden Girls" Find Homes for the Holidays

2010-11-08T17:42:00.003-05:00

Meet the "Golden Girls." While this famous human female foursome of "a certain age" entertains us only on TV reruns, two of their canine namesakes--Rose and Sophia--are available to bring hours of happiness each day to a lucky family or two.

Unfortunately, society’s fixation on youth seems to extend beyond the human species; the only reason, surely, these two lovely canine ladies are still in the care of the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County instead of in a forever home of their own. With a little help from our friends--people like you--we’re hoping to change that situation.

Sophia is an old friend of ours. A black Lab/GSD mix, she was adopted from the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County as a puppy in 2002 by a nice young couple with another, slightly older dog (Rose) after completing our normal, thorough adoption process, which involves interviews, reference and veterinary checks, and home visits. But life can take funny--or sad--turns, and several months ago we received a call from a shelter in nearby state informing us that, based on a microchip scan, one of two dogs left in a cage at their 24-hour drop-off facility was ours. Shelter staff also mentioned that the two dogs--now aged 8 and 10 years--seemed very attached and asked if we’d take them both.

Despite the challenge of placing one senior canine, much less two, we couldn’t say no.

Today, Rose and Sophia are thriving in their foster home. Their foster mom describes them as "a bit timid but super sweet, super easy dogs to have around."

Rose, a tri-color Lab/cattle dog mix, loves food and has never met a treat she didn’t like. As a result she’s carrying a few extra pounds and could benefit from a couple of short walks a day. She has an endearing habit of wagging her tail and cocking her head from side to side with a quizzical expression when you talk to her in a happy voice. A hedonist at heart, Rose will seek out the most comfortable spot to "chill," whether it’s a pile of pillows or an open suitcase. Her foster mom thinks Rose needs a quiet home with other dogs for company.

A bit more self-confident than her companion, Sophia has a unique and appealing look: one ear up, one ear curled down, and a white spot--a reverse beauty mark--on her muzzle. She’s gentle and huggable, and likes a lot of scratching. She’s also a real "kisser." Sophia’s favorite toy is her stuffed woobie, which she happily carries around from room to room. She does well with both adults and children, and would be most comfortable as an only dog or with one other dog. Like Rose, she seems uninterested in cats.

Both Rose and Sophia can sit and shake hands, and are working on down and stay.
Please celebrate "Adopt a Senior Dog Month" by helping us find homes where Rose and Sophia can enjoy their golden years. You can read more about them on our website: pgspca.org. And if you’d like help defray the costs of caring for animals like them, click on the "donate now" link on the website.

Help Fluffy & Fido Have a Safe Howl-o-ween

2010-10-27T16:07:00.003-04:00

For many of us, Halloween is a night of thrills and chills...full of candy, costumes, trick-or-treating, and frighteningly fun times! But imagine what our pets must think when all they can smell is bags full of chocolate, their favorite people just don’t look quite right, and strangers at the door are even scarier than usual. Here are some tips compiled from the ASPCA and American Humane Association to ensure that your pets have a safe and stress-free Halloween.

Know Your Pet’s Limits
Too many ghosts and scarecrows can be scary and stressful for many pets, so keep all but the most social dogs and cats in a quiet room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours.

For outgoing pets that aren’t "spooked" by the Halloween hubbub, keep a supply of pet treats handy, and reach for one before you open the door for trick-or-treaters. If your pet sits calmly while the door is open, give her a treat!

Taking "outward hounds" trick-or-treating can be fun, but steer clear of noisy groups of little ghouls and goblins. If your pet shows any anxiety, take him back home, as a frightened pet is likely to bolt...a scary prospect with so many beasties at play!

Putting On the Dog
Many pet parents can’t resist the thought of their four-legged friend in costume, but please don't put your dog or cat in a costume unless you know he or she loves it. For pets who prefer their "birthday suits," try a Halloween-themed collar or bandana.

If you do dress up your pet, try on costumes before the big night to ensure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It shouldn’t constrict the animal's sight, movement, or hearing or impede his ability to breathe, bark, or meow. Make sure the costume doesn’t have small, dangling, or easily chewed-off pieces that she could choke on.

And because an unexpected "escape" is always a possibility, make sure your pet’s holiday garb includes a collar with up-to-date ID and rabies tags in case he decides to "accompany" trick-or-treaters without you. Microchipping your pet is recommended as an added precaution, since a lost pet with a microchip has a greater chance of being reunited with her owner.

Setting the Scene...Safely
A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but please exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting singed or even seriously burned by candle flames.

Instead of an open flame in the jack-o’-lantern, consider a battery-powered, kid- and pet-friendly pumpkin. But keep wires and cords out of reach of your pet. If chewed, they could cause a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

Sweet...But Not for Fluffy or Fido
Chocolate may be the preferred goodie for trick-or-treaters but it can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased thirst, urination, and heart rate...and even seizures.

Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of the sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination, and seizures. In cases of significantly low blood sugar, liver failure has been known to occur.

Even candy wrappers pose a risk. Ingesting tin foil and cellophane can pose a choking hazard or cause intestinal blockage.

So put all candy out of reach of pets while keeping healthy pet treats on hand so they can share in the Halloween fun. If you do suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

K9 Nose Work

2010-07-18T20:31:00.003-04:00

As mentioned in the posting below this one, my dog, Phoenix, and I are now taking a K9 Nose Work class. Having read about the marvelous effects this exercise can have on reactive, shy, or otherwise not-so-confident dogs, I jumped at the chance when Your Dog's Friend offered the class. We are on week two, and already I am noticing some changes, so I think, maybe, this was a good move.

First off, here's a simplistic description of what K9 Nose Work is. Basically, it's a sports version of what drug-sniffing dogs do. Here, the idea is to find (eventually) a cotton ball scented with something like clove oil amidst a bunch of boxes, or (again, eventually) a car. There are rules, levels, everything one has in every other dog sport. But this sport is unique in that the dogs are worked one at a time, with no other dogs present, which is how I can take Phoenix to class and actually expect her to learn something.

So far, we've had two classes. The first class, about 10 boxes were set out within a ring (a very large X-pen, to be precise). One at a time, each dog got to go into the ring and try to find the box with the food in it. Each dog got three trials, and there were two sets of trials during class. The range of reactions from the dogs was about as diverse as the dogs themselves. Some looked at their owners, helpless without some cue. Some confidently proceeded to the box with the food. Phoenix dashed about the ring, dipping her head into the box with the food multiple times without eating anything. By the 6th trial, she'd actually calmed down enough to eat the food after discovering it. Whew! A bad case of nervousness sure can up her energy level!

Today, for class two, some extra items besides the boxes were added to the ring. I never actually saw any of them because the ring was opaque this time, so I couldn't watch the other dogs working (this was not on purpose -- just a miscommunication with the person setting up the room), and when Phoenix had her turns, I was concentrating on her. Once again, she did more dashing than searching, but after some encouragement, she at least ate the fried chicken from the box. She wasn't fooled by the extra objects, but she was very nervous about being in an open-ish space with all those dogs (7 others, total) in close proximity (i.e. safely crated and behind yet more barriers). Also, this time she had to wait for the 6 dogs before her to have their turns, whereas the first week, she was first in line. Her waiting-in-the-crate manners are getting better, so long as I keep dropping the kibble in at a fairly steady rate (about 1 piece per 5-10 seconds). Of course, all bets are off when one of the other dogs barks or jingles a set of tags, or has to pass by her crate (even though she can't see them). I do use some TTouch to calm her while she's in the crate, too. It really does help. That she can lie down in the crate and wait for the kibble is pretty amazing, given the situation. I am thinking it'll only get better as the weeks progress (4 more classes yet to go).

This week's homework involves turning the boxes on their sides to add a bit of difficulty to the search. River, my other dog, is enjoying the homework as much as Phoenix, if not more so. He's very fast at finding the food. Phoenix, happily, is getting faster, too. During the first week, she was a little hesitant doing her homework. Not so much now, though. Part of the idea of this work is to give the dog confidence to think and act on his/her own, and I think it's working. And more confidence may just turn into less reactivity (or so I've been told). I certainly hope so.

Look for a K9 Nose Work class near you. The sport is steadily growing in popularity, so even if there isn't one now, there may be soon. It is so much fun watching Phoenix grow (mentally) with this sport. I highly recommend it.

Behavioral Adjustment Training for modifying aggression

2010-07-18T20:24:00.002-04:00

Several years ago, a somewhat controversial procedure dubbed C.A.T., for Constructional Aggression Treatment, brought to the fore a marvelous investigation into what a dog-aggressive/reactive dog actually wants when s/he aggresses, and how best to use this knowledge to change that reactivity. One of the finest things to come from this investigation, in my opinion, is the B.A.T. (Behavioral Adjustment Training) method. It is this latter method that, I think, may hold the most promise for helping my own dog-reactive dog.

Grisha Stewart, owner of Ahimsa Dog Training in Seattle, WA, developed B.A.T. Both B.A.T. and C.A.T. rely on "functional rewards" to encourage good behavior. The "functional reward" in the case of aggression is, usually, distance from the object of the aggression. In the case of C.A.T., good behavior by the subject dog (aggressor), e.g. yawns, blinks, sniffing the ground, turning away, etc. results in the other dog (decoy) leaving, thus increasing the distance between them and giving the subject dog what s/he desires most. In B.A.T., most often it is the subject dog that gets to leave, rather than the decoy. In C.A.T., the focus is on teaching the subject dog that non-aggressive behaviors are what give him what he wants. In B.A.T., the focus appears to be somewhat different, though the desired end result is the same. Note: both can be used for problems other than dog-on-dog aggression. For example, they can be used to modify dog-human aggression, separation anxiety, and food guarding. Below, I will stick to dog-dog aggression.

At the end of this post are other references for B.A.T., and if you have a reactive dog, I highly recommend them. Here's my take on B.A.T.. In the beginning (at least of the humane methods for aggression modification), there was counter-conditioning and desensitization. These techniques, as I've written before, are aimed at changing the emotions associated with the decoy dog, and getting the subject dog used to the decoy gradually, respectively. The trouble with counter-conditioning is that food is used as the means of changing the emotions, that is, an association between the decoy dog and good food is built up in the hopes of making the decoy a predictor of good food and, therefore, happy emotions. This is problematic simply because what the subject dog really wants is for the decoy dog to go away, and food is (mostly) a poor substitute for this much greater reward. This realization was the impetus behind C.A.T. And the research showed that the removal of the decoy dog was indeed a much more powerful reward.

The problem with C.A.T. is that it's rather difficult to implement for the average dog owner. One must have access to several extremely calm decoy dogs, a lot of time in several large chunks, and very precise timing so that the decoy leaves at the slightest sign of improvement in the subject dog. Determining the rate at which to decrease distance between subject and decoy, when to wait for more than just the merest blink, when to have the decoy move more, etc. is also quite an art, and screwing it up can cause many problems and quite a bit of stress for all involved. Done right, however, it can accomplish something that looks rather like a miracle, resulting in a formerly aggressive dog being able to communicate properly with other dogs.

B.A.T., to me, is a combination of C.A.T., counter-conditioning and desensitization. In B.A.T., a great deal of emphasis is placed on keeping the dog happy throughout the process. Thus the C.A.T.-like reward of distance may be followed by a quick jog, game of ball or tug, or sniff for food (ala K9 Nose work). In this sense, it is rather like counter-conditioning. There is also a great deal of emphasis placed on keeping the subject dog under threshold, as there is in desensitization. While this is also done in C.A.T., in B.A.T., if the subject dog does go over threshold, s/he is removed (as cheerily as possible) from the decoy dog, declaring the trial a mistake on the trainer's part and moving on. In C.A.T., one still waits for some "good" behavior from the subject dog before removing the decoy, regardless of whether or not the explosion was due to misjudgment on the trainer's part.

Since the subject dog leaves in B.A.T., rather than the decoy, it is much easier to set up B.A.T. trials in real life. If your dog, like mine, reacts to dogs behind fences, you've got the perfect situation in which to do some B.A.T. trials (provided the dog behind the fence doesn't respond with a great deal of barking). Get caught by another dog coming around the corner? Instant B.A.T. trial. The hardest part about using these real-life trials is waiting for some good behavior before cheerily leading your dog away. My only advice in this regard is to judge the distance before making the decision as to whether to wait for good behavior or not. Undoubtedly, when only using real-life situations, there will be more trials that will be declared mis-trials than there would be in setups, but progress can still be made.

So, here's how I practice something like B.A.T. with my own dog. We only do this in real life, as I don't have access to calm decoy dogs these days, having worn them all out during the time I tried C.A.T. However, I do have access to plenty of situations where I am fairly certain of the distance at which a dog might appear, and I use these quite a bit. One of these situations is at a corner yard where a Golden Retriever lives. My dog utterly hates Goldens, and this yard is situated on a hill, so it is very easy to see into the backyard to see if the dog is there. Additionally, we generally go around the corner, where there is yet another stretch of yard visible beside the house. It is at this second stretch that the Golden is most likely to bark at us.

So, we approach the backyard on the opposite side of the street, me, with bits of cheese in hand, watching closely to see if the dog is there. If he is, I then wait for my dog to notice. When she does, I give a cheery 'Yeah!' and toss a bit of cheese either in front of her or off to the side away from the dog. Either provides relief as she is no longer looking at the dog while searching out the cheese. I then encourage her to look again, and repeat the 'Yeah!' and cheese toss when she does. We do this several more times until the dog is no longer visible. Then we turn the corner. At this point, my dog knows the other is going to bark at her. Here, again, I wait for the other dog to become visible and then give a happy 'Yeah!' and toss the cheese off into the grass, away from the other dog. We do this a couple of times and we're nearly past. Just lately, I've been allowing my dog to have a last look at the other dog after we've passed it. I've let this look go on for a second or two before giving the 'Yeah!' and cheese toss. This is how I've up'd the difficulty. And she's managing it o.k. She's tense, an explosion could occur, but it hasn't, and using the 'Yeah!' has been enough to draw her attention away so that I don't have to pull her. Eventually I want her to be able to turn back to me without my encouragement, but that's down the road a bit.

Another situation is at a popular park that we visit early weekday mornings. Because we're there so early, there are generally few to no dogs there, but any that do come tend to be 'regulars', so I can fairly easily predict their movements. If the distance is about right, and I've seen the dog before, I maneuver my dog into a good place from which to spot the other dog (who is, alas, almost always moving, making things generally more difficult). If I've done it right, the other dog is about to move away, so my dog gets to look briefly, note that the other dog is moving away, and then hear my 'Yeah!' indicating that the next game is a cheese hunt.

Does this work? It seems to be working for my dog. While we haven't closed the distance much, she does seem to be less reactive at the distances we've been working. We are currently on vacation, and there are horses visible out the car windows now and again. She is reactive to these, too, but here, again, she is improving. Just yesterday, she saw a bunch of horses, alerted me with a brief whine, and then took the offered food tube (stuffed with cat food) reasonably civilly. Last year, we'd have been treated to loud barking and, perhaps, a lunge at the window. She is also getting to the point where she can ignore dogs barking from house windows. After a startled response bark, she'll put her head down and concentrate on sniffing and exploring, instead. She even managed to ignore a couple of horses in a pasture we walked by yesterday.

She can respond to a high-pitched 'Yeah!' at much shorter distances from the decoy now, which means that when we do get caught off guard, I don't need to drag her away as much--provided I react properly and remember to give the 'Yeah!' in the first place. And she dearly loves hunting for cheese, so tossing the cheese for her during these trying times has been a major key to a change in her emotional association with other dogs. We have just started taking a K9 Nose Work class (dogs are worked separately, so even crazy reactive dogs like mine can participate). I have heard of other reactive dogs becoming less reactive during such classes. I am hopeful that my girl, too, will find the class yet another stepping stone on her path to civility. She may never be a social butterfly, but it sure would be nice not to have to plan our walks around whether or not we'll spot another dog...at any distance!

Here is a list of some references on B.A.T.:

http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/bat/ , the website put together by BAT's inventor, Grisha Stewart.
Boogie's blog. Lots of other stuff about Boogie here, too, but Boogie is going through BAT training, and the writeups and pictures of his progress are great.
Interview with Grisha
Gooddogz blog.
The DVD. Available at ahimsadogtraining.com.

Sizzling Summer Festivals

2010-06-09T15:44:00.000-04:00

Although we have various events going on throughout the entire year, June is the official start of our busy summer season. With three adoption shows, a shot clinic, a festival, SPCA board elections, and so many volunteers away on vacation, the month of June is a doozy.

This was my first year co-coordinating our efforts at Bowiefest, an annual summer festival in Bowie, MD. Along with several other volunteers and a few drafted family members, we pitched our tent, set up our information table, put out our dog treats, and filled the baby pool in anticipation of the overheated pets.

Despite the weather prediction (brutally hot with thunderstorms), we were blessed with a slight breeze and partly cloudy skies. Our location was great, sandwiched between a Great Dane rescue and another local animal welfare group. Instead of competing for attention, we actually benefited from the close proximity--our own little "pet expo". Fortunately, not ALL of the animals were in our corner of Bowiefest. The distance between us and the reptile show was certainly appreciated!

In Theory

2010-05-29T10:36:00.001-04:00

I should have known better. There's a reason I don't go to the shelter regularly to assess potential dogs for the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George's County foster program. It saddens me to see all the animals that end up there--usually through no fault of their own--knowing that many won't make it out. Plus, given the dog-aggressive tendencies of my dog Tango (which means the establishment of complex schedules when there's a foster dog in the house), I'm trying to limit my fostering role. So avoiding the biggest source of temptation seems only prudent.

But a few weeks ago, I threw caution to the wind and volunteered to help choose some dogs for our program. Following a case of Parvo, a serious and highly contagious canine disease, the shelter had instituted containment measures that included limiting the number of dogs any visitor could have contact with to one. More volunteers on site meant more dogs we could evaluate "up close and personal."

Which was all well and good...in theory, at least. Armed with a list of dogs whose time at the shelter was running out, we found several that were good matches for our available foster homes. But...while there, a 6-month-old brindled puppy caught my eye. To be honest, she was hard to miss. She wiggled and wriggled and play-bowed as I paused in front of her kennel, determined to interact with me.

Although I couldn't touch her (I'd already handled my one dog), I knew she was special. Convinced that other shelter visitors would be as captivated as I was, I was certain she'd be adopted quickly. Therefore, I reasoned, there was no harm--at least in theory--in asking shelter staff to let us know if anything happened to jeopardize her future.

But fate has a way of reminding us that nothing in life is certain, and two weeks later the SPCA/HS adoption coordinator received a call that the puppy's application had fallen through and that her holding time at the shelter was running out. Would we take her into our foster program?

Well, it's bad enough to know intellectually that nameless and faceless dogs and cats die in shelters across the country on a regular basis. But it's absolutely unbearable to know that the life of an animal you interacted with, spoke sweet nothings to, and expressed interest in might be snuffed out. I just couldn't let that happen.

So the sweet brindled puppy is now a guest in my home, where she will stay until the right "forever" family turns up. Given her four white feet, I named her Ghillie--the word for Irish dance shoes worn by women in shows such as Riverdance. My husband had suggested Boots, but even though I grew up with a dog with that name, somehow--in an era of dogs named Abby, Sandy, Phoebe, and Jocelyn--that just seemed too pedestrian for a canine of Ghillie's distinctive looks. So Ghillie she is.

And once again, I'm shuttling dogs from inside to outside and one room to another so that Tango's and Ghillie's paths don't intersect. And I'm feeding in shifts (with my other dog, Ceiligh, eating either with Tango or Ghillie). And my life is a bit more complicated, but also greatly enriched. And not just in theory.

ClickerExpo

2010-03-27T17:18:00.004-04:00

Last weekend I attended a workshop on training. Training what? Training any animal (including humans)! The workshop was called ClickerExpo, and it was 3 solid days packed with incredibly useful information and hands-on experiences. At any given time, there were 3 lectures and 2 learning labs to choose from. A few of the sessions were meant to be attended by everyone, but most of the sessions were in parallel, which means that I missed quite a bit. But I'll summarize a little of what I did attend and, hopefully, that'll encourage you to learn more. The full schedule of events is available at www.clickerexpo.com.

Karen Pryor, who has made clicker training famous (though she was not the first to employ it), started things off by talking a little about her new book, "Reaching the Animal Mind". (See www.reachingtheanimalmind.com for information on the book, as well as videos and pictures that accompany the book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about learning or teaching.) She told us a wonderful story about an event that took place after she'd written the book. The story concerns the training of a crab to ring a bell. Fortunately, Karen wrote the story down, so I don't have to try to recount it. Check it out at: Karen's Blog, August 20.

The first non-plenary lecture I attended was "Agility Right from the Start", by Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh. While this lecture gave an excellent introduction to how to train for agility, I was after the micro-shaping aspect of their method, and that was a real eye opener. Several times, on various newsgroups, I have heard tell of one dog or another that has developed a fear of the seesaw (looks pretty much like the human version, and the dog is supposed to go from one end to the other, rocking it in the middle). This is not surprising. The plank is narrow, the dog has to climb up it, the plank moves when the dog gets to the top, and then it makes a loud bang as the far side hits the floor. The lecturers explained that they train for each of these elements individually. And then they showed a marvelously funny clip of a dog being rewarded for making loud, clattering noises such as might occur when the end of the seesaw hits the floor. At one point the dog is trying to drop metal spoons into a metal bucket. He misses with one spoon (so doesn't get rewarded), and then he picks up two spoons the next time and drops them in (and DOES get rewarded). Amazing. By the time the dog is actually on the seesaw, he's anticipating the bang as a wonderful event that means he's about to be rewarded.

The second lecture of the day was on "What to Do About Vexing Training Issues", by Steve and Jen White. The emphasis here was on definition, specifically, defining the problem well enough that one could begin to come up with a solution. One issue raised as an example was a dog that was digging in the backyard. As it turned out, the trainer who raised the issue hadn't met with the client yet, so he didn't have the details. Instead, participants made them up. We, collectively, came up with a dog that only digs when it's been out for an hour or more, tends to dig along the fence line, doesn't care what sort of soil he's digging in, etc. After defining the issue more carefully, we worked on possible solutions. Since it took a whole hour of being outside before the dog started to dig, it seemed like the digging might be related to boredom. Suggestions included creating a digging pit with "buried treasures", and not leaving the dog out for such a long time. The next step would have been to implement these ideas and then re-evaluate the training plan. Had the details been different (e.g. the dog only dug in cool soil on hot summer days), the training/management plan would have been entirely different (e.g. provide the dog with a wading pool, or a dog bed designed to be cooling to the dog).

Next I went to a lab on Shaping, given by Helix Fairweather and Joan Orr. This lab started with just being sure everyone had their 'clicker mechanics' down. Participants were given a bunch of treats, and helpers held a cup to deposit them into. Each participant was to click and then deposit a treat in the cup repeatedly, as fast as possible. While seemingly a simple exercise, it is also a necessary one. You don't want to be fumbling with the basics while trying to handle and teach your dog with excellent timing precision.

After this, looking at a target was shaped, with the criteria being gradually raised until the target was behind the dog when it was presented. Whenever the dog failed to look at the target, the criteria was dropped a bit (e.g. the person with the target moved a little closer) until the dog was again performing reliably, at which point the criteria would be raised. NO WORDS were used during this exercise. Words, also known as cues, are not introduced until the final, desired behavior has been obtained, and no one managed to get to that point in the 15 minutes allotted to the exercise. One dog was clearly overwhelmed by the environment and couldn't concentrate at all on the task at hand. At the next lab, I noticed this dog had a Thundershirt (tm) on (a torso pressure wrap that helps calm anxieties) and seemed to be doing better.

The first lecture of day 2 was "What a Cue Can Do", by Kathy Sdao. While billed as a 'Foundation' level lecture, this was actually quite advanced, and it was by far my favorite lecture of the entire Expo. Kathy brought up a number of points which could help all of us to help our dogs understand what it is we're asking of them. For instance, "choose words that are as distinct as possible for your cues". I had this problem a while back, when I'd trained my dog to respond to "flat" by lying down from a standing position, and then tried to train her to respond to "mat" by going to a small rug and lying down. The words and actions were too similar. Once I changed "mat" to "find-your-rug", she got it immediately. Kathy said that one of her students suggested using the police code words as cues. Great idea for the dog; much harder for us. To the dog, ALL of our cues are arbitrary! Kathy also noted that many of us unintentionally add non-verbal cues to the verbal ones. Dogs interpret our actions mostly by visual cues and tone of voice, so these elements are much stronger indicators for them than the verbiage we spout. We have to actively work at getting rid of these extra indicators. For example, if we only ever ask for a "sit" while we're standing directly in front of our dog, how can we expect the dog to suddenly respond to "sit" when we're standing 5 feet away, or when we've got our back to him.

Right after the lecture, we had a lab on the subject of cueing. The one exercise that really hit home for me was the one on getting the dog to pay attention to the verbal cue. The exercise was again "touch", but this time, every third or fourth try, the target was presented without the verbal cue. The trainer then waited for the dog stop (for a second) trying to touch the target before giving the verbal cue, at which point the dog touched the target and was rewarded. I could see the "gears turning" in the demo dog's head. He didn't quite get it completely by the end of the 5 minute demo, but he'd definitely made progress. I'm trying this exercise at home and finding that my dogs don't listen to the verbal cues much, either, but it's starting to get better!

After lunch, I listened to Karen Pryor's lecture on "Punishment and the Public". As can well be expected, this was on Cesar Millan's methods and why he has such a following, as well as the problems with punishment. During the second half of the lecture, she gave a synopsis of a live show of Cesar's that she'd attended in Boston. Cesar was very charismatic during the first half of the show, she reported, though this was only a lecture. The second half was where he started working with dogs in real time. Her take was that of the three real problem dogs, 2 of them showed definite improvement (one was fearful, the other pushy), and 1 showed at best no change (aggressive). There were no dramatic conversions, and the audience got bored and left before the show was over. Her assessment of Cesar was that he's got excellent timing in his use of punishment, his explanations are often superstitious (and totally lacking in fact), and his worst training error is that he repeatedly gets bitten. Interestingly, I have heard Cesar is started to learn about and use positive-based training methods. Unfortunately, he's still combining them with punishment. As Jesus Rosales-Ruiz and other behavioral scientists have amply proven, the two don't mix. Once one starts to use punishment, the dog (or other animal) gets thrown into avoidance mode, and learning ceases to take place. Oh, and Karen's take on the mantra was that calm submission is bunk, but calm assertiveness is very real, and it is what Cesar does so well.

Day 3 started with "Teaching Self-Control" by Kay Laurence. Kay is from the UK, and she has quite a different style than many of the other trainers present. What stood out for me in both her talk and her lab is the way she emphasized that we, as trainers, should not be letting the dog do the training. She gave as an example the border collie who trains the trainer to deliver treats faster by waiting for them expectantly. For such a dog, she deliberately delivers the treats slower, emphasizing that things will be done on her time, not the dog's. She also talked about not rewarding the behavior until the energy behind the behavior was right, too. For instance, don't reward a hesitant back-up behavior much, or that's what you'll get in the end. To remove the hesitancy, you can 'wind the dog up' with, say, retrieve or chase. Then try cueing the back-up. Similarly, don't reward "four on the floor" if the dog is only just barely controlling the impulse to jump. Wait until the impulse has diminished more. I think the idea here is that you're not just shaping action, but also mood/energy. To do this well, one needs excellent skills in timing, reading body language, shaping, etc. It's why most of us need a class to help us train our dogs.

The lab that followed on the subject also emphasized how to rev a dog up (with chase or retrieve), and how to instill some control while the dog is in that state (e.g. the dog doesn't get to chase the toy until released to do so). Additionally, Kay showed us some exercises for calming dogs down, like walking 'circuits' (ovals) calmly, at a stately pace, pretty much ignoring the dog trotting at your side. Kay has a new book and DVD out about the subject: Tug More Learn More.

The final session was on TAGteach, by Theresa McKeon. This was my second favorite session of the expo, and it was one of the reasons I went this year. TAGteach (Teaching with Acoustical Guidance) is, essentially, clickertraining for humans. But don't laugh. A couple of dramatic examples will give an idea of the power of this method. Joan Orr, mentioned above, has never participated in sports of any kind since she was a small girl. Indeed, she can't. Due to an accident, she walks with crutches. Yet, by watching video of athletes doing the Fosbury Flop (that backward leap over the high jump), she was able to teach a group of young children to do it in 15 minutes (see TAGteach blog)! We also saw video of a girl training for the special Olympics learning to toss the ribbon handle in the ribbon dance. For 9 months prior to this, she could do the entire dance perfectly except for the toss. In just one session, she learned to toss it high in the air -- no frustration and no tears. A final example comes from Eva, the agility instructor I mentioned at the beginning. Using Tagging, she taught herself to overcome her fear of flying, allowing her to come here to the U.S.A. to lecture. She says she now loves flying, but when she started the process, she couldn't look out the window for even a second. You can learn more about TAGteach at www.tagteach.com.

As Karen Pryor mentioned in the beginning of the expo, clickertraining isn't just some sideshow, quirk, or gimmick. It's a method of teaching and learning that has a lot of science behind it to support its obvious efficacy. So get on board and learn it. You'll be amazed at how much faster your student(s) learn, whether they be humans, dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, horses, crabs, fish,...

Snow Daze (and recalls)

2010-02-15T18:06:00.002-05:00

Lately, we in the D.C. area, as everybody knows, have had more than our fair share of snow. More importantly, we've had more than we know how to deal with.

No one will doubt that the average D.C. area driver doesn't know how to drive in snow. S/he simply doesn't get enough practice at doing so. Even I, who drove in the snowy climes of Ithaca, NY for 6 years, have largely forgotten everything I then learned. So, it's a given that streets reduced to one lane due to mounds of white stuff are incredibly dangerous. In particular, drivers around here seem to think the right way to deal with a one lane, two-way street is to drive it as fast as possible in order to beat out anyone who might be about to come up it the other way.

What does this have to do with animals? Well, that's the other insanity that happens here when the snow is deep. People seem to think it's o.k. to let their dogs out loose in their front yards while they shovel. Trouble is, most of these people have nearly no control over their dog. They haven't taught their dog a reliable recall, ever. And likely, usually when they holler "come", their dog heads the other way, anticipating a bath or trip to the vet. Combine this with insane drivers, narrow roads and very limited visibility, and you have a recipe for disaster. Even if the dog stays in the front yard for the most part, the passing of another dog, person, squirrel or cat is nearly always too much temptation. I have yet to see a dog get hit, but it's only a matter of time.

If you know one of those people who, for whatever reason, really must let his/her dog out in the front yard when it snows, please pass this along: they need to either leave the dog on a long line, or teach an infallible recall (see http://wwww.shirleychong.com/keepers/Lesson6.html, or http://dogscouts.org/Article_links_page.html (search for 'emergency recall'). While it takes time and effort to teach a dog to return to you no matter what, it's better that than having the dog hit by some maniacal driver who has decided that small, bare patch of pavement just barely visible means all is back to normal, despite the fact that traction is limited and there's no room for two-way traffic, and certainly no place for wayward dogs. And if you're driving down those narrow neighborhood streets, please watch for loose dogs.

Anti-itch and anti-microbial solutions

2010-02-10T13:55:00.003-05:00

Your dog has a slight scrape on her shoulder. Does it warrant a trip to the vet? What if she won't stop bugging it (scratching at it or licking it)? Are there any alternatives? What about a cat with an abscess? The abscess has already erupted (so it's unlikely to go systemic), and this is the third one your cat has had.

Let me preface what I'm about to say by the statement that whenever you take it upon yourself to treat your animal at home, observation is key. You really need to watch your pet carefully for signs of improvement, no improvement, or worsening. This is so critical, that if you're not accustomed to this sort of vigilance, pay for the trip to the vet. Much better safe than sorry, and small problems are so much easier to handle than small problems that have become large problems due to inattention or the wrong kind of attention.

That said, especially if you've already taken your dog to the vet for a scrape in the past, there are indeed things you can do for minor injuries. For dogs only (because it contains teatree oil, there's Richard's Organics Incredible Skin Spray. This is a wonderful concoction which reduces itching, acts as an antimicrobial, and speeds healing. I have person experience with this. Likely you will have to order this product from an online company, as it isn't generally carried in local stores.

A second, excellent product for reducing itching, disinfecting and speeding healing, and which can be used on both dogs and cats, is Keys Redicare. I have also used this product. It was very effective at reducing itching in my one dog who is extra sensitive to fleas. Both of these products can be sprayed directly on open wounds, rubbed into the fur, etc. While they are not intended to be taken internally, it's o.k. if your dog licks the area (after the stuff has had a chance to penetrate). If you have a cat that licks your dog, then don't use any product containing teatree oil. In a pinch, at least for dogs, you can use an antibiotic ointment like neosporin. The trouble with this is making sure your dog doesn't ingest it.

For more problematic wounds (those that might need a bit of protection as well as disinfectant), EMT Gel can be used in the "management of chronic and acute wounds" (quote from the tube). Whole Dog Journal had an article on this product a while back with some fairly miraculous stories of efficacy.

Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) by Nutribiotic is also an antimicrobial and works amazingly well for fungal infections; however, it can also irritate the skin if used straight, so it's best to dilute it (according to directions on the bottle) if you're going to put it on skin. Don't use it at all on very sensitive areas, such as the nose or membranes around the eyes. Colloidal Silver is a better choice for these, and it also acts as an antimicrobial. Both of these products can be taken internally to help fight infections of various sorts, e.g. kennel cough. They can be added to the drinking water (though GSE is rather bitter, so adding it to, say, ground beef, may be more effective). Colloidal Silver has essentially no flavor at all. Both of these products are extremely safe when used as directed on the bottle. Colloidal Silver can be rather expensive, and it is possible to make it yourself much cheaper, but I would only advise that option if you were going to foresee needing a lot of it, and only after having done considerable research on the proper method of producing it.

I have personal experience with all of these products and can vouch for the efficacy. For all except the EMT Gel, I have used them on myself as well, and they have been equally effective. Nevertheless, the above are meant as suggestions for further research. If you have a pet that is prone to scrapes, or perhaps one that is not doing well on the vet-prescribed dosage of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory (read: pain killer), you might look into some of the above products. The fact that none of these have any side effects already makes them worthy of further consideration.

You can pay for food, or you can pay the vet

2010-02-05T17:53:00.005-05:00

I will never forget the first time I heard someone say, "I'm going to start feeding my dog raw chicken wings". This person was actually someone I have high regard for when it comes to all things 'dog', so I was really shocked at this statement. My first thought was that her dog's teeth would never get clean without eating dry dog food. How wrong and utterly brainwashed I was! Here's a picture of my 9 1/2 year old dog's teeth (you can see his muzzle is gray). They have never been cleaned, and they looked a good deal worse than this when I adopted him at less than 1 1/2 years old.

Many elements combined to bring me where I am today in terms of what I feed my dogs (and, recently, cats), the above statement being only one of them. When my first dog started showing signs of liver failure, I bought a book on doggy nutrition. The one thing that stuck from all the pages I read was to add an enzyme supplement (e.g. Prozyme) to dry food to help the dog digest it. I did this and, lo and behold, my dog's liver indicators showed major improvement. Wow! Nutrition makes a difference. The same dog later developed spinal myelopathy (degenerative condition of the spine common in GSDs, a breed in his mix). I changed his morning dry food from Cycle to California Natural, and started feeding him a raw diet in the evening based on information from Kymythy Schultze's book, "Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats" (see www.kymythy.com for some interesting articles on nutrition and more resources). This, combined with acupuncture and chiropractic manipulations added a couple of happy, mostly mobile years to his life.

These days, the dogs get frozen raw patties (thawed, of course) for breakfast on weekdays, and a homemade raw diet with multiple whole food supplements the rest of the time. But it took me a long time to get to this point, so if you are interested in paying for better food rather than paying for the vet (that is pretty much the trade off), it's o.k. to take it in small steps.

At the end of this entry, there are some other resources besides Kymythy Schultze's book. Oddly, though, finding (written) resources was not the difficult part when I began the journey towards better food for my dogs (and now cats, too). The hard parts were:

overcoming inertia (so much easier to put a scoop into a bag)
the logistics (where to buy ingredients such as chicken necks at a reasonable price)
forming habits (both advanced preparation and day-to-day preparation)
finding the confidence to serve my concoctions.

Having a friend who had already traversed these pitfalls successfully helped enormously, so I hope the rest of this entry can help you to do the same.

Overcoming inertia (and, perhaps, sticker shock):
The easiest way to get over these is to take stock of the sorts of improvements you will see in your pet(s) as a result of feeding them better. These include:

teeth with little or no tartar on them, despite no dental cleanings, and no bad breath
softer, shinier coat that doesn't stink, even when your pet hasn't been bathed for over a year
ears that have no waxy build up in them and never need cleaning
eyes that are clear and have little or no discharge and never need cleaning
reduced incidence of arthritis, kidney problems, liver problems... as your pet ages
much greater resistance to basic diseases such as kennel cough, Lyme's disease, giardia, E. Coli, and salmonella (one of my dogs has Lyme's disease but has never been symptomatic, and neither dog has ever gotten any of the other diseases despite repeated exposure and no vaccinations against any of them!)
faster healing of injuries, both internal and external

There are probably other things, but these are the ones I've noticed the most in my own pets. As you may imagine, all of the above translate into huge savings at the vet, especially in the later years of your pet's life.
Logistics:
Of course, the logistics of finding ingredients varies from locale to locale. Here in the Bowie, MD area, C&C meats turns out to be a relatively cheap, close source for bulk chicken and turkey necks, as well as beef marrow bones. As they sell in bulk, you have to place your order in advance, and you need to pick it up at their place during their working hours. Additionally, you need to repackage the stuff into smaller parcels that'll be the basis for a couple of days worth of food (in the case of the necks).

Forming habits:
My routine goes something like: call Thursday for 1 box each of chicken and turkey necks, have my friend pick them up on Friday before 4:30, spend Friday before dinner repackaging the chicken necks into quart-sized plastic containers and put those in the freezer in the garage. I leave the turkey necks outside to start thawing as they generally come in one big frozen lump. Saturday or Sunday, depending on when they actually are thawed enough, I take them, one at a time, chop them into smaller pieces and put them in plastic containers to, again, be stored in the garage freezer. This part happens once every couple of months. Roughly every 6 weeks, I buy up large quantities of vegetables at the grocery store, cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave while I coarsely chop and throw into the food processor all the other veggies (in batches). All veggies get mixed in a large mixing bowl, with the cooked sweet potatoes (I usually just scoop out the innards of these), and then I package the result in pint-sized containers which get put in the garage freezer. I also buy ground meat (these days bison, as it is raised without antibiotics) as needed, and sometimes I luck out and get it on sale. Now and again I buy beef or chicken liver to use in place of the ground meat.

As the above is not nearly as varied or balanced as what is recommended in Kymythy Schultze's book, I a) make sure the treats I feed are things like dried liver and, wherever possible, organic, b) feed raw, nutritionally balanced patties 5 times a week, and c) add supplements of various sorts and change these periodically. Currently the supplement list includes a powdered alfalfa, kelp, spirulina mix (alfalfa and kelp are highly recommended in Schultze's book, and powdered herbs and can be bought at www.herbalcom.com), Fresh Factors tablets from Springtime, Inc., fish oil, B Vitamins and, every other day, 400 IU of natural Vitamin E. In the past, I have also used Nature's Logic whole food supplement, Wholistic Canine Complete, or Springtime Inc's Longevity in place of the alfalfa mix and Fresh Factors tablets.

As stated above, weekday mornings I feed raw patties, so that part's quick. The pills get wrapped, sort of, with left over cat food, and the dogs snap them up no problem. I keep thawed containers of necks, mixed veggies, and ground meat in the refrigerator. I use a scale to weigh out the appropriate amounts of each in each bowl, add powders to the meat and veggie mix, stir and serve. So it's 10 minutes instead of 2. It's worth it!

But start small. Try a home prepared meal on weekends. Find someone who has older pets that look extremely healthy (young pets can usually survive on just about anything!) and ask them what they feed and how they manage.

Gaining confidence:
Talk to a holistic vet about what you are planning to try and ask for advice. An excellent resource for finding such a vet is www.ahvma.org. You may pay more than you expect for the 'office visit', but you'll pay a lot less for 'services' (like vaccinations). I highly recommend a visit to such a vet, particularly to be sure you haven't left anything vital out of your meal plan. Also, watch your pet for signs of good or bad changes. It may take 2-3 months to see anything, but if the signs are good, you're doing something right! And remember, feeding a dog or cat isn't rocket science, anymore than feeding your human family is!
Now for some resources:

Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide To Natural Health For Dogs And Cats
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/barf.html
THE RAW TRUTH: THE CONTROVERSY OF RAW FOOD DIETS, by Laurie Prober, VMD (an excellent paper about raw food)
www.kymythy.com
www.barfworld.com
Give Your Dog a Bone: The Practical Commonsense Way to Feed Dogs for a Healthy Life by Ian Billinghurst
Back articles of Whole Dog Journal (www.whole-dog-journal.com)
Reigning cats & dogs by Pat McKay (a nice supplement to Schultze's book

O.k. After all that, I can hear you saying, "She must be nuts. Chicken bones are bad for dogs." Raw chicken bones are soft, though, and the bones in chicken and turkey necks are closer to cartilage than actual bone. And maybe you're questioning the lack of grains in the above. Well...when was the last time you saw a wild dog noshing on, say, wheat? Fear not. Feed!

Living the Good Life at Last

2010-02-03T10:48:00.004-05:00

As you can see, Lance, the 1-year-old black lab mix who spent the first few months of his life chained outside followed by several more in a shelter cage, is reveling in his first real taste of life in a loving (foster) home.

He's made several doggy friends, including Shadow, one of the resident doggy denizens. They spend quite a lot of time wrestling together and both enjoy it thoroughly. And he's learned to take “no” for an answer from Shadow when she gets tired. (She is several years his senior, after all).

He's still very suspicious of crates—and probably always will be—but that's okay. He doesn't seem to need one, really, as he's very good when left alone (in the company of one of the other dogs).

While not playing or just hanging out with his canine companion, Lance is learning proper doggy etiquette from his foster mom.

He still likes to nibble on fingers...until he's reminded (either by a puppy-like squeal or the substitution of toy for fingers). Ask him to sit for petting, though, and his butt is immediately on the ground. Next lesson: learning not to react to people at a distance, especially while in a car.

Train your dog month

2010-01-18T11:53:00.002-05:00

January is 'train your dog' month, and we're already over half way through it! So have you been training your dog? If you answered 'no', you're most probably wrong. In every interaction with your dog, either you are training the dog, or the dog is training you, and hopefully it's the former. And this is good! It means there are lots of moments throughout each day when we can reinforce things our dogs have already learned, or even teach new ones, all without any 'formal' training taking place at all.

Case in point: my dog-reactive dog, Phoenix, also has limited patience for our cat, Nick. Last night, as I started to work with her a little in the living room, she decides to take a swipe at Nick. As always, it was an intended near miss, but I still wasn't happy with her behavior. Nick went to a high place, and I proceeded to work with her on paying attention to me with a distraction (Nick) present. Granted, it's going to take a lot more repetitions to get this behavior to the point where she stops pestering Nick, but by the end of this session (of, maybe, 10 minutes), she had relaxed enough to lie down.

Another opportunity: we're on a walk, and River fixates on a fast food bag that someone's tossed in the road. We've worked a fair bit with 'leave it' at home, but not so much out in the real world. So, 'leave it', I say, and out come the treats when he finally turns his head my direction. I know, you're thinking "Who keeps treats in their pocket on walks?". Well, when you've got a reactive dog, it becomes second nature to grab the treats before heading out the door. Kind of akin to clipping a leash to the collar, and remembering to stick plastic bags in your pocket to scoop poop.

Having treats with you on a walk is a great way to work on generalizing cues you've taught at home without really working very hard. In the beginning, you can just ask for something simple, like a 'sit', with no distractions around. You don't really need a clicker (if you're using one) at this point, since your dog already knows what 'sit' means, at least, at home. You may need to give him a little help the first time you ask for 'sit' outside, but generalization of cues really does, well, generalize, in the sense that, after your dog has learned that 'sit' means 'sit' no matter where they are, it doesn't take them nearly as long to learn 'heel' means 'heel' wherever they are, too.

So, after asking for a cue (and rewarding for compliance) with no distractions (other than being outside), you can start adding distractions like: child walking by, car going by, squirrel on a high-up branch, squirrel on the ground in the distance, etc. And these'll all just 'happen' as you're walking your dog. Look for the opportunity!

You can train your dog on a daily basis primarily using your daily interactions. Yes, you'll need to do a little 'formal' work in a low distraction environment initially to train each cue, but after that, start using the cue around the house, then on walks, and then in the presence of progressively more difficult distractions---AS THEY OCCUR. Training may be slower than for someone who actively sets up the levels of distraction for their dog, but it will happen. And the results can still be pretty impressive. Bonus: if you have two dogs, or plan to get a second, take note: dogs can learn from other dogs. That second dog just might be a lot easier to train!

For more, free information and ideas on training your dog, check out
www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads or petcentralpawsitivepetcare.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/january-2010-is-train-your-dog-month/.

New Year Brings New Exceptions to the Rule

2010-01-11T10:19:00.006-05:00

As a small volunteer-run organization with a finite number of foster homes, the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County tries to maximize its adoption impact (rescuing and rehoming the largest number of animals) by focusing on young, healthy, highly “adoptable” dogs and cats. Sometimes, however, there are animals that don’t fit all these criteria—like Chance (August 2, 2009 blog post) and Kaiya (March 30, 2009 post)—that so tug at our hearts that we have to help. Think of them as the very special “exceptions to the rule.”

Already this year we have two such animals in our foster program.

The first is Lance, a 1-year-old black lab mix who spent the first few months of his life chained outside followed by more months in a cage while his future was determined—ever so slowly—by the legal system. Deprived of socialization and mental stimulation for so long, his chances of ever being put up for adoption at the county shelter were very low.
But we believed this boy deserved a second chance at a happy life. Although he’ll need a lot of behavior work, Lance is a beautiful, healthy dog and a really good rehabilitation candidate. We boarded him over the Christmas holiday since none of our volunteers was available to care for him, and he’s now learning how to be a pet in a foster home.

He certainly looks happy with his new situation!

The second dog is Dudley, a 3-year-old basset hound mix. Two of our volunteers saw him at the shelter on Thursday while there to pick up another dog. They immediately noticed that in addition to being underweight and having overgrown nails, he was in pain, straining to urinate, and producing only drops of bloody liquid. Because he didn’t have an adoption application and was in obvious need of prompt medical attention, we took him into our program—and to the veterinarian—immediately. (I mean, come on, how could we resist those eyes.)

Turns out Dudley had several bladder stones, one of which was blocking his urethra. His bladder was enlarged and full of urine. The veterinarian flushed the blockage and drained the urine…which probably saved Dudley’s life. The stones were removed surgically on Firday, and he is now recovering comfortably in a foster home, cuddling with his foster mom, savoring nutritious food…and relieving himself without pain!

We are grateful for the volunteers who open their hearts and homes to help these special cases—as well as the rest of our adorable adoptable dogs and cats—the veterinary staff that care for them, and the generous financial support that helps us provide for their expected—and unexpected needs.

Ahh, the Glamorous Life

2009-12-28T21:28:00.000-05:00

Not all animal rescue is "AS SEEN ON TV". I'd even venture to say that most animal rescue is nothing like the latest series on Animal Planet. What the film crews don't show is the endless data entry, filing, paper-pushing, phone calls, and emails. I don't blame them--it's pretty monotonous and doesn't make for good ratings. But many a good dog has been rescued by volunteers manning phones, punching computers keys, and scouring through mind-numbing Excel files.

Take Sheba (name changed to protect the innocent). A nice gentleman found her roaming the streets this morning. He took her to the nearest vet to see if she had a microchip, and, voila!, she did. But the vet's microchip system wasn't compatible with the embedded brand. So, Mr. Nice Guy takes Sheba to three more vets before finding one that could get the vital information. Talk about going above and beyond!

Alas, the chip was never completely registered. Our SPCA did the implantation several years ago, but Sheba's owner never followed through with the registration. The only name and phone number on record was ours. Once contacted, we started to digging through decades of microchip records, from animals we adopted out, to animals we altered at our clinic, to animals we treated at our monthly vaccination clinics.

We finally locate Sheba's records with her owner's name, address, and phone number. We make the call and find the number is disconnected. Mr. Nice Guy goes to the listed address to look for the owner himself, but there is no apartment number listed on the original form. So we begin to search the WhitePages for people with similar last names living in the area. We leave a few messages.

Finally! We locate someone who knows the owner of this dog. She says the owner has moved out of the country and left the dog with another family member. In the meantime, Mr. Nice Guy has tracked down a neighbor of the person currently living at the old address who confirms that the dog doesn't belong to the current owner, but instead now lives with a family member two blocks over. We have both stumbled, by hard work and lots of luck, on the correct current address and owner of poor little Sheba.

And they are out of town. Another neighbor is able to contact the dogsitter, who promises to pick up Sheba from Mr. Nice Guy tonight after he gets home from work.

This is where I need to emphasize that the shelter in our area euthanizes approximately 25 per day. Sheba is a big dog and her chances at the county facility are not very good. Neither the original owner, the new owner, nor the dogsitter will ever realize how many people it took to get Sheba home safely. Dozens of people played a part in this saga. For Mr. Nice Guy and one of our volunteers, it was an entire day's work. Though they will never get the credit they deserve, these are the people that make up the heart of the animal welfare movement.

And honestly, they don't do it for the credit--their efforts come from their hearts.

Leaving your pet with a pet sitter or relatives

2009-12-28T19:36:00.000-05:00

As the primary caretaker of your pet(s), you have a certain idea of what constitutes "good" pet care. And your pet(s), likewise, have come to expect that level of care from you. But just because it may be obvious to you that, say, your dog should be fed twice a day, and his water refreshed at each meal, don't assume that whomever you are about to entrust your dog (or cat or hamster or...) to feels the same way. In order not to violate the trust your pet has placed in you, you really need to spell out what you expect to the person you'll be temporarily turning over care duties to.

Do it in writing! Give the person an easy schedule to follow; one that fits into their daily schedule and makes taking care of your pet not so difficult, and yet, at the same time, makes your pet feel like all is still right with the world. There may be some things that you can simplify, e.g. by putting the bag of food on the counter where it is easy to find, rather than forcing the pet sitter to hunt it down. There may be some optional things listed, too, such as "Morning belly rubs are greatly appreciated!" These give the care taker an opportunity to bond a bit with your pet.

Hopefully your written schedule needn't include something like "My dog is not used to being left out all day, so please keep him in the house while you are gone", but if you are at all unsure of how your pet will be treated, be sure to find out before you leave. It may be that every dog Aunt Suzie ever had spent their nights in the garage, but your dog is expecting to spend the night on Aunt Suzie's bed. Or it may be that the pet sitter thinks nothing of being an hour late to let your dog out, but you know that your dog can only "hold it" eight hours. Or maybe you have a cat whose litter box must be cleaned twice a day or he sprays all over the house. It's a normal part of your routine, so you forget this isn't everybody's idea of what "keep the litter box clean" means. Try to be thorough in thinking these things through. You want your pet to believe that only good things will happen while you are gone, and that you are still thinking of them, even though you aren't present.

Don't forget to include a number where you can be reached, as well as the number of your pet's vet, and the number of a neighbor familiar with your pet who can help resolve non-emergency issues, should they arise.

While this article should have been written early November, the need for it didn't show up until someone found a dog running loose, and it turned out that the dog was in the care of relatives while the owner was gone for a while. You can read that tale on this blog, soon. In the meantime, this article, late though it may be, is written in the hopes of preventing another such incident.

Hoping for a Holiday Miracle

2009-12-15T14:56:00.000-05:00

Meet tiny Noelle. She's been through a lot in her short 4 months of life. Her tiny ankles bow inward, making her tired and sore when she tries to play. According to the orthopedic specialist we visited today, Noelle's injuries are a result of poor nutrition and confinement in a too small space, unable to move and exercise properly as a puppy should. The orthopedist took x-rays and believes that with proper nutrition and lots of exercise she should self-correct. She'll probably never be 100% but the bowing will be more cosmetic than anything. Since she will be bearing a bit more weight on the outside of her wrist, she may experience arthritis down the road, as many aging pets do.

Noelle will be re-evaluated in one month to make sure she's improving on her own. In the meantime, she is in one of our foster homes where she gets nutritious food, room to play, and lots of the love and affection.

Prevent a shelter dog. Give the gift of information!

2009-11-15T18:26:00.000-05:00

I'm not happy to admit it, but I have three relatives who have recently bought dogs, despite the fact that they know I work with a rescue organization! So I know how hard it can be to get friends and family on board with the idea of adopting a pet rather than buying one.

If you know of someone who is dead set on buying a puppy soon, perhaps (shudder) as a holiday present, first off, try to steer them towards a reputable breeder. But even if that fails, you can steer them to excellent, free information! Through the end of January, they can download (for free) "BEFORE You Get Your Puppy" and "AFTER You Get Your Puppy", both by Dr. Ian Dunbar, a pioneer in positive training methods. The books are available at http://www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads. Check them out yourself, too, as well as all the rest of the wonderful, free information on dog training using positive methods available on the dogstardaily website. It is so much easier to train a puppy correctly, than to retrain an adolescent!

And while I'm on the topic of changing opinions, the easiest, and perhaps most effective, way I know of to improve the quality of some dog's life is to give the owners a year's subscription to Whole Dog Journal. At a minimum, January and February's issues have reviews of dry and canned dog food. And since this magazine takes no advertising, their reviews are brutally honest. Literally, Whole Dog Journal completely changed the way I view dogs, and I will never look back.

So rather than silently fume about unthinking relatives or ignorant neighbors, give the gift of information. Quite likely, the next time you see the recipient pup, he'll know, and you'll get a huge lick of thanks!

Of Reference Checks and Home Visits: Attempting to Make the Perfect Match

2009-10-23T11:41:00.000-04:00

“How come there are so many questions on the adoption application?”

“What’s the point of a home visit?”

“Why do I need to provide references?”

These are just a few of the questions shelters and rescue organizations get regarding a pet adoption process that some people consider annoying or even excessive.

The vast majority of potential adopters want to “do the right thing” by opening their hearts and homes to an animal in need. And they may feel that since there are so many dogs and cats waiting for forever homes that we should be happy to give them the animal they want.

And we agree…to an extent. Sometimes the animal they have their hearts set on may not, in our opinion, be one that will fit well into their lives. For example, they may have a cat, and we know the dog they want has a high prey drive and will make their cat’s life miserable. Or they want a 3-month-old puppy although they are away from home 9 to 10 hours a day.

Our goal is not to make people jump through arbitrary hoops. Rather, we want to make the best human/canine or human/feline match possible because we want it to be a lifelong relationship. And the way we do that is by talking to prospective adopters, having them answer specific questions about their lifestyle and provide personal and veterinary references, and visiting their home.

The veterinary reference allows us to confirm that any past pets were well cared for and kept up-to-date on vaccinations, and that any medical issues were addressed.

And the home visit gives us an opportunity to educate people about possible problems or issues they may need to address. For example, we can point out a hole in the fence that they may think is insignificant but that we know a certain dog can easily escape through. Or if they’re used to keeping their cat’s litter box in a bathroom, they need to figure out a way—like a gate or kitty door—to keep their new dog from going in and chowing down on cat feces.

The system isn’t perfect, and we still get animals returned to us. Right now, in fact, we have five dogs that have been returned by their adopters…some after a couple of months and some after more than a year. Reasons range from “the dog got too big and is jumping on our children” to “our daughter developed allergies to him,” to “he’s too much puppy for me.”

And for an all-volunteer organization like ours that doesn’t operate a shelter, such a situation leaves us scrambling for foster families that may be in short supply. And, of course, each family that takes in a returned animal is a family that’s not free to rescue another animal from death row at the county shelter.

So…the next time you’re tempted to think that organizations like ours go overboard in our attempts to screen potential adopters, just remember that the more work that goes into the process on all our parts, the more likely a perfect match will be made. And that perfect match will mean not only a joyful relationship for you and your new family member, but also a second chance at life for an animal still sitting in the shelter

Annie is LOST!!!!

2009-10-13T12:14:00.000-04:00

Former foster dog Annie was lost on Oct 2, following a car accident.

For more information, go to http://findannie.blogspot.com.

Constructional Aggression Treatment pros and cons

2009-10-04T13:16:00.000-04:00

This is a relatively new method of treating aggression, developed by Kelly Snider and Jesus Rosales-Ruiz as part of Kelly's Ph.D. thesis. The basic ideas are:

1) Shape acceptable responses by the subject (i.e. aggressive) dog to the decoy (other) dog by rewarding them, where 'acceptable' may include averting eyes, turning away, yawning, relaxing, etc. Even better is to shape towards affiliative behavior, like polite sniffing of the air, relaxed wagging of the tail, glances (as opposed to hard stares) in the direction of the other dog, etc.

2) Use the retreat of the other dog as the reward. The logic behind this is that that is what your dog wants most--for the other dog to go away--so that is a far more powerful reward than any food might be.

3) If the dog is behaving aggressively, stay put (don't walk away, as walking away would be rewarding the aggressive behavior).

Some of the finer points are:

Make sure everyone remains safe (which may mean, for example, tethering the subject dog to an immovable object, and/or using two points of attachment, like attaching the leash to the harness and collar).
Try to make the setup as close to the situation in which the subject dog is normally aggressive. Elements may include: who is handling the subject dog, where the setup takes place, what the subject dog is 'wearing', etc.
Try to keep the subject dog from ever actually aggressing. The most you want to see is some tension at the presence of the decoy. The tension, hopefully, will abate as the subject dog chooses some behavior (like yawning) which earns him the reward of the decoy dog walking away.
Let the subject dog figure out on his own that yawning, turning away, soft tail wags, etc. are what are being reinforced. Don't try to cue these actions.
Even when you think the subject dog is starting to act friendly towards the decoy, continue to reward this friendly behavior with distance.
Don't assume that success in one location under one setup means the dog is cured. Generalization is a slow process, especially in cases of aggression.

Amazing results have been seen using this technique. Perhaps the most amazing is that some dogs seem to get to a point where they really don't want the other dog to go away. Some dogs have actually become friendly with their 'decoys' (the term used for the other dog), and that 'switch-over' is really the goal of the entire process.

Here, again, it's difficult to go slowly enough with an especially sensitive dog (such as my sweet Phoenix, who states quite clearly that if she can see, hear or smell another dog, IT'S TOO CLOSE!!! (emphasis hers)). If you can start at a distance less than, say 100 ft., you may see visible progress in a session or two. The hardest parts of this technique are the duration of sessions and the between session logistics. Ideally you want to get to 'switch-over' in one session, but this is very hard on both dogs and people. Also ideally, you don't want your dog to react to another dog between sessions. Here again, this is pretty difficult in real life. CAT has been used successfully for a large number of dogs, but it is perhaps best undertaken, at least initially, with the guidance of a professional.

Phoenix had multiple CAT sessions the summer following the summer of CC & D. Initially we started on a side street with a friendly, but rambunctious malamute as the decoy. The initial distance was perhaps 200 ft. I was holding Phoenix, the malamute's owner was leading him out of and back into his backyard, a trainer was guiding the approach and retreat of the malamute based on Phoenix's reactions, and a fourth person video taped the whole thing. We had to quit after about an hour due to rain, but we'd moved forward maybe 50 ft. during that time (this was over a year ago, so I don't remember exactly, and I can't find any notes).

The next set of sessions were at the trainer's farm using one of her dogs as the decoy. We started at about 70 ft., which was as far apart as we could get and still have the dogs see each other. This was way too close for Phoenix, and she was stressed the entire time, sometimes hiding behind me, sometimes lunging forward and barking, sometimes whining. We made little progress the first session. After about 6 sessions, each about 1 hour long, we got to the point where Phoenix could briefly walk parallel with the other dog at a distance of about 15 ft. However, she was just ignoring the other dog. As the trainer's dog was also (much more mildly) reactive, we did not try to bring the two dogs any closer. The third decoy was a puppy (fostered by the trainer) and much too rambunctious for Phoenix to handle. At this point, for various reasons, I switched to another trainer.

The one session with the new trainer was at a large, shaded parking lot in a park. While we started relatively early in the day, there were several arrivals and departures of people (no dogs, whew!), each of which caused some anxiety. We started at a distance of about 150 ft. and got down to about 70 ft. We had one outburst of barking at 70 ft. (multiple whines before that), but the last trial was perfect, with Phoenix simply turning her head to get the other dog to leave. Due to money, weather and scheduling, no further attempts were made with the new trainer.

In sum, it's possible Phoenix might have gotten to 'switch-over' in a couple more sessions with the last dog we worked with, but the logistics of carrying out this sort of a procedure for such a highly stressed dog were overwhelming. Further, the procedure didn't help me to deal with her on our day-to-day walks, and I felt anything I did to help her cope on these walks (e.g. distract her with food) was actually negating the progress we'd made with CAT. Later, I'll talk about 'BAT'--Behavioral Adjustment Training, which has just recently grown out of the CAT protocol, but is much more easily adapted to real life. In the meantime, I highly recommend reading about BAT at: http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/2009/08/11/behavior-adjustment-training/.

For more information on CAT, you'll need to order one of the DVDs (or find a trainer that has a set). The CAT DVD can be ordered at dogwise.com: Constructional Aggression Treatment-Shaping your way out of aggression DVD, 2nd Edition.

The Overused Antibiotic

2009-10-04T12:45:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, our group had another marathon spay/neuter weekend. One of our fosters brought in her foster dog to be spayed, but alas, the dog was just starting to come down with kennel cough, so home she went. That the dog came down with kennel cough wasn't very surprising. She was fresh out of the shelter, and the vast majority of such dogs do get kennel cough. They always recover quite nicely, with or without antibiotics. Kennel cough for a dog is, after all, the canine equivalent of the common cold for people. In people, antibiotics are given, ostensibly, to prevent the cold from developing into pneumonia. A similar justification is used to dispense antibiotics to dogs with kennel cough. But do all dogs with kennel cough really need antibiotics?

Another example: our (FIV positive, diabetic) cat had an abscess about a week ago. Had we brought him to his regular vet, minimally he would have received antibiotics. A drain may also have been inserted into the wound. But our cat recovered just fine without any of this. We simply cleaned the wound and applied warm compresses a couple of times to ensure it continued to drain. Our holistic vet confirmed that this was the right thing to do. Once an abscess bursts, the worst is over, and it is unlikely the animal will need antibiotics to recover. It is only if the abscess does not burst, but rather goes systemic (i.e. the infection enters the blood) that it becomes a problem.

Yet another example: I had a dog become extremely ill just after surgery to remove a tumor. The surgeon had given us no antibiotics to administer after the surgery. Fortunately, I happen to be on my way to another vet (to deal with the long term problem: cancer) when my dog started to vomit. The _holistic_ vet prescribed a strong dose of antibiotics, even injecting my dog with antibiotics before we left his office. It was a difficult night for all of us, but my dog pulled through and was clearly feeling much better the following morning. She lived another year and a quarter, despite the cancer (and an ultrasound diagnosis after only 3 months that she was "dying").

So we are left with a conundrum. On the one hand, antibiotics are clearly useful and necessary in some cases. On the other hand, we tend to overuse them as preventatives, rather than leaving to chance the possibility that our pet may develop an infection. And while it may seem there is no harm in using an antibiotic as a preventative, in fact, there is. Antibiotics are rather indiscriminate about the types of bacteria they kill, and there are lots of bacteria that are not only good for us (humans, as well as pets), but vital for good health. There are bacteria all through our digestive system, from the mouth all the way down to the, er, 'back end'. While it is possible to reestablish these colonies of good bacteria after they have been wiped out with antibiotics, it is sometimes difficult. And in the meantime, your pet is actually more vulnerable to some types of infections. Side effects of antibiotics also can occur, including diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea (all of which generally stop once the antibiotic is discontinued). In addition, improper use of antibiotics can lead to bacteria that are resistant to them (such as MRSA: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

In truth, we pet owners serve our pets best by allowing their bodies to fight potential infections whenever possible, and observing them carefully so that we'll know if they're starting to lose the fight (in which case, we can step in with the 'cavalry', i.e. antibiotics). It is possible to underuse antibiotics, just as it is possible to overuse them. Fortunately, antibiotics act rather quickly, giving us a little time to decide if they are absolutely necessary.

Through swift intervention with antibiotics, my desperately ill dog recovered fully from her systemic infection. And with the lack of them, my cat was spared a great deal of digestive distress while still healing just fine. A borderline case was our other cat, who apparently came down with Tularemia (a bacterial infection usually gotten by eating rabbit--which he had). We did not know what was bothering him at the time, but he was still active and eating, so we watched him closely for a week. During this time, he gradually lost weight and didn't seem to be himself. Just about the time we were ready to take him to the vet, he started to recover, and he's now back to his normal weight and irascible self. Yes, antibiotics would have cleared up the infection immediately. On the other hand, careful pampering (feeding him with enticing things like cottage cheese, and keeping his food and water close to him) and observation also led to a full recovery. It is possible that the measures we took would not have been enough, but note the emphasis on observation above. In particular, we weighed him a couple of times during the illness. And had he lost anymore weight, and had we taken him to the vet, the antibiotics given would have cleared up the infection in short order.

The upshot:

try to keep your pet's immune system healthy with good food (the best you
can afford) and healthy treats (skip the food coloring, for example).
For minor scratches, abscesses, kennel cough and the like, as long as your pet is otherwise healthy, he'll most likely recover just fine without antibiotics.
For any of these conditions, carefully observe the healing process, and if things seem to be getting worse, don't hesitate to visit your vet.
And finally, if your vet and you are in agreement that antibiotics are necessary, minimally, feed your pet yogurt (with 'live cultures') for a couple of weeks after giving antibiotics to help re-populate his gut with the good bacteria. Better yet, supplement his diet with a probiotic mix designed specifically for animals.

For an excellent assessment of if/when antibiotics are indicated in cases of kennel cough, see www.2ndchance.info/kennelcough.htm. For information on a study done on people as to whether antibiotics are required for abscesses, see http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2008922/treatment_of_abscesses_may_not_require.html.

Soon: some of my favorite, over-the-counter antimicrobials.

Seeing Through the Eyes of a Rescued Dog

2009-09-23T12:18:00.000-04:00

Sometimes we forget that the ordinary, everyday world can be an exciting, surprising, and even scary place…when seen through the eyes of a dog just rescued from the concrete confines of the shelter. Objects, environments, and situations that we ignore or take in stride can cause very different reactions in a recently “liberated” canine.

Take my current foster dog, Kourtney, for example. When she arrived at my home just over a week ago, she was afraid to even come inside, much less go up or down stairs. A couple of days later, having mastered the stairs, she noticed a life-sized statue of a small puppy standing near the wall in our den. She crouched down, belly to the floor, stared, and began to growl. I had to turn the statue on its side and hold it in my lap before she would approach to sniff it. We repeated the process several times before Kourtney was completely convinced that this very still dog who showed no appropriate greeting behavior wasn’t a threat.

Last night while I waited for what seemed forever for her to “go potty,” in the backyard, Kourtney spotted a cicada as it flew clumsily onto a low-hanging trumpet vine branch. She watched it intently for a moment and then made her move, knocking it to the ground and pouncing on it with apparent glee.

And today was the day of the pinecone. While on a walk, Kourtney suddenly froze in that position that suggests uncertainty about whether to advance or retreat. I couldn’t figure out what had spooked her, but then noticed a pine cone lying in the dirt. She stared, circled it, and stared some more. Tentatively, she touched it with her nose, only to jump back in surprise at the sensation. She circled some more, touched it again, then gingerly picked it up and carried it for a few moments as we walked, then dropped it as of no further interest.

I wonder what tomorrow’s discovery will be?

Meet Our Canine Kardashians

2009-09-15T14:56:00.000-04:00

Meet Khloe and Kourtney, our canine Kardashian sisters. This may not be Miami, but these two darling divas are ready to take on their new—and improved—lives.

Khloe and Kourtney were picked up as strays by Prince George’s County animal control officers. How these 6- or 7-month-old girls came to be on the streets we’ll never know, but their experience caused them to bond very strongly to each other. While at the county shelter, they huddled together for security and companionship, afraid to take walks without each other.

Despite their uncertainty about the world around them, these dark beauties quickly warmed up to our volunteers, climbing in their laps and rolling over for tummy rubs. They obviously craved human attention, and we couldn’t leave them behind.

Now in separate foster homes, with other canine companionship to ease their separation, we expect Khloe and Kourtney to blossom as they learn that the world can be a happy place. Check back for updates and look for their Petfinder profiles on our website at pgspca.org.

Why is Adopting an Animal So Hard?

2009-09-11T22:53:00.000-04:00

One of the most frequent complaints we hear is that the adoption process is "too hard". Many people apply to adopt a rescue, but find their applications repeatedly "rejected" by various groups.

We hear you.

We understand the frustration, and we are actively working to make the process quick and easy and to provide better quality feedback to families. That said, let me explain a few of the ins and outs of adopting an animal from us and try to clear up some confusion.

Where Our Animals Come From
At every adoption show, families tell me that they've been to local shelters, but never see "good" animals like the ones we have in our program. There is no secret source for "good" pets. The animals in our program come from the Prince George’s County Animal Shelter. If a shelter animal does not receive any applications from the public, the shelter asks local rescues like ours to help. If the rescues have room, they take the animals into their own programs and continue the search for adoptive families. If not, the animals are euthanized.

With limited resources and volunteers, we do what we can. Each time we turn down an animal, our hearts break just a little more. Our volunteers are the lifeline of our organization. They have families, jobs and the same day-to-day responsibilities that everyone else has. Their commitment to the animals they foster cannot be measured. And although their impact may seem small, they are making a enormous difference to each and every rescued animal that passes through their homes. With a little TLC, a good bath, and a warm bed, that little scruffy, sad-looking mutt that didn't attract any interest at the shelter might garner 20 applications in our program.

Who Gets Chosen?
This is where the problems begin. Adoptions are not first come first serve. We pick the best suited family for each foster animal. Have a little faith in us rescue folk—if we tell you that little Nipper shouldn't go to a family with young children, please don't try to convince us that because your children have dog experience it will be OK. Maybe it will be fine, but we have to choose the application with the best chance for success. If none of the applications meet the dog's needs, we keep looking. If two perfectly-suited families apply, we still have to pick one, which means one terrific family gets turned down.

Let Us Help You
Applying for every chocolate Labrador you see online isn't really a solid plan. Pictures do not say a thousand words because, let me tell you, we are only going to post the cutest, sweetest, most beguiling photos. The photos showing the dog peeing on the carpet and knocking down the photographer are going right in the trash. We aren't trying to pull a fast one, but we are hoping to catch your attention as you scroll down the long list of animals looking for homes.

Instead, please consider asking us to help you find the right animal for you and your family. Tell us how many hours you are away from home each day. Tell us about your past pets. Tell us how old your children are or if there are only adults in the home. Tell us if you have mobility issues. Tell us that you need a dog under 30 pounds to adhere to your apartment rental contract. Tell us if this will be the first pet you've ever owned. In return, we can suggest which animals in our program might suit your needs and invite you to meet them at an adoption show. We also can keep your needs in mind on our frequent visits to the shelter. If we see a potential candidate for you, we would be more than happy for you to adopt directly from the county-run facility—it saves us money and resources, allowing us to bring other animals in our foster program. We can’t save them all, but we save the ones we can—even if it is one animal at a time.

Resources
Email us at info@pgspca.org if you live in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area and have been unable to find a pet at local shelters or through rescue groups. We might be able to offer general suggestions on your search for a pet, or even suggest a specific animal in our foster program.

PetHarbor
Enter your zip code and a list of shelters pops up with available dogs. Prince George’s County Animal Management Division, located in Upper Marlboro, is the shelter in our area.

Petfinder
This website is where we post listings for our adoptable animals, but it also used by area shelters. More than 300,000 pets are currently available for adoption on Petfinder.

Holistic medicine for feline diabetes

2009-09-04T18:42:00.000-04:00

Tiger update:

We met with the holistic vet last Thursday, finally! She spent 2 hours with us, listening to everything we could tell her about Tiger, from his kitten days till now. She agreed he seems to radiate confidence and that, without the tests, you wouldn't know he was a seriously sick cat.

After taking extensive notes on his personality traits, manifestations of the diabetes, home environment, what he eats and drinks and when, etc., she made some basic recommendations, along with a promise to send a sheet describing a homeopathic remedy for him. The remedy, itself, would be arriving in the mail the following Tuesday (which it did!).

The recommendations were:
1) No more vaccines --- with the exception of Rabies, since that is required by law. In particular, since Tiger is also FIV positive, his immune system is already seriously challenged. Further, since he is an indoor cat now, the likelihood that he will catch any disease is pretty slim. Further, she feels (and there is mounting evidence to this effect) that most vaccines given after 6 months of age confer lifetime immunity. NOTE: I am not implying you should not vaccinate your animal. Please discuss these issues with your vet, though, if you are concerned, and especially if your animal has a chronic disease.

2) Switch, very gradually, to a raw food diet. We are working on this. We have chosen a particular brand of frozen raw food which comes in nuggets. We thaw these in the refrigerator overnight and mix them with canned food for feedings. Soon we'll be adding digestive enzymes to this mix to help him make the transition. So far, so good.

3) Add fish oil, bromelain, and mixed flavanoids to his diet. This is something we still need to do. She did say to change the diet slowly, so since we're alr eady switching to raw, we don't feel too badly about not getting to the supplements just yet.

4) Start getting him used to having fingers in his mouth so that eventually we can either start applying plantago to his teeth to remove the plaque, or have them scaled at the vet's office without him undergoing anesthesia. We have started doing this very slowly. If we get to the point where he readily accepts a gauze pad against his teeth, I already have the plantago (10 to 1 dilution of the 'mother tincture') as I've used it on my dogs' teeth.

5) The homeopathic remedy: since 'constitutional' remedies are very specific to the individual as well as the diseases they are meant to treat, I'm not going to tell you which one. I will tell you we gave him his first dose this morning. The vet had said one of the earliest signs that it is the right remedy would be a generally happier Tiger. So far, so good. Tiger, at age 13, was "caught" this morning playing with his tail while lying in the laundry basket. I can not remember the last time he played with his tail. He has also been a bit more talkative since the remedy was given. And he played with the peacock feather for the first time! Perhaps this is coincidence, or perhaps it is the start of his journey towards health. Only time will tell.

Make Labor Day a Safe Day for Fluffy and Fido

2009-09-04T10:34:00.000-04:00

Labor Day weekend marks summer’s unofficial end, and many families are heading out—with their companion animals (especially dogs)—for end-of-season getaways. The following tips from the ASPCA will help you ensure that your pet enjoys a safe, healthy end-of-summer celebration:

Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.

Always assign a dog guardian. No matter where you’re celebrating, be sure to assign a friend or member of the family to keep an eye on your pooch—especially if you’re not in a fenced-in yard or other secure area. With all the festivities, it’s easy to overlook a dog on the run!

Made in the shade. Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water, and make sure they have a shady place to escape the sun. Be careful to not over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it's extremely hot.

Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of paws’ reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested, can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.

Keep your pet on his normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pet severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that people foods, such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, salt, yeast dough, grapes and raisins can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.

Keep citronella candles, insect coils, and oil products out of reach. Ingesting any of these items can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression in your pets, and if inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia.

Never leave your dog alone in the car. Traveling with your dog means occasionally you’ll make stops in places where he’s not permitted. Be sure to rotate dog walking duties between family members, and never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle. On a hot day, a parked car can become a furnace in no time, even with the windows open—not to mention it’s illegal in several states!

Make a safe splash. Don’t leave pets unsupervised around a pool—not all dogs are good swimmers. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from his fur, and try to keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals that could cause stomach upset.

A survey, in parts, of positive methods for working with an aggressive or reactive dog

2009-08-23T20:59:00.000-04:00

Phoenix, as I've written before, is my dog-aggressive dog. She turned dog-aggressive about 2 months after I adopted her, and I honestly don't know why. Before it happened, I'd have said that dogs turn aggressive only because of some event, like being subjected to pain (possibly repeatedly) while in the presence of other dogs, whether that pain be pain coming from another dog or dogs, or from the (possibly well-intentioned) efforts of an unenlightened owner. Since I don't consider myself to be an unenlightened owner (though...who knows...), and there was no defining incident involving Phoenix being bitten by another dog, I have to chalk this one up to nature AND nurture.

I have written elsewhere about what I might have done differently those first 2 months. This set of articles, instead, is a summary of methods I'm aware of for mitigating aggression, with references to further information. As any technique must be tailored to the dog, the owner, and the situation, do your research. If the situation is serious enough (e.g. you feel your dog might, at some time, be driven to the point of drawing blood--though hopefully hasn't done so already), consult a positive trainer at the very least, and possibly a behaviorist. Some lists of positive trainers are available at www.peaceablepaws.com (see Trainer Referrals), and karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer.

In this first article, I'll explain a bit about Counter-Conditioning and Desensitization (CC&D), the most basic method of helping a dog to overcome fear, whether it be the fear of being left alone (separation anxiety), the fear of having toe nails clipped, or the fear of other dogs or people (which is usually the underlying cause of aggression). In future posts, I'll discuss the "Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT)", "Control Unleashed", and the element of trust that is so necessary in dealing with this issue. There is also Emma Parson's "Click-to-Calm", which is somewhat like "Control Unleashed" but has its own merits.

Counter Conditioning and Desensitization (D&CC)

The idea here is to associate something positive (like food) with something negative (like the presence of another dog). I got a good head start on this method at the Reactive Rover workshop at Peaceable Paws (Pat Miller's facility), a two day, hands-on workship held several times a year. By far, Phoenix was the mostreactive dog present, but she did make progress using this method, and I got a good education in managing her reactivity.

There are two pieces to D&CC:

1) Desensitization: this means the stimulus (other dog) is _gradually_ brought closer, but only as your dog can tolerate it without getting tense. Patience is important here. If you move too fast, your progress will be very slow. Move slow and your progress is likely to be faster. Yep! Somewhat counterintuitive, and very difficult for most of us to achieve, but slow and steady really does win the race here.

2) Counter Conditioning: the idea is for your dog to see the other dog (or see the nail clippers or see that you're about to leave) and think -- yay! I get (insert his favorite food here)! In order for this to work really well, whatever your dog gets has to elicite an amazingly positive response, and it needs to be given _only_ in the presence of the other dog (or other stimulus you are working on). Practically speaking, your dog needs to be drooling for the opportunity to eat this particular food. He's got to be anticipating it so that he's not thinking of the other dog as something to hate (or more likely, fear!). He's thinking only that the other dog's appearance is an opportunity to eat this wonderful treat.

I have to say here that I did not grasp the full intent of 2) when I started, and now I can't think of anything my dog would like that much that I haven't already given her without another dog being present. Oops! I do carry around a food tube of cat food for her to nibble on (both the food and the tube at times; the tube does save my fingers, though) when a dog appears while we're walking. She does look for the tube, and she will eat the food readily, but it's not _enough_ of a distraction to change her mood much about the presence of the other dog. Eating generates endorphins (feel good chemicals), so the food has a positive effect, regardless. The effect just isn't strong enough for her. However, it has been strong enough for many other dogs, so it's certainly worth a try. Best of all, there's no bad fallout if you get it wrong! That's not something that can be said of all methods of dealing with aggression, but it's a vital element of any method a non-professional should be willing to try.

There are many references on D&CC. Most of them can be found via the website aggressivebehaviorsindogs.com. There's also a yahoogroup, run by the same trainer, Barbara Brill. The yahoogroup is agbeh, and it makes for interesting reading. You can also write about your own dog there, and Barbara and other trainers will give suggestions (emphatically not advice) about how to handle your particular situation.

With Phoenix, I worked about 3 nights a week for an entire summer using CC&D. She had no problems with dogs she already knew (since before she became aggressive). Up to a point, she could handle having certain dogs appear at distances as small as 40 ft. But throughout the process, I almost always used the same handler for the other dog (different dogs, though), and I suspect she came to trust the handler. Looking back, I also know that she was not very relaxed during the process. Upon looking at the dog, she would turn for the food tube (available at, e.g. REI; as I said above, I stuffed mine with canned cat food, usually), but then she would bite the neck of it quite hard.

For me, though, the biggest problem with this method was the time commitment. When we switched back to eastern standard time, I no longer had daylight after work in which to work with Phoenix. And that ended the progress. The other problem I had was keeping Phoenix subthreshold (i.e. not stressed) in between sessions. This is mostly because I did not understand how vital this is. I continued to take walks with her which included elements that stressed her. While I certainly could have done a better job of avoiding stressors, the truth is that Phoenix, at that time, was hyper-sensitive to her environment. The smell of another dog behind a house 3 houses away was enough to set her off (just whining, but obviously stressed). That made it extremely difficult to take walks with her anywhere. Even in an open field, if a dog walked by on far-off path, or a dog barked in a backyard in some adjacent neighborhood, she went on alert, whining and becoming over-active, obviously stressed.

I greatly hope that if you have an aggressive/reactive dog, your dog is not as sensitive as Phoenix was. But if you are finding yourself in that situation, get yourself to a professional TTouch practioner, quick. Relaxation is key with all of the aggression mitigation techniques, and if you can't get your dog to relax, you won't make any progress.

Update on feline diabetes

2009-08-23T20:40:00.000-04:00

My searches on the internet about diabetes turned up some interesting tidbits. In particular, it turns out that our regular vet put Tiger on the latest (and apparently best) form of insulin, namely Glargine. Glargine has several advantages over other forms of insulin, one of which is that many cats started on glargine go into remission (but only if they haven't been on any other form of insulin). As of 2 months, Tiger hasn't gone into remission, but we're still hopeful.

Another advantage of glargine is that it has a long period of activity, 10-12 hours, in fact. This is very important for us because Tiger isn't used to eating all of his food at once. The long period of insulin activity means that it's o.k. for Tiger to nibble at his food for a couple of hours after having been given his shot.

True to all predictions, Tiger has come to understand that the insulin shot makes him feel better, and he readily comes when called for it. His caretaker while we were on vacation for a week also noticed this. While he has had a couple more hypoglycemic episodes, none have been recent. So if this is as good as it gets, it's certainly liveable, but we shall see what the holistic vet has to say.

Sneak Peek: Eve

2009-08-23T15:52:00.000-04:00

Hi, My name is Eve and I was rescued yesterday from the shelter that I had been stuck in for a long time! I am so happy to be out, but I have been told this is only temporary. I will be really happy once I find my forever home!!!

I am a very sweet dog who just loves getting attention and crawling on your lap. They say I am mostly beagle, but I don't look like my beagle foster sisters. They have dark brown, white, and black fur. I am only white and light brown. And I have little spots! But whatever I am, I am really cute. Don't you agree?

(Eve isn't yet posted for adoption, but will be as soon as we learn a little more about her)

A Day in the Life of a Cruelty Investigator

2009-08-17T16:12:00.000-04:00

As mentioned previously, the SPCA/Humane Society’s animal cruelty investigator handles calls and emails about all kinds of animals almost every day…and last week was no exception.

While running Thursday afternoon, a Laurel resident noticed a turtle in the road right next to a storm drain opening. The startled turtle scuttled into the storm drain and out of reach. The runner checked back several times later in the day and tried coaxing the turtle into a bag with a broom, to no avail, so she emailed us Thursday night for advice.

Our volunteer email responder received the message first thing Friday morning and forwarded it to our cruelty investigator. Armed with general location information, she and her husband began checking area storm drains. They eventually discovered the wayward turtle in the sixth drain they checked and relocated it to some lakeside woods nearby.

Mission accomplished.

Cruelty Calls & More

2009-08-14T10:11:00.000-04:00

Although animal fostering and adoption tends to be the most visible program, preventing—and addressing—cruelty toward (and pain of) animals is also an essential part of our mission. Virtually all of this work is carried out by a volunteer cruelty investigator who is on call 24/7. She follows up on some reports herself in collaboration with county animal control officers and refers others to the appropriate organizations or agencies.

To give you an idea of the amount and scope of this work, we thought we’d share the following information on the calls she received between June 1 and August 5:

Cruelty calls: 55
Most complaints were for dogs kept outside without proper shelter. Others involved dogs being maintained on balconies, complains about dogs left in cars, and even a call about a hamster with bedbugs (which was received after midnight.

Injured animal calls: 39
These calls were to report sick or injured cats, dogs, birds, and deer, along with a squirrel, turtle, duck, and goose.

Rescue calls (including wildlife): 89
These included calls for stray dogs, and wildlife calls (including wildlife inside homes). Examples include a snake in a tree, an opossum in garbage can, groundhogs digging up a yard, birds falling out of a nest, a beaver under a car, and a bat in house.

Miscellaneous calls: 78
These calls were transferred to the appropriate SPCA/HS volunteer or other outside contact.

Carcass pick up or euthanasia calls: 16
Seven requests were made to have deceased animals picked up, and nine calls were made by pet owners who wanted their dogs humanely euthanized because to illness and/or old age.

Animal give-ups: 13
These callers were referred to breed rescues or other groups that might be able to assist. The callers were also provided with information on how to rehome their animal on their own.

Stray cat calls: 56
These were calls for stray cats or cats in people’s yards.

Bite cases/vicious attacks: 2
These calls involved an animal biting a human or another animal.

Kind of overwhelming, isn’t it? Now that you have the overall picture, we hope to share details about some specific calls here in the future.

Talking Teeth, Expenses, and Accountability

2009-08-07T11:11:00.000-04:00

Every dog or cat we rescue costs us approximately $300 to prepare for adoption, including spaying or neutering, all necessary shots, and microchipping —considerably more than our adoption fees. It’s just the cost of “doing business,” which is thankfully offset by generous donations from our supporters.

Sometimes, however, the medical costs go much higher. Take the case of Hank, for example.

One of our current foster dogs, Hank is an adorable 6- or 7-year-old beagle, who is in excellent condition…except for his teeth. Earlier this week, Hank had 21—21!—teeth removed. Can you say “Cha ching!”? Fortunately, since dogs have 42 teeth, this little guy can still enjoy his food and toys as much as the next dog.

The sad thing is that the need for the extractions could have been prevented by proper medical care. But Hank’s previous owner, a hunter and breeder of beagles, couldn’t be bothered. Every year, this man unloads “extra stock” at the Prince George’s County Shelter, where the lucky few are adopted or taken into foster programs like ours, and the rest are euthanized. (Hank is the second of this irresponsible human being’s castoffs that we’ve rescued in the past year alone.)

As unconscionable as this individual’s actions are, the county government must also be held accountable for continually granting him hobby permits that allow him to produce an unending flow of unwanted dogs…even though the county ends up having to cover the costs of temporarily caring for and sometimes euthanizing and disposing of his “surplus.”

Makes you wonder.

When Happy Endings Don't Happen

2009-08-03T16:08:00.000-04:00

A couple of days ago, I blogged about Chance, a little dog we took into our adoption program in the hope that we could help him find that special home where he could live out his golden years as a pampered family member.

Unfortunately, happy endings don't always happen.

Although he'd been on medication for several days, Chance took a sudden turn for the worse and his condition started declining rapidly. A veterinarian who treats many of our foster animals felt that the outlook for Chance's survival was very slim and that the kindest course of action was humane euthanization. We agreed.

Chance departed this life this morning. Although we couldn't give him the years of happiness we would have liked, we could--and did--give him love, care, tummy rubs, delicious treats, and a soft bed during the last week on this earth. And we gave him kind human arms to cuddle him as he took his last breath.

Rest in peace Chance.

Fostering: from your dog's point of view

2009-08-02T13:22:00.000-04:00

Recently, a new fosterer came up to me at an adoption show exclaiming that her foster dog, Bonsai, was wonderful, but her dog, Duke, had started acting up. Duke had had 2 'accidents' in the house (the first in many years), and he wouldn't leave Bonsai alone, constantly shepherding him around and mounting him. Yet Duke seemed lonely when Bonsai left briefly and seemed happy to see Bonsai when he reappeared. What to do?

Duke had been an only dog for 15 years. I don't think he'd ever had experience with a visiting dog before (at least not one that came without an accompanying human), so he had no idea that the intruder wasn't trying to take his place in the house and, in fact, would soon leave for good. While Duke will almost certainly be better about having doggy visitors in the future, once he's gotten through the full process with the current one, there are several things one can do at the start to improve the situation, and to help a resident dog understand what's up.

First, build in your dog a strong, positive association with the foster dog. The idea is that a visitor should mean lots of good things happen. If you usually give just one chew per day, when a visitor comes, give two or three. For each treat the visitor gets, your dog gets at least two. Doggy play times get lengthened, walk times get doubled, special stuff gets put in the dinner bowl, etc. Every time the visitor is present, your own dog gets more than the usual amount of attention, too. When the visitor leaves, things go back to normal for your dog, too.

A second thing you can do is to be sure your dog never perceives the visitor as an intruder. For instance, my dogs are accustomed to morning belly rubs. When I have had canine visitors, belly rubs always went first to my dogs, and always for a longer period of time than for the visitor. My dogs got to pick their chews first (yes, I provide choices), and my dogs were fed first. In short, I made it clear they were still my top priority. Also, in my house, since I'm the primary doggy caretaker, my partner was in charge of providing most of the scritches and attention for the canine visitor.

Of course, many dogs actually love having canine visitors. Another fosterer complained that every so often her dog would stop eating. It turns out that the episodes were linked to the departure of each foster dog. Even when her dog didn't initially get along well with a new foster, eventually they enjoyed each other's company. Fortunately, there are many dogs 'in the system' that need foster homes, so this dog rarely has to endure long periods of being an only dog.

It is both a blessing and a curse that we can't communicate with our dogs in exactly the same way we communicate with other humans. We can't tell them this visiting canine will soon leave, while they will always be here in our homes and hearts, where they belong. So...we have to show them. I think in the process, it keeps us thinking that the foster really is just visiting, making that bittersweet moment when the foster dog finally goes to his forever home just a bit easier to bear.

Sad Senior Deserving of a Second “Chance”

2009-08-02T10:09:00.000-04:00

As a small volunteer-run organization with a finite number of
foster homes, the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s
County tries to maximize its adoption impact (rescuing and
rehoming the largest number of animals) by focusing on young,
healthy, highly “adoptable” dogs and cats.  Sometimes,
however, there’s an animal that doesn’t fit these criteria but
who so tugs at our heart strings that we have to help.

That’s the case with Chance.  This poor little corgi mix was a
mess when he was picked up as a stray by Animal Control.  He
had fleas and a skin condition, his nails were overgrown, his
fur was caked with dirt, and his eyes oozed green goo.

A visit to the vet revealed the beginnings of pneumonia, a
sinus infection caused most likely by a tooth abscess, an old
back injury, and a tumor on his leg.  So, needless to say,
Chance isn’t ready for adoption just yet.  He’s on antibiotics
and will soon have dental work, his tumor removed, and be
neutered.  Although he’ll always have a little hitch in his
giddy up, he gets around fine.

We’ll never know how this sweet 9-year-old ended up wandering
the streets—-it’s not like he could run off with any speed—-but
we’re hopeful that a good-hearted Samaritan will give this
canine senior citizen a second “chance” at the good life.  In
the meantime, he’s being showered with love and attention in
his foster home…and feeling better every day.

If you’re interested in helping defray the medical costs
incurred by Chance and our other adorable adoptables, please
click on the “I want to donate” link.  And if you’re
interested in learning more about Chance, just email
info@pgspca.org; he’ll be listed on our website soon.

The Girl's Got Game!

2009-07-21T16:14:00.000-04:00

Willow loves playing with balls! She’ll happily fetch a plastic squeaky ball, a dirty tennis ball, a rubber ball with feet, and even a ball that glows in the dark. If she can’t entice us into throwing a ball for her, she’ll find one and toss it around herself, a particularly amusing sight when the ball involved is a basketball or soccer ball with ropes attached that knocks her in the head as she swings it around!

What’s so amazing to me about Willow’s apparent love of balls is that the first few days we had her as a foster dog she didn’t seem to even know what a ball—or any other toy—was. We weren’t particularly surprised by that since this two-year-old Lab/setter mix had spent the previous 12 months outside in a backyard bearing puppies…and losing weight. Her owner eventually relinquished her at the county shelter—along with a two-year-old male dog and an 8-month-old puppy—because he couldn’t feed them.

It was the right decision…just a bit late. Willow, who should ideally weigh about 45 pounds, tipped the scales at about 33 when we got her. We could count each rib, and petting her made me want to cry because her spine was like a sharp mountain ridge running down her back. But, today, just three weeks later, Willow is the picture of health. She weighs about 42 pounds and her fur is a beautiful glossy black with mahogany red highlights.

And best of all, she’s demonstrating an exuberance and enthusiasm about everything that is a joy to watch. Finally, after being a mom at such an early age, she’s learning what it’s like to be a playful pup and really enjoy life. What an amazing testament to canine resiliency!

I feel privileged to share this special time in Willow’s life and look forward with bittersweet anticipation to the day she finds a forever home where she will continue to blossom!

Tales of a diabetic cat

2009-07-13T20:04:00.000-04:00

7/1
One of our cats, Tiger, was just diagnosed with Diabetes. We brought him into the vet because he was sleeping and urinating and eating and drinking much more than usual. Further, his frequent urinations didn't always land in the litter box! And he'd started begging for food during our dinner.

At first we didn't think the excessive hunger was related to the other three symptoms, so we thought he might have a urinary tract infection. The blood work, however, told a different story. This is why, even if you think you know what is troubling your pet and how to treat it, it is always wise to get a professional diagnosis.

So now what, you ask? Well, we're now in the middle of renovating our 'library', a project we were probably going to put off forever. But since we had to move everything out of the room to get the rug off the floor so we could clean the urine out of it...well...you get the picture.

We've also discovered the joys (or not) of keeping on a very regular schedule, even on the weekends. You see, Tiger must be given insulin injections at 12 hour intervals, and he needs to be fed about 1/2 hour before the injections. So no sleeping late on weekends (except we do generally go back to bed after the morning injection). Fortunately, Tiger , who is probably the sweetest cat going, doesn't much mind the injections, and we are told he will eventually start reminding us to give them to him. A friend who cared for a diabetic cat for years tells us we can adjust the schedule a half hour at a time (up to an hour a day), so it won't be too difficult to shift things if we need to. Vacations, however, are going to require extra planning now. The vet will board and inject him, but we'd rather reduce the stress by having a cat sitter come to the house while we're gone.

We're also trying to get both of our cats on a regular feeding schedule. After years of free-feeding dry cat food, our cats are not used to having canned food fed on a strict schedule, with no dry to nibble on in between. But---and this is important---there aren't really any dry cat foods that are suitable for diabetic cats, despite what Hills or Royal Canin would have you believe. The good news is that you don't need a prescription canned food to keep a diabetic cat healthy, either. Any high quality food with little-to-no grain will work. Raw food will work even better.

Next month we take Tiger to see a holistic vet who, hopefully, will have some ideas on how to mitigate the diabetes. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, despite the expense and frustration of this initial stage of the disease, Tiger is doing well, and we're still very glad to have him.

7/6 After a full day of 'glucose curve' testing, it was decided to up the insulin dose from 3 units to 4 units twice daily. 3 units also didn't seem to be enough in terms of how it affected the symptoms. Tiger was still drinking much more than normal, and still sleeping too much.

7/9 Whoops! Tiger just had a hypoglycemic episode. I found him staggering around in circles and, given that we'd just up'd his insulin dose, it seemed hypoglycemia might be the reason. Sure enough. A dab of honey in his mouth did the trick. About 15 minutes later he was essentially back to himself. We decided to decrease the insulin dosage again. Hypoglycemia is much more scary than diabetes--at least in the short term. We can't risk him having a hypoglycemic event while we're not home.

7/10 Good news! The test for pancreatitis came back positive. Tiger has an inflamed pancreas. This means that if we can rest the pancreas sufficiently, it may heal. And then we can reduce, or maybe even discontinue the insulin shots.

7/13 Another day of glucose testing. Poor Tiger. Fortunately the vet's staff like Tiger, so he gets a fair bit of attention while they're testing his glucose. The curve was fine until just before time to go home. Then the sugar spiked, again. Despite this, we've been told to keep him on 3 units of insulin, in the hopes that as his Pancreas heals, the spikes will be mitigated. We're still anxiously awaiting our appointment with the holistic vet on August 4th. This has been quite the roller coaster, but Tiger's starting to act more like his usual self: not so much sleeping, eating, drinking or peeing. Progress! Our library has a much longer way to go...

TTouch and Clickertraining demo successes

2009-06-13T21:26:00.000-04:00

TTouch

A couple of weeks ago, Pam Wanveer (Woodside TTouch) gave a demonstration of TTouch to several PGSPCA volunteers. There were three demo dogs present, all of them beagles, but each with a different history. Before the demonstration, we were greeted by all three dogs, tails wagging happily at us. Very quickly, the dogs settled down as we listened to Pam describe TTouch and the sorts of things it can accomplish. Earlier in this blog, I've mentioned something of TTouch, and even provided a clip, so I won't do that here.

What I will say is that TTouch elicited some interesting `information' from two of the dogs. (The third was recooperating from being spayed, so Pam gave her a short, private session after the demonstration.) Owen, a visitor and former foster, got to be the main demo dog. We discovered fairly early on that Owen has some back problems. This was evident by his reaction to Pam's circular touches. His skin would move of its own accord when she worked on his back. One would never have known this from his initial greeting of all of us, but it became evident that both TTouch and chiropractic manipulation would help him to be more comfortable.

Cally, the other active demo dog, spent most of her time curled up on the back of a couch. She hopped down once, though, so Pam was able to demonstrate how to put a wrap on a dog as a way of making the dog more aware of her body. She wrapped Cally, who then, almost immediately, fell asleep in the middle of the floor. Clearly she was busy processing some new information. In fact, it's quite common for dogs to appear very tired after a 'relaxing' TTouch session. Much of TTouch is about improving the dog's connectedness to his body, and for the dog, all that information is a lot of work.

Clickertraining at Bowiefest

Last weekend, I gave a clicker-training demonstration at Bowiefest. Actually, I gave several, as people kept wandering up afterwards, expressing regret that they'd missed the demonstration. Trixie, one of our current foster dogs, performed wonderfully for the demo. Having been introduced to positive training at an extremely young age (prior to 8 wks!), she was an eager student, and she picked up on clicker training in no time at all. I used the 'touch' command ('touch your nose to my hand') to get her to jump through a hoop (I'd put my hand on the other side of the hoop and say 'Touch!'). We started with the hoop on the ground and gradually raised it until she was jumping through it. The next step would have been to teach her a verbal cue for this action, such as 'hoop', but Bowiefest was no place to introduce anything verbal.

After the audience left, I started teaching Trixie to sit inside the hoop while it was flat on the ground. She was so intent on sitting in front of me that it was easy to get her to perform this behavior initially. Gradually I started backing up from the hoop while waiting for the behavior. She started to get the hang of that, too, but then wanted to take a break--the first in about an hour! I do NOT recommend training for an hour. Short, 10 minute sessions are enough for most dogs.

Later, we worked on solidifying her 'down'. She does this well, but she relies mostly on the hand signal for the queue. By the end of that session, she was offering 'down', responding to it on a verbal queue alone, and doing a dandy, prolonged 'stay'. She was also pretty tired, so the 'stay' wasn't very hard.

People who brought dogs and asked about clicker training got treated to a demonstration of how quickly their dog could pick up the concept. My favorite was a 4 month old JRT mix. In a few minutes, she'd figured out that click meant treat. Not long after that, she was touching my hand pretty consistently to earn tiny bits of cheddar. Her owner was ready to buy a clicker that very day! By the end of the short demonstration, the pup's butt was firmly planted on the ground in front of me. She did not want to leave her new found 'treat machine'. ('Touch' the hand, get a click and treat!) If her owner follows through, that pup'll be ready for agility or fly ball in no time flat.

One owner asked about teaching 'come' to a dog that, apparently, would tour the entire house before coming. I explained that 'touch' is a queue that you can use for this. (The dog can't touch your hand without coming, after all.) They seemed to understand the concept of building up distance and distractions in small increments, and they were ready to give it a go.

Some that dropped by knew about clicker training and wanted information about where to train (try www.yourdogsfriend.info for a list of positive trainers in the DC metro area). A couple of youngsters had clearly seen positive training in action, as they were able to demonstrate hand signals for sit and down. All in all, it was a wonderful and gratifying day for me. The amount of interest people showed in this marvelous method of training was uplifting. If you, too, are interested, there are youtube videos demonstrating some of the basics. Additionally, www.clickertraining.com has a wealth of information, including books, DVDs, articles, and helpful tools. And...there's a paper on a scientific study that showed clicker training can cut training time by 1/3rd compared to using a verbal 'marker'. So if you don't have much time to train, you can't afford not to use clicker training. Check it out! Check out the article on wikipedia for even more information. Happy clicking.

Resilient rescues

2009-06-09T14:09:00.000-04:00

I'm always surprised at how quickly many rescued animals adapt to their new lives as pampered pets. Sadly, this is not always the case. Many animals struggle for years to overcome their past lives. But many are lucky enough to gleefully plow forward, shedding their unfortunate histories like loose fur in the springtime.

Bonsai is one of those gleeful plowers. His gait is a little wonky (more on that later), but he happily lives in the moment, throwing himself into whatever presents itself.

Bone? Stop and chew it.

Dog? Go and greet it.

Child? Lick and be hugged.

New person? Race over and sit on their feet.

Simple, joyful, and uncomplicated.

But that's not the full story. Bonsai was picked up off the street, severely underweight and suffering terribly from a broken leg. Thanks to the kindness of a local vet, his leg was pieced back together and he was nursed back to health. Now an SPCA foster dog, Bonsai is thriving. His body is filling out, now looking more rough-and-tumble, like a true Dogo Argentino. He can put weight on his healing leg, though he will always walk with a pronounced swagger, limping when he gets tired. We have also discovered that Bonsai is deaf—no, he wasn't just ignoring us when we called out to him. But if he catches so much as a glimpse of us waving for his attention, he cheerily bounds over to us, plopping down at our feet and "leaning in" heartily.

Love people. Love to play. Love life.

Click here to see Bonsai's big television debut.

Free Spay/Neuter Day Tackles the Issue of Pet Overpopulation

2009-05-28T15:36:00.000-04:00

Pet adoption programs form a core element of the mission of most animal rescue/welfare organizations. These programs undoubtedly save the lives of homeless animals and give compassionate volunteers the rewarding opportunity to make a direct, tangible difference to a needy dog or cat.

But as important as adoption programs are, the long-term solution to the issue of unwanted pets lies in spaying and neutering. Although the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County (SPCA/HS) does not currently provide regular spay/neuter services, we provide spay/neuter assistance through referrals, subsidized surgeries and special events such as free spay/neuter days for the pets of limited-income Prince George’s County residents.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Snyder Foundation, the most recent such event—held last month at our clinic in Forestville, MD—was a big success. Over the course of two days, veterinarian Dr. Shawnne Spencer surgically altered 40 dogs and cats with assistance from vet techs Tim Bauer, Alina Kelman, Toni McCloud and Carianne Edmondson, who also provided clients with practical information on nutrition, vaccines and other pet care issues.

Clients, who receive disability payments, have recently lost jobs, are in the midst of foreclosure, or who just “plain don’t make a lot,” were appreciative of the opportunity to get their pets spayed or neutered. Most expressed a desire not only to protect the health of their animals but also to avoid contributing to the problem of pet overpopulation. As one person, who volunteers at the county shelter, said, “I’ve seen all the beautiful but unwanted dogs there.”

Despite long hours of surgery, Dr. Spencer demonstrated a commitment to the cause above and beyond the call of duty, staying afterward to help the vet techs and SPCA/HS volunteers do laundry and clean up the clinic. Talk about a humane hero!

For more information about the SPCA/HS or to help fund our spay/neuter efforts, go to pgspca.org.

Photos by Tamela Terry

Join us at Bowiefest!

2009-05-22T14:05:00.000-04:00

If you're attending Bowiefest next Saturday, be sure to visit us at the SPCA tent! Allen Pond will rock with rides, crafts for sale, food, and entertainment. We will be demonstrating clicker training techniques, and we'll have our puppy pool set up again, for dogs that need a break from the heat (or just want to splash around!)

June 6, 2009
Location: Allen Pond Park-Bowie, MD

Saturday, June 6th
11 am - 6 pm

Rain date is Sunday, June 7th.

Communications 101

2009-05-18T19:34:00.000-04:00

Can you tell when your dog is barking at the mailman vs. when he's barking because the dog down the street is barking vs. when he's barking because there's someone at the front door vs. when he's barking because someone is walking their dog by your house? I'd hazard a guess that there are times when the only way to tell for sure what your dog is barking at is to go check it out
for yourself. For instance, my two dogs are barking right this minute, and while I'm pretty sure there's no one at the door, I don't know what sparked the episode. In truth, the nuances in their barks escape me. And that's not so surprising, as most dogs use body language far more than their vocal chords to communicate. In fact, without the attendant body language, I'm not sure my dogs could interpret each other's barks!

That said, perhaps you won't be surprised to hear that dogs also rely on our body language far more than our voices to understand what we're trying to tell them. In fact, they are so good at this that we need to be very aware of our bodies when we are training them to do something.

Example: I was teaching my dog to lie down from a standing position through a process known as 'shaping'. In shaping, one rewards successively closer approximations to the desired action. So, for example, I rewarded her when she started to lie down on her own from a sitting position. From this, she got the idea that a 'down' was the end result. When rewarding her, I'd toss the treat so that she had to stand up to retrieve it. Ultimately, she started skipping the sit in between the stand and down. Bingo! I had what I wanted. In the process, however, while I was waiting for her to lie down, I put my hands behind my back so as not to influence her---or so I thought. She later indicated to me that putting my hands behind my back was a signal to lie down from a standing position. Oops!

So, if you want to communicate with your dog, you really need to start with body language. Positive trainers use a hand, palm up, moved from about waist height to a little higher to indicate 'sit'. Training the dog to sit then becomes teaching the hand signal for the action. After all, your dog already knows how to sit, right? In fact, most of training is about teaching your dog the word (or better, the gesture) for the action. While you can, ultimately, associate words with actions, starting with gestures will get you farther sooner. Additionally, once you do start using words, choosing very distinct words for actions will help greatly, too. For instance, 'flat' (for lying down from a standing position) and 'mat' (for going to a mat to lie down) sounded too much alike for one of my dogs. Once I changed the second to 'find your rug', I got a very consistent response. Until then, she was just horribly confused. (By the way, inconsistency in the way we say words is one reason a clicker is an easier, more precise way to communicate with your dog during initial training of an cue-action pair.)

Now for some fun. Communicating can be a two-way street. Do try this at home. Pick two treats, one of which you know your dog likes a lot (such as cheese), and one of which you know your dog likes much less (say, his normal kibble). Put one treat in each hand and close your hands around the treats. Present the treats to your dog and let him sniff them. Encourage him to sniff. When he finally hones in on the one he wants the most (either he'll stop sniffing the other, or he'll stare at just one hand, or...), give him that one. Repeat, switching which treat is in which hand now and again. When you're sure he's got the idea, add a vocal cue, such as 'show me'. At this point, he's probably associating the two fists with what you want him to do, but that's o.k. You can broaden things, gradually, by including different types of treats, different types of chews, toy vs. treat, toy vs. toy, etc. Then try putting the objects on the ground (assuming you've taught him he's not to grab them immediately) and give the cue. You can also ask him to show you which direction he'd like to go for his walk. Eventually, you may end up with a dog who can indicate what he wants, rather than just maddeningly staring at you, wagging his tail, expecting you to read his mind. In the meantime, you may find out why he works harder for some treats than for others, and you may be surprised to learn his likes and dislikes. As a bonus, your dog will be happier knowing he has a bit more say about his life. And, putting yourself in his place, isn't that what you'd want?

The Problem with Punishment

2009-04-18T15:08:00.000-04:00

How many times have you yelled "no" at your dog, only to have her repeat the same inappropriate behavior the next day, the next time the opportunity presented itself, maybe even within the next 5 minutes? Or maybe you've tried squirting your dog to stop him from doing something and found that that, too, only works temporarily. The truth is, punishment is very difficult to administer correctly, which is why most of us shouldn't even attempt it.

According to Steve White (www.i2ik9.com), the 8 rules of punishment are:

1. Has to be something the organism dislikes and does not expect.

2. It must immediately suppress the behavior (IOW: if you have to repeat the correction, it's just abuse)
3. It must be of the perfect intensity--enough to achieve #2 but not so great that the organism will shut down.

4. It has to happen immediately

5. It must be associated only with the behavior--not the punisher

6. It must happen every time the behavior occurs (but see #2. If you have to repeat it, you are doing it wrong)

7. There must be an alternative behavior available. Nature abhors a vacuum.

8. It must never outweigh subsequent reinforcement

I, personally, have only managed to achieve all 8 of those exactly once, and it worked beautifully. The situation, however, was a setup, so I was expecting my dog to misbehave. In brief, we'd built my dog a backyard, which he was to share with some chickens. So the first time we let him out in it, we expected him to go after the chickens. He did, he got cuffed under the chin, and he never chased another chicken. But...even with him, I never again managed to get all 8 rules right, and consequently, punishment did nothing to eradicate other unwanted behaviors.

So what's a person to do to get his dog to stop doing something? A variety of options are available, really! For instance, management can be very effective. If the dog is adept at stealing food off the counter, don't leave food on the counter for him to steal. If the dog likes to get into the trash, buy a trash can with a lid on it. Get good at picking up and putting away things for that dog that likes to chew on inappropriate objects --- and provide the right things to chew on in abundance. Make it easy for your dog to succeed!

Another option (and really just a variant of the first) is not to reward the unwanted behavior. Remember, rewarded acts will be repeated, while unrewarded ones will gradually fade. So...if your dog jumps on you to greet you, try walking away, or turning your back on him. When he stops jumping on you, reward him immediately with the attention he craves.

You can also train an incompatible, acceptable behavior, like "sit", which you can reward. My first dog I trained to hop on the couch when I came home. I then sat on the couch and let him lick my face as long as he wanted. That worked for him and me, but it's not for everyone, I know. Still, with a bit of creativity, you can find a solution that works for both you and your dog.

A little understanding can also go a long way. Most dogs, until trained otherwise, will pull on leash. It helps to remember that your dog is almost certainly thinking, "Come on, slow human! Let's get moving! There's so much to sniff!!" That is, he's not pulling to make your arm sore, but rather to get to what he wants. Here again, there are lots of training possibilities that don't involve that ineffective method of jerking on the leash.

Try training loose leash walking initially in a boring setting (like your living room!), then in the backyard, then the front yard, then up and down your street, finally graduating to the great unknown. At all times, try to make yourself more interesting than the surroundings (small bits of cheese can help greatly here). But recognize, too, that your dog is going to get interested in things other than you from time to time, and that should be o.k. Training a 'pay attention' cue can help to refocus him. And while you're working on all this, there is, now, a nice management tool known as the front-hook harness.

So the next time you're tempted to punish your dog for doing something wrong--again!--ask yourself, "How's that working for me?" Chances are, it isn't, because you've had to repeat the punishment. Get creative, and think positively about what you want your dog to do, and make it as easy as possible for him to succeed at doing that.

A Welcome Ray of Sunshine

2009-03-30T10:39:00.000-04:00

The world of animal rescue is filled with great rewards that involve not just preventing the death of unwanted companion animals but giving them the gift of a new--and better--life. But it also is marked by "down" times when happy endings seem hard to come by. At times like these, stories such as Kaiya's are a welcome ray of sunshine that lift our spirits and give us the emotional strength to continue doing what we do.

I had thought to be blogging about Kaiya, my foster dog, and her journey for some time, but--luckily for her--fate intervened, so her time with me will be very short. Which means that instead of serialized story, you'll have to settle for a snapshot in cyberspace.

The beginning of Kaiya's story--at least what we know of it--has already been posted by another SPCA/HS volunteer. So I'll pick up the tale from where I got actively involved.

A mixed breed of indeterminate heritage, Kaiya was a pitiful sight when I picked her up the day after the 5-hour surgery required to reset her leg. In addition to the Frankenstein-like stapled hind leg, her ragged ears bore the telltale signs of fly strike, caused by flies biting her ears to obtain a blood meal.

Over the past 10 days, Kaiya has improved not only physically by emotionally and psychologically. From the beginning she was submissive but friendly with everyone she met. But she now absolutely revels in attention, pushing her head into my chest so that I can fondle her ears or laying next to me while I watch TV and give her belly rubs.

She has discovered--or rediscovered--the joy of toys and entertains herself by tossing a ball or rope in the air or pushing it around with her paws. She also likes to collect toys--one after the other--and bring them to my husband and me with what appears to be great pride. She loves rawhide chips and even likes nylabones, which few dogs in my experience have been interested in. The first time she tried peanut butter--used to disguise the painkiller, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic she is required to take--she was uncertain and cautious, but it's now a favorite treat. Bananas, she's till not sure about.

Initially, Kaiya was totally intimidated by stairs, which required that I carry her 45-pound body up and down several times a day. (Hey, my biceps are looking really good!). The day she ventured up the stairs on her own was a cause for celebration. Next step--literally: going down the same stairs.

Kaiya has come to work with me every day and has become popular with my coworkers, who reward her with treats when we visit their offices. She seems comfortable here although the sound of squeaky wet sneakers or the custodian's rolling trash cart unnerve her to the point that she'll bark to scare them away. The only other thing she doesn't like--at least at the moment--are other dogs...perhaps the result of bad experiences during her time on the streets. We're hopeful that as she heals and feels better and more confident, that her "speciesist" attitude will change.

When we received a call from someone interested in Kaiya, we were surprised since her photo and profile hadn't yet been posted on the website. It turns out that the mother of one of the vet techs who assisted with Kaiya's surgery had a friend who had been looking for a dog for some time. The vet tech had told her about Kaiya and she wanted to meet her. Talk about fate!

The rest, as they say, is history. Following a phone conversation and a meet-and-greet and home visit all rolled into one, Kaiya is now officially "pending" and will go to her new home on Saturday...a home where I know she'll be loved, nurtured, and cherished as she continues her life's journey. I couldn't be happier!

Injured Dogs

2009-03-24T18:37:00.000-04:00

Due to financial constraints, the SPCA can't take a whole lot of dogs with extensive medical needs. Our adoption fees don't even cover the basic vet costs for healthy dogs, so it is rare that we can take a dog that we know will require hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in vet bills. But every once in a while, one comes along that we just can't turn away. Such was the case with Annie, who had been hit by a car and needed her leg amputated and Gordie, a cruelty case who was heartworm positive. Such is also the case with our latest dog, Kaiya!!

Kaiya was a stray in Forestville. A couple of the local people were sort of looking out for her and had made her a little hut behind a shopping center. Then one day last week, she was hit by a car and injured. One of our volunteers had gotten word of an injured dog and had actually gone out with the animal control officer and helped look for her. They never actually found her since she had been picked up by a different officer.

When the volunteer got home, she emailed us to let us know the dog was there and to see if we could possibly take her. There was next to no chance that the dog would make it out of the shelter without rescue help and the chances of an owner coming forward were slim. Our president and vice-president then jumped into action.

Our president called the shelter to find out about the dog. They had done X-rays and found out she had a salter fracture of the femur. Basically an injury to one of her back legs that was going to require surgery. Our president then started calling vets to get an estimate of how much it would cost to repair. Luckily, one of the vet who we work with a lot, offered to do the surgery at a greatly discounted rate.

Our vice-president, in the meantime, was working on lining up a foster who would be able to care for her while she recovered from surgery. She had a friend, who was retired, that agreed to take the dog temporarily once she got back from a vacation. Our vice-president then offered to keep the dog until she returned.

With all that lined up, we got her from the shelter on the 19th. I picked her and and brought her directly to the vets office. The shelter staff was very happy to see her getting out of there, particularly the ACO who picked her up. He said, although she was intially frightened of him, by the time they got to the shelter, she was his best friend.

In the car, she was very good. When we got to the vet's and I went to take her out of the car, she started giving me kisses. I dropped her off and she had surgery the next day. All went well. The surgery took a little longer than expected since the injury was older than they first thought, but she is expected to make a full recovery.

Her foster mom picked her up on Saturday. Watch for more from her on Kaiya's recovery.....

Will work for...praise?

2009-03-08T15:47:00.000-04:00

Consider the following two scenarios:

1) You give your child everything he wants, including toys, unlimited access to TV, his favorite desserts, perhaps that puppy he's always wanted, etc. Your child brings home a report card with mostly B+'s on it and you say, "Gee, honey, that's great."

2) You give your child the basic necessities and a few niceties, including limited acces to TV, some toys (usually given at special events and not just because he's begged), and perhaps, the occasional trip to the movies when he's done his chores without being nagged. Your child brings home a report card with, again, mostly B+'s on it and you say, "That is so much better than you did last time, let's take tomorrow off and go to the Spy Museum!"

Which scenario is likely to produce an improvement in grades the next time around?

O.k. Next set of scenarios:

1) Think back to, say, 3rd grade. You're sitting in class and the teacher asks you a question. Hesitantly you answer incorrectly. The teacher tells you the answer and then admonishes you to remember it next time.

2) O.k. Same class, same question. This time when you answer wrongly, the teacher says "Nope, but good try. Want to try again? The answer begins with 'p'."

Which scenario is likely to encourage you to participate in class more? In which situation are you more likely to remember the answer next time?

And now you're asking, "What does this have to do with dogs?" Everything! In each case, both scenarios are considered, by some, to be based on "positive reinforcement", but there's a huge difference between the results each will produce. Let's now translate the above scenarios to your dog's daily life.

The first set:

1) You give your dog food, rawhide chews, toys, walks, and petting, and even play 'doggy doorman' for him. When you ask him to lie down, and hesitantly he obeys, you say "good dog" and, perhaps, pet him on the head (which most dogs, by the way, don't like!).

2) You ask your dog to sit before putting down his food bowl, sit before being let outside, sit before getting his rawhide, heel once around the living room before being given a new squeaky toy, etc. You ask your dog to lie down and he does so, but a little slowly. You 'click' (see video link below) and give him a medium-reward treat (say, some grain-free kibble, if you don't already feed that) since this is only the 5th time you've ever asked, 'reset' him by moving yourself (he's interested, so he'll get up and move, too), and ask again, rewarding faster downs with better treats.

The second set:

You and your dog are in class, trying to learn a new behavior, for instance 'stay'.

1) You say 'heel' and start to walk. Your dog sits there, not sure what to do, so you give him a tug (at which point your dog yawns and stays put). At this point you tug harder, and sure enough, your dog comes with you, but he's lagging behind and looking uncomfortable.

2) You don't say anything at all, but start walking forward (your dog is on a slack leash), encouraging your dog to come with you. As he catches up to you, you feed him a tasty tidbit (say, a small piece of cheese) and continue walking. Everytime your dog achieves the correct position, you give him the tasty tidbit (while he's there, walking by your side). Pretty soon, he's right there at your side consistently, at which point you can space out the tasty tidbits. And after some more repetitions, you're pretty sure he has it, so you introduce the word 'heel'.

Two things are illustrated by these parallel scenarios.

1) 'Life rewards' are almost certainly more motivating than simply praise, and

2) A person or animal is more likely to try things if they aren't punished for guessing wrong, and if they are set up for success.

So the next time a trainer tells you they use "positive methods", watch the dogs in class instead. Are they actively engaged, wagging their tails, hanging on their owners' every word? Or are they sitting there, perhaps yawning, trying to avoid eye contact, lip licking, and seeming to need a whole lot of prompting to remember what to do? Truly positively trained dogs are the easiest dogs in the world to train because they want to work!

The link below will take you to the first episode of 'Dogmatic!'. Watch and be amazed!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnIgCMiztR0

Among other things, TTouch reduces stress

2009-03-01T16:04:00.000-05:00

Stress would seem to be a fact of our daily lives (especially here in the D.C. area!), but the animals that share our lives experience stress, too. They have to trust that we'll take care of them, and even if we are 'good pet parents', there are other things that can happen to add stress. For the dog afraid of thunderstorms, summer is always a difficult time. For the dog afraid of the vet, every car ride brings with it a certain level of anxiety, and for the dog nervous about strangers, each walk brings a mixture of the joy of experiencing all those wonderful smells and the fear that a person and/or dog will appear on the horizon.

Phoenix, my sweet Akita mix, is not so sweet around strange dogs (=just about all dogs!). She is "fear aggressive", i.e. her feeling is that the best defense is a good offense. Part of her problem is that she gets wound up just thinking about going outside. It's not that she doesn't like going walking, it's just that wherever we walk, we almost always encounter at least one dog--either out walking as well, behind a fence ("backyard barker"), or in a house ("window woofer"). Since she starts her walk at a higher stress level than most dogs, her reactions to these events can seem totally out of proportion. Through TTouch, all that has started to change.

TTouch was developed by Linda Tellington-Jones. When pressed to describe it in a few words, she likes to say it's a form of nonverbal communication. The 'communication' consists of different 'touches', wraps, and exercises, all designed to help the animal (or person!) become more aware of and more comfortable with his/her body. Results include stress reduction, changes in behavior (for the better), and greater facility of movement. When my dog, River, apparently pulled a muscle in his neck, a couple of doses of the homeopathic remedy Arnica, combined with a TTouch called 'Tarantulas pulling the plow', quickly reduced the inflammation that had started and was apparent by the heat I could feel in his neck. In 10 minutes he went from not wanting to move at all to being back to normal.

Phoenix has been going to weekly TTouch sessions for about 4 months, now. She's a "slow learner" (i.e. a worse-than-average case), but the exciting thing is that she is learning! For her, stress reduction is the main result we're after. It used to be that if Phoenix saw a dog while riding in the car, she'd start barking and scratching at the window. Yesterday she saw two dogs being walked while we were on our way to the TTouch session. She growled and woofed once, and that was it. What a change! And the reason is that she is much more relaxed about everything now, and so she's starting her reaction from a much lower level of stress.

I've put together some short video segments from Phoenix's 12th and 14th TTouch sessions. In the first two clips (from session 12), her tail goes from very tight at the beginning of the session, to quite floppy 7 minutes into the session. (She does have some difficulty getting up in the second clip, but that's primarily because she's on a blanket on a wooden floor, so she needs to scrunch up the blanket to get to the wooden floor to get her feet under her.)

In the second two clips, watch her left hind leg. She resists having it moved in the first part (about 15 minutes into the session), but there is no resistance at all in the second part (45 minutes into the session). I should also say this is the first time the resistance has gone to zero. For whatever reason, her left hind hip is a "hot button" for her. This clip shows how much progress she's made. Alas, I have no video of her very first session. I don't think she lay down more than about 2 minutes at a time. She's come a long way, and it's showing up in her daily life. Stay tuned. The TTouch practioner, by the way, is Pam Wanveer. And now for the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2zeTilKVKo

Volunteer Orientation This Saturday (February 28th)

2009-02-19T14:21:00.001-05:00

February 28, 2009
Location: Petsmart Store-Bowie, MD

We will be holding a volunteering orientation at this Saturday's pet adoption show. The orientation is about 15 minutes, after which volunteers are encouraged to stay for the rest of the adoption show, help hold some of the foster dogs and cats, and get to know some of our other members.

See you there!

Petsmart Store (map)
Gateway Center
4500 Mitchellville Rd., Bowie, MD
Phone: 301-352-7286
11 am - 2 pm

Counter Surfing Management

2009-02-08T13:39:00.000-05:00

Louie, a pointer mix, is a wonderful foster dog--except that he "counter surfs" (i.e. looks for edibles on the kitchen counters) and tends to get into the garbage. Sydney the labradoodle, when she came to us, was also a counter surfer. Most of the time, neither counter surfing nor garbage diving are particularly difficult behaviors to deal with. Management is the key to success.

The instant Sydney started exhibiting counter surfing, two things were started: 1) All counters were cleared of anything edible, and 2) Sydney was rewarded heavily for "4 on the floor" (all 4 feet on the floor) and ignored whenever she tried to jump up or counter surf. Sydney quickly learned that counter surfing was counter productive. It was a lot of work, and it didn't result in any success. On the other hand, if she just sat there waiting and looking cute, viola! Treats and/or attention were showered upon her. Not a bad deal, and Sydney isn't stupid. She decided sitting and looking cute was far more rewarding than jumping and counter surfing.

Garbage diving is best solved with management, i.e. buying garbage cans with lids for the kitchen and bathrooms (yes, dogs find all kinds of wonderful things in bathroom garbage cans). Putting garbage cans in cupboards can also work well.

Of course, some dogs are bound and determined to get to forbidden items. There is a video on yootube of a dog jumping up on the kitchen counters, opening the top cabinet doors, and digging through canned foods! Happily this dog earns his keep as a search dog (obviously he enjoys the challenge). The owners have had to take management to extreme levels, buying a modified hog crate for the dog to keep him safely confined while they're gone.

Fortunately, most of us don't need to go to such extremes. Consistent management is nearly always the key. Just repeat the following mantra: actions that are rewarded will be repeated; actions that are not rewarded will eventually become extinct. Lest you think this is something based on experimentation, it isn't. It's simply a tautology. By definition, a "reward" is something that increases the likelihood that an action will be repeated. Now you just need to figure out what is rewarding for your dog! (Hint: food is a good guess.)

Designer breeds and Responsible breeding

2009-01-31T10:36:00.000-05:00

Sydney the labradoodle, a recent foster, now pending and soon to be placed, caused quite the flood of applications to appear at our door. It seems rescued labradoodles are hard to find. No doubt many who want a labradoodle are more tempted to go the "easy" route and buy one at a pet store or off the internet, so we commend those that went through the application process for Sydney.

Tomorrow is another shot clinic. I trust we'll see the three Boodle puppies (Bichon Poodle crosses) again for their second round of distemper shots. These Boodles are all owned by people who are relatives of the person who owned the mother. Last month I made sure some information on low cost spay/neuter options was put in the bag of information we send home with each dog. I suspect the owner of the mother has already exhausted her options among relatives for placing unwanted puppies.

Which brings me to the main point: with some breeds so hard to find among rescues but so many homeless dogs, how does one balance the desire for a particular breed (designer or otherwise) and the desire to "do the right thing and rescue a dog"? If the breed you want isn't among the breeds up for rescue, then the best you can do is to be sure that the breeder you get the dog from isn't contributing to the homeless pet population or the population of unhealthy dogs.

That means, above all, you should not rush down to a pet store and buy a puppy. Pet store puppies, almost by definition, come from "breeders" who care more about money than the animals they're breeding or producing. They clearly don't care where the puppy ends up, because pet stores will sell a puppy to anyone who has enough money to buy it. Don't be fooled by the pet store manager who says he "gets his puppies from breeders in Pennsylvania", for example. Pennsylvania happens to be the puppy mill capital of the east.

What's a puppy mill? It's a factory for producing puppies. That's right, a factory. Typically, the parent dogs are kept in small cages, often in a barn, with no socialization, no exercise and little room to move about. The puppies are taken from their mama just as soon as it's legal, and sometimes sooner. And then the mama is bred again just as soon as she comes in heat. Sometimes the cages are even stacked on top of each other, so the piss from one dog rains down on the dog(s) below. Yes, this is where most, if not all, pet store puppies come from. But even a pet store that claims it's puppies don't come from puppy mills can't have gotten their puppies from responsible breeders. Responsible breeders, by definition, don't sell their puppies through pet stores because they care about where those puppies end up, and they don't produce a litter of puppies until they already have homes for all of them lined up. There are more criteria defining responsible breeders. For a pretty complete list, along with links to more information, please see the webpage: http://www.pgspca.org/content/index.php?pid=88.

Pugsley update

2009-01-16T14:01:00.001-05:00

There was a possible sighting of Pugsley yesterday at the corner of Addison and Eads. However, there are a lot of stray/loose dogs in that area, including a black lab mix and a black lab/pit/bulldog mix. It is unknown if the dog spotted was really Pugsley or one of the other dogs.

Pugsley now has his own blog - http://helpfindpugsley.blogspot.com/

Further updates will be posted there.

Pugsley - flyering

2009-01-15T10:56:00.000-05:00

Pugsley was lost in the 5900th block of Addison Rd in Capitol Heights, MD. Our hope is to put up flyers everywhere within a 3 mile radius and try to track down the area where he is hanging out. But we need HELP!!! Right now, it appears that Addison Rd, south of George Palmer Hwy/Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy has been flyered and I am working on the streets between Glenn Willow Dr, Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy, Addison Rd, and Sheriff Rd. If you can help, please post a comment about where you can flyer. It is best to buddy up with someone, esp. on the main streets.

Here is the flyer: Lost Dog Pugsley

Breaking news: We may have had a sighting - will post more when it is confirmed and the location.

True tales

2009-01-14T20:17:00.000-05:00

Here are some doggy tails (er...tales) that may help you understand why many rescue organizations are so picky about who they allow to adopt their animals. Names have been changed to protect the innocent, but otherwise, these tales are true.

Jack was a 2 year old lab mix, black with white feet and a white chest, and a tail that sometimes wagged like a propeller. Animal Control had picked him up one too many times, and his owner admitted she couldn't really take care of him. She could barely walk herself, let alone walk Jack. She worked odd hours, so Jack was left outside for long periods of time. Having escaped from his yard multiple times, he soon earned himself a chain and a dog house. Fortunately Animal Control had alerted us to the situation by this time.

When Jack entered his foster home, the first thing he did was to lift his leg on the furniture, just like he'd been used to doing at his former home. Next, he jealously guarded the toy box, and then he chased the cats. (Sounds pretty bad, doesn't it. Don't worry. The ending is great!)

Jack was a model dog in other ways. He got along very well with the foster's two dogs, and he absolutely adored children. Gentle and patient with people, he really was a diamond in the rough.

To make a long story short, at his foster home, with plenty of access to a big backyard and lots of long walks, Jack quickly learned that there was no doggy bathroom in the house. He also started learning to tolerate cats. The toy box, well, that got picked up while Jack was in the house.

Along came the perfect family to adopt Jack. It was not so much their situation, but their love that made them perfect. They had a cat. Jack learned not just to tolerate a cat, but to actually live side-by-side with one. They didn't have a fenced in yard, but they were willing to exercise him. Initially this was not enough, and one night they came home to a shredded couch. In the end, they took him to doggy daycare, where he learned to share his toys and turned out to be one of the best dogs there. That family that finally adopted and kept Jack had many rough times with him initially, but they searched for solutions because they loved him. Now Jack lives with them in Honduras, a perfect ambassador for his species. And the family, well, they couldn't imagine their lives without him.
------------------------------
Jill was a less-than-year old Standard Poodle mix. She was wild and rambunctious, counter surfing, jumping up, pulling on the leash--in short, impossible. Consequently she was confined to her crate much of the time, making her all the more wild and desperate for affection during the times she was let out. No backyard at her house meant most of her exercise came in the form of walks. No wonder she pulled! Her family liked a neat house, not the sort of place a puppy might enjoy. Her family tried to discipline her, but each interaction ended in a clash of wills, with the family shouting, and Jill still out of control. Jill had more energy than she or her family knew what to do with. Finally her family gave up.

Jill is now in foster care. She has access to a big, fenced in yard, and three dogs to play with. She also gets chews each day and has toys to play with. Now that she is being given adequate attention and exercise, she is no longer wild. She walks politely on a leash, and keeps all 'four-on-the-floor'. Counter tops aren't so interesting anymore; nothing on them (management is key)! All the good stuff (appropriate toys and chews) is on the floor where she can easily reach it. So now Jill doesn't need so much crating. Soon we expect she won't need to be crated at all.
------------------------------------
Jeff, a German Shepherd/Doberman mix, had been surrendered to the shelter at the age of 4 months. Soon after, he was adopted by a family, only to be returned because he "peed in the house, ran away, and chewed on inappropriate items"--in short, he was returned for being a dog.

Nearly a year passed. Nobody wanted Jeff, it seemed. He was too thin (since he lived in a cage with other dogs all the time and never got his fill of kibble). Finally the right family came along. They took Jeff home, and sure enough, he peed in the house. Well, he quickly learned to go outside while they were home, but everyday, upon coming home from work, there would be the puddle. It turned out that Jeff didn't know enough not to 'tank up' just before the family left for work. Once water was controlled adequately, Jeff no longer had accidents in the house. All the toys and chews in the readily accessible toy box meant Jeff no longer had any reason to chew on less tasty objects (well...except for the occasional remote control). Long walks throughout the neighborhood, along with a strongly developed bond with his family meant he was no longer interested in running away, either. Jeff turned into an amazing dog and still lives very happily with his family.
----------------------------
There are many more such stories out there. The short and the long of it is that in the right situation, every dog can turn into an amazing dog. And that's why we rescue groups look so hard to find the right situation. It just isn't fair to the family or the dog if the match isn't meant to be.

Newly adopted dog, Pugsley, is lost!!!

2009-01-14T12:28:00.000-05:00

Pugsley, who was recently adopted from us, slipped out of his harness while walking on the evening of Jan. 12, 2009 and ran away. He is missing in the Addison Road area of Capitol Heights, MD (Prince Georges county).

Pugsley is a 4 years old, black pug/lab mix and weighs about 40 lbs. He is neutered and microchipped, but he is also skittish and shy, and we're so worried about him being lost with the coming cold weather.

If you see the dog or have any information, please call 240-638-9713 or email pgspcavol@gmail.com.

Pugsley

First show of the new year ... and some new dogs

2009-01-09T14:26:00.000-05:00

Our first show of the new year is Jan. 10, 2009 at the Calverton Petsmart (12020 Cherry Hill Road, Silver Spring, MD) from 11am - 2pm. And with the new year comes some new dogs!!! These dogs haven't yet been posted on petfinder so here is your opportunity to get a jump start on them and see if they are right for your family.

Come meet our old favorites:


Bailey	Curley	Penny

And our new dogs. We don't have any good pictures of them yet, so here are their shelter pictures. Most of the time the shelter pictures are kind of like the pictures you would get at the DMV - not very flattering. They are much cuter in person.

5 year old female lab mix - about 60 pounds

2-3 year old female spaniel/sheltie/keeshond mix (we really aren't sure what she is) - about 25 pounds

Can't wait to meet you!!!!

Vaccination whys and whens

2009-01-02T15:56:00.000-05:00

The first Sunday of February is another shot clinic day for the PGSPCA. Once a month (almost always the first Sunday of the month), from 1-3pm just across from the Forestville Animal Shelter, we hold our shot clinic. We get all kinds of pet owners, from those who can't remember the last time their animal was vaccinated against rabies, to those who are wondering if they are vaccinating their pet enough---or maybe too much.

There's a lot of controversy these days on just what constitutes enough vaccinating. The standard in the not-too-distant past has been DHLPP every year and, at least in MD, rabies every three years (some states require animals to have a rabies shot every year). However, the trend is moving towards recommending DHLPP only be given every three years, too. Also, there is a blood test called a "titer" that can determine whether or not your pet can produce antibodies when exposed to, say, distemper. If the titer comes out o.k., then most vets will agree that your pet doesn't need to be vaccinated. However, titering your pet is generally more costly than vaccinating, and you can't avoid the rabies shot, regardless.

So why titer to, perhaps, avoid DHLPP? Because vaccinations are not entirely without risk. Some pets have reactions to them. If your pet has had a reaction in the past, then titering is something to consider. Also, vaccinations put a strain on the animal's immune system for a while---two weeks is the usual figure cited. And a vaccination is not a guarantee that your animal is protected (although neither is titering, since last I checked, what consistuted a "sufficient response" was still in question).

Even without incurring the extra expense of a titer, there is one thing an owner can do to help maintain the health of his/her pet, and that is to space vaccinations out. If your pet is due for both rabies and DHLPP, the best thing you can do is to vaccinate for rabies first, and wait to vaccinate for DHLPP later. The shot clinic is great for this, since there's no "office visit" charge. You pay the same price for each vaccine whether they are given the same day or on separate days. By having them given on separate days, you can reduce the strain on your pet's immune system and reduce the risk of a reaction, all at the price of a little extra time on your part.

The shot clinic is no substitute for that annual vet visit your pet should have, but it is a great way to space out the shots you and your vet deem necessary to be sure your pet is adequately protected. So come on down.

A Nice Surprise

2008-12-28T16:54:00.000-05:00

I volunteered at yesterday's adoption show and helped hold a few of the dogs we currently have in foster care. It's been almost a year since we've fostered, so these events are really my only chance to help with the adoption side of our organization.

I started off the morning holding Clancy. He's a sweet one-year-old brindle something-or-other. His fur is really long for any of the typical brindle breeds, even longer and softer than a Lab, so your guess is as good as mine. He's also way cuter than his Petfinder mugshot.

I bought some training treats and we practiced "down". He's pretty smart and after about five attempts, he figured it out. He's a little reactive when he spies a new dog coming in his directions, but he didn't obsess over them. A quick, higher-pitched, "Leave it!" seemed to do the trick and redirect his attention. He also liked playing with the puppy.

Oh, that puppy! Daisy Mae, who isn't even posted on our Petfinder page yet, is a cute one alright—a roly, poly chubster with sharp puppy teeth and nails like razors :-) At 14 weeks, she's quite a little charmer.

Which brings me to my point. Although everyone was quick to point her out to their spouse or kids ("Awww, look at the little one!"), it was the older dogs that were being seriously considered that afternoon. Every time I start to think that people are never going to change, that they'll fight over a puppy while ignoring the sweet, older dog sitting right there in front of them waiting patiently to be noticed, people prove me wrong.

Well, maybe not EVERY time, but enough to keep the faith.

A very nice couple came to look at a purebred they saw online and walked away head over heels in love with one of our mutts. Another couple told me straight out that, while they would love a puppy, their schedules don't allow enough time to properly train and care for a very young dog. Yet another mentioned that puppies are adorable but they are finished with that part of their lives and want a dog that's past the puppy-chewing-mouthing-sharp-pointy-teeth phase. They also added that lots of people are going to be interested in the puppy anyway, so the older dogs need them more.

And best of all, they were all experience dog owners with realistic expectations, dedicated to rescuing their next pet, and understood that no pet is perfect, whether it comes from a pet store, a breeder, a rescue or the shelter. They all require dedication, training, and a lot of patience.

Knowing that these potential adopters are out there gives me hope.

The Perfect Gift for Your Pet

2008-12-24T08:28:00.000-05:00

'Tis the season for gifts and giving. As we ring in the new year, consider giving a gift that will truly make a difference in the lives of animals in our region. While monetary donations to rescues are always appreciated, there are other ways to save lives and protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Consider spaying or neutering your dog, cat, or rabbit. According to the HSUS, one female dog and her offspring can give birth to hundreds of puppies. There just aren't enough homes for all the puppies and kittens born in the U.S. and, until we can better control pet overpopulation, "extra" animals will continue to be euthanized for the crime of simply living. Sadly, shelters are limited by hard numbers—how many kennels? employees? money for medical care and boarding? There just aren't enough resources to go around.

Can't afford to spay or neuter your pet? The PGSPCA may be able to help qualified county residents have their pets altered at no cost. For more information, call 301-262-5625 and leave a message in Box #6.

For every puppy or kitten born and placed with a family, there is an equally deserving pup already at the shelter that will be euthanized. Please consider giving the gift of life this holiday season by spaying or neutering your own pets and encouraging other pet owners to do the same--there really is no better present.

Teaching "off" (or "leave it") and why

2008-12-18T19:15:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday I held Cody at the PGSPCA adoption show. Cody is a lab/lab cross (which is to say, he's probably not pure, but he sure looks it) who's been in the foster program for a couple of months now. I was told he could be a bit of a handful at adoption shows. Heck! It's amazing to me that any dog can behave for 3 hours in such a highly distracting environment, so I wasn't surprised to hear the assessment of Cody, as Cody is only about 1 1/2 years old. Instead, I came prepared to entertain him.

Armed with bits of cheese and a pizzle stick, I took to the car to fight my way through beltway traffic to get to the adoption show -- 20 minutes late due to construction, sigh. When I got there, another foster was doing an admirable job of holding Cody and her foster dog, as well as running the show. Whew! I took Cody's leash and reached for the cheese. But what to teach in such a high-distraction environment? Something simple for sure. "Off" turned out to be just the ticket.
(Any cue, including "leave it", can also be used for this trick, but I'll use "off" here 'cause it's shorter to type.)

Here's how the teaching went: I presented Cody with my fist wrapped around a piece of cheese. Immediately Cody started nuzzling and mouthing my fist, trying to get at the cheese. I said "off", and waited for him to stop, even very briefly. It took a little while, but he did, where upon I opened my hand and gave him the cheese. Then I repeated this. I think one of the first few times, he only gave up when he became distracted by something else, but I still gave him the cheese. I continued doing this for 10-15 minutes. Then we took a break. Then he had the pizzle stick. Then I taught some more. Etc. What I had by the end of the show was a dog that, upon being presented with a fist enclosing food and being told "off", would sit back on his haunches and wait to be given the food.

Well, so, strictly speaking, this is not "leave it". "Leave it" would have a dog that, when walking by any forbidden object and being told to "leave it", would veer around the object and/or look to the handler for guidance. Further, the dog may or may not be allowed to have the "forbidden" object after doing so (though some sort of reward should nearly always be forth coming). Clearly Cody was a long way from being able to do that, though what he had learned so far could be generalized to that point over a long period of time and practice.

What Cody had learned from this exercise was that a polite sit was more likely to earn him a treat than a jump for the food. Hey! Not bad!! Perhaps "mine" would have been a better word for this, though.

Here's the picture: Got a sandwich in your hand? "Cody, off!" (or "Cody, mine!") Cody waits politely for you to finish your sandwich down to the last little bit, which you then toss with flair into his waiting jaws (assuming the sandwich has got nothing terrible for dogs in it). Cody's gotten his treat for obeying, and you've gotten to eat your sandwich in relative peace. Not bad for a couple of hours--and in an extremely distracting environment, too. As a bonus, between the learning and the chewing on the pizzle stick, Cody was pretty tired by the end of the show. So Cody's foster got a break for the rest of the day as well, which was good, since she'd asked me to hold Cody at the show precisely because her day was so hectic.

So, go ahead and try this at home, especially if you've got a dog that likes to try to grab food out of your hand or off your plate. If you're really ambitious, the next day you can try putting the bit of cheese (or whatever) on the floor and (lightly!) covering it with your foot when your dog tries to snatch it. Again, say "off" (or whatever your cue is), wait until he leaves your foot alone, and slowly uncover the food (and cover it back up if your dog makes a dash for it). When your dog is sitting politely, no matter whether or not your foot is covering the food, go ahead and offer it to him (or offer another treat to him). Mix it up. Make some of the "other" treats even better than whatever you're using as bait. Work on stepping back from the "forbidden" object. Work on walking your dog past it. Some day, knowing this command could save your dog's life. In the meantime, it's a great party trick, and it makes your dog look ever-so-well behaved.

Oh, and if you're looking for a (or another!) dog, check out Cody (www.pgspca.org). He's a real gem.

No Shelter Puppy for the Bidens?

2008-12-13T12:39:00.000-05:00

We are very disappointed by the news that Vice-President Elect Joe Biden has opted to purchase a puppy rather than adopt from a shelter or rescue organization. While I don't doubt that the Bidens are animal lovers, what a lost opportunity to make a significant impact on countless homeless pets.

Our society tends to follow in the footsteps of its leaders, and what a nice trend it would have been to lead hopeful dog owners to the front door of their local animal shelter, rather than to a breeder or pet store. The cynic in me thinks that this would have made a better press photo too.

All of us who have adopted from shelters or rescue groups know that there are plenty of adorable puppies (and yes, even purebreds) available for adoption. And we know that a puppy's parentage is no guarantee that your dog will live a long, healthy life with an unquestionable temperament. Our Ladybug's mama was a sweet, gentle soul and my girl is full of spit and vinegar, only now diluting as she approaches 13 years old.

We hope that the Bidens reconsider and contact one of the many GSD rescue groups in the Mid-Atlantic region. If not, we in the animal welfare community hope to create enough of a stir that the Obamas will make a more merciful choice.

... and bringing some homeless dogs and cats

2008-12-12T11:55:00.000-05:00

Not only is Santa coming to town (see below), but some homeless dogs and cats will be coming with him from 11am - 2pm.

Come meet:


Cody	Penny	Wesley	Shakira

Milo

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

2008-12-12T11:21:00.000-05:00

Silver Spring, to be specific. SPCA volunteers will be on hand to snap pictures of your furry friend with Santa. For only $9.95 you will receive one 4 x 6 digital photograph in a holiday collector frame, with the SPCA receiving $5 from every sale!

Saturday, December 13
11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Calverton Petsmart
12020 Cherry Hill Road
Silver Spring, MD 20904

Click here for directions.

Stress and the "high energy" dog

2008-12-07T16:04:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you have or know a dog that’s been labeled “high energy”. A dog that can spend an hour at the dog park running around and never take a break. A dog that always seems to be doing something every moment of the day, whether it be chewing on something, chasing the cat, playing (or pestering) another dog, chasing a squirrel, digging in the backyard, watching out the window and barking at every little thing. A dog that pulls on walks no matter how long he’s been walking and how much he’s been exercised before walking (an excellent way, usually, to minimize pulling on walks). Well…sometimes the “energy” comes from another source, namely stress and/or anxiety.

I know. I have such a dog, or at least she used to be. She’s still more anxious than the average dog, but she’s much improved. It’s been quite the journey over the last two years. I write this in hopes that if you have or know the sort of dog I’ve tried to describe above, you’ll recognize that you need to take steps (or suggest to the owner to take steps) now to ease the stress this dog is probably experiencing.

When I first adopted Phoenix, the only time she stopped moving was after a 5 mile walk with an hour of playtime at the dog park half way through – and at night, after much work to get her to stop playing with her doggy brother. Two months later she became dog-reactive as a result of no particular incident that I could pin down. In hindsight, I now see how it all happened. More on that, perhaps, another day. For now I would like to impart what I would have done differently, knowing what I now know.

During those first two months I would have worked very hard on teaching Phoenix to be calm in a lot of different situations. I would have started with TTouch inside, in our bedroom, until she could achieve complete calm without being exhausted.

What’s TTouch, you ask? Created by Linda Tellington-Jones, it is a system of light touches that rewire the brain through the nerves in the skin, essentially. The basic touch is a clockwise circle (about ¼” in diameter, perhaps) which starts at 6 and goes all the way around and ends at 9. The touch is light enough that if you were to do it on your cheek, you wouldn’t be able to feel the bone underneath. It is basically just enough pressure to keep your finger from sliding over the skin. The circle should take about 1 second to complete. There are books and videos and workshops on TTouch, and there is scientific (as well as a great deal of anecdotal) evidence that it really does rewire the brain in a way nothing else does. Among other things, it teaches the brain to be aware of the body in a different (and extremely useful) way. I highly recommend it.

Once Phoenix could be calm in the bedroom, with no distractions, I would start adding some distractions, like moving to the living room, moving out to the porch, moving to the end of the driveway, sitting in a park, etc. The goal would always be to achieve calm and focus in each new situation.

I would also have had Phoenix’s thyroid checked. Hypothyroidism can contribute to extra energy and hypersensitivity. Even “low-normal” thyroid levels can be problematic in some dogs. Phoenix is on several supplements to help with this: currently thyadine, thytrophin, and calmplex (I have tried acupuncture and Chinese herbs as well). Her thyroid levels (or rather, the markers) were very different the two times I had her checked (right after she exhibited aggression)—once low-normal and once high-normal, so she wasn’t deemed hypothyroid, but the supplements do seem to have helped.

Finally, I would have plugged in the D.A.P. (a.k.a. Comfort Zone) right when I got Phoenix. Now, when the plug-in runs out, I notice a gradual ramping up of Phoenix’s anxiety level.

For some high-energy dogs, extra exercise really is the answer, but if it seems like your (or your friend’s) dog is a standout in the endurance category, consider working on calm. Maybe you can avoid reaching the breaking point with your dog. I sincerely hope so.

Balance and the thorn

2008-11-23T17:22:00.000-05:00

On three occasions, I have had to remove a thorn from my dog Phoenix. For every other dog I've had, after struggling to convince them that it was in their best interests for me to remove the first thorn, I've never had any trouble. Not so with Phoenix -- until today.

The first time I tried to remove a thorn from her foot, she hopped along, sat down, turned to try to get me to let go, etc. By sheer persistence and a stroke of luck, I managed to get that thorn out anyway. The second time was no different. But today, she stood there quietly and let me pull it out. No pulling away, no trying to convince me that it wasn't bothering her. Wow! The difference? Balance!

Yesterday, Phoenix had (another) TTouch session (more about that in another post). During the session, the practitioner discovered Phoenix has a very hard time balancing on three legs. Several times during the session, the practitioner picked up each of Phoenix's legs in turn and moved them in little circles each direction, like she was drawing circles in the dirt with the tips of Phoenix's toes (except the toes weren't actually touching the ground). This morning, as per instructions, I tried doing the same thing. Low and behold, Phoenix was able to balance much better. Having one foot off the ground barely bothered her at all.

This afternoon was when she got the thorn in her foot. Well, all I can figure is that now that she knows how to balance on three feet, leaving the fourth foot (a back foot, mind you) up to allow me to pull the thorn out wasn't difficult at all. I was thoroughly shocked at the ease with which I was able to examine her foot and get the thorn out. She was barely concerned.

So the next time your dog resists having his feet handled (especially if he's standing), test his balance. It could be that's the problem, in which case a few simple exercises could help immensely. In TTouch, these exercises accomplish much more, but being able to pull a thorn out of a back foot without having your dog struggle is a very nice side effect.

Check back later for more on TTouch.

Arthritis in cats

2008-11-19T19:08:00.000-05:00

Arthritis occurs in cats as well as dogs, though it probably isn't noticed as much. After all, old cats don't die; they just sleep more, right? But seriously, we have a cat with arthritis, and I'm happy to report that Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements work for cats just as well as they do for dogs. Cosaquin makes a cat version that's tuna flavored--specifically for sprinkling on food! Twice a day supplementation means our cat, who was unable to put any pressure on his left front leg at one point, now walks with barely a limp!

Wobenzyme can be given to cats, as well as humans and dogs. One tablet a day is plenty for a cat. It works especially well for occasional limping, such as when a cat accidentally lands wrong after a less-than-graceful leap. The Wobenzyme can be repeated daily until the limping stops, though if the limping doesn't improve after a couple of days or starts to get worse, it's probably time to see the vet.

Some cats like acupuncture, and many tolerate it well. Our cat did not. For cats that will tolerate it and don't mind traveling, this is another option to help alleviate arthritis pain. For cats that like acupuncture but don't like traveling, there are some veterinary acupuncturists that will do house calls. As posted before, www.ahvma.org is a good place to find a practitioner.

A Week of Highs and Lows

2008-11-12T15:09:00.000-05:00

The past 6 or 7 days have included both highs and lows for Annie, our beagle/pointer foster who is recovering from amputation surgery. The low point happened last Friday, when a promising foster family met with Annie for an hour and a half and then decided not to adopt her. According to one family member, her arm broke out in a rash after she played with Annie so she thinks she may be allergic to her.

I was disappointed because the family seemed to be a very good match for Annie, but I also understand and respect their decision to choose or not choose a dog...for whatever reason. It's a big decision and involves a commitment that we obviously hope will be for life. I'd much rather keep Annie (or any foster) a bit longer than place them in a home that isn't "forever."

The high--for both Annie and me--was the removal of her sutures yesterday. The incision made when her right front leg was removed is healing nicely...just a few raw-looking spots created by the extra skin involved which will heal from the bottom up, according to the surgeon. Annie is thrilled not to have limits anymore on her activity. She enthusiastically conducts her squirrel sentry duty and plays chase with one of our dogs.

Now that she's no longer encumbered by a useless leg, we're starting some real training. She already knows sit so we're now focusing on down, stay, and come.

Arthritis options

2008-11-05T18:26:00.000-05:00

River's stitches came out yesterday, and he's back to rough housing with his doggy sister! Tuesday he has his acupuncture appointment, just to be sure the last vestiges of the anesthesia have left his body. After all, he was 'under' for an hour and 15 minutes.

On to a different topic: arthritis. Today an adopter of a former foster dog of ours, wrote to say her dog was getting older and, among other things, has started suffering from arthritis. Her first thought was to put the dog on an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, e.g. Rimadyl, EtoGesic, Deramaxx, Metacam, Novox, Zubrin, Previcox, etc. ). But NSAIDs can have some pretty nasty side effects, the most common being liver problems. Fortunately, there are many other, safer options one can try before resorting to NSAIDs.

The standard supplements for arthritis are mostly based on Glucosamine HCI and Chondroitin Sulfate. These two supplements actually help rebuild some of the cartilage in the joints, so they should be a part of any arthritis management plan. There are many brands of arthritis supplements containing these supplements, and many formulations include other supplements as well, such as MSM or magnesium, and various anti-oxidants. Bioavailability is important, however, and not every brand actually contains exactly the amounts of each ingredient claimed on the label, so do some research before choosing a brand. Sometimes the best sort of research is just talking to other people who have older pets and finding out what works for them!

A somewhat less well-known supplement is DGP (stands for 'Dog Gone Pain'). I first learned of this supplement through Whole Dog Journal (WDJ) (which also has at least one article on Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements, by the way). It is a mixture of herbs, some of them from Australia, and many of them not listed on the label. Lest that give you pause, let me say now that the company is very responsive to its customers and is willing to divulge this information to your veterinarian. Of the ten dogs that received treatment in the WDJ article, only one turned out to be allergic, but she was also allergic to a great many other things. Discontinuing use of DGP reversed all effects, too!

I have personal experience with DGP, having given it to a former arthritic dog. It works! At the time, this dog was also on Cosequin DS (one of those Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements), and Wobenzym (another WDJ gem). Wobenzym is an enzyme supplement that reduces muscle inflammation, with the rather pleasant side effect of boosting the immune system. For years, Wobenzym, Cosaquin DS, swimming, and the occasional acupuncture treatment were the only things I did for my arthritic dog, and she walked several miles a day with me till very nearly the end of her life. It was only after she'd torn her cruciate ligament, and surgery wasn't an option, that I added DGP to the regimen.

So, where to start? Wobenzym is very inexpensive and fairly helpful in and of its own right, but if the arthritis is severe, it won't be enough. Glucosamine/Chondroitin is almost a necessity, as it really does help repair some of the damage in the joints. DGP should be used when pain is an issue, but like aspirin, it's a little addictive in that a dog no longer used to the pain will continue to want that pain-free feeling. If you've got a dog that likes to swim, swimming in a warm pool is a great way to maintain the muscles without much stress on the joints. Acupuncture can be on the expensive side, but it has many benefits beyond just pain relief. It really depends on what your dog responds to. What you can be sure of in trying these things is that you are very unlikely to be doing any damage to your dog, and you could be extending those precious years of joy a great deal. So before you head for the NSAIDs, do some research on the alternatives, and maybe try a few.

Low Cost Vaccination Clinic on Sunday!

2008-11-01T21:26:00.000-04:00

Our monthly vaccination clinic is tomorrow (Sunday, Nov 2nd) at our Forestville facility. For dogs and cats, we offer:

Rabies Vaccination $8
Distemper Vaccination $12
HomeAgain Microchip $25
Nail Clipping $5

You can't beat the prices, plus you will be helping the SPCA.

In addition, we will also be selling Prince Georges County dog/cat/ferret licenses on behalf of local animal control. The cost is $5 for spayed/neutered pets and $25 for unaltered pets. Please bring proof of rabies vaccination and spay/neuter (the medical paperwork, not just the tags) if you are not planning on vaccinating your animal at our clinic.

DETAILS
Cash and credit card only; no checks. All animals must be leashed or in a carrier. Bring an up-to-date rabies certificate; without it the animal will be given a 1-year vaccine.

ADDRESS:
SPCA/HS of Prince George's County Spay/Neuter Clinic
8210 D'Arcy Road
Forestville, MD
1:00pm to 3:00pm

DIRECTIONS TO THE CLINIC:
Take the Capital Beltway (I-495/I-95) to the MD-4 North/West/Pennsylvania Ave (Exit-11B- towards Washington) and turn RIGHT onto Forestville Rd/Ritchie Rd. At the third stoplight, turn RIGHT onto D'Arcy Rd. The clinic is on the left side directly across from the Prince George's County animal control facility.

Foster Tales: Adjusting to Life on Three Legs

2008-10-31T08:54:00.000-04:00

Those of you who have read foster dog Annie's Petfinder profile know that she was scheduled to have her right front leg amputated because nerve damage suffered during a car accident had left her unable to use the leg. Well, the surgery was conducted on October 27 and it went really well.

Annie is recovering in her foster home and is getting around just fine on three legs. Actually, that's no surprise since she'd already been practicing; she'd carry her useless leg in her mouth (to keep it out of the way) and run around the house and yard on three legs. The vet has recommended limited activities for the first two weeks, which includes very little use of the stairs. That means that Annie must suffer the indignity of being carried up and down between floors.

She's also making a fashion statement with one of her foster mom's T-shirts tied up in the back with rubber bands (to keep her from licking on scratching at the incision).

Annie's due to get her stitches out on November 11 and will then be seriously ready for a forever home.

Anesthesia and the liver

2008-10-25T15:54:00.000-04:00

River is out of surgery and recovering nicely. Horay! Despite the fact that his operation consisted of removing three tumors (on his eyelid, his side and his chest -- all are expected to be benign), my main concern was the general anesthesia that would be used. So last week I did some research on how to help his body recooperate.

My first (and favorite) resource for this sort of information is Whole Dog Journal (www.whole-dog-journal.com). I knew they had done a couple of articles on this subject, so I did a quick search and came up with two. Both mentioned the importance of acupuncture (or acupressure) in helping the liver to rid itself of the drug, so I've made an appointment for River with an acupuncturist (www.ahvma.org has a searchable list of wholistic veterinarians). One of the articles also mentioned a couple of homeopathic remedies that can be helpful.

Now, for those of you who know a modest amount about homeopathy but haven't tried it, you may be tempted to stop reading. Don't! Whole Dog Journal also did an article on homeopathy one month. In it they mentioned a modern scientific experiment in which one principle behind homeopathy (that the more dilute a substance is, the stronger its action) was verified -- accidentally! Having used a homeopathic preparation of Arnica (for bruises and muscle soreness) with great success, I was entirely open to trying the remedies listed in the article. Phos. was one listed for clearing anesthesia from the body, so after I brought River home yesterday (fairly awake but not entirely himself), I gave him a dose. I gave him a second dose about 45 minutes later, at which point he hopped off the couch and wanted to take a short walk! It's only gotten better since then. Wow! Phos. stays on my list of useful homeopathic remedies. I am also trying staph. for post-surgical pain, but it will be harder to evaluate the effects of that one as River is also on Rimadyl temporarily.

Additionally, I bought an herbal for liver detoxification. This is something I've known about for a while, having done some research a couple of years ago for a foster whose foster dog was returned to her with a congenital liver shunt. In addition to the antibiotics and lactulose this dog is on, she's also on a special diet (and, no, it's not a commercial diet) as well as Milk Thistle and Dandelion, both of which support the liver. She also gets Seacure (another gem I read about from Whole Dog Journal), but that is to add protein in pre-digested form to her otherwise protein-restricted diet. Over 3 years ago, this dog was given one year to live!

The Detox formula I got for River has Milk Thistle and Dandelion, plus a few more herbs. I started it slowly last night (1/2 the smallest recommended dose), and River had no problems, so now I've started it in earnest.

By some estimations, the effects of anesthesia can last 6 months or more, and these effects can be quite subtle. In dogs, these effects can include "the beginnings of allergies, gastrointestinal upset, inflamed eyes, anal sac problems, vaginitis, seizures and even irritability and aggression" ("Awaking Okay", Whole Dog Journal, Nov. 2002). Given that River is 8 years old and mildly allergic to fleas already, I want to give his body all the help I can in eliminating the anesthesia from his system. So far so good. No stomach upset, no lethargy. I think he'll come through this ordeal unscathed.

Volunteer Orientation This Saturday (10/25)

2008-10-20T08:41:00.000-04:00

Interested in volunteering with the SPCA? We will be conducting a volunteer orientation this Saturday at Petsmart in Bowie, MD. Coinciding with our adoption show at that same location, it's also a great opportunity to meet other volunteers, check out some of our foster animals, and jump right into work.

Our orientations are very informal and last approximately 15 minutes. We'll start at 11AM and you are welcome to stay afterward and assist at the show. Extra hands are always needed!

Columbia show

2008-10-17T14:34:00.000-04:00

We host an adoption show at the Columbia Petco from noon - 3pm, the third Saturday of every month, which is .... tommorrow!!

Come meet -

Trixie, our happy puppy, who just loves meeting everyone . (Trixie will not be arriving til around 1pm)

Freckles, our tiny little beagle, weighing only 12 pounds.

Playful lab, Cody, who got to march in a parade a couple of weeks ago.

and introducing

Gracie Lou and Charlotte, who will be attending their first show.

See you soon...

Annie uses the internet

2008-10-15T22:02:00.000-04:00

Foster dog, Annie, has figured out the internet thing (we always knew she was a smart dog) and put up a doggyspace page!! Check her out.

http://www.doggyspace.com/profile/16009

Reward Offered in cat case

2008-10-14T16:48:00.000-04:00

A reward of up to $4500 is being offered in the cat case we posted about the other day. The SPCA is offering $2000 and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is offering $2500. If you have any information, PLEASE call Prince George's County Department of Environmental Services and Animal Management at 301-499-8301.

The HSUS press release can be found here:
http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/reward_offered_in_md_cat_burning_101408.html

The cat is being cared for by Best Dawg Rescue. He will be made available for adoption when he is well, but in the meantime, they could use donations to help pay for his care. More information can be found here:
http://www.dawg-rescue.org/mattie.htm

Their press release is below.

BEST DAWG RESCUE, INC. * PO BOX 34213 * BETHESDA, MD 20827
_www.dawg-rescue.org_ (http://www.dawg-rescue.org/)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 13, 2008

Contact: Joan Marshall, President
_dawg@dawg-rescue.org_ (mailto:dawg@dawg-rescue.org)
301-407-BEST

LOCAL ANIMAL GROUP STEPS IN TO HELP CAT MEANT TO BE BURNED ALIVE

Cat Survives Being Set On Fire in Apartment Stairwell

We need the public's help to find the person who tried to kill Mattie, states Joan Marshall, President of Best Dawg Rescue, a local, all-volunteer rescue and adoption organization that saves overlooked and medically-needy shelter animals. Mattie is under the care of Best Dawg Rescue.

Prince George's County Animal Control was alerted to an injured cat hiding in the stairwell at Penn Landing Apartments in District Heights, MD on October 5. Mattie's underside and part of his face was oozing and raw. Although traumatized and in pain, Mattie wanted to affectionately rub on his saviors.

"It's a miracle Mattie's alive, and we think he knows we're helping with everything we've got", says Ms. Marshall.

Donations are needed for Mattie's extensive medical care. Some wounds have begun to heal, but muscular or neurological damage cannot be determined at this time. What can be determined is that it will take months for Mattie to heal.

Citizens wishing to donate towards medical expenses should send donations to
Best Dawg Rescue, PO Box 34213, Bethesda, MD 20827, or through
networkforgood.org for credit card donations.

There is a reward up to $4,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for this horrendous act of cruelty. Anyone with information should call 301-499-8301; all calls will be treated as confidential.

"Mattie may not be this person's first victim, but we sure want Mattie to be the last, especially as animal cruelty can escalate to human abuse", Ms. Marshall added.

* * * * *

Beagles, Beagles, everywhere

2008-10-13T14:38:00.000-04:00

There are currently 4 beagles or beagle mixes down at the Prince George's county animal shelter that are running out of time. Our intake coordinators are going down there this week and hopefully will be able to pull one. Since all our animals are in foster homes, we can only help as many as we have room for. But you can help by adopting from us (and freeing up a foster home) or from the shelter. Here is the information for the beagles:

http://www.petharbor.com/detail.asp?ID=A270578&LOCATION=PGEO&searchtype=ADOPT&friends=1&samaritans=1&nosuccess=0&rows=10&imght=120&imgres=thumb&view=sysadm.v_animal_short&fontface=arial&fontsize=10&shelterlist='PGEO'&atype=&where=type_DOG

http://www.petharbor.com/detail.asp?ID=A298935&LOCATION=PGEO&searchtype=ADOPT&friends=1&samaritans=1&nosuccess=0&rows=10&imght=120&imgres=thumb&view=sysadm.v_animal_short&fontface=arial&fontsize=10&shelterlist='PGEO'&atype=&where=type_DOG

http://www.petharbor.com/detail.asp?ID=A299474&LOCATION=PGEO&searchtype=ADOPT&friends=1&samaritans=1&nosuccess=0&rows=10&imght=120&imgres=thumb&view=sysadm.v_animal_short&fontface=arial&fontsize=10&shelterlist='PGEO'&atype=&where=type_DOG

http://www.petharbor.com/detail.asp?ID=A299476&LOCATION=PGEO&searchtype=ADOPT&friends=1&samaritans=1&nosuccess=0&rows=10&imght=120&imgres=thumb&view=sysadm.v_animal_short&fontface=arial&fontsize=10&shelterlist='PGEO'&atype=&where=type_DOG

There is also a cute Jack Russell Terrier who is also almost out of time!

http://www.petharbor.com/detail.asp?ID=A141214&LOCATION=PGEO&searchtype=ADOPT&friends=1&samaritans=1&nosuccess=0&rows=10&imght=120&imgres=thumb&view=sysadm.v_animal_short&fontface=arial&fontsize=10&shelterlist='PGEO'&atype=&where=type_DOG

So if one of these catches your eye, plan to head down to the shelter soon. They are closed today because of the holiday, but will reopen tommorrow. Here is the link to the shelter website with their address and hours.

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MD247.html

You can view our adoptable animals by clicking the "I want to adopt" link in the Take Action section.

Simba was adopted!!

2008-10-12T21:03:00.000-04:00

We all had a great time at the show yesterday. It was a little bit slow with potential adopters, but the great news is that one of the people that did show up adopted Simba!!!

Congrats to Simba and his new owners!!

We will be at Columbia next weekend.

Best home medical reference for dogs I've found

2008-10-12T13:14:00.000-04:00

Sometime this summer, River, my 8 year old Dobie/GSD mix developed a tumor on his eyelid. I immediately had it checked and was told it was benign. But, it's been growing. Is it advisable to get it removed? How much bigger will it get? For the answers to such questions, my favorite reference (and the most complete I've found to date) is the "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook", by James M. Giffin, MD & Lisa D. Carlson, DVM. This book has a wealth of information, along with some amazing (and sometimes far too detailed--yikes!) pictures of just about every ailment you can imagine. For example, there are 3 pages devoted to diarrhea, including diagnostic charts explaining how to diagnose the cause based on color, consistency, odor, frequency and condition of the dog. It then explains when to see a vet and when it may be possible to treat the condition at home.

Without doubt, this book has saved me far more than the $28 I paid for it. I have a number of other medical references, too, and none come close to this one for detail and comprehensiveness. It has 5 pages just on how to give medicines and which over-the-counter human medicines are safe for dogs and in what dosages! There is a similar book for cats, for those of you, like me, that live with a menagerie.

Turning to the section on eyelid tumors (half a page, with a picture!), I find that there are at least three types: meibomian gland adenomas, sebaceous adenomas and papillomas. Most are benign, but they should be removed to prevent injury to the cornea. Since I'm starting to see white 'goop' occasionally in the corner of River's eye, I guess, perhaps the tumor is starting irritate it. The discharge is white and only occasional, so it's not due to an infection.

River is now scheduled for surgery. While he is 'under', they'll check his teeth (for fractures), remove another, probably benign, tumor on his side (which could have been done under local anesthesia, but...) and possibly remove the lipoma (another benign, fatty tumor) on his chest which is starting to rub on his harness.

Those who know me know that I'm very much a proponent of holistic health (due to reading 10 years worth of "Whole Dog Journal", a.k.a. WDJ -- but that's for another post). So the next thing to find out is how to support River while his body tries to eliminate the anesthesia after his surgery. Since his surgery isn't for a couple of weeks, I've got time. Stay tuned...

Cat needs help

2008-10-10T20:33:00.000-04:00

Police need help finding the person or persons who set a cat on fire this past Sunday at the Penn Landing Apartments in District Heights, MD. Anyone with information is asked to call the Prince George's County Department of Environmental Services and Animal Management at 301-499-8307. A reward is being offered. The news 4 story about the incident can be found here.

http://www.nbc4.com/news/17690798/detail.html

A new start

2008-10-10T12:26:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a while since we have posted anything, but we are working to try to restart it. So watch this space for posts on upcoming events, current activities, facts and tidbits on all thing PGSPCA, and fun stories about our furry foster friends.

Speaking of furry fosters, we have a show being held tommorrow, Oct 11 at R & D Cross of Upper Marlboro (15610 Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772) from 11am to 2pm.

Come meet:

Simba, our older boy, who lost his home when his owner passed away
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11458563

Annie, whose original owners turned her into the shelter instead of getting her the medical attention she needed, after she escaped from them and got hit by a car.
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11961021

Trixie, who was found in a dumpster as a small puppy (Trixie will be arriving late)
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10976936

And more....

Hope to see you there.

Max Found a Home!

2008-01-27T22:10:00.000-05:00

Well, let's hope that the second time's a charm. He was actually adopted out just before Thanksgiving, but it didn't work out with the family. Alas, Maxie was returned to us and we started the process all over.

But this one has success written all over it. I hope. We have fallen head over heels for Max and think he's just a fabulous companion. For the months he spent with us, he never stopped smiling. We pray that he's as happy in his new home with his new mom and dad as he was with us. They are terrific people with lots of love to give him.

Puppy Bowl!

2007-10-18T09:23:00.000-04:00

For all you non-sports lovers, the highlight of Superbowl night is flipping between the debuting commercials and Animal Planet’s PuppyBowl.

...and now we have a team to root for...

NOW TAKING THE FIELD — KIRA! That's right, the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George's County’s very own fluffy foster played in the big leagues this week, participating in the taping of Animal Planet’s PuppyBowl! In addition to playing paw-ball, each pup posed for a headshot to be posted as part of the Player's Lineup, and each was taped individually running onto the field. Foster mama Pam reported that Kira sat on command, posed beautifully for her head shot, then ran right onto the field when she was called. Watch for the pups on TV when they compete muzzle to muzzle with the SuperBowl for ratings!

Million Dollar Smile

2007-10-17T22:15:00.001-04:00

Or Cheshire Cat smile? Who's to say? We've only had Max since Sunday, but he really seems to be smiling at us. After an initial rough start, he's even getting along with my grouchy Ladybug. He's patiently sitting at my feet as I'm typing this, like a giant furry legwarmer. And he doesn't even remotely resemble the dog that's been marking inside my house lately. OK, well maybe the diaper he's wearing gives it away :-)

But hey, it's only been 4 days. I can cut him some slack if he'll continue to wear the diaper. Hopefully he'll get neutered next week and that will be the end of it.

Home Sweet Home

2007-09-25T14:14:00.001-04:00

Ellie Mae was placed in her new forever home on Saturday. The latest news is that she and her canine sis, Ginger, are getting along well. Her new mama called her "a dream". This will be Miss Ellie's third attempt at a forever home, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her. This sweetie pie deserves a fabulous life! (Really, don't they all?)

He went swimming

2007-09-23T20:21:00.000-04:00

It's true. Freddie went swimming.

This time we tried Quiet Waters in Annapolis. A much nicer beach and a dog park to boot.

At first Freddie wasn't interested. I tried to coax him to no avail. There were a couple dogs who were playing and Freddie was very upset that he couldn't get to them - they were in much deeper - at least a foot of water compared to Freddie's two inches.

Towards the end of our outing Alan suggested that I carry Freddie in. So I waded in knee deep hold a squirming Freddie. I set Freddie in the water just deep enough so that his feet couldn't touch. I held onto him but let his feet dangled. And sure enough, doggy instinct took over. The best dog paddle I've ever seen.

His little head was up, ears were back, and the tail was tucked. And he was off. I'm not sure if he liked swimming or if he tolerated because he had to. Regardless, Freddie is a swimmer. Woo Hoo.

Fun Freddie Fact

2007-09-22T20:54:00.000-04:00

All of the wiskers on the left side of Freddie's face are black.

All of the wiskers on the right side of Freddie's face are white.

Turn in later for more fun Freddie facts.

An Omen?

2007-09-18T22:54:00.000-04:00

I came home to find Band-Aids (and chewed up bits of cardboard packaging) scattered around the dining room floor. Let's hope it's not a sign of things to come.

Luck of the Paw

2007-09-15T01:07:00.000-04:00

Should I feel guilty that Ellie Mae is a super easy foster? Nah. My turn will come :-)

But really, Miss Ellie has been extraordinarily good. Come meet her today at our adoption show. We'll be at the Columbia, MD Petco from 12PM to 3PM. Ellie will be the little basset hound sitting shyly on her towel.

Freddie Beagle will be there too, flirting with all the ladies and showing off his "roll over" (which really is mighty impressive!) Xena will also be there, sporting her very fashion forward tiger stripes. I think we may also have a pup or two.

See you there!

Trot Trot Trot Trot Trot - Look at what I've got

2007-09-13T21:14:00.000-04:00

My squeezie...The roll of paper towels - can it get any better...bed sheets...mom's t-shirt...a ball of yarn - look at it roll...the new comforter...the sponge - water everywhere, oooops...toilet paper - weeeee...Bailey's squeezie - better hide...bisquits...mom's shoe - why is she so upset?...the pillow...Peanut Butter filled Kong - whooo...Squirrel - no wait that was Bailey...Bailey's tail - it's slower than Simon's...Couch cushion - incoming...a bucket - cheap fun...eyedrops...a soda bottle...even more sheets...my leash - we're going for a walk, come on...the sheets...bisquits...box of tissues - does it get any better than this...the neighbor's cat - just kidding...popcorn - manna from heaven...sunglasses - Look at me, I'm a star...lotion - I'm sooooo smooth...more sheets? - it's like they are bunnies and they just keep coming...the water bowl - doesn't she know it's empty?...sandwich - it's a SANDWICH, need I say more?...bisquit...Simon's squeezie - really got to hurry on this one...my tail - self contained fun...pills - good for me, but way too many pills...the electric cord - boy was that a mistake...the next new comforter- what did I do to deserve this?...socks - where have these been my whole life...more bisquits - certainly I don't derserve this...

Boy has it been a busy day. I'm going to take a nap and rest up for tomorrow.

love Freddie

Phoebe Gives Blood

2007-09-10T20:46:00.000-04:00

Former foster dog Phoebe saved a life today! At least that's what her red bandanna from the Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank says. She donated a half-pint of blood, with barely a complaint... thanks to mom shoving treats in her mouth.
EVBB is an all-volunteer canine blood bank. That means they don't use dogs that spend their lives in cages simply to be blood donors. They distribute more than 24,000 units of blood and plasma each year. And Phoebe helped. You can, too. Check it out at http://www.evbb.com/

The return of the Warrior Princess

2007-09-07T11:22:00.000-04:00

Xena has come back into our lives. We first fostered the warrior princess last year, and she was quickly adopted. But when her new family went through a divorce a few months ago, neither partner could take a dog into their new situation. So Xena has come back... a bit heavier, a bit more reserved than we remember.

She is curled up on the couch right now, giving me her woeful look. That's when she tries to look pitiful and make you feel guilty of something so you'll stop what you're doing to come over and give her attention. I'm on to her. I prefer Xena's quizzical look - the one she gets when Alan plays the sound of barking dogs on the computer. She sits up and tilts her head from side to side, just like the dog in the old RCA "His Master's Voice" ads. She looks concerned and a bit confused, and I find it adorable.

Freddie's big day at the beach

2007-09-03T18:24:00.000-04:00

So we set off for our big Labor Day outing. Freddie got an invite to the Down Dog Beach in Pasadena MD outside of Baltimore. In preparation, Freddie donned the harness early in the morning and then settled back in to get in a quick nap – had to muster up all his energy for the big day.

We met up with neighbors Michael, Liz and Bamboo and headed. out We arrived after filling up the gas tank and the wallet. With plans to meet Faith, Alan, and Phoebe, we parked and made the short walk down to the beach. We were met with a bit of initial disappointment – the beach was just that – a beach. No doggie romping area as I had expected. And not really secured. Going in, I knew that Freddie was not a swimmer and as a beagle it would just be foolish to let him off the leash. Freddie got a little wet – all the way up to his ankles. And then we found a comfy rock and watched all the fun. He didn’t seem to mind – he met all the dogs and didn’t have to get his fur all stinky wet like everyone else. Had the waves been a bit calmer Freddie might have been more inclined but the “crashing” waves gave him cause for concern. But can you blame him for being scared with that 6 inch swell.

But overall, a good time was had by all. We came home and took a family nap. Everyone – even Freddie – got a well deserved snooze. And as usual Alan's photos were great. Not enough of Freddie but otherwise quite talented.

We’re thinking about an outing either next weekend or the following to Quite Waters. In addition to the separate beach area, it has a FENCED off leash area with not a drop of water (other than the bottles we bring) to be found. That sounds more like Freddie’s speed.

Clinic Day

2007-09-02T22:01:00.000-04:00

I took current foster Ellie Mae and former foster Charlie Chaz to the SPCA's low cost vaccination clinic for various shots. Shy Miss Ellie really perked up when Charlie came over for a romp before the trip. Despite our earlier judgement, she DOES play!

They both behaved themselves and now Charlie is back home with his new momma. Word on the street is that he's a fence jumper. He was caught INSIDE the neighbor's house after jumping the fence, crossing into her yard, and sneaking in through their dog door. It's becoming clear how he ended up on the streets as a stray. Good thing he's got that cute factor going for him, because this little guy is a regular Dennis the Menace.

After a big day, Ellie Mae is sleeping on my bed (where's she not allowed to be) and making little whiffling noises.