Weekend Update October 24, 2009

October 24, 2009 By

This week we had a graduation! Our first class at the Franklin Lakes VFW finished a fun six week basic course. Here are the graduation photos!

This week Daryn Kagan posted this wonderful video on her site about Baxter, a 19 year old therapy dog that is still helping people. It brought a tear to my eye.

On a related note, Senator Al Franken’s bill for service dogs for wounded veteran’s is one step closer to being a law!

In the “this is surprising?” department, many people say they would attempt CPR on their dogs. Duh. Here’s a video on how!

Last, check out this week’s post on Dog Star Daily for some information on the evolution of the domestic dog.

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Update October 17, 2009

October 16, 2009 By

It looks to be a dreary weekend for us here in the NYC metro area. It stopped raining Friday afternoon, but the forecast for Saturday and Sunday calls for a 70% chance of “ick” with a possibility of “ew” and “yuck.”
black_lab_grin
Have you ever heard of black dog syndrome? I first heard of it years ago when a transport driver that brought dogs to the rescue I was volunteering remarked on how good a job we did adopting out the block dogs we were sent. It’s interesting to see it discussed in the news.

Meanwhile, despite the predictions of economic recovery in news by rich people for richer people, shelters are still struggling with overpopulation. I hope the recovery, when it really does happen, happens for everyone.

In happier news, Science Now has news of a fascinating study about how birds appear to perceive physics, and how it compares to infants. Apparently when shown an image of an “impossible” situation, such as a ball floating in midair, the birds stared at the image longer than a “normal” one. Cool! I love reading about things like this.

In Folsom, a baby kangaroo has found a new lease on life. A very cute story with an adorable picture!

Last, I couldn’t find video on the current Kangaroo story, but here’s one from earlier in the year to satisfy your cute baby kangaroo fix:



Weekend Update October 10, 2009

October 9, 2009 By

boxer_newspaperSaturday comes a day early this week, at least here on Dog Spelled Forward. I’m a little behind on editing video for tutorials, so I am posting this today.

First up is a wonderful article from the NY Times this week about the huge impact companion animals can have on people with special needs. It’s a great story.

Next we have a dog that can read. Allegedly. I think the fact that she offered “bang” when the “wave” sign came out says something, but I am a hopeless skeptic.

Here’s an absolutely insanely fast Labrador Retriever that is having the time of her life:




Special thanks to the Pet Connection blog for sharing that.

Over on Dog Star Daily I posted Six Ways to Change Your Dog’s Behavior Now and the post generated some interesting comments.

And keep in mind, the Blog Carnivals are here all month!

Puppy Diaries: Pet Insurance

October 6, 2009 By

Health care seems to be the topic of the season, if not the year. This week’s puppy diaries discusses similar issues for dogs.

boxer_vet
I don’t have to tell you how expensive health care can be for a dog. A vet visit tend to run about $100 in my area, and as soon as you factor in routine vaccinations (or titers), flea treatments and routine labs, you can very quickly spend $500 or more a year.

And that’s only if nothing goes wrong. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had one of those dogs.

Truth be told, I don’t have insurance on my dogs right now. I was denied coverage for an issue with Caffeine a few years and was very disappointed, since then we’re been banking what we’d pay in premiums instead. I’m not sure if this is a better option or not. I’m still on the fence.

What do you think?

Weekend Update October 3, 2009 (with Puppy Diaries update)

October 3, 2009 By

kidsdogpaperIf you are following me on twitter, you may have seen that I have been dealing with a family emergency and my online time has been curtailed. This should return to mostly normal next week, but I may have to cut down to one or two posts here and one a month on Dog Star Daily. Since this week was cut short, this is a combination Puppy Diaries and Weekend Update.

This week that New York Times has a very entertaining three part series about traveling New York City with a dog. What a great resource the Times has become for pet owners!

Somehow last week I missed an entry in the Puppy Diaries! A guest author contributed a very touching story about moving to New York City and the tough decision she had to make about her dog.

Greg Louganis has starting competing in agility! USA Today has a nice interview with him.

An interestingly-named dog has won a photo contest. Was the fix in? :-)

And last, I leave you with this wonderful story:




Puppy Diaries: Scout in the Big City

September 24, 2009 By

Palying dogsIn this week’s Puppy Diaries we learn a bit about Scout’s recent times in the city.

Scout has had some issues adjusting to city life. She was confused by the pavement and intimidated by some of the sights, smells and sounds. Jill theorizes that she may have made a mistake not spending more time in the city when Scout was a younger puppy. She’s probably right. As my friend Liz Catalano recently wrote socialization includes “people, places, things, sights, smells, sounds, and other animals (especially other dogs).”

The rest of the article discusses some of the differences between Buddy, Scout’s predecessor, and Scout. It’s a great discussion and this series continues to impress and entertain. Enjoy it!

Hachiko

September 15, 2009 By

This is based on a very nice Japanese movie, which is also based on a traditional Japanese story about the loyalty and love of a dog. Should be a great movie.



Update: Hat tip to Blisstree for posting this video earlier today. That’s where I discovered this.

Puppy Diaries #8 : Treats and E-fences

September 12, 2009 By

dog_fenceThis week’s entry is written by Jill’s husband Henry, also a journalist for the Times. He discusses the evolution of his attitude toward dog training and then asks the readers a question.

One of a trainer’s biggest challenges is getting the whole family involved. Consistency is a key factor in any program, whether it’s a simple basic obedience program or a complicated behavior modification project. Having just one member of the family not involved or worse yet, actively resisting the trainer’s recommendations, can doom the entire engagement.

Somewhere well north of 80% of the people that seek out and secure dog training services are women. (I think it may be over 90%. I’m hedging and am having problems finding the number online.) So who do think is frequently the spanner in the works? Yep.

In addition to the coaching skills needed to successfully train people, dog training requires a bit of sales too. Sometimes it’s simply getting the rest of the family involved, but almost as frequently it’s convincing someone (usually a man) that treats are OK and showing the dog “who’s boss” has more to do with well-communicated rules and some rewards than it does coercion.

Henry discusses the family’s problems with keeping Scout in their yard and asks for opinion on electric fences. I’m not a fan for a few reasons:

  1. They don’t always work. One frequent reason people use them is, as Henry says this week, for a “backup.” Henry even specifically mentions Scout taking off after a rabbit. Many dogs will blow right through an e-fence when chasing game. Predation is remarkably hard to stop. The end result when this happens? A dog that is now stranded on the wrong side of the fence and may be reluctant to come home.
  2. They only keep the dog in, they don’t keep other animals out, making the scenario above more likely.
  3. Many dogs left alone in a yard will start to take an interest in nearby traffic, both vehicle and pedestrian. That interest, combined with running too close to the border and getting the collar’s warning signal (remember: the warning signal predicts punishment, making it unpleasant for the dog too) or a shock, can create aggression problems. I have seen this happen a few times.
  4. I don’t think dogs should be left outside unattended anyway, certainly not for extended periods of time. It sets up opportunities for nuisance barking (which just gets worse as time goes by), digging, and other mischief.
  5. Last, but not least, I don’t like equipment and training programs that rely almost completely on positive punishment (adding punishment to eliminate a behavior) or negative reinforcement (remove something bad when an undesirable behavior stops) and I don’t like electric shock in particular.

I am especially leery of the “do it yourself” electric fences sold at the big stores like PetSmart. The commercial installers at least involve some with some skill and experience in properly training the dog after the “fence” is installed. If you insist on getting one, a professional installer should be part of the plan, and the training involved is just as important as the technology. Probably more important.

No weekend update this week. I’m probably going to be offline this weekend for family stuff. Have a good one!

St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center Takes in 100+ Puppy Mill Rescues

August 26, 2009 By

Most of what I have learned about dogs and dog training was at St. Hubert’s Dog Training School, which is a part of St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center. I have also spent a good amount of time volunteering at St. Hubert’s shelter.

I’m proud to be a part of St. Hubert’s, and this story makes me even more so.

Puppy Diaries #5: Can Scout Come Out to Play?

August 24, 2009 By

After a week’s vacation The Puppy Diaries has returned to the New York Times, and not a moment too soon! Apparently while I was checking the Times’ web site every day, looking for the latest entry, Jill was out socializing her puppy! The nerve!puppy_play

This is another great entry in the series with more great advice for anyone with a new puppy or that is planning on getting one. Proper socialization is critical for a puppy and Jill has definitely gotten some great advice. I sense Diane’s influence here, in addition to Marc Bekoff’s, who Jill quotes in the article.

I absolutely love that Jill has gone out and found proper playmates for Scout. She has taken the time to get to know some of the people and dogs in the neighborhood and is participating in regular play sessions. This is a wonderful alternative to dog parks with unknown quantities coming and going. Find well-behaved dogs, arrange for regular playtimes and pay attention to the play sessions. It’s clear from Jill’s descriptions of the sessions that she is doing just that.

Marc Bekoff is quoted discussing the importance of play in development, and Jill cites an excellent book of his. I’m a huge fan of play, and seeing it featured prominently in a visible platform like the Times is a big thrill for me.

Most important, it’s clear the Scout and the Abramson’s are having a great time! Isn’t that the point?

This is turning into a truly enjoyable series for me.