Paws In Prison

Charles Couch has been in prison for 3 decades. He is facing a life sentence, convicted for what he refers to as a crime of passion.

“I caught my wife with another man together and I killed them both. And that was 33 years ago almost,” he told KATV.

No one would expect a man like Couch to have a soft or compassionate side. But then he met Honey, a rescue dog in the Paws in Prison program. The Arkansas Depart of Correction prison is marrying prisoners with the pups on “doggy death row.”

The rescues are each trained by prisoners, which will make them ready for adoption, and able to avoid being euthanized. Though it may sound unusual, unconventional methods to reach the hardened crowd of inmates have seen a ton of success. In some prisons, the inmates are reformed by training horses!

“She’s taught me — I don’t know, to love again I guess,” Couch says of Honey. She’s the third dog he has trained but perhaps the most special to him. Unlike the other dogs he has trained, he lets Honey sleep in the bed with him.

“When they come to us they’re getting their second chance. When they go to their new owner, they’re getting paroled, they’re getting clemency,” Couch says.

Another inmate, William Bentley, is learning a lot about himself through the program as well. Bentley was convicted of aggravated robbery.

“He’s taught me patience, responsibility. I’m not used to having to take care of anybody other than myself. On the street my mama was taking care of me so it taught me how to take care of something other than me,” he says. “I was anti-social and having him has made me social because everybody wants to pet the dog. Everybody wants to rub him and see him and talk to him and I have to deal with them also.”


The Paws in Prison program has been shown to reduce violence in prison and turn the lives of these inmates around.

15 Things You Do That Are Unintentionally Breaking Your Dog’s Heart

There are several things we as puppy parents unintentionally do that mess with our dogs’ emotions. No matter how hard we try in our effort to be perfect, some of our human ways can lead to one confused pup. And sending mixed signals to our pups will make them more likely to misbehave. But is it really bad behavior, or bad communication?

Here are fifteen common puppy-parenting missteps you can easily avoid.

[via facebook]

Oahu SPCA animal shelter

KANEOHE, Hawaii —The Oahu Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Oahu SPCA) broke ground on Hawaii’s largest animal shelter at noon on Monday.

Click here to watch Paula Akana's report.

It’s located on 2.2 acres in Kahaluu surrounded by 18 acres of preservation land. The facility will be able to house more than 300 animals each day. It will also include a pond for abandoned fish (ex: Japanese koi), to be built by the USDA’s National Resource Conservation Service.

“We will be housing rescue koi fish that live 200 years and also providing a breeding ground for endangered birds and other wildlife,” said Stephanie Ryan, Oahu SPCA President.

In addition, there will be a predator fence and within the one-acre pond will be an island for safe refuge.

Oahu SPCA is continuing to look for donations to help. It was made possible by state grants totaling $535,000 that Representative Scott Saiki and others pushed for.

“The legislature really wanted to support organizations that provide animal welfare services,” said Rep. Saiki. “This one was particularly important because it’s a no-kill shelter.”

According to Ryan, once the concrete pier foundation is up, their structures can go up in eight days. They are hoping to be open in the next few months. Currently, there are about 170 animals at the facility in Kalaeloa, all anxious for a permanent home.

“It’s important to have a permanent home for those who care for the homeless, so we are very blessed that we have such an amazing property and support of the community to make this dream come true,” said Ryan.

To learn more about the new shelter or to make a donation, visit the “As Seen On” section of KITV.com.

Lucy and Rufus

Most of you -- Susan's and my readers -- are familiar with out Yellow Lab siblings, Rufus and Lucy, whom we've had since about their fourth day out of the womb.  Over the years, we've referenced them in our columns to make points about "unconditional love" and the sheer joys of dog companionship.

Both dogs have had the potential to outlive their normal live expentancy.

Lucy barely did.  We lost her last New Year's Eve at just over 14 years (equivalent to 98 human years) as a result of liver cancer, and enervating effects of spinal surgery and knee replacement surgery.

Rufus is still hangin' in there.  His main problems are ones to which I can personally relate, difficulty walking, in his case because of serious, classic Labrador hip dysplasia, whereby the "socket" portion of his hip joints have deteriorated so badly they no longer hold the ball portion of the joint up into the socket, so they tend to become "disjointed" when he walks.

When he collapses, we have to put a padded sling under his belly to lift him up high enough to get his hips straight down under him again so he can walk forward.

Oh, and there's the issue of his forgetfulness and dementia.  Now pushing 15 years, he's like a little old man trying to adjust to the loss of his lifetime partner.

When Lucy passed, we buried her down in the lower part of the yard where she used to just roam by the hour, pushing through shrubbery, inhaling each new smell of the day, and barking a fierce warning at any living thing that traversed the pathway just outside the chain-link fence.

Our daughter Kim Isaac, currently the practicing "artiste du jour" of the family, made a beautiful mosaic tile with Lucy's name on it for a marker.  She has promised a matching tile with Rufus' name when the time comes.

So this cool, shady place in our lower yard has taken on significance the likes of which we had never planned.  It will always be the focal point for so many warm and happy memories of Rufus and Lucy, and the joy they brought into our lives.

Every family should be so blessed.

And remember, dog spelled backwards is God.  And I think that simply is too profound a coincidence to just write it off as God messin' with our heads.

-- Jerry Coffee, MidWeek, July 15, 2015

Cecil the Lion

A dentist from Minnesota is accused of paying $55,000 to hunt down and kill a famed lion in Zimbabwe.

“Cecil the Lion” was killed in early July, authorities said. A spokesman for the dentist, Dr. Walter Palmer, told The Guardian that Palmer, 55, may have shot the lion.

“What he’ll tell you is that he had the proper legal permits and he had hired several professional guides, so he’s not denying that he may be the person who shot this lion. He is a big-game hunter; he hunts the world over,” Palmer’s spokesman told The Guardian in a statement.

A professional hunter and the land owner where the lion was killed have already been criminally charged. Police said they are looking for Palmer.

Aloha Vet

Dr. Scott Sims, the barefoot veterinarian from Kauai whose love of animals was showcased on the reality show “Aloha Vet,” died Saturday after a two-month fight with bladder cancer. He was 59.

“Aloha Vet” aired this spring on Nat Geo WILD, and Sims was in talks for a second season when he was diagnosed June 1.

Nat Geo WILD announced Sims’ death, saying he was “a great guy who truly loved caring for animals.”

“Famous for answering calls day and night to care for his patients, he truly embodied the spirit of our network by always putting animals first, and for that he will be greatly missed,” the network said in an emailed statement. “Our only consolation is that we got to share his incredible talent and humanity with the world, if just for one season.”

Sims was popular on Kauai, but he treated animals across the state, flying to other islands in a small plane he built himself. People loved his passion for saving stricken animals — a guinea pig with a tumor, a goat with a hernia, an unconscious horse in a rocky streambed.

There’s even a pig out there that can see again, thanks to Sims.

Sims said in June that his illness was a reality check with a silver lining.

“Would I wish this on anybody?” he said. “Of course not. But is it all bad? No, it isn’t all bad. I get to tell people I care about that I care about them. And they can tell that to me. And those are good things.”

Sims was an animal lover his whole life. An only child, he grew up on an acre of land in Danville, Calif., surrounded by horses, dogs, cats and birds. He was barefoot more often than not — a habit he retained in adulthood, whether driving or flying.

“My mom and dad always had trouble keeping shoes on me,” he said during an interview in March. “It drove my dad crazy.”

Sims graduated in 1984 from the University of California, Davis, with a degree in veterinary medicine. He practiced in California until about 14 years ago, when he moved from Novato to Kauai.

The move surprised friends but not as much as Sims. For most of his life he had never been interested in coming to Hawaii, but at the urging of a woman he knew, Sims visited Maui. It was more rural than he expected and definitely prettier.

“I had seen all the pictures of hotels in Waikiki, and I’m a country guy, not a city person,” he said. “I went home and started closing doors.”

He settled on Kauai, however, and brought his parents with him when they were in their 80s. Both have since died.

When he moved to Hawaii, Sims figured he would work part time. Instead, he wound up working 70 hours a week.

“I have real trouble saying no when someone comes in and needs some help,” he said in March.

Sims has no survivors. A Nat Geo WILD spokeswoman said that Sims was never married and had no children.

Dog Town USA

(CW) – The CW, in association with Litton Entertainment, announced the addition of “Dog Town, USA,” and “Save Our Shelter” to their Saturday morning line-up, One Magnificent Morning.

Each series will inspire young people to pursue their dreams while valuing the importance of dedicating oneself to the greater good of community and family. These two new shows will demonstrate the powerful interaction between humans and animals with a focus on our canine companions.

Premiering July 4^th, 2015
“Dog Town, USA” – Built on 33,000 acres of pristine land in Utah, Dog Town USA is the nation’s preeminent facility dedicated to finding safe homes for abandoned dogs. Each week, Dog Town’s highly skilled staff and internationally renowned experts first create a safe sanctuary for dogs from around the world. Then, “Dog Town USA’s” medical professionals provide personal care to each dog beginning the detailed process of rehabilitation in preparation for uniting each dog with a loving new family and home.

Premiering October 3^rd, 2015

“Save Our Shelter” follows humanitarian entrepreneur and pet expert Rocky Kanaka and renovation specialist Rob North as they hit the road to revitalize, modernize and energize animal shelters and rescue facilities across America. In each episode, the show’s hosts will engage the local community, including contractors and craftsmen, as they transform rundown rescues and shelters with the ultimate goal of creating healthy and happy environments to increase adoptions and save more pet lives. Each episode educates audiences about pet-related topics and culminates in a big reveal. Audiences will witness heartwarming news that one or more animals have arrived at their new home.

come when called (recall)

This costs $19.99 from the Amazing Dog Training Man (well, this is free)

What else is out there (preferably for free)?

ASPCA

Zak George (video)
Training Positive (video)
kikopup (video)
kikopup (adding distractions, video)
expertvillage (video)

wikihow
wikihow (5 steps with pictures)
petfinder
Perfect Paws
Ian Dunbar
The Humane Society
American Humane Association
QuickandDirtyTips
DogsNSW
Dog Owners Guide
WebMD
For Dummies (video)

OK, that's enough for now

[6/25/15] Eric Letendre (well, I guess he started off this post in the first place)
One more from Eric

Keith clamps on Jojo

I was digging some grass/weeds with Jojo out (and Kimo) out in the yard, when Pat comes out with Keith.

The usual commotion followed with Jojo running around and Keith lunging at him on the leash.  But this time, Keith caught him.

Keith had him by the side of the neck and wouldn't let go.  I pulled up Jojo since that usually makes the dog release after a while but Keith wouldn't let go.  Pat was hitting Keith in the snout, but Keith wouldn't let go.  I tried putting the flexi-leash handle between Keith's teeth, but it wouldn't fit.

After struggling for probably three or four minutes, Keith finally let go.  I noticed Keith had this crazed look in his eyes, sort of reminiscent when Kimo eyes used to turn red when he transformed into wolf mode.

I held Keith for a little so he would calm down a bit, then Pat led him away.

Checking Jojo, thankfully no blood.  Though the side of his neck was wet with saliva.

Later I wiped off the area with an alcohol wipe and he seemed OK.  Well, maybe not OK, but back to his old self.

[posted 5/14/15]

Amanda rescues Bear

When Amanda heard about a lost, lonely dog at Evans Creek campground in Washington state, she and her friend Dylan decided to do the unthinkable.

The two girls — now being hailed heroes — posted photos illustrating the great lengths they went to in order to rescue the frightened, emaciated dog known as “Bear,” who wouldn't let any humans get close.

For an hour, Amanda and Dylan tried to lure the dog with food, but it didn't work. The next day when they went back, the dog was in the same spot. Again, they tried to coax him with food, but to no avail. That’s when they got creative. Very creative.

Pretending she was injured and in need of help, Amanda laid down in fetal position on the gravel and started crawling backward toward the dog. In fact, she spent the next hour slowly inching closer and closer to Bear. When he voiced his discomfort, she’d start whimpering and yawning, which is a calming signal, and continued to inch closer until she rested directly on his side!

For two hours, Amanda and Bear cuddled, until he finally let her slip a lead around his neck. Bear was finally safe. Like the police officer who got out of his car and comforted two dogs wandering on the side of the highway, there are good people in the world.

Bear is on the road to recovery thanks to these two incredible heroes. Because of his eventual friendliness, they think he got lost from his family. They’re trying to find the dog’s owners, but if no one claims him, a local rescue group will help find him a loving home.

[via facebook]

Humane Society West?

Hawaiian Humane Society officials estimate at least half of the roughly 27,000 animals that enter its Moiliili facility annually could instead make their way to a new West Oahu site expected to be open in about two years.

D.R. Horton — Schuler Division, developer of the 11,750-home Hoo­pili project between Kapo­lei and Ewa, announced Tuesday that it is giving the Humane Society a 4-acre site for a second facility to accommodate animals in need.

The parcel is on undeveloped land near Fort Weaver and Old Fort Weaver roads, about a half-mile from the Queen's Medical Center-West Oahu.

Besides animal services such as sheltering for stray and lost animals, spaying and neutering, adoptions, lost and found, dog training classes and youth education, the Humane Society will operate a dog park, which will encompass about half the property and be open to the public, said Pamela Burns, the group's president and CEO.

Burns said her organization has sought a West Oahu site since 1999. When the new site opens, at least half of the 27,000 animals that now enter the Moiliili shelter each year will instead go to the new site, she said.

"What we don't know is how many more will need sheltering from West Oahu that are not being transported to our Moiliili shelter," Burns said.

A recent survey showed that while just over half of Oahu households have a pet, about 74 percent of West Oahu households own pets, Humane Society officials said.

Burns said she and Horton-Schuler have been discussing the gift for several years, although it wasn't finalized until last week.

"Now that we've gotten the gift of land, we will begin our planning process as soon as possible," Burns said. "So we are working as quickly as possible to make this happen."

The dog park will be about 2.5 acres, significantly larger than the one the Humane Society opened at its Moiliili location in 1999.

The society is in the end stages of an $18 million capital improvements funding drive, and about half that money is slated for development of a new West Oahu campus, society board Chairman Richard Zwern said.

Burns said she expects about 25 new paid employees to work out of the West Oahu campus. She said the society also has 600 active volunteers, and "we know by opening a campus in West Oahu, we will attract many more volunteers from West Oahu to join our forces."

The Moiliili facility currently has about 85 full-time staff members.

If the society chooses to ask for additional help from the city, it might not get a warm reception from the Caldwell administration.

The organization has a current operating budget of $7.3 million, which includes $2.3 million from a contract with the city for animal services.

When it asked for additional funding in 2013 to meet the scope of its work, city officials balked. The two sides agreed to allow the group to reduce its field services.

***

So what's the difference between the Hawaiian Humane Society and the Oahu SPCA which is in Kapolei?  It's a no-kill facility.

Kimo vs. Jojo

Kimo now 0-3 this year.

First was a couple of months ago when I took him to the dog park when he was having his gum disease issues.  One of the dogs jumped him and Kimo went down.  I ran over but the dog was off before I got there.  After that Kimo stayed away from the group and looked like he wanted to go home.

Then was last week (thereabouts).  Amy was coming back and Kimo lies to go down Amy's driveway.  So we went down.  One of the boxers was loose, went up to Jojo and jumped him.  Down went Kimo.  I was going to grab the boxer but he was off in a couple of seconds.  Don't know if Kimo made a face at him or what?  After that Kimo wanted to go home, but I made him stay at the stone wall at the top of the driveway for a little while.

Then today I was out with Kimo after coming back from an early walk to the beginning of the street.  Jojo came and so we went to the end of the street.  June came out to take her green bin.

Kimo went over to her and June had him sniff her hand and tried to acclimate him to her.  But after a little while he tensed up and snapped at her.   Surprisingly, Jojo went wild and jumped on Kimo, like a wolf attacking a bigger animal.

I managed to grab Jojo and pull him off, but then he went back and jumped on Kimo again.  I gave Kimo some slack and tried to stay between them and eventually they calmed down.

But after that, Jojo was limping.  We went back home and Kimo went to the lower landing and Jojo went to the top landing.

After things seemed settled, I came out to feed them and I noticed that Jojo was limping again.  I examined Kimo and it looked like the tip of his ear got nipped.  Then later I noticed two bite marks on the inside of Jojo's

They both seemed to eat OK,  Maybe they were hungry from the fight.  Then Jojo jumped down and hopped his way home.  We'll see how he is when he comes back.

Hopefully he'll heal by himself.  I remember that Koa (Eddie's dog) used to limp once in a while.  But then the next time you saw him he seemed to be walking/running OK.

[3/28/15]  I didn't expect Jojo to show up today.  But he did with little or no trace of a limp.  Things seemed more or less normal, but I'm keeping an eye just in case.

Jojo ran down when Pat was out with Keith on his leash.  Keith was yapping at him and Jojo would seemingly taunt him by going close and backing off.  I was a little worried that Jojo might jump him like he did Jojo, so it's a good sign that he would back off when Keith charged at him.

Tuffy and Comfortis

I've been taking Tuffy out once in a while, now that Nalu has him tied up outside the fenced area.

I notice a few weeks ago that he had fleas, so I combed a bunch out.

The next time, he still had fleas, so I combed more out.

Last week, he still had fleas, so I decided to give him a bath.

Yesterday, I checked and it seemed to be better.  But then the more I combed, the more fleas came out.  He still had a lot of fleas.

So I decided to give him a Comfortis.

Needed to weigh him to see how much I should give.  Bring out the scale and carry him.  He's 28 pounds.  Heavier than Kimo even though they're about the same length and height and Tuffy looks really skinny.  (Well, actually Kimo is really skinny too).

Feeding time.  Tuffy gobbled up the Comfortis like nothing.  Just like he gobbles his regular food.

Check back like an hour later and I noticed a bunch of fleas had emerged and were perched at the top of his fur.  Pick them out and put them in detergent water.  I noticed most of them seemed half-dead as they sank in the water without any struggles.

Well, hopefully this works.  We'll see when I check next time.

Bailey, play dead

http://www.wimp.com/dogplays/

Big Island Dog Rescue

It was always about more than saving dogs.

When Kailua-Kona resident Tasi Autele sat down with his daughter Finnley at the Hawaii Island Humane Society on a recent day and reluctantly told her that some pets never find homes, the girl took the news with a child's faith.

"She went around and talked to all the dogs," said Autele. "She said, ‘My daddy's not going to let anything happen to you.'"

And when Finnley, 4, returned, she looked her father squarely in the eyes and asked, "Right, Dad?"

Autele smiled, squirmed and made a promise he had no idea whether he could keep.

"That's right, sweetie."

Weeks of brainstorming with his wife, Tricia, followed. The couple decided to try to create a program inspired by the Maui Humane Society's Wings of Aloha Transfer Program.

On March 6 three dogs boarded an Alaska Airlines flight from Kona to Portland, Ore., bound for the Columbia Humane Society in Sandy. Among the departing was Luke, a shy, placid 4-year-old Cata­houla who had been dropped off during the night at the Humane Society.

The shipment marked the sixth animal that Autele's newly formed Big Island Dog Rescue has placed with the Oregon facility since it started operating at the beginning of February.

"What's going on in the Pacific Northwest is that there is a huge demand and no supply," said Columbia shelter manager Dean Cox, reached by phone. "We bring 40 dogs up in a van load at a time from L.A. What Tasi is doing is easy to manage."

Eventually, Autele would like to transport dogs from overburdened shelters around the state to mainland facilities with high adoption rates.

It's taken a lot of work, and it's going to take more. Autele has maxed out credit cards, and he estimates he's spent 12 to 15 hours a day getting the venture registered and legal, setting up ways for people to donate, and networking between the Hawaii Island Humane Society and the mainland.

It costs about $450 to ship each dog by cargo, so Autele is seeking volunteers to fly dogs as checked luggage to Portland, and volunteers willing to fly back with empty pet carriers.

"The infrastructure is in place now," he said.

Kimo's gum disease

About the end of last year, I was noticing that Kimo's leg was looking scaley and I noticed that he started dripping pink saliva.  Then he started not eating that well.

So I finally took him to the vet.

I thought it might be a skin problem or maybe a return of the mange, but it turned out that Kimo had gum disease.  It looked pretty bad, so it was diagnosed that he would have to have teeth extracted.

They took a blood test to make sure that he would be OK for the anesthetic and got a call back for Dr. Kamiya saying the blood test was mostly good and they would call back with an estimate.  Never got a call back so I called them after a few days.  They gave me a verbal estimate, but apparently they were having equipment problems so they couldn't do it right away.

So not wanting to wait, I did a search for dog dentistry Hawaii (or something) and came up with Aloha Animal Hospital and called them.

In the meantime he was really having trouble eating and I resorted to giving him raw egg mixed with small bits of fish.

They confirmed the diagnosis of gum disease and the vet (the weekend guy on duty) gave him some antibiotics.  With the antibiotics, he seemed to get a lot better.

I went back a few days later and saw Dr. Chang who's the head of Aloha Animal Hospital.

Yep, gum disease.  But he didn't like some of the readings of the blood test (in particular the albumen).  So the plan was to give him her antibiotic and some A/D canned food which was meant to build him up.

Kimo's condition got better with the antibiotics and the food.

The next blood test (a couple weeks later) was much better but still not quite back in the desired range.  We could take a chance and operate or try to build him up some more.

The second one.  So a couple of weeks later another blood test (which turned out to be improved and in range).

In the meantime, I took him to another vet for confirmation and possible alternative treatment.  And yep, gum disease confirmed.

Decided to stick with Dr. Chang for the operation and took him in the next week.  He pulled out most of this teeth.  Told me some of them more brittle which was a sign of bad nutrition.  He still has a couple of his front teeth and a few of his back teeth.

He prescribed puppy food for the next few months to build him up and recommended Hills Science Diet A/B which is what he feeds his dogs (if it's good enough for him...)

The first day or so, he didn't want to eat.  Don't blame him.  But then started eating more after a couple of days.

Took him back after a couple of weeks.  Gums look much better now.  But still has some rough skin condition on his lower front leg.  Told me to shampoo it off.  I told him I thought it might be his mange coming back.

Dr. Chang was surprised that was still on ivomec.  Told me that he has never had a dog in his practice on ivomec permanently.  So did a skin scraping which came back negative and took him off the ivomec.

I kind of combed off the scales off his leg but didn't bathe him yet.  And am giving him canned food with his kibble.  He seems to have a little more energy but his poop is starting to get soft again, especially after the first poop which is normally OK.  Maybe it's because I'm trying out different canned foods.

So now the crisis is over and am now in monitor mode.

Petey

Petey, Malia's terrier passed away a couple of months ago.

Petey was a dominant dog.  Malia said he used to chase kids in her neighborhood.

And even at home, he used to nip at Shirley (their black cocker spaniel) when she got too close.

I remember trying to walk Petey with Kimo.  They both got into it.  It probably took a minute or two for them to settle down enough for me to walk them, but it seemed like a lot longer.

I had to have them on opposite sides of me as Petey would tend to lunge at the other dogs.  I didn't really walk him all that much, but he seemed to be getting a little better each time.  Emphasis on little.

I started walking him occasionally but then he hurt his leg and I laid off for a while.

Then I remember getting him after not seeing for a long while and was surprised that he seemed happy to see me and ran up to me.  He actually walked pretty well using the choke chain (which acted more or less a collar, not really used for corrections).

Petey is another one I'll miss.

Cesar 911

[10/15/15] Season 3 coming in 2016

[2/27/15]  How to watch Season 2 of Cesar 911

[1/15/14] Cesar's getting a new show.  Sounds a lot like Dog Whisperer 2.  Hope so anyway.  If so, it should fare better than Leader of the Pack and Doggie Nightmares.  Neither of which measured up to MPH's production efforts which had a lot to do with DW's success (imo).

***

Cesar Millan is coming back for the bad dogs in new Nat Geo Wild series “Cesar 911″ — and he’s only bringing Milkbones for the ones who “sit” and “stay.”

The new series, produced by ITV Studios America (“Hell’s Kitchen”) in association with Leepson Bounds Entertainment, premieres on Friday, Mar. 7, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo. It will debut internationally on Nat Geo Wild in April, billed as “Cesar to the Rescue.”

Each week, the “Dog Whisperer” is summoned by co-workers, relatives, friends and neighbors to take on a four-legged menace that is terrorizing their community. Millan will evaluate the situation and rehabilitate the problem dogs — as well as their humans.

Each episode of “Cesar 911″ will consist of two stories within one community. First, Millan will meet with the whistle-blowers to get briefed on the situation. He then evaluates both the dogs and owners through home, business and neighborhood locations where the dogs display their problem behavior. There, he’ll either get to work right on the spot, or relocate the troubled pooches to his Dog Psychology Center for more in-depth cases.

On the premiere episode of “Cesar 911,” “Family Feud,” Millan heads to Orange County to tackle black Lab mix Misty and Shiba Inu mix Auggie, who are biters. The following week on “Boss With a Bark,” Millan will take on a yapping Bichon Frise trio. On March 21′s “Dog Fight,” he’ll be called in to break up dog-agrressive Boxers and a nippy Chihuahua.

*** [3/1/14]

You’ve probably got a barker somewhere in the neighborhood, or the dog that’s always getting out. You may have a neighbor whose dog is aggressive toward everything. Maybe you haven’t visited your sister for a while because her dog is out of control, or avoid the dog park because of one particular dog owner and their misbehaving hound.

You really can’t just walk up to these people and tell them they need to fix their dog. People can take it very personally when you criticize their dog training skills. But what if there were a way to blow the whistle and get help in these situations?

That’s exactly what a whole bunch of people did, and the result is my all-new series, “Cesar 911,” premiering on NatGeo WILD this Friday, March 7th, at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time. I’m very proud of this show and excited to share it with you, because it goes beyond anything I’ve done before.
Instead of helping just one family and dog at a time, I’m now helping entire communities work together to bring balance to the dog or dogs that have been causing conflict. I get called in to help a restaurateur whose dogs are scaring away customers, a family who’s afraid of their own dog, a Chihuahua terrorizing an entire dance school, and a lot more.

The best part about it, for me, is that bringing the community into it does more than just rehabilitate dogs. It heals people and reduces tension and conflict.

***

According to this facebook post, the show will supposedly be available on hulu and youtube, 30 days after the showing on TV.  We'll see.  Because that's what they said about Leader of the Pack and nothing.

*** [4/27/14]

Yep, available on hulu.  Hopefully it sticks around and doesn't disappear like Dog In The City did (for example).  Also mirrored to dailymotion and uploaded to youtube by natgeowild.

The season is already with over (only six episodes), but has been renewed for another season.

*** [1/3/15]

Noticed Cesar 911 is now on Netflix.  That makes up a little for the Dog Whisperer being taken off Hulu and The Best of Dog Whisperer being taken off Netflix.  A couple of other shows have caught my attention.  Lucky Dog on Hulu, a current series which is currently being shown on CBS.  And Animal House, a series from 2004.

*** [1/4/15]

Season 2 starts airing in February, preceded by Cesar's live show special Viva Las Vegas.

*** [1/8/15]  The first episode of season 2 will air on February 27.

Sonic

So many of you followed the story of Sonic, the 98-pound blue fawn pit bull deemed too aggressive to be adopted and “sentenced” to Cesar’s care by a judge in Apple Valley. We are so proud to report that, thanks to Paws for Veterans, Sonic is now in his forever home with US veteran Ray Lewis in South Florida, working as a service dog. Sonic — we salute you!

dog catches bus to the dog park

by herself

[via iliodentals]

the Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary

Pretty Prudent spends a weekend at the Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary.

10 common dog behaviors explained

Dog behavior can be puzzling to both new and experienced dog owners. Dogs do not operate with the same motivations as people, so their actions don’t always make sense to us. 

Here are 10 of the most common dog behavior issues and how to resolve them in your own home.

1.  Chewing
2.  Biting
3.  Growling over food
4.  Barking
5.  Digging
6.  Getting in the garbage
7.  Jumping
8.  Soiling in the house
9.  Pulling on the leash
10. Whining or Crying

Kimo and Frank

Took Kimo out (since he was barking).  Made a small poop.  Then walked to the beginning of the street and back.  With periodic stops to pee and eat grass, etc.

As we came back, I saw Frank nearing our house.  Frank is the new neighbor's dog, a dachsund.  The owner says he not very dog-friendly or people-friendly.  But I figured how much damage can he do?  So I let him come close to Kimo.

He seemed more curious than anything and came to sniff Kimo.  Kimo shied away like he usually does, but then started sniffing Frank.  So they mostly were going around sniffing each other.  Frank seemed unsure and Kimo seemed apprehensive.  But no incidents.

Meanwhile I see and her Teri Ann (or whatever her name is) calling for her dog.  I wave to her and she starts walking down.

I tell her no problem, they were just sniffing each other.

She comes to get Frank, but I tell her maybe Frank will follow Kimo up the road.  So I take Kimo up the road and Frank follows more or less.  Teri Ann comments that it's good that Frank has friends.  (Well, I wouldn't go that far yet.)

Anyway, she picked him as he came closer.  And so I guess that went OK.  Both are now a little more socialized to each other.

It would have been interesting to see Frank and Jojo together.

***

Meanwhile, Kimo continues to be uncomfortable around Kaya.  Sometimes I take him out when Cari takes out Kaya.  I don't really bring him that close.  But still too close because he tends to charge at her.  I guess a pre-emptive strike.  I thought he was getting better with her for a while after I walked him with Cari and Kaya up the street a couple of months ago.

And so it goes.

Roar

Back in 1971, actress Tippi Hedren, her husband Noel Marshall, and their actress daughter, Melanie Griffith, brought a full-grown male lion into their residential home in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Tippi and Noel had recently come back from a trip to Africa, where they’d seen an abandoned house inhabited by lions. The experience inspired them to create a film about the endangered big cats in order to raise awareness and promote conservation, and as animal trainer Ron Oxley had told them that in order “to get to know anything about lions, you’ve just got to live with them for a while,” they were determined to do just that.

Tippi and Noel separated a year after “Roar,” and Tippi went on to found the Shambala Preserve animal sanctuary, a place for mistreated and neglected exotic animals. The actress lives at the sanctuary to this day.
The film that came out of their experience, “Roar,” was released in 1981 and featured 150 big cats, including leopards, cheetahs, and cougars. It ended up being a box office flop, and during production, more than 70 people sustained injuries, including Melanie.

LIFE photographer Michael Rougier took these fascinating photos which documented the family’s day-to-day experiences of having a lion named Neil in their home in 1971.

[via Petflow]

Tippi Hendren looks back.

unborn animals

Peter Chinn, producer of National Geographic’s “In The Womb: Extreme Animals” series, makes incredible use of 3D ultrasound scans, computer graphics, and nano cameras to create breathtaking images of unborn animals.

From baby elephants to penguins waiting to hatch, these images are not only adorable, but extremely fascinating sights to behold, tracking the growth and development of embryonic animals from conception to birth.

[via petflow]

they tried

etc.

[via Buzzfeed, via facebook]

Sophia Yin

Dr. Sophia Yin was a frequent presenter at veterinary conferences and dog training conferences around the world. Unlike most veterinarians, she enjoyed a huge fan base of not only veterinarians, but also dog trainers, groomers and pet owners. Sophia Yin unexpectedly passed away today (September 29).

Dr. Yin's  mission in life was to improve our understanding of animals and their behavior so that we can care for, appreciate and enjoy our time with them better. If changing the world was a goal, she achieved that through her many books and handouts on pet behavior. Her most recent, now considered a bible, "Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cats." Through her YouTube page, and Facebook following Dr. Yin reached countless pet owners.

To make the world better for animals - and as a demonstration of her underlying generosity, Dr. Yin offered a variety of informational free handouts. She could have charged. She did not.

Ever since she was a child, Sophia wanted to be a veterinarian, and in 1993, her dream came true. But once out in private practice, she quickly realized that more pets were euthanized due to behavior problems than medical ones. She went back to school to study animal behavior, and earned her Master’s in Animal Science in 2001 from UC Davis where she studied vocal communication in dogs and worked on behavior modification in horses, giraffes, ostriches, and chickens. She was also the award-winning pet columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, and at least once won a Dog Writer's Association Award for best newspaper column, up against my column. Upon receiving her degree focused on animal behavior, Dr. Yin served for five years as a lecturer in the UC Davis Animal Science Department. Through these and an eclectic collection of other animal behavior experiences, she came to realize the true secret to successful behavior modification: be kind, thoughtful and patient.

Sophia learned that every pet needs a human who can lead. Not like a boss, but like a partner in a dance—someone who gives clear signals, rewards desirable behavior as it occurs, removes rewards for inappropriate behavior immediately, and sticks to the plan consistently until the new, good behavior is a habit.

***

Yin died of apparent suicide and was only 48.

tired?

via facebook

Dog Whisperer online (where now?)

Unfortunately Dog Whisperer has been taken off hulu as of today (9/10/14).  Cesar 911 was taken off a month or two ago (I assume the new episodes will come back after season 2 begins -- hopefully).

Looking at the comments, apparently this also happened in November 2012 and they came back in February 2013.  Hopefully they come back soon.  Or maybe they'll go over to Netflix.  I was thinking this because Netflix recently started carrying The Incredible Dr. Pol.

The Dog Whisperer episodes uploaded to dailymotion (by hulu) have also been deactivated.  As well as the Dog Whisperer episodes uploaded to youtube by natgeowild.

[10/25/14 - actually there's still a few of the NatGeoWild episodes still on youtube.  I count five (Delta and Dong Dong; Peanut, Chico, Leroy Brown, and Tucker; Sadie and Calder; Seven, Sara, and Madeleine, Tillie and Leo)]

Netflix currently has The Very Best of Dog Whisperer, which are 13 selected episodes (2 from season 1, 5 from season 2, 5 from season 3, and 1 from season 4).  But now I notice this is scheduled to expire on 9/22/14.

So what's left?  The unauthorized uploads to youtube (notably by natsmilan), however generally the video quality of these aren't as good as the natgeowild uploads.  Plus no captions.

The first three seasons are carried by amazon.com instant video and itunes at 1.99 an episode.  The ninth season is carried by itunes at 2.99 an episode.

***

I see My Cat From Hell will expire from Netflix on 10/5/14, as well as Pitbulls and Parolees.  Apparently that's when the Animal Planet series will expire (as well as other channels on the Discovery Communications Network, including the Discovery Channel and TLC).

*** [3/2/15] checking Dog Whisperer episodes on youtube (to test youtube subtitles).  Now taken off are Delta and Dong Dong, Chico & Peanut, Sadie and Calter, Seven.  Well actually they're there, but made private.  The only one left that I can see are Tillie and Leo (titled Tille and Leo on youtube).

Jonny and Xena

Thinking about life before Xena is difficult for the Hickey family. For years, it was impossible to get young Jonny to say a word. It wasn’t that the young boy couldn’t speak, he can read very well for his age, his autism held him back, making him feel isolated and closed off from the world.

When Jonny was 8, however, everything changed. Johnny’s mother, Linda, saw a news story about an abused puppy and decided to follow his recovery on Facebook. When the pup, Xena, was strong enough to attend a fundraising event, Linda brought her family, hoping to meet the brave little guy. Although hundreds of people wanted to adopt the dog, the Hickeys were chosen to raise the pup. Instantly, Linda, her husband and her oldest son started to see a big change in little Jonny.

[via petflow]

Dog Whisperer: Family Edition

is coming to the CW Saturday mornings, starting October 4

In DOG WHISPERER WITH CESAR MILLAN: FAMILY EDITION, renowned dog behaviorist Cesar Milan travels far and wide to help pups and their families.  Millan rehabilitates dogs and trains families to achieve a balance and natural relationship between people and their pets, and goes directly into the homes of dog owners to document the remarkable transformations that occur.

I'm thinking this will be selected and perhaps edited episodes of Dog Whisperer

The reason I say this is because another show is

CALLING DR. POL
Caring for more than 19,000 patients, Dr. Pol has seen it all.  Specializing in large farm animals, Dr. Pol, his family and veterinary staff care for animals of all shapes and sizes.  Unstoppable and unflappable, this Doc is a legend in the community.

and another is

EXPEDITION WILD
Wildlife expert Casey Anderson knows animals up close. His adventures into the wilderness are a source of inspiration for viewers and an education about animal’s natural habitats.

I kind of doubt they are shooting new episodes for the CW.  So CW is likely paying to re-air the NatGeoWild shows.

puppy gifs

http://blog.petflow.com/puppies-prancing-gifs/

Kimo on the loose

Came home and let Kimo out without putting on the leash

Goes up the dh side of the house
Put then Pat and Keith are out in the area, uh oh

Naturally Kimo gets a bit excited but stays on his side of the wall as I go walk between them

But Keith continues going nuts, so Kimo gets excited and jumps the wall.

Pat gets a little frantic (though not as frantic as Keith) as Kimo gets into wolf mode

I try to stay between them, but Kimo gets close but really doesn't go all the way after Keith

I manage to snare his neck with the line of the flexi-leash and Kimo calms down after a little while.  Meanwhile Pat drags Keith away.

I should have learned after all this time.  I should always have a leash on Kimo in case of incidents like this.  But it mostly happens only with Keith.  And maybe with certain cats (but the cats can run away).

[8/10/14, posted 8/11/14]

Lady and Helen Rosberg

An elderly black lab named Lady, who made headlines for walking 30 miles to return to the family that gave her up, will get to live out the rest of her days in comfort at the home of a wealthy Florida heiress. Her new mom sent a private plane to pick her up yesterday.

Lady first landed in a Sedan, Kansas animal shelter after her original owner passed away in 2012, KCTV reported. She quickly grew attached to the first family that adopted her, but they felt she was too rough with their puppy and worried she wasn't friendly toward little dogs. They returned her to the shelter.

She was adopted by a second family in Independence, Kan., earlier this summer, but Lady missed her previous home so much that she escaped and pulled a Homeward Bound, walking 30 miles to reunite with the owners who'd rejected her.

After that, neither of Lady's adopted families would take her back, so the old dog boomeranged back to the shelter for the third time.

That's where Wrigley Gum heiress Helen Rosburg comes in. Well-known as a dog lover, Rosburg once helped out a U.S. Marine who was going to lose his dogs by chartering a private plane to transport them across the country (they were too big for a commercial flight).

Rosburg just hired a private jet for Lady, too. She's personally adopted the dog, who will live at her 10,000 square-foot home on a 120-acre Odessa, Fla., farm, home to 300 rescue animals.

It couldn't have happened to a better dog.

"Super dog. Gentle, calm dog," Sedan animal shelter worker Kelsey Loyd told KCTV, "If I had to pick a dog, this would have been the dog I would take."

pictures of babies and dogs

For example:

via facebook

and a video

Toothless Rooster Cogburn

This heartwarming story about a dog named Toothless shows that it is never too late to help save a life.

via Petflow
apparently originally from imgur

human kindness

to animals.

[via Donna via Donda]

[It's easier to be kind to animals than to fellow human beings because the animals don't know any better.  But sometimes human beings don't know any better either.]

5 Natural Dog Laws

Cesar's 5 Natural Dog Laws

1. Dogs are instinctual. Humans are intellectual, emotional and spiritual.
2. Energy is everything in a dog's world.
3. Dogs are first animals, then species, then breed, and then name.
4. A dog's senses - primarily smell - form his reality.
5. Dogs are pack animals with a leader and followers.

leave the words behind

Less is always more, and when you find that place of calm energy, you will also find a place of silence. Dogs do not communicate in words. They communicate with energy through body language. One of the only times that dogs naturally get loud is when they bark to communicate with the entire pack over a distance because there is danger lurking.

And yet I see humans get this backwards all the time. Their dog barks at another dog or pulls on the walk, and their immediate response is to get loud. “No, no, NO!” Now this can work in human situations because we communicate with words, and the person who shouts the loudest can often win out over everyone else.

It doesn’t work with dogs, or with animals in general. Why? Because loudness represents unbalanced energy, and dogs will not follow unbalanced energy. What they will do is become more excited the louder the humans around them get.

To a dog, a human shouting in a loud deep voice is just a bark, and barking is meant to alert the pack to danger. Well, if the pack is in danger, it’s every dog’s job to spread the word and take action to protect the pack, meaning that yelling at a dog will just elevate their energy and their anxiety.

I’ve spent a lot of time around dogs, and I can tell you exactly how one dog dominates another: in silence. The dominant dog will place themselves above the other dog, claiming the space and whatever objects are in it. They don’t growl and they don’t bark, because they don’t have to. Their energy and body language send the message: “This is mine. Go away.”

It’s only when the other dog resists that dominance may escalate to other signs, like a low growl, physical contact, or baring of teeth. And, beyond that, it only turns into a fight if the other dog will not defer to the dominant dog.

It doesn’t get loud until it’s a fight.

So if you’re yelling at your dog to calm it down, you will never have a calm dog. You have to see it from your dog’s point of view, and you have to be the Pack Leader. If you want your dog to be calm, then you have to think like a dog and leave the words behind.

-- Cesar Millan

videos via petflow (via facebook)

7/18/14 - dinner time
7/18/14 - Lilica the junkyard mutt

Cesar Millan and Jackson Galaxy

[via facebook]

together (sort of)...

Cats and dogs are cute, loyal, and charming—but what’s really going on inside those furry little heads? There are two men who do know and they’re going to take your biggest pet questions LIVE during a Google Hangout on Air on Friday, July 25th at 1:30 pm ET.

Cesar Millan, renowned dog behaviorist and the star of Nat Geo WILD’s Cesar Millan: Love My Pitbull and Cesar 911, and Jackson Galaxy, the expert behind Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell, will tell you what your furry friends are thinking. Find out why dogs eat poop, why cats always knock things over, and any other behavior you’ve always been curious about.

[I guess I missed it]

But here's the event.  I see the questions, but no answers.

Oh wait, it's NEXT Friday.

***

Here's the live youtube link.  Yep they're both on (with a moderator from Parade magazine in between who doesn't know how to pronounce Cesar's name)

I wonder what Animal Planet thinks of this?  (Or does mean Jackson is moving to NatGeoWild?)

Norman, the blind rescue dog

When Annette and Steve McDonald rescued Norman, an adorable yellow Labrador Retriever, from an Oregon animal shelter they knew by his sweet demeanor that they had found someone special! However, it wasn’t until a fateful trip to the beach that they would learn just how amazing he was!

Shortly after bringing home Norman, the couple found out that he was suffering from a genetic disease in his eyes which left him blind. Although nothing could be done surgically to restore his eyesight, the family said that Norman was adapting fine to his diagnosis and was still able to run and play just like any other pup his age!

One day Annette took Norman to one of his favorite places: the Necanicum River to go swimming. But during that trip, Annette saw a 14-year-old girl starting to drown in the water! Without even thinking, Norman plunged into the waters and made a beeline for her screams for help! By following her voice Norman was able to rescue the girl and bring her to safely to shore unharmed!

-- via facebook (PetFlow)

Live Like Your Dog

Studies show that owning a dog can improve your health, but did you know that it can also provide valuable lessons on how to live a happy life? If you take the time to notice, your dog gives you pointers on how to live life to the fullest each and every day. Here, we've broken down these pointers into six simple steps.

1. Be Loyal: Dogs are faithful, reliable, loyal, and they love unconditionally.

2. See the People in Your Life with New Eyes: After a long day at the office, who or what are you excited to see? Is it your dog's cute mug and wagging tail? There's no better feeling than a warm doggie-greeting. Every time your dog sees you, it’s like they’re seeing you for the first time in years. Try greeting the people in your life with the same enthusiasm, warmth and excitement.

3. Forgive and Forget: Have you ever accidentally stepped on your pup’s tail and heard their awful yelp? Take notice that only a minute later they’re right back to playing and loving you. Dogs don’t hold grudges because they live in the moment. So, take a cue from your dog and choose to forgive, forget, and move on.

4. Live Life to the Fullest: Watch as your dog goes through his daily routine. Every scent is new, every person is special, and every bit of food is appreciated. Take joy in the small things, don't sweat the small stuff, and relish the moment.

5. Take a Hike: What dog doesn’t love being outside? They love going for walks and hikes, and generally being active. We should too, as exercise is good for our mind, body, and soul. Cesar always says that the foundation of your relationship with your dog begins with the walk. It's a great bonding exercise with a multitude of other benefits.

6. Take a Nap: Have you ever noticed how dogs can sleep anywhere? When they need a nap, they aren't ashamed to take a break and recharge. Colleges and workplaces are beginning to open up designated "nap stations" and "nap rooms" to enhance productivity and improve the overall health of their students and employees. Studies show that taking a 15-30 minute nap reenergizes us, and makes us feel more creative and alert. So if you can, try and set aside 15 minutes a day to curl up with your pup and catch a few zzz’s.

walking Izzy (for the first time)

Duane, Jason, Dude, Coco are walking
take Kimo out
Phil lets Kaya out to play with Dude

notice Izzy is outside the gate
Duane takes Kimo and I go to put Izzy back, she kind of runs away from me
so I go in the gate and eventually she comes in
wth, I go take out Tuffy

have him on long rope that I took from Fifi's basket
Duane notice he's skinny and feeds him, also notice he's limping a bit
take home Kimo

Duane brings Tuffy
I take home Tuffy, see somebody's home, tell Jake that Izzy was loose
but now I worry about Izzy reacting to Tuffy (since Kristen said if I took out Brownie by herself and bring her back, Izzy might go after her)
so I take out Izzy for the first time

see Ann leaving
Izzy pulls but not uncontrollable, walks on loose leash some of the time

take Izzy to Charlie at the fence, but then Izzy starts barking at him and Charlie barks back

have them sit at Duane's for treats

then take them a little away from Charlie and have them sit for treats as Charlie barks at them

ok take them home
first have them sit outside and try to get Brownie to calm down for treats
then take them inside and do the same thing.  Izzy sits consistently, Brownie sits once in a while after a while, Tuffy jumps up on wall to get out of the way

Kristen scolding Izzy, she didn't know I was there, then I go talk to her for a little while

[7/12/14, posted 8/11/14]

tears of joy

An elephant who'd been shackled with spiked chains for his entire 50-year life cried tears of joy when he was finally freed from his horrific captivity.

Raju had water streaming down his face as a daring team of rescuers swooped in on Wednesday night to release him from his confinement in India.

Vets and wildlife experts from the British-based Wildlife SOS-UK were joined by 20 Forestry Commission officers and two cops in the dangerous nighttime operation.

The squad raided the farm in India's Uttar Pradesh region, where Raju — who'd been regularly beaten and abused by his owners, who used him to beg for money — was being kept.

And they claim that, as they liberated him from his manacles, he openly wept because he realized that his half-century ordeal was coming to an end.

"Raju was in chains 24 hours a day, an act of intolerable cruelty. The team were astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue," Wildlife SOS-UK's Pooja Binepal said.

"It was incredibly emotional. We knew in our hearts he realized he was being freed," Binepal added.

wolves vs. dogs

Has the domestication of dogs also changed their ability to learn from each other? A recent study performed by the Messerli Research Institute at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, seems to indicate that this is the case.

In a simple experiment, the researchers determined that wolves have the ability to learn by observing a dog carrying out an action, while most dogs in the study did not. In the set-up, both wolves and dogs observed a trained dog using a lever to open a box and receive a treat.

Throughout the trials, all of the wolves succeeded on their first try at copying the actions of the trained dog to open the box. Only four of the dogs were able to do so and, out of these, only two of the dogs succeeded multiple times. The wolves and dogs had all been raised together since they were pups, and had been given equal socialization among other wolves, dogs, and humans.

The initial studies took place when the wolves and dogs were six months old. However, to rule out the idea that the results were due to the wolves’ earlier cognitive development, the study was repeated nine months later, when all of the animals were adults, with the same results.

The study concluded that wolves are capable of imitation, and so “are likely to pay closer attention to the actions of social partners and thus may have a higher tendency to socially learn from or even imitate each other’s actions.”

In the context of a wolf pack, this behavior makes sense. But domestic dogs are descended from wolves, so why the difference? Researchers still aren’t sure, but they propose that “dog-human cooperation has likely originated from wolf-wolf cooperation, potentially by (dogs) becoming able to easily accept humans as social partners and thus, extending their relevant social skills to interactions with them.”

***

Interesting.  It sounds like (most) dogs have lost the ability to learn from other dogs, replaced by dogs learning from humans.

A Letter to My Dog

THERE ARE PET owners. And then there
are those who have a best friend, confidant or
“child” who happens to walk on all fours. For
those in the second group, the book A Letter
to My Dog, a set of love letters from 57 pet
owners to their dogs, is proof that to be headover-
heels devoted to your pet is to be in
good company.

The missives are penned by celebrities,
including singer Tony Bennett, actor and
writer Tyler Perry and former basketball
coach Pat Summitt, along with everyday people
smitten with their dogs. The letters are
filled with words such as “hero,” “funny,” “loyalty”
and “unconditional.” Whether they’re
signed with a name, as a friend or in any variation
on the words for parent, each letter
shows the unwavering love these people have
for their dogs.

The idea came up over dinner with
friends Kimi Culp and Robin Layton and
publisher Geoff Blackwell. “I brought up the
idea of doing a dog book, one that, through
letters, would capture the unique and transformational
bond we share with our beloved
pets,” she says. The idea was to show pet owners
and non-pet owners the power of that
kind of unconditional love. “On the spot, a
collaboration was born.”

Erspamer began by launching a blog
where people could share their stories. Culp
went about looking for people to write letters,
which included launching a contest in
schools. Having worked on 20/20 and The
Oprah Winfrey Show, she also put her television
casting skills to work to round up people
willing to talk about their canine companions.
“I was blown away by how quickly celebrities
said yes and how excited they were,” says
Culp, who attributes the willingness to participate
to the fact that the book is “less about
them and more about celebrating their dogs.

Crisscrossing the country, Layton captured
moments of play, rest and, of course,
human adoration. The results are nothing shy
of aww-inspiring.

The celebration doesn’t stop with the
book. The website (www.alettertomydog.com)
offers expert pet advice, pointers to fun pet
products and the news (to this reporter’s
delight) that A Letter to My Cat is in the
works. The website also lets visitors upload
letters to and photos of their dogs.

-- Costco Connection, May 2013

[Touched by China looks like another interesting book]

TNR

ACCORDING TO MANY, we have a cat problem
in the U.S. With population estimates in the tens of
millions, ferals—felines who live their entire lives
outdoors with little or no human contact—are
everywhere. Which means that no matter where
you live or work, chances are there’s a colony nearby.

“People feed the cats, but then they call their
local shelter for help, and the shelter doesn’t know
what to do except tell them to get a trap and bring
them in,” says Costco member Becky Robinson,
president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies (ACA).
Once at a shelter, though, the cats are “not going to
get adopted,” Robinson continues. “Seventy percent
of all cats taken to shelters are killed, and when it
comes to feral cats, virtually 100 percent are.”

It’s not only an unpleasant way of dealing with
them, but an ineffective one: “Euthanasia as a
method of population control isn’t cheap, easy or
quick,” notes Costco member
Dr. Margaret Slater, senior
director of veterinary epidemiology
for the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (ASPCA). Robinson
cites the case of a large
Midwestern county that spent
$185 per cat to eradicate ferals,
numbering into the tens of
thousands of dollars annually.
“We’re talking about a massive
production line that ends the
lives of healthy animals, that’s
cruel and inhumane and a total
failure, [because] there are
more cats than ever,” she says.

That’s why ACA, the ASPCA and other organizations,
such as the Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS), advocate trap-neuter-return (TNR),
in which the animals are safely captured, sterilized
and vaccinated, then returned to their colony. This
stops breeding and limits the spread of diseases such
as rabies—crucial for all cats, says Slater, since
unneutered indoor pets may be allowed to roam.

TNR is also better for the cats: “It stabilizes the
colony and they’re not reproducing, so their health
improves,” Robinson concurs. And while kittens and
a few adult felines may be socialized and brought
inside, most cannot be.

-- Costco Connection, October 2013

behavior shaping

Americans love animals. Statistics tell the story: Since the 1970s pet ownership in this country has tripled from approximately 67 million household pets 40 years ago to some 164 million in 2012, according to the Humane Society.

At the same time, Americans spent more on their pets than ever before, at least $50 billion in 2012, according to the same source.

But all is not rosy in the land of animal ownership. As people own more pets and bring them closer to their family circle, there are inevitably problems. This fact accounts for the immense popularity of shows such as Cesar Millan’s “Dog Whisperer,” in which the dog guru is able to correct seemingly any negative behavior that dogs demonstrate, restoring them to harmony with their families.

Mr. Millan’s mantra is that he does not treat problem dogs,but problem people. That is a theme echoed by Eddie Simon of Danbury, the East Coast version of Mr. Millan. Known locally as “Eddie the Dog Guy,” he has an ever-increasing reputation locally for being able to resolve canine problems.

“We euthanize way too many dogs in this country,” he asserted this week in a phone interview. “We need to try to cut that number down at the same time we need to lower the number of dog bites. Four-to-six million dogs are euthanized each year. The return rate for dogs in shelters is pathetic. I’ve been doing this professionally for a decade, and I know it’s at least one-third.”

Mr. Simon said he believes that the basis for the problem lies in unrealistic expectations on the part of humans. “Most people truly believe that dogs act the way they do in Disney movies, but when it comes to severe behavior problems they behave very differently,” he said. “It’s not that there is a lack of caring people who are trying to help—there are 8,000 registered rescues in Connecticut alone—but there is a lack of information. You can’t be a mechanic if you don’t know how a car works.”

This lack of information can be lethal for a dog. Most dogs are surrendered to shelters because of behavioral issues and, once in the system, are often returned time and again until they are put down. “It drives me up the wall because it all starts with a good dog,” Mr. Simon said. “People just don’t carry the right information. I catch a lot of flack from groups saying, ‘Why waste your time on vicious dogs?’ That California dog [that bit the toddler] didn’t come out of its mother vicious. Every one of my 18 dogs is proof of this. I’ve placed 60 dogs in the past decade, which doesn’t sound like much except that they all were rescued from death row—the toughest of the toughest. Most aggressive dogs can be turned around.”

The first step toward creating a healthy relationship with a dog is recognizing the difference between humans and canines. “I tell my clients that dogs need love, trust and respect,” Mr. Simon said. “Too many people have the wrong response when I tell them they need to be dominant. I try to explain that to be dominant, the alpha, you are the decision maker.”

This, he said, makes a dog feel secure.

“I like to watch wolf videos,” Mr. Simon continued. “When the alpha pair returns to a pack, they present themselves, they stand tall and the others are whimpering around them. But what do we do when we come home from work? We are talking and leaning over making [high-pitched] sounds they can’t understand but that sound subservient. We encourage the dog to take the dominant role by default. This is where anxiety or stress comes in.”

Humans typically try to establish dominance by resorting to obedience training, but this is not the answer, according to Mr. Simon. “Obedience training will not give you dominance,” he said. “You can teach them ‘sit, stay and heel’ and they will be like angels until there is a mailman, a cat or a squirrel. You can put 10 dogs through obedience class and I will bet 10 of them will have that one situation where the owners will have no control. Obedience training is not the natural way they communicate. Teach sit, come, stay, heel—when you have taught them that, it’s not like you are done for life.”

Instead of obedience training, Mr. Simon advocates “behavior shaping.”

“When you take in a new dog, you want to shape its behavior,” he explained. “You want to teach it, ‘This is how we behave when the doorbell goes off. This is how we act when we go in the car.’ Most people cannot block unwanted behaviors. There are so many techniques out there and most work if you have the right relationship.”

The right relationship is essential because most corrective measures do not make sense to the dog otherwise. “I get a kick out of people who use a squirt bottle or rocks in a can,” he said. “The dog is listening to you because you are threatening him or distracting him. Neither will work for long. Time out for a child makes them think about what they have done, but putting a dog in time out in a crate does nothing for it. If a dog goes bonkers at a door when the doorbell rings, most get dragged by the collar to another room. My solution would be to stay right there and calm the dog before it moving to another room. Instead of just blocking unwanted behavior, we also need to show them what we want them to do. ”

Close observation of the animal is also needed. “People will say to me, ‘He loves to sit on the couch and watch the sidewalk.’ To me that means you have a territorial dog.”

He goes back to the theme of love, trust and respect. “I respect them for what they are—dogs. They are so natural and instinctual. They react to what is in front of them without agendas. When people have a problem relationship with a dog, people don’t call me and say, ‘I have a problem with my dog, how do I make it feel better?’ I tell them they won’t have a healthy relationship with the animal if only you get what you want. I tell clients, ‘OK, I know you want the dog to do this, this and that, but what would happen if you said that to your husband?’ I respect what the dog needs, too.”

He advocates teaching two commands, variations of which could be “right” and “wrong” or “do this” and “don’t do that.” “I have been studying animals my whole life,” he said. “What I am trying to do is to simplify. So many first-time dog owners need that information. I want to start a revolution based on behavior shaping.”

When called in to help, he starts with a home consultation. “Training generally works best on their own territory. I would say, on average, out of 10 cases, nine can be handled at home,” he said.

If the dog’s behavior cannot be modified at home, then correction escalates to “boot camp,” which can last up to 30 days. “It’s like picking up an Etch-a-Sketch and shaking it to start over,” he said. He said that if he has three clients who are afraid of thunderstorms, he can take all at once, but if a dog is aggressive he only introduces it one at a time to his own pack. “Aggressive dogs learn so much more from living with balanced dogs,” he said. “There is no question it can get better; it’s a question of what it takes.”

Mr. Simon does not believe that most people are too lenient with their animals, despite the close relationship many people have with their pets. “My dogs sleep on the couch and we have our hugs and kisses,” he said. “But people need to learn timing, when to allow certain things—and this is where people don’t have enough information. For instance, most people confuse excitement and happiness. If you come home and they are dancing on their toes and vibrating, and you say hi, you are feeding their excitement. They are relieved and happy you are home and can see you.” He suggests a more dignified reserve, similar to that of an alpha wolf.

“I do believe dogs can be happy, sad, can grieve—but they are different,” he said. “Dogs are smarter in my definition than people. They live more in the moment’s reality. Emotions don’t run a pack. An alpha wolf doesn’t walk over and tell them he loves them every day. Love, I believe, is expressed through direction.”

He said that in modern American homes, dogs end up being emotional sponges for humans. “That is one cause for aggression and anxiety,” he said. “People expect dogs to be Superman, to be the perfect partner. But we also have to respect their needs. A dog’s behavior is not how he is; it’s a reflection of what environment he is in. By not telling a dog what to do, we are causing stress. It ends up believing it has to carry the weight of a pack leader, which is feed, defend and take care of the pack. This behavior can take over at any point in life.”

Mr. Simon has spent the last decade as a canine consultant and is now in the process of affiliating with an animal rescue operation in Danbury called Tails of Courage. “That will be my new base,” he said. He is also forming a new LLC known as Eddie the Dog Guy. He can be reached via his Facebook page.

Asked what people should carry away about relationships with dogs, he said, “Keep your mind open when you are told that nothing can be done to help your dog.”