Foster / Rehoming Tips 2

If you didn't read my earlier post of tips for foster homes, please do so. There are some awesome suggestions and tips from others added in the comment section too so don't skip those!




In rethinking this whole "Foster Tip" idea, I realized that this information can be used by everyone who brings a new dog into their house - adult or puppy. Whether you keep the dog or are only a temporary home

Dog Park Adventures - Fight!

Went to the dog park again yesterday - sorry, no pictures ... we were running late. We generally go every week now. At the point where we are in training (or re-training?) our Flat-Coat, he needs all the time we can get with other dogs. We go as often as our busy schedule allows which turns into about once or twice a week (don't forget it's a 45 minute drive each way and both my husband and I

Dog Business Rant - Using Videos

Ok, so if you are going to promote your business with a video then take a minute to watch it!! I wonder if people actually go to this place for training after seeing that video? I know I sure wouldn't.


After watching this, I wanted to post a short entry about recommendations to any business owners out there so they can ensure they don't look like asshats by publishing videos like this one. Here

News Reel - NFL Reinstates Vick

Here's the latest update on our good ol' friend Michael Vick. After serving 20 months in custody after being found guilty of dogfighting, he has been released and reinstated in the NFL. To read the full article, see the below link.


NFL reinstates Vick, but stigma to dog him


Turns out there is some concern about his fitness after being in prison for so long and inactive. Fitness? After

Featured Rescue - Fala the Vizsla

There are 206 Vizslas available through PetFinder.com today. A friend of ours has a Vizsla and she's so quiet in a love-me-forever sort of way. The Vizsla is often mistaken as a Pitbull (even though it is a hound!).


This is Fala. She is 2 years old and she is a special needs case. Fala has an autoimmune disorder called Myasthenia Gravis which is treated with daily oral medication. She sounds

Tips to Foster Homes - Number 1

There was a great request on yesterday's posting ...


mytwh said...
BTW, I'm starting work with a local rescue to foster dogs. Any advise for a new fosterer??? Any tips would be appreciated! Thanks!


What a good idea for a blog topic! I have SO many tips I could pass on and I get so busy ranting and raving that I forget these little things. Thank you mytwh for asking. I'll have to ensure I

Training Rant - Loose Leash Walking

This is one of the things that drives me crazy! So many people out there can't be bothered to teach their dog not to pull on a leash (or maybe they don't know how). ARGH!!


Yesterday, I saw a lady with someone I could only assume was her 10 year old daughter walking a young yellow lab (dog looked about 1.5-2 yrs). They were walking along a very busy road. The daughter had ahold of the 6 ft leash

News Reel - Heat killed K-9 unit dog left in car

This was an interesting article. What do you do when the people enforcing the laws are the ones breaking them?


Heat killed K-9 unit dog left in car


Leaving dogs in cars when it is warm outside is just dumb. This police officer was in New Orleans, it was 88 degrees out on May 27th. He left the dog in an SUV. This is the third death in the same K9 unit within a short timeframe (one had

News Reel - Dogs Read Gestures Like Toddlers

I found this video on the Discovery Channel website and I laughed. It was added July 13, 2009


http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/news-dogs-read-gestures-like-toddlers.html


Researchers have completed a study that proves that dogs understand gestures (pointing) like two year old toddlers (not three year olds though - they proved that too).


I laughed because I often tell people that their dog is

Featured Rescue - Riggo the American Bulldog

This is a crossposting for someone who pulled a dog out of the local shelter. She does not wish to keep the dog, but he had overstayed his welcome and was scheduled to be put to sleep (PTS).


Riggo is an American Bulldog. He's UTD on shots, HW negative, housetrained and shows no signs of aggression. He does need some basic training like the crate, heel and stay but he's a good boy so far. Seems

Featured Rescue - Parker the German Shorthaired Pointer

The breed standard for the German Shorthaired Pointer recommends an active family for this breed, but I've always found them to be fairly laid back dogs. They do require a fair amount of exercise, but what dog doesn't?

This is Parker. He's already been vaccinated and neutered and he's ready to go to his new/last home! The rescue estimates him to be somewhere between 6 and 8 years old - another

Featured Rescue Followups for June

It's been another month. Here's the follow up for all the featured rescues I've published. Check out the original post if you're interested in seeing the pics. There were actually a fair number of dogs that had been adopted on last month's list.


Kobe Swims the "Rottweiler" mix
Status: NOT adopted
Featured on December 5, 2008
Follow link here to see blog entry


Rafe and Redman the Rhodesian

New Poll - Trainers

For those of you who haven't read it yet or haven't answered, I added a new poll to the blog. I'm really curious to see the results of this one! It will only take a moment of your time so please read it and mark your answer.

Please don't answer the question more than once or it messes up the numbers. If you want to add something to your answer or comment about it, please leave a comment in this

News Reel - Dog fighting raids

Thought I'd pass this one on. I know it's just a drop in a larger pool, but it's a start. They have to keep fighting the good fight and this is a darn good start.


Informants helped agents infiltrate dogfights


Raids in 6 states show dogfighting is widespread

More than 400 dogs seized in multistate raid on dogfighting rings


If you have any information about people dogfighting in your area,

Temper Tantrum

Each time I go to spend some time on this blog lately, something has come up and I haven't been able to. Always one excuse after another lately. The latest excuse? I have spent the last two days bathing my dog and it is my own darn fault (you know how hard it is for me to admit that?!) I think I'm more angry with myself than anything else.


I spent last weekend and a few days last week away to

Training Rant - Importance of Bonding

I was discussing dog training with a friend of mine last night and I shuddered when I heard the same thing come out of her mouth as I hear from everyone else ... "To teach the dog what Good Girl means, you have to click and treat so you associate it" What?! I almost spat out my coffee in surprise to hear it come out of her mouth (of all people)



My dogs (permadogs and fosters both) know what

News Reel - Black Dog Memorial Fund

Ok, so I read this and I got all tingly! Yikes. Thought it was important that I share it. It's written in chronological order from bottom to top. It took me a minute to realize that.

SPCA creates Black Dog Memorial Fund

There is a video on the link if you want to see him. Here's a recap ...

For 2 decades the "king of the strays" wandered the streets of Richmond. He avoided all manners of traps

Featured Rescue - Scooter the Dachshund

I always wonder at how many Dachshund's there are available for adoption through rescue. Petfinder alone has 4,079 listed today. Certain breeds are always flooding the doors of rescue organizations.

Today's featured rescue is Scooter. I wonder how many people choose the dog they want to adopt based on the name?? It's how I came across this guy to feature; cute name. Let that be a lesson to all

News Reel - Does your dog really feel guilt?

A new study was done to test whether or not dogs actually feel guilt. You know the "uh oh I did something bad" look that many of us get when we come home? Check out this article from the Toronto Star this week


Does your dog really feel guilt?


It's a really interesting article. I'm sure each and every dog owner sees this look at one point or another. You know, even after this study was

Monthly Followup June

June followup Happy July everyone! To Canada, I hope you had a great day on July 1st - Happy Canada Day (also commonly known by some of my co-workers as "Eh-Day"). To USA tomorrow, I hope your July 4th is great - Happy Independence Day.July seems to be a pretty big month for holidays; July 2nd is National Literacy Day; July 7th is Chocolate Day; July 19th is Hot Dog Day (seriously, who comes up

Dog Park Adventures

So I've been going to the dog park a LOT lately. Every day this week in fact. I decided to start going because I wanted a change in pace for my dogs and I wanted to see how people in the community interact with their dogs. Somewhere different and fun to work on some stuff. This way, the dogs also get an hour or more of playing off leash with other dogs and I work on some of our off leash stuff