Wash Your Pup, Feed Another
Wash Your Pup, Feed Another
Fur-FriendZ is a grooming place in Woodland that also offers self-bathing! Though it’s easy to save the money and wash your pup at home, the things I appreciate in having a place to go to in order to give Lanai a bath are:
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- Saving my plumbing from all of that long hair going down the drain (I never can seem to catch it all even with traps!)
- Saving from back from bending over; Fur-FriendZ has awesome tubs that are high!
- Never having to remember to buy dog shampoo, conditioner, perfume and the works
- NOT having to deal with ALL of the clean-up (with dogs that long hair, clean-up is a big CHORE!)
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If you find yourself at Fur-FriendZ, they have a barrel, if you will, where they collect and donate pet food. What a great twofer:
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- A great place to bathe your pup
- Donating some pet food to help another
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Training Begins with… Trust
People often wonder how I get the dogs to obey me all the time (frankly, they don’t 100% of the time because that would make them PERFECT, which nothing is and they’re not…LOL)… they want to know what I do, what I say, do I use treats, what my training “philosophy” is, etc. So, I thought I would share my experience in working with dogs and what I’ve learned so far (I’m always learning something from and about them) when it comes to starting out with a new dog.
Develop a Bond
[pullquote_right]In everything concerning dogs, in general, it starts with trust.[/pullquote_right]
Trust, Security = FUN
My first point of order when a new dog comes into my care is to establish a bond. This bond will assure the dogs that, when in my care, there is a balance … a hierarchy which promotes security. The bond begins to form the moment we meet for the very first time. It’s during this first, initial introduction that the dog quickly learns I’m the leader of the pack (all humans in the pack or family should be seen as a leader in my opinion) and that they’re safe. They know there is safety because the leaders are calm but in control; this promotes the security dogs look for and need. This security is witnessed through not just the control that is over them within the form of rules and boundaries but the control that is also wielded over all of the animals within the pack (the pack can consist of many different animals, too, including cats for example). These “rules and boundaries” are established right away—enforcing respect–which stimulates trust–that further defines and strengthens the bond.
Dogs size up personalities (humans, other dogs, cats and so forth) – fast. Literally, in a matter of a couple of minutes, a new dog will know:
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- I’m not afraid of them
- I’m happy to meet them
- I’m the leader…the Alpha
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Have you ever watched dogs and cats meet for the first time? Majority of the time, when a new dog comes into the house, the cats are the first to greet them with nothing short of a smack across the muzzle before it darts off and up its cat tree. Of course, the dog is left absolutely STUNNED for a moment, but more often than not, it never bothers the cats and knows that the cats aren’t afraid of it either. So, what did the cats communicate in a rapid, typical cat fashion? It said, “Guess what…you’re not all THAT; you’re not in charge around here so deal with it!”
Anxious Dogs
If a dog is experiencing a lot of fear, or has intense anxiety, to develop trust, I will keep them tethered to me for a period of time that could range anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. However long the dog needs to be tethered in order to gain assurance that all is well, this is the amount of time that is given to tethering. The key though when they’re tethered to me and what my objective is, is: Establishing trust through close leadership. This is done through tethering in the form of the following:
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- Not allowing them to lead while on leash;
- Not allowing them to go through doorways first;
- Commanding and controlling the other dogs around them by allowing all of them to smell each other but immediately after the initial sniff has been completed, commanding space between them so they’re not hyper-focused on each other;
- Giving them praise and affection IMMEDIATELY after a command has been given that has been executed timely and accurately (I give a lot of simple commands; thereby, I’m always giving them a lot of physical (pets, hugs, kisses) and verbal praise)
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By the end of the day, my goal with new dogs is to have established a trusting relationship with them…a first step to a great friendship—a great bond. From here, the rest of our future days together will be built on this trust…the cornerstone in our relationship 🙂 The new commands and skills taught, or refreshed under our command, from this point forward is much more easily achieved.
[pullquote_right] At the end of the day, it’s about communication [/pullquote_right]
Gotta Love Skippy!
If you find yourself taking a road trip with your pooch, one of the things that I like to try and remember to take with me is PEANUT BUTTER! #gottaloveSkippy
Peanut butter comes in handy and could (probably should) even be added to [dog medical kits]. A couple of great things about peanut butter is: It keeps for a long time and doesn’t have to be refrigerated after opening!
Peanut butter comes in handy in a variety of situations such as:
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- You never know if your pup is going to get hurt on a trip (you definitely hope this doesn’t happen but it’s always great to be prepared) and you have to give them medication. You can hide the pill in the peanut butter;
- Again, on the medication-giving-note, if your pup has to take their common medication (especially those medications that require them to have food on their stomachs), gotta love peanut butter to help with that process;
- You get stuck in traffic for a LONG time (gotta love I-80 traffic back-ups in heavy storms) and you AND the pups need a snack;
- Another tip for traffic and peanut butter use: Fill a Kong with peanut butter and let them chew on it for a while. This will keep them busy, which is especially great if there is no safe place to let them out to stretch their legs;
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The above are just a few quick-and-dirty tips for peanut butter use for dogs while traveling. If you have any tips on peanut butter use for dogs while traveling, we’d love to hear your suggestions! Please post below!
December Daycare Introductory Offer!
Are you checking out our daycare program and wondering if it’s a good fit for your pup? Let us help you give us a try by offering you a 15% off introductory discount on your pup’s first day of daycare!
A few little notes:
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- All pups must meet the requirements listed on our Daycare page (if you’re unsure whether or not your pup meets all of the requirements, just contact us and let us know what your concerns are)
- Some Fridays and Mondays can be excursion days when we head up to Truckee for some off-leash fun and adventure (at no-extra charge; not all pups will be off-leash)
- The FREE Woodland Pet Shuttle service is not included with this offer
- This discount is only for one household, one time, one dog only
- This discount cannot be combined with other offers or discounts
- When making your first reservation, please be sure to state the following discount code in order to grab the introductory offer: DECDAYS
- To enroll in our daycare program, you need to fill out the Boarding and Daycare Application
- Offer is for new clients only
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We look forward to meeting you and your pup!
[pullquote_right]If you have any questions about our daycare program, please feel free to contact us via our Facebook page, call/text at (530) 867-5727, email info@kypsah.com or fill out our contact form.[/pullquote_right]
Tip: Pet Containment
FYI
At least here in Yolo County, if someone inadvertently lets your dogs out of their confined areas (backyard or home) and the dog catcher gets them, YOU are responsible for the fines, which apparently can get rather hefty.
A couple of tips:
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- 1. Make sure that your fencing is secure where your pup(s) cannot get out
- 2. If someone is taking care of your pets for you, create a barricade between the rest of the house and the front door, making sure that the person caring for your pet knows to have your pup on a leash prior to exiting the door. Giving your pup zero access to the front door will help ensure your pup doesn’t get out by accident.
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Travel First-Aid Tip for Dogs: Vomiting
Introduction
We are placing a series of travel first aid tips for dogs on our website. These tips were written for the “Canine Companion – Instructions & First-Aid Tips” that came with the Emergency First-Aid & Travel Kit for Dogs by Dr. Brooks Bloomfield of The Doctor’s Office for Pets located in Truckee, California, a well-known, highly-respected veterinarian with over 30 years of superbly practicing veterinary medicine on wildlife and domesticated animals.
There are so many times that we as pet owners long to have a great veterinarian’s advice on-hand 24/7 so that we’re not left with so many questions during stressful situations when something has happened to our beloved pup especially when traveling (doesn’t it always happen that these situations arise on weekends, too, when your veterinarian’s office is closed).
This travel first-aid tip deals with: Vomiting
“Vomiting is a common dog “emergency”. In many cases, vomiting is protective in helping clear the stomach.
Dogs can get mild viruses and other infections that result in vomiting. Persistent or violent vomiting is a cause for concern and should be evaluated by a veterinarian.
Treatment for an upset stomach is similar to people. Food and water should be withheld for up to 24 hours to let the stomach quiet down. Small sips of water are good, and ice cubes in a bowl (to lick not eat) work well to provide water without distending the stomach. Dio-Tame can be administered to help settle the stomach. After resting the stomach, feeding bland food such as hamburger meat or cooked chicken with all the juice and fat drained off mixed equally with boiled white rice in multiple, small meals, gives the stomach a chance to recover. After a few days, you can reintroduce the regular diet.”
Note: References to items or supplies noted in the above instructions were made in reference to the supplies that came in the Emergency First-Aid & Travel Kit for Dogs in conjunction with these instructions.
*Image courtesy of County Vets
[pullquote_right]Wishing you and your fur-kids safe and happy travels this summer![/pullquote_right]
Travel First Aid Tip for Dogs: Bleeding
Introduction
We are placing a series of travel first aid tips for dogs on our website. These tips were written for the “Canine Companion – Instructions & First-Aid Tips” that came with the Emergency First-Aid & Travel Kit for Dogs by Dr. Brooks Bloomfield of The Doctor’s Office for Pets located in Truckee, California, a well-known, highly-respected veterinarian with over 30 years of superbly practicing veterinary medicine on wildlife and domesticated animals.
There are so many times that we as pet owners long to have a great veterinarian’s advice on-hand 24/7 so that we’re not left with so many questions during stressful situations when something has happened to our beloved pup when traveling (doesn’t it always happen that these situations arise on weekends, too, when your veterinarian’s office is closed).
This travel first-aid tip deals with: Bleeding.
“Bleeding should be addressed with pressure. Place a gauze pad over the lesion and use your hand or fingers to apply pressure to the wound. Time the pressure for 5 minutes and recheck. Continuous pressure may be needed for quite some time. A pressure bandage may be used after several attempts have been made. This bandage must be watched carefully so that it does not cut off the blood supply to a limb. Do not use a tourniquet unless it is truly life and death and loosen it every 5 minutes. Cold packs over oozing wounds help reduce swelling and bleeding.
Splints should be applied to broken or suspected broken bones. Splints and bandages for fractures should extend over the joint above and below the fracture to stabilize it and to prevent the splint from acting as a lever that worsens the fracture.
A modified Robert-Jones bandage uses bulk to support fractured limbs. Newspaper, cloths, bandages, etc. can be used. Start with the toes and work up to go one joint above the fracture. Place many layers of material wrapping firmly. The last layers should be bandage material applied snugly. The goal is not pressure but sheer bulk. These bandages make it hard to walk or even carry an injured dog but they are very effective at stabilizing a fracture and reducing pain. Do not use this if the fracture is of the upper thighbone (femur).”
Note: References to items or supplies noted in the above instructions were made in reference to the supplies that came in the Emergency First-Aid & Travel Kit for Dogs in conjunction with these instructions.
[pullquote_right]Wishing you and your fur-kids safe and happy travels this summer![/pullquote_right]
The Usefulness of Dog Backpacks
The use of a dog backpack is an awesome little tool for providing a harder workout in a much shorter amount of time. Plus, it gives your pup a job to do and they love that!
Using the Backpack for Workout Purposes
For high-energy dogs that come into our care for daycare or boarding, we increase their workouts by having them sport a backpack, if we’re taking them on a normal leash walk and provided they meet the health and physical requirements. The backpack is typically filled with either a) nothing, or b) items such as smaller water bottles. Just walking for 20 minutes with a backpack filled with two, small water bottles (one on each side), the dogs are very tired after the walk is over!
A Tired Bear
If you’re not sure how to get started for your pup, start by making sure that your pup is healthy enough to have increased workouts of this magnitude and doesn’t sport any injuries by seeking your veterinarian’s advice.
Assuming your pup is healthy and able to wear the backpack, start first by getting him/her accustomed to it. You can do this by just having him/her wear an empty backpack around the house J When your pup is comfortable with it on, go for a short walk with your pup (just keep the backpack empty for your first walk). Depending on how well he/she does, you can increase or decrease the time, leave the backpack empty or add weight to it (again, it’s always best to consult your veterinarian on the limitations or restrictions that you need to be aware of for your pup if you’re unsure)!
Giving Your Pup a J-O-B!
Dogs love to have purpose! In fact, in a dog pack, everyone has a role to play—a purpose—so giving them a job is really something they would appreciate.
A job can consist of your pup carrying items around for you and bringing them to you command or simply having them wait or stay next to you until a project you’re working on is complete. Below are a couple of simple examples.
A. Let’s say you are in need of fixing a garden hose that has sprung a leak outside. Place a roll of duct tape in a pocket on one side of your dog’s backpack and a water bottle on the other side (you never know, you may get really thirsty for some reason). Have your pup follow you outside (always practice leadership) to where the infamous hose is, place your pup in a down/stay until you have fixed the evil leak. Just simply giving your pup a job to do even though it isn’t physically exhausting will drain a lot of their mental energy because quite a few skills are being used just in this one simple exercise J
B. For this second example, let’s say that you have a lot of gardening to do (I guess I have gardening on the mind, which is funny because the “green thumb” gene bypassed me!) and too many items to carry. While you’re carrying the garden tools (this goes without saying but sharp items should NOT be placed in your dog’s backpack for safety reasons), your pup could be carrying items such as gloves, water, collapsible dog bowl (so that your pup can be hydrated, too), seed packets, bags and things of this nature. As you work at weeding the garden and walking in between the garden rows, your pup will be following you. Or you can simply put your pup in a down/stay in a particular spot, and call your pup to you to bring you something when you need it. After he/she has completed the task, give them the command to go back to their spot and lay down/stay until the next time you call them. Hopefully, their spot will be a shady spot because wearing backpacks makes one hot. If you don’t have a shady spot in your garden, or if you’re wanting your pup to follow you walking through the rows, then just make sure you’re only performing the activity for no more than 30 minutes (quite possibly even less than 30 minutes depending on the needs of your pup, weather, etc.). You can see the obvious skills that you will be using here in this exercise.
Both examples also strengthen you and your pup’s bond—a beautiful thing!
Another way the backpack can come in handy is if you’re busy working with your pup on breed exercises or other types of training such as SAR (Search and Rescue). If it’s raining outside and you need something constructive to do with your pup indoors to help deplete his/her energy, you can put some items in the backpack and have your pup bring them to you. This not only puts weight on him/her while moving but also gives a nice refresher on skills training using the commands such as “come”, “wait” or “stay”, “down” and whatever other commands you have taught or are teaching your pup. Again, it also enhances your bond with your pup.
Bear ready to go
Reminder Tips:
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- You need to make sure they don’t have any physical limitations
- You want to make sure to decrease the amount of time you normally walk them while they’re wearing a backpack (if you walk them typically 45 minutes per walk, start off walking them for 15 minutes with a backpack and increase slowly if necessary)
- Take a collapsible water bowl with you on your walks to make sure that your pup is stays sufficiently hydrated
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Our Beloved Little P
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF ROSCOE
April 1, 2003 – March 20, 2013
On Wednesday, the 20th of March, we lost our beloved Roscoe, a.k.a., “Peeser”, “Little P”, “Roscoe P. Coltrane”, “Sco P”, “Pickle”, “Pickle Juice” and “P Trane”(just to name a few of his nicknames) to Lymphoma.
Ross and his “Sister Sha” (Misha)
Ross was our little boy and the life of the party no matter if we were home or anywhere else. He loved life and everyone around him couldn’t help but love life, too. His zeal for life and his energy was just contagious!
He was a Jack Russell/Blue Heeler and unique in every way. We would often get comments such as, “Why in the world would someone breed a Jack Russell with a Heeler?!” We would just laugh at the time and answer, “We have no idea!” Whatever the case, we were just always thankful for our little boy.
From the moment we rescued him back in of April of 2004 at 12 months old, he became an apple of our family’s eye.
Every moment in Ross’s life, he celebrated the joy of being loved and adored by his family and dog friends (he had many as he was one of Jessie’s right hands in working this business–with Lanai being the other and his team mate). He was known to so many pups as “Uncle P” and he loved his role and who he was to them. The pups were called his “babies” so when a new “baby” would come into the pack for daycare or boarding, Ross was the supreme greeter and herder telling the pups where NOT to go, as well as, translated the commands I was given the pack in general (translating for those pups who didn’t quite know the commands yet).
Everyone who personally knew Ross, knew of his “bone dance”. It was his “dance of love” if you will when someone he loved walked through the door. His bone dance would consist of finding the nearest bone or toy, pick it up and hold it in his mouth as he danced his way to and in front of the person he was excited to see. It was something we never tired of seeing even though it was accompanied by the shrillest whine or bark that carried on with it 😉 Oh! How we miss the things that could drive us nuts back then such as the barking for instance yet, we would give anything to see and hear him again!
Ross was diagnosed at the end of February with Stage 4 Lymphoma and within two weeks of being on prednisone therapy, his tumors had decreased by half in one week. We were ecstatic! The prednisone, however, was taking a toll on him with some not-so-fun side effects that we think were worse on him than the cancer itself. Within a few days of dropping his prednisone dosage down by half, the tumors grew larger than ever (it is felt that Ross had the b-cell lymphoma). A total of five days after we dropped the dosage by half, we had to make the call to put him to sleep. Though it was a difficult decision for us to make (Ross never fully lost his appetite or stopped accepting water), we knew the right thing to do by Ross was to mercifully put him to sleep. We didn’t want him to suffer, which he would have done since his cancer just within the five days had begun to spread across his trachea.
In and through everything, our prayers were being answered and rapidly…
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- We had wanted Dr. Franz to put him to sleep and she did. We knew that we wouldn’t have enough time, when the time came, to drive him up to Truckee to see his Dr. B, our friend and veterinarian. We all had developed quite a beautiful bond with Dr. Franz, and we’re so thankful for her! Ross really took to her <3
- Dr. Franz is only on Wednesdays and between 6 a.m. – 11 a.m., Ross’s tumors were growing right in front of our eyes. This was a sign that putting him to sleep was the right call because I had been praying that I didn’t put him to sleep prematurely and that I didn’t wait to long either causing him to suffer (a common fear I understand in situations such as this).
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We had been praying for a miracle that The Lord would heal Roscoe, and in the end, He did—the ultimate, best healing. He is in no pain, is cancer-free, is reunited with his brothers who passed on before him, and most importantly, is up in Heaven with Jesus waiting for us to join him 🙂 It was not the healing of course that we were praying for (the healing we wish for is for the person to be here on earth with us) but it was no less the best healing that could’ve come for Ross because he would be able to run with his brothers in Heaven and receive the ultimate love by Jesus Himself. We believe we’ll see him when our time on earth is over.
There are a thousand things, personality traits, and characteristics that made up Ross. There are so many memories and so many things about Roscoe that it would fill novels. For this life we lived with him and all of these memories we cherish in our hearts, we are forever grateful to The Lord above! We are reminded that no one knows what the future holds. We only have the moment we’re in to love with all of our hearts; love like there’s no tomorrow; love as Jesus would love; love our loved ones so much that they know beyond on a shadow of a doubt that their souls will forever be linked in love with ours.
For those of you who were part of Ross’s life, thank you for allowing us to share him and his contagious love of life with you <3 We hope and pray that he made your day just as special when you saw him, as he made ours every day he was with us.
Though winter has settled in our hearts and the cold, icy clutch of grief has gripped our souls, we truly appreciate the warmth, care and support from all of our friends and family–truly!
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To Our Little “Boy P”,
You are missed and loved every millisecond of every day! We cannot begin to know how to get used to life without you but are thankful that The Lord knows what we need and how to direct us out of realm of grief and despair.
You were the best little boy, and we thank you for all you did to help us (Mommy, Daddy, Rog, Jordie and Sister) teach and train the dogs that came into our care. You were the English translator, your cat brothers’ (and now cat sister’s) protector, my Beta who verbally scolded a pup when they didn’t do what I told them to; the excited traveler who always loved to go; the affirmation from The Lord that unconditional love is what it’s all about; our greeter (and often alarm system when a stranger came knocking); the chipmunk (“chippy”) finder; the digger always in search of underground treasure; my shadow and nursemaid when one of us was sick; my blanket holder by sleeping with me on the blanket so that it didn’t fall off; and the list goes on, my darling little boy.
We’re so thankful that The Lord allowed you to be with us for so long and even enjoy our first family vacation away from home last August (our first in 22 years). You were the comedian during the trip and provided us with a ton of laughs! You were so good and didn’t even bark; we were so proud of you then and we’re proud of you now and forever.
You will forever be in our hearts, and we look to the day when The Lord calls us home and we can be greeted by you, pick you up and kiss you once again.
Until we see you again, Littlest.
With all the love in our hearts,
Mommy, Daddy, Rog, Jordie, Sister, Grandma, Grandpa, Molly Brown, Boe-Mew, Sable-Sue, Rhett Butler and even Pecos Bill
“Napoleon Complex”
Have you noticed your dog having a “Napoleon Complex”? “What is that?” you ask. A Napoleon Complex is just a loose term we use to oftentimes define a dog who is out of balance in his pack, has an overbearing, domineering presence (not at the stage of aggression yet but close), and clearly doesn’t understand his or her place in the pack.
[pullquote_right]”What place should dogs have?” They should be submissive to their pack leader–you.[/pullquote_right]
Most dogs are born to be submissive followers and are not born with dominant personalities. Dogs still need a leader though. 
If there isn’t a leader established in their pack (their pack consists of their human members, too), out of necessity, one will rise up to claim that position. Dominant personalities especially will rise—and quickly. Consequently, look out! This is where big problems happen fast. Examples of this type of behavior would be a dog that you initially adopted because it was calm and quiet (it doesn’t matter puppy or adult). All of a sudden just a few months later, this dog is out of control telling you what to do! Just a few symptoms of such dominant behavior would be as follows, but aren’t limited, too:
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- “hugging” your leg (per their language, this does not mean a hug as humans would like to think)
- growling, snarling, biting or nipping at you when you get around it when it’s eating in an aggressive tone
- growling, snarling, biting or nipping when you reach to take their toy away in an aggressive tone
- lunging at other people or dogs when walking on-leash
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If this “complex” is left unchecked, you could easily have a dog whose behavior has escalated to biting you, biting other dogs and/or biting other people. If so, your dog is now a liability, which could land you in court, your dog taken away from you and other horrible, expensive outcomes.
[pullquote_right]Remember, if your dog is displaying these signs listed above, he’s trying to tell you that his needs are not being met. And, he’s truly not a happy dog.[/pullquote_right]
What To Do
You want to make sure to establish yourself (and all other humans in your household) as the leader immediately. Why? Your dog only sees itself as the boss in your house and not the humans (if your dog is displaying just the small list of behaviors as listed above). All of the human members of your family should be leaders of the pack.
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- Give your dog a lot of exercise—always controlled by you—don’t neglect the leash walk as part of your consistent exercise routine. Why? Because a leashed walk done properly is always telling your dog you are the leader for starters.
- Establish clear, consistent boundaries (just like you have to do with kids)
- Never hit, yell or become frustrated with your dog (some of us may yell out of frustration but try not to; it only makes the situation worse because you are seen as out of control)!
- Remain calm at all times and focus on your objective—always taking deep breaths if you need too and remain at peace. (Think of yourself as the quiet controller in emergency situations such as paramedics, physicians, etc. These people are confident, calm and in control. If they weren’t, panic and chaos would be the words for the day! You are your dog’s strong, peaceful force, which gives him the security he needs.)
- Don’t ignore bad behavior! This doesn’t correct the problem but rather avoids it.
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All dogs are unique and one technique doesn’t work for all. So, remain patient 🙂
*Seek a Dog Behaviorist or Trainer for help on showing you what you need to do to communicate effectively with your dog and establish yourself as the leader.*
Dogs are worth the effort! There will always be at least one issue your pup has that you have to contend with, but you can still have a balanced relationship even while working with your pup on his issues 🙂 And, when you have a balanced relationship with your pup, your bond will be even more intense than you ever thought it could be.