newsletter
KYPSAH Paw Prints Points: June Newsletter
Welcome to our June edition of the Paw Prints Points! We hope you like it and find it useful.
KOOL K9s
Dogs on Stage
Funny Felines
Cats in Style
When To Let Go
As pet owners, we are faced with making decisions, on behalf of our beloved companions, each and every day. And, most days, the decisions are fairly innocuous save for one: Making the call to let your pet gently pass-on from your loving care. Having to say goodbye is never an easy thing to do. We want our beloved companions to be with us—forever. The sad thing is: They can’t.
Determining the right time to let your pet go is always tough because every pet is different. Not only is the bond that we share with different pets unique but so are the circumstances surrounding their care. This decision is usually fraught with heartache, guilt—and anger. So, what can we do to make this process a little easier? We thought love and hard about this, as we too have been in this situation quite a few times over the years, and we came up with some general suggestions.
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- Remove the guilt. Remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can for your pets. It’s easy to fall under the spell of a guilt-ridden conscience constantly looking back, asking yourself ‘why” and over-analyzing every move you’ve made and have made. Don’t go there. Tell yourself out loud that you’re doing everything you can based on the information you’ve received to make the best decision possible.
- Obtain medical advice. Chances are, at this stage, you’re probably already working with your veterinarian on caring for your pet. However, draw down deep within yourself for the courage to ask the tough questions and make sure to write the answers down (if your veterinarian will allow you to email him/her, ask the questions in writing so that you can have the answers in writing as well). Answers to your questions will give you an outline of what to expect, which will consequently give you the confidence you will need to be certain that you’ve made the right call at the right time.
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Some questions we have found ourselves asking are as follows:
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- 1. What signs should I look for that will tell me ‘it’s time’?
- 2. I want to be there for my pet to hold him/her. Is this okay with you?
- 3. What signs do I look for that let me know my pet is in pain?
- 4. Is there any other treatment that will afford my pet a longer yet pain-free stay with us?
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- Know ahead of time the final course of action. Determine if you want your pet buried or cremated and have this decision made-up prior to the final day. If you can, and death is imminent, ask if you can pre-pay for the burial or cremation ahead of time. This will be one painful thing you won’t be faced with or have to think about it when the day comes. It will be done so that you can move into the grieving stage as easy as possible.
- Keep your friends and family close. Friends and family are wonderful to lean on in times of great distress and heartache. When the time comes, see if your friends or designated family members can be there with you for support. You would be surprised at how helpful and advantageous it can be to have that shoulder to cry on.
- Don’t rush into a new love. For some, the need to “replace” the friend they recently lost can be quite alluring. While this has proven to help some people, it doesn’t help others. Just a word of caution to make sure that the timing is personally right for your heart to accept another lifelong companion into your world. Don’t rush into it because the next companion you get will probably be as different as night and day from your lost, beloved companion. If you get another one right away, please try not to compare him/her to your past baby. Just accept the beauty—and quirks—that make-up your new fur-kid and watch your heart mend and grow.
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Holiday Scheduling
We have been accepting reservations for pet services, for dates encompassing and surrounding the 4th of July, the past couple of weeks. And, we still have a few openings left for most services. If you are planning on traveling around the 4th, please don’t forget to make your pet’s reservations soon.
Summer Heat
For dog-related services during summer, services that require outdoor exercise (walking and skate sessions) will be done by 10 a.m. at the absolute latest due to the extreme heat. For those clients who need a mid-day potty-break, this will be achieved in a grassy-area so as not to burn the dog’s pad. Evening visits that require dog walking will revert to play in an outside, grassy yard if applicable. The pavement is much too hot to walk the dogs in weather that is 95 degrees and hotter. Dog pads can burn rather easily.
June Birthdays
To all you fur-kids out there who have a birthday in June, we would like to wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Woot hoot! Try not to eat too much cake…hehe. XOXO
Paw Prints Points for May – Newsletter
We welcome you to this month’s edition of our Paw Prints Points newsletter!
The blossoming of souls,
Is yet to be found,
Just around the corner.
Lap time for Chessa
Welcome Aboard!
Welcome posts to newcomers are being placed on the website as of late April. We’re always thrilled at KYPSAH to meet new pets, and always thankful for the opportunity to care for them. Hence, we decided to create little welcome messages to all of our new clients as they come along.
So, if you’re new to KYPSAH, with warm regards we thank you for choosing us as your pet sitters!
Christmas Coupons
So far, quite a few people this year have redeemed their 2010 Christmas Coupons, and what a blessing it has been being able to pass on a special savings to our clients 🙂 For those of you who have redeemed your coupon … woot hoot! We hope that you enjoyed the extra savings it provided.
If you haven’t redeemed your Christmas Coupon, no worries! They expire on 12/31/11 so you still have some time to use them.
For those of you who were serviced last year but don’t remember receiving a Christmas Coupon, get in touch with Jessie Riggs 🙂 She would love to help you!
A Service Elimination
Samantha and Jessie: Beautiful Souls
Not all services are equal demand-wise and the service that was called “Overnights” which dealt in house-sitting, was one of those services for us.
Since the other services we offer far surpassed Overnights in demand, it became increasingly difficult to find someone in the family who could perform the service when the rare request would come in. Therefore, the decision to discontinue the service was made.
We apologize if the discontinuance of this service upsets any of our clientele and we hope that you understand. As always, however, you can always customize a service that tailors your pet’s needs based on the current services we offer.
Click to view the official service discontinuation notice.
It’s The Little Things
Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make the most difference.
A small gesture that can equate to something big is the simple measure of just sanitizing our hands between pet services. This small feat is one big way that we at KYPSAH express care and concern for our clients and their pets.
Jessie is always working at brainstorming various ways at bringing more discounts, and venues that provide discounts, to as many people as possible.
In these difficult economic times, it can be very challenging for pet owners to be able to afford much-needed pet care. Since Jessie doesn’t want the pets to suffer, nor her clients’ pocketbooks, she came up with a merchant program where merchants can hook-up together in order to provide employees with discounts on services from a multitude of companies nationwide. Her hope is that the program takes off…please pray that it does, if it’s His Will.
Dog Training
Quite a few people have asked Jessie if she does professional dog training. The answer is no, she doesn’t. She always makes it a point to work with any dog that she’s in charge of despite the service because that’s just who she is. Whether the dogs are highly-trained or under-trained, her particular forte is creating a sense of balance with them while they’re in her presence.
She has expressed extreme appreciation at the confidence, which many people have placed in her ability to relate to dogs, over the years. Consequently, though she gave dog training serious consideration as to making it an official service, she decided not to do so mostly due to the fact that–at least as of currently–it isn’t a direction she wants to go in. She hasn’t ruled it out though, as far as, offering it as a service down-the-road (when her resources are at a level to facilitate such a service with regards to the high degree of professionalism that she would insist on giving everybody).
As per Jessie herself, if you need some in-person help or just questions answered via email, she will be more than happy to help you.
Note: Please check the site from time-to-time because Jessie has quite a few how-to videos in the wings for showing you how she works with the dogs that are in her care.
Kool K9s
Walk Like an Egyptian
Dancing is no problem here for Wrigley who could start her own dancing show for dogs: Dancing Dog-to-Dog. In this picture, she was rather fond of doing her rendition of “Walk Like an Egyptian”. At least, this is the song we immediately thought of when the picture was taken…LOL
Funny Felines
Singing "Three Blind Mice"
This was our cat image of the month. Why? Because we can just hear the excitement and expectation coming from Peaches while imagining her singing “Three Blind Mice”. At least, she hopes three blind mice cross her path some day 😉 “O-o-o-o-h … three blind mice…”
Paw Prints Points: April 2011 Edition
Welcome Friends!
Despite April 15, this month is a great month! Everything is in bloom, the weather is gorgeous, the grass is a saturated, emerald green color, and all of the animals are ecstatic with the mild temperatures.
FABULOUS FELINES
For the love of cats
KOOL K-9s
Dogs on the move
RAINBOW BRIDGE
Rainbow Bridge
In an effort to showcase a place online that has been helping thousands of grieving pet owners for years now, we introduce you to Rainbow Bridge: An online community dedicated to helping pet owners get through the loss of their beloved pets by their mutual love for animals.
The founder of Rainbow Bridge, Ginny Brancato, wanted a place to share her pet’s story, as well as, help others. So, she founded Rainbow Bridge. It’s a place dedicated to pet lovers all around the world who need a central place to meet and share their grief. You can dedicate a poem or story to your pet, thereby allowing others to have a glimpse of the character and person your pet was. The step to your heart created by your pet’s eulogy, furnishes your new-found friends on Rainbow Bridge, a solid step that they can take in order to get to know you and your beloved pet who crossed over.
When your loneliness is at its most palpable, Rainbow Bridge is the place that can reduce its pulse.
If you aren’t going through a pet loss at the moment, consider yourself fortunate. For every day with the ones we love is nothing short of a gift from God. And, though you may have your pet by your side this very hour, consider logging on to Rainbow Bridge to help others who just need to talk to someone because they have lost their dear friend.
We thank Rainbow Bridge for providing such a warm, inviting place where anyone can go to get through their heart’s winter storm.
TRAVELING WITH PETS
If you’re going to be traveling with your pet soon, a great little “tool” to take with you is an emergency kit.
You can either buy the kits already fashioned together with everything you need (a huge variety of pet kits can be found here http://www.first-aid-product.com/consumer/pet.htm), or you can simple create one yourself.
If you decide to design one yourself, here’s a link to useful materials that you will want to make sure you include http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/veterinaryqa/f/FirstAidKits.htm.
Additional items we believe you need to include in your kit (we couldn’t find these items listed in the About’s Vet Medicine link above) are as follows:
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- A current copy of your pet’s vaccination records (especially dogs)
- Reflective devices such as reflective collars and leashes just in case something happens at night
- At least two days worth of medication if your pet is on such
- A toy for your pet to keep his/her attention on something positive and to reduce their pent-up energy (by playing). For dogs, a tennis ball would be a good thing to have in there as an example. And, for cats, a laser pointer for cats would be great.
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Having this kit, and written emergency instructions or booklet straight from a veterinarian, is like having your veterinarian in your back pocket for when emergencies arise. Of course, this kit doesn’t substitute the need for seeking veterinary care but, in most cases, it will provide you with tools to address emergencies head-on until you can get your pet to a veterinarian.
Pack Style Tip: If you’re creating your own pack, make sure to check out packs that you can carry on your back or waist. The little bags with handles are great but they’re not so convenient when you’re on extended dog hikes (the type of hike where it doesn’t warrant carrying a full backpack but long enough to where carrying a little bag with two handles would become annoying). This tip is just from personal experience over the years.
Happy Traveling!
2011 KCRA A-LIST COMPETITION
We can’t believe it but it’s that time of year when KCRA starts their A-List Competition. This competition involves businesses in and around the Sacramento-area. You–as the voter–are able to choose your favorite business from any category listed, so make sure to get to KCRA’s website to vote for your favorite businesses. And, if you’re so inclined, please take a moment to vote for us KYPSAH on KCRA not because we’re asking you to, but only if you believe us to be worthy of winning this competition based on our service to you and your fur-kids.
For those of you who do decide to vote for us, we are incredibly honored and sincerely thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
EASTER ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR PETS
We have a great time at Easter with our pets! Though egg-hunting is a special time for kids, it can also be a special time for our furry companions, too. Of course, dressing up as a bunny is completely optional…hehe.
Here are just a few activity ideas that you can do with your cats or dogs.
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- 1. Just like kids, fill a few plastic eggs with treats and hide the eggs. You’ll have a great time watching them scout them out.
- 2. Instead of hiding just the plastic eggs alone, you can hide them in an Easter basket that they have to find. When they find their basket, they find their treats, toys, etc.
- 3. Carve out some time to take a nice stroll with your dogs or special lap-time with your cats.
- 4. Spend some quality time with your pet and create a new Easter tradition for your furry family companions.
- 5. If you have children, it’s fun to have the pets involved in the egg-hunt, too. You could have a competition on who finds the most eggs: Your pet(s) or your children 😉
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GETTING YOUR DOG TO EAT
Oftentimes, we pet owners spend a great deal of money trying to get our dogs to eat. We buy them every pet food known to mankind, and even cook their food. However, they still won’t eat. Here are a few suggestions that we’ve found helpful in turning your photosynthetic dog into a four-legged eating machine (including our own over the years).
1. If at all possible, exercise your dogs before feeding them.
If you don’t have the time to walk them, or the weather is too bad, consider purchasing a cheap but sturdy treadmill. A good 20-minutes on the treadmill (the time and speed will be contingent upon your dog’s personal fitness and energy level) usually does the trick!
The dog’s language and mentality hasn’t changed throughout the years. In the wild, they’re used to walking many miles a day to obtain food. This behavior remains the same even if they’re domesticated companions living with you in your home.
2. Don’t free-feed your dog
Have two specific mealtimes per day for your dog (breakfast and dinner are usually pretty common mealtimes for dogs in conjunction with possibly a snack throughout the day, including but not limited, too, rawhides, bullysticks and/or real bones depending on your dog’s personal health and digestion needs). If they don’t eat their food within 20-minutes, pull it up and don’t feed them until dinner time–save for a small snack as listed above.
3. Calmly make your dog’s food
Occasionally, when we’re mixing our dog’s food, we’re thinking about many things and some of those things are stressful. Don’t transfer your negative, stressful feelings to your dog. Your dog is in-tune with you. What you feel on the inside, is often what they project or express on the outside. Consequently, when you’re mixing your dog’s food, think happy thoughts (yep, thinking of the movie “Hook” here).
Make eating a relaxing, joyful time for your dog by being the calm, soothing force your dog needs you to be 🙂
4. Make your dog sit before putting the food bowl down
Again, feeding your dog should be a joyful, calm occasion. You should be in charge and dictate when your dog eats, how much and so forth. Therefore, make your dog sit before placing his food bowl down. When he is sitting calmly, then sit the bowl down continuing to keep him in a sitting position. When it is okay for him to eat, then give the word (“Okay” or whatever word you want to use to signal that it’s okay for him to start eating).
Following these four simple suggestions often makes a world of difference!
Happy Easter!
Since Easter falls in April as well, it’s even extra special this year. Easter is a very special time for our family. For us, Easter represents the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And, though we have cute little, traditional Easter graphics up, our family never wants to overlook the Good News…the real reason behind Easter, at least as far as we are concerned. So, on this note, we wish you, your family and your fur-kids an awesome Easter!
KYPSAH’s March Edition of Paw Prints Points Newsletter
Welcome to the March edition of our Paw Prints Points newsletter! Can you believe we’re into March now?! Jeez =/
Let us march into this month’s newsletter content where we’re a hopin’ that ye Lords and Ladies enjoy this month’s read (trying to speak like a leprechaun…not sure it’s working though).
FUNNY FELINES
During February, the month of love and courting, our merry band of felines was quite the joyous bunch to behold! Most of their hilarious actions were caught on videos that we took for their owners; however, one kitty made her way into the world of still-shots that we turned into a video for you. Therefore, we bring you Miss Positively Peachy Peaches in her online debut of “Cats Rule”.
HOW-TO VIDEO SECTION
We have posted videos on our website, as often as possible, on how we work with the animals that we care for. Here are just a couple more videos to add to the mix. One video is a demonstration of how a fearful dog can feel secure during a dog walk, and the other is a technique that deals with how to bond with kittens.
Dog Walking: Since we handle a lot of questions centered around fearful dogs and how to walk them, another short video was created to show you that just because a dog has fear, doesn’t mean it’s a bad dog or a dog that can’t feel secure on a walk. There are several tools (collars, harnesses and the like) that you can use to walk a dog effectively but no matter what tool you use, it’s the YOU variable that is most important and often overlooked. It’s how you project yourself as the Pack Leader that matters most.
Bonding with Kittens: When fostering or even pet sitting a litter of kittens, one way that we’ve found worked pretty well for our bonding with them was to simply take a small jar of Gerber (they really liked Chicken and Chicky Gravy) baby food and allow them to lick it off of our fingers. (This technique works really well for very shy kitties as well.)
The first few times you do this, as they’re licking the baby food off of your finger, don’t try and pet them. Just let them be. It can be hard to resist because kittens are so cute but we’ve found that if we allow them to come around on their own, the bond created will be a much stronger one. Again, this is just our personal experience.
[Video 1 of Kitten Bonding]
[Video 2 of Kitten Bonding]
HOW ARE WE DOING?
Always looking to make sure that we’re offering our friends the best service possible, we would like to know how we’re doing from the services that we offer to the way that we supply pet updates. If you get the opportunity to do so, please let us know how we’re doing. We would really appreciate it!
REACHING OUT AND HELPING OTHERS
The Riggs have been involved as active volunteers for Never Cry Wolf Rescue & Adoptions in their efforts to educate the public on true wolf behavior, dispelling the myths and legends that society is gravitating to and construing as fact instead of what it is–fiction.
Jessie frequently posts information about Never Cry’s efforts on KYPSAH’s site, as well as, information concerning the wolves affected by man’s laws, which are, subsequently, laws that are promoting these animals’ eventual and unwarranted demise.
Please feel free to follow The Riggs’ undertakings with Never Cry as they not only work to shed light on these magnificent animals but also work to fight legislation that is always trying to surface; legislation that would also affect many other dog breeds such as German Shepherds, Malamutes, Huskies and so many more who have lost their lives–and will continue to possibly lose their lives–because of being mislabeled as a “wolf” or “wolf-hybrid”. You can also follow Never Cry’s efforts directly from their website and Facebook pages.
KYPSAH’s Paw Prints Points
February 2011 Edition
“Welcome To Our New Site!”
Well, we finally did it! We launched our new website just a couple of weeks ago, and we’re pretty okay with it. Is it finished? Nope. There are some things that we still need to do/add to it. However, it is functional and works well with mobile media! So, you should be able to view it from your mobile browser now–woohoo!
The other great thing about our new site is that YOU can leave comments just like on a blog site! We hope that you like the interactivity with us, and others, that this little option now provides.
Other items to mention regarding our new site are as follows:
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- We are now beginning to place how-to videos up on the site in order to show you how we work with dogs (and cats)
- Fresh pictures are being added–and often
- Articles and blogs are being posted
- Common pet-related questions are being answered
- Flowing testimonials that also our clients to have their business link listed for reciprocal marketing benefits (a ‘Thank You’ with a “Thank You”)
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So, enjoy!
“February: Love in Bloom”
February is a great month that seems to resonate itself each and every day on the wings of a love song. Incorporated within the daily song of love, is the love that we receive from our precious fur-kids. They remind us that every day is a new day full of unconditional love and support from them and is also to be treated as a “gift”.
If you’re needing pet care on or around Valentine’s Day or President’s Day, please make sure to get your reservations in quickly.
“To Bark or Not To Bark”
No one likes it when dogs perpetually bark at what seems like nothing–and constantly. So, what to do?
Well, dogs bark for a variety of reasons. There are warning barks, intruder barks, anxious barks, barking during playtime, establishing domain barks, begging barks and all sorts of other barks…some good and some bad. Consequently, not all barking is “bad”.
For the problematic, non-stop barkers who bark at what seems like for and at nothing, these are the ones that can easily get underneath a person’s skin. And, they can also wreak havoc for you especially when you find yourself in hot water with your neighbors, and quite possibly, Animal Control =/ This type of barking can quite often be the result of a dog whom hasn’t had enough exercise. A dog that hasn’t had enough exercise is an easy-fix, too!
Since there are all different sorts of barks, take some time to analyze what it is that your dog is trying to tell you. Look at their posture because they speak volumes using their body language (this is a different article in and of itself).
For this article, we’re concentrating on the dogs that are barking without cause. You know, the guys who are running in circles chasing their tails, barking incessantly. They’re barking without cause, or so we deem. Here are a few suggestions to curb the barking:
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- Exercise Your Dog. This is tough to do on very busy days, days when you don’t feel well or bad weather days. As often as you can though, and preferably daily, you need to at least walk your dog for a minimum of 30-minutes once-a-day (twice-a-day if he/she is out in the backyard all day while you’re at work; relieving their stress before you go to work and after you get home). The catch to this is you need to ascertain your dog’s energy level and meet the needs of your dog based on their energy level. If your dog is a high or very high energy (an indicator if your dog is one of these types is they will often run between Point A and Point B and not walk), more often than not, you will need to run them. A good bike or skate session works wonders for these types!
- Breed Exercise. When you’re done walking or running your dog, afterward incorporate about 20-minutes of his/her favorite game designed with their breed in mind. For example, if your dog is a retriever, play about 20-minutes of Fetch with him/her after their run.
Note: Stating the obvious, make sure to give them a water break after the run and before you start the breed exercise. High energy or not, they need water and a small break before starting up another rigorous exercise routine. - Who’s The Boss? If your dog feels like he/she is the boss and not you, the barking will be out of control for sure. Therefore, make sure that you are asserting yourself as his/her calm and assertive Pack Leader. Think of yourself as your dog’s EMT, if this helps. As an example, during an emergency, the qualities that we look for in an emergency responder that give us a sense of assurance that everything is going to be okay are: Patience, self-control, intelligence, a calm voice, and a firm understanding of what’s going on and what needs to be done.
- Seek a Vet. Believe it or not, dogs have chemical imbalances, too. For example, dogs that suffer from seizures or Epilepsy can bark repeatedly during their seizures. So, size-up if your dog has anything physiologically wrong with him/her by consulting with your veterinarian.
- Seek a Dog Behaviorist or Trainer. Sometimes it is easier to have hands-on help with behavior issues. Assuming of course that a physiological conditional has been ruled-out, seek a Dog Behaviorist or a Dog Trainer to help you and your dog find the path to peace.
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Now, all dogs have issues even for those of us that work with them on a constant-basis. So, you’re not alone 🙂
[pullquote_left]Remember, that the worst thing you can do to correct your dog’s bad behavior, is to do nothing at all. [/pullquote_left]