Hi Everybody

The year 2008 is almost over... and 2009 approaches...

HOLIDAYS!

Another Thanksgiving is past and the end of the year celebrations are still going. How did your dog do this past weekend? Was your dog good with your guests? How did the potty training go? Was your dog obedient? Did your dog get into any trouble? Did you have to keep your dog away from everyone, or was your dog able to participate in all the activities?

Holidays and pets can either be a fun thing or a not so fun thing. I have always been one to emphasize preparation for holidays. I start brushing up on my dog’s training weeks prior to these events. Training and manners can get rusty as the months go by, and then the training you thought you had isn’t there when you need it. So, right now is a good time to do a tune up on your dog! You can either do lessons at home, or we can arrange for a board and train program. Either way, you can be better prepared, and your dog will be happier. It isn’t any fun for the dog to be in trouble the entire time, or banished from the family, when guests arrive and everyone is hustling to and fro from the stores and in and out of the home.

Or maybe you are planning on getting another dog over the holidays. If you haven’t had a puppy in a while, it is best to start the planning now. I highly recommend doing a house training lesson BEFORE the puppy comes home, so you are prepared. And for some breeds, it is also good to do a Puppy Manners lesson before the pup comes home so everyone is prepared for what to do when the pup starts to bite, and tear up things, and gets everyone aggravated. It doesn’t have to be a hassle… do the preparation work in advance.

Or maybe you are trying to think of a good gift for someone who is planning on getting a dog over the holidays. I have had numerous people purchase Gift Certificates for dog training over the years. Gifts can be pretty difficult to find, right? Most people have the things they need: TV’s, sweaters, pants, jewelry, DVD players, cameras, and so forth. It is hard to get something personal and unique. A gift of dog training can be just the thing! (And sometimes, you get them the dog training gift because it is such a hassle going over to their place, because their dogs are totally out of control… and here’s a way to help them with that problem).

Or maybe your dog just needs a tune up, or you never did complete the training of your dog, and you want a bit more control and a few less hassles.

Need some holiday training? Call me! And if you are out of the area... find a good local trainer!

TRUE LIFE EXAMPLE

Here is a recent customer… who hired me to introduce a new bull terrier to the family, when the main dog, another bull terrier, wasn’t typically good with other dogs…

Thank you, Sam. Things have gone so well that it is like a dream for us. We have put off getting another dog because we always thought that it just could not be done. Unfortunately, we blamed or male dog for it and didn’t realize that it took getting just the right dog at the right time along with some good advice. It has taken a lot of work (especially on my part) but we are so happy. It just seems like she was meant to become part of our family.

A

From: Sam The Dog Trainer

Super! I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. Usually when things are going well, I don’t get any feedback… and you wonder how things went.

From: A

To: Sam The Dog Trainer
Hi, Sam. I have been so swamped that I have not had a chance to get back with you. Things are going really well at our home between our dogs. Our third dog, has also accepted her.

THE CAT LESSON

I have owned dogs for many years. However, 2 years ago I inherited a cat after I got married. Because the cat was “someone else’s” (meaning it was a family member’s cat), and I was busy working, I didn’t much pay attention to what was going on. I figured that cats were pretty self sufficient. How wrong I was! The cat stopped eating, and $600 in vet bills later, I have learned a very important lesson.

I have saved numerous customers’ dogs. Because I have read a lot about dog health, I can oftentimes spot medical problems early on. I have come into customers houses and seen dogs that had a medical issue. I have immediately stopped the lesson, and urged the customer to get their pet to the veterinarian immediately. And some of these dogs would have died or had other serious medical issues if they hadn’t gotten their dog to the vet immediately. Years ago, I started recommending that my customers get a pet first aid book for their dogs, read it from cover to cover, and make up a first aid kit for their dogs. I have said over and over again, that this one step could save you thousands of dollars at some point in veterinary bills.

I should have done that with the cat. Once I got married, that cat was mine, too, right? Why it didn’t occur to me… I don’t know. I think if I had known more about cat medicine, maybe I would have seen early on that something wrong was going on, and would have been able to head off the problem. Maybe that is wishful thinking, and maybe none of that would have helped. Now it is past that point: we are having to force feed the cat, and inject it with fluids. Maybe the cat lives, maybe the cat dies. It is heartbreaking to have to deal with this every day.

I see this kind of thing with pet dogs all the time.

A LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE

My grandfather always taught us: Today is the first day of the rest of your life. He also taught us: When you get knocked down, get back up again. I still try to grasp the wisdom in these sayings, and keep trying to implement them in my life.

This year has been a time for a lot of changes for many of us… myself included. Yet, this year is now almost over, and even though it is useful to reflect on the past, and learn the lessons that life has for us, 2009 is about to start. You can’t re-do 2008, and 2009 is coming whether you like it or not. Some of you have had a great year, some of you haven’t. Whatever the case, it’s time to start planning for the next year, and to let this year go.

What are you going to do with your 2009? I’m trying to answer that question for myself this week. I’m making plans for growth and opportunity… how about you?

Give your dogs a hug for me…

Best Regards,

Sam Basso
Dog Trainer & Behaviorist
www.samthedogtrainer.com

Barking Mad... The Continuing Saga

A former TV executive has confessed to shooting dead his neighbour's dog after becoming annoyed at its early-morning barking.

I have blogged on this topic before. Some people go absolutely insane when they hear a dog barking. Sometimes it can be just a little woof that sets them off. Might be a complaint to animal control, might be a lawsuit, might be them killing your dog, might be them purposely getting your dog to bark in order to get you in trouble... Whatever the situation: Beware of these goofy people... they are nuts and they are coming for you and your dog.

I have worked with numerous dog owners to help them with their barking dogs. Sometimes the owner's dogs are at fault... but sometimes it is the goofy old man next door, or the crazy woman down the street who have a psychological problem and the idea of a dog barking is enough to set them off... Not all dog barking is a nuisance or illegal or unwarranted, and not all dog barking is worthy of what these cretins will do if they start to target you and your dog.

Puggles - The Verdict

When Puggles (Pug / Beagle cross) first came out as a breed, I was quite skeptical. After working with a number of them, and watching them in action, I have come to the conclusion that it is a success as a breed. I wasn't quick to jump on the bandwagon, because not all new breeds are a good combination.

I like the breed. They typically play well with other dogs, are pretty happy go lucky in temperament, are friendly, seem pretty healthy, not overly yappy or troublesome, and their owners love them, too.

So, if you want a Puggle, go get one!

Rescue Gone Amuck?

UPDATE: I received a call from Dan Irish yesterday (10/28/15), saying there is more to this story... an alternative account. As I stated when I first saw and commented on this story, there is a lot of silly stuff that happens in rescue. Many times, you really can't know the inside story unless you know the people involved. And the public, folks like me, can only know what the press reports. My opinions can only be formed by what is known. Yet, even the first article left me, and I'm sure the readers of the paper, with a lot of unanswered questions. Things didn't add up, and I could see that reading between the lines.

There is a second report, by Scott Anderson in the Amador Ledger Dispatch, entitled "Haunted by 'Rescue'", on 06/20/2012. You SHOULD read this account.

"Yet, as the longtime dog behaviorist stood in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Martell and waved goodbye to Buddy, something caught his attention - the woman's car had no license plates. Suspicious, Irish quickly attempted to call the phone number she'd left him. It was fake. He looked into the address she had given. It didn't exist. Irish was overtaken by a horrible feeling. Several hours later Buddy was dead - euthanized by an active member of Northern California Golden Retriever Rescue, a nonprofit organization that claims to save dogs."

I don't know the parties involved, didn't witness the events. But in all fairness, now that I know there are two sides to this story, I feel it is important for my readers to see both and then do their own research and form their own opinions. Further, if you wish more information, please contact the parties involved, including the papers and the reporters.

My opinion is still the same: Once again, another rescue mess.

***************************************

Dog rescue volunteer Jill Morgan has received death threats and angry e-mail messages, and her property has been damaged, she says in retribution to her controversial call to euthanize a golden retriever she deemed too aggressive for society. Morgan, who has rescued and placed hundreds of dogs for eight years, in October answered an ad on Craigslist.com for a dog she previously handled and knew had aggression problems toward other dogs. She gave a false name to adopt him and had him euthanized. The dog initially was rescued by Norcal Golden Retriever Rescue, where Morgan volunteers, and was adopted out to dog trainer Dan Irish after a number of failed attempts to modify the dog's behavior. Irish, of West Point, said he rehabilitated the dog and then put him online for re-adoption, violating his agreement with the rescue group to keep the dog. According to Irish, he made no such threats but did call her foul names when he learned she falsely represented another group to gain access into his facility for an investigation... officers went to his home one time more than five years ago because he exceeded the limit of dogs on his property. Irish, who last week said he has 10 dogs, is allowed only three dogs and four cats because he doesn't have a kennel license.

What a bunch of silliness! I have worked with rescue groups for years, and sometimes the members will do some pretty stupid things. Sigh, the stories I could tell... and don't because there's no reason to get sued for libel and slander... questionable dogs adopted out; money spent foolishly on dogs that were too old and too sick and should have been put down; inter-organizational squabbles; people overstepping their authority on behalf of the organizations and costing them tens of thousands of dollars; people who shouldn't be rescuing dogs at all setting up their own private shelters, oftentimes severely underfunded and therefore inflicting more abuse upon the dogs in their care; people with mental problems adopting dogs that should be put down; and on and on.

This story doesn't surprise me at all. My opinion of what happened here? First, the adoptee apparently had an agreement with the rescue group to keep the dog and not give it to someone else. Second, the organization could have enforced this agreement. Third, dogs that are dangerous to other dogs don't need to be put down, they can be managed in a variety of ways by people. Forth, you don't go and play James Bond, put a fake name on an application and then put a dog down outside the authority of the organization you apparently represent... looks bad, puts them in a liability conundrum, its got to be some kind of fraudulent thing, and lying is just plain wrong. Fifth, this trainer, if he did what they say, and if there was an agreement to keep the dog, was wrong to not just turn the dog back to the rescue organzation if he had fixed the dog. If there was no agreement, and he had fixed the dog, then he had every right to give it to another person. And if he hadn't fixed the dog, then something is wrong with this situation... and I'd like to know his reasoning for doing what he did. Apparently a lot of assumptions were made by everyone involved, and no one apparently just talked to one another before all this happened. Sixth, wasn't there another way? Did the rescue group do a good job of evaluating and placing this dog? And seventh... death threats? Who is nutty enough to issue death threats to others? This takes things to the level of a felony, most likely, and none of this is worth that.

My suggestions? These don't seem to be the right people to be involved in rescue or adoption. Time for a top to bottom re-evaluation by this rescue group of what they are doing, their procedures, and so forth. There is no way I'd want to be contributing to any organization with these types of problems.

Thanksgiving... Safety For Your Dog

Here are my tips for a safe Thanksgiving for your dogs...

1. Consider enrolling your dog in a doggie daycare for the day, or at least for the day before. A tired dog is a good dog, and by wearing your dog out a bit prior to guests arriving, your dog will be calmer and less likely to be a nuisance or be harmed. Or, if you can't manage your dog and guests simultaneously, then do the daycare during the day and board your dog overnight. Same with your guest's dogs.

2. Too late to train your dog... so SUPERVISE, SUPERVISE, SUPERVISE. It is also too late to train your kids and relatives. Put your dog in a crate or kennel when you can't supervise your dog, make sure everyone knows the rules for the dog, watch the doorways, watch the potentially poisonous foods, keep dangerous human toys away from the dog, and watch any family members that arent' good with dogs. Don't leave dogs unattended in hotel rooms, either.

3. Don't give your dog a ton of table scraps. You can kill a dog by giving it turkey bones. You can kill a dog by giving it chocolate, or the entire skin off a turkey, or feeding the dog a variety of other people foods. If you aren't sure if it is safe, then ask your vet, or better yet, don't feed it to your dog at all.

4. Lock the side gates of your back yard to prevent escapes.

5. Get your dog some extra toys to enjoy. If your dog's toys are old, or if your dog doesn't have anything to do... then no wonder your dog is getting into trouble.

6. Don't mix dogs. Guests bring their dogs to town. They might fight with your dog. And they take them to the local park and let them run loose, and these strange dogs might not have been out of the house since last year... unsocialized, wary, unruly and ready to get in a fight with your dog.

7. Kids and Dogs... can be a recipe for a disaster. Watch 'em, don't let them pester one another, don't leave kids unattended with dogs, and the rest of the usual advice.

Enjoy the holiday... and make sure it is going to be an enjoyable holiday instead of a mess.

Get Help

Two North Wales Police officers have been given community sentences after being filmed kicking and throwing their pet dogs around their back yard. Anja Mason, 29, and Craig Macleod, 34, were filmed by a neighbour who watched the abuse at a house in Prestatyn. They had admitted causing suffering to the dogs. They were also banned from keeping animals for five years.

I see a lot of "do it yourself" dog training out there. Many people have no clue whatsoever regarding dog behavior. Some harm their dogs physically, some do it psychologically, some do both. If you asked most of them if they liked dogs, they'd say yes. Weird, huh? In some of these instances, these people would be just as in trouble with the law as this couple mentioned above. Heck, these people could be your next door neighbors, or even extended family members, or even someone in your own home.

Simple solution: Hire a dog trainer!

Tough Times

With tough economic times, people get in pretty difficult situations when their pets need medical care. Do you spend $500 to save the cat, or should you not spend the money because finances are tight and you might need that money for rent?

If you are in that type of situation, call your local humane society and ask for assistance. They probably won't provide you with the medical care or money, but they can oftentimes refer you to a low cost veterinary service in your area. It's also a good idea to spend a few bucks now on a first aid book for your pets. Read it from cover to cover, and make up a first aid kit for your pets. Heading off medical problems early on can save you a lot of money.

Why Do You Have A Dog?

I have a dog because they make me happy, and I like making them happy.

What about you? Why do you have a dog?

More Animal Rights...

Hillsborough County changed their zoning codes effective October 1,
2008.

http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/pgm/zoning/codes/2008/rd1adopted2008
.pdf

The above link will take you to the newly adopted land use codes for Hillsborough County. To save to time, the animal related portions are:
Page 11, LDC Section 6.11.13 Animals Page 76,
LDC Section 12.01.00
Kennels, Rescues and Non Profits

B. In Residential Districts
1. No animal, other than household animals as defined in this Code, shall be kept in any residential zoning district, except that exotic animals may be kept for personal enjoyment with appropriate license/permit from the State of Florida.
12. No animals shall be raised or kept in the any residential zoning district for the purpose of sale to another party.

So, you can't be a hobby breeder, period. This sucks. This is the kind of over-regulation I keep talking about.

For a variety of reasons, our country is on the path to socialism. Clearly, something is wrong... rotten... in our country. What is it and what should we do about it? I don't want to give up my freedoms like this, and I don't want to see our country melt down like this.

Is Your Candidate Pro-Dog?

I think it is worth considering whether your choice for candidate is pro-dog. Not all are. There's something psychologically wrong with a politician who would ban dog breeds, or would enact restrictive dog breeding laws, or would enact animal rights legislation.

Some of the organizations I link to on this blog track this sort of thing. Time to check them out before you vote, eh?

?????

As I watch all these politicians doing all these fooling things... I am listening to hear the phrase:

Who is John Galt?

Foreclosure Pets...

A Scottsdale organization has been overwhelmed by Valley pets left behind in the foreclosure fallout. Lost Our Home Pet Foundation is made up of real estate agents who help rescue abandoned animals and find them new homes. More...

Preventing Dog Bites... Instead of Banning Dogs

Dog bites are largely preventable. Karen Delise, founder and director of research for the National Canine Research Council, which collects data on dog-bite incidents, says dog bites can be traced to one or more of the following conditions: a very young child left alone with a dog; a guard dog encouraged to be aggressive by the owner; a free-roaming dog, or pack of dogs; isolated and unsocialized dogs; and previously aggressive behavior that was ignored and not corrected by the owner.

Government Bungling

Want to know why we are experiencing a financial meltdown? Government meddling in the marketplace! They created this mess, from the Fed, to the FNMA monopoly, to encouraging people to buy homes they couldn't afford. Now they are panicking and have to rescue a ton of companies that were forced to use these government institutions.

On a much smaller scale, Seattle is gearing up to ban pit bulls. You can count on it. There have been a couple of recent pit bull attacks, and now an editorial in the Seattle Times which opens the door to politicians to regulate or outright ban breeds (and letting them know the paper will not criticize them for doing so). This will fail, too.

9 - 11: Never Forget!

Government Meddling... Again

The financial community is talking this morning about the bailout of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. One article talked about how the US is giving up on capitalism, others are talking about how capitalism failed in this instance. Sorry. Wrong. These two entities were government made monsters, and they are now failing. They shouldn't have been created by the government in the first place, and now we have to bail them out. Government bailing out government created entities isn't free enterprise at work. We probably wouldn't be in this mortgage mess if the government hadn't been involved in the first place.

I am against too much government regulation and manipulation in the marketplace, whether it is about mortgages or dogs. Either way, it messes up a whole lot of people and results in unacceptable costs to everyone involved.

Huh? This Can Happen?

A veterinary nurse and her dog have contracted the cattle form of tuberculosis, prompting an investigation by the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. "Bovine TB is a recognised zoonotic (can be transmitted from humans to animals) agent and that is precisely why we have a compulsory bovine TB control programme in cattle."

M. bovis can infect humans, primarily by ingestion of raw (unpasteurized) milk or dairy products but also through aerosols and breaks in the skin. Infections in humans may result in asymptomatic infections, pulmonary tuberculosis, or disseminated infections. The symptoms of pulmonary infection can include fever, cough, chest pain, cavitation, hemoptysis, and fibrosis. Untreated infections may be fatal.

Weird. There are probably a lot of diseases that doctors and other professionals are on the lookout for that we know nothing about. I wonder the risk to dogs on farms???

Democrat Convention

I tried to watch some of the Democrat Convention tonight... but after that gas bag, Edward Kennedy... and the rest of the droning speakers went on and on... it reminded me of a high school graduation where there are a bunch of meaningless speeches and horrible music and poetry, and we are all expected to sit there and pretend we are having a good time. I am now so bored... I'm bored being bored, and figured it was time to talk about something interesting instead...

A Phoenix man was sentenced to 23 1/2 years in prison for ordering his dog to attack a police officer. He was also convicted of two counts of aggravated assault, theft of means of transportation, and resisting arrest.

I'm not sure how I feel about this sentence. Is the crime worthy of jail time? Yes. You don't get to attack or kill a police officer... the guy is just doing his job. Unless there is a lot more to this story, such as a history of this guy committing other serious crimes, I am betting the sentence is overturned and reduced, however.

I Support Law Enforcement... But, This Is Something Different...

The San Marcos police chief has reprimanded an officer who drew brickbats from around the nation for delaying two college students as they tried to rush their dying dog to a veterinarian this month. Officer Paul Stephens, who said, “It's just a dog,” as he held the pair beside Interstate 35, received an oral reprimand and counseling, Police Chief Howard Williams said Tuesday. “We sustained the complaint that was filed,” Williams said. “We made him watch the tape with his supervisor and he was counseled on how to improve his performance.”

Well... isn't that special? "Counseled on how to improve his performance." We all know how wrong this is. We all know this jerk should have been fired. We all know that the cops shouldn't protect these types, because it undermines public confidence and support for the good cops. We all know that this guy could have been a hero instead of a "zero" if he'd rushed this couple to the vet to try and save this dog. What public good did this serve? What good did this do this community and police force to not toss this guy out of the force? Was this really a "reprimand", or does it instead smack of corruption in that police organization?

All I can say is... GRRRRR!!!

Do Your Job!

Leflore County Humane Society's president says Greenwood should adopt a tough ordinance restricting pit bulls and Rottweilers to prevent their migration into the city limits.

This is so WRONG in so many ways, where do I start?

This is not the type of person I'd want running my local humane society. They are supposed to be animal welfare advocates. If the dogs end up in shelters, they are supposed to find them homes. They are supposed to be animal advocates. They are supposed to find ways of educating the public about responsible animal care...

Not banning dogs.