Seattle Animal Shelter Director Resigns

"Rodriguez said the city fell short of fully funding shelter positions - like behaviorists and foster coordinators. He also voiced frustration over the city’s lack of action in remodeling the shelter in Interbay"

Shelters across the US are in trouble. I have spent considerable time with a team of rescue volunteers and have developed a rescue shelter model. Part of the solution resides in the idea that government WILL NEVER BE good at animal rescue. Government isn't capable of doing this well, and it should instead privatize as much of their operations as possible. Governments are good at collecting taxes and enforcing laws. They shouldn't be in the animal welfare business.

We now have shelters across the country patting themselves on the back for engaging in "managed intake", and touting their "no kill" statistics. These numbers are inevitably manipulated to give the impression that things are fine. They are not. When you can control the number of pets in and out, and how those numbers appear in your reports, then you can make them look any way you wish. The result, deserving pets are being turned away, or not being picked up by animal control, that need help. It is all an illusion. 

It is time long past time to have these conversations in your home town. If it is government run, you can almost guarantee it is being mismanaged. 

Severe Animal Neglect

"Moment Dog Rescued After Family Locked Her In Tiny Room Then Moved Away"

Assuming this was purposeful... this kind of thing should result in a prison sentence. These type of stories hit the news fairly regularly. People know right from wrong. I would not let them off the hook.

Dogs aren't furniture

Off Duty San Antonio K9 Officer Involved In Dog Shooting

“… the off-duty officer fired multiple shots at the dogs attacking his K9. Two of the neighbor's dogs were reportedly hit, officials said, and the K9 was also hit in the gunfire.”

"A San Antonio Police K9 is dead, and two dogs were shot after an off-duty police officer tried to stop his K9 from being attacked"

This is a sad situation all the way around. Some thoughts…

Sometimes, a location will set off my internal alarm bells, telling me to be extra careful. Looking at the street view of the homes, I don’t see any obvious signs that you would need to be extra careful with a K9 or pet. This looks to have happened in a normal looking suburban neighborhood. The incident happened around lunch time. Life can be unpredictable, and bad stuff can happen anywhere, and can come into to your home and your yard. It is normal for all of us to let our guard down when at home in a peaceful looking suburban neighborhood. Most people don’t want to be in Condition Yellow at home. Here in AZ, the risk might not be another dog, it could be some kind of wild predator that can get into your yard. I think it a good idea to have a plan wherever you live to game out how you might prevent or deal with such a situation. Most people, however, are unaware of this concept because the average person doesn’t track this kind of thing in the news. They might be thinking about a burglar, but… an intrusion by another animal? Being a dog trainer, I watch for these stories to see what I might learn from them.

The news articles say 3 dogs broke through a fence to attack the K9. That indicates to me some big, strong dogs. The news says the officer and his wife couldn’t physically get the dogs apart. That isn’t unusual, especially with these many dogs. Dogs are also incredibly strong when fighting. Was the fencing inadequate to keep these dogs contained? As I look around the neighborhood on the internet using street view, the fences seem like normal fences. The news stories say the owners of these dogs had just moved in 3 weeks prior and had never seen this kind of thing from their dogs before. Dogs can be more suspicious and stressed in new environments, so that could have played a part, but there is no such information in the news that I read. We don’t know what set these dogs off. The main conclusion here for me is that all dog owners need to inspect their property walls and fencing to keep out neighbor’s dogs and wild predators. Ask, can that barrier be defeated in some way? Since the news indicates the dogs broke through the fencing, maybe that means the fencing was somehow damaged before all this happened, whether by weather, aging, or some other factor. Walk your property, go look at your boundaries. Are they still in good condition? Could an animal go under, over, or through into your property? If so, then you have some work to do.

Regarding the K9 that was killed in this situation. It is hard enough for a dog to fight off another dog, much less 3 dogs. Most K9’s aren’t selected for their aggressive capabilities to fight off another animal. They are selected, raised and trained to be relatively neutral towards other dogs. All dog fighting is not tolerated. So, this dog was confronted with a situation that it was most likely unprepared to handle. It is also going to be very difficult for someone with a firearm to shoot multiple dogs in a fast moving dog fight. There have been several stories in the news of hunters being attacked by bears and the hunters shooting themselves as they defended themselves. There are also stories of those who use a firearm to get a bear off of someone, and the person with the firearm having to be concerned that the bullet might ricochet inside the bear, make a turn, and injure the victim. Furthermore, dogs’ bodies are not the same as human bodies. As I mentioned, bullets are unpredictable once they enter tissue and hit a bone. They can deflect and go in strange directions and come out in ways that are not in line with the direction the bullet first entered. Add in all that commotion of a full-blown fight with 4 dogs, and the use of a gun, while possibly justified (I don’t know the specifics or the laws there), is going to be hard to manage. Note, the K9 was managed by a police officer, who would have had plenty of training with a firearm, and he still ended up shooting his own dog, and only shooting 2 of the 3 other dogs. If he had had some other tool, say bear spray, would that have stopped the fight? That is an unknown. Plenty of bear attacks, as a parallel example, are stopped with bear spray, but a percentage of those cases the bear spray doesn’t work and the victim is either killed, badly mauled, or the bear must be shot. A split second decision had to be made, and I don’t think you can second guess what the officer did, especially when all you must go on is what some reporters have written down. Furthermore, reaching into a full-blown fight is very dangerous. People have done that before, and then all the dogs turned on the humans and the humans were then killed. Dogs have also been in fights, now in a frenzy, going on to attack nearby humans. So, doing nothing isn't always the best option, either. There is no easy answer. I think this entire situation is a tragedy for all involved. The news indicates the owners of the 3 dogs have been cited for some violations, but I don’t know if those alleged violations had not been made if that would have prevented this from ever happening. 

Moral to the story? Well, from my perspective, I’ll adopt the Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared”. I have been criticized for noting dangers and risks when I evaluate situations. Some people tire of my opinions because they want to only hear stuff that fits the happy stories in their heads. I look for risks to help my students who might not focus on "what could be". I believe there is wisdom in the streets; wisdom is to be found everywhere if you look for it; good outcomes are mostly a result of experience, knowledge, and acquired judgment; and sometimes it is a good idea to lean on the wisdom of others, such as elders or professionals, to advise you. For this case, I would say, for me, a few things that stand out: a.) develop a Code Yellow mindset; b.) inspect your property to prevent escapes and intrusions; and c.) have a plan. People do this with respect to prevention of burglaries. We plan and consider that people might want to get into our property. We do that when considering what we would need to do if we had to escape our property, such as if the house was on fire. However, people who are not dog trainers possibly don’t consider that animals can also be motivated to get into or out of our property.

Demi Moore‘s Dog

"Demi Moore‘s teeny dog Pilaf melts the hearts of Graham Norton, Lady Gaga and Colin Farrell"

Celebrities have pets. That might not seem significant, but I think that matters. There is a tendency to demonize celebrities. What celebrity doesn't have haters? I think it would be hard to be super famous; you'd have to develop a thick skin. Yes, celebrities bring on some of this when they get out of their lane. Even so, when the cameras are gone, it is nice to see that they are actually real people like everyone else. 

Drone Cleans Up Dog Poop

"DOG POOP DRONE CLEANS UP THE YARD SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO"

Feces should be picked up immediately after your dog poops. Poop smells bad; is unsanitary; can attract predators to your yard; attracts flies which are disease carriers; can harbor parasites; can inhibit dogs from eliminating quickly in your yard again; and is unsightly. You should also inspect your dog's stools regularly as a way of checking on your dog's health. Whoever let the dog out to eliminate should be the one to pick up after the dog.

My opinion? Unless you have a disability, or doing maintenance for an off leash park, you shouldn't own a dog if you let the poop pile up to the point you need a drone. This could be a useful device in very specific situations, but for the average dog owner, regular care and maintenance of your dog is your job, not the job of a drone.

What Kind Of Dog Should I Get?

I am asked what kind of dog is best for a first time dog owner. 

There are lots of videos online saying "this is the best breed for" you. Many of these posts are made by dog trainers, but a lot of the advice is worthless for the newbie. Here's my advice...

Get a social dog. Get a dog that is friendly with everyone and every animal. I'm less concerned with breed, or a mix, for a new owner. They will sort their preferences out as they go out looking for that new family member. 

The hardest cases are first time dog owners who have gotten in over their heads with specialty breeds that are not known for being social. That one obstacle to a happy experience can make them decide to do harsh things to try and fix responses that they don't understand, to neglect the dog's proper socialization, to give the dog away, or to endanger others and not know the seriousness of what they are doing. 

Rescues should screen out newbies and only adopt out to them the most friendly dogs in their care. Breeders should turn away newbies who aren't prepared for dogs that were bred to be suspicious of strangers and other animals. These suspicious types of dogs are better for people who have already successfully owned their first dog. Much of the groundwork of learning can be accomplished with a friendly first dog. Then on subsequent dogs, it will be easier to add additional skills. 

Another Rover Dog Tragedy

"Pugslee had been brutally attacked and killed by the pet sitter’s own dog"

As a general rule, I would prefer to not have a pet sitter have their dogs, kids, friend, spouses or anyone else interact with my student's dogs. I think when you hire a pet sitter, you are hiring them to work with your dog, period. The safest way is to keep them separate from others while the owners are away. I understand why some pet sitters take customer dogs into their own homes, however, that is possibly going to be for the convenience of the sitter, not for the benefit of the customer. 

Most pet sitters are not going to be animal behavior experts. I don't expect them to be, and I don't think they should be putting unfamiliar dogs together. I just want them to feed, water, potty, clean up the yard, safely play with, exercise, and supervise the dogs until the owner is back home.

I don't know what happened here. We don't have enough information from the article. However, my opinion on how to manage dogs with pet sitters is the same as above. 

Dog Ownership And Owner Fitness

People get injured managing their dogs. Owning a dog is inherently risky, and more so for people who aren't sufficiently in shape. 

Accidents are unavoidable and are sometimes dangerous. Some are preventable, or at least the risks can be minimized. If you have dogs, eventually you are going to get some kind of injury. That is something to be accepted as part of owning a dog. Just like there are various risks to driving a car, or getting married, or eating crunchy foods, there are risks to being around a dog and working with a dog. Here are some examples:

1. There is a person who got entwined in her small dog's leash. She fell and shattered her elbow. The injury was so bad that she required elbow replacement surgery. 

2. There was a person doing some beginning agility with their dog. They tripped and fell. Fortunately, the surface was soft sand and they were mostly shaken up. The bigger risk was that they were elderly, and the shock of the fall made them have to sit out the rest of the lesson. 

3. I was working my own dog having him drag a 20 foot long line. I tossed a toy for him to fetch. I didn't realize that the end of the line was under my left foot. As he ran, the line caught my ankle, pulled my foot out from underneath me, and I hyperextended my left knee. That was back around 2001, and that knee still isn't 100%. 

4. I was working my own dog in the snow with a Schutzhund club in Olympia, WA. He was romping around in the snow and ran around some big bushes. I called him back, he came running full speed around the corner, didn't stop, and butted his head full speed into my right thigh. I went back and down onto my bum like a sack of rocks. It hurt like crazy, and I wondered how bad I had been injured. After a couple of minutes, I got up and found I was OK. But my thigh must have been bruised deeply, because it hurt there for nearly a year. It never was discolored, but it was a deep hurt for a long time. 

5. A person was taking their puppy back to their vehicle to go home. Right after putting the dog in the SUV and closing the door, a couple of big dogs got loose from their owner, and attacked this person. She was injured, to the point of needing stitches and antibiotics. The owner of the 2 dogs ran off with their dogs and never helped her at all. 

Here are some ideas to help. 

A.) There is no substitute for training with your own dog. If someone has no experience working with a dog, then they have little chance of anticipating what might go wrong. Yes, you might just be teaching a puppy to Sit for a treat, but there is a lot more to it than that. You are learning about how that dog behaves and reacts along the way. It is better to make non-serious mistakes in a class, even if there is a risk of being injured, than to be seriously injured in a real world situation that you are completely at a loss to deal with.

B.) I recommend that people take some beginning martial arts classes to learn how to fall. You can do beginning Judo classes to accomplish that. People tend to fall like a tree that was chopped down, rather than controlling how they land and how they absorb the fall. If you can fall properly, without having to think about how to do it, you have a better chance of not getting injured badly and permanently. It is also important to maintain quick reflexes. You can't do that without practicing fast and agile movements throughout your lifetime.

C.) It is important to maintain muscle strength and mass throughout your lifetime. You have a better chance of absorbing an accident, or fighting back in the case of an attack, if you are physically fit. Most people don't stay fit, especially the older they get. There is no benefit to letting yourself get out of shape. You have to accept that being fit is an important element to successful and safe pet ownership. What if you have to carry your dog back home; could you do it? What if you have to run away? What if you have to fight off 2 or more dogs? 

Are you keeping yourself fit for proper pet ownership? If not, then you are being negligent about your health and safety. You also are shortening your life, and your pet needs you to be healthy to live a full life with them and to keep them healthy and safe. Everyone can do something. Everyone can move something on their body every day, even if they have to start with the smallest of efforts. Exercise is often painful and hard to schedule. Do it anyway. Life, after you are born, is something that you have to learn to earn and protect. No one deserves to be fit. It isn't a gift. Fitness is only earned through merit. 

Woman Killed By Her Own Dogs

"Chehalis woman dies after being attacked by her own dogs"

My observation... as I have read these stories over the years, I think many of these incidents are when the owner tried to break up a fight between their dogs over some kind of food or toy. It is very dangerous to get involved in any dog fight. There is no safe or painless way that always works. 

Dog Left On Balcony Dies Of Heat Stroke

"Dog left on apartment balcony in Pleasanton dies from heat stroke"

This isn't the first time I've seen a story like this in the news. 

I'm going to speculate on why these incidents happen. I think the primary reason is that these are dogs that are either not house trained, or are destructive in the home (possibly suffering from separation anxiety). In the article, the preliminary investigation says that this "was not intentional", which leads me to think that the owner didn't realize the dog was on the porch before closing the door and leaving the unit. 

Dog trainers can help fix house training and separation anxiety. A porch isn't appropriate confinement for any dog. 

If it was a mistake, let me tell you what I do before I leave home... I have a memorized checklist. I walk the house from room to room and confirm if windows are locked, electronics are off, things are put away, water bowls full, some doors closed, appropriate toys put out, gates closed and locked, lights either on or off, etc. I do this every time. I got this idea from listening to how pilots run checklists before they take off. By having a checklist, and doing it exactly the same way every time, you lessen the risk of something going wrong. 

CA Gov Newsom Signs Pet Insurance Transparency Bill

"Newsom signs bill requiring pet insurance providers to be more transparent about coverage, premiums"

While I'm not a fan of the overregulation tendencies of California, this bill actually sounds like a good thing. Consumers should have access to some standardized disclosures when making insurance purchases. While I think that pet insurance is a good thing, I don't think the way the companies market their services is fair to the consumer. I have been asked numerous times which company I prefer, and I have to explain there isn't a good way to tell one from another except from reading consumer reviews. The problem with reviews of any company, insurance or restaurants or hotels or whatever, is that they can be manipulated and don't necessarily reflect what you will actually experience. 

Let's watch how this goes. Hopefully it turns out well. California severely damaged property insurers and drove them out of the state. California is a messed up state, we all know that. So, this new law might doom pet insurance or make it better. No way to tell right now. 

Many Americans are getting priced out of owning a pet

"Many Americans are getting priced out of owning a pet. Almost a quarter of pet owners (23%) say they’ve considered going petless due to costs, and 39% say they won’t own a pet again in the future. Additionally, 12% of Americans (and 25% of Gen Zers) have surrendered a pet because they could no longer afford to care for it."

This economy is in trouble, and it is negatively impacting pet ownership and pet rescue. 

My recommendation, for pet owners and pet rescue? Get out of debt as much as possible. If you can't pay it down now, then refinance it to a lower interest rate and on better terms. Free up cash flow. In addition, improve your skills in the marketplace. For individuals, gain more knowledge about your profession and make yourself more competitive. For rescues, go to seminars and find out how to better manage your operations; treat it like a business and not just a hobby. Become more efficient and effective. 

Rover Sitter Loses Dog In 14 Minutes

 "Los Angeles couple asks for community help after Rover sitter loses dog"

Here's the deal with pet sitting. First, I recommend that before you consider leaving a dog with anyone, you do a full safety/ escape evaluation of your property. If you need help, then consider hiring a dog trainer to walk the property with you, in and out. I have done this numerous times over the years and have identified risks for the owner. There are too many to mention here, but some examples are... 

Outdoors: I look for risks such as predators; weather/ temperature; obviously poisonous plants or supplies in the yard; tripping hazards; bothersome neighbors; quality of fencing and gates; swimming pool/ drowning risks; slippery or damaged patios; falling risks; etc.  

Indoors: Falling hazards; adequacy of the doors to lock inside and at escape points; relationships between all the pets; food storage; water access; power cords; doggie doors; etc.

Next, I get to know the background of the dog. What is this dog going to be like alone? What will this dog most likely be like with a sitter? What about medical conditions of the dog? Age of the dog? Behavioral history of the dog?

Lastly, what can you find out about the proposed sitter? At the very least, you need to meet them with your dog and size them up. Does everyone like one another? Plus references, since there have been people who have posed as sitters who instead have been accused of abusing and/or stealing and selling the pets in their care. You need to create an agreement of everything they are to do, from the smallest details like how to put on a leash, how to feed your dogs, scheduling, whether they will bring any guests with them (I'm not in favor of them bringing anyone over to your place, especially their children, boyfriends/ girlfriends; and absolutely no parties). If they are staying at your home over night, then that needs to be worked out, too. Then a plan in case of emergencies. How to lock up the place. How to prevent your dog from running out the door. How to contact you or a vet in case of an emergency. And a whole lot more. I think it a good idea to also arrange to have a tracking device on your dog the entire time the dog is not confined in a home crate or kennel, while being supervised, such as a GPS type of collar. 

I don't know what specifically happened in this case. It would be interesting to get more background so everyone could learn some important lessons.

More Coyote Attacks On Dogs

"Neighbors report several attacks on dogs, some out on walks, others hunted in their own backyards, some deadly. They say cats have been killed as well... They also say make sure your yard is well maintained. That there aren’t bushes for them to hide in and pick up after your dog uses the bathroom because that too can attract coyotes."

What precautions are you taking to keep your pets safe? 

Dogs and Fluoride?

 I'm not convinced that tap water is good for dogs. 

"Fluoride Exposure: Neurodevelopment and Cognition"

Pet Shelter Overpopulation

 Why are pet shelters and rescues filled past capacity? Some blame breeders, others irresponsible dog owners, and some poorly run shelters and rescues. While all of these do contribute to this crisis, the current problem that no one is talking about... the economy is in such poor shape. We are either in, or about to fall into, a recession. Currently, government mismanagement of the economy is the cause, and is the primary reason so many pets are being put down.

Dog food pulled from shelves nationwide

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports a pet food company is voluntarily withdrawing some of their beef and chicken dog food after samples tested positive for salmonella and listeria monocytogenes."

It is a good idea to do a weekly scan of FDA reports regarding pet food recalls. It happens a lot more frequently than you might imagine. Some of this food comes from overseas, and after watching this for many years, I am convinced that the surveillance and supervision testing of foreign sourced pet supplies and foods is poorly implemented. 

Tommy Lee's Wife Rescues Dog From Coyote

"The wife of Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee rescued one of their dogs from a coyote attack in their backyard, a frightening video shows."

We have a number of predators in AZ that are dangerous to dogs. The main concerns I see are: coyotes, bobcats, large birds (hawks and owls), the occasional mountain lion, and wolves. People are warned all the time, and yet many don't take precautions. We have other animals that are also hazards: rattlesnakes, javelin, and bees. These are also extremely dangerous.

Wherever you live, you should assess the wildlife hazards in your area, and know how to prevent or them drive off. Here's my homework for you. Let's say you live in AZ, take each of the above and describe how you would LEGALLY deter each, and what you would do if your dog was being attacked, both at home and away from home:

1. coyote, 

2. bobcats, 

3. large birds (hawks and owls), 

4.) the occasional mountain lion, 

5.) wolf (individual or pack), 

6.) rattlesnake, 

7.) javelina,

8.) bees

 

Dog Training Terminology

I had a lesson today with a new student. The appointment was to deal with his dog’s separation anxiety. However, it wasn’t that. This situation was a good example of why it is important to know proper terminology and definitions... (MORE)

Do You Need A Watchdog?

We live in crazy times, right? Not really. Times have always been crazy. People are people and a percentage of people are unsafe to be around. In my life, I try to stay away from troubled people who do, or advocate for, or believe in extreme responses to normal things. We have all made mistakes in life, giving these people more leeway than we should have, or not seeing the potential dangers they intend, or not knowing their history. Some people are good actors, and they can sometimes fool an unsuspecting innocent person into letting them into their lives and homes. Sometimes, a dog can alert you out of your complacency, letting you know that not everything is right about a person. Many dogs can sense that kind of thing... (MORE)

Real World Dog Obedience

What is the difference between classroom dog obedience and real-world dog obedience?

Yesterday, I was working with a student who has a service dog puppy in training. We were at a public location, for the first time. What seemed like a simple concept turned out to be harder than she expected. She made mistakes, so did her dog. That was a good thing. She was pretty tired and told me she didn’t realize how much more work it was taking a service dog in public compared to just walking her other dog... (MORE)

Managing Dogs In Groups

 It is essential dog owners manage their dogs when with other dogs... 

Dogs and Physical Fitness

 I'm seeing a lot of out of shape dogs lately... 

Do Good Dog Trainers Successfully Use Focused Intimidation To Fix Behavioral Problems?

Many TV and social media training gurus advocate purposeful and focused intimidation, coercion, and other negative influences to attempt to fix dogs. Is that OK and does it work? (MORE) 

An Example Of Teaching A Dog Skills

I was hired a few years ago to train a young female pointer. She was about a year old when the husband took her out with his friends and their dogs to go bird hunting. The outcome was less than ideal. She ran all over the place, never found and pointed a bird, she wouldn’t Come when called, never retrieved a bird, and it took him nearly 45 minutes to get her back into the truck because she was afraid of being in a crate. His friends told him to get an electric collar... (MORE)