October | 2009 | Tattle Tails

You know that bark, the inevitable howl ringing through the evening: it’s your neighbor’s dog’s nightly routine. Since you don’t want to cause friction when you run into him around town, however, you are left sleep-deprived and holding a grudge.

StopMyNeighborsDog.com, a new website launched by industry leader in pet safety and behavior products PetSafe, hopes to bring peace to neighborhood barking disputes by allowing neighbors to subtly spotlight nuisance barking to pet parents politely and anonymously.

Rather than simply investing in earplugs, concerned neighbors may send either an anonymous e-mail or postcard pre-written in a friendly, humorous, or serious tone to the beloved barker’s people, with the option to include tips on controlling nuisance barking and a coupon for a product from PetSafe’s line of bark solution training products.

“One of the most frequent sources of calls to local animal control departments is excessive barking from dogs,” says Randy Boyd, PetSafe President and CEO. “We hope the web site will help ease friction between neighbors and also keep otherwise good dogs from being taken to the pound.” –Sarah Hughes

Check out Animal Planet’s Howl-o-ween Central for all kinds of festive fun. You can rate pet costumes, take a Halloween quiz, and find great tips and recipes for a pet Halloween party.

Congratulations to Mike and his guardian, Betsy Fessler of Campbell, CA. Mike is an 8-year-old Rat Terrier.

Fessler adopted Mike from Furry Friends Animal Rescue when he was 4 months old. She met him at an adoption event. “Upon arrival, I fell in love,” she says. “He was too cute.”

Fessler says she found the skunk costume while rummaging through the clearance bin at a local pet store. “I knew the skunk costume was perfect for Mike, considering his size and his coloring of mostly black and white to match the costume,” Fessler says. “But the costume didn’t have any packaging or any price.” When she went to purchase the costume, the cashier didn’t know the price either. He eventually told her she could have the costume for free if she made a donation to the local animal shelter. “I agreed, made my donation to the shelter at the register, and Mike has been proudly sporting it each Halloween ever since!” Fessler says.

Thanks to all of our readers who sent in pics of their furry friends’ best Halloween gear.

Mike will receive a faux leather jacket courtesy of Target.

Click here to see more of our favorite entries.

Want to make your pumpkin look like a Pug?

Check out BHG.com/dogvote to find free pumpkin carving patterns for 13 different dog breeds. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite!

There’s also a fun video from the shoot!

October is National Fire Prevention Month. According to fire detection systems provider Protection One, Inc., more than 40,000 family pets die every year in house fires. In an effort to prevent such tragedies, the company is giving away pet safety decals free to pet guardians. The decals affix to a front door or window where they can be easily noticed in case of an emergency, alerting firefighters that a pet or pets are living in a home.

For your free decal and for more fire safety tips for pets, visit ProtectionOne.com/pets. —Sarah Hughes

No, this is not some kind of Pokemon! It’s an Axolotl, a Mexican neotenic mole salamander. Check out the Huffington Post for more weird-looking animals!

Think your pet has a great costume? Show us! We’re looking for the dog, cat, or other animal companion with the coolest Halloween costume. Email a picture of your pet in his or her spook-wear to Halloween@TailsInc.com, and we’ll pick a winner to feature in our next e-newsletter (and on the blog!). Please include your name, pet’s name, location, and email address in your email.

The winner will also receive this suave faux leather jacket for their dog courtesy of Target! It’ll keep your pup stylin’ and warm at the same time!

The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, Oct. 20, so enter now!

The holidays are just around the corner! It’s never too early to get some shopping done. With Saving Shelter Pets, Inc.’s online auction, you can bid on great items from autographed books to luxurious vacations while supporting Saving Shelter Pets, Inc’s spay and neuter program. The auction runs Oct. 12-Oct. 26, so bid now!

Recently the Supreme Court announced that it will decide next term whether videos of animal cruelty and dogfighting are constitutionally protected by the First Amendment guaranteeing free speech. What do you think? Tell us in the comments!

The Dog Show with Julie Forbes » 2009 » July

One of the most important, and most debated, topics on the subject of dog training is: positive reinforcement vs. correction.

There is a wide spectrum of dog training philosophies, ranging from exclusive positive reinforcement training at one end, and harsh, militant, abusive methods at the other.

As with most topics of debate, any party at an extreme end is lacking a balanced perspective. Neither extremes produce consistent and widespread desirable results, because they are fundamentally incomplete.

To answer the question: “What is the most effective, natural way to train a dog?” we must, simply, ask the dogs!

How do dogs reward and correct? How does a dog pack maintain harmony and balance among its members? How do dogs understand leadership and dominance?

The fact is: dogs correct each other…daily. Corrections, themselves are not abusive or “mean”, they are a healthy and necessary part of communication that accomplishes a crucial element in any relationship: boundaries!

The idea that any form of correction is wrong and abusive is absolutely absurd. A person who adopts this philosophy is likely uncomfortable establishing boundaries in their own life and therefore does not make a good leader. Ask anyone who works in mental health: Boundaries are healthy!

In fact, boundaries are necessary.

Try raising a human child without ever communicating to that child, “don’t do that” or “wrong choice”, or “pay attention”. The result: a child who is out of control, disrespectful, possibly violent, and always upset.

The same is true for dogs.

On the other side of the spectrum; motivating dogs to comply out of fear and blind submission is not desirable, effective, or morally acceptable. A person who is unfairly and excessively harsh is also a poor leader and should not be in a position to teach anything: child, dog, bird, ant, anything.

Someone with a personal need to scare another creature into compliance or submission is also fundamentally insecure and is also not a good leader.

The most effective and ethical way to communicate with a dog is one of balance, and lines up with how dogs communicate with each other, naturally. The easiest language for any animal to understand is their native language. For dogs, that includes appropriate, and timely praise, as well as consistent and fair correction – all occurring with a foundation of leadership, and mutual respect.

When interviewing a potential trainer for you and your dog, ask them what their philosophy is regarding positive reinforcement and correction. Look for someone who falls somewhere along the middle of spectrum and who you feel comfortable with. Ask for references of past clients who they have worked with on similar issues.

Dogs vary individually, just like people. Every human-dog combination is unique and has different needs and preferences. A good trainer should be able to adjust to the dog, rather than force every dog to fit into one method or style of training.

Listening is the most important part of communication. If someone is unwilling to be flexible, and is attached to, or defensive about, their one style; they cannot possibly be a good listener or secure leader.

A good teacher is a good listener. Working with a dog requires constant self-evaluation. If a dog is not understanding an expectation after several repetitions, a trainer must ask him or herself: “What am I doing that is not working?” or “What is missing from this equation?” An effective trainer will quickly recognize how they need to adjust what they do, for each individual dog-human team to learn with minimal stress and maximum success.

Dogs (and people) need to be clear about what is expected of them and then have their environment respond consistently to the established expectations. There are times when our pets need us to be firm, but never without the presence of love and compassion.

Respect is a two-way street…no exceptions.

I volunteered with one of my favorite local organizations last week: Missing Pet Partnership.  The organization had a lost pet recovery booth set up outside of the Seattle Animal Shelter to assist in reuniting people with their lost pets, due to Fourth of July fireworks.  

What an inspiring and touching experience!  What impressed me, among many other things, is that our love for our pets cuts through many other things that might keep us apart.  Honestly, I caught myself starting to judge someone based on their appearance, but it didn’t last long once a dialogue was opened about their beloved lost pet.  I could see the fear and sadness written all over their faces and i could connect to that, as I know I would be a wreck if my dogs were lost.

The best part was when our work…WORKED!  You can imagine how grateful people were, who came in with hopes that were dragging behind them.  The conversations were about what to do, to get your pet back.  Powerful conversations, laced with encouragement, optimism and support.  I was bathing in feeling of goodness and generosity.

Missing Pet Partnership is one of the most important pet related organizations our community has – and they need volunteers for a variety of different tasks.  By reuniting people with their lost pets, it keeps the “lost” pets from becoming “stray” pets, and therefor homeless.  I can’t believe how many people lose a pet, and never get reunited simply because people don’t know HOW.

For more information visit: www.missingpetpartnership.org

Westminster Dog Show 2009 Video

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Westminster Dog Show 2009 Video

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2009 Westminster dog show at Westminster Kennel Club will be presented by Pedigree in cooperation with a live video coverage by USA Network and CNBC. 2009 Westminster dog show will be shown in Madison Square Garden on February 9, 2009. David Frei Westminster Kennel Club Director of Communications express his thoughts about the show in a press conference at the Hotel Pennsylvania’s Skytop Ballroom last February 05, 2009. Here are some dogs to watch in the 2009 Westminster dog show. First on the list is Uno the beagle which is the Westminster Kennel Club 2008 Best in Show Champion, second is Darco, a Dogue de Bordeaux also called French Mastiff will be one of the newest breed in the show.

Schedule of Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show:

On February 9, 2009, the first event of the night will be for Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups that will be live on USA Network from 8:00 to 9:00 PM (ET) and on CNBC 9:00 to 11:00 PM (ET). On the next day February 10, 2009, the second night of the show will feature Sporting, Working and Toy Groups and the much awaiting performance for the Best In Show category. This will be feature live by USA Network 8:00 to 11:00 PM (ET)

Watch the video of Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

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February 5, 2009

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Category: Animals

Tags: 2009 westminster dog show, westminster, westminster 2009, westminster dog

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