Dog Shows - Like to watch but....................

I have to admit that I did watch the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show but .......................

I like to watch this show to see all of the different breeds but then I realize that this whole event is contrary to what I believe in. There are so many dogs out there that need homes that are combos of all sorts of breeds - I call them "love children" - (I have one - Kanji - a combo of Shitzu and Cockapoo,  who is a wonderful "accident" between neighbor dogs, not  designer breed (see Kanji's puppy picture).

Dog Shows support the concept that pure bred dogs are the way to go and that the more exotic the better. Although I am sure that these dogs come from loving homes and are treated like family,  they perpetuate a culture of "perfect" dogs - with qualities not necessarily healthy or good for the animal.  Also people fall in love with some of the breeds that are not necessarily  meant to be house pets - those that need lots of exercise and activity - those meant to be "working" dogs - not house pets. When this happens you end up with not only an unhappy family but an unhappy dog.

So watch the show and be happy for those dogs but when thinking of getting a dog - go the rescue route - you'll be happy you did.

That's my vent for the day.

Top Ten Reasons Why to Shop Local

Been gone for awhile - trying to keep my head above water - considering there isn't any snow - otherwise I would be trying to dig out of a snow drift like last year. Actually I would prefer to have last year back. This has been a really weird Winter - some people are thrilled there hasn't been any snow - I'm not, my dogs are not and neither is my business. I do better when it snows - people are home - but out and about often walking the streets of my town - therefore business goes up - selling winter coats, sweaters, boots and wax for the dogs. Needless to say that has not happened this year. My dogs love to jump and play in the snow - rain just doesn't cut it - they sniff the air and go back into the house - refusing to walk when raindrops are falling on their head. Kanji loves to try and catch snowballs - trying to catch raindrops on his tongue is not his game of choice. AND I still have a ton of Winter inventory left - that's not your fault - I blame that on Mother Nature but there are other things you can do to help in general.

All this leads me to the real reason I am writing today after such a long absence

Shop Local & Help your Local Economy & Neighborhood Shops:

Here are the Top Ten Reasons to Shop Local - I "stole" these from the Cambridge Local First Organization. (We are trying to start a similar organization in Brookline)


1. More Money stays in the local economy when you buy from a locally owned business

2.Most new jobs are created by small to mid-sized, locally owned businesses

3.Supporting the unique businesses that only exist in (place name of your town here...) helps make our city such a great place to live and work

4. Locally owned businesses are key supporters of local arts,education and social non-profits

5. Small businesses develop lasting relationships with customers, providing exceptional levels of customer service

6. Independent companies compete to provide the most diverse set of products and services

7. Locally produced material reduces the transportation costs and the impact on the environment

8. Community based businesses contribute to stability in neighborhoods and help provide for public safety

9. People's sense of community identity is tied to memories of things that are unique in their home towns, many of which are locally owned businesses

10. Local business owners buy from other local businesses, bank in local banks, eat in local restaurants, support local charities and keep our local economy strong

Thanks for listening (reading really) - Now go forth and SHOP LOCAL - My dogs and I would really appreciate it (and so would my Town, fellow shops & our local charities

Your Dog is Lost... Now What Do You Do

Your Dog is Lost... Now What Do You Do?
 Brookline Dog Licensing Program sent this flyer out and I thought I would share the info with you. It's appropriate no matter where you live.

Contact your town's Police Animal Control Officer -  in Brookline that number is 617-730-2222. If they are not available make sure to leave your name and contact information and a  description of your dog. Make sure to ask that this be logged in - in case someone sees your dog and calls the police.

Contact local animal shelters. Local shelters in the Brookline area include Brookline Animal Hospital - 617-277-2030, the City of Boston Shelter - 617-635-1800, the MSPCA Boston Animal Shelter - 617-522-5055 ext 5369, and the Animal Rescue League Boston Shelter at 617-426-9170. Again, be sure to leave your name, a description of your dog and your contact information. Be sure to call or visit frequently to ensure follow up.

Post a free, widely distributed notice in both the "Lost & Found" and "Pets" section of Craigslist at http://boston.craigslist.org  (or your local version).

Print several hundred Lost Dog Flyers on brightly colored, neon paper. Have friends and family post them everywhere (tape to trees - not staple - please) within at least one or two miles of where your dog went missing. (be sure to take them down once the dog is found). If it is raining - insert them into plastic sleeve protectors that you can get at office supply stores - opening facing down so rain won't get in. Provide a number that is monitored 24/7. A flyer template is available at on the Brookline Town Clerk webpage at www.brookline.gov

Make sure your dog has identification tags on them at all times - a minimum of a phone number - even if they are micro-chipped. Chips help once they make it to a Shelter or Vet but if the dog is found by a local person they have no way of reading the microchips and I am sure you would want them to call you ASAP.

In addition to these recommendations, I would suggest contacting local pet related stores- I have often been brought "lost" dogs and even have had some dogs "find" us. Use email, Facebook, Twitter to get the information out - it is the age of Social Networking - put it to good use!

Let's hope it never comes to this.

Halloween - Fun for All but be Safe

Halloween is just around the corner. It is the second biggest holiday in the US next to Christmas. It is a fun time for all ages - and for PETs.

At Cause to Paws we are having our 7th Annual Howl-O-Ween Pawty on Sunday, Oct 30 from 5 - 7 PM. Every year it seems to get bigger and bigger - more pets, more people and more fun. If you haven't joined us before you should really try and make it this year. We have prizes in various categories - Best Homemade Costume, Funniest, Group/Duo, Overall Favorite and Best Performance or Trick. We have treats for you - and the pets - including my (in)famous carrot and peanut butter Pupcakes. There is Dunking for Discounts and Bobbing for Hot Dogs - or the other way around - seems to change every year. We use to use Rubber Duckies for the Discount Bobbing - but they didn't float - this year we have found actual Plastic Apples that float and you can put slips inside for the discounts - we will of course practice first.

We plan to have a ball this Howl-O-Ween - However there are a few things to keep in mind  - to make sure you keep you and your pets safe during Halloween.
Here are some tips I have gathered from a variety of others
thanks to RC Pets & the ASPCA:

• Chocolate in all forms can be toxic to dogs and cats — keep candies and chocolate out of reach from your pet. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause problems. If you do suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
• Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, but they can produce stomach upset in pets who nibble on them
• Pet costumes should not impede their movement, breathing, nor hearing and pets must be supervised to ensure that no part of the costume is accidental ingested.  For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume may cause undue stress - just because you think it's cute it might not work for your dog. Use your best judgement.
• When greeting trick-or-treaters at the door, take extra care that your pet doesn't dart outside.
•  All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.
• If going trick-or-treating, make sure your pet is fitted properly for a collar and is leashed.  Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification
• Don't forget to clip on a Safety Light and/or pair your pet with a High Visibility Vest for added safety!

 

Socializing Your Pets - Yappy Hour/Ask the Trainer

Socialization of Dogs is very important - especially puppies.  Puppies need to meet people - all kinds - and other dogs - young and old. The ultimate goal is for them to avoid displaying fear or aggression. There are a number of different ways you can accomplish this - one is to find a situation where they can meet lots of people and other dogs.

One option is something like the Yappy Hours we hold at Cause to Paws. We push aside the displays and make room for the dogs (and people) to interact and socialize. These supervised sessions with other dogs is a good idea - you need to make sure to do this only after your puppy has received its full set of vaccinations.  We also have a couch area where you can sit with your puppy in a more private way,  where you and others can handle and pet the puppy/dog or allow them to "retreat" to an area where they can rest in case they get tired from playing with the other dogs. And it is fun. We test out new treats (for people and pets), toys and talk about our dogs - doesn't get much better than that.

Training your Pet - You can also attend socialization classes or a variety of training options - that go beyond just Puppy training.  Many trainers offer a variety of classes including Agility, Dog Park Behavior, Canine Good Citizen Training, and much more. At Cause to Paws we often have trainers come in to give free talks - including "Ask the Trainer" - where you can meet a trainer and ask questions (and remember no question is a stupid one) - about your dog's behavior, training or any concerns you might be having. It's a good way to know what is available before making a commitment . We have a new session coming up on Sunday, June 19th starting at 3 PM with Vera Wilkinson, from The Cooperative Dog.

In addition to classes - walk the streets, bring them to a park and spend as much time as necessary to ensure that you have a well trained, socialized and happy puppy/dog.  It is well worth the effort.

Pets, Sports, Clothing and Toys.......

Well Winter has come & gone - somewhere in there we have had Spring since I last posted on this Blog. I also think we had one day of Summer stuck in there somewhere & today it feels more like Fall. Hard to keep things straight - but that's New England for you.

Often I can tell what season it is by what Sport's Teams are in the News but with the Celtics & Bruins in their respective playoffs this year that has made it harder. Did do well with the C's & B's Tanks , Collars & Bandanas. As always we have a lot of Red Sox fans who show their pride all year round, although it was tough at the beginning of the season. Being only a mile from Fenway Park, we are often on the route home & we get a lot of happy fans (at least this May and June) who want to show that their dogs are part of Red Sox Nation, too.



Annie showing her Bruin's Pride



New England Patriots have their Pet supporters as well - but that appears to be very season oriented - a more Winter, TV watching item of clothing - goes well with the doggy pizza we sell!

And let's not forget the Cat Owners. We've decked them out in Sports clothing as well. Somehow dressing your dog or cat in sports/college teams does not qualify as dressing your dog among those squeamish with that concept. Seems these items don't count as clothing.

And Toys - as most of us know dogs (& cats) like to play with ball like objects - dogs have a thing for squeaky tennis balls & we also do a big business in small soccer balls (soft vinyl squeaking types - Kanji's favorite) - interesting that Footballs, Hockey Pucks and Baseballs are not high on the list of available (and likable) pet toys options.

Oh well.... I promise to be more communicative about the happenings in the dog world and Cause to Paw. Lot's of stuff happening. Like my Facebook Page and keep up to date on everything.

Off Leash Dog Parks

OFF LEASH PARK RULES

My town - Brookline, MA recently made the news - even National news, when they announced that they were thinking about (and then did enact) a fee for dogs to go unleashed in the approved parks in Brookline. as part of their Green Dog Program. This caused quite the uproar at a Town  Selectman Hearing with members of the community from, both sides of the issue, trying to voice their opinions. Selectman voted to charge $50/year per dog (residents - $100 for non residents) for the right to have your dog off leash during designated hours as well as a vendor fee to professional dog walkers.  The money is to help fund a  Park Ranger to help with enforcement/compliance as well as to improve the communication with dog owners about the program. Previously this was all done on a volunteer basis.  It was agreed that the cost was far greater to run the program then they will collect but the Town felt it was necessary to begin to add additional fees for use of the Parks (fees for organized Sports will also be charged).

I don't want to get into the pro's and con's of charging for the right to have your dog off leash - I can see both sides of the issue - what I want to talk about is what to do once you are at the park, basically park etiquette.

Brookline's Rules - which are similar or should be followed in all parks include the following:

• Aggressive dogs are not permitted on or off-leash. 
• Dogs who show continued aggression towards people, other dogs, or wildlife must be removed immediately.
• The number of dogs per person is limited to three.
• Dogs must be 4 months old to participate in the program.
• Dogs in heat are not allowed off-leash

 Before You Go to a Park

• License your dog and make sure vaccinations are current. Dogs must be licensed, vaccinated, and healthy (no contagious conditions, diseases, or parasites). Put license and identification on dog's collar.
• Make sure your dog is under voice control (dog responds to and obeys your verbal commands).
  
  
  
• Bring waste pick-up bags. Cleaning up after your dog is critical and one of the major issues when the discussion about the program is brought up - COMPLIANCE to hours and waste removal are the biggest concerns always discussed.

  At the Park

• Keep your dog on leash until you are inside the park. Keep your leash on hand at all times.
• Check for park closed signs, wet fields, crews working in the park, or permitted activities, all of which mean off-leash hours are suspended.
• Pick up after your dog and encourage others to do the same.
• Keep your dog in sight at all times and under voice control.
• Be mindful of your dog so that other park visitors, their children, and their dogs are not anxious about their safety. Many people do not like unfamiliar dogs — and sometimes other dogs don't like unfamiliar dogs.

To learn more about Brookline's program check out the following links
http://brooklinegreendog.com/
http://www.brooklinema.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=706&Itemid=1029

If you are bitten by a dog at the park or if your dog bites others - there are things you need to know:
Regardless of who is the biter or the bitten - both are equally responsible for the incident.  Check the injuries - if there are puncture wound these can become infected and need to be treated. Exchange contact info and get witnesses info as well.. In Massachusetts the guardian of a dog who bites a person may be held liable for civil damages. Check out dogbitelaw.com
(thanks to Tails Inc of this information).