Whatcom Humane Soceity Gala, Best Year Ever!

We had a spectacular time at the WHS Gala on Saturday. It was the most fun, best auction items, great food that there has ever been! Everyone raised over $105K for the animals. So happy to see the WHS staff there, and the organization of the event was impeccable. Kudos WHS for putting on a spectacular event. Lots of people wore costumes, which we love, of course.

Jason and I won some fabulous items in the silent and live auction. Lost horribly to Kim Barron (who won a painting fair and square)

Glad to see the community stepped up and supported WHS, with their leader Laura Clark, there is nothing they can't do!

Notorious Chunky B

As many of you know, Jason and I volunteer and foster dogs for Furbaby Rescue. FBR is a small rescue dedicated to rescuing, fostering and placing small breed dogs. Jason and I tend to care for the Chihuahua's that come into the organization. We have 4 Chi and I adore the breed overall. Last week we got a call from Laura Clark, she is the executive director for the Whatcom Humane Society. A morbidly obese Chihuahua came into the shelter, surrendered by his owner. Now, we are not talking chubby here.... we all agree he should weigh 5 to 6 lbs, but he weighs 12 lbs. He needs to loose more than half his body weight. He would be over 450 lbs if he were a man... He is so fat he has a triple chin. His liver enzymes were so high the shelter could not justify putting him up for adoption, as he would need extreme care to not only get the weight off but to take care of all his medical needs. His teeth were abscessed, and he had several large fistulas (oral abscesses leading up to his sinus') He had so much infection in his sinus that he could not pass air thru his nose. His tongue had blue tinge to it, due to the perpetual lack of oxygen. The shelter staff clearly adored this dog, they are such wonderful people but are limited in their resources and do the best they can. They called FBR, and we took him in.

Even though he must of felt horrible, he settled right into my clan. He happily slept in his crate, he used our doggie door after watching Percy use it. Never an accident in the house. He accepts my dogs and happily meets new people. He is a true joy.

He has now had 9 teeth pulled, his oral abscesses are healing and he is beginning to be able to breathe thru his nose again. He has lost a full pound. Our daily walks take us to Cornwall Park, my dogs leading the way, with Chunky B close behind. We bring a special doggie stroller for when he is too tired to walk back.

As I write this, he sits on my lap... grunting and snoring so loudly I have to set him down and go to the other room to answer the phone.

In a few weeks his mouth and sinus' will be healed, in a few months he will be a normal weight.

Neglect put this wonderful dog close to deaths door. Had WHS not seen his potential, seen thru the fat, the infection, the high risk medical issues or had he ended up at another shelter that was not full of the caring and loving people like those fill the Whatcom Humane Society, he may not be here today.

Thank you WHS. Thank you for all that you do. Knowing that all animals deserve people like you, and we are a far better community by having you in it.

Chunky B send his love... and grunts

Dog Days of Summer Festival 2009

If anyone made it thru the rain and wind to get to the Dogs Days of Summer Festival to benefit the Whatcom Humane Society this last Sunday... I commend you. We were there, wet, cold and my hair tied in knots from the wind. The Chihuahua's were moderately content, they had their sweaters, and big, fenced, outdoor area to run around in. Barking all day, as good Chihuahua's do!

We typically give away over 300 toys and prizes, but less than 100 found their way into happy puppy mouths, due to the low turnout. The weather was not on our side.

We had to pack it in early due to the wind, as tents were breaking and flying away. After a tent ended up in the lake and many lifted up off the ground, alas it was time to head home.

We did not get to show off at our Doggie Circus or Rally O show, but we hope to be able to next year.

Biggest disappointment was the lost revenue for the Whatcom Humane Society. Although not a big money maker, more of a community event, they still can make enough to keep the shelter animals happy if even for a short while.

I encourage you to send an extra monetary gift their way this month. On behalf of the Dogs Days of Summer...Toto needs it.

HOW TO TEACH YOUR DOG TO NOT COME WHEN CALLED

HOW TO TEACH YOUR DOG TO NOT COME WHEN CALLED



Call your dog to you, then give him a bath. Or clip his nails, your choice; just be sure to pick the one he really, really hates.

Take your dog someplace he loves to go, like the park, or to play with a friend’s dog. Wait until he’s really having fun, then call him to you. Immediately load him in the car and drive him home.

This one works especially well for small dogs: Call your dog to you, then swoop down on him with both arms, making sure to look as frightening as possible as you pick him up. Now, that might not stop him from coming to you altogether, but it pretty much guarantees that he’ll stop just out of arm’s reach.

Call your dog, then immediately put him away somewhere (crate, behind a gate) and leave, preferably for a full day. A great choice for dogs who hate to be left alone.

Call your dog and tell him it's time for his walk - then take a phone call. Call him back again, then forget your keys, call him back when you've found them... to put on your shoes...

If your dog somehow slips out the front door or maybe through your back gate, be sure to yell at him when he comes back home or when you catch him.

Call your dog to come and do nothing. No pet, no praise… nothing

Bizzy Pee'd right in front of me!

Hey Angi,
HELP! Bizzy (my female Schipperke) just pee'd right in front of me... not sure what to do. Juno, my other female Schipperke and Jolly, my male Chihuahua were on the floor. Juno was trying to get Jolly to play, but of course he wanted nothing to do with her and was getting pretty vocal about it, telling her to back off. Then all of a sudden Bizzy comes over and pee's right in front of us all! I jumped up and told her NO, and took her outside. She JUST had a medical work up last week including a urinalysis, so I know its not an infection. What the heck to do?

Deb, Juno, Bizzy and Jolly


Oh Deb... I told you to come to my Body Language Seminar last month!
What I suspect was going on was a calming signal, from Bizzzy directed towards Juno and Jolly. Juno was bugging Jolly so Bizzy (as the more assertive female in the group) offered a overt calming signal (urinating in their presence) to settle and calm the two of them. Remember dogs offer calming signals to not only calm themselves but to calm the others around them. By urinating she appeased the situation of Juno getting in Jolly's face. Your response of telling her NO, did not help the situation, but don't beat yourself up about it... it was a typical response. But do know that black dogs on average use more overt calming signals than other dogs. Black dogs realize certain body signals cannot be seen as easily by other dogs (by trial and error), so they use very obvious ones, more than other dogs.
Best thing to do next time is to anticipate a reaction from Bizzy if the other dogs were getting out of hand. Offer a calming signal yourself first, like body block and head turn to appease the situation before distracting the dogs to move onto other things. Bizzy will see you have taken care of the situation and will see no need for it to escalate making her need to address it.

Oh, and I am saving you a spot when we do the seminar again on 9/25!

New Dog Show on Animal Planet

Like many of you, I enjoy Animal Planet. This Discovery Channel Network has done some amazing work to help educate us all on animals.
Even though have been training dogs for over 20 years, I still love watching dog training shows. Any good trainer will tell you there are a ba-zillion ways to train a dog and we are all (hopefully) open to new ideas and enjoy trying new techniques. Like other dog trainers, I like to tivo the dog training shows so when first understanding the behavioral problem I can pause it to announce (to my dogs, watching with me) what I would do if I was training that dog... In shows like Its Me or The Dog, I love how similar we are, in our thoughts and methods.

I stumbled upon a new dog show called In the Dog House... just few minutes of this show and I was appalled! The trainer (I never caught his name) set dog training back about 40 years! Using all old school methods of intimidation and fear. Choke chains, pinch collars, alpha rolls... you name it, this punk was gonna show these dogs who was boss! Just like Cesar Millan... he had it all wrong.
I have said it before... if dog training was like pizza these guys are missing about 5 slices. Just not seeing the whole picture.
YES you must be a leader to your dog. YES you need to be calm and structured for your dog.
YES you need show you dog what behaviors are not acceptable... however you don't get there by using fear and intimidation!
I can MAKE a dog do anything I want... but what does that do for my relationship with that dog? I want the dog to do what I want him to do out of respect for the pack and trust in me! You cannot trust what you fear.
These old school trainers think being a leader or alpha to the dogs means they must dominate them, be assertive and hold a level of fear to the dog. If they truly understood pack behavior they would understand that the "in your face" running around and push everyone around dog is the middle of the road adolescent dog, NOT the alpha... she is sitting off to the side, overseeing. She is the keeper of the stuff, the maker of the rules. She uses her body to block and prevent rather than react to a situation. She rewards for the right behavior and redirects the wrong behavior. Old school training methods simply teach dogs that people are something to be feared and not something to be trusted. But don't get me wrong, no one every said these methods don't work, they do... but we now know AT WHAT COST!
These old school dog trainers are still using what was taught years and years ago. This is how any one who has been training dogs for over 10 years was taught. Yes, when I went to school to train dogs I too learned all the pop and jerk methods. I thought that was the way it was. Over 15 years ago, I opened my eyes to how it should be. To this day...I have NEVER met a trainer who used to teach with old school corrective training that now teaches with reward based dog training that has ever gone back. We see how much more relaxed the dogs are, how more open they are to learning. It improves the relationship with our dogs and makes us more reliable and predictable for our dogs. It teaches them in this crazy world, with lots of scary things we are the one they can trust above all others. It creates a bond that can't be broken.

So join me, in writing an email to Animal Planet, tell them to pull the show In the Dog House. Our dog deserve better.

Dear Tails,
Our new puppy is a blast, thanks for getting him into the Kindergarten Class... but we had a question. On our walks he was wanting to eat everything he could find! In class we are learning how to walk well on a leash so that is going fine now, but it made us wonder "what plants are bad for him to eat"? Any we should be real wary of?

Thanks
Barb and Rocket


Barb and Rocket,
Thanks for your post. Yes... in general there are lots of pants that are toxic to animals, so its best to keep Rocket from picking up anything by teaching him to heel. I am glad his walking politely on a leash is gong well, but here is a list of the most common toxic plants for pets.

Poisonous Plants

While plants add a touch of color and fragrance to our daily lives they also inject an element of danger into the lives of our pets. More than 700 plants have been identified as producing physiologically active or toxic substances in sufficient amounts to cause harmful effects in animals. Poisonous plants produce a variety of toxic substances and cause reactions ranging from mild nausea to death. Certain animal species may have a peculiar vulnerability to a potentially poisonous plant.
Below is a list of some of the common plants which may produce a toxic reaction in animals. This list is intended only as a guide to plants which are generally identified as having the capability for producing a toxic reaction.
This may not represent a complete list of all poisonous plants. Also, your pet may have a sensitivity or allergy to a plant that is not on the list, resulting in toxicity. Always contact your veterinarian immediately if you think your pet may have ingested a poisonous plant.


PLANT
TOXIC PARTS
PLANT TYPE

Aconite
roots, foliage, seeds
garden flower

Apple
seeds
cultivated tree

Arrowgrasses
leaves
marsh plants

Atropa belladonna
entire plant esp. seeds, roots
garden herb

Autumn Crocus
entire plant
garden flower

Azaleas
entire plant
cultivated & wild shrub

Baneberry
berries, roots
wildflower

Bird-of-Paradise
pods
garden flower

Black locust
entire plant esp. bark, shoots
tree

Bloodroot
entire plant esp. stem, roots
wildflower, herb

Box
entire plant esp. leaves
ornamental shrub

Buckeye
sprouts, nuts, seeds
tree

Buttercup
entire plant esp. leaves
wildflower, garden herb

Caladium
entire plant
house plant

Carolina jessamine
flowers, leaves
ornamental plant

Castor bean
entire plant esp. beans
house plant

Chinaberry tree
berries
tree

Chockcherries
leaves, cherries, pit
wild shrub

Christmas berry
leaves
shrub

Christmas Rose
rootstock, leaves
garden flower

Common privet
leaves, berries
ornamental shrub

Corn cockle
seeds
wildflower, weed

Cowbane
entire plant esp. roots
wildflower, herb

Cow cockle
seeds
wildflower, weed

Cowslip
entire plant esp. leaves, stem
wildflower, herb

Daffodil
bulbs
garden flower

Daphne
bark, berries, leaves
ornamental shrub

Day lily
entire plant is toxic to cats
garden & wildflower

Death Camas
leaves, stems, seeds, flowers
field herb

Delphinium (Larkspur)
entire plant esp. sprouts
wildflower

Dumbcane
entire plant
house plant

Dutchman's breeches
roots, foliage
wild & garden flower

Easter lily
entire plant is toxic to cats
flowering house plant

Elderberry
leaves, bark, roots, buds
tree

Elephant's ear
entire plant
house plant

English Ivy
entire plant esp. leaves, berries
ornamental vine

European Bittersweet
entire plant esp. berries
vine

False Flax
seeds
wild herb

False hellebore
roots, leaves, seeds
ornamental flower

Fan weed
seeds
wildflower, herb

Field peppergrass
seeds
wildflower, herb

Flax
seedpods
wildflower, herb

Foxglove
leaves
wild & garden flower

Holly
berries
shrub

Horsechestnut
nuts, sprouts
tree

Horse nettle
entire plant esp. berries
wildflower, herb

Hyacinth
bulbs
wild & house plant

Iris
leaves, roots
wild & garden flower

Jack-in-the-pulpit
entire plant esp. roots, leaves
wildflower

Jatropha
seeds
tree, shrub

Jerusalem Cherry
unripe fruit, foliage
ornamental plant

Jimsonweed
entire plant esp. seeds
field plant

Laburum
seeds, pods, flowers
ornamental plant

Lantana
foliage
house plant

Larkspur
young plants
wildflower

Laurels
leaves
shrub

Lily of the valley
leaves, flowers
garden & wildflower

Lupines
seeds, pods
shrub

Manchineel Tree
sap, fruit
tree

Matrimony vine
leaves, shoots
ornamental vine

Mayapple
unripe fruit, roots, foliage
wildflower

Milk vetch
entire plant
wildflower

Mistletoe
berries
house plant

Monkshood
entire plant esp. roots, seeds
wildflower

Moonseed
fruit, roots
vine

Morning glory
seeds, roots
wildflower

Mountain mahogany
leaves
shrub

Mustards
seeds
wildflower

Narcissus
bulbs
garden flower

Nicotiana
leaves
garden flower

Nightshade
leaves, berries
wildflower, vine

Oaks
shoots, leaves
tree

Oleander
leaves
ornamental shrub

Philodendrons
entire plant
house plant

Pokeweed
roots, seeds, berries
field plant

Poinsettia
leaves, stem, flowers
house plant

Poison hemlock
leaves, stem, fruit
field plant

Potato
shoots, sprouts
garden plant

Rattle box
entire plant
wildflower

Rhododendron
leaves
ornamental shrub

Rhubarb
leaves
garden plant

Rosary pea
seeds
house plant

Sago palm
entire plant esp seeds
ornamental plant

Skunk cabbage
entire plant esp roots, leaves
marsh plant

Smartweeds
sap
wildflower

Snow-on-the-mountain
sap
field plant

Sorghum
leaves
grass

Star of Bethlehem
entire plant
wildflower

Velvet grass
leaves
grass

Wild black cherry
leaves, pits
tree

Wild radish
seeds
wildflower

Wisteria
pods, seeds
ornamental plant

Woody aster
entire plant
wildflower

Yellow jessamine
entire plant
ornamental vine

Yellow oleander
entire plant esp. leaves
garden plant

Yellow pine flax
entire plant esp. seedpods
wildflower

Yew
bark, leaves, seeds
ornamental tree