De-Skunkin' De Dog

I came across this recipe, thought it would be a good one to share. If you haven't lived in Spokane long enough to have a skunky dog come home one day, just wait. You will. Here, the latest skunk incident was a couple of months ago when I awoke to the racket of a yearling malamute romping around my living room, and an amazingly acrid aroma. Yes, my worst fears were realized, Cody had brought his fresh-killed skunk kit in through the dog door and was playing with him like his new favorite... stinky... squeakless toy. Ugh!
Well here's whatcha do if your dog gets skunked. You mix up this stuff and have at 'em in the bathtub or outside with the hose if weather permits.
16 oz peroxide
1 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon Dawn Dish washing Soap.
Rinse with White vinager diluted in water.
The faster you get them in the tub the more stink you can get out. concentrate on "ground zero" if you can find where exactly the dog got hit, spend extra energy and extra formula on that spot.
I hope it never happens to your dog, but if it does, now you know what to do!

Contratulations Puppy Class Graduates

What a fun class this was, a cute crop of pups you folks got there! Only Keona, Sophie and Moe sat still long enough for clear shots! Mimi and Lady Emma were just a tad bit too wiggly! Kudo's to Lady Emma & Levi for going on to Intermediate! Way to keep that training momentum going!

Ooky Sp0Oky!

Yes, Halloween is coming and I had to try a few of the latest costume styles on Turbo... Ain't he a fetchin' little witchy-poo? One Salty Dog of a Pirate? The little Devil! Plan early for the Halloween costume contest on Tuesday Oct 21 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm!

Live Now!

Wow, I can't believe it's been a year since I lost the ol' boy. Cody has awful big pawprints to fill but he's doing a darn good job of it I must admit! While I was moping around this morning sorta missing Hunter I decided to check my email and I received a "sendaround" totally appropriate to my morning!

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old).
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, p etting the old dog for the la st time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.' Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.' Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

LIVE NOW! ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!


Hunter - aka "Big Fuzzy Hogwaller"
10/31/94-09/19/07

Social Hour

We're looking forward to seeing YOU at the upcoming social hours! See the sidebar schedule for times this week, or the calendar at the bottom of the page for future social hours!
I'm hosting these social hours so you can get some non-class time in and practice what your dog needs to practice. Don't bail out because you don't think your dog has good enough manners, take the time to come in so you can WORK on those manners!
Hint: Take the time you need to wait out your dog when he's all excited to get in the store. When you let them pull you into the store you're teaching them that is how you WANT them to act.
Not to mention I just love seeing you getting out with your faithful companions! Get more out of your training experience by taking advantage of these opportunities for socializing your best buddy! Bring 'em in so they can see their favorite Human Pez Dispenser! See you soon!

Get Real about Dog Legislation

Speaking as a dog training instructor, and former breeder of Alaskan Malamutes I think banning breeds is a bandaid fix. Take away pit bulls and ignorant owners will then move on to Dalmations, Boxers or German Shepherds and ruin them too. I believe it's careless owners, brokers, retailers and both backyard and greedy breeders at the root of this problem. Solution? Require breeding licenses for all breeds, even your Heinz 57. Issue breeding licenses only on dogs that pass the American Kennel Clubs "Canine Good Citizen" program, Orthopedic Foundation for Animals hip dysplasia examinations, or any other of the myriad breed-specific problems that responsible breeders will be trying to direct their current breeding program away from. Direct some funds to Animal Control so they could contact the hundreds of ads in newspapers and collect some breeding fee's from anybody selling puppies. If they knew it would cost them $250.00 to breed Fluffy so the kids could see "The Miracle Of Birth", they would just rent a video. Many people wouldn't want to "breed her once to reimburse her purchase cost" either. Requiring dog breeding licenses would go a long way toward settling the issue. Only truly responsible breeders would comply and buying from them would be a hallmark of quality they would be proud to share with prospective puppy parents.
Make careless owners more responsible by sending them for instruction in dog ownership responsibilities when they violate currently existing dog laws. The laws are there to work with. Enforce them and expand education requirements. Poor parents have to go to parenting classes, to hunt legally requires you to have gun safety courses, why not do the same for dog owners since a large dog can be so dangerous? As someone who is constantly exposed to being able to enlighten people how to understand and train their dogs, I shake my heads when people don't get it. I feel bad for those puppies doomed for the pound because of ignorant owners.
Crack down on irresponsible breeders, retailers and owners. Just lighten up on the dog. He's only what we make him.

Spokane Plans to Ban Pit Bulls

There is currently legislation in the works concerning banning pit bulls. This will only be the first breed to set a precedent, it won't be the last. Will yours be next? German Shepherds? Alaskan Malamutes? English Mastiffs? Great Pyrenese? Rottweilers and Boxers? You and I are "we the people"... you want to let this happen? I don't! I can e-mail you a pdf file of the form or you can copy/paste from the blog into your word processing program, but don't leave this up to someone else to fix. You and I printing this out, filling it in and faxing it off is how it will get done right! Thanks for caring and making your voice heard!

ATTN: Spokane City Council;
Joe Shogan
Nancy McLaughlin
Steve Corker
Richard Rush
Al French
Bob Apple
Micheal Allen
RE: Spokane City Council Meeting
Proposed “Pit Bull Ban”
I am OPPOSED to the “Pit Bull ban”, proposed by Nancy Sonduck at the September 8th, 2008 Spokane City
Council meeting. While I agree that Spokane has a significant problem with dangerous dogs I know that a breed
ban will not solve these problems.
Breed bans unfairly target owners of specific breeds, regardless of the behavior of said dogs. It is discriminatory
to classify any breed of dog as “inherently dangerous” just as it would be with any race of people. There are
responsible owners and irresponsible owners of every breed of dog which resides in Spokane City.
The fact is that if a breed ban is effectively passed the responsible “pit bull” owners will be the ones paying for it.
Those people who have previously registered their dogs will be easy to find. Meanwhile irresponsible dog
owners with unregistered dogs will be able to easily keep dogs until they are reported and confiscated.
Essentially a breed ban in Spokane would punish those dog owners who follow the rules and not affect the
people who are causing the problems.
The City of Spokane needs to enforce dog laws already on the books. The following existing laws could be
better enforced to help control dangerous dogs.
I. The county ordinance specifies that all dogs must be kept confined to your property or be on a leash when off your
property.
II. Pets must be controlled as a courtesy to others and for their protection.
III. Any animal which attacks, bites or physically threatens a person or another animal without provocation could be
considered vicious. If a dog is declared to be dangerous by Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service,
the owner of the dog will have to meet specific conditions including, but not limited to, liability insurance and a
special kennel to house the animal.
IV. Any domestic animal (dog or cat) which bites or otherwise breaks the skin of any person will need to be isolated and
quarantined for rabies observation for a period of ten days at the owner's expense. This may be done at the home of
the pet if the conditions set forth by the county health department can be met.
V. Animals may be impounded when they;
• Are running at large off of the owner's premises and not secured by a leash.
• Have injured or bitten a person or other animal, where the animal poses a continuing threat to people or animals.
• Have been subject to cruel treatment as defined by RCW 16.52.070.
The City of Spokane should protect the local responsible dog owners and their animals by focusing on
enforcing existing laws instead of implementing new and unfair laws which ultimately will punish more
responsible dog owners than irresponsible ones.
I respectfully urge the Spokane City Council to reject the proposed “Pit Bull Ban.”
Name:______________________________ Signature:____________________________
Address:__________________________________________Phone:_________________
(with zip code)
Comment:______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
FAX To (509) 625-6059
Spokane City Council | 808 W Spokane Falls Blvd Spokane, WA 99201 | 509-625-6255

Yikes! Another Pet Food Recall

Here's some alarming albeit unsurprising news:
Pet Food Recall
Mars Petcare US Issues Voluntary Recall of Everson, PA Plant Dry Pet Food Product due to Potential Salmonella Contamination
Franklin, Tennessee (September 12, 2008)—Today, Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary recall of products manufactured at its Everson, Pennsylvania facility. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella serotype Schwarzengrund. This voluntary recall only affects the United States.
If you have friends and family feeding their dogs Ol' Roy (one brand of several affected), please tell them about this recall!

Dog Food Article

Some of you might be interested in what this article has to say. There's some valid information here about how dog food is made and regulated. It also offers some of the alternative choices you have when choosing what and how to feed your dog.
Dog Food Report
Here is another site that provides general information along the same lines:
Dogaware Dog Feeding Info

Attention: Advanced, Intermediate Classes Start This Week!

If you're planning on continuing your journey now's the time to get in and sign up! Advanced Class starts on Saturday 9/13 at 12:00 Noon, and Intermediate Class starts Sunday 9/14 at 10:30. Are you ready? See you then!

4 More Smart Pups Graduate!

What a FUN class! Two Labs, a Lab/Shepherd and a Scottie! Congratulations to this group for a great job! Only Lilah the Yellow Lab and Bonnie the Scottie could keep from wiggling for their "hat" photo shoot! Are they cute, or what?

Turbo Meets "The Horse"

Anyone who's driven up and down the Newport Hwy north of the Y knows the Aslin-Finch Horse. It's one of those life-size fiberglass horses, black, posing with one hoof slightly off the ground. It's on wheels, they've wheeled it out front of their store for years.
Well, the Aslin Finch readerboard has been touting a 50% off on perennials message so I thought I'd drop in and see if there was anything I would be interested in. The plants were all pretty sad so I headed back to my car. When I got in, Turbo was zeroed in on something and he was growling! My goodness! What had his attention was "The Horse". It was behind a stack of pallets and a supporting post, but it was staring Turbo down and he did NOT like that one bit! Of course all his growling did nothing to alter this vicious horse's gaze and it must be one heckuva predator because it hadn't moved a muscle; wily, stealthy, vicious horse that it is...
So, always up for a chance to socialize Turbo, I seized the moment and clipped on his leash. "Lets Go", I said. When we came around the front of the car and he saw I was heading for the dreaded horse, Turbo, for the first time in his life, balked at moving forward with me. He started sounding off at that horse, and he didn't want to move forward much at all. I let him process this experience until he came up by me, and then I moved forward. The growling and barking hadn't let up, and now he was bouncing around back and forth as if to say "Come on you horse, come after ME, leave my MOM alone!" Then he would run over to me and do the bounce off my legs as if to say "Lets get outta here mom, this horse is dangerous!"
By now, I'm up to the horse and I'm patting it, which thoroughly incensed Turbo. His "ruff" was up, he was still growling in distrust, but he was now able to get close enough to take a sniff of those razor sharp hooves (right above the wheels). We're attracting an audience too. The warehouse guy heard the barking and came out to see what was up, he was over by the building watching and snickering at Turbo's antics. An elderly couple had pulled up too, and were laughiingly observing my little man meet his first horse.
Finally, when he'd gotten to go around and sniff every leg, when I'd walked around it with him, and let him get over himself, he started to calm down a little bit. When we left, he was still looking over his shoulders to make sure it wasn't a trap, and that the horse wasn't going to make a surprise attack on us.
Everyone always comments on what a perfect little dog Turbo is, but when he's out of his element, he can be shy of things, weird about his surroundings, and forget his manners. It's taking the opportunity to socialize whenever you can that helps your dog become a well-rounded personality. Only socializing with the neighbor dogs, or your folks dogs isn't really socializing. Going out with you in the big, wide world and experiencing all kinds of stimuli is socializing!
So here's your challenge: If you're out and about the Newport Hwy, stop by Aslin Finch and see how your dog is affected by The Horse! Feel free to leave your story in the comment box!

Get 'em While It's Hot

What am I talking about? Why, heated water bowls, of course! As much as we rue it's arrival, colder weather is coming. Last year we ran out of these babies and couldn't get restocked until January. Apparently they don't "get" cold weather in Phoenix, consequently those shining stars at corporate hq didn't account for the fact that it gets COLD in Spokane. We could have sold 3X the number of heated bowls they sent us. So, Heads Up - Heated Water Bowls have arrived. I don't want MY students to go without! If you are thinking about investing in one for your puppers wintertime waterbowl the time is NOW to stop by and pick one up!

ADVANCED class coming soon!

Ok you Intermediate Grads, there's an Advanced Class beginning on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 12:00. High Noon. Showdown at the TC corral! If you've been wanting to take that last leg of our training program and get your CGC now's your chance to sign up! Space is limited, so don't delay!

Contratulations Graduates

Maggie, Annabelle, Carter and Sophie graduated beginner class last night! A great class, hope to see you guys all in Intermediate class soon! Maggie the pomchi and Annabelle the border collie started out with some real shyness issues, but everyone agrees that they have come a long way! Sophie is a great ambassador for the bully breeds, her sweetness really helped Maggie and Annabelle come out of their shells. Carter is such a Doodle, he's been fun to have in class too, coming out of the class a much more well-mannered Doodle!
It's so hard to take good pictures with a cel phone, little Maggie wouldn't sit still so her picture came out too blurry to post, but here's individual shots of Annabelle, Sophie and Carter along with a rather active group shot.




Congratulations, everyone for all your hard work! It shows!

Intermediate Class Starting 9/14

That's a SUNDAY, at 10:30 am. There is still room, so if you have made it through Puppy or Beginner level, be brave and take the NEXT step in training your dog! We'll work on HEEL and WAIT, to name a couple of the behaviors Intermediate focuses on, and we'll keep practicing the things we learned in Puppy/Beginner. In addition, we'll show you how to keep "raising the bar" on your pup to keep making progress in your training program. Please join us!

International All Breed Show

Turbo and I had a great weekend! We went with friends Coleen & Carmine to an International Dog Show. I handled one of their Miniature Australian Shepherds and gave dog showing advice to help them get started in dog showing. It's been years since I attended any AKC shows so this was fun and interesting. The International methods of showing is a lot different. I like it! The judge has the opportunity and obligation to interact with exhibitors. They even have a critique card they fill out to give their impression of structure, behavior, and movement. This is much different than the AKC method of allowing a judge 2.5 minutes to examine and determine the quality of one dog against all others it's competing against. My opinion is that it's much better for the breed if each exhibitor is held to the standard and is given honest opinion to the quality of their dog.
It was especially fun to see a few old acquaintances there as well. We got to see Cody's breeder, and tell her all about his wonderfulness. Best of all was seeing one of my breed mentors and friend, Pat from Wenatchee! We were able to sit down over dinner and talk about old times and re-establish contact.
I also was introduced to a new (to me) breed known as the Icelandic Spitz or Icelandic Sheepdog in the person of Galdur, who stole my heart and left an impression on me as to a breed I would like to get to know better and possibly own. Sunny, funny, and what a honey, Galdur climbed into my lap like we were old best friends. What drew me to him was his similarity in looks to Turbo! You know, I always refer to Turbo as my "Giant Mountain Pom", well he could actually be a "Micro-Icie". Here's pictures to prove my point:
Galdur


Turbo

Their main difference of course, is size, although structure is similar. Galdur is about 18" tall, Turbo is about 14". Galdur's weight is about twice what Turbo's is. They have similar coats, in length, depth and texture. The Icie is a bit more rectangular and Turbo is a bit more square. The Icie has double dewclaws in the rear and Turbo has none. The similarities are there because the genes are there. A thousand years ago, the forefathers and foremothers of Poms and Icies were common stock! Some were shipped off to Iceland, others off to Pomeroy, and differences began to show as form followed function through the ages.
The show was fun to attend, and makes me want to show more. If Galdur's temperament is representative of his breed, then I want one and I want to get back into showing! It would be fun because then Coleen, Carmine and I could show together and yet not really be competition against each other!
So, all in all, Labor Day Weekend was fun for me. Thanks, Coleen and Carmine, for inviting me to be a part of your dog show adventures!