Pet Blog By Bocci @ Bocci's Beefs: Cesar's Way

Showing posts with label Cesar's Way. Show all posts

Saturday, April 02, 2016

How To Integrate A New Pet Into Your Home

Well, this is certainly a "yuge" topic with lots of different and valid opinions, isn't it?

Let's start with an article from one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, that describes the thinking process that should precede adding a new family member to your home, and then the best strategies to follow as the little rascal is settling in. We love writing about this topic because there are so many things we Parental Unit didn't do!

With hindsight, we think that emotions get in the way of clear thinking, and you know, there's really nothing wrong with that. It's just helpful to remember some of the basics, or in Parental Unit's case, learn some of the basics before bringing your new pet home. She was still grieving the loss of her beloved Wire Fox fella, Carson, when she went searching at the shelter four or five weeks later. She was beside herself without a dog, she claims! (Parental Unit also might have had just a few hormones left at that time).

Here are a few of the behaviors (hers) that Parental Unit regrets when she introduced me to my new home (most of these ideas are taken from Cesar's Way and involve setting "rules, boundaries and limitations" from day one:

1. Not taking me for a long-ish walk in the neighborhood before bringing me in the house for the first time;

2. Not walking me through each room and letting me explore while still on a leash (rather than on my own!); and

3. Not understanding that it takes a pretty long time—not usually days, but weeks or even months or longer, for a dog or cat to really feel safe and comfortable in their new home. She was shocked, shocked, I tell you, that I still tried to "run away" on several occasions during the first few months in my new residence—she ran screaming after me through the streets more than once! And she distinctly recalls that I tried to raid garbage cans during our walks—like I was still scavenging for food... Hoo boy, she had a lot to learn!

Here are some additional ideas for the first 30 days of dog adoption from Petfinder.com that should help you successfully add a new furry family member.

Let us know your best strategies for integrating a new pet into your home—including any mistakes or smart moves you might have made. We'd love to hear them!

Why Is Your Dog's Tail Wagging?

Can you see the blur of my tail wagging in this photo? Parental Unit was just trying to take my picture, but I thought we were playing!

It may not be what you think! Most of us generally believe that a doggie with a wagging tail means a happy, eager-to-play dog, but...a wagging tail doesn't always indicate happiness and can be a sign of other emotions, too. This article from Cesar's Way does a great job explaining the various tail positions and wags and what they all mean—so you can learn to better discern your dogs' state of mind.

Just a few examples: a slowly wagging tail going mostly to the right indicates a curious, approachable dog, whereas a tail that is higher than normal, wagging very fast and predominately to the left usually indicates negative emotions like anxiety, fear or aggression.

The main takeaway is that just because you see a dog's tail moving, don't automatically assume they're "happy and friendly". You have pay closer attention to the tail position and direction of the wag, then take into account the entire situation before you can make an accurate assumption about any dog's state of mind.

Let us know if you pay attention to your dog's "body language", including their tail wagging, and what you've learned about your pooch and his or her interactions with other dogs and humans. We'd love to hear about your experiences!

Winter Activities For Your Dog...And You!

Raise your paw if you'd rather hide under the covers than go outside in winter weather...

Truthfully, I love going outside in cold, snowy weather, but Parental Unit...not so much. She manages to faithfully take me for at least one walk each day, no matter the weather. Take today for example. We went for our usual length walk despite the single digit temperatures and a few inches of snow and ice on the ground.

But there are lots of ways you can exercise with your dog in the winter, both indoors and out. Check out these tips from PetMD (complete with invigorating slide show) to get some ideas for winter fun with your pooch. What we like about these top ten winter exercises is that they vary in intensity from a stroll around the block and the usual game of indoor or outdoor fetch, to interval training and "Skijor" a combination of cross-country skiing and mushing. Thanks, but we'll just stick with a walk and some fetch!

Here are six more excellent winter exercise tips for you and your canine companion from Cesar's Way. These focus a bit more on mental engagement which can be as stimulating for your pooch as that Skijor thing.

Depending on the temps and wind chill factors, and your dog's age and type of fur, he or she may need to wear a coat and/or booties. And don't forget to thoroughly wipe your dogs' paws after each walk to remove salt and other ice melting agents before they lick them.

You hoo, Parental Unit!

Let us know how you and your dog get your exercise during the winter months—we'd love to hear your tips for staying fit when it's cold outside!

"LIving With Your Pet" Tips: Finding The Right Veterinarian

Me and my vet, Dr. Mike

Since we've written just recently about the importance of regular vet checkups, we thought it was important to share these strategies for choosing the right veterinarian for you and your family, courtesy of Cesar's Way. We think they really hit the mark!

Let's put it this way: While convenience (proximity to your home and extended office hours), along with pricing are important, you should also consider several more substantive factors. For example, why not schedule a brief consultation prior to a full-blown office visit, so you can see how your pets react to the office atmosphere, the vet techs and staff and the veterinarian. Bring a short list of questions so you can get an idea of the vet's philosophies on wellness care and disease treatment.

And here's our special recommendation: Ask what the office policy is for emergencies that occur during regular office hours. It's important to know whether you'll be able to rush your pet in for a minor emergency and be treated promptly.

You might also want to get recommendations from friends, local breeders or shelters and rescues, and interview several veterinarians. While you can always change vets, you don't want to have to do so because of a spat or a lack of comfortable rapport between you. So it's best to choose carefully the first time around.

Let us know how you chose your pets' veterinarian and any tips you might add to our list. We'd love to hear your stories!

National Pit Bull Awareness Month!

You know how we're always announcing that it's "this national something month" or "that national something month"? In fact, we just wrote that October is National Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. Well, people keep creating perfectly good reasons to dub a month for their favorite cause, and we've only got 12 months!

But this gorgeous month of October is a perfect overlap of two causes dear to our hearts: the plight of both shelter animals and the maligned breed of the moment, the Pit Bull. And yes, October is Pit Bull Awareness Month! Unfortunately, these two issues, shelter dogs and Pit Bulls, overlap so nicely because shelters across the country are filled with Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes, and so many of these beautiful dogs are euthanized each year. In fact, the statistics from our local shelter show that Pit Bulls and Pit mixes have the highest euthanasia rate of any breeds taken in by the shelter.

We're guessing that to fix this problem, we'll have to figure out why so many Pitties end up in shelters, and then work to educate the public about the "facts versus fiction" surrounding this breed. And that's what National Pit Bull Awareness Day (October 26th) and National Pit Bull Awareness Month (going on right now) aims to help us do.

As you know, Cesar Millan is a longtime Pit Bull owner and aficionado, and writes eloquently about the breed, and what can be done to combat its bad rap and breed specific legislation that has followed. He also writes about one very special Pit Bull, Elle, who won this year's American Humane Association Dog Hero Awards!

We hope you enjoy reading this information about the Pit Bull and what you can do in your community to help this beautiful breed regain its good standing.

Sunday's "Living With Your Pet" Tips: Be A Good Pet "Parent"

Fabulous photo of me by John Clark of Clark Creative

On Father's Day, we thought we'd share ideas (rather than tips) from a guy who's both a human parent and a pack leader: Cesar Millan. If you receive his newsletters like we do, you'll notice that while his focus is always dogs, his message extends beyond canines to both humans and our larger world. In today's newsletter, he discusses the differences between the role fathers play in human and canine packs-and those roles are significantly different.

He also reminds us that as much as we love our dogs and have made them part of our families, we're still two very different species, and you're really not doing your beloved pooch any favors by treating them like a human child. "Let dogs be dogs," Cesar says. And we couldn't agree more.

So what are you dogs and cats doing to help your humans celebrate Father's Day (while still being true to your species, of course)? Let us know!

Sunday's "Living With Your Pet" Tips: Cesar Millan's Best Ways To Choose The Right Dog For Your Family

Fabulous photo of me by John Clark of Clark Creative

When we saw this message from Cesar Millan today, we immediately decided to scrap our chosen pet health care tips slated for today's post, and bring you these powerful ideas instead. The main idea of this advice from Cesar, as we see it, is that you'll have a lot fewer problems with your dog,, training and otherwise, if you take the time beforehand to choose the right canine for you. And if family members are involved, they must be included in the initial decision and the lifetime commitment that follows. And it's much more about you and your family and what you can handle rather than any particular dog or breed.

Oftentimes, bringing a new canine family member into your home is an emotional decision: you just lost your aging pooch and you're grieving and lonely, your child wants a dog, you just broke up with your partner and you're...grieving and lonely-the list goes on. But the best thing you can do for yourself, your human pack and your future four-legged family member is to (at least temporarily!) replace emotion with logic, and ask yourself and your pack the substantive questions posed in this article before you head to the shelter or reputable breeder.

Sunday's "Living With Your Pet" Tips: Traveling And Exercising With Your Pet In Winter

Fabulous photo of me by John Clark of Clark Creative

Today, we're bringing you two different pet care tips that have a lot in common: Both involve winter weather (hello Mid-West blizzard!) and making sure that both you and your pet stay happy and healthy, despite the wintry chill.

First up are winter travel tips from our friends at Dog Fancy, that run the gamut from protecting Fido's sensitive paws from the elements to packing a winter survival pack. And we believe that travel and exercise go together-if you're bound for a long drive to Grandma's (and then plan to eat copious amounts of her delicious food, it's a good idea to exercise at least a few of those calories away. But daily exercise isn't just about weight maintenance for either you or your furry friend-it's about using that excess energy in a positive way, clearing your mind, strengthening your resolve and helping both you and your dog feel more invigorated. So here are some tips from Cesar's Way to exercise both the canine mind and body, indoors. Sign up your dog for an indoor fly ball class, or play hide and seek, for example. One of the many things Parental Unit has learned from Cesar Millan is that dogs appreciate and need mental as well as physical exercise, and mental games that challenge your dog can be just as physically draining as a long walk. Good to know when you don't feel like trudging through mounds of snow or risking your vertebrae on icy sidewalks!

Now that you're armed with these tips for traveling and exercising with your pooch in winter weather, we hope you'll use them to have a safe and fun trip and holiday.

Sunday's "Living With Your Pet" Tips": Housebreaking A Puppymill Dog

Fabulous photo of me by John Clark of Clark Creative

We think these strategies from Cesar's Way, specifically designed for housebreaking a dog rescued from a puppy mill, are thoughtful, and with a lot of patience, seem (fairly) easy to accomplish. Sheri Lucas, who wrote these tips, is a dog trainer and rehabilitation expert and operates a humane society called "Second Chance at Love". She also has trained with Cesar Millan for many years.

And it seems that strategies like "closely supervising your dog" and taking him or her outside as soon as you see sniffing and circling behavior, rewarding your pooch after eliminating outside, and maintaining calm, assertive energy throughout the process would work for any puppy or adult dog new to your home, regardless of their past. The article also includes several links with related training tips that we think round out the basics for bringing a new dog into your home.

We hope you find this information helpful...and always remember to have patience with your pets. You know, not all dogs can read and write like I can, so they may need a little extra help to learn even basic commands, especially those with a puppy mill background. Whoever said "patience is a virtue" sure was right!

Sunday/Monday, "Living With Your Pet Tips": How to Choose Pet Health Insurance

It turns out that to wisely choose pet insurance, you have to do "due diligence", including research among the policies, reading the fine print and finding out information the old fashioned way, by asking direct questions of the insurance company representatives-just like you do when choosing among human health insurance policies.

But it sure helps to know what to look for at the start, and this detailed discussion from Cesar's Way provides what you need to know to start your search. And the good news: it doesn't seem to be nearly as expensive as human health insurance. According to this piece, "dog owners can expect to pay between $15 a month for a basic plan to about $75 for the most comprehensive coverage. [And] Most policies will reimburse 80-90 percent of a claim."

Now that doesn't sound too bad to us, considering that Parental Unit paid $12,000 total for five surgeries and one mini dialysis for my predecessor, the ornery wire fox terrier, Carson. As soon as she can afford her own health insurance or obtains a full-time job that provides it, she vows to cover me and Bella!

Sweet Carson, pre surgeries...

How about you? We'd love to know how many of our pet owning friends have either invested in pet health insurance or wish they had!

Sunday "Living With Your Pet" Tips: Your Dog's Itchy-Why And What To Do About It.

Spring, summer and fall seem to give both humans and their companion animals the "itchies", whether it's being stung by a bee or plain ole' allergies to pollen, everything burns or itches! What's worse with a canine is that those itches can turn into "hot spots" requiring medication like antibiotics and steroids to stop us from licking those itchy spots raw.

So why do we get these itchy spots and how do pet parents help us out with prevention and treatment? Think big-it's not just fleas and ticks! Find out all the answers in this article written by veterinarian Henry Cerny for Cesar's Way.

We hope you find this article as enlightening as we did!

Easy Like Sunday..."Living With Your Pet Tips": Why You Should Microchip Your Pet

You know, Parental Unit was a bit "iffy" on microchips because she was worried that they might cause skin irritation or worse, based on some of the articles she'd read. But she had no choice in the matter when she got me-I came from the local shelter and the good folks there neutered and micro chipped me before they let me go to my new home (whew-glad that's over!). But the more she's read about microchips in the last four years, she's come to believe that there's no reason to worry-and that at the very least, the benefits outweigh any risks.

We learned today from our friends at Found Animals Foundation that May is "Microchip Your Dog Month"-who knew? And then we read this article from Cesar's Way where the Dog Whisperer discusses his reasons in favor of micro chipping your dog-in fact, he advocates as do some other countries and a few U.S. communities, the mandatory micro chipping of all dogs.

Photo of Cesar Millan and Junior courtesy of Cesar's Way

Here are some of the reasons that the Dog Whisperer advocates mandatory micro chipping, besides the fact that you're more likely to find your dog if he or she is lost or even stolen:

__ It likely will discourage the abandonment of dogs-removing the dog's collar and tags wouldn't be enough to avoid tracing the dog back to the offending owners-and perhaps people might not abandon their dogs if they thought the dog and the crime of dog abandonment or endangerment could be tracked back to them.

__It also will likely discourage those who "buy dogs to use as weapons"-dogs who are trained using incredibly cruel techniques to harm other dogs or people. "If the dog was micro chipped, just like a gun with a serial number, it could be traced back to the owner."

And the bottom line is that micro chipping reduces the number of strays, shelter-overcrowding and euthanasia rates-problems that unfortunately, are still not under control.

By the way, Found Animals Foundation has a free resource to register your dog's micro chip that you can check out right here: www.foundanimals.org/pet-identification/pet-microchipping?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=dog_club_5_20_12.
And it is important that you make sure that your pet's micro chip number and your contact information are registered together. We're not sure if mine is correctly registered so we're off to check right now.

Is your pet micro chipped? Do you think it should be mandatory? Let us know!

Easy Like Sunday..."Living with Your Pet" Tips

Today's tips involve both pet and human allergies. Yes, we pets are susceptible to all kinds of allergies, too, and unfortunately, you humans can be allergic to...us! So what are fun-loving, outdoorsy people and their pets supposed to do come springtime? This article from the Huffington Post for Vetstreet.com tells all-about pet allergies that is-via an interview with a specialist in pet dermatology. It turns out that pets are allergic to the same stuff (airborne allergens if you want to get technical) as humans are, like pollen, trees, grasses, mold, insects, you name it. The article also describes what symptoms mean your pets' allergies are out of control and a visit to the vet is in order: we smell really bad, hair loss, and behavioral changes are the big three symptoms to watch for.

And here are some tips for you humans dealing with allergies to pets, from the Good Morning America veterinarian, Dr. Marty Becker, and posted on Vetstreet.com. The one that I don't like is, "Make the bedroom a pet-free zone". Are you kidding? Where would I sleep?

And last, but certainly not least in importance, a little entertainment provided courtesy of Cesar Millan's website. We hope you enjoy these quotes from famous humans about dogs-every one is a gem!

Photo of pooch about to do some serious writing courtesy of Cesar's Way

P.S. Tell us where your pets sleep-we'd love to know!

More "Living With Your Pet" Tips And A Very Special Video

We're a tad late in getting these "Easy Like Sunday Morning" pet tips to you today-it''s more like, "Easy Like Late Sunday Afternoon"! But pull up a chair and enjoy reading this important overview of spot-on flea and tick control from one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker. Although Dr. Becker has some serious concerns about these medications, she realizes that they may be necessary in some situations and provides practical tips to minimize your pet's exposure to them.

Speaking for Parental Unit and me (don't I always?), these monthly flea and tick control medications have been real lifesavers for us here in the hot, humid Midwest. Parental Unit remembers the "old days" when pets and their frustrated owners only had those smelly flea collars, which she swears to this day, attracted, not repelled the fleas. And she also not-so-fondly recalls having to "bomb" her apartment after one particularly nasty flea infestation. But the fact remains that you pet parents are applying insecticides directly to our skin, so not only should precautions be taken, but the applications themselves should be minimized to the best of our combined abilities. And Dr. Becker's tips provide invaluable ways to do just that.

And in today's edition of Cesar Millan's newsletter, he's written a beautiful story about the effects of bullying on today's youth, told through the eyes of a very special 14 year old boy, and Cesar himself.

Photo of Cesar Millan and Junior courtesy of Cesar's Way

It's hard to believe that the calm, assertive Dog Whisperer himself was ever bullied, but indeed he was, as he recounts in this very personal story. But he's helping others stand strong against bullying with the It Gets Better Project and video-and we think this is great! Enjoy the video below:

http://www.cesarsway.com/newsandevents/cesarsblog/Cesar-Millan-It-Gets-Better

The Dog Whisperer's Live Tour: Coming To Our Town!

We're excited to let you in on a secret we've been keeping for a few weeks-Parental Unit will have the pleasure of seeing Cesar Millan's live tour this coming Saturday, Febuary 4! As most of you know, Parental Unit has written for Cesar's Way website about the BlogPaws conferences she's attended, and has been a major fan since she read an article in the NewYorker about him, way back in 2006.

So in exchange for two tickets (for her and a friend, not me), she'll be doing some blogging, facebooking and tweeting before, during, and after the program. She's especially looking forward to meeting Cesar after Saturday's show-here's hoping she doesn't faint dead away! With any luck, she'll bring you some great behind-the-scenes photos, and a quote or two from the pack leader himself, that she'll include in a blog post the following day.

From what Parental Unit has read about Millan's live tour, he and his faithful companion, Junior, help the audience understand the difference between a dog trainer (something Millan has never claimed to be) and a pack leader. Remember his tag line: "he rehabilitates dogs and trains people." According to a reporter who saw his show in Providence, Rhode Island, recently, "The audience roared with laughter for most of the night. Who knew the guy, as misunderstood as the hundreds of Pit Bulls and other powerful-breed dogs whose lives he has saved, had such a gift for comedy?" But the comedic anecdotes, "were infused [with] highly-educational lessons on how a human can become a responsible dog lover."

Enjoy this clip from his live show in Westbury, New York, courtesy of Cesar's Way.

If you're interested in attending a show near you, check out his tour schedule here: www.cesarsway.com/news/appearances/Fall-Winter-US-Speaking-Tour-Announced#

Note: Parental Unit asked her contacts at Cesar's Way if she could write about the tour and the Columbus, Ohio, show on her blog, in exchange for the tickets. Everything she already has written about Mr. Millan and what she writes about his live tour are strictly her own ideas and opinions-she will not be compensated in any way, other than the tickets, for writing the blog posts or Facebook and Twitter updates.

We hope you enjoy this "inside scoop" of Cesar Millan's live tour-there's lots more to come!

Man Rescues Dog, Dog Rescue Man: A Beautiful Friendhip Is Born

We couldn't pass up sharing this amazing rescue story with its serendipitous turn of events, after reading it on Cesar's Way. Don Callahan, a retired police officer who just happens to have diabetes and heart problems, adopts an adorable mixed breed named Wyatt (who looks remarkably like me!).

Photo of Wyatt Courtesy of Cesar's Way

Photo of Me courtesy of Parental Unit

One frigid evening five years later, Callahan and Wyatt were taking their usual evening walk when Callahan's glucose monitor stopped working and he passed out face down into the snow. Smart Wyatt to the rescue! He ran to the corner and sat under the street light, barking furiously, until two neighbors came out, thinking he (Wyatt) had been injured. He promptly led them to Callahan-just in the nick of time. And wait, there's more: after Callahan fully recovered, a later EKG showed that his heart condition has improved dramatically over the years from all of his walking with Wyatt.

Lessons to be learned from this story of two best buddies? Adopt a dog (or two or three) and then walk the pooch(es) like crazy-you'll both benefit!

P.S. Stay tuned tomorrow for a review and giveaway of the latest and greatest grooming tool from FURminator products. We call this our "miracle tool"!

Boo, Schmoo: Halloween Safety Tips For Your Pet

We all want to have a little bit of extra fun with our pets on Halloween-that's what the holiday is all about, right? Well, yes, but...we should be extra careful during the days before, during and after Halloween, because our four legged friends aren't aware of some of the special hazards to them like we are, or like we should be if we're responsible pet owners.

So before you start your Halloween festivities, please take a few minutes to read this round-up of safety tips from reliable pet resources and incorporate them into your daily routine, as necessary.

From Martha Stewart's top veterinary consultant, Dr. Pia Salk (yes, her uncle, Dr. Jonas Salk, developed the polio vaccine), the ASPCA, Dog Fancy Magazine and last but certainly not least, Cesar Millan, this advice discusses the full range of possible safety issues, including cats as escape artists, the dangers of candy and even whether we should "dress up" our pets at all.

Photo courtesy of Cesar's Way

Dr. Salk's tips are extremely practical- "I" is for Indoors and Identification! - and include her popular tips from last year as well as a new update:
dailywag.marthastewart.com/2011/10/halloween-hazards-part-1-2.html and dailywag.marthastewart.com/2011/10/halloween-hazards-part-2-2.html

The ASPCA's Top Ten Halloween Safety Tips, www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/halloween-safety-tips.aspx, put a new spin on what "trick or treat" really means, for both you and your pet: Can you say, electrical wires and real candles in pumpkins?

Dog Fancy adds a bit more detail about the "whys" and the "why nots" of candy, pumpkins and costumes, oh my! www.dogchannel.com/dog-news/2011/10/18/haunting-halloween-hazards-for-your-dog.aspx?cm_mmc=5033597

And our favorite and (the one and only) Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, share his thoughts, along with other dog behavior experts, about dressing up your pooch for Halloween. Hint: Know your dog! Some actually like it, but some don't, and for good reason. www.cesarsway.com/newsandevents/dognews/Should-We-Dress-Up-Our-Dogs-on-Halloween?utm_source=mobilestorm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=halloween

We hope you enjoy reading this information and have a fun and safe Halloween!

P.S. Look forward to pictures aplenty from our foray into a big spooky party, when we enter our neighborhood's Halloween Pet Parade this Sunday...

Understanding Your Dog's Separation Anxiety: And How to Help

Since I suffer from just a touch of separation anxiety (On some days, I wail for an undetermined amount of time after Parental Unit leaves), she has been looking into ways to ease both my anxiety, and her resulting anxiety from hearing me wail when she departs without me. Symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs can be a lot more severe that just some short-term wailing though. Can you say: spinning in circles, pacing, digging, urinating and defecating in the house (when otherwise housebroken), destroying furniture and other sundry items within reach, including compulsive chewing on our own paws-yikes!

You're not leaving, are you?

We rounded up some excellent information to share with you from a variety of sources: The ASPCA, Cesar's Way and Dog Fancy, about the possible reasons for separation anxiety and tips for easing it. And after reading through this information, it seems that there's agreement on several key points:

1. Pay a visit to your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes for unusual symptoms. For example, urinating in the house can signal a urinary tract infection.

2.. Exercise your dog before you leave (how about that long daily walk all dogs crave?) We think it's true that a "pleasantly tired" dog (resulting, say, from a good romp in the park) is both a good and happy dog.

3. Don't make a big fuss when you leave or when you return home. Wait till your pooch is in a totally calm state before lavishing affection.

4. Provide a special chew toy right before leaving to keep Rover busy for at least a little while, and to help him or her associate your temporary departure with something pleasant.

5. Slowly desensitize your dog to departures by leaving for only short periods of time, say five or ten minutes, then gradually extend that time until you've reached your full work day (This one seems pretty difficult to do if you're already working...anyone have any ideas?)

So check out these sources and tell us what you think: Does your pooch have symptoms of separation anxiety, and if so, how have you dealt with it. Have you been successful? Will you try any of these tips?
www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/overcoming-separation-anxiety.aspx
www.cesarsway.com/tips/problembehaviors/5-tips-for-separation-anxiety
www.cesarsway.com/news/dognews/Study-Claims-Separation-Anxiety-in-Dogs-Causes-Pessimism
www.dogchannel.com/dog-health/dog-separation-anxiety.aspx
www.dogchannel.com/dog-training/treating-dog-separation-anxiety.aspx

The State Of Shelters Across The U.S.

As Parental Unit and I were perusing our Sunday edition of Cesar's Way, we noticed a detailed and enlightening article by Cesar Millan that discusses the state of animal shelters across the United States. It certainly helped us put in perspective the relationship between the number of total dogs, the number of dogs in shelters, and the relationship of spaying/neutering to our country's problem of overcrowded shelters. When the statistics are presented together, it's a devasting picture for both our companion animals and the people who love them. But there's lots we can do to reverse this situation, and this article also gives us practical ways to help.

Here's the beginning of what Cesar has dubbed his "State of the Shelter Address":

This week, President Obama delivered his State of the Union address. We felt it was an appropriate time to take stock of what’s going on in our animal shelters around the country and give you a fair and honest picture of what’s working, what’s not, and how you can help. After all, it’s not about asking what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

It has been my mission through the Millan Foundation to create and deliver community education programs and promote animal welfare by supporting the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of abused and abandoned dogs. Every year approximately 5 to 7 million animals enter our shelters, and 3 to 5 million are euthanized. This means about 60 percent of the dogs in our shelters will be killed. While those numbers vary from state to state, this is the broad scope of the State of our Shelters, which we are sad to report, is mediocre at best.

Read the full article here: www.cesarsway.com/news/dognews/State-of-the-Shelter-Address?utm_source=mobilestorm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Jan11NL_5

As you all know, I spent some time in a shelter myself, but was lucky enough to be adopted after only a few days. Here I am making myself comfortable on Parental Unit's new rug within a few hours of arriving in my forever home.