Vacation To Alaska

I just thought I’d let everyone know that I’ll be in Alaska for the next 8 days.  Unfortunately, I won’t be bringing any of my dogs with me.  Lucky for me I was able to find three different families to watch my dogs.

I’ll do my best to try and get posts to the blog next week, but unless our cabin has internet it’s highly unlikely.  I’ll try to bring back some salmon and halibut.

Everyone have a great week!

Deadly Toy Could Kill Your Dog

While browsing my RSS feed I came across this incredibly sad story of a dog who had part of his tongue amputed because of a poorly designed toy. It’s the kind of toy I could picture myself brining home from the store. After reading the sad post I wanted to add a short post here so everyone could see this toy. If you own the pimple ball with bell toy please take it away from your dog and if you see it at the store please ask the manager to remove it from their shelves.

Pimple Ball With Bell

The toy is the pimple ball with bell produced by Four Paws Inc. Here are a couple of images of the toy:

The image of the red ball is the ball after it was cut off the dogs tongue. The image of the blue ball is the ball in it’s original packaging.

Check out the full Chai Story on blogger.

A Deadly Toy

If you continue reading through the Chai Story website Chai’s owner has posted information from another owner who’s dog died from this toy. Here’s the link to the story: Toy Kills Dog. I’m not sure if it’s true, but I have heard that if a dog loses a certain percentage of their tongue then they have to be euthanized. I’ve read similar articles of tongues being lost in shredder accidents. Here’s a short clip of information on how important a dogs tongue is:

The dog’s tongue is one of the most important parts of its body. Besides lapping up food and water, or kissing its owner, the tongue serves as an essential heat regulator. When dogs exercise, their tongues becomes larger and due to increased blood flow usually hang out of the mouth. Thus, when a dog pants, it’s actually cooling the dog’s entire body. The dog’s quick shallow breaths cause moisture on the tongue to evaporate thus cooling the tongue that in turn cools the blood flow through the tongue and the respiratory system. Providing your dog with cool air on hot or humid days is very important for temperature regulation. This is why it is so dangerous to leave a dog in an unventilated heated car. The warm air keeps the tongue from doing its job.

Sad Stories

Sorry for the sad stories at the beginning of labor day weekend. I just wanted to get this information out to try and prevent any other accidents with this ball. Oh and by the way, keep in mind that your paper shredder can be a danger to your dog as well.

Have a great labor day!

Things Adult Drivers Prohibit In Their Vehicle - Pets #3!

While browsing the news the other day I came across this USA Today Snapshot survey of things adult drivers prohibit in their vehicles. I’m sure off the top of your head you can think of most of the responses in the survey and it doesn’t surprise me that Pets are #3 on this list.

I recall not long ago (actually when I was in high school) I was not a big fan of dogs as a regular passenger in the car. The main reason had to do with the fact that I had one friend who’s parent’s two Golden Retrievers went everywhere in their station wagon. Even in high school I loved dogs, but the problem had to do with the fact that the owners never cleaned their car. I guess you could say that the seat covers were Golden Shag…there was that much fur on the seats, floorboards…you get the picture.

Fast forward to today…while I keep my car fairly clean and try to keep the fur to a minimum I’m quite sure that their are still plenty of people (just a guess, but approximately 32%) that are put off by doggie odors and fur in my vehicle.

Pets Are #3 - Things Adult Drivers Say They Prohibit In Their Vehicle

Overall the stats look pretty normal to me. Smokers outnumber their nearest competitor by almost double. Here’s the list in text format just in case you can’t view the image

1. Smoking - 65%’
2. Wet Clothes - 35%
3. Pets - 32%
4. Dirty Shoes - 25%
5. Eating/drinking - 21%
6. None of these - 19%

Most vehicles are not made to accommodate Pets, Wet clothes, Dirty shoes, etc. I don’t picture a brand new Mercedes Benz S-Class doing well with a wet dog, muddy shoes, or eating and drinking McDonalds in the back seat.

That is the very reason I’m looking for a great dog car that will accommodate my growing family of three dogs (two Labrador Retrievers and an Australian Shepherd mix). Odor and stain resistant seats and floor boards, roomy, and fuel economy are the main things I’d like to see in my dog car.

Let me know what you think. Do you see anything on this list that is out of the ordinary? or should we add something to this list? Are you drivingThe Perfect Dog Car?

Children’s Book About Piglet With Dachshund Mother

It’s been a few months since the story broke about Pink the Piglet and Tink his Dachshund mother. Earlier today we heard from Pink and Tink’s caretaker and that she has written a children’s book called The Pink Puppy. The book chronicles the true story about a miniature dachshund fostering a little piglet.

Pink And Tink The Children’s Book

Here’s a picture of Tink and Pink from our first article Dachshund Acts As Mom To Baby Piglet.

Pink The Piglet And Tink The Dachshund Mother

Here’s the information I received earlier today.

I just wanted to let you know that I have written a children’s book about Pink and Tink. The name of the book is called The Pink Puppy. It is the true story about how our Miniature Dachshund, Tink, fostered our little piglet, Pink. I hope your readers will enjoy the book. The book can be purchased by going to www.wastelandpress.net, or by emailing me at tinkandpink [at] msn [dot] com. It will also be available in a few weeks on all of the major book distributors.

I love the artwork. It looks just like some of the photos we received from Johanna. If you want to look back at some of the posts about Pink and Tink go to this link:

Pink The Piglet And Tink The Dachshund Mother

If you want to purchase The Pink Puppy as mentioned above you can either send an email to tinkandpink [at] msn [dot] com or go to the following link: The Pink Puppy. Thanks Johanna for the update. Best of luck with the your new children’s book.

Have You Ever Fostered Dogs Or Puppies? - Puggle And Terrier Mix

I was visiting the Cuddly Canines website today and found out that there are two pregnant dogs slated to be euthanized unless they can find a foster family to care for the dogs and (future) puppies.

It’s so sad to see neglectful people let their dogs get pregnant and then just drop them off at the shelter because they don’t want to take care of the litter of puppies.

Here are pictures of the dogs and the short blurb from the Cuddly Canines website.  The dog on the left is a Puggle and the dog on the right is a Terrier Mix.

Puggle And Terrier Mix

URGENT FOSTER HOMES NEEDED

Both of these dogs are slated to die! The shelter is very overcrowded right now & has no place to put either of these dogs. Right now, they are in the general population in cages with several other dogs. Both girls are very pregnant & will be euthanized if we cannot find foster homes for them ASAP. Please e-mail if you can foster & help save either of these precious dogs & their unborn babies. These girls shouldn’t have to pay the price for having neglectful & careless owners.

If you are interested in adopting or know anyone who might be interested then please go to the Cuddly Canines website and contact them immediately by email.  Their email address is CuddlyCaninesRescue [at] yahoo [dot] com.

As I’ve mentioned several times in this blog, fostering is a very rewarding thing to do.  You have the opportunity to save the lives of the mother and the unborn puppies.  It’s definitely a lot of work, but to me it’s well worth it.

Dog And Human Or Cat And Human?

It must be video week for us here at Puppy In Training. I came across another great video I want to share with you guys. It’s actually very old footage from the late 60’s early 70’s, but I guess it’s been circulating around Youtube for a while now, so many of you may have already seen it.

The video brought up a question in my mind: Is the bond between a cat and a human stronger than the bond between a dog and a human?

In my eyes I always thought that dogs and humans formed a stronger bond, but after watching this video you’ll see that cats can form very strong relationships with humans as well.

Here’s the video:

Chrisitian The Lion

My favorite part is when they are in Africa and Christian is coming down the hill. At first he seems very hesitant, but then realizes that it’s his old caretakers/owners…I think I have some dust in one of my eyes…

Strong Bonds With Both Cats And Dogs

I don’t think all cats are as affectionate nor form a bond like Christian the lion did. However, the same can be said for dogs and not all dogs will form a strong bond with their human owners. I just thought this video was a shining example of the kind of relationship a cat (in this case a lion) can have with its human caretakers/owners/parents.

Now, I understand why my mom is so crazy with her cats!

What do you think? Does a dog form a stronger bond with it’s human owners or does a cat?

Duckling Thinks Puppy Is His Mother

Here we are again looking at pictures and videos of dogs and puppies hanging out with other animals. Today’s subjects: “DUCKLING AND PUPPY”

While stumbling through websites I came across this adorable video of a duckling following a puppy around the streets of China. I’m pretty sure the duckling thinks the little puppy is his mother.

It made me think maybe I should get a duck to be pals with my puppy in training, Derby. I’d love to see a little duckling following Derby around the house…the only problem…I’m sure I’d have some duck poop issues.

Duckling Follows Puppy Around China

Adorable! The puppy sometimes looks a little annoyed and tries to run away, but the duckling is persistent. In the end the duckling cuddling up against the sleeping puppy is just too cute.

Is That Sally The German Shepherd Mix Puppy?

The puppy looks pretty young probably 8 weeks or less and I’m guessing some kind of shepherd mix. The only reason why I’m saying that is because he looks an awful lot like one of the puppies from a german shepherd mix litter we fostered.

The picture above is Sally, a puppy from a litter of 7 we helped foster for the Cuddly Canines rescue a couple years ago. Sally looks a little more fluffy then the puppy in the video, but other than that…very similar.

I hope you enjoy today’s video.

3 Tips On How To Train Your Dog Like A Guide Dog

Aren’t you amazed when you see a Guide Dog in public! They have to be some of the most well-behaved dogs I’ve ever seen. A guide dog has to ignore all the distractions going on around him and concentrate on his job of leading his handler safely to his destination. Have you ever asked yourself: How does a Guide Dog become so well behaved? I have, and that’s one of the many reasons I decided to volunteer as a Guide Dog puppy raiser.

I’m always looking for tips and pointers on how to better train my dogs and puppies. Recently while browsing Google Reader I came across an article that could have been written specifically for the Puppy In Training blog. Here’s the full article: To train your dog, take a lesson from guide dogs.

It’s a great article and has 3 main tips on how to train your dog like a guide dog. That’s basically what we’re doing here at Puppy In Training. That is giving you points on how a guide dog puppy raiser raises his puppy.

Here are the 3 main tips I got out of the article:

1. Socialization

Socialization starts with volunteer puppy raisers who make sure that puppies become accustomed to a wide range of situations in and out of the home. Constant contact with people teaches puppies “that their life revolves around a human,” which is critical to a successful dog-handler team.

As a puppy raiser this is one of the most important parts of our job. I usually mention that as puppy raisers we give our puppies socialization and basic obedience before our puppies begin formal training. For me, socialization is one of my favorite parts. We get to take our puppies in to restaurants, movie theaters, malls, grocery stores, the public beach (GDA puppies aren’t allowed on the dog beach), basically anywhere the public goes our dogs go to. Of course this helps the puppies get accustomed to many different situations they might encounter as a working guide dog.

It’s important to note that if you have a small puppy then certain situations may not be age appropriate. Very young puppies are much more sensitive and may get extremely scared when introduced into a potentially scary (for the puppy) situation. An example for a guide dog puppy raiser would be bringing your puppy to Disneyland. This can be a very stressful trip for your puppy as there are many people and lots of noises and smells that could be scary for a puppy.

Not everyone has the luxury of raising a guide dog puppy. You can still socialize and expose your puppies to many different situations. When I started Linus (he was an adopted shelter puppy) on his puppy training we were told to make sure we socialize him with different people — adults, children, elderly, different ethnicities. We were also told to bring him into different situations — outside the grocery store, at the park, parking lots, walks around the neighborhood, different homes, outdoor malls etc.

When I was raising Linus we were told to try taking him to the front of a grocery store and ask people walking in and out to give him treat. The idea was to make his outings a positive experience. And that will bring us to our next tip…

2. Positive Reinforcement

For training specific behaviors, food rewards are now standard. It’s the clearest way to communicate to a dog that he’s done the right thing.

We train our GDA puppies through positive reinforcement. However, food rewards are not an option for a Guide Dogs of America puppy in training. GDA puppies get extreme amounts of praise for their reward.

Why don’t we use food rewards for praise? It can be a distraction for a working Guide Dog. As I mentioned earlier a Guide Dog will be with their handler in almost every situation and cannot be distracted. If a Guide Dog is in a restaurant the dog must not be distracted by the food in the restaurant. Using food as a reward can make it much more difficult for a guide dog to ignore the food in situations such as restaurants.

3. Training = Lifelong Learning

…it’s crucial to remember that training a dog isn’t like programming a machine; you don’t just do it once and it’s done.

I’ve always had the mindset of lifelong learning for my dogs and myself. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have enough hours in my day, but when I take my dogs on a walk I always work on a few training exercises. Stetson and Derby still waits for his bowl of food until I say “OK”. Linus, Stetson, and Derby all have to follow a command before receiving any kind of treat. The list goes on and on for their lifelong learning.

My routine with Stetson (first GDA puppy) and now Derby (GDA puppy #2) is to work on training 3 times a day during my work day. It’s great because it gives me a break to walk around and get some fresh air.

These dogs have to make decisions on their own, which can easily escalate into thinking they don’t have to listen. So it’s strongly recommended that handlers do a few minutes every day of basic obedience commands with their dog, to remind them who’s in charge - a good idea for all of us whose dogs don’t always listen.

As I mentioned earlier this is a wonderful article bringing up three important points when raising your dog or puppy. Check out the entire article…it also talks about “Intelligent Disobedience” which is a very important behavior a Guide Dog must learn. Here’s the full article: To train your dog, take a lesson from guide dogs.

How Much Should I Feed My Puppy

I’ve heard this question before: “How Much Should I Feed My Puppy?“, but now it’s my turn. It’s easy to follow the chart on the side of your dog food bag or follow the directions given to you by the Guide Dogs of America Puppy Department. However, what happens when you follow the puppy feeding schedule and your dog appears too be too skinny or too fat.

OCGDA Meeting - GDA Kennel Manager

Yesterday we were lucky enough to get a visit from the Kennel Manager at Guide Dogs of America. She was kind enough to answer many of our questions regarding the kennels and other miscellaneous guide dog questions. One thing that she talked about was the importance of letting the kennel know exactly how much and when your puppy is eating. She also talked a little about overweight puppies and how their feeding schedules might need to be changed.

Of course an overweight puppy may be the result of overfeeding, giving too many treats, or lack of exercise.

I was busy with Derby and had one eye and one ear on him and nearly forgot to ask our group about his feeding schedule. Derby is on the skinny side and I wanted to find out if I should be feeding him more food.

Guidance From OCGDA

As I’ve always said one of the great things about being a part of the Guide Dog group is you have a resource of people who have many experiences with dogs. I always feel confident in asking any question I have to any member of the group.

I received several opinions on increasing Derby’s food intake. Everyone did agree that he looks a little thin. I’m also lucky enough that I can make a comparison to his two siblings, Dutch and Dexter. Compared to Dutch and Dexter Derby is definitely a skinny dude.

Derby’s New Feeding Schedule

Derby sitting in his crate. Does he look a little thin to you? He’s definitely long. That’s Stetson’s crate he’s sitting in. He’s already the length of the crate!

Derby’s current feeding schedule is 3/4 of a cup 3 times a day. As of this morning I decided to increase his food to 1 cup in the morning, 3/4 cup in the afternoon, and 3/4 of a cup in the evening. I was thinking about increasing a little more, but Derby always seems to get a mouthful of Linus’s food a couple times a day which probably contributes an extra 1/4 cup.

We’ll see how it goes for the next week or two. If Derby is still looking on the thin side then maybe we’ll try increasing his evening meal to 1 full cup.

If  you’re interested in puppy feeding schedules check out this article: Puppy Feeding Schedules.

How To Find Guide Dog Information With Twitter

Do you use Twitter? If you do feel free to be my friend and follow my Twitter activities at http://www.twitter.com/ckmorita. I use Twitter in conjunction with Google Reader to track what people are saying about Guide Dogs. It’s a great way to find little snippets and articles about any topic you choose.

Of course you don’t have to use it just for gathering information Twitter is also about you. I’ve heard people call Twitter micro blogging and that’s basically what it is…you have a limited amount of space for each “tweet”…a mere 140 characters. So, in 140 characters just simply describe what your doing at the time. For instance…I’m heading over there right now to say: I’m writing a short article about Twitter and Guide Dogs to my blog. If you go over to my twitter account. You’ll see a tweet around 5pm Friday(8/8/08) with the above line of text.

To show you the value of some of the information that comes through Twitter here are a few”Tweets” that came to my feed recently:

“my guide dog is sleeping, I have to wake her up so she can take me to the classroom where I teach. I wanna sleep on the job! Pouting now.” — I wish my job was to sleep also…

“Warning on guide dog charity scam http://tinyurl.com/5mcpqc” — check out this article it’s very important information if you live in Kent England

This one was a two way conversation which can sometimes be difficult to follow.

“While crossing the street just now I was grabbed & yelled @ by a total stranger about how thin my dog is.”

“@ceotty Manypets are fat, so people aren’t used to seeing a lean dog. I’ve heard of other guide dog handlers who have been scolded too!”

– I’m actually considering doing some research into Guide Dog obesity after seeing this tweet.

I’m just starting to get the hang of Twitter and it’s importance as a marketing tool. There’s definitely a lot of noise when you follow others, but I can now see it’s importance as both a marketing tool and a way to get new information. Many of the short “tweets” inspire my writings in this blog.

We talked a little bit about it, but what exactly is Twitter?

What Is Twitter?

What?

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Why?

Why? Because even basic updates are meaningful to family members, friends, or colleagues—especially when they’re timely.

• Eating soup? Research shows that moms want to know.
• Running late to a meeting? Your co–workers might find that useful.
• Partying? Your friends may want to join you.

How?

With Twitter, you can stay hyper–connected to your friends and always know what they’re doing. Or, you can stop following them any time. You can even set quiet times on Twitter so you’re not interrupted.

Twitter puts you in control and becomes a modern antidote to information overload.

All you have to do is:

1. Sign up for an account
2. Login
3. Type what you’re doing into the text box like you see below. That’s it!

Is Twitter Silly?

It sometimes seems like a silly little app, but once you get the hang of Twitter as I said above it can be both a valuable marketing tool and a great source of information. In fact, I think I’ll expand upon at least one of the tweets I listed above and use it in an upcoming blog article..

What do you think? Do you use Twitter as a communication / marketing / information gathering tool?

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