What does your dog’s holiday look like?
12:29 pm | 5 Comments » |
I have been rather upset for the last few weeks after reading an article in the Bulletin about a poor dog who died whilst staying at a boarding kennel in the South Shore. So much so, I had to wait until I was calm enough to write this!
My heart goes out to the family first of all, a loss is a loss and is never easy. But, for this to happen under a professionals care is unacceptable and disgusting to me as a genuine professional in the dog industry.
I am calling out to ALL dog owners who care about their companions!
Asking price is the last thing to ask when looking for your dog’s hotel for his vacation while you are away. Yes, why can’t it be a vacation for the dog rather than distressed owners often crying as they drive away knowing their beloved pet will be cooped up in a kennel for a week or two? Go and visit the facility first, meet the owners, look at where your dog will sleep, play etc. How clean is it? Go with your gut – if you don’t get a good feeling or the right answers, look somewhere else. Do they use bleach? (VERY TOXIC to dogs and will burn pads – Selectrocide is my choice, 9 x more effective than bleach and will kill MRSA and Parvo yet it’s non-toxic AND biodegradable!). So don’t accept the excuse that bleach is the most effective – WRONG – it’s the cheapest! AS we “sit” in our own home, we have a 3 page boarding contract and request a “meet & greet” before accepting your pet – for their sake and ours. This is closer to what should be expected/done! At any facility you should always be asked to show proof of your dogs vaccinations.
With caring, experienced and sometimes qualified professionals, your dog will have a blast! I’ve heard a few recommendations from a few kennels where, when the owner went to pick their dog up, they didn’t want to leave – now that’s awesome – job well done by those kennels!
Again though, people need to know more and ask more… AND CARE MORE?
WE HAVE TO SET AND DEMAND THE STANDARDS – THE DOGS CAN’T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES!
How many deaths are going to have to happen before we all stand up and be counted?
I should mention the dog in question apparently strangled itself on a CHAIN tie out. What about having an easy release collar on instead? What about supervision on any type of tie out?
As a Pet Care Professional, I am a member of the Pet Care Trust now too! I joined this year as I wanted something more to show that I am a professional and to stand out from the rest. This is a U.K. organization…
Why did I join that?
Because good standards and charters for pet care professionals DO NOT EXIST HERE!
WHY?
Ignorance? Maybe people can’t be bothered, don’t care enough or simply not interested as there’s “nothing in it for me” as I hear way too often over here.
Ok then, I’ll put it out there – Wanna start one?
I’m game! One of my catchphrases is “we’re dog driven, not dollar driven”. What’s in it for me attitude doesn’t sit too well on my shelf! Like the Pet Care Trust, a non-profit organization, I think, would be a way to go. If nothing else we could establish standards and members would proudly join and be happy to advertise, therefore putting the public at ease. Pet owners could join too and be kept up to date with new businesses, vote for staff, awards, nominate businesses etc – it could be fun while being effective and worthwhile!
With a “trust body”, complaints can be redirected instead of having to deal with the member of the facility themselves. This should cover EVERYONE, kennels, daycares, groomers, breeders, pet stores etc – pretty much everyone else other than vets – they’re already governed and licensed.
As the “managers” per say, they could do visits to ensure that it just isn’t a “pay your fee and display the sticker” kind of deal, but rather one where the membership is revoked if anything untoward was discovered. Complaints would be directed this way too.
All in all a non-profit organisation that supports the community and can give back to the animals.
Come on Nova Scotia – lets have a reputation for setting standards for our pets’ service providers – lets set the stage to be Canada wide and have a people run organization before the good ole government tries to stick their oar in for another money making scheme – especially here in Nova Scotia where we pay too much already and get very little in return!
When was the last time animal laws were revised and brought up to date to protect our pets… need I say more… probably not.
Anyone interested – let’s see who cares! Comments please, lets get it going!
Pawsitively yours,
Wendie
5 Comments »
February 16, 2010
Call ourselves animal lovers… indeed…
5:04 pm | 3 Comments » |This one’s short and (not) sweet!
I’m not the only one ranting on this there’s a whole organisation…PETA
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Feb 23rd is “Spay Day”
Please please encourage everyone to do this, then we may be able to consider ourselves animal lovers… why?
Because if we don’t… if we turn a blind eye to our neighbours indiscriminate breeding of their pets… we’ve just helped a few more animals get euthanised as they can’t get homes..
Short, not too sweet, but very very real.
Visit www.peta.org NOW!
Thanks.
3 Comments »
February 2, 2010
Get a grip… on your dog!
5:37 pm | 6 Comments » |I’ve been trying to get around to doing a new blog since Xmas but with being restricted to dial up at home, as we live in the dark ages out here I’ve had to wait until I came into Bridgewater where there is some civilisation!
I’m still seething at something very disturbing and worrying I saw in town here recently. Although it’s not the first time I’ve witnessed it and probably won’t be the last as us humans consistently think we know better….
A “female” (lets call her that) was walking up Aberdeen Road looking around and watching everyone in their vehicles to see if they were watching her – or more’s the truth – wathing the little ball of fluff running along behing her!
The little pup couldn’t have been much older than 4 months old – a little black shih-tzu or mix of some sort (adorable!), but there was one VERY IMPORTANT thing MISSING – a leash!
C’mon people – who are you trying to impress here? You’re just showing up the dog lovers of the world and making them shake their heads in shame. Although you obviously think you know better, you’ll probably never read this! I was very tempted to stop and give you a piece of my mind but I probably would have seized the dog and got charged!! My humblest apologies to the dog that I did not do this!
Ok, your wondering – what’s the big deal… really?
Puppy + naive owner + lots of traffic + approaching other dogs (there were 2 larger dogs on leash heading in your direction but turned at the lights) – which may not be friendly = Disaster waiting to happen.
You are not looking cool!
I have witnessed incidents where a perfectly friendly dog has been walking off leash with it’s owner, perfectly happy, relaxed and calm. A great owner knows the difference and knows what their dog will do in all circumstances = good and consistent training. No problem…
The problem occurs when Mr or Mrs Cocky and their unsocialised dog come waltzing down the street from the other direction. Their dog sees the other and charges. The result at best is a vet bill, at worst can result in death. I’m NOT exagerating people – it happens ( and a lot more at off leash parks than people care to admit – we just don’t hear about it as it doesn’t involve a child). The calm dog will give all the proper signals and body language and avoid conflict but the unsocialised dog will not understand and if he decides to charge and carry it through, you can guarantee he will try and go to the death in the worst case scenario. Maybe a bit extreme but how many of you have seen defiance when calling your dog and he’s WAY more interested in chasing a scent/leaf/other dog/ball etc? It happens.
In this instance there was another lady coming from the other way with two older black labx’s on leash. So many scenarios were running through my head but she turned and carried on another way. Now – in all fairness they may have met, passed and all was well with the world. Here’s another innnocent scenario. Lady carries on with her two dogs – they meet the “female” with the puppy – puppy goes to greet the others….. and again I’m off with so many things that could have happened. The lady could have warned the puppy’s owner and she was picked up. The lady (with any luck) would have told the puppy’s owner to be more responsible and put it on leash. The older dogs may have been grumbly and warned the puppy off – if the puppy was old enough and socialised enough with it’s mother and litter mates it may have backed off, (hopefully) run and hid behind the owner (very cute) or on the worst case, ran out into the traffic! Again if the puppy didn’t understand the growl (which, by the way, should never be corrected – where’s the warning before the bite then?!) and persisted in jumping and bouncing around the other dog – he would have been right to correct the puppy – now whether that was with a paw swat, friendly nip or full on throat grab and pin the puppy to the sidewalk – who can tell? The response to this by the new owner would probably have resulted in the sob story for the rest of that dog’s life, “oh, he doesn’t like other dogs ’cause he was attacked as a puppy.” Sound familiar? Yeah, you very seldom hear the story – I was an idiot when I got my dog, that I didn’t do my homework or hire a trainer and he ended up getting attacked as a puppy! THIS HAPPENS PEOPLE - WAKE UP!
Of couse there are other sides and versions – all I want to do is make you aware.
Don’t tempt fate – it’s too late to do anything after the fact – put your dog on a leash – don’t be an idiot!
Looking for a new dog to suit your family? Got a new dog in the house? You need a trainer. Go to www.APDT.com they are the largest international directory for professional dog tainers and you can do a search for one in your area – wherever you are!
6 Comments »
November 27, 2009
Paws For Thought
11:31 pm | 5 Comments » |The holiday season is upon us and hair is a flying in grooming shops across the country! If you haven’t booked the little furry best friends in for a “do” yet, procrastination will not get you an appointment!
Don’t be surprised if your local grooming shop is booked solid and if your regular groomer can’t get you in on Christmas week, be fairly sure no-one else can either!
I remember one Christmas working in a very busy and well organized grooming shop in Calgary the frantic stories and pleading we used to get from dog owners calling with all their stories. People we had never heard from before or ones that hadn’t had their dog groomed since the previous spring! Ok people, if you haven’t booked your dog in for a groom since the spring, a week before Christmas is not an emergency! Also some seem to think that although their regular groomer is booked solid you won’t be…? How does that work, oh yes, we only open a month before Christmas because we know YOU’re going to call in a tizzy!
Anyhoo, I digress (as per usual). There was one…
There’s always one!
Well, he was in a right state, we got all the horror story – it was from a male… yes boys all us ladies know that the vast majority of you consider Christmas shopping the day before the big event and in this case it certainly pertained to grooming too… except it was his girlfriends dog!
Our receptionist came back into the grooming room and got all our attention, “Can anyone do an extra dog?”. Laughter ensued and once that had abated, the story unfolded… “Ok,” she said “this guy just called and he HAS to get his dog groomed before the 24th.” It was the 21st (Friday). “his girlfriend’s been away visiting her mother for two weeks and she gets back on the night of the 23rd for Christmas, he promised he’d get the dog done before she got back and well, you know,” she rolled her eyes and waved her hands about, most of us did something similar!
So, ok, we were open the next day, Sat but were fully booked, we chatted amongst ourselves and tried to figure out if we sitched some groomers for some dogs etc until someone piped up, “What kind of dog is it?” Oh yeah, that’s good to know!
“An English Sheepdog, he said he’d bring her in anytime and he’d pay anything! He has to get her done as they’re having his family for Christmas and his girlfriend’ll kill him if the dog’s not all fresh and clean!”
A chorus of not a chance, no way and he must be crazy rang through the room!
However, being the softhearted women we are and hating to see any animal in distress, especially a man who may be about to suffer the wrath of his girlfriend before Christmas, the owner said that she might be able to do something, so she called him back. She ended up coming in and opening the shop for him at 2.00pm on the Sunday afternoon. She said she ended up charging him $185.00 (about $50.00 more than normal – she was a BIG dog!) and he was so ecstatic he even gave her $30.00 tip!!!
I wonder what else the girlfriend got for Christmas – I know he got a quiet, calm one!
So, ok, we will try and do all we can as any professionals in our industry, we don’t want to disappoint, just like our dogs never do! However, waiting until the last minute to get the dog groomed can put a dent in the wallet and therefore fewer shiny presents under the tree!
I think that might have ended up as a Mastercard moment!
Last minute dog grooming = $185.00
Tip for the groomer = $30.00
Having a peaceful Christmas = Priceless
For everything else there’s Mastercard!
Have a safe and happy Christmas everyone, be kind to all your fellow friends, and remember the best gift is to NOT give a pet for one!
5 Comments »
October 20, 2009
5:29 am | 9 Comments » |
Let’s face it, we’ve become a serious dog loving society… or have we? Just have a look on Kijiji at the amount of puppies for sale. Now go to www.petfinder.comfor example and look at the amount of dogs needing homes. The connection? People tend to get caught up in the fantasy of having a dog without seriously doing their homework (hang on, I know there are exceptions – well done you!) and ultimately realise they don’t have the lifestyle the dog needs. It ends up being left in the house and chews the furniture and the next thing you know, it’s being dropped off at the nearest animal shelter or rescue. Does this sound a bit extreme? It’s reality. Here’s some statistics for you; 90% of all dog bite incidents occur in the home by the family pet; 60% of related dog bite incidents in 2007 were reported to have been by a… golden retriever! No, not a “pit bull” or rottweiler – these are relatively far down the list, contrary to certain current legislative beliefs!
According to a well recognized pet trainer in the U.S who is also invloved with rescue agencies, he says about 90% of all puppies born this year won’t make it a year. Why? Accidents in and around the home – ever known a dog to dumpster dive? A cooked chicken bone can kill, chemicals we have in our homes to get rid of those nasty germs can seriously harm or kill a puppy – see bleach. Untrained puppies running out in the street and getting hit by a car. Or what about the fact that the dog had some inherent medical issue which would have cost too much money or pain to keep alive?
Just how much do we love our animals if we’re so willing to indiscriminately breed them just because they’re cute? I hear this all the time, “oh, we’re going to let her have one litter before we spay her as it’s healthier”, wrong! “They” are still on the fence about whether or not it’s healthier to wait a few years before spaying a bitch, but this is in relation to breast cancer. There is no evidence that suggests a dog is healthier if she’s had pups. The problems that can be associated with pregnancy far outweigh the good unless you know what you are doing. On the other side, if you just don’t spay your female she can end up with a condition known as pyometra (an infection in the uterus) which can be fatal if untreated. Un-neutered males? These just add to the unwanted dog population. Certainly people who show their dogs may not have them “fixed”, but they also ensure they don’t indiscriminatley breed either. The myth that neutering a male will “ruin” him is just that, a myth. Ruining a dog comes from bad ownership!
Most people, it would seem, think they can sell their cute puppies and make money from it. The prices people are charging for, lets face it, mutts (they call them designer dogs now!) is ridiculous. Most times the parents were never evaluated for temperament or medical issues. Is it fair to the animals that are bring bred that they may be too young (bitches bred on their first heat) as they themselves have reached sexual maturity but maybe not developmental maturity? Is it fair then on the puppies that are being reproduced that end up sick, have deformities etc? Any reputable breeder knows that they don’t make much money from breeding – usually money isn’t the object, they prefer to maintain good lines in a breed and keep a breed alive. Good breeding ensures certain health checks are done on the parents (hips, eyes, etc.). First shots are done and pups should come with a guarantee and a spay neuter condition in the contract.
You won’t get this buying a pup off a buy/sell website. Most breeders also don’t have a litter on the way without a waiting list for pups. If someone wants you to pay $4-600.00 for a pup they think is cute and don’t have information on the parents, grandparents etc., medical histories, screening etc. they are doing nothing but playing on your heartstrings and taking you for a ride!
Another main beef of mine is reading ads where the seller can’t even spell the name of their breed correctly! Come on now – what does that tell you? Recently I’ve seen Rokwellers, Shitsu’s, Lasa Aspo’s and Mastive’s! For those of you who don’t know, these are supposed to be Rottweilers, Shih Tzu’s, Lhasa Apso’s and Mastiff.
If you have a dog, put humanity before vanity! Get them spayed or neutered by six months old, if you want to leave a bitch until she’s older, do your part and keep her inside or at least out of harms way when she is in heat (she’s ready to breed after she stops spotting).
If you are looking for a dog – do your homework! Research the breed. Go to the Canadian Kennel Club and look at different breeds, look at their history, what were they bred to do? Whay kind of coat do they have – any hairy breed (especially the non-shedding variety) will need a regular grooming schedule, every 6 weeks is recommended. What size are they – how much will they eat – how much room do they need – how much exercise do they need and can I give them? Can I train them easily or are they for a more experienced owner? All these things are important to know. The answers will determine what the animal will cost and whether your lifestyle can incorporate a particular breed into it. Do the math. If you can’t afford an extra $100.00 or so per month on average, you can’t afford a dog.
Be smart! When you decide to purchase or adopt, be fair to the animal. When you get your puppy or dog home you have basically made a commitment to that animal for it’s life – don’t let it down.
If you’re considering adopting (yea, a great choice), go to your local shelter so you can visit the animals. The staff and volunteers there will know all their dogs as if they are their own and be able to advise you on a good fit for your family. Don’t be afraid to ask animal professionals for their advice. Go to a vet, call a trainer, ask your neighbours groomer etc. Chances are at times all the above will know of an animal looking for a home too!
So, ok, some of you are fuming by now! Good! All I want is for people to stop and think for a moment. Do you love dogs? Are you an animal lover in general? Do you want to stop facilities in Canada from having to euthanise thousands of animals each year? If the answer is yes, help encourage your neighbour to spay or neuter, condemn back yard breeding and puppy mills – speak your mind. Only we can speak for the animals – they don’t speak English!
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