Dog Obedience Classes with Spalding Parks and Rec

08/22/2024

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07/30/2024

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07/15/2024

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This is a thermal image of a dog with a portion of its body shaved and the other portion not shaved. The non-shaved portion is at 24°C and the shaved portion at 30°C. The hair is present for several reasons, mainly for thermal regulation ☀🌡

Stop shaving dogs! You’re not helping them.

07/13/2024

06/13/2024

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Summer is here. Be cautious when walking your dog. Put the back of your hand on the pavement or sidewalk for 5 seconds. If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for their feet.

If they get overheated DO NOT plunge them into cold water. Use a hose or wet rags in the groin and under the elbows.

06/11/2024

AKC Canine Good Citizen training

Registration for the next group dog obedience class through Spalding County Parks and Rec is open.

Basic (7:00 PM) and advanced/tricks/rally (6:00 PM) starts July 22, 2024. $150 for a set of 8 for basic and $120 for a set of 6 advanced if county residents. Slightly higher if not.

https://www.spaldingcounty.com/parks-public-grounds-leisure-services/

The next set of classes for group lessons at Southern Pet Lodge in Williamson starts Sat July 13, 2024 at 10:00 AM. $225 for a set of 8

06/11/2024

Keep them put up while you have guests over so they don’t escape or get fed scraps by visitors.

04/16/2024

New group obedience class starting Monday, May 13, 2024.

https://secure.rec1.com/GA/spalding-county-parks-and-recreation/catalog/index/8f5c84a5eb62331881907c8083c570a6

Click on Activities/Classes and then scroll down to Dog Obedience Classes.

Limited space.

Spalding County Parks and Recreation uses your Facebook or Google account to login or sign up. We only access your name and email for login purposes.

04/16/2024

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HELP Spay Neuter Clinic is a non-profit spay and neuter clinic that offers a non-lethal solution to the pet-overpopulation crisis, located in Newnan, GA.

04/04/2024

04/03/2024

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/fact-sheet-pet-owners-and-veterinarians-about-potential-adverse-events-associated-isoxazoline-flea?fbclid=IwAR0-E9dOyLg-6VwbiSLthc1DI_fy6vXWKTCYhytvRSa573N4nPp4mF9MBWQ

FDA fact sheet about potential neurologic adverse events in dogs and cats when treated with the flea and tick drugs Bravecto, Credelio, Nexgard, or Simparica.

04/02/2024

https://toegrips.com/dog-car-sickness-remedies/?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=dog_car_sickness&fbclid=IwAR3zgTGrq6cmQvB2Ipi-3x0iRgzYYO0pLSJOKjiE2mDGCE8graR6haNMf_Q_aem_Ae2yU22TWBLyfD0VNXFDRti_ndWRMRBy11ONSbVBsREQyR25LUqaW38I99D_7Kgm-ls

Looking for dog car sickness remedies? Dr. Buzby covers medications, natural remedies, and how to make car rides positive for your dog.

03/20/2024

By Shane Doss

Anatomy of the dog’s nose

The dog has two nostrils (nares) divided by a cartilaginous and bony septum. The tip of the dog’s nose – rhinarium – is typically moist and cool to touch. When a dog flares its nostrils to sniff, the shape of the nostril openings change thus allowing redirection of air into the upper part of the snout and more direct airflow to the olfactory area. The slit at the side of the nares is used in the expiration of breath during sniffing as explained later.

The Muzzle of the dog is Important

THE HUMAN HAS UP TO 5 MILLION OLFACTORY RECEPTORS, WHEREAS THE DOG HAS UP TO 300 MILLION.
[1 and 3]

This is possible because the long nose contains a labyrinth of thin bones, called turbinates, which are all lined by an epithelium. This provides a very large surface area for the air breathed to pass over. In the anterior part of the nose the bones are known as maxillo-turbinates, and they are lined by a respiratory type epithelium producing mucus.

It is in the posterior part of the nose containing ethmoid turbinates that the lining epithelium is olfactory in type and this contains the 300 million olfactory receptors, or neurones, needed to recognise the odour molecules. The neurones need maximum contact with the air containing the odour molecules and therefore have hair-like projections – or cilia. In mammals it is thought that each olfactory receptor cell only expresses one single odorant receptor gene.

Once the odour is recognised, a pathway of tiny nerves relay signals to the brain area dedicated to olfaction – the olfactory lobe – which then interprets the odours in combination with other specialised areas of the brain. As part of the olfactory anatomy there is a basal plate of bone known as the Lamina Transversa (not seen in humans) which creates an olfactory shelf or recess separated from the respiratory section. This allows odours to accumulate and be held for recognition even while air is exhaled.

The complexity of the labyrinth of thin turbinate bones in the nose is best seen in cross section. Below are two views of the anterior opening of the nostril in a dog’s skull showing the maxillo-turbinates, which would be covered by respiratory type epithelium.

Did you know for social contact the dog has a different site for a second separate sense of smell area?

It consists of two elongated fluid-filled sacs above the roof of the mouth. It is named the VOMERONASAL ORGAN or JACOBSON’S ORGAN – and it detects body scents (pheromones – hormone-like substances) allowing sexual and social assessment of other dogs.

More on the slit at the side of the nares: "Exhaled air is released through the slits in the side of the nose so that outgoing air doesn't dilute new scents coming in through the nostrils. The slits make it possible to give the dog a steady stream of air spanning several respiratory cycles."

Wow! So they can breathe out without losing any new info they're collecting. I've always wondered why their "nostrils" aren't connected to their snoot like ours. Our Creator had a FIELD DAY with these things. Love them so much.

03/18/2024

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03/15/2024

By Shane Doss (not me)

I would like to focus on age which seems to be an often-overlooked factor (especially for dogs over 16 weeks).

Why age is important when it comes to exercising a dog.

The main consideration is skeletal development, in particular the age the growth plates close. The growth plates (epiphyseal plate or physis) are the growing tissue near the end of bones. The growth plates influence the mature length and shape of the bone and ultimately your dog’s conformation.

These growth plates are the weakest area of a growing skeleton. Damage to growth plates can occur for several reasons including:

Over use like excessive exercise or repetitive actions, physical trauma like falls, running into objects, jumping from a height some diseases.

Growth plate closure times vary depending upon the bone and individual dog. While reviewing the literature on this topic I came across a recent publication which presented new information on age of growth plate closure.

The table below summarises the latest research (Sutton et al. 2018) on growth plate closure ages.

Skeleton part /Age of closure

Spine7 – 12 months.
Foreleg10 – 24 months.
Pelvis10 -12 months (mostly; however, the iliac crest closes at 2-3 years).
Hindleg12- 15 months add a further 3-6 months for giant breeds.
At 6 months most of the growth plates in the hind leg are still open and susceptible to injury.

This means that we need to be very careful with the type and amount of exercise our puppy, juvenile and young adult dogs do.

03/15/2024

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02/28/2024

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When you finally welcome your 10 week old puppies, please keep this picture in mind. Their bones ain't even touching yet. They walk so beautifully with big, flexible legs and bench movements because their joints are made up entirely of cartilage, muscles, tendons and ligaments covered with skin. Nothing is well adjusted or has real grip yet.

When you make them run excessively or don't limit their exercise to prevent them from overdoing during that time, you're not giving them the chance to grow properly. Every big jump or bounce and excited run creates bone-breaking impacts.
In reasonable quantities, this is not problematic and normal wear and tear will do.

But when you let the puppy jump off the couch or bed, take him for long walks, you damage this joint in training. When you let the puppy move on slippery tiles, you damage the joint.

You only get once to make them grow up. A well built body is something that comes from excellent upbringing and good education. BOTH , not just one

Once you’re an adult, you’ll have the rest of your life to spend playing and engaging in high-impact exercises. So keep him calm while he is still young and give him the gift that can only be given once.
Shared from Clinique Vetérinaire Vetolistic - Dr. Marie Eve Cresci