Fast Pup Dog Training

07/25/2023

From Kathy Medel:

07/06/2023

WHAT SHOULD BE ON EVERY SHELTER ANSWERING MACHINE...

Hello: You have reached… (123) 4556-7890.

Due to the high volume of calls we have been receiving, please listen closely to
the following options and choose the one that best describes you or
your situation:

Press 1 if you have a 10-year-old dog and your 15-year-old son has
suddenly become allergic and you need to find the dog a new home
right away.

Press 2 if you are moving today and need to immediately place your
150 pound, 8-year-old dog.

Press 3 if you have three dogs, had a baby and want to get rid of
your dogs because you are the only person in the world to have a
baby and dogs at the same time.

Press 4 if you just got a brand new puppy and your old dog is having
problems adjusting so you want to get rid of the old one right away.

Press 5 if your little puppy has grown up and is no longer small and
cute and you want to trade it in for a new model.

Press 6 if you want an unpaid volunteer to come to your home TODAY
and pick up the dog you no longer want.

Press 7 if you have been feeding and caring for a “stray” for the
last three years, are moving and suddenly determine it’s not your
dog.

Press 8 if your dog is sick and needs a vet but you need the money
for your vacation.

Press 9 if you are elderly and want to adopt a cute puppy who is not
active and is going to outlive you.

Press 10 if your relative has died and you don’t want to care for
their elderly dog because it doesn’t fit your lifestyle.

Press 11 if your cat is biting and not using the litter box because
it is declawed, but you are not willing to accept the responsibility
that the cat’s behavior is altered because of your nice furniture.

Press 12 if your two-year old male dog is marking all over your house
but you just haven’t gotten around to having him neutered.

Press 13 if you previously had an outdoor only dog and are calling
because she is suddenly pregnant.

Press 14 if you are calling at 6 a.m. to make sure you wake me up
before I have to go to work so you can drop a dog off on your way
to work.

Press 15 to leave us an anonymous garbled message, letting us know
you have left a dog in our yard in the middle of January, which is
in fact, better than just leaving the dog with no message.

Press 16 if you are going to get angry because we are not going to
take your dog that you have had for fifteen years, because it is
not our responsibility.

Press 17 if you are going to threaten to take your ten-year old dog
to be euthanized because I won’t take it.

Press 18 if you’re going to get angry because the volunteers had the
audacity to go on vacation and leave the dogs in care of a trusted
volunteer who is not authorized to take your personal pet.

Press 19 if you want one of our PERFECTLY trained, housebroken, kid
and cat friendly purebred dogs that we have an abundance of.

Press 20 if you want us to take your dog that has a slight
aggression problem, i.e. has only bitten a few people and killed your
neighbor’s cats.

Press 21 if you have already called once and been told we don’t take
personal surrenders but thought you would get a different person this
time with a different answer.

Press 22 if you want us to use space that would go to a stray to
board your personal dog while you are on vacation, free of charge,
of course.

Press 23 if it is Christmas Eve or Easter morning and you want me to
deliver an eight week old puppy to your house by 6:30 am before
your kids wake up.

Press 24 if you have bought your children a duckling, chick or baby
bunny for Easter and it is now Christmas and no longer cute.

Press 25 if you want us to take your female dog who has already had
ten litters, but we can’t spay her because she is pregnant again and
it is against your religion.

Press 26 if you’re lying to make one of our younger volunteers feel
bad and take your personal pet off your hands.

Press 27 if you have done “everything” to housebreak your dog and
have had no success but you don’t want to crate the dog because it
is cruel.

Press 28 if you didn’t listen to the message asking for an evening
phone number and you left your work number when all volunteers are
also working and you are angry because no one called you back.

Press 29 if you need a puppy immediately and cannot wait because
today is your daughter’s birthday and you forgot when she was born.

Press 30 if your dog’s coat doesn’t match your new furniture and you
need a different color or breed.

Press 31 if your new love doesn’t like your dog and you are too
stupid to get rid of the new friend (who will dump you in the next
month anyway) instead of the dog.

Press 32 if you went through all these ‘options’ and didn’t hear
enough. This press will connect you to the sounds of tears being
shed by one of our volunteers who is holding a discarded old dog
while the vet mercifully frees him from the grief of missing his
family.

Please remember that if you can not commit to fur-always or at least the next 13-17 years, DON’T BUY A PET! it is not a shelter or rescue’s obligation to take on your commitments, they do so out of fear that you will kill them if they don’t, and dumping them anywhere, even alone on the side of a road is abuse!

~Brian

07/06/2023

Things are getting really bad for animals out there. Please rehome your pet or surrender your pet. Do not dump them!

It appears there is a crazy trend happening now that many people no longer want their dogs and all the shelters and rescues are full. They are dumping their dogs more than ever out in the areas where the dogs will be lucky to find a house or a car driving by to help them out. If you are unfamiliar with our area, you can go 15 miles without seeing a house in some areas.
This dog was brought in by a deputy after being found 25 miles from Othello in wheat land with not much around it. It was a lucky one that found a house to go to.
This is the fifth or sixth dog that's been microchipped to owners from the Tri-cities that have been dumped and made their way to our shelter in Adams County.
We know the dog has a name, Woody. We called the name on the microchip but they hung up on us when we said the name Woody. We have turned this information in to the deputy but more than likely the owners won't come pick him up.
Location: Othello, WA
509-488-5514
adamscountypetrescue.com

06/19/2023

Anyone looking for a sweet, trained, lovable dog? Without the puppy shenanigans?

ADOPTED

9 year old Bailey is a 60 pound mixed breed gal in need of a home VERY soon. Here is what her human shared with us about Bailey:

"She wants to be the life of the party at all times. Any time there's laughter you're sure to see her happily wagging her tail right next to you. She is a very empathic doggo. She knows exactly when you're feeling down and will come lay next to you for comfort. She has been our companion and so far has lived a very full life. She gets along with other dogs and with other cats. She has been kennel trained but is not currently in one. She loves to go on long walks and meet other people and other dogs. She is not overly fond of being in the water but loves to be around it. She is the most loving and caring dog I have ever had the honor of having in my life. I wish our circumstances were different but we can not care for her. I know anyone would be happy to have her and she would love anyone that comes her way."

We are told Bailey can stay alone as needed inside her home when her humans leave. She can manage quite a few hours before needing a potty break. Bailey is not much of a barker. Bailey has been good with kids of all ages but of course she should have a home with a family who will be sure the children are gentle and kind to her. She sure sounds like a great dog!

Bailey is good on leash and would enjoy as much exercise as you can give her. While she is up to date on vaccines, Bailey has not had a senior check up (with lab work) as of yet so her adopter should be prepared to do that for her and keep her vetted regularly so that she can stay as healthy as possible in the years to come.

Life changes force Bailey's family to rehome her. This is not an easy thing to do as she is so loved. Bailey is ready to join a new family and start the next chapter of her life. Someone will be so fortunate to welcome her into their heart and home!

Bailey is located in Edmonds, WA. For contact information, please email: [email protected]

This is a courtesy post. Bailey is not an Old Dog Haven dog. We urge prospective adopters to do their own evaluation.

06/16/2023

Ananya Roy with Polo. Sammamish, WA

“Polo's behavior amazingly improved in course of Kate's training sessions. Polo had problems like pulling on leash, lunging at passing dogs, running off, countersurfing, swallowing socks, masks etc. Kate's training helped Polo overcome his restless, uncontrolled, hyper behavior. He is doing much better now during walks on leash and offleash walks as well and he enjoys his freedom as he gets to explore a lot more offleash. We are thankful for this training that really helped Polo to be a patient, obedient and well-behaved dog.”

06/16/2023

04/02/2023

Gertrude came to the shelter as a "stray", so her history is a mystery. She's estimated to be around 10 years old, but you wouldn't know it from her energy. She still loves walks, playtime, and her dog friends. (She can come on a little strong, she's just so excited! But that means she's not every dog's cup of tea).

Gertrude is really receptive to her people and is very smart and engaged. She walks great on a leash and has so much love to give. There is no indication of how she may do with cats, but suspect she may be a little eager for most cats. Since she has so much energy may need someone experienced with multi-dog management if they have another dog, but she may do well with another dog in her life.

Considering her age and breed, she’s active and seems healthy and happy. She has had a recent dental and some extractions. She’s available for adoption at PAWS - this sweetheart is ready for her best friend for life!

Gertrude is posted for the PAWS shelter in Lynnwood WA, 425/787-2500 x800 or x803, or www.paws.org.

This is not an Old Dog Haven dog. We urge prospective adopters to do their own evaluation.

03/31/2023

03/03/2023

The People You Trust

Dogs are not furry humans. They are dogs. They are animals. They instinctively pack up with other dogs. When operating as a pack, dogs are dangerous. There are many dogs who are dangerous—even as individuals. Do not take chances with your dogs.

Training and management of dogs/animals is of paramount importance. Parents of children must never stop being vigilant and cautious mixing their dogs with kids.

If you travel and leave your dogs behind consider the dangers to your dogs and to any possible humans. Leaving your dogs in the care of inexperienced or careless people can be disastrous to your dog or to the humans trying to care for them.

Recently one of my clients left her very anxious dog in the care of a facility that allows dogs “freedom.” A place that believes in fairytales that dogs are “happy” to roam free through a strange house interacting with other dogs. It almost cost the dog’s life. Luckily an emergency veterinarian was able to save her dog through surgery. And it only cost her a $2,500 vet bill.

In the case described here, the owners negligence nearly cost a young woman her life. Her life will never be the same. The two dogs are dead. The owner shockingly seemed to think his dogs were not capable of being dogs. The owner got both dogs from rescues. Anyone who gets a dog from a rescue should know that the chances of the dogs having behavioral problems or AGGRESSION is huge. Do NOT get a rescue dog without a full understanding of the training and management that will need to be involved! Once you own that dog from a rescue YOU are responsible for what the dog does.

When you can not manage your dogs yourself, you better make sure that the people you entrust with the care of your dogs is experienced, capable and rock solid on safety for both dogs and people..
Please stop taking chances with your dogs!

Jacqueline Durand was catastrophically injured in a dog attack, but she wants to be seen as an example of resilience than as a victim.

01/20/2023

Please read labels!

11/29/2022

Thank you Mark Goldberg !

11/29/2022

https://www.facebook.com/100064637835600/posts/533306658833924/?d=n

ADOPTED TOGETHER!

Sheba and Daisy are bonded best friends whose human has passed away. At this time they are living in their home alone with a caring family member coming over to care for them. We have been asked to post them for adoption. Not much is known about the pair, except that they are very sweet! We will use their story as another reminder to everyone who owns a pet to share with close friends and family about your dogs in the event that something happens to you!. We suggest writing facts out about your pets-ages, where they were vetted, if they are altered, any known medical issues, where you obtained them from, etc. And now onto what is known about Daisy and Sheba!

These lovely girls are black labradors. We are told that Sheba is approximately 10 years old and she weighs about 65 pounds. Daisy is about 11 years old, she too weighs about 65 pounds. Both girls are spayed and up to date on vaccines but no other vetting information is known. It is very important for these girls' sakes, that their adopter can afford their vet care and good quality dog food for the rest of their days. Ideally upon adoption the plan she be that both are taken to the vet for a full senior dog exam with lab work. This will give their adopter an overall picture of their health.

Daisy and Sheba are well behaved dogs, living indoors and going out as needed for potty breaks. Both girls are showing signs of arthritis; stairs appear to be challenging for them.It'd be wonderful if they could be given something to ease any discomfort they may have. The girls will alert you by barking when the mailman arrives.

At this time the girls don't get out for much exercise. No doubt they'd appreciate time to get out and smell and stretch their legs. They are reportedly good on leash. However, these are 2 big dogs who could be a lot for one person to handle on a walk alone. We'd bet they would enjoy taking their walks together so a home where 2 people can take them together would be nice.

It is unknown how the girls react to new dogs. Proper and slow introduction is always best when integrating a pair of dogs with resident dogs. Daisy and Sheba have lived with cats and they do well with gentle children who are old enough to know not to be rough with them.

Sheba and Daisy are both described as being "loyal and very kind". They sound like a lovely pair of senior dogs who will make a great addition to their adoptive home. The pair need an adoptive home very soon.

Daisy and Sheba are located in Sumner, WA. For contact information please email: [email protected]

These are not ODH dogs; we urge prospective adopters to do their own evaluation.

11/26/2022

https://www.facebook.com/100063533411634/posts/579530607508048/?d=n

11/26/2022

This is Dog Training 101. If you have not taken the time to teach self control to your dog at your house, then how can you expect your dog to control themselves out in public? Engage with your dog. Their life could depend on it! Best example of what I call the “Doorbell Drill” I have seen!

Make sure you guys follow on instagram for updates @ https://www.instagram.com/thedogdaddyy/?hl=en Working with highly excited/ reactive dogs, require you t...

10/15/2022

What does a candy company have to do with pet care?

You can purchase your Mars owned pet food, (Royal Canin, Nutro, Iams, Eukanuba, Whiskas, etc)
then take your pet to the Mars owned vet hospital (Banfield, VSH, VCA, etc)
then have diagnostic testing done at a Mars owned lab. (Antech)

The concern with one company having so much money and power over the pet industry is that this could force prices to increase and quality of veterinary care and services to decrease.

Someone could mass produce poor quality food, oversell vaccines and flea/tick/hw chemicals, and keep our pets on a constant wheel of disease while profiting from each link in the chain...

Check out Dr. Conor Brady's book called Feeding Dogs https://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Dogs-Science-Behind-Versus/dp/1916234003/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2KO78XBZPFYMQ&keywords=feeding+dogs+conor%5C&qid=1665760007&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjcxIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=feeding+dogs+conor%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-1

08/17/2022

My Duck Toller, Diva, is getting up there in years. And while her overall health is very good, she seems to be going quite deaf. 
She startles easily if she isn’t aware I’ve walked up behind her. She doesn’t hear me call her when she is sleeping. I have to touch her to wake her up.
Despite going deaf, she still gets the ability to run off leash. I’m thankful for that. It is one of the benefits of having e-collar trained her at an early age. She is very collar literate, which means I can use the tactile cues to get her attention without any undue stress.

I tend to teach movement toward the handler as the first association in e-collar training so it becomes the default behavior if the dog doesn’t receive any other audible or visual cues. What that means is, if she is moving away from me and can’t hear me call her, I can use the tactile cue to turn her around and get her moving back toward me.


It is a win for her, she gets more freedom. It is a win for me, I have peace of mind while allowing her off leash.

People that think e-collars are only punishment or cruel, just don’t have enough education to have learned the full capability of what this versatile tool can do.

08/07/2022

WHEN TO SAY GOODBYE

A few days ago a friend shared with me their heart break at the death of their beloved dog. Recently we have had to say goodbye to a couple of our most cherished animals. It's something we all face at some time in our life. I don't know of any animal owner/lover who escapes this heart-wrenching experience. These are my thoughts on the subject.

Horses are a gift in our life. In fact, most of the creatures we share our lives with are a gift. The pleasure they bring us far outweighs the financial burden and the sometimes inconveniences that come with the responsibility of ownership.

They bring so much happiness, but unfortunately, they also bring so much grief. I am specifically thinking of the grief that comes with death.

The arrival of our horses and our other beloved animals enrich our lives so much that it is sometimes hard to come to terms with the emotional price of losing them.

This is made far worse by the situations where the decision to end their life is in our hands. We don’t tend to debate for too long about the decision to end a horse’s suffering when they have a catastrophic accident. The grief is still sharp and painful, but the decision in favour of a humane death is pretty clear. However, when a horse is experiencing a slow and lingering journey towards death most of us struggle with figuring out the right time. Actually, I think “struggle” is the wrong word. I think “agonize” is a more accurate description. It’s horrible.

I have had enough horses and pets in my life to develop my own philosophy on the subject of deciding when to euthanize an animal I love. These views are specifically in regards to animals that are heading towards their end due to illness or aging and not in cases where the suffering is so great and obvious that any caring human would not need to hesitate over the decision. I want to point out that they are my views and for me only. They may be irrelevant to you or your circumstances. I make no judgment on how other people choose to deal with the decision to put a beloved animal down.

Firstly, if possible I would prefer to do the euthanization myself. I know some people think that is very strange, but I have been the carer of my animals during their life and it is important that I be their carer at the end of it. This is so important to me. There have been a few times when it was not possible to be the one holding the syringe, but even in those cases, I have always insisted on being present to say goodbye.

Secondly, I realize there is no instant that demarcates the exact right moment when it is time to say goodbye during a slow demise of an animal. There are no signs to tell us that yesterday was too soon, but today is the right time. We each come to a decision when we feel we don’t want to see our precious horse/pet suffer any further. It is a judgment call that is personal to each of us.

But this is where the difficulty arises.

We control the timing of euthanization based on the way we feel. We hold off on the decision and do everything possible to delay the inevitable until we feel it is crunch time. We wait until we feel it would be cruel to put it off any longer. This is why I believe very few people euthanize their horse too early and I suspect most people do it too late. We wait until we feel the suffering is becoming too much to tolerate. Often times it is because we don’t want to watch our animals suffer anymore rather than looking at the situation as a bystander who is emotionally detached. I know this because I have been guilty of this behaviour myself. I don’t want to say goodbye so much that I wait until it upsets me too much to watch the suffering anymore. If I had been able to detach myself from my feelings I might have eased the suffering a lot sooner.

I believe most people wait too long to euthanize an animal on the downward slope. I have never come across anybody who was faced with the situation and felt they had not waited long enough. Everybody waits until the last possible moment when they feel the animal’s condition is making the decision for them. This is perfectly understandable, but I believe most of us do it for selfish reasons and not always in the best interest of our friend.

I certainly believe there are worse things a horse can suffer than a humane death. If I could be certain that I knew the moment when a horse’s life transitioned from "life is okay" to "death is a better option", then there would be a lot less anguish over the decision of when to call the vet and a lot less guilt during the subsequent grieving process.

It is not for me to tell people how they should handle their horse’s “end of life” situation. But I wrote this essay in the hope that maybe people would prepare a little better for what they know is eventually coming and think hard about the decisions they will have to make. Maybe examine their own motivation behind their decisions and whether their love and fear of grief skew their decision-making.

I believe the onus of responsibility to care for our horses (and our animals) at the end of their life is just as strong as it is to care for them throughout their life. Always asking myself, “What is in their best interest?”

Photo: This is Old Billy, a stallion of unknown breed who died in 1822 at 62 years old. He is believed to be verifiably the oldest horse on record.