Joyful Dogs

09/04/2024

Go to original post to place bids!

06/02/2024

It’s almost summer so it’s that time of year when people assume that “dog in a car” = “danger” = “I must act”. NO

Stop. Calm down. Make observations. Evaluate the context.

Is the dog panting? Is the dog lethargic? How hot and sunny is it? Is the car parked in the shade? How much situational awareness do you have (ie do you know how long the car has been there and how cold the interior was when it was turned off)?

By taking unnecessary and possibly illegal actuon, Ignorant Busybodies make it harder for dog owners like me to give their dogs safe and enriching adventures in the summer. Even in Texas I was able to safely leave my dogs in the car with careful planning (finding shade, how much I pre-cooled the car, and extremely short time away from the car). But I never knew if my careful planning would be undone by some ignorant and panicked human. And I was the victim of harmful, ignorant meddling several times.

Please do not have a knee-jerk reaction to “dog in car”. Stop. Evaluate. Taking well-meaning action can cause real harm so THINK before you act.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

From Tyson Richards
~Starscream

05/08/2024

In fact I did not know. Very cool!

Did you know?! All 13 of Silvia Trkman's DVDs are now available as streaming videos in the Learning Center. Whether you want to teach your dog running contacts, fabulous weaves, tight turns, or brilliant foundations, Silvia has a DVD for that!
➡️ The Easiest Way to Running Contacts
➡️ Foundations Revisited
➡️ Xtreme Foundations
➡️ Foundations Fun
➡️ Heeling Is Just Another Trick
➡️ Cik & Cap Turns
➡️ Tricks for a Great Bond
➡️ Tricks for Better Thinking Skills
➡️ Fun, Fast & Fabulous Weaves
and more!
See them all here: https://www.cleanrun.com/category/online_dog_training_classes/online_dog_agility_courses_by_instructor/silvia_trkman_agility_training_dvds/index.cfm

04/25/2024

Austin-area p*eps! Please share. Gizmo is a young, sweet male tabby cat looking for his forever home. Must be indoor-only. Lol at that face! ❤️🥰

(Currently being fostered at a home in Austin with 2 other cats.)

Meet Gizmo, a young (approximately 1 year), vibrant soul with a heart full of love. His sweetness is undeniable, winning hearts with his gentle purrs, fervent trill at mealtime, eager greetings, and soft nuzzles. Gizmo’s playful side is a joy to behold, with his energetic antics and charming games...

04/18/2024

Good reminder that many dogs hide pain, and signs of chronic pain can be subtle.

Ruby - Health Update ♥️

I've noticed some changes in Ruby recently, so I took her to see a vet this morning. As I had suspected, she has now been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. This is currently affecting both of her hips and her right elbow.

Unfortunately, she is unable to have many of the treatments due to her liver condition, but we have started her on librela injections today, which she will now have monthly for pain relief. This should hopefully make a big difference to her quality of life. She is also taking joint supplements.

Older dogs do slow down, but arthritis is a painful condition. Treatment/management options are available, and no dog deserves to be in pain, so if you do suspect your dog might have it, then it's best to get them checked out by a vet.

Signs I have noticed in Ruby include:
Increased level of panting
Pacing at night
Stiffness when getting up/walking
Slowing down on walks
Reluctant to jump into the car
'Bunny hopping' when she runs
Toilet accidents during the night

Dogs can hide their pain very well, and so it is likely that she has been in pain for a while now, long before I noticed these physical changes in her behaviour. I feel awful about this, but I am glad that she now has a proper care plan in place and won't be in pain any longer.

Check out Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) to learn more about the condition and the different ways you can support your dog.

02/26/2024

By Debby Szczepanski in the Austin TX area! Comment on the ORIGINAL post to provide info, ask questions, place orders, or just give kudos 😀

01/26/2024

01/21/2024

Just might need some of these!

What a fun fundraiser idea!! Thanks to the Shenendehowa High School Art Club for doing this!! 🐾

01/18/2024

Lost kitty now found: Always worth sharing these stories!

We helped Sara find her cat Paul recently. Based on Paul's trajectory when they last saw him tearing across their lawn in hot pursuit of a little critter, the family feared that he he had crossed a very busy road that would prevent him from making his way home. But Paul had actually made a U-turn when "dad" turned his back to grab his shoes. Tango helped us sort it out and brought us to a garage where we found a lovely bit of evidence: two kitty poops and a puddle of p*e. Totally fixated on that evidence...we missed the cat himself for several long minutes! It's difficult to search garages: tiptoeing through the homeowners' precious stuff while they are breathing down your neck and wishing you would just go away is awkward at best, horribly uncomfortable or even dangerous at worst. Honestly, I was about to give up on it despite the evidence we'd seen but Tango went back for one more sniff and tiny little Paul made a break for it, skittering under some more precious stuff. We quickly asked the homeowner to shut the garage door to trap Paul inside. It's very rare for a cat to go potty while they are in hiding. I think it's only happened maybe 3 or 4 times in hundreds of recoveries but the evidence is an excellent clue. I believe that Paul was in that garage the entire four days he was gone. Of course the homeowners had no idea. Knowing how they hide makes it super aggravating when neighbors won't let us search a garage because they "already looked and there's no cat in there." They have no idea how stealth a cat can be. I don't even want to know how many cats we've missed because people were sure the cat wasn't there.

Here's what Paul's mom Sara had to say in her review. Yes, I'm blushing.

Bonnie Hale is our family’s hero. After 4 days of desperately searching for our 2-year-old cat Paul, we felt totally helpless. A couple of people on Next Door recommended Bonnie, and while I was a little skeptical at first, one chat with her and I knew our odds of finding Paul were about to improve significantly.

Bonnie is incredibly knowledgeable and her instructions were so thorough, I finally felt like I was back in control of the situation. I was blown away by how well Bonnie understands cat behavior, and was shocked to learn that many of the things we were doing to bring him home were not helpful at all!

Bonnie’s brilliant search dog Tango picked up Paul’s scent right away and traced Paul’s path through our neighbors’ yards. It was amazing to watch. About an hour later we found little Paul in our neighbor’s garage, hiding behind a bunch of stuff, just steps from our home. Bonnie was confident he hadn’t strayed too far away, but we still couldn’t believe how close he was the whole time!

Our entire family is forever grateful to Bonnie for bringing Paul back to us. Worth every penny.

01/09/2024

In many areas of the United States, ice melt is an absolute necessity during the winter months. However, not all types of ice melt are safe for use around pets. Here is everything pet owners in snowy areas need to know before taking their pets out into a winter wonderland.

01/09/2024

CHEMICAL BURNS FROM DE-ICING SALT?

Yes - it is REALLY a real thing. PSA if you move north... or if live in mild climate and aren't used salting for snow management...

Poor doggie paws! It does NOT take very long... especially cuz the salt can stick to the paws even after leaving the salted pavement. I'm sad that Okos had to suffer for me to learn, but SO GRATEFUL that he is very dramatic and obvious when he is hurt. Thank you, Okos, for your patience. Get ready for Doggie Booties! (Chiquita is easily carried over salted pavement... no booties for her tiny feet!)

https://youtu.be/aEwzcMvL7P0?si=oq7HFmRHWBr9Fc2-

https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/things-to-know-about-pet-safe-ice-melts

In many areas of the United States, ice melt is an absolute necessity during the winter months. However, not all types of ice melt are safe for use around pets. Here is everything pet owners in snowy areas need to know before taking their pets out into a winter wonderland.

12/29/2023

Our next Barn Hunt trials are now open for entries!

https://www.barnhunt.com/register/event.php?key=7005

11/22/2023

Yikes. AI-enabled fraud

Today's fun: Discovering I have published a new book *without even knowing it!* That's how talented I am.

The truth is much scarier.

AI has been used to generate an entire book published in my name. A kind fan let me know she had bought it, not realizing it was NOT from me, and was shocked at the cheap printing, awful writing and so many other ways that it was clear I had nothing to do with this.

The title is The Best Way to Meet Your Dog: Navigating Canine Behavior and Relationships. IT IS NOT MINE.

It has stolen a lot of material from a lot of trainers including me, Kim Brophey and others. I have filed complaints with Amazon.

This is going to be the future, I fear. Stay alert, and keep an eye out for what's posted on Amazon under your own name.

If you can *without purchasing the book,* post a warning at Amazon in the reviews for this crap.

10/30/2023

❤️

10/29/2023

I hope you never need this info but…

Tx p*eps: keep Bonnie with Texas Pet Detectives Association in mind if you ever lose a pet.
Everyone: Bonnie is also very knowledgeable and helpful via phone consultations. If a pet gets lost, contact her. The sooner you start doing useful things, the better your pets chances of coming home! ❤️

10/24/2023

Anita Blair was the first guide dog handler in El Paso, Texas, when she graduated from The Seeing Eye in March 1940 with Fawn, a German shepherd. The photo is a black and white photo of Anita being guided by Fawn across a bustling city street in the early 1940s.

Just a month later, Anita and Fawn were crossing a street in El Paso when a car nearly hit her. “Fawn, the fawn-colored German shepherd, with perfect timing checked her mistress’s pace, so that the car sped past without the driver being aware that the young woman could not see,” the El Paso Times reported on April 19, 1940.

Fawn was at her side when she graduated from the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy – now known as the University of Texas at El Paso, or UTEP – with a bachelor’s degree in 1944. She later earned a master’s degree from Texas State College for Women, now Texas Woman’s University, in Denton.

In 1946, Anita and Fawn were again in the news during a tragic fire at the 23-story Hotel LaSalle in Chicago. According to the June 6, 1946, issue of the El Paso Times, Anita was awakened by screams. “When I opened the door the smoke was so heavy I could taste it,” Anita told the newspaper. “I closed the door but did not want to get Fawn excited. Because of her I remained calm – and probably because of me she did the same.”

Fawn led Anita out the window and down the fire escape – 11 stories down – while the fire raged. Sixty-one people were killed in the fire.

In 1952, Anita became the first El Paso woman – and the first blind woman in any state – to be elected as a state representative. During her time in office, Anita fought for funding for the State School for the Deaf, teacher pay raises, and a bill that allowed women to serve on juries.

Anita returned to The Seeing Eye five more times to be matched with successor Seeing Eye dogs. Her last was Beryl, a black Labrador retriever, in 1990. Anita died in 2010 at the age of 93, and in recognition of her service as a state legislator, is buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.