Congratulations! You’ve adopted a dog! Your life is about to be enriched in ways you’ve never dreamed possible. So…now what? Bringing your new dog home is such an exciting and fulfilling experience, but it can be a bit daunting as well, especially if you’ve never shared your home with a furry companion. Here are some tips to get your relationship off on the right foot (or paw, as the case may be)!

1. Be prepared: Before you adopt your dog, know which training method you’re going to use (we love clicker training and other positive-reinforcement techniques) and read up on it so you can employ the philosophy from day one. Research dog care and nutrition in advance as well, and decide which food you’ll feed your dog and how many times a day he’ll eat (usually once or twice). The more prepared you are, the smoother your new family member’s transition will be.

2. Be flexible: While it’s good to be prepared, remember that your new dog is a living being with a mind of his own, and he may well express preferences that run counter to your plans. If the sleeping arrangements you’ve laid out just don’t work for him, you may have to shuffle things around a bit. If the sound of the clicker scares him to death, a different training method may be in order. Maintain a good sense of humor and try not to get exasperated. The transition period won’t last forever. Soon you and your new buddy will have a well-established routine.

3. Shop for the basics: You’ll need a leash, collar, a bed, food and water dishes and, of course, food! It’s a good idea to have these items in place even before you bring your new dog home. One other thing to buy right away: an ID tag! Put the tag on your dog immediately—we can’t stress that enough. By the way, you’ll notice that a crate isn’t on the list of things to buy in advance. If you plan on crate-training, it’s best to take your dog with you when you shop for the crate so you can find the correct size.

4. Make sure all family members are on board: Set some ground rules and make sure everyone in the family agrees to follow and enforce them. For instance, if you don’t want your new pup on the couch, all the training in the world won’t help if your daughter lets him sit there with her when you’re not home. Also, if caring for your dog will be a family effort, be certain everyone understands and agrees to their particular roles and responsibilities.

5. Help your new pal adjust: Over the first few days to a week, your new dog will be going through an adjustment period. You may notice some symptoms of anxiety, including a lack of appetite and suppressed bowel habits. Your dog may even hide under or behind furniture or stay in one particular room for a few days. Don’t be alarmed—this is absolutely normal behavior. By showing your new friend patience and understanding, you’ll be helping him through a tough, scary time and showing him how wonderful his new home really is!

6. Establish a schedule of feeding and walking and be consistent: Try to walk him and feed him at the same times each day, and signal the walkings and feedings with the same key words every time. For instance, right before you feed him, you might say, “Dinner time!” A reliable routine is an important tool in successfully integrating your new dog into your family and helping him feel secure.

7. Set aside time to bond: Spend some quiet time with your dog each day, petting him gently and speaking in a soothing voice. Touch is an incredibly powerful method of communication, one that is almost impossible to misunderstand. Show your dog he’s safe and loved, and your relationship will get off to a beautiful start.

8. Everyone needs time alone: Your dog is no exception! Give him time every day to be alone and to explore his new surroundings. Observe from a distance to make sure he’s safe, but not close enough to intrude on his “me” time.

9. Slowly introduce him to new things and people: We know you’re dying to show your amazing new family member to all of your other family and friends, but take it slowly! A good rule of thumb is to introduce no more than one new person to your dog each day. Also, save the first trip to the dog park for a week or two to avoid overwhelming and confusing him.

10. Get him a tune-up: Schedule a first visit to your dog’s new veterinarian during the first week (or immediately upon adoption if you have other pets at home or suspect your new pup might be ill). Bring any and all medical and vaccine records supplied by the shelter or rescue from which you adopted your dog. Many veterinarians will even provide a free first checkup to folks who adopt a pet! This first visit is a great time to get clues about your dog’s personality and past history, so don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. Also, have your dog microchipped right away (if he’s not already), so you can be reunited if (gasp!) you ever get separated. True love is hard to replace!

Adopting A New Pet, Doggie Tips, Getting Along with Your Pet, Household Tips, Pet Health and Safety, Raising Your Pet, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Non-surgical cat and dog sterilization surged into the spotlight last week when the topic was featured in Science Magazine. When U.S. billionaire Gary Michelson announced $75 million in grants and prize money for the development of a single-use, nonsurgical sterilant for dogs and cats, suddenly, researchers who had abandoned their non-surgical sterilization research work began ramping up their efforts again. Read about the research, grant winners, and how this all came to be in the article in Science Magazine online, and visit Found Animals press page for even more about these exciting developments.

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8:30 a.m., 9/1/09 Los Angeles California wildfires continue to burn out of control, threatening homes, people, and animals. “The Station fire” grew to more than 122,000 acres overnight last night, despite signs of improving weather conditions. We have put together this list of animal shelter and rescues that are assisting animals and people affected by the wildfires. If you hear any updates or have additions, please let us! This list includes: Animal Acres, Baldwin Park shelter, Basset Rescue Network, Gentle Barn, Irvine ACC, Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation, Pasadena Humane Society, Villalobos. Listing alphabetically!

Animal Acres
Acton, CA
http://www.animalacres.org
9/1 12:15am – found a more uptodate site with the evacuations and how to help Animal Acres here: http://kcdisasteraid.wordpress.com/ latest update 8/31 says they are “recruiting/managing standby volunteers for Animal Acres” for a 2nd evacuation, as where they were 1st evacuated to is now in the path of the fire.

Baldwin Park – Los Angeles County Animal Shelter
4275 N. Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706
The nonprofit that organizes help for this shelter is Animal Advocates Alliance http://animaladvocatesalliance.org/category/adopt-now/
8/31 11:55pm: “The fires have burned away from Baldwin Park’s service area and as of right now we are actually not that inundated. However a lot of our resources are at the fire and anything and everything could change at any moment. So I guess what we’re really most in need of is adopters to help empty the kennels! Kindest regards, Ric Browde”

Basset Rescue Network
Acton, CA
Main website: http://www.bassetrescuenetwork.org (see Latest News)
Fire updates & donations: http://www.firstgiving.com/ActonFire_BassetRescueNetwork
They have 100 basset hounds and mixes.
2:44 AM, 9/1/09, Kennel Manager updates: “We are safe as of 2:44AM. Here from the property we would evacuate all animals with the assistance of several neighbors as during an evacuation it’s unlikely that non area residents could get through.” The shelter needs money for the expenses that comes with the smoke, ashes, fire and pending evacuation.

Gentle Barn
Santa Clarita, CA
http://gentlebarn.org (for donations)
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/The-Gentle-Barn/54967149038?ref=ts
8/31: they are taking in animals from the fires, as they are currently not in the evacuation area (but close by). “Jay headed out to the fires in Acton with our stock tailor to see if anyone needed help. So far we have four new horses and two new donkeys from the fires. we shall see who Jay brings home next.”

Irvine Animal Care Center
6443 Oak Canyon, Irvine, CA 92618
http://www.cityofirvine.org/cityhall/cs/animalcare/default.asp
8/31: This shelter took in 40+ dogs from the Pasadena Humane Society to make room for fire evacuees. Those dogs need adopters, and they accept online donations too.

Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation
Acton, CA
Fire update page: http://lindablairworldheart.org/?p=749
(FB page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Acton-CA/The-Linda-Blair-WorldHeart-Foundation/70244399672?ref=ts )
8/31 8:56pm: “Our first and biggest need are donations. We need financial donations to help us with the many costs that can/will arise from this crisis situation. We are also in need of donated crates, at least 42″ in size as our doggies are large. We can always use blankets and dog bowls as well…. If you are willing to help load dogs in crates and transport to our evacuation spot and don’t mind getting called in the middle of the night please let us know. You can email worldheartvolunteers@gmail.com for more information.”

Pasadena Humane Society
361 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena CA 91105
http://pasadenahumane.org then click on “Donate Now to Fire Disaster Relief!”
8/31 4pm update: they currently have all the supplies and volunteers they need. Monetary donations are still being accepted.

Villalobos Rescue Center
Canyon Country, CA
http://www.vrcpitbull.com
8/31: have heard rumors they were evacuated, but have been unable to confirm – does anyone know?

Wildlife Waystation
14831 Little Tujunga Canyon Rd 91342 (818) 899-5201
9/1 update: http://www.scpr.org/blogs/fire-updates/2009/08/31/wildlife-way-station-receives-abundance-volunteers/

DO YOU NEED HELP getting your animals to safety? Please contact the Kinship Circle Disaster Aid Network. They stand ready to deploy volunteers. You can reach them at 917-596-9040 or http://www.kinshipcircle.org

Need wildlife help? Contact Valley Wildlife Care, a nonprofit, volunteer organization. They will intake ANY wildlife from the fires. http://www.valleywildlifecare.org 818-346-8247

(image is map of the fire per LA Times as of 11 p.m., 8/31/09)

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What are the best dog breeds to get along well with children? A few have become well-known as great dog breeds for kids, due to their typically friendly, tolerant personalities. However with any dog, when looking for one compatible with children, there are more important qualities to consider than just their breed. These include: individual temperament, past experiences, training level, activity level, and age of both the dog and child. Remember, it’s never safe to leave a dog unsupervised with toddlers or babies. When you get a new dog or puppy, a slow introduction with the assistance of a trainer is the safest route. That said, here are a few dog breeds that are well-known as great “family” dogs:

• Poodles often do well with children. They are known as one of the most intelligent breeds of dog, and because they come in all sizes, from Toy (10″ or under at the shoulder), Miniature (11-15″) to Standard (over 15″, ranging from 45-70 pounds) a fit can be found for most any age of child.
• Golden Retrievers and Labradors are famous for their love of children. Many will follow children around as if they have adopted the child. They can be very playful and high energy, especially as young dogs, so plenty of exercise and training is key.
• Mixed breed or Mutts – you can always find the perfect combination of traits in a Muttigree dog! Mixed breed dogs are much less likely to display undesirable characteristics of inbred purebreds that can be dangerous with children, and you can focus on the individual and unique personality of the Mutt to find your perfect family dog.

To discover more breeds that do well with children read the article at http://dogs.about.com/od/dogbreeds/qt/dogsforkids.htm

Adopting A New Pet, Doggie Tips, Getting Along with Your Pet, Household Tips, Pet Health and Safety | No Comments »

Petsummary.com is a website where you can keep all your pet records handy. This makes it much easier for vets to access pet information whether its a routine checkup, or emergency.

Just like Google’s new online health record service for people, PetSummary makes it easy for pet owners, vets and caregivers to access your dog’s important health data, anytime, anywhere. So it’s perfect for unexpected vet visits while your traveling or away from your pup. Even better, PetSummary makes you less dependent on your busy vet’s office to keep you up to date on vaccines, sparing you the cost of redundant tests or shots. Read more at woofreport.com

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Having trouble deciding whether to purchase pet insurance? Not sure which plan or provider is best for you? Choosing pet insurance should be evaluated much like choosing insurance for yourself, here are a few questions to consider…

• How does each policy handle preexisting conditions?
• How many repeat vet visits for similar treatments are covered?
• What about inherent diseases and anticipated conditions?
• What are the policy coverage options and claim processing turn around times?

For a complete guide to selecting pet insurance go to woofreport.com

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I saw a story on the news this weekend about firefighters who staged a daring rescue of a dog who had fallen through a frozen lake in Massachusetts.  Thanks to their heroic actions, the dog survived, but one of the firefighters was briefly trapped beneath the ice and had to be taken to a hospital to be treated for hypothermia.  I looked up the story online and noticed that the user comments fell squarely into one of two camps: there were those who were grateful to the firefighters for saving the dog’s life, and there were those who were angry and didn’t understand why a human being would risk their own life to save a dog.

Those of us who treasure our dogs, cats, and other animals as family members understand.  We can easily put ourselves in the shoes of the dog’s human family and shudder to imagine the panic they must have been feeling during the two-hour ordeal.  It must have been terrifying for them (and for the poor dog as well), and the gratitude they felt to the firefighters must have been beyond words.  I am extremely happy for them that their story had a happy ending.

That said, this incident was avoidable.  According to the fire lieutenant, the dog was not on a leash and traveled 300 feet onto the ice before he fell through.  Had the owners kept a leash on their dog, firefighters would not have had to risk their lives to enact this rescue.  Please, always obey leash laws.  If there are no leash laws in your area, use common sense. Never allow your dog off leash near an ice-covered body of water or any other potential hazard!

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