FUN EVENT IN FLAGSTAFF

Arizona Border Collie Rescue is sponsoring a HUGE rescue event in
Flagstaff this Saturday from 9a - 3p. Bring your four-legged friends
and enter either the 1.25 mile poker walk or the .75 blackjack walk!
Enjoy watching all the demonstrations: herding, agility, frisbee.
There will be presence by the Flagstaff Kennel Club Drill Team, face
painting, animal balloons, a really BIG raffle with lots of great
prizes, and more. There will also be over 21 rescues attending the
event! For more information, go to www.rescueroundup.com

Is your dog bored???

Does your dog give you sad puppy dog eyes? Do they dig holes in the yard? Are they chewing up furniture? Barking constantly? Escaping over the fence? Bolting out the door? Well...many of our dogs behavior problems stem from one simple word....BORED!!!

You must remember a very important fact about our dogs. They are working animals and a working animal needs something to do with it's life. Well you say, our dogs have a huge yard and can run and play all they want. I say to you...how would you feel being stuck behind the same four walls ALL OF THE TIME. It is so very important to get out and explore that is what they are made to do. When your dog is bored and has nothing to do with all of this energy that they store up, they then turn that energy towards something "fun" in their eyes to get rid of the energy build up i.e. digging, chewing, barking and such.

So what can you do to help them? There are so many things you can do to help your dog burn off engery in a physical but also MENTAL way (which is the side many of us forget about). Some very basic things would be to take them for a walk (the proper way, by your side), let them swim or enroll them in an activity.

There are lots of fun activites you can do with your dog that aren't just fun for them, but for you too.

Agility is a fast growing sport found just about all over. There is Flyball where your dogs runs as fast as they can down a course, picks up a tennis ball and runs back. Dock Diving when they jump into water, frisbee dogs,search and rescue, lure coursing, therapy work....the list is non stop. There is a great website that gives wonderful descriptions of all the fun things you and your dog can try out together, after all you got your dog to do things with. Check out http://www.dogplay.com/ and see if any of those activities fit you and your dog.

I can promise you this. If you start doing more things with your four-legged friend you will find yourself coming home to less destruction around the house and no more sad puppy dog eyes when you return.

Good luck and have fun!
Kim~

4th of July Safety.

Pop! Bang! There Goes the Dog!

The 4th of July, a favorite American holiday, brings to mind family, friends, food, and firecrackers! However, for a lot of our canine friends this holiday means one thing and one thing only, big, scary noises that seem to never end and from which there is no escape!

If you have a pet that is fearful of the celebratory loud noises, here are a few tips to keep him or her as stress free as possible.

1. Do not take your pet to a fireworks display. It is very important for a dog to have the ability to recover from any fear before it happens again. Commercial firework displays generally become louder and brighter before they end and there is usually no break in between the fireworks. And finally, the intensity level usually escalates into the finale.

2. Plan ahead for the day. Designate a safe place for your dog to stay where he feels secure, and if possible, where the noise level is lower, for example, a basement. Provide a radio or television to help cover the noise and something “extra good” for the dog to chew on for distraction. If your dog’s fear is severe, boarding is a good alternative.

3. Do not leave your dog in the yard unsupervised or take him or her out to go to the bathroom without a leash. Dogs can become expert escape artists in a matter of minutes if their fear is great enough. Arrange your dog’s bathroom and mealtimes when the noise level is at its lowest.

4. Shelters are usually full on the 4th of July and immediately following due to pet’s escaping yards and sometimes their homes. It is not unheard of for a dog to go through a window or door to escape. For this purpose, always keep a collar with current identification tag on your pet.

By Mary Sellaro

Hello dog friends.

Hi-
I just wanted to say hello to all of the dog familes out there. My name is Kim and I have been working with pups for over 12 years now. I love what I do and enjoy helping us humans understand our pups better. This blog is going to be another venue for us to help each other. Please feel free to check here often for info on all kinds of events, help with behavior, training and fun!!! Thanks for checking in with me. I look forward to building this family.
Kim-Pet Trainer
Chandler, AZ

"Our dogs are a direct reflection of what we make them."