Nancy Freedman-Smith, dog trainer and owner of Gooddogz Training, provides a place for dog owners to find positive training tips, canine-activities and places to visit along with the latest information on keeping your dog healthy and active. Nancy lives with her three young kids, Charlee and Finney the dogs, Yellow the parakeet and Tater-Tot the Hamster. Staying current, keeping fresh, and always learning new things is a must for Nancy and her profession because one thing that animals surely teach you is "the more you know, the more you know you don't know."
Around Town on Take your Dog to Work Day
Take your dog To Work Day is shaping up to be the place to be with your dog this Friday in downtown Portland.
I will be in the general area with my Around Town Class. If you see us, please say hello.
But remember...please don't pat my clients unless they are sitting!
$$$ Putting a value on your pet's life $$$
A few people have asked me if I had seriously thought about how much I would/could pay in Veterinary bills for Charlee. Many well meaning people gently reminded me that the veterinary medical profession may seem to forget that we need to put food on our tables. They reminded me that Vets just keep testing and poking and prodding so I need to have a clear "end" as to how many bills my family can absorb.
Sorry... I don't feel that way.
I have a young dog in great health and I plan on doing whatever it takes. If that means getting a second job or maybe even a second morgage, so be it.
Several folks have suggested that I put a cap of $5,000 on what I can pay. I'm already nearing the $2,000 mark; I don't see how that is possible.
While I sat in the Emergency Clinic's waiting room on Friday, I saw a couple have this very same conversation right there in front of me, when they were handed the estimate for their dog's emergency care.
Remember 1/2 the money up front.
My heart ached for them. I won't tell you what kind of dog they had to protect their privacy, and besides, I don't think it really matters.
In this case, the husband and wife were not in agreement. The husband looked at the situation from a practical standpoint. I could hear him slowly raising his voice to make sure his concerns were heard.
"Think about how keeping our dog at the vet will traumatize him and how much he will hate it here without us. He won't like being near the other dogs in a kennel. He is old and very sick, and that is one very expensive bill. There goes our vacation plans for the next few years. I think his time has come. What good will spending all this money do for the overall quality of his life".
The wife on the other hand didn't really hear a word he said and for each syllable of his that became louder, hers became softer and more determined. She looked at with steely eyes and softly told him the discussion was over and to hand over his credit card.
He did.
That was my cue to take another walk in parking lot to have a good cry.
Care Credit
Do you know about Care Credit? I was surprised to find that most of my friends and no one in my family knew that Care Credit existed.
Did you know that you can get interest free loans for some medical and most Veterinary bills? Good thing the ER clinic takes it because they want 1/2 the high estimate up front, as do most Vet clinics these days.
You may want to take a few minutes and apply now so you know you have it if/when you need it.
Where's Charlee contest # 6
The first person to correctly identify Charlee's location wins a Maine Today.com Frisbee.
Here is a hint:
She is still there...
To restrain or not restrain??
Karla - one of Portland's finest!
Many many thanks to all you well wishers out there, both on my blog and privately. Car accidents sure are scary. Talk about a reality check! I am banged, bruised, stiff and sore, and more than a little freaked out, but we are all basicially ok.
While getting a few ducks in a row today, I had the pleasure of meeting Karla, Portland's working bomb dog. She goes home with a PPD employee at night and spends most days hanging out in the office when she is not working on location. At 7 years old, she is nearing retirement.
And to answer the most asked question of the week, no my dog was not restrained, she was in the far back seat of my van. In this particular case, if she had been restrained, I think she would have been seriously hurt.
I am a firm believer of car restraints for dogs and often tell my clients to do as I say, not as I do. One of my all time biggest pet peeves-- people who drive with their dogs riding on their laps, or with their dogs jumping all over the car and barking incessantly, jumping from window to window.
Both of those scenarios are inherently dangerous to both dog and owner.
I do have car restraints and often use them on visiting dogs, or rescue dogs. Usually with unknown dogs, I crate or knot the leash and close it outside the car door, so the dog cannot get away when the car door is open and to contain them during the ride.
It is a bit grayer with the dog who rides well in a car. One of the reasons I didn't restrain my dog was so that she can get away from my youngest and not be put in a position where she was hurt and felt the need to bite.
Now now, here me out.
Yes-you do need to supervise dogs and children, but there is no way that a parent can protect a dog every minute of every second of every day. Sometimes when I am driving, my little one reaches back to pet the dog, and my dog knows to step aside if she has had enough. Dogs will fight or fight and I have chosen to give Charlee the option of flight. I have done everything to kid proof my dog, but she is still an animal and a sensitive one at that.
All dogs have the potential to bite, don't ever kid yourself about that.
When little ones are not in my car will I now restrain my dog? Yes, I know so many horrific car/dog accident stories, that I can't choose otherwise.
Update!
I have had quite a few people write to tell me that their dogs can get out of a harness restraint. For a complete review of good harness products check out this article over at the Whole Dog Journal. Articles are available for purchase at the WDJ for a small fee.
Or just bite the bullet and subscribe already.
What are you waiting for?
Dog food and rabies vaccine recall
Simmons dog food, most commonly sold by Walmart as Ol' Roy, is being recalled for "flaking",
and
Fort Dodge is recalling 330,000 doses of it's rabies vaccine, after a dog in Kansas got rabies after being vaccinated.
Lab alphabet poster
Love this poster!
I used to have the Lab alphabet poster hanging in my 13 year old son's room when he was a baby, but it didn't survive the move to Maine. I bought it at a now defunct exceptionally cool doggie boutique that used to reside in Boston's Beacon Hill.
That store was at least 15 years ahead of the current dog craze wave.
I am ordering another one and you can to right here
for $12.00 plus shipping.
it's the people.
Picture this.
Your sitting in a waiting room all day waiting for your car to be fixed, when in walks a rowdy year old Boxer. Dog is wet from the rain, pees on the floor, and is allowed to meet, greet and jump on just about everyone in a six foot radius, and the dog has no manners. Then said Boxer starts to bark and whine, so the owner calls the dog up on a chair to try to quiet him. Owner then blames the dog's bad behavior on her old boyfriend.
Anyone see what is wrong with this picture?
Hello! If your dog is in need of manners, the place to get it is not where I am getting my car fixed. Even my four year old gasped; "Your letting that dog on the chair? My Mom is a dog trainer and you need help".
People - if you insist on taking your dog to a public place, please set a good example because you are representing all dogs. Your dog's bad manners will get us all banned.
I have had dogs in waiting room many times and each time I keep my dog away from customers unless they ask, and if the dog gets fidgety, I take it outside.
Plus if I am annoyed and I am a dog person, what about the people who are not? Show some respect!
After my daughters little outburst, the owner then asked me for training suggestions. Anyone surprised that she didn't listen to a single one?
I felt like the guy whose job it is to make the donuts, and he is so sick of making donuts that he doesn't want anything to do with donuts anymore. By this point, I wanted nothing more to do with this dog. Waiting room at the sixth hour does not make for a happy Mommy, or happy trainer.
Clearly, it's not the dogs it's the people.
Featured adoptable dog--- Meet Dante
**SPECIAL NEEDS**
Meet Dante-from New England Border Collie Rescue.
He is a very sweet, loving, very outgoing, and playful 10 month old registered BC who has been diagnosed with Idiopathic Epilepsy. Brain tumors, encephalitis & other diseases have been ruled out through extensive testing (including MRI). Dante is now stablized on 2 pills of phenobarbital a day, but he will most likely continue to have cluster seizures periodically throughout his life. A cluster seizure can be life-threatening unless a human intervenes with medication.
Dante's 'forever home' will be with someone who can be with him at all times and who is structured enough to NEVER forget to give him his pill every 12 hours. Even being 2 hours late is enough to throw him into a seizure. Nebcr will teach you how to deal with seizures, including giving him Diazapan rectally. Dante's 'forever home' will be calm & able to cope during a crisis and able to deal with his seizures in a loving, gentle but capable way.
The good part is that Dante is well worth the side-effects of epilepsy. He is young, playful, lovable, athletic, smart, and willing to please, and knows all his basic commands quite well. He gets along great with other dogs and
Dante loves children
as well as other dogs. He would be delighted to share a home with older kids, but small children might be frightened during a seizure and he doesn't want to scare anyone. It is also important for everyone's safety, that any children in the home be taught to stay clear of Dante during and immediately after a seizure, until he has had a chance to settle down and return to normal.
Dante is a very very special dog who is looking for just the right home.
Yes, he does have a little medical problem, but it doesn't cause him any pain and he doesn't remember the seizures -- he just needs a calm, consistent, and very responsible person to help him through them.
Dante's new parent(s) will be trained on how to handle his seizures, like always having his Diazapan & Phenobarb on hand, even a travel kit for hikes & playgrounds. He's a little like having a child who's allergic to bee stings --- have to keep that kit nearby 'just in case'!
If you are willing to have Dante in your life 24/7 and have the right personality to deal with an epileptic dog, he will reward you with sloppy kisses, lots of laughter, and years of being your very best friend.
For more info on Dante, click here. You must fill out an applcaiton to be consdiered for this or any NEBCR dog.
For more information on canine epilepsy, click this link
Canine Epilepsy Guardian Angels.
A special thank you goes out to Pet Quarters in Windhamand At your Barkin' Call in Gray for selling donation bones for Dante and helping to raise money for his Vet care which has totaled approximately $3500.
From time to time A Dog's Life features adoptable dogs from Maine rescues and shelters. I prefer to feature dogs that are difficult to place and need a bit of extra help finding their special person.
If your Maine rescue group or shelter would like to feature a dog on this blog email gooddogz1@aol.com. Please put featured dog for blog in the heading.
New Maine Today.com pet section
Have you added your pet's photo to the new pet section yet?
Can't decide if I like pets on vacation, or the pet introductions better.
Ok-so I like them both and it has been fun to see lots of pets that I know on line.
You all remember Miss Jane from the TV show Romper Room?
I see Fanza and Ripley and Bailey and Bishop.... and Una the chicken.
Reason 57-Why I don't like electric fences for dog
From Bostonchannel.com
An electric dog fence was blamed for a house fire in Bellingham.
"The lightning hit the tree on the top and then once it hit the tree it came down into the ground and it looked like it hit the electric fence," a resident said. The fence carried the bolt into the garage.
-thanks Mom for the news tip
No Lyme Vaccine for Charlee!!!
I had planned to write a big huge article on why I do not vaccinate my dog for lyme. However, I never seem to be able to find the time to write it up properly and I can't in good conscience keep letting this topic slide to the back burner day after day.
Many of my clients, friends, and family are shocked to find out that I do NOT vaccinate for lyme, while their Vets are insisting that they do.
Back in April, The Portland Press Herald ran an article telling everyone to run out and be sure their pets are vaccinated for lyme and do it right away because this is going to be a bumper year for ticks.
I have said this before on this blog and it needs repeating. When it comes to health care, whether it be yours or your pets, do the research and find out all you can and make your own choices.
At the prompting from Kris Cristine (you all remember Kris, she changed Maine's outdated Rabies law from 1 to 3 years) I contacted Dr. Ronald Shultz,
a highly respected immunologist from the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School, and asked him if he thought all dogs in Maine should be vaccinated against Lyme as the article suggested.
Here is his email to me in it's entirety. Please read it all!
Your dog says thank you!
Nancy
It is not a scientifically based recommendation to suggest that all dogs in Maine should be vaccinated with Lyme Vaccine. There may be select areas in the state, "hot spots" where infection is very high and vaccination would be indicated, but dogs in most parts of the state would probably not receive benefit and may actually be at risk of adverse reactions if a large scale vaccination program was initiated. Wisconsin has a much higher risk of Lyme than Maine, however at our Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) we have used almost no Lyme vaccine since it was first USDA approved in the early 1990's. What we have found is infection (not disease), in much of Wisconsin, is low (<10% infection). As you know, infection does not mean disease. About 3 to 4% of infected dogs develop disease. In contrast, in Western and Northwestern parts of Wisconsin infection occurs in 60 to 90% of all dogs. In those areas, vaccination is of benefit in reducing clinical disease. However, whether vaccination is or is not indicated, all dogs should be treated with the highly effective tick and flea medications (e.g. Advantage). Also, vaccinated dogs can develop disease as efficacy of the product is about 60 to 70% in preventing disease, thus antibiotics must be used in vaccinated dogs developing disease, just like it must be used in non-vaccinated diseased dogs. Therefore, in general areas with a low infection rate <10% infection the vaccine should not be used as the vaccine will be of no value and may enhance disease (e.g. arthritis) directly or in some dogs that become infected. In areas where infection rates are high (>50%) then the vaccine will be very useful. Thus, I believe it is irresponsible to suggest that all dogs in Maine should be vaccinated. Veterinarians should know, based on diagnoses in their clinic and other clinics in the area (town), how common the disease would be and they should base their judgment to vaccinate on risk, not on a statement that all dogs in Maine need Lyme vaccine!
R.D. Schultz
_______________________________
Ronald D. Schultz, Professor and Chair
Department of Pathobiological Sciences
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Wisconsin-Madison
2015 Linden Drive West
Madison, WI 53706
Update! 9/19/06
I am hearing of an increasing number of Lyme fatalities in Maine, and I will revisit this issue again in the spring.
Poop Free Zone
Tired of dogs pooping on your lawn and ready to tell the whole world about it? How about a Poop Free Zone sign for 19.95 plus shipping.
as seen on Doggie News.com a really fun place to surf on over to.
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