Saving just one dog won’t change the world...but, surely, the world will change for that one dog...

february 2015 the official speaking of dogs monthly newsletter

In this month’s newsletterDogs looking for homes ................................2 Wags & wiggles ............................................4 Events ...........................................................5 Ask the trainer ..............................................6 Bits and bites ................................................7 Recent adoptions ..........................................8 In memoriam ................................................9

About Speaking of DogsSpeaking of Dogs is a Toronto-based organization that launched in 2001 and is dedicated to educating and enlightening people about dogs through seminars, workshop forums, outreach and rescue. Our goal is to end cruelty, abandonment, mistreatment and homelessness of man’s best friend.

Speaking of Dogs Rescue is the operating name of Speaking of Dogs Rescue Program, a not-for-profit charitable corporation in the Province of Ontario.

Contact Speaking of Dogs1277 York Mills Road, Box 33508 Toronto, ON Canada M3A 3R5 Phone: 416-444-4190 | Fax: 416-444-7116 Email: info@speakingofdogs.com Web: www.speakingofdogs.com

Newletter TeamEditor: Nancy Foran Design: Cathy Vandergeest at www.gawck.ca Contributors: Nancy Foran, Lorraine Houston, and Emily Fisher

NewslettersIf you no longer want to receive our newsletter, email newsletter@speakingofdogs.com, with “unsubscribe” written in the subject line.

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | February 2015 | 1

Join the Don’t blame or Shame Train!

Many of you have seen website sites that depict a “guilty” dog with a signs that say something like “I ate my mom’s homework” or “I promise not to pee in the house again,” but at Speaking of Dogs we want to share some more positive and proactive messages!

Thanks to our models, Marlo and Roo, Emily and Elsie, Gerry and Britt, and Ian

and Palmer, who shared their words of wisdom signage!

Do you want to hop on the Don’t Blame or Shame Train? Then post a photo of you and your dog with a positive training message on Speaking of Dogs’ Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Speaking-of-Dogs/154018351304125.

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Diamond doberman / american bulldog mix

large, young, female

Roxy shepherd / collie mix large, senior, female

Without a doubt, a dog is a real friend. Our dogs come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common – they all need loving forever homes. Open your heart and your home to a rescue dog. You’ll be glad you did.

For complete information about the adoption process, please visit www.speakingofdogs-adoption.blogspot.com/For more information on each dog, simply click on their name.

a frienD in neeD iS a frienD inDeeD

feaTureD Dog:

Bijouterrier mix medium, adult, female

Lewis labrador retriever large, senior, male

Bijou is an approximately 18-month-old terrier mix who weighs 20 pounds and is full of life and energy!

When she first came into our rescue she was limping and uncomfortable on her back leg. We took her to our vet for x-rays and found that she had a malformed bone. An orthopedic surgeon corrected the problem, giving her back full mobility without discomfort. The leg completely healed, and her re-check showed the leg will not cause her any further difficulties.

We adopted Bijou to a home shortly after she recovered from surgery, but unfortunately the adopter was not committed to

exercising and training her. Bijou needs physical and mental stimulation; she is athletic and very smart, so she would enjoy the challenge of obedience or sport (yes her surgeon said she can do sports!).

She is great with other dogs and goes to doggy daycare, where plays appropriately. Despite her blonde wire-coated terrier roots, she is not like a wheaten terrier and does shed, though minimally.

A home with another active, happy dog would be a dream come true for Bijou, or a home with someone who frequents a dog park regularly. A home without a cat would be best, as she does tend to chase cats.

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Katieshih tzu / brussels griffon mix

small, adult, female

Benjamin terrier / maltese mix small, young, male

Enya poodle / terrier mix

small, senior, female

Brady miniature poodle

small, senior, male

Smartie lab / shar-pei mix

medium, senior, female

Fozzy cocker spaniel

medium, young, male

WagS anD WiggleS for Simon!Showing once again why he’s part of 2014’s foster family of the year, Simon Ong didn’t ask for presents for his birthday this year, he asked for donations for Speaking of Dogs Rescue! A great time was had by all at the cooking-themed party, and our dogs now have a better chance of having some great times of their own. Thanks so much Simon for your generosity. You’re helping to improve the lives of many dogs!

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | February 2015 | 4

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To: Lorraine From: Sherry and Rick Subject: Spud

Hi Lorraine,

Spud has been an amazing addition to our family! He is healthy and happy and has no health or behavioural issues. My daughter is a trainer, so Spud has had training and is such a smart boy. He has brought such joy and love, and believe me he gets the same back from us. He is such a happy boy and loves to swim and play and has, of course, found his bed right in between myself and my husband. He also loves his playmate Shyla, a six-year-old husky mix, and lets the cats boss him around quite regularly. We are so grateful that you picked us to be Spud’s “parents”!

We always love to hear how our dogs are doing in their forever homes. Please send your updates and photos to Lorraine at lorraine@speakingofdogs.com. Short pieces may be shared in our newsletter or via social media, such as our Facebook page, Instagram, and/or Twitter, in order to help spread the word about Speaking of Dogs Rescue.

Re: Spud x–

Show Your Love for the Leafs – And Our Dogs!

A friend of the rescue has generously donated a set of Leafs tickets for the Thursday, March 19th game against the San Jose Sharks at the ACC in Toronto. The raffle will be held from Wednesday, February 4th to Thursday, February 12th. The lucky number will be drawn on Friday, February 13th at noon. by an independent volunteer. Raffle tickets are virtual and priced at one for $10.00 or three for $25.00. Your ticket number(s) will be emailed to you. Your raffle stewards this draw are Gerry B. and Lorraine H. If you wish to purchase tickets please email lorraine@speakingofdogs.com. Payment can be made by cheque, Visa, MasterCard, or email money transfer.

2015 Fundraising GalaSaturday, March 7, 2015

7:30–midnight

Royal Canadian Legion 243 coxwell avenue (coxwell & gerrard) parking available

hors d’oeuvres (included) & cash bar tickets: $20 per person (casual attire)

ticket availability is limited

Featuring

comedian Judy croon

of “dogstarz”

Music by

the swamp kings

For ticket information please contact SODvolunteer@gmail.com

Enjoy a spectacular evening of entertainment including:

• “Live” & “silent” auctions• Door prizes

• 50/50 draw & raffles

Prizes include: toronto maple leafs vs. montreal hockey tickets, ipad mini, raptors tickets, catered dinner for 4, gift cards, bistro table & chairs,

handmade pine adirondack chairs, dna my dog kit, wine & spirits, animal communication reading by ursula darby, reiki sessions from pawsitive

support, wine rack made from golf clubs, plus much, much more!

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | February 2015 | 6

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Emily Fisher, CPDT-KA Scratch and Sniff Canine Services, Guelph, ON

HanDling anD nippingPuppies bite for many reasons, including expressing discomfort/frustration, in play, and because they are overtired. Puppies also have an inclination toward a “witching hour” at dawn and dusk. We’ll look at each of these scenarios.

The “Witching Hour”Many owners find that 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. bring out the worst in their puppies! If you know that a particular time of day prompts crazy biting, do your best to manage/prevent the behaviour and engage your puppy otherwise. This includes using baby gates to manage her movement, taking her for a walk or playing with toys in the yard, giving her a stuffed Kong or more active food-stuffed toy such as a Tricky Treat Ball, or arranging a play-date with a dog who wants to play with her. This is a normal part of puppy development.

Overtired PuppiesPuppies tend to have a wake/sleep cycle of 60 to 120 minutes. If you notice that your puppy seems to lose her mind after she’s been awake for an hour, the best strategy is to ensure that her needs have been met (bathroom, etc.) and settle her in her crate with a food-stuffed toy such as a Kong. Similar to a toddler who isn’t ready to leave the action, the solution for this is helping your puppy to settle and go to sleep.

Biting in PlayToys and access to friendly dogs are two good outlets for nipping in play.

When you can see your puppy is getting revved up and is going to start nipping your hands, immediately get a toy and keep her busy tugging and retrieving it. If her mouth is on a toy, her mouth is not on your hand. As much as you can, keep her busy with a toy before she considers biting you rather than waiting until after she has nipped you.

Having regular contact with friendly and playful dogs will give your puppy a good outlet for appropriate nippy play. Through appropriately monitored play she will learn the life-long lesson of controlling her jaw pressure. This is called “acquired bite inhibition” (ABI) and will come into play later in life if she bites out of stress. A dog who learned good ABI in her formative years will cause less damage than a dog who never learned to control her jaw pressure as a pup.

What to Do if Your Puppy NipsMany resources encourage owners to yelp or scream when their puppy nips. Generally this will result in a) scaring the puppy or b) revving the puppy up even further. Neither option is ideal. Owners may instead focus on providing more tangible consequences for nipping: the removal of the puppy’s playmate (you!). The order of events could be as follows:

1. Puppy gets revved up and is offered toys but decides to nip her owner instead.

2. At the exact moment the puppy nips, the owner uses a word such as “oops!” spoken in a neutral (not angry) tone.

3. The owner stands and steps over the baby gate in the doorway so the puppy no longer has access to her playmate. This “timeout” lasts for a short time, one minute or less, and the owner stays within sight to be sure the puppy doesn’t get into trouble.

Leaving the puppy is a better option than crating. To crate the puppy the owner must somehow get the puppy into the crate. Grabbing the puppy may encourage further nipping, since she

was looking to initiate rowdy play in the first place. And if the owner handles the puppy angrily, the puppy may become frightened of being grabbed or picked up.

Biting to Express Discomfort or FrustrationBiting out of frustration or discomfort is a very different scenario than biting in play because there is a negative emotion driving the behaviour. The puppy is nipping you because she wants you to stop whatever you’re doing, so timeouts or redirection are not effective methods of discouraging the behaviour. Biting of this nature is common when putting on or taking off equipment such as collars or harnesses, being patted or held when the puppy doesn’t want to be patted or held, and restraint such as for husbandry or veterinary procedures.

The solution for nipping out of discomfort lies in classical conditioning. This means you will work to change the underlying emotion that is causing your puppy to nip (see “Handling Exercises”). You should never “alpha roll” or hold your puppy down on the ground in response to biting. This will scare your puppy and cause much bigger issues to arise, the most common being aggression. In addition to countering biting, it’s critical to continuously practise handling exercises to ensure that veterinary, grooming, and husbandry procedures are enjoyable for your dog and easy for you to execute.

Handling ExercisesBegin handling exercises as soon as you bring your puppy home. Prepare tasty training treats, such as cheese cut into bits no larger than the size of a pea. Touch your puppy and then, with your other hand, offer a treat. Be sure to handle all body parts regularly, including toes, nails, and ears. If your puppy is getting mouthy or irritated, you’ll need to touch more lightly, in a more comfortable area, use tastier treats, or feed the treats more frequently during the exercise. Your puppy has limited ways to tell you that she’s uncomfortable, and it’s your responsibility to ensure that handling is a good experience for her.

biTS & biTeS

Truth About Pet Food has found evidence of possible toxins in popular pet foods.

Dogs Naturally Magazine also reported on the findings.

The Toronto Humane Society offers tips on keeping pets safe in cold weather.

The Modern Dog Trainer offers six lessons learned from Ian Dunbar, founder of the Association of Professional Dog

Trainers (APDT), during the association’s recent conference.

The Globe and Mail reported on the Toronto Humane Society’s latest promotional campaign, a satirical

video about a puppy swapping service.

Daytripper Dog Training is hosting a seminar on homeopathy for animals, which will be presented

by Dr. Carolyn Beson. The seminar is on March 8th in Blackstock, Ontario, and registration is $48/person. Pre-registration is required.

ViDeo biTS anD biTeSDerby was born with deformed front legs and could barely get around, but his foster mom, her co-workers, and a 3-D

printer helped give him the ability to run.

Read more...

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | February 2015 | 7

bits &

bites

Simply click on a summary to be whisked away to the internet page where you can read the full story.

This month’s recalls and alerts:

• JumpYourBonesRooBites (cubes) pet treats

• BarkworthiesChickenVittles Dog Chews

• J.J.FudsChickenTender Chunks pet food

• J.J.FudsDuckStripsand Beef Strips

operanT ConDiTioning anD SHaping Seminar in 2015!Speaking of Dogs will be hosting a seminar on how to solve behaviour issues through operant conditioning and shaping techniques on June 14, 2015. The seminar will be led by Nicole Larocco-Skeehan, CPDT-KA, owner and CEO of Philly Unleashed. Stay tuned to the newsletter for all of the details in the coming months!

DogS on THe inSiDeThe Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor Street West, Toronto) will be screening the heartwarming documentary Dogs on the Inside from February 6th to 16th. The film follows the relationships between neglected and abused dogs and minimum-security inmates at a Massachusetts correction facility, as they work together toward their second chance at a better life. You can view the trailer at http://ow.ly/I1PPx, and you can find ticket info at http://ow.ly/I1PDu.

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Happy Tails

Snoopy Artie

Samson

Sparky

Tiffany ShotsyElmo

January 2015 adoptions: A big thank you to our foster parents and our new adoptive guardians for helping give these loving dogs a second chance.

SarahHarley

Milo

Krishna

TeahLucy

Tessa

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HazelLoved by bLanche axton and Gordon nore

adopted 2006 | passed Jan., 15, 2015

TéoLoved by danieLLe hart and Marc rivard adopted 2012 | passed Jan., 1, 2015

DiamondLoved by tiM sMith

adopted auGust 2012 | passed deceMber 2014

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In Memory of Nikkiour heartfelt condolences embrace foster parents pascal, kristin, matthew and alexander arpin on the passing of beloved little nikki. our sincerest gratitude is also extended to this family for giving the elderly, neglected yorkie the best possible care and the most loving memories.

during the hot and humid august of 2012, two yorkshire terriers were left outside on a deck in a small crate. the day the neighbour intervened, there was a severe thunderstorm with torrential rain. thankfully, the dogs were surrendered to speaking of dogs rescue. they were rushed to a durham region veterinarian by brett m. one of our volunteers in the area. the dogs remained in the hospital for several days while they were rehydrated and examined. an investigation revealed that the elderly owners were tired of cleaning up pee and saw no problem leaving the dogs in the crate outside!

While the two little terriers were recuperating, gerry posted on fb for well-suited foster parents and linda o. tirelessly called and spoke with potential caregivers: pascal and kristin graciously opened their hearts and home. unfortunately, teddy (nikki’s brother) suffered congestive heart failure soon after the arpins began fostering, leaving the tiny female without her sibling for the first time in her 14 years. the arpins ensured she always felt safe and protected. thankfully, she still had other dogs in her life. chewie and Will, the family’s two Wheaten terriers, both respected and adored her.

many thanks to the vets and staff at cedarbrae veterinary clinic who made sure nikki always received the best possible healthcare. poor nikki had a number of ailments that needed ongoing attention, among them her left eye which eventually was removed to relieve pain and pressure. the arpins said she felt so much better that she went through her second puppyhood! special thanks to linda o. who was nikki’s foster captain (the most organized and efficient woman i know!)

always in style and well-coiffed, nikki was quite the sophisticated lady thanks to stephanie from pets are people too! she donated a full spa day and groom every 6 weeks (and was the only person nikki trusted to handle and trim her petite paws)!

the kindness and generosity of people helping our wee waif has been beyond exceptional. sincere condolences and thanks to a team of people who made a neglected little dog’s life turn from horrid to heavenly.

godspeed, little friend. reunite with teddy—run together again. you were both loved and cherished and will be in our hearts until we meet again.