"Please, Don't Sniff My Crotch!"
As you know, sniffing is a natural and important behavior for your dog. He uses his heightened sense of smell to help identify people and other dogs, to determine where they've been, and to determine another dog's sex and position in the pack's pecking order.
In most cases, a dog can learn a lot by a quick sniff – and that's normal, natural behavior that dog owners and their guests have come to accept. However, sometimes a dog seems to become fixated on this behavior and their constant, prolonged sniffing becomes embarrassing for the owner and the people being subjected to the sniffing.
How to nip over-sniffing in the bud
If your dog is an overzealous sniffer, the first thing to remember is that, to him, this is appropriate behavior. Which means, of course, that it's up to you to help him "understand" that he shouldn't overdo it. Here's how:
If your dog sniffs at you in this way, don't back away from him, as this gives him the message that you are submissive and that he's in control. To properly train your dog, you need to reinforce your role as leader of the pack. Instead, give him the "no" command and move forward toward your dog. As a result of doing this, he will back away from you. Be sure to reward him when he behaves appropriately.Consistency is key. Never allow any behavior from your dog that you don't want to see again, and make sure that everyone in the household is sending your dog the same messages. Be sure everyone in your family understands the difference between appropriate sniffing and overzealous, embarrassing sniffing.
Source: http://www.pedigree.com/02All-Things-Dog/Article-Library/fetch.aspx?artId=762&catId=1&sCatId=12&catName=Puppy&sCatName=Socialization
© 2009 Mars, Incorporated and Affiliates
An Intimate Sniff Not an Assault if Performed by a Dog, Judge Rules
By Les Kennedy
November 29, 2002
Sydney, Australia - If a police drug sniffer dog nuzzled a person's crotch it could be interpreted in the animal kingdom as a friendly gesture and not an assault, a Supreme Court judge said yesterday.
Also, the use of a police sniffer dog could be likened to an extension of the nose of a police officer, just as their flashlight enhanced their eyesight at night, Justice Barry O'Keefe said in dismissing a magistrate's decision to quash drug charges against a Sydney man.
Justice O'Keefe was hearing an appeal by police against a decision last year by Deputy Chief Magistrate Mary Jerram to dismiss two drug possession charges against Glen Darby, 22. Darby was detected carrying cannabis and amphetamines by police sniffer dog Rocky outside an Oxford Street nightclub on February 25, 2001.
Ms. Jerram ruled Rocky intruded on individual rights when it allegedly sniffed out the drugs and put its nose on his pocket.
But Justice O'Keefe said Rocky's "olfactory sense merely enhances that of a police officer in the same way that a flashlight enhances the officer's sight."
Clive Steirn, SC, for Darby, had submitted that the search by the dog was a result of a trespass to him. But Justice O'Keefe said what Rocky had done did not constitute a search and the act of sniffing involved no trespass.
Mr Steirn had said: "If Your Honor were to do as this dog did and nuzzle the defendant's genitals, it would be an indecent assault."
But Justice O'Keefe, while struggling to keep a straight face, replied: "It is unnecessary for the purposes of this decision to resolve that question.
"Acts that might constitute an indecent assault if perpetrated by one human being on another, may well be characterized quite differently if performed by one dog on an other, or by a dog on a human.
"When a 'crotch nuzzle' ... is performed by a dog in relation to a human being, it may be no more than a conventional, friendly, social gesture with no hostile intent, and unlikely to constitute an assault," he said.
Darby's charges will be resubmitted to the Local Court.
Source: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/28/1038386259905.htmlCanines Contribute to Long-term Care of Wounded War Veterans
By Lauren Lewis Innocenzi
Two weeks after taking office in July, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) joined with U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) to introduce the Service Dogs for Veterans Act that would set up a pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs to pair service dogs with veterans who have physical or mental wounds, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In an opinion piece in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune dated July 18, Franken wrote, "Frankly, I believe it is enough simply to improve the lives of those of whom we asked so much. But this program isn't just the right thing to do. It's the smart thing to do. This is win, win, win, win."
Whether or not one agrees with Franken's politics, his assessment that service dogs provide immense benefits to vets suffering from physical and emotional wounds is difficult to dispute.
An estimated 400,000 vets are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to Gloria Gilbert Stoga, president and founder of Puppies Behind Bars (PBB), whose Dog Tags program was established in 2006 to provide service dogs to veterans returning home from these countries who have physical injury, TBI or PTSD.
"The number of wounded veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with physical and invisible wounds is huge," Stoga says. "To get these men and women reengaged in society is both something that is good for them and something that we as a Country owe those who have fought on our behalf."
Stoga's organization has paired 15 service dogs with veterans so far and plans to pair up to eight more in 2009 and an additional 15 to 20 next year. The dogs are trained in 87 commands, which include everything from opening doors, turning on and off lights, and picking up objects and giving them to the veterans. In addition, canines are also taught special commands created especially for veterans. "These include blocking access in case the veteran gets concerned when someone is approaching; looking both ways before entering a room so the veteran knows it is safe to enter that room; and dialing 911 on a telephone if the veteran needs help and cannot call for it himself. Our dogs are also taught to find the veteran's car in a crowded parking lot," says Stoga.
Isaiah Schaffer, a 25-year-old United States Marine Corps corporal who served in Iraq, was paired with a service dog from Dog Tags last November. "I was very bad off with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. My mom realized this and had heard about [the program]. I was instantly on board with the idea," he says.
Schaffer's story is not uncommon among war veterans. After returning home, he had trouble readjusting to life outside of the military. "My life was full of loneliness, depression, and a constant home theater system in my head of the constant horrors of war," he says in a letter of gratitude he recently wrote to PBB. Schaffer explains that he was fearful of the world, so much so that he reached a point where he was afraid to leave his apartment.
But things changed once he met his service dog, a chocolate Lab named Meghan. Schaffer says Meghan encourages him every day and has helped him reclaim his confidence. "Since Meghan, I have not only regained my freedom and come to be able to function in this world I was once so fearful of, but I have also gained a best friend," he says.
Most recently, Meghan has played a major role in helping Schaffer transition into fatherhood. He recounts a story of being home for the first night with his newborn daughter when she began to cry violently. "My hands became sweaty, and my heart began to pump fast, and I shook and froze.
These sounds reminded me of a battle I was in where a newborn was left in the streets where none of us could get to her because of the intense firefight. I looked down at Meghan for an instant, and it was like she read my mind. And just with a wag of her tail and a look I felt she was telling me, You got this. You're fine.' With that I scooped up my daughter and sang her to sleep."
In addition to helping repair emotional wounds, service dogs also assist veterans who have been physically injured. "For those that have experienced hearing loss, they can be at home by themselves and be confident that the dog will alert them to a ringing doorbell, smoke alarm, or teakettle boiling over. For those that use a wheelchair, the assistance dog can pick up dropped items that they cannot reach, turn a light switch on or off, carrying items for them, or pull their wheelchair," explains Jeanine Konopelski, national director of marketing communications for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). "Assistance dogs allow people to be out in the workforce again, go to school, or even just go out to dinner without having to rely on another person to be with them to help with daily physical tasks."
CCI was formed in 1975 and has since paired more than 3,000 assistance dogs with people with disabilities. Its Wounded Veteran Initiative has partnered more than 60 dogs with those who have served in the military, including Jeffrey Adams, a first lieutenant with the Louisiana Army National Guard. In Nov. 2004, Adams was wounded by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Baghdad. Most of his left leg had to be amputated. Today he walks with a prosthetic titanium leg with help from his assistance dog, Sharif.
"Prior to my involvement [with CCI], I knew of various types of law-enforcement dogs, dogs for the hearing disabled, and dogs for the blind, but I was unaware of all the other types of companions that are out there," Adams says. "Other than the tasks that Sharif helps me do, as well as the ones he helps me do safely, there are endless amounts of good things to say about being able to take a well-trained machine and your dog out in public and to work every day."
Organizations such as PBB and CCI provide service dogs at no cost to veterans. However, the price isn't negligible. For example, the cost of a CCI assistance dog can exceed $45,000, including breeding, training, placement, and follow-up services for the life of the dog. The cost to PBB is $26,000 for every Dog Tags team (wounded warrior and dog). Both groups rely entirely on donations from their supporters to fund the programs.
The Service Dogs for Veterans Act could help provide needed financial assistance. As it stands, the bill would require the Veterans Administration (VA) to coordinate with nonprofit organizations to pair at least 200 service dogs and veterans. The VA would also be required to pay the full cost for the first 50 dogs and share costs for the next 150. A pilot study for three years will determine the efficiency and therapeutic benefits.
Although CCI has some problems with the Service Dogs for Veterans Act (namely, it does not believe that a pilot program and feasibility study is needed to show the benefits of assistance dogs), Konopelski says the organization is looking forward to working with Sen. Franken to refine the legislation to include financial measures that would stimulate more availability for veterans. Specifically, CCI would like the act to grant accredited organizations $10,000 per veteran placed with a trained assistance dog to cover expenses. "In addition, we feel the proposed legislation by Sen. Franken should address the issues of compensation for veterans' travel expenses to and from the training location and the other incidental costs of having a dog for 8 to 10 years," says Konopelski.
Even if legislation aimed to help service dog initiatives for veterans isn't passed, the need for these programs will continue to increase as injured soldiers return home from war. Whether the soldiers' wounds are physical or emotional, the benefits that service dogs can provide these men and women are profound. For Corporal Isaiah Schaffer, a service dog provided him with a second chance. "[It] has helped me to regain my life back," he says. "I am no longer just a broken vet. I have a life; I can finally function in society."
America's VetDogs (Veteran's K-9 Corps)
VetDogs.org
—Branch of Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. that provides service dogs for visually impaired veterans.
Canines for Combat Veterans
NEADS.org
—Program of Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans/NEADS that serves any combat veteran whose service injury has resulted in deafness or disability.
Canine Companions for Independence: Wounded Veteran Initiative
CCI.org
—Initiative through CCI, the largest assistance-dog organization in the world, pairs dogs with veterans who have been disabled in combat.
Dog Tags: Service Dogs for Those Who've Served Us
PuppiesBehindBars.com
—Established by Puppies Behind Bars to provide service dogs to veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan who have a physical injury, TBI or PTSD.
Operation Hero Hounds
TamarGeller.com/outreach-heroes.php
—Celebrity dog trainer Tamar Geller's program to help veterans focus on emotional healing for nonvisible ailments such as PTSD and TBI through training dogs in need of behavior modification.
Service Dogs for Veterans Act
OpenCongress.org/bill/111-s1495/text
—A proposed bill that would require the secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using service dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of veterans with physical or mental injuries or disabilities and for other purposes.
Source: http://www.tailsinc.com/index.php?action=getArticle&aid=542
Copyright 2008 Tails Pet Media Group, Inc.
Protect Your Dog During the Holidays
This is a season to say thanks to those we love, including our canine companions. Some dog owners do this by sharing some of their family feast with their pooch. While you may think that a few morsels of "people food" can't hurt, the fact is that some foods can be harmful – even lethal – to dogs.
The foods we eat during the holidays tend to be particularly rich and fatty, and that can cause health problems in dogs now and down the road. Vomiting and diarrhea are commonly seen in dogs given food that is not a part of their regular diet, especially foods that are high in fat.
How to ensure that your dog has a safe and healthy Thanksgiving:
dispose of it in a secure place where no pets can get into it.Thanksgiving meals may have all your favorites, but imagine what can happen to your dog if he chows down on mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Keep in mind that the potential risks of feeding him Thanksgiving leftovers far outweigh his momentary delight. A little restraint and a yummy chew toy will keep your dog safe this Thanksgiving and for many holidays to come.
Source: http://www.pedigree.com/02All-Things-Dog/Article-Library/fetch.aspx?artId=632&catId=1&sCatId=14&catName=Puppy&sCatName=First%20Aid%20and%20Safety
© 2009 Mars, Incorporated and Affiliates
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Chaining Dogs Unleashes Bad Behavior
By Victoria Stilwell, Special for USA TODAY
8/12/2009
I am constantly surprised at the number of my clients who regularly chain or tie their dog in the backyard for long periods of time and then wonder why the dog is misbehaving on and off the leash.
Unfortunately, such tethering is common practice in the U.S. because of the less structured design of American real estate and common lack of fencing between properties. The well-meaning but misguided rationale I usually hear is that tethering is the only way for the dog to be under control outside without owner supervision.
Further, many clients have the incorrect belief that if the dog is outside most of the time, it doesn't need to be walked and won't suffer as much from lack of human contact.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that keeping your dog in your backyard most of the day will replace his natural need for stimulation and get you off the hook for not walking him. In fact, it almost always does more harm than good, since the backyard becomes just another "room" in which he can quickly get bored.
At the mercy of kids and other animals
A study by the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2000 showed that 17% of fatal dog attacks on humans between 1979 and 1998 were from dogs that were restrained on their property by tethers at the time of the attack, and many of the victims were children.
So why are chained dogs more likely to bite, and why are the incidences of these attacks becoming so common?
Tethered dogs have a greater tendency to respond aggressively to an approaching person (even if it's someone the dog knows), yet owners often seem unaware that continual confinement can cause immense frustration, which leads to increased reactivity or desire to chase and bite a person. Certain dogs are particularly territorial, becoming protective over space or property and putting anything approaching their territory at risk.
Dogs tethered in yards with no fences are much more accessible to the public, including children who often can't resist touching or sometimes teasing a dog. Unable to increase the distance between itself and an approaching stranger, the dog has no option but to fight. Tethered dogs are also at the mercy of other animals that may wander onto their territory and are at risk of getting tangled in their tethers and being injured.
A dog is a social animal, so lack of social interaction can seriously damage its psychological well-being, causing a buildup of frustration and anger that can explode at the slightest trigger.
Other commonplace scenarios besides tethering can create what dog behaviorist Jean Donaldson describes as "barrier frustration." Crate training is a popular and sometimes effective method of house training a puppy, but some dogs can't cope in such a confinement. Lack of space can cause excessive anxiety, which manifests itself in whining, barking or chewing on the crate. Dogs that suffer separation anxiety often become more anxious in crates.
Owner and pet in a dangerous cycle
A dog can experience similar frustration on the leash. In normal circumstances, an unleashed dog would be able to put sufficient distance between itself and a fear source, but if the same dog is leashed and unable to increase distance, he will react or behave aggressively, hoping the fear source will go away. If his behavior is validated by success, he is likely to react in the same manner again. In response, the owner often becomes tense when walking and keeps the leash tight, transmitting the nervousness down the leash to the dog, effectively making the behavior worse. Dog and owner are then locked into a cycle of tension and leash-lunging that's hard to change.
Many common behavioral problems could be avoided if owners understood how severely confinement can compromise natural behavior. Some local governments are becoming aware of the potential problems that chaining can cause for dogs and humans, and many cities and counties are making tethering illegal.
The key is to see the world from the dog's point of view if we want to understand why dogs behave as they do. Only then can we truly identify the root cause of the behavior and humanely solve the problem using positive reinforcement.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pets/2009-08-12-stilwell-dog-chains_N.htm
Copyright 2009 USA Today
Victoria Stilwell is the host of Animal Planet's "It's Me or the Dog." Her no nonsense, common sense approach to dog training is both practical and effective. It's about educating owners on how to see things from a dog's perspective and use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior. With a little patience and effort, anyone can live happily with their canine companions. Visit Victoria Stilwell on the Web, get her training tips and watch full episodes of "It's Me or the Dog" by clicking http://animal.discovery.com/tv/its-me-or-dog/index.html or http://www.victoriastilwell.com
Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim
Yelling Doesn't Help!
By: Marc Goldberg, CDT
When you come home to find your favorite pair of shoes shredded by the family dog, it is frustrating! It is a natural human response to yell at the dog. Raising our voice is one way humans deal with frustration, anger and stress. You may feel temporarily better after you have yelled at the dog. However, when all is said and done, your venting has probably made your job harder.
While a quick loud "Hey!" might be just the thing to get the dog out of the trash can, it should be immediately followed by a quiet and encouraging "Good boy" when he turns his attention towards you. This quick, loud single word is not what I mean by yelling.
We have all seen people who yell at their dogs. They will scream at the dog long after he has stopped doing anything wrong. The dog is looking fearful and confused wondering what he has to do to stop the loud and scary behavior of his owner. The owner's behavior isn't helping the matter at all.
In dog training, it is important to mark critical moments. Doing so, enables the dog to discern precisely when he did the right thing, or the wrong thing. There are four types of markers:
In the above scenario, the dog's behavior triggers a bad thing (scary owner behavior) he will then try to stop the bad thing by changing his behavior. When his behavior changes, and the yelling continues, he doesn't have the opportunity to learn what the right thing is, consequently, he may not exactly figure out what the wrong thing is.
Let's take trash digging for example. The dog sticks his nose in the trash can and his owner yells "Get out of the trash!" and the dog jumps away from the trash can and looks at his owner. But the yelling keeps going. The dog does not understand the words being said, but he is understanding that he's still in trouble. Getting out of the trash didn't make things better, maybe the trash wasn't the problem after all, maybe it was something else entirely. There is no moment when the dog is shown what is right. There is no point of contrast to help him learn what is wrong. Some dogs can figure it out, but not as many as people seem to think.
If, however, the owner simply claps his hands when the dog gets too interested in the trash can, and when the dog looks up, says "That's a good boy, come here!" and gives the dog a scratch on the ear, the dog learns the exact moment he did something wrong, and the exact moment he did something right. This allows him to choose the right thing!
Also, yelling can teach the dog the wrong thing. If you dog is running after a squirrel and you start yelling, it is likely that your yelling (and chasing) will be interpreted as you "joining the hunt" and encourage the dog to chase more! Dogs are, after all, pack hunters. This is certainly not the message you want to convey.
Instead of yelling and chasing, walk (or jog) behind the dog calling the dog to you. Don't run and speak quietly. When your dog does come to you, you cannot punish him or else he will learn not to come when called!
Of course, the next step is to recognize that like most problems that frustrate us regarding our dogs, the solution is to teach the correct behavior ahead of time. In this case, that means teaching your dog to come when called. Bill Koehler once wrote "Obedience, like insurance, must be obtained before the moment of need."
If you take the time to teach the dog the behaviors you want, instead of always teaching him what you don't want, you will enjoy your dog much more! A good dog trainer can help you enjoy your dog more right now.
Source: http://www.chicagodogtrainer.com/index.php/chicago-dog-training-articles/60-dont-yell
The author, Marc Goldberg, is a dog trainer specializing in the rehabilitation of difficult dogs and improving relationships. He is Vice President of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) and Editor of SafeHands Journal. The author also educates professional dog trainers in his techniques. Visit him on the Web at http://www.chicagodogtrainer.com or http://www.dogtraininginchicago.com.Here are some really cute pix that I thought I would pass on...hope you like them as much as I do! –Kim
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"A Kind Word...and a Gun"???
Last night in Los Angeles, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) president Wayne Pacelle showed why he's been able to turn a group that sounds as if it's all about protecting puppies and kittens into an animal-rights lobbying force with talons. He's looking to sink those talons into people who have the audacity to eat or sell meat, wear leather, go to circuses, or enjoy hunting and fishing – in other words, 99 of America.
In front of a hand-picked crowd of HSUS supporters who attended last night's "town hall meeting" at the Ebell of Los Angeles, Pacelle rallied the troops with a fight song:
"We have to create a clamor for change ... You can get further with a kind word and a gun than a kind word alone."
He attributed the latter quote to notorious gangster Al Capone, who seems like an odd inspiration for a supposedly peaceful movement. But animal-rights extremists are far from peaceful. One of Pacelle's own staffers, Josh Balk, told the HSUS-sponsored "Taking Action For Animals" that "there are very few instances that companies just refuse to move with a friendly conversation … The animals can't wait for people to come to a revelation themselves. Sometimes it does take force."
HSUS sounds more and more like PETA and the terrorist Animal Liberation Front every day.
It's been well documented that HSUS spends only a tiny fraction – less than four percent – of its budget directly funding animal shelters. If you're wondering how it spends the other roughly $100 million in its budget every year, you might consider the cost of renting out the posh Wilshire Ebell Theatre, providing the supporters-only crowd with a catered coffee service, and hiring four burly security guards to keep out the riff-raff.
Sorry, Wayne. We got in anyway.
Source: http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/h/4023-quote-of-the-week
Copyright © 1997-2010 Center for Consumer Freedom
Also, see: "Ethical Treatment" of Animals???
