Pawsitively Speaking - January 2010

News from Pawsitive Results, LLC

January 2010

Greetings!

Happy New Year! Pawsitive Results is currently on break from teaching classes for the month of January, but things are still quite busy!

I'm putting the finishing touches on our brand new Puppy Kindergarten class, which kicks off in February. I've also enrolled in the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior to continue my education. This combination of online courses and on-site workshops will take about six months to complete. I'm looking forward to the challenge!

I hope your 2010 is off to a great start. All of us at Pawsitive Results look forward to seeing you and your dogs this year! Please give your dogs cookies from me!

Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA
Pawsitive Results, LLC

Dognappings On the Rise

I still remember the adorable Doberman puppy who only made it to one training class. The owner called me and told me he had come home from work one day to find his puppy missing from his backyard. The puppy's collar had been removed, snapped closed, and was hanging from the fence post.

"It was as if they were taunting me after taking my dog," he said. It was terribly cruel ... and unfortunately, not uncommon.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) reports pet thefts are on the rise.Through November 30, 2009, the AKC tracked more than 115 missing pets via incidents reported by news media and customer reports. In 2008, the AKC tracked a total of 71 thefts.

The FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which tracks stolen property nationwide, currently lists 200 stolen dogs, according to Steve Fischer, FBI Spokesperson. According to Fischer, "Dogs listed in our database must have permanent owner-applied serial numbers, such as those from embedded microchips. Unfortunately not all dogs have permanent ID, so we know this is only a fraction of the number of missing dogs."

Why do people steal dogs? Some people just like the look of a dog and take it for a personal pet. Others take dogs and sell them for profit. Some dogs, especially small ones, are taken to become "bait dogs" to teach fighting dogs to kill other dogs. Yes, this happens in our community!

How can you protect your dog? Here are some tips:

Don't leave your dog unattended in your yard when you are not home, especially if your fenced-in yard is visible from the street.
Never let your dog off leash in an unfenced area.
If strangers approach you when you're out walking your dog and compliment Fido, be cautious what information you give. You don't need to tell them how much your dog cost, or where you live.
Microchip your dog. Collars and tags can be removed, but a microchip scan can prove a dog really belongs to you.

Calling All Christmas Puppies!
The holidays can be a chaotic time to bring a puppy home. If you or someone you know did add a furry family member this holiday season, get Fido off to a bright start with Pawsitive Results Puppy Kindergarten!

Puppyhood is the BEST time to prevent Christmas Puppy

aggression and fear problems later in life. In our Puppy Kindergarten, puppies learn the world is a friendly, safe place -- and puppy owners learn how to properly deal with common puppy challenges.

This class is held exclusively at the Lexington location in a dedicated, disinfected room.
Puppies must be between 8 and 16 weeks old.
Puppies must be under veterinary care and have all applicable vaccinations.
A new class will start about every four weeks, so you won't have a long wait to begin!
All puppies must be completely friendly towards people and other dogs.
The class includes supervised puppy playtime. Puppy play partners will be carefully matched for similar size and play styles to ensure a safe, positive experience.

We will cover socialization, housetraining, grooming, nutrition, handling and how to control puppy mouthing. You'll learn how to prevent serious problems, such as growling over food and toys. All using our modern, scientific methods.

Puppyhood doesn't last long -- help your puppy become a great dog with our Puppy Kindergarten class.