Sit Means Sit of Palm Beach County presents
Pawsitively Amazing
Month, Year - Vol 1, Issue 1
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| Dear, Pet Enthusiast |
Welcome to this edition of our electronic newsletter designed for dog lovers who might want some helpful tips on training. This is also to help keep our Palm Beach clients informed on what's happening in our local area. To manage your subscription to this newsletter just scroll over to the sign up section. If you feel that your friends could use some information, or our services, then forward this to them. Bob Burnell Sit Means Sit of Palm Beach County 561-543-5583 RobertBurnell@sitmeanssit.com
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Sit Means Sit Spotlight- Main Event in Las Vegas
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Recently, the staff of the Sit Means Sit of Palm Beach County drove (yes, drove) to Las Vegas to attend our yearly conference. The goal of the conference is to make us better trainers, to serve you better. We had a great time and learned a lot. Kody passed his certification test for becoming a therapy dog. We will be adding a prep course for the Therapy Dog test in the future. We are also looking into becoming instructors for Pet First Aid and CPR. As we broaden our abilities, we seek to be an even greater resource for you- our client.
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Delicious for us, Dangerous to Dogs; Foods to Keep Away From Your Dog
By Julia Szabo
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Most of us who live with animals know that chocolate and dogs do not
mix. But there are many other harmful foods lurking in our pantries
and fridges - seemingly innocent vegetables, fruits, and other edibles
that may be delicious to us, but are dangerous, and even deadly, to our
dogs.
To learn more about what foods are and aren't safe for dogs to share
with us, we consulted veterinary nutritionist Joan Weiskopf, author of
Pet Food Nation: The Smart, Easy, and Healthy Way to Feed Your Pet Now
(Collins). A breeder of champion Bedlington terriers, Weiskopf is a
font of information on the subject of what foods are and aren't safe
for dogs to eat, and has a thriving business consulting by telephone
with clients about individual canine diets.
Take
onions and garlic, for instance. These culinary staples are used to
create any number of delicious recipes from all over the culinary map.
The trouble is that onions and garlic cause serious health problems in
dogs. "Onions and garlic both contain N-propyl disulfide, which
destroys red blood cells, leading to hemolytic anemia," Weiskopf says.
And despite garlic's longstanding reputation as a flea repellent,
"There really is no scientific proof that garlic prevents fleas." (What
really works to prevent fleas is Neem oil.)
What if Spot scores a bite of the kids' pizza, or a lick of Ragu
spaghetti sauce? Or what if you've made chicken soup with onions, and
you'd like to ladle some over your Friend's bowl? Don't panic, Weiskopf
advises. "Nothing's going to happen. What you don't want to be doing is
chopping raw onions into your dog's bowl! A little onion or garlic is
fine once in a while; a lot is not a good thing."
Be careful with onion and garlic
powders, as well, or any product containing them (i.e. chips), for
besides being more concentrated, powdered onion and garlic also contain
salt. "Salt preserved with anti-caking agents is bad," Weiskopf says.
"I prefer Celtic sea salt because a little goes a long way, plus it
contains all kinds of good microtrace nutrients. But sugar is a no."
Red pepper, on the other hand, is good for dogs with arthritis because
of the Capsaicin it contains; other spices recommended for dogs with
joint swelling are "all the yellow spices: turmeric, cumin, and curry,"
Weiskopf adds.
If you're a cooking buff with a regular habit of setting saucepans
and plates on the floor for Spot to lick clean (also known as the
"pre-wash" cycle in dog-friendly kitchens), you could be compromising
his health if you cook certain other veggies. "Dogs - and humans - with
arthritis should be careful about overloading on nightshade vegetables,
as they aggravate arthritic conditions," Weiskopf points out. "The
nightshade vegetables - so called because they mature at night -
include green peppers, eggplants, potatoes, and tomatoes."
Raisins and grapes are forbidden fruit, for they can cause kidney
failure in dogs; sadly, many pets have died from ingesting raisins.
Although it's not known exactly why grapes and raisins don't agree with
dogs, Weiskopf has a theory: "Grapes are a heavily sprayed crop, and
since so many grapes are coming from Chile, I suspect there's a
pesticide that's causing problems for dogs. Also, raisins are preserved
with sulfites, which cause allergic reactions in many dogs." (Be wary
of foods preserved with nitrates, as well, such as sausages and bacon;
delicious as these are, they too can trigger allergic reactions in
dogs.)
"Legumes such as soy products and beans contain phytate, which
inhibits the digestion and absorption of other vital nutrients -
including your dog's important minerals," Weiskopf says. "If you're
going to feed legumes of any kind, such as chickpeas or lima beans, at
least make sure they're well-cooked, because that does help; it's much
worse if your dog eats these raw."
Many seasoned snackers - especially the vegetarians in our midst -
keep on hand a supply of that hugely popular chickpea dip known as
hummus. Again, don't panic if Spot helps himself to some. "If you're
eating crackers and hummus and your dog gets one, don't worry that
you've harmed your dog - just don't let him ingest huge amounts of
legumous vegetables."
Meanwhile, if Italian food is on the menu and you're letting your
pet participate in pasta preparation, make sure Spot does not take his
al dente. "Always overcook grains and pasta when you feed them to dogs,
because they don't have the starch-digesting enzymes that we do,"
Weiskopf explains. "It's best to overcook any grain material that you
feed your dog, including rice."
On the road to and from grandmother's house for a holiday feast, the
fast-food signs are bound to beckon. "If you're stopping for a bite at
McDonald's or KFC, I don't have a problem with giving the dog some
chicken - just peel off the skin, because it's got all kinds of spices
in it. Another acceptable road food option is the McDonald's Filet of
Fish sandwich."
In fact, "fish is absolutely fabulous for dogs," Weiskopf says, "and
you should include the skin because in and under the skin is where the
majority of the Omega 3 is stored, and you want your dogs to have Omega
3s. Deep, cold water fish are best: salmon, mackerel, sardines.
Anchovies are too salty."
Thanksgiving has its own caveats. Don't let your dog lick the
turkey-roasting pan - "that's the surefire way to give a dog a
pancreatitis attack," Weiskopf says. "You can pour a tablespoon of
drippings over your dog's food, but do not let him lick the pan clean."
Carved turkey meat and small bits of skin are fine dog treats; cooked
turkey bones are not. If you're not planning to use the turkey neck for
another culinary purpose, such as gravy, offer it raw to your dog as a
special holiday treat - but first, dip it in boiling water for 10
seconds to kill surface bacteria. Cranberries are fine, but avoid
canned cranberry as it's high in sugar. Sweet potatoes are also fine;
just take care never to serve your dog raw skin off any potato.
Upon graduating from puppyhood, dogs start to resemble
lactose-intolerant people. "After infancy, dogs lose the enzyme
Lactase, which helps them digest milk products," Weiskopf says.
"Feeding milk products to dogs and cats can cause gastric distress.
However," she adds, "feeding them fermented milk products such as
yogurt and buttermilk are fine for dogs; they don't usually distress
the animal's system.
For those who just can't resist giving dogs ice cream, go ahead - in
moderation. "You can give them some ice cream; a little bit isn't going
to hurt," Weiskopf says. "But if you notice your dog gets gastric
distress, don't do it again." And of course, avoid any ice cream flavor
that contains chocolate, chocolate chips, or raisins.
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Dealing with Behavioral Issues
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Continuing our series on dealing with behavioral issues
Digging Behavior
Positive Reinforcement of Alternate Behaviors
·Dog owners often overlook the need to praise
appropriate behaviors when treating a digging problem.
When you see the dog in the yard, engaging in
proper behavior, praise that behavior
- Animal Behavior College
Management of the Problem and Setting the Dog
up to Succeed.
·Without the dog seeing you, fill up the holes
and place his feces and/or lava rocks in the hole. Put about an inch of dirt on top of these items
·Dogs usually dig at the same locations and
this will make that experience unpleasant.
·They will either stop or try a new area.
·Continue until they no longer offer that
behavior.
·Do not let the dog see you planting or
digging as they will believe that is acceptable behavior.
Consequences for the Inappropriate Behavior
·Use of remote trainer with a "leave it"
command to stop digging when you observe it occurring.
·Need to find the cause of the digging so as
to better eliminate that behavior
·If we fail to find the cause behind the
digging, we may get a dog that switches from digging to something else like
chewing.
Consistency in Dealing with Problem Behavior
·Consistency is critical when working to
curtail or eliminate behavior problems.
·Many of the behaviors we label as "problems"
are self-rewarding behaviors in the mind of the dog.
·Most dogs truly enjoy engaging in these
"problem" behaviors and will not miss an opportunity to partake in them. This is why consistency is no
important.
7 Types of Digging behaviors
·Boredom
·Cooling
·Escape
·Genetic
·Burying Bones and Toys
·Hunting
·Separation Anxiety
To be continued next edition
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About Your Trainer
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Bob grew up in Long Island, New York
and upon graduation from High School spent four years serving this country in
the U.S. Army. Bob graduated from
Hofstra University Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors Degree in Business and
earned several academic achievement awards.
Bob spent several years as an Operations Executive for a major retailer
until he joined the N.Y.P.D. Bob
graduated #1 in his class from the police academy, earning the highest academic
achievement award. Bob is currently a
full time Police officer with over 6 years of K9 experience. Bob has
certifications in dog training through The Animal Behavior College and The No
Limitations School for Remote Collar Training.
Bob has worked with some of the most influential dog trainers. Bob has studied under Brian Kilcommons (noted
trainer and author) and Fred Hassen (founder and creator of Sit Means Sit). Bob has over 8 years of experience in training dogs and receives a real sense of accomplishment when he witnesses the success his clients have with our program.
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Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to work with your family. We appreciate everyone of our clients and value the relationship that we have with you. The highest compliment that you can give us, is the referral of your family and friends. Remember, we are never too busy for your referrals. If you know someone that would benefit from our services or that might enjoy what we do, please forward this newsletter to them. We are always looking to improve our service. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to us. We are always looking for testimonials from our clients so that we can show others how our training as helped you. Please feel free to visit my Palm Beach Training Blog to obtain additional information and view some more great videos. Missed an earlier edition of this newsletter? Go to my blog and view past editions that are archived at this location.
Sincerely,
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