Holiday Newsletter

Newsletter

November - December 2009

Happy Holidays!

My favorite part of the holidays is receiving Christmas cards and e-mails from past adopters. Every year, I receive wonderful Chiristams family photos that include their rescued dog. Nothing brings me more joy than realizing we have made lives richer by matching families with the perfect dog.

The holiday season is typically a slow time of year for events, training classes and dog adoptions. So all of us on the ADA management team are taking a big breath and some time to reflect on the past year, and our plans for the coming year.

In preparation for the new year and our continued growth, we recently hired a new trainer, Sandra Nelson, CPDT. She has over 10 years of training experience and she embraces our training philosoply of bonding with your dog and using positive methods to achieve results. We are delighted to welcome her into the ADA family. If you and your canine buddy are ready for a level 2 manner's class or a class just for fun, check out our new offerings for 2010.

Our team is also working on a grant proposal to obtain funding for an afterschool enrichment program designed for children with special learning needs. We are really excited about being able to use our love of dogs to help children from our community.

Thank you to all of you for supporting our programs this year. If donating to a good cause is part of your family's holiday tradition, please consider Austin Dog Alliance' Bow Wow Santa Giving Program. Our two primary vets, Anderson Mill Animal Clinic and Griffith Animal Hospital in Cedar Park are both accepting donations for vet care for our rescued dogs. 100% of your donation will be used directly for vet care. Supplies for our rescue program are being collected at Whiskers N Tails in Cedar Park, Tomlinson's in Cedar Park and Dogadillo at the Hill Country Galleria. Tomlinson's has generously offered to donate a bag of Health Wise food for every bag purchased between now and Christmas. If you would like to support our pet therapy programs in schools, libraries, nursing homes and hospitals, please make your donation at the ADA Dog Training Center or online.

Happy Holidays to you, your family and your furry, tail wagging buddy.

Sincerely,

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Debi Krakar, CPDT

Executive Director, Austin Dog Alliance

PS - ADA sweatshirts and polos are arriving early next week at our Training Center. We also have sturdy and fun dog toys for all your special furry friends.

PPS- The October events went great! Thanks again to all. You can see pictures on our Facebook page.

Training Tip of the Month -- Using Your Tone of Voice as a Training Tool

By Debi Krakar, CPDT

Have you ever been out on a walk and come across something disgusting on the sidewalk or been approached by a rather unfriendly, unruly dog? How can you get your dog to leave the item or ignore the dog when you don't have treats? Use your voice! Dogs respond very well to excited, happy, animated voices. Instead of yelling at your dog or dragging them away by the collar, try getting their attention by calling their name in an excited tone of voice. Reward your dog for responding with a friendly pet or big smile.

Getting Fit in the New Year -- Announcing Bow Wow Workouts

Austin Dog Alliance and Green Feet Fitness are pleased to announce an innovative way of staying healthy in the new year - working out with your DOG! Our Bow Wow Workout program pairs personal fitness trainer Jen Andrew who teaches Boot Camp style exercise programs with our team of dog trainers. Jen's unique organization focuses on the whole person and promotes volunteering as a means of achieving inner health.

The Austin Dog Alliance training team and their own dogs are serving as the pilot students for this class. The program will be open to the public in January. Our first open session will be held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10 AM, starting January 5. Class size is limited.

Training Classes - Early 2010

Austin Dog Alliance classes are taught by Certified Professional Dog Trainers in a climate controlled indoor facility. Most classes are six weeks in length. Proof of vaccinations are required to enroll. To register online, click here. We have lots of new classes and seminars scheduled for early 2010. A few of the highlights are listed below. Please call the training center at 335-7100 if you have any questions.

Puppy Head Start - New puppy owners have a critical time period in which they can establish a strong foundation for a well-behaved and happy puppy. Our class is designed to give families the tools they need to get their new puppies off to a great start. We will cover everything you need to know about the first few exciting weeks with your puppy. This class is designed for families adopting a puppy younger than 16 weeks. Two Week Class.

Puppy Manners I - (For puppies eight weeks to 16 weeks)

The moment you bring your puppy home he starts learning what it means to be a dog in your home. A rewarding relationship with your dog should last a lifetime and is shaped through socialization and your ability to guide your dog to interact appropriately with others in your home and your community. Six Week Class

Dog Manners I- Does your dog try to pull you down the street, jump up on your guests when they arrive, never stop moving inside the house, or chew your shoes? Or would you just like to polish a few skills so that your dog can accompany you to more places? Then this class is for you. The focus of this course is teaching your dog to be calm and well behaved both inside and outside the home. Six Week Class

Dog Manners II - Are you ready to take your training to the next level? Do you want to be able to walk calmly thru a festival with your dog? Or go on off leash walks with confidence? Six Week Class

Pet Therapy Class - This unique class will prepare you and your dog for volunteering in a variety of pet therapy environments. Solid leash walking, sit, down, come and stay required to enroll. Dog must be friendly with other dogs and love being pet. Six Week Class

Fun With Your Dog - Are you looking for a fun class that will improve your relationship with your dog and increase your dog's manner skills? This class is all about fun. Four Week Class

Leash Walking 101 - Start out the new year on the right foot. Learn to walk your dog in a calm and controlled manner so that both of you will enjoy getting some exercise. Two Week Class
Pet Therapy Seminar - Covers the benefits and requirements of Delta Society Pet Partners Registration, Pet Therapy Opportunities in Schools and Libraries, Pet Therapy Opportunities in Hospitals and Nursing Homes, Preliminary Assessment of you and your dog's suitability for Pet Therapy, Instruction on the material required to pass the written portion of the Delta Pet Partners Evaluation, Training for you and your dog with a Delta evaluator on the skills required to pass the hands on portion of the Delta Pet Partners evaluation.

Fees from our training classes allow us to continue our rescue, pet therapy and children's programs. Thank you for supporting our efforts. For more information and to register, please see our website at AustinDogAlliance.org or call the Training Center at 335-7100.

Get a Head Start on Giving Thanks

By Michael Hylton

Thankfulness and Gratitude get a lot of play around this time of year. But what can we do in our lives everyday to really feel...really understand...thankfulness? I hope this article will provide insight into one helpful technique.

Early this morning as I thought of the bazillion and twelve things I have to do in the upcoming weeks, I started feeling overwhelmed and anxious. (For those of you who know those feelings, you also know that generally feelings of happiness or peace or comfort or thankfulness do not accompany overwhelmed and anxious.) The good news, my friend, is that the opposite is also true...overwhelmed and anxious don't hang around with Thankfulness. So one technique that can be used to fight off the negative feelings that tend to creep up on us is to deliberately focus on things for which you are thankful.

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So this morning, when I got frustrated with all the dog hair along the baseboards, I refocused. As I bent over to scoop up clumps of dog hair I was Thankful that I had the ability to scoop up the hair. Then I continued the thankful thoughts and was thankful I had dogs that shed the hair. I was thankful for their friendship and companionship and their unconditional love. I began to smile when I thought about the dogs eagerly greeting me at the door with wagging tails and excited, happy barks and slobbery kisses welcoming me home like I am the greatest owner in the world. Just those few moments of redirecting my thoughts to what I had to be thankful for made scooping up some dog hair much less annoying. I kept the practice up when later that day when I started to complain about getting a flat tire on my wheelchair, I quickly refocused to thankfulness of even having a chair, having money for a new tube and tire and being able to change the tire myself. Many people with disabilities in less developed, economically distressed countries are housebound or institutionalized and must be carried or pushed around in a wheelbarrow. It is not difficult to find something to be thankful for. There is always, always, always, someone in a worse condition or predicament than you. Your ability to read this sentence proves it so.

In this season of thanksgiving, start early and give thanks in all things. And when you feel stressed during this hectic time of year, as you surely will, just stop a moment, take a breath and be thankful...be thankful you can take a breath...then be thankful for all the other things that we too often take for granted.

Born to Give

By Meredith Ross-Chong, Pet Therapy Team

All of us who are involved in any kind of public service with our dogs understand well the hours of work and preparation that go into training and getting a dog to certification. But aside from all the training, some animals are more natural at the process and seem to be born to it.

In August 2009, my sons and I went on vacation to Colorado and of course, I took Buster Bear with me. Buster just became Delta certified two months earlier, so we hadn't had very many opportunities for "official" action between June and August. One afternoon in Breckenridge, Colorado my boys were playing in a park, Buster and I were sitting nearby when I saw a woman come to the park alone and sit on a bench. At a glance I saw that she was quietly crying so Buster and I went to her. I asked if she needed any help and she was understandably reluctant to talk about her personal issues. I introduced her to Buster and I sat on the bench and told her a little about my dog. While we were talking, Buster, of his own volition, positioned himself right in front of her legs and sat down, gently leaning into her knees. She started petting him and talking a bit about her distress and before long she was hugging his neck and crying into his fur. And Buster just continued to sit quietly and let her, while he kept watch on the boys playing nearby.

The woman and I talked for about an hour and she shared many hurtful things with me, in part because Buster helped her to feel safe. I know she was blessed by his presence and acceptance, just as I am blessed every single day with his companionship. And isn't it a special gift when you can share your dearest friends with other people?

Buster Bear and I live in Cedar Park, Texas and are a Delta Society Pet Partner team volunteering through the wonderful folks at Austin Dog Alliance.

Caring for you Senior Pet

Submitted by Anderson Mill Animal Clinic

In honor of Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month, be sure to see these timely tips on caring for your Senior Dog and your Senior Cat .

Recent Successful Adoption

We've recently found a Forever Home for a Super Senior, Gabby.
See how this beautiful lady won over the heart of her new owner by "showing off" with her own BLOG!

"The extra exposure from an updated blog helps prospective adopters get to know a dog more intimately and helps them to determine if the dog's personality is a good fit for the adopter's home and family." -- Debby Hylton, Adoption Support Team

Visit Gabby at our site...OR...see her pics and story on her BLOG.

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Austin Dog Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, with the mission of making dogs an integral part of our community. We believe dogs can and should be trained to live harmoniously in the home and in the community. We believe the human-canine relationship positively influences the lives of individuals. We believe the bond between humans and dogs can be used to enhance the lives of families and to benefit the community through hospital and nursing home visits, reading dog programs, and educational programs that enhance the self-esteem of our children. We believe that by promoting behavioral training and the benefits of our well behaved dog family members, we can reduce the "recycled dog" problem affecting our community's shelters.

Austin Dog Alliance is funded by the revenue generated from our training classes and donations by individuals and corporations. All donations are tax deductible. Please donate today!