April 2012                                                                    

No. 28

GSP logo

APRIL NEWSLETTER 

Easter gsp
Hope You Had
An Egg-stra Special Easter!

 

Greetings!
You've been practicing obedience in the house with your GSP all winter so when spring and summer comes, s/he will be ready to run loose outside, sit and stay when they're told, and come when they're called. Right?

Well, it's spring. And while your clever GSP has all his obedience lessons down cold in the house, outside is another story.

Have you let your dog off lead only to see him hang around for a couple of minutes dutifully listening to you, then he spies a squirrel or deer or bird and he's off like a shot? Those ears that can hear a cookie jar being opened from 2 miles away suddenly have been rendered deaf as you scream for him to "come!!!!"

This month, we're offering some tips on proper e-collar training to keep your GSP from disappearing into the wild blue yonder.  We want to keep our dogs safe; the stimulation a dog receives from an ecollar is a whole lot less traumatic than being hit by a car and injured or worse. 

Best wishes for a beautiful April
-- and for dogs that come when they're called ;-)
Celeste, Audrey and Wendy
and the Gang at GSP Rescue NE
The Whys and Hows Of An eCollar
Purina's Mike Lardy Explains the eCollar
Trainer Mike Lardy Explains the eCollar

In 2002, Sgt. Lou Castle, Past President of the Los Angeles County Police Canine Assoc., wrote the following piece on electronic dog collars.


"Unless you see the results of using the collar on a dog, it's hard to accept just how fast they learn. None of us has as much time as we'd like to work our dogs so this really makes the most of the time we spend.

"Electronic collars are NOT just for solving problems.
They are NOT just for "hard dogs." With the proper mentality on the handler's part, the softest dog can be trained with them.

"This is the topic of a multi-day class. Let me give you a quick version here.

Before I begin, let me say that if you decide to use one I recommend that you not refer to it as a "shock collar." The very name sends some people into paroxysms of fear. "How can you be soooooo cruel to shock your dog!!!"

"Call it instead a remote training collar or even an electronic collar. Yes, I know its a euphemism but it may also help you think about it another way. There's an old H. L. Mencken story about language influencing the way we think and act that's too long for here.

"Most trainers use the Ecollar as a positive punishment. The dog chases deer so they put the collar on the dog and the next time he starts chasing deer, they blast him with a high level jolt of electricity. He learns that chasing deer leads to an unpleasant experience, no matter how far he is from his handler, and the behavior becomes extinct. (Actually this has two parts, the first part, when the button is pressed to give the dog a stimulation, is positive punishment. The second part, when the dog breaks off the chase and the stimulation is stopped, is negative reinforcement.)

"In another situation a dog knocks over the trash cans and eats the garbage. The handler puts a collar on him and next time he approaches the trashcan the handler gives the dog a high-energy jolt of electricity. In this case the dog is conditioned that the trashcan is hot and shocks him when he approaches it. He learns that approaching trashcans is an unpleasant experience.

"These behaviors cease with or without the presence of the handler because the dog believes that the correction came from his behavior, not from the handler. He believes that his action of chasing the deer or approaching the trash can caused the electronic stimulation.

"These are examples of simple avoidance behavior training. This is the extent of most trainers' uses of these collars. One problem that occurs with this use of the collar is that most trainers stimulate the dog a few times and then put the collar away. The dog quickly learns that the stimulation is linked to the collar and that he can chase deer or eat garbage when the collar is not on.

"BTW, before we get too deeply into this topic and everyone starts calling the Humane Society on me, let me explain what the stimulation is like. If you have ever dragged your shoes across a carpet and then reached for a doorknob and gotten a shock you have received the same sort of stimulation as comes from the Ecollars. It is unpleasant, but does no physical damage. I have given myself thousands of shocks from the collars in demonstrating them and insist that my clients receive stimulations from the collars as well, before using them on their dogs.

"Also, BTW, I rarely knock the trashcans over or chase deer any more.

"When I start training a dog I find his level of stimulation by turning the Ecollar up very slowly until I see some reaction from him that he feels the stimulation. This can show itself several ways. One is an ear flick; another is scratching, as if bitten by a flea; another is a furrowing of the dog's brow; another is the dog moving his head away from the collar as if a grasshopper had landed on him. This is far below the level used by most Ecollar trainers. Some of them train at the highest level of stimulation that a dog can tolerate. I train at the lowest level of stimulation that the dog can feel.

"Most problems that owners have with their dogs are quite simple. They want Fido to not drag them down the street, no matter what the distraction; they want him not to fight with other dogs; they want him not to jump up on them; and they want some manners around the house.

"Overwhelmingly the outdoor issues are solved by teaching the recall. This recall is not a formal "sit in front" or anything like that, it just means that the dog has to come towards the handler and stay with in a body length of him. I have the dog recall to me and then transfer it to the owner.
This is done quite simply by putting the dog on a Flexi leash and when he gets to the end of it, pressing the button (after having first found his level of stimulation). Dog are liable to do many things when they first feel the stimulation and I ignore all of them. While still holding the button of the Ecollar unit down I gently guide the dog to come towards me and as soon as he takes a few steps in that direction, I release the button. This is continued until the dog figures out that if he comes towards me, the discomfort stops.

"I then walk away from the dog and press the button. If he moves to go with me I release the button. If he doesn't I gently guide him to come with me. As soon as he does, I release the button. The dog quickly learns that being with me relieves the discomfort of staying put or wandering around. At this time I start to put a command together with the button press. I usually use the word "here" for this but there's no magic in the word. I avoid using a command that the dog already knows to avoid causing confusion.
I then put the TX unit into the owner's hand and have him use it as I've been showing him. If he's not very coordinated I have a slightly easier method for him to use. If he is fairly well coordinated I have him use the same method that I've been using.

"I then proof the dog by throwing toys. If the dog leaves the owner's side, I have him say "here" and stim the dog. This proofing continues until the dog doesn't leave the owner's side no matter what the distraction that I supply.
We then go for a walk in the owner's neighborhood where the problems occur and proof the dog there. If the dog leaves the owner's side it's the same as when we proofed earlier.

"At some point the dog will start to "Velcro" to the owner. This means that the dog will begin to "stick" to the owner's leg because he's learned that there's a safe spot there. Stimulation only occurs when the dog is away from the owner and so the dog realizes that if he sticks real close, no discomfort will occur. As soon as this happens I teach the owner to teach the sit and then the sit at a distance. This cures that problem. The dog quickly learns that it's obedience to a command that makes the discomfort stop, not the place that he's standing.

"Once the dog figures this out, that it's his performance that makes the stimulation stop, he's considered to be "collar literate." When that occurs all sorts of other training can be done and it happens very fast.

"At this point avoidance training can occur. This occurs by itself when the dog learns that that the electronic stimulation stops the faster he sits. With the dogs I've trained with this method, butts becomes a blur as the dog sits faster and faster until suddenly (to his mind) he sits so fast that he BEAT THE CORRECTION. From that day on, with only infrequent reminders, he will try to beat the correction. He has been conditioned that if sits really quickly the correction doesn't come.

"It's amazing to watch the dog's change of attitude when this hits them. It's like a light bulb goes on."

Here are a couple of videos that will help guide you in training with an e-collar.
E-collar Training Basic Obedience
E-collar Training Basic Obedience

Chris Akin - Moving to E Collar Training - www.sportdog.com
Chris Akin - Moving to E Collar Training - www.sportdog.com


Microchips serve more than one purpose!
Dogs gone
The Warren Family's missing Goldens, Bella, left, and Jake.

FRANKLIN, Maine - Last fall, the Warren family had two golden retrievers, Bella and Jake, that were considered integral members of a household which includes four young children.

 

Dogs gone 2
The Warren Family in 2002 with Bella 

Now the dogs have been placed with a new owner somewhere in New England after they took off from the Warrens' yard in early November and failed to return.

 

For the full story, click here.

We've included this story in our newsletter to speak to the power of microchips. Not only do they help get dogs back home quickly they help identify you as your dog's owner. All dogs adopted from GSP Rescue NE are microchipped and the chips are enrolled with GSP Rescue NE as the owner of the dog. If your dog is NOT microchipped and you would like to find out how to go about doing it please contact Celeste.
Charlie Needs A Foster Home

charlie 1
Ten-year-old Charlie needs a foster home.  His family is now moving and we need to find him a place to go. If you're a senior lover like we all are please consider taking this turnkey boy until we can find him a new forever home.
Can you help him?

Charlie came to into our program due to changing family circumstances. He is a purebred, solid liver GSP who is AKC registered and has been with the same family since he was a pup.

Charlie knows a bunch of commands, loves to go for long walks or hikes and is good with most other dogs. Charlie loves all children and is very gentle with them. Cats are fair game as far as Charlie is concerned, so a home without cats is mandatory.
charlie 2
This active senior boy still requires daily exercise; a fenced yard is a must and a daily hike to keep Charlie stimulated would be perfect. Charlie settles in nicely when inside.

House trained and crate trained, Charlie is a turnkey boy who will make a wonderful addition to any family.

Rescue pays all vetting costs, foster homes provide TLC, a place by the fire at night and a yard to run in by day. Food stipends are available.

Wouldn't this handsome boy make a lovely addition to your home? If you think so, contact Celeste.

 

Iverhart Max Heartworm Tablet Recall

iverhart largeOn March 26, 2012 Virbac AH, Inc. announced a voluntary recall of a single production lot of IVERHART MAX� Chewable Tablets.

Affected Product:  IVERHART MAX Chewable Tablets, Lot #110482 (Large, 50.1 - 100 lbs)

The lot number is stamped on the side lid/flap of the box in a white text field and on the blister foil of the individual doses. Please note that this voluntary recall affects only this specific lot - no other products are affected by this recall.

Virbac, after notifying the FDA, is coordinating with distributor network to voluntarily recall the affected product.  Letters have been sent directly to veterinary distributors instructing them to cease distribution of this identified lot and to advise veterinary clinics in receipt of the identified product to cease dispensing this affected lot.

It is important to note that prior to releasing the identified product lot for sale and distribution, numerous tests were performed and all test results were within specifications permitting the release of the product. After release, routine product testing has determined that the ivermectin (an active ingredient) has failed to meet required stability specifications. Consequently, some dogs dosed with the identified lot may not be fully protected against heartworm disease.

It is Virbac's goal to ensure that all dogs receive adequate protection against heartworm disease. For potentially affected dogs, veterinarians should contact Virbac Technical Services (800-338-3659 x3052) to discuss recommendations for heartworm testing procedures. If any dog receiving IVERHART MAX Tablets is found infected with heartworms, treatment can be administered and will be covered under the IVERHART product satisfaction guarantee.

Virbac regrets this isolated incident and remains committed to manufacturing quality products.  Testing has confirmed that all other lots of IVERHART MAX Chewable Tablets remain potent. Only this single lot is affected by this recall. Since only the ivermectin is affected, protection against other internal parasites covered by the product is not compromised. Additionally, no heartworm-related adverse events or illnesses have been reported to-date with this lot of product.

Poison Alert

Did you know that the second highest volume of calls to the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center in 2011 was for pets who had accidentally ingested insecticides?  That's just one of the harmful items that could be right in your own backyard.
Danger label
With spring here, pet owners are going to be spending more time outside with their family, friends and pets - and this could mean danger for your four-legged friends. To help your readers prepare for the season, the ASPCA would love to share a few tips for pet owners.

Spring Cleaning - Almost all commercially-sold cleaning products contain chemicals that are harmful to pets. The key to using them safely is to read and follow label directions for proper use and storage. 

Let Your Garden Grow-With Care - Fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides keep our plants and lawns healthy and green, but their ingredients aren't meant for four-legged consumption and can be fatal if your pet ingests them.  Always store these poisonous products in out-of-the-way places and follow label instructions carefully. 

liliesPoisonous Plants - Time to let your garden grow! But beware, many popular springtime plants-including Easter lilies, rhododendron and azaleas-are highly toxic to pets and can easily prove fatal if eaten.

Ah-Ah-Achoo! - Like their human counterparts, pets can be allergic to foods, dust, plants and pollens.

Pesky Little Critters - April showers bring May flowers-and an onslaught of bugs! Make sure your pet is on year-round heartworm preventive medication, as well as a flea and tick control program.
Animal Welfare Fund

If you are a federal or state worker, you can directly help GSP Rescue New England through payroll deduction through the Animal Welfare Fund (AWF), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. Their mission is to help charities that focus on the rights and welfare of animals -such as GSP Rescue NE - enter various workplace giving programs like the U.S. government's Combined Federal Campaign.  

 

The U.S. government, most state governments, and many municipal governments administer fundraising campaigns that annually raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Thousands of eligible charities benefit - including GSP Rescue New England.

 

These campaigns - the U.S. government's version is called the Combined Federal Campaign - have certain standard features:

 

  • Each fall, employees are handed a directory of approved groups from which they select one or more organizations they individually wish to support.
  • Employee pledges convert into payroll deductions throughout the following calendar year. These donations are forwarded to the benefiting groups.
  • Charities are screened before the fall solicitation. The deadline for each campaign varies but is usually in the preceding winter or spring.
  • Campaign administrators require that groups - such as GSP Rescue NE - submit various materials such as a copy of their 501(c)(3) tax exemption letter, a copy of their federal tax return, a copy of their most recent audit, and a description of their program activity. In some campaigns, certain requirements are waived for small groups.

 

The Animal Welfare Fund is participating in the following campaigns. Click a link to view our members in each of these fund drives. For all other campaigns, member lists will be posted as soon as they are made available.

Eastern Massachusetts Combined Federal Campaign
Rhode Island/Southeastern MA Combined Federal Campaign 

 Greater Hartford Combined Federal Campaign
Northern New England Combined Federal Campaign

 

Words of Wisdom
Old dog 
The Rescuer At Rainbow Bridge 
Rainbow bridge
 
Unlike most days at the Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray. All the recent arrivals at the Bridge did not know what to think, as they had never seen such a day. But the animals who had been waiting longer for their beloved people to accompany them across the Bridge knew what was happening, and they began to gather at the pathway leading to the Bridge.

Soon an elderly dog came into view, head hung low and tail dragging. He approached slowly, and though he showed no sign of injury or illness, he was in great emotional pain. Unlike the animals gathered along the pathway, he had not been restored to youth and vigor upon arriving at the Bridge. He felt out of place, and wanted only to cross over and find happiness.

But as he approached the Bridge, his way was barred by an angel, who apologized and explained that the tired and broken-spirited old dog could not cross over. Only those animals accompanied by their people were allowed to cross the Bridge. Having nobody, and with nowhere else to turn, the dog trudged into the field in front of the Bridge. There he found others like himself, elderly or infirm, sad and discouraged. Unlike the other animals waiting to cross the Bridge, these animals were not running or playing. They simply were lying in the grass, staring forlornly at the pathway across the Rainbow Bridge. The old dog took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting, yet not knowing for what he was waiting.
GSP and cat

"What's going on?" asked the dog. "Watch, and you will see," 

replied the cat.

One of the newer dogs at the Bridge asked a cat who had been there longer to explain what was happening. The cat replied, "Those poor animals were abandoned, turned away, or left at rescue places, but never found a home on earth. They all passed on with only the love of a rescuer to comfort them. Because they had no people to love them, they have nobody to escort them across the Rainbow Bridge." The dog asked the cat, "So what will happen to those animals?" Before the cat could answer, the clouds began to part and the cold turned to bright sunshine. The cat replied, "Watch, and you will see."

spot pettingIn the distance was a single person, and as s/he approached the Bridge the old, infirm, and sad animals in the field were bathed in a golden light. They were at once made young and healthy, and stood to see what their fate would be. The animals who had previously gathered at the pathway bowed their heads as the person approached. At each bowed head, the person offered a scratch or hug.

One by one, the now youthful and healthy animals from the field fell into line behind the person. Together, they walked across the Rainbow Bridge to a future of happiness and unquestioned love. The dog asked the cat, "What just happened?" The cat responded, "That was a rescuer. The animals gathered along the pathway bowing in respect were those who had found their forever homes because of rescuers. They will cross over when their people arrive at the Bridge. The arrival here of a rescuer is a great and solemn event, and as a tribute they are permitted to perform one final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort all those poor animals they couldn't place on earth across the Rainbow Bridge."

The dog thought for a moment, then said, "I like rescuers." The cat smiled and replied, "So does heaven, my friend. So does heaven."

 Angel wings
In This Issue
TRAINING WITH eCOLLARS
WHEN YOUR DOG RUNS AWAY ...
CHARLIE NEEDS A HOME
IVERHART MAX RECALL
POISON ALERT
FEDERAL, STATE WORKERS CAN DIRECTLY HELP GSP RESCUE NE
WORDS OF WISDOM
THE RESCUER AT RAINBOW BRIDGE
FACEBOOK
ADOPTIONS!
DONATIONS!
THANK YOU FROM MISS MIA HERSELF
FUNDRAISERS
FLOWER POWER
LOOKING BACK

Quick Links

Facebook

GSP Rescue New England now has a presence on Facebook. Go to: Facebook.com/GSPRescueNE

Look who's been adopted!

Several GSPs have found their forever homes!

 

They are: Wyatt and Chance!

 

 

Hooray for the dogs!! Hooray for their new families!! :-)

Donations

Space does not allow us to list all of the donors this month. We appreciate and thank you all for your generosity and for answering the call for Little Mia.

 

Please read more below.

A "thank you"  

from Miss Mia herself

 

mia3
Mia writes:

"From the bottom of my heart
2 the tip of my toes.

"U are the bst
& dat everyone knows.

"I thnx u, I thnx u.
U do have the touch.

"U've made me so happy.
I thnx u all so much."
 
For those who don't know Mia, she was a 14-week-old pup that had a fractured elbow that needed to be surgically repaired.

 

GSP Rescue NE received an SOS from a shelter who had a little adorable GSP pup with a broken elbow who needed our help.

 

Mia had been brought into the shelter several weeks ago with a badly broken front left leg, allegedly from a fall down a flight of stairs.

The shelter told the teenaged owners to take Mia immediately to a local Emergency vet. The owners went home and did not get her medical care for several days, until her little leg was so swollen and painful she couldn't stand.

When the owners found out the cost of surgery, they opted to euthanize Mia. The ER vet told the owners to try the shelter one more time.

 

Mia ended up back at the shelter, which then reached out to GSP Rescue NE. Of course, you know what our answer was.

 

Within two hours, GSP Rescue NE volunteer Deb Girouard was at the shelter getting paperwork signed and picking up little Mia to bring her back to the ER vet for surgery.

 

Time was of the essence because Mia was in pain and she had been living with a broken elbow for at least 5 days.

 

Mia had surgery, costing close to $3,500. In the last month we had spent almost $5,000 on vet bills for our dogs and our funds are limited.

More than 90 people stepped up and the needed funds were raised in a matter of three days.

  There are some amazing, amazing people out there and we are happy that so many of them have GSP Rescue NE's back.

And that thank-you from Mia? That goes for us, too!

"We thnx u all so much!"

 

Thank you, donors!

For those who have graciously made donations to GSP Rescue NE and would like a receipt, please contact Celeste.

 

And, once again, a big THANK YOU to you all. :-)

Help Us With

Our Fundraisers

 

Book bin
GSP Rescue NE is joining with
Got Books? as a new means of fundraising. Got Books? works by placing bins for recycled books in parking lots. If you have a parking lot with one extra space for a bin please contact Celeste.

 This is a one year commitment. All you have to do is donate the space and call Got Books? to empty the bins when they're full.

Rescue gets paid per pound of books. Got Books? will work for rescue through active participation by the GSP Rescue organization and the community.

 

Requirements are:
1. Safety - The bin must be placed in a safe location for drivers, pedestrians and participants
2. Location - The Got Books? container should be visible to your members as well as the surrounding community 
Successful programs establish a plan for getting books from the community. Posting information in the weekly program and bulletins, posting information on your website, and alerting local papers about the Got Books? program and what Rescue is raising the money for. Every organization is unique and there is more than one way to accomplish the task of getting the books in to the Got Books? container.

  

Got Books? is a great way to increase recycling and earn extra money for programs within Rescue.  

  

For more information on Got Books? or if you have room at your business to house a collection bin, contact Celeste.  

Flowery Fundraiser

 Flower power logo

Spring has arrived early which made us think of lovely summer flowers so we've launched our online fundraising campaign of Spring flowers and bulbs.

GSP Rescue NE has partnered with Flower Power Fundraising to give you an opportunity to spruce up your garden and raise funds for your favorite cause at the same time. For every purchase you, your friends or family make GSP Rescue New England will receive 50% of the total sale.   

 Flower Power Fundraising gives us a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Plants and bulbs are shipped directly to you in time for planting in your area's growing season.  

 

To start supporting our group today just click here and follow the instructions once you're there.   

 

You may also add the email addresses of the friends and family members you think will want to support us as well. It's completely safe and any email address you enter into the site will only be used for our fundraiser. Flower Power will not sell or use the names for any other purpose.

For any questions, please get in touch with Celeste, or, for technical questions related to the site call Flower Power Fundraising 1-877-605-3185.

Visit Flower Power! to place your order. As always, thank you for your support which allows us to carry on our work to help homeless and needy GSPs.

HURRY! The campaign ends on April 27, 2012. So far GSP Rescue NE has earned $245 out of a goal of $500. Let's buy some flowers!!! :-)

Flower power front

Free first-aid class!

 

Vetcision logo

Basic first aid classes for pet owners, with an emphasis on what you should include in your pet's first-aid kit are held on the first Tuesday of each month at Vetcision, 293 Second Ave., Waltham, Mass.

 

 Classes alternate each month between basic first aid classes and other topics.

 

 Please call or email for details and to RSVP.

 

For more information, go to Vetcision.

Dog door discount!

 Hale Pet Door logo

GSP Rescue New England is listed among rescue groups and shelters that have participated in Hale Pet Door's Rescue Rewards program. 
  
The Rescue Rewards works this way:  When  customers let Hale know that they adopted a pet (either recently or in the past), they receive a 10 percent discount on the cost of their Hale Pet Door.  And then Hale makes a donation for that same 10 percent amount to the organization that the customer tells them about.
 

 

In 2010, Hale donated more than $20,000 to rescues and shelters all over the country.  

  
For more information on Hale pet doors, go to www.halepetdoor.com

Partners for Pets Program

 Bissell logo

Bissell's Partners for Pets program supports pet adoption and homeless pets. When you buy selected pet products on bissell.com, you save 10% (with free shipping) and BISSELL will donate 10% of your purchase price to a pet shelter of your choice. For more information, click here.

Use the code ADOPT at the BISSELL checkout to receive the discount. 

Click here

 to view eligible products.

LOOKING BACK                                                 

 

 

 

Jimmy Stewart Reads a Poem About His Dog Beau on
Jimmy Stewart Reads a Poem About His Dog Beau on "The Tonight Show" - Johnny Carson - 1981