The Lucky Dog Newsletter
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This New Year
Lucky Dog is looking forward to our best year ever in 2010! As our agility and training programs grow, and our daycare family numbers increase, we will continue to look for ways to improve our services. We also look forward to expanding our rescue program, a part of our business that is very close to my heart. Our in-home pet sitting services and retail line are growing too, and you never know what other surprises might come our our way! We do it all to offer your dogs and cats the best pet services in town!
Happy 2010 from your friends at Lucky Dog!
Debi Ropes-Stevenson
General Manager, Lucky Dog Resorts
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| Contact Us |
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4401 Mark Dabling Blvd
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907
719-599-9663
or
2801 Janitell Rd.
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906
719-599-9663
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Renting A Dog -Is Use Abuse?
Yes, it's true. Certain members of the animal industry do have interesting ideas about "service" dogs. We now have a company....that will rent out dogs to people who don't want the responsibility of a "full time" canine friend. While some find this somewhat humorous or at the very least harmless, some disagree, and find this type of business activity to be quite disturbing.
We accept that not everyone can have a dog due to living arrangements, lack of time, family members with allergies, etc. Folks who love dogs but are unable to have one in their lives might decide to make use of a dog rental service without understanding the mind of the dog.
Dogs have a natural drive to belong to a "group" or "pack" if you like that word. We frequently see stress, anxiety (especially separation anxiety) in rescue dogs that have been moved from home to home. Also, many breeds tend to bond with one primary person, which is part of their personality. Dogs are creatures of habit and fall into certain routines easily, and enjoy maintaining these routines. Familiar territory, familiar people, predictable routines - all of these factors are necessary for canine mental health, and all of these factors would be missing in the life of a "dog for rent."
It is argued that the dogs available in this kind of business are rescued, and might otherwise be homeless or put to sleep. Too many dogs and too few homes is a problem in all communities that should be addressed by encouraging pet owners to spay and neuter. The number of dogs saved in a program such as this is a drop in the bucket, and the quality of life for these dogs is questionable. It's also a certainty that, due to the lack of stability for these dogs, they would begin to display behavioral problems. Physical problems that come along with anxiety and stress will be a big turn off to "renters." Chewing, house soiling (especially males who want to "mark" a new environment and submissive urination in females) are just a few of the potential problems. The renter who is not necessarily educated in dog behaviors may turn to inappropriate punishment for such transgressions, increasing the fear and anxiety in the dog. And to say that multiple renters would provide inconsistent behavior reinforcement goes without saying.
Hopefully, the expense of this program will discourage even the most enthusiastic dog owner want-to-be. At $100 registration, $100 fee for the dog "usage," and a mandatory $145 training session before you take the dog, this program is priced for the cities it is now servicing; New York and Los Angeles. A similar program was to be set up in Boston, but the City Council deemed it inhumane.
Some who use this service claim that walking a dog helps you meet people and strike up conversations. One might say if you have to use an innocent dog as a social "prop" to meet other humans there is something wrong with you and in the case of renting dogs, something wrong with your animal ethics as well.
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Your Dog's Health
Cherry Eye
Dogs have a third eyelid that contains a gland located in the corner of each eye. This gland is normally not visible and aids in the production of tears. When this gland prolapses or comes out of it's normal position and swells, it creates the condition of "cherry eye." The cause of this condition is somewhat a mystery, but in dogs it is thought to be a weakness of the connective tissue that attaches the gland to the surrounding eye. Cherry eye can develop in any dog (and cats), but is more common in younger dogs. Some breeds appear to have a higher incidence of cherry eye and may develop it in both eyes. These breeds are: Beagles, Bloodhounds, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, Bull Terriers, Lhasa Apso, Saint Bernards and Shar-Pei. Although the tendency for cherry eye may be inherited, the link between generations is unknown.
Treatment consists of surgical repositioning of the gland. This is usually a fast and easy procedure. Other methods such as steroids or antibiotics are usually not affective in this condition. Removal of the gland can be performed to prevent reoccurrence of the problem, but this can cause a condition called "dry eye."
Dry eye is the inability of the dog to produce enough tears, and is an extremely serious condition.
Cherry eye can come and go, but once diagnosed the surgical option is usually advised by your veterinarian.
Purina Care Pet Health Insurance has included treatment for canine flu AND the canine influenza vaccine itself,in it's policy holder's coverage. This is a great step forward for pet owners with insurance,and we hope other pet insurance companies will follow!
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Training Corner
Are You a "Benevolent Leader?"
Debi Ropes-Stevenson
Pat Miller, CPTD, CDBC states in her book: Positive Perspectives 2, Know Your Dog, Train Your Dog:
"A
good leader doesn't need to be violent. She simply needs to create an
environment where it is easy and rewarding for followers to comply with
her wishes. Fear and aggression are possible whenever force is applied."
What
exactly is punishment based or "compulsion" dog training? When using
this training technique the trainer gives a negative response to the
dog during or immediately after an unwanted behavior occurs. The
intended result is the animal associating the negative action with the
unwanted behavior, causing him to avoid that behavior. This type of
correction is usually applied using a leash jerk or pop. The collar (a
choke or prong are most common) inflicts pain on the dog from the pop.
Some compulsion trainers use electrical shocks from a shock collar. The
idea here is that the dog does not know where the shock is coming from,
just that it occurs when he presents a certain behavior, such as
jumping up on guests, etc. Some negative reinforcement trainers
actually "hang" dogs by a leash until their feet are off the ground.
This also cuts off the dog's ability to breath, and dogs have been
known to lose consciousness during this action. Hanging dogs is an
unbelievably cruel technique.
Ouch!
Positive training, on the other
hand, reinforces good behavior so that behavior is repeated. Which type
of discipline works best with most children? Fear that a bad grade will
get them a spanking or the promise of new toy if they get a good grade?
If we acknowledge that children work better for positive influences why
do we think we should pop, hang, jerk, or shock our helpless animals?
Imagine someone suggesting you use a shock collar on your child!
By
inflicting pain and fear into a dog's world we INCREASE problems such
as anxiety, fear and aggressiveness.The doctor's pledge of "First Do No
Harm" should be adopted by dog trainers everywhere, but by sticking to
positive training methods you can be sure your dog is not traumatized
by the very actions intended to help him.
Lucky
Dog's trainers use an all positive based training curriculum. We also
use all positive methods within our dog play groups and any of our
human/dog interactions.
For help with behavioral problems and basic obedience contact Angie Neal at Lucky Dog Central 599-9663, or for basic obedience and agility training contact Meldona Sauer at Lucky Dog South 527-9663.
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Buy one bag of any flavor Blue Buffalo food and receive a can free!
Happy New Year!
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Offer Expires: January 31, 2010 No need to print coupon, just mention offer at purchase. |
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