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Greetings!
Thank you all for your positive feedback and comments about our e-newsletter! We encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts and your stories. We know many of you have heartwarming rescue stories and we would love to hear them. And remember, if you or a neighbor have a lost or found pet, we can post your information in our newsletter. Let us be your voice! We have added a new section to our August issue entitled Canine Community News. We recently visited the site of the brand new dog park in Covington and wanted to share the exciting news! Soon, in addition to Mandeville's Pelican Park dog park, northshore pet-owners will be able to choose from two sprawling, fenced locations that encourage dogs to roam freely and socialize in a safe and secure environment. For the full story see Canine Community News . We hope to see you and your pet soon! Sincerely,Jason & Tiffany Beasley
Willow's Oak Pet Lodge & Obedience Academy |
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FREE
Out & About Playtime |
Bring this coupon to Willow's Oak for 1 free Out & About playtime package with the purchase of 2 or more O&A playtimes.
One per customer per pet, please.
Forward this coupon to family and friends so their pets can stay, play and learn to obey at Willow's Oak this summer! Visit www.willowsoak.com to learn more. | | Offer Valid: August 1, 2012 thru August 31, 2012 |
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 TRAINING TIPS
from Certified Trainer Jason Beasley
Hyper Dogs!
Dogs, at times, can be hyper. But there is a simple solution to help your pooch channel their energy.
Firstly, make sure your dog gets enough exercise. The amount depends on the breed and temperament, but try to find time to let your dog play and run to release energy.
The next step is to lure-reward train your puppy or dog to come, sit, and lie down. Simple instructions such as "Sit" and "Lie down" are extremely effective solutions. Instead of telling your dog "no", ask her to lie down, and then praise and reward her for doing so. If she lies down obediently, she can't run around the living room, or run out the front door.
The best way to consistently reinforce this behavior is to begin with this step: Instead of feeding your dog all of his breakfast from a bowl, weigh out his food in the morning and use individual pieces as lures and rewards during five-second training intervals throughout the day. Practice in every room of the house and on walks. While you are walking your dog, pause every 50 feet and instruct your dog to perform a series of body positions, for example, sit-down-sit-stand-down-stand. Within just a few days you'll have a different dog. Your consistency and repetition will be rewarding for both you and your dog!
*For more information on Positive Reinforcement Dog Training with certified trainer Jason Beasley, or to schedule a class, please call 845-9444.
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Pet Facts | |
Did you know...
If never spayed or neutered, a female dog, her mate, and their puppies could product over 66,000 dogs in 6 years!!
HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN
St Tammany Animal Resource Team (START) Pet Adoptions
Every Saturday 12pm-3pm at Pet Smart in Covington
For more info, call
(985) 727-7827
St. Francis Animal Sanctuary's Pooches 'N Pirates Fundraiser Event
Sat August 4th, 6-9pm
Tickets $25
For more info, visit sfas.org
or call (601) 222-1927 |
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Pet of the Month
 Adorable Lomax Chetta Lomax is as adorable as he looks in this photo! He always makes us smile when he stays with us. We love you, Lomax! For being our pet of the month, you will receive a FREE NIGHT of boarding during your next stay. |
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 Pets & Their People
A Rescue Story
By Tiffany Beasley - as told by Angie Henderson
 | | Gretchen |
Gretchen is an adorable long-haired female Chihuahua. Before being rescued, she belonged to a breeder who used her to produce litters. Little is known about the breeder, only that this young dog was no longer needed, so was given away. Fortunately for 3 yr old Gretchen, she is now in a loving home and her breeding days are far behind her.
At times, it is difficult for people to know if they are dealing with a reputable dog breeder or a puppy mill. In order to maximize profits at puppy mills, female dogs are bred at every opportunity with little to no recovery time between litters. When, after a few years, they are physically depleted to the point that they can no longer reproduce, breeding females are often killed or given away.
Angie found little Gretchen online at www.rescueme.org. At the time, she was actually looking for a dog for her mother who had recently lost her 19 year old blind Yorkshire Terrier and needed a companion. Angie saw a photograph of the little black Chihuahua, made an inquiry, and within a week she and her family drove to pick up the little dog. Gretchen and Angie bonded instantly. Gretchen became very attached to her new "mom", so much so that Angie decided that she couldn't let her go. She would have to search for another dog for her mother.
These days, Gretchen goes everywhere with Angie and her kids - soccer games, baseball practice and to their ranch. She never leaves Angie's side and they now have a lifelong bond.
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Gretchen and her 'furfriend' Pepita |
Gretchen's story has a happy ending, but many puppies sold online and in pet stores come from puppy mills. Before purchasing a dog from either of these sources, please, consider adoption. Purebred dogs end up in shelters just like mixed breeds. Breed rescue groups exist for just about every breed possible. If you have your heart set on a purebred, be sure to visit your local shelter or find a breed rescue group before searching for a breeder. If enough people do this, puppy mills and unreputable breeders will no longer be profitable and will be forced to close.
We would like to thank Angie Henderson for sharing her story. We are so grateful to have met her! Not only did she rescue sweet little Gretchen, but she also dedicates what little spare time she has to injured and neglected wildlife and farm animals. Without caring people like Angie, these creatures would have no chance at survival. Thanks for all that you do, Angie!
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 | | Easy Walk Harness |
Pet Product Pick
In this section, we will give our candid opinion as pet professionals regarding new and existing pet-related products on the market. We do not sell, endorse or profit from the sale of these products in any way. We provide these reviews as a service to our readers and their furry companions. Please feel free to let us know if you agree or disagree with our assessments by sharing your pet's reaction by email or Facebook.
One problem that Jason and I always get asked about is how to stop dogs from pulling on a leash. At times, owners may feel as if their dog is walking them! We recommend the Easy Walk Harness.
The Easy Walk Harness is designed to gently discourage your dog from pulling while walking on a leash. A common misconception about the traditional harness is that it can actually encourage dogs to pull harder because of the "opposition reflex." That's the reflex that makes sled dogs do what they do. The Easy Walk Harness has a front-chest leash attachment which stops pulling by tightening slightly across your dog's chest and shoulder blades. This gentle pressure steers your dog to the side, and redirects his attention back towards you. The harness never causes coughing, gagging, or choking because the chest strap rests low across the breastbone, not on the tracheal area.
Although we recommend the harness, in order for it to be effective, it must fit properly. If you purchase this harness and would like to check the fit, please call Jason or Tiffany at Willow's Oak to arrange a time for us to help you with it.
The Easy Walk Harness can be purchased at Pet Smart or online. It varies by size and costs around $20.00.
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 Adorable Adoptables
Chance (appropriately named as he was given a second chance) is a
4 month old mix breed puppy who was recently rescued from a kill shelter. He is currently being fostered in a home with children and is a fantastic, friendly, house trained boy! If you are interested in adopting Chance, please call Tiffany or Jason at Willow's Oak,
(985) 845-9444.
Please inform us of adoptable or lost/found pets in our local community and we will post them in our monthly newsletter. Please include a photo. willowsoak@bellsouth.net |
 Canine Community News New Dog Park scheduled to open in Covington By Tiffany Beasley Pretty Acres Dog Park & Walking Trail is currently under construction on Andrew drive behind The Home Depot in Covington. The two acre site was donated to the Covington Recreation District by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. The park is named after the Pretty Acres Golf Course, which used to be in the area. It was scheduled to be completed this summer, so I went to check it out and take some photos; to see how much progress has been made.  Although it appears to be slightly behind schedule, it is going to be a great location for Covington locals to let their dogs have much needed off-leash socialization playtime! It will be Covington's first neighborhood dog park. It looks like our community just got even more dog friendly! I will post updates on our facebook page as more progress is made. |
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