March 2016                                                                        

No.75   

GSP logo

MARCH

NEWSLETTER 

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

 
 
Winter's almost over, and spring's right around the corner. 

We've been busy rescuing needy dogs, transporting others, finding foster homes, and, of course, doing all the necessary paperwork.

Well, now we're tootin' our own horn!

We pride ourselves on the vetting we do for our dogs and our record keeping. We have a checks and balances system to make sure that we're thorough and complete and that our dogs are healthy prior to transport and adoption.

We have been a licensed Maine Importer but new licensing requirements as of this past January went into effect, so before we could be licensed our records had to be reviewed. We're happy to report that after our inspection we had no violations, exceeded the requirements and passed with flying colors so we will now be licensed under the new regulations. Whoot whoot!

We LOVE expanding our rescue family!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!


Celeste,

Audrey,
and Michele
 
GSP Rescue NE Board of Directors 
Good News!
Albany Dogs Rescued!

We, along with many of you, have been following the plight of the Albany dogs kept outside 24/7. We became aware of these dogs late 2012 and despite our best efforts were not able to help them until now. The dogs lived in what we consider filth and unsanitary, deplorable conditions. They were used as a breeding pair. Unfortunately Animal Control could not seize them because they were living "up to code" with a dog house and heated water bowl.

After 4 years, the former owner surrendered them to the City and GSP Rescue NE was there to step in quickly and accept them into our program. It was thought that Lucky was pregnant but that turned out to be false.  They are both loaded with whipworms and Lyme positive. Frankie is completely blind. They are a very bonded pair and we will keep them together. They are now safe with us and on their way to good health. These two senior dogs are just lovely and we're so happy they're now with us and will live out their lives in comfort, cherished and no more puppies!
 
Freedom Ride!

More to come on Lucky and Frankie soon!
HELP WANTED

Website Support Needed

GSP Rescue New England's website is currently a WYSIWYG site. While keeping the site exactly the same, we'd like to transfer it to Word Press with a different server. 

If you're a webmaster looking to help out a non-profit organization, we could sure use your help!

Contact CELESTE. And, thanks!
DOG SITTER WANTED
 
Bravo, a 2 1/2-year-old male GSP, that lives in Andover, Mass., needs a dog sitter while his parents take a two-week vacation in mid-April. 

The family is willing to pay normal kennel fees and say that not only would Bravo would be happiest under such an arrangement, but they would, too.

Interested? Contact Celeste. And many thanks from Bravo!

MOSQUITO SEASON IS LURKING


Mosquito season isn't far away. 

If you haven't had your dog on preventatives or he hasn't been tested for heartworm within the last year, now is the time.

 Not only is treatment for heartworm expensive, it's painful. $10 a month is all it costs to prevent your dog from being infected.


"BOOK TALK" IN NATICK, MASS.

The Natick, Mass., Community Library will have a "book talk" on Tuesday, April 26, from 7 to 8 p.m., with Peter Zheutlin, author of Rescue Road: One Man, Thirty Thousand Dogs, and a Million Miles on the Last Hope Highway, How Far Would You Go to Save a Dog's Life?

Rescue Road is the New York Times bestselling story of Greg Mahle who has rescued thousands of dogs from hunger, abuse and neglect and given them a second chance at life and love.

Join journalist Peter Zheutlin as he tells the story of his travels with Mahle on his Rescue Road Trips.

The book will be available for purchase and autographing following the presentation. All are welcome!

A proceed of all book sales go to Greg's rescue efforts.


HOW TO CLIP THOSE TOENAILS

 


CALENDARS FOR SALE!!



It's not too late! We've got plenty left! Grab a 2016 Rescue calendar for the GSP lover in your life, or treat yourself if that's you!

 $19.25 includes shipping. Order here at gsprescuene.org
 
REMEDIAL HOUSETRAINING

 
All healthy adult dogs can be housetrained, 

but you'll need commitment.


 

By Mardi Richmond

The Whole Dog Journal

 

Meet "Mollie," a three-and-a-half-year-old terrier who lives in Aptos, California. (Her name has been changed to protect the guilty!) Mollie is a great dog, except for one not-so-small issue: Mollie is not housetrained. She does not know when or where she is supposed to go. Left to her own devices, Mollie would eliminate in the living room, the bedroom, on top of a pile of clean laundry, and, yes, even in her own crate.

 

Mollie's housetraining issues, however extreme, are easily explained. The first several years of Mollie's life were spent in a poorly run breeding kennel. She was not only never formally housetrained, but also forced to urinate and defecate regularly in her living space. In addition, Mollie also developed an infection that made it impossible for her to hold it, even when she was crated.

 

Crates, X-pens, and baby gates will be your biggest allies in the campaign to housetrain your dog. Access to the entire house must be earned, slowly, as the dog exhibits reliability. 
By the time she came to live in her current home, her lack of inhibition was cemented, and housetraining has been her number one problem behavior.

 

Mollie is not a bad dog; in all other ways she is a wonderful companion! And she is not alone in her problem; many adult dogs are not fully housetrained. Fortunately, there is hope for Mollie and other dogs like her. Adult dogs, even dogs whose histories have stacked the odds against them, can learn an appropriate place and time to go!

 

Understanding the problem

Of course, not all dogs with housetraining problems come from kennels or shelters. Adult dogs can have a variety of explanations for their housetraining failures. Even dogs who have been in stable homes since puppyhood can have trouble with housetraining.

 

Some of the most common reasons that dogs fail to learn when and where to eliminate include:

 

* Having a medical problem. If you have a dog that was reliably housetrained and suddenly has housetraining problems, consider the possibility of a medical issue. Infections, certain illnesses, and some medications can all contribute to house-soiling.

 

* Not truly understanding the "house" rules. For example, a dog may understand that he needs to go outside and will do so when he has free access (such as a doggy door), but not understand that he needs to hold it when he does not have free access.

 

* Not having generalized the rules from one place to another. A dog may have been house-trained in a previous home, but not know the same rules apply in a new home. Or, a dog may know to go outside at his house, but not understand that he also needs to go outside when visiting a friend's house or staying in a hotel.

 

* Being asked to "hold it" for too long. Some dogs can easily go all day without eliminating. For other dogs, holding it all day is very difficult or even impossible. This can be especially true for dogs who are small, young, elderly, or who have a medical problem.

 

* Having learned that eliminating in their living space is acceptable. Like Mollie, dogs that have spent much of their lives in kennels often lose their natural inhibition about eliminating where they eat and sleep. In addition, dogs with a history of "accidents" in the home because of an illness, poor management, or other factors may simply learn that it is less stressful to go inside than to try to "hold it."

 

Getting down to business

Housetraining is not a single behavior. Rather, it is a whole series of interrelated behaviors.

 

For a dog to be fully housetrained, he needs to understand where he should go as well as where he shouldn't. He needs to learn to "hold it" (sometimes for hours) until he is in an appropriate place. He needs to be able to communicate his need to go in a way his people will understand and respond expediently. And he needs to generalize these behaviors to all indoor (and some outdoor) situations. For any adult dog with a history of housetraining issues, it can also mean unlearning past behaviors.

 

If this sounds like a lot of learning on your dog's part (as well as training on your part), don't despair. These simple steps can help you teach your dog the skills he needs to become a full-fledged, housetrained dog.

 

* First, supervise your dog at all times when he is inside, except when he is crated or otherwise confined. This is the key to success. You must supervise your dog inside your home at all times to prevent accidents. The more consistent you can be, the faster your dog will succeed.

 

Note that in this case, "supervise" means much more than having your dog with you in the same room. It means keeping your attention focused on the dog so as to prevent any opportunity for the dog to make a mistake, or, at the very least, to be able to interrupt him "midstream" - a good opportunity to rush him outside and then praise him for going in the "right" place (more on this below).

 

The best way to accomplish this when you are not actually looking at the dog or playing with him, is often referred to as the "umbilical cord" method. If you are watching TV, working on your computer, washing dishes, or otherwise occupied, clip a leash onto your dog's collar, and tie the other end around your waist or belt loop. It should be long enough to allow him to sit or lay at your feet, but short enough to prevent him from making a move to eliminate without your knowledge.

 

When you are neither actively watching your dog nor physically linked to him by a short leash, he should be confined, as described below.

 

* Confine your dog when you can't supervise him. When you cannot actively supervise your dog, leave him confined in a crate, X-pen, or other small secure space. Because dogs are not as likely to soil where they eat or sleep, a sleeping area like a crate is ideal.

 

* If your dog regularly eliminates in his crate or other confined space, and your veterinarian has ruled out all health problems as the cause, try changing your confinement area. If you have been using a crate, for example, change to an X-pen in a different part of the house. Start by feeding your dog in her new confinement space and leaving her alone there for only short periods.

 

If your dog has been eliminating on her bedding, change the type of bedding you use, too. If she's been sleeping (and eliminating!) on a blanket, switch to a flat thick bed of newspaper, or a fleece pad. The idea is to create a new "living space" with no former associations for your dog as a place to eliminate. Continue to use the crate as a living space for longer periods until you have established the new confinement area as a living space.

 

* Set up a routine. You've probably heard this before: what goes in on schedule, comes out on schedule. Establish regular feeding, sleeping, and waking times. Take your dog out, at minimum, upon waking, after eating and drinking, before leaving home, immediately after play, when you first arrive home, and before bedtime.

 

* Teach your dog where to go! This is an important and often overlooked step. Pick a spot that you regularly take your dog to; don't just put him outside, go with him. When your dog goes in the appropriate spot, immediately reward the behavior with praise and a treat. A dog who is rewarded for going in a specific spot will be more motivated to go in that place and may also begin asking to go to the place (offering the behavior!) because it earns rewards.

 

The crate or X-pen where your dog will spend his unsupervised time should be comfortable and cozy.
 
* Read your dog's signals. Look for clues in his behavior that tell you he needs to go outside. Dogs won't always go to the back door. Some common signs include acting restless, "bugging" you, pacing, and just before the act, circling. But sometimes the behavior is more obscure, so be observant. (One of my dogs licked the cat's ears when she needed to go outside - a behavior I assume she learned because we always paid attention to her when she paid attention to the cat.)

 

In addition, try to anticipate your dog's needs. Does he always need to go outside immediately after waking? When someone comes to the door? After playing?

 

* When accidents happen, don't punish! If you actually catch your dog in the act - and I mean midstream, not one second after - it's okay to interrupt with a clap or noise and then rush the dog outside. Be sure to reward your dog when he finishes up outside. If you discover the act afterward, even immediately afterward, don't punish your dog. It really won't help, and could set back the process by making your dog afraid to go in front of you. Simply clean up the accident well with an enzyme neutralizing cleaner.

 

* Gradually expand the "safe" zone. Once you have established a routine wherein your dog is supervised or confined, goes outside on a schedule, and avoids accidents for a month or longer, begin cautiously increasing your dog's freedom. For example, if your dog's confined space is a small X-pen in the kitchen, you might begin by expanding the size of the pen. Once he proves himself reliable in the slightly larger space, leave him confined to the kitchen.

 

Gradually increase his space until he is reliable within your entire home. If problems arise (remember that mistakes are part of the learning process), simply back up to the last reliable step and take it slower. Taking it too slowly is much better than rushing the process, especially with a dog that has a history of housetraining issues.

 

Patience pays off

The most frequent question I have been asked about house-training an adult dog (and puppies, too) is, "How long will it take?" The answer is, "It depends." It depends on the dog, the situation, and you. There is no magic formula or specific amount of time.

 

I have noticed that often people want it to take a lot less time than is realistic. (I think we've all heard stories of the dog that was housetrained in a week and wish that could be our dog.) Think about all of the steps the dog needs to learn - to go in a specific place, to hold it for a period of time, to ask when he needs to go out, to apply these rules to all inside areas. Be patient! This is a lot for a dog to learn. Plan on a few months at minimum, and a year or more for a dog with a longer history of housetraining issues.

 

Of course, that doesn't mean you have to deal with your dog actually eliminating in the house for months! Remember the first two steps: supervise and confine. With diligence, you can establish a routine that will help you avoid most accidents within a few weeks, if not sooner.

 

Remember Mollie? After a few short months, Mollie was 100 percent reliable in her X-pen (remember, this is a dog who would eliminate in her crate!) and when supervised by her people. She's still not ready to be left unsupervised (and with her history, it may take longer than most for her to be ready), but Mollie is certainly well on her way to becoming fully housetrained. Patience does pay off!

 

WALKING FOR MONEY 

 

 

Support GSP Rescue New England simply by walking your dog! Check out this app at http://www.wooftrax.com/ and use it each time you grab for the leash. It's healthy for you, your dog, and GSP Rescue NE!


 
Did you know that the Wooftrax app also has a setting for running and biking? If you enjoy doing either, take a look!

In This Issue
ALBANY DOGS RESCUED!
HELP WANTED!
DOG SITTER SOUGHT
MOSQUITO SEASON LURKS
BOOK TALK
TOENAIL CLIPPING TIPS
CALENDARS FOR SALE
REMEDIAL HOUSETRAINING
WALKING FOR MONEY
ADOPTIONS!
DONATIONS!
THANK YOU, DONORS!
COMEDY CORNER

Quick Links

Help Us Help Them
foster logo

Facebook

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

Tigger disappeared in December 2015 in the Lenox, Mass., area. 
We are still waiting for him to come home. 
If you have any information as to his whereabouts,
 please call our toll-free number above.

 
Cookbooks Still Available!

 


 
Get yourself a copy of "Point to the Pantry," a cookbook full of recipes by the GSP Rescue family. Cost? $15.50 per copy, which includes shipping.

To purchase, go to the Rescue Store at www.GSPRescueNE.org

Look Who's Been Adopted!

More GSPs have found their forever homes!

 

They are: Merle, Lottie, Dakota and Sallie.

  

Hooray for the dogs!! Hooray for their new families!! :-) 
Donations
Donations have gratefully been accepted this month from: Charles, Claudia, Sean and Cara Sullivan, Alwynne Blake, in honor of Leslie Young's birthday, Catherine Parmentier, John Conley, Philip LaPerriere and Nathalie Nepveu, in memory of Skeeter. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your generosity!

Recurring Donations

Thank you to these donors who have set up recurring monthly donations -- an easy process that can be set up on PayPal.

Donors are: Frank StracciaJeff Adams, Bill Crawford, Robert Klepach (with employer matching funds from Keysight
Technologies), Emilie Knisley and Tom Barks.

  

Thank you for your generosity!

 

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 From Our Friends
At Bissell



Click HERE to get to the Bissell website.

 Help Us With

Our Year-Round Fundraisers

 

Zeppp

   

Zeppa Studios designs and produces unique gifts for dog and other animal lovers. 

 

Their Project Rescue was specifically created to help rescue groups earn money and for customers to save money!

 

Enter the coupon code for German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue New England (GSPRNE) during your online check-out or mention it to the customer service rep when ordering by phone. Customers get 10 percent off their order, GSP Rescue NE will get 20 percent. 

 

For information or to see their product line, go to ZeppaStudios  

 

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.
 
Hale Pet Door celebrates having 2,000 pet rescues and humane societies participating in their Rescue Rewards program.
  
For more information on Hale pet doors, go to www.halepetdoor.com

COMEDY CORNER