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Thanks to everyone for the best
picnic ever!
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 We had gorgeous weather and a fabulous turnout for this year's picnic at Curtis Memorial Park. 208 Sheltie lovers attended, along with 130 beautiful Shelties and Sheltie wannabes. A big tent sheltered the Sheltie shop and demos (massage, grooming, nosework, therapy, and more), and Lenay O'Quinn, an animal communicator, assisted many dogs to tell their humans important things. The fun games for seniors as well as all dogs were very popular. The agility and rally demos were also fun, and attendees tried some new dog activities. Free lunch was greatly appreciated (but you had to get there in time!), and the baked treats for sale were the best ever. A big thank you to Whole Foods for donating the hotdogs, buns, and fixings. The silent auction was loaded with lots of unusual and one-of-a-kind items. The foster corral drew lots of interest with several lovely dogs available for adoption. (Two lucky adopters went home with new family members.) Natural Balance provided some great feeding advice and samples. And, the adopter parade was longer than ever. We had several requests for the materials that Brenda Racheau, our volunteer, distributed about Therapy Dog Certification and Nosework. Click on each of these terms to get the documents. We cleared several thousand dollars this year, and we promise to use every dollar for the Shelties coming in who need new homes. We'll hope to see you there next year! There are lots of photos of the picnic in the slideshow on our website "Events" page. 
ADOPTER PARADE - by adoption year | | |
SWEEP PHOTO OF SHELTIE FAMILIES | | |
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NVSR 2013 Calendars are Going Fast!
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We still have calendars available! You get 15 months of beautiful rescued Sheltie photos, along with tributes to our wonderful dogs that have passed away, and plenty of room to write reminders of your dogs' birthdays, HW pills, etc. Click here to order yours today! Only $18 each plus $1.50 postage. (We'll calculate postage for you if you order four or more.) Give one to your dogwalker, your vet clinic, your grandchildren.
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Come and See Us!
|  We'll be at the big Reston Town Center Home 4 the Holidays event on Saturday, November 3 from 11 am to 4 pm. Lots of great canine vendors and many, many rescue groups will be there. Look for NVSR somewhere near the middle - we hope. We'll have foster dogs there and lots of volunteers to "talk Sheltie" with you. More info ...  March with us in the Scottish Christmas Walk though Old Town Alexandria, Saturday, December 1. We'll be parading proudly with the Potomac Valley Shetland Sheepdog Club. Line up is at about 10 am. Wear your tartan woolies and "tam," and bring your Shelties, of course. More info ... |
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Keep Your Sheltie Safe at Hallowe'en
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Most of us love Hallowe'en, with its costumes and fun, but for our Shelties it can be very stressful. If you were the height that put your eyes at human knee levels, it would be pretty scary to see your favorite people wearing masks and strange clothing. And, that darn doorbell ringing all the time with VERY strange beings out there!
Here are some tips to keep your four-legged family members safe:
- Guard the candy bowl and keep it up high! Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Keep your vet's number handy.
- The frequent door opening for trick or treaters is a temptation for a Sheltie to slip out into the dark night with many strange people and noises about. If your dog is stressed (and decide on the dog's side of this question), put him or her in a quiet room away from the confusion and excitement.
- If you MUST dress up your Sheltie, be kind. Lots of our dogs are just not interested in parading around in clothes or hats. If yours likes it, great! If not, don't expect too much from Buddy or Lassie. Most dogs prefer their "birthday suits" for all occasions.
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News and Notes
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If your Sheltie is microchipped, you may register his or her chip with the company that distributed the chip, like Home Again or Avid. These companies usually charge an annual fee for continuing to register your chip. And, they like to sell you other services, as well as sending you newsletters. They have reunited millions of lost pets with their owners.
It's important to register your pets' chips to you personally. Don't assume that someone else has done that for you. If your Sheltie is lost, a microchip could be the thing that gets him or her back to you quickly. _____________________
 Does your dog love to chew? Have you tried antler pieces? They last forever, and many dogs love them. Antlers are collected from shed "racks" and sold through various distributors. (There will be one at the Reston Home 4 the Holidays - see above.) Here's an online source: Antlerz 4 Dogz. 10% off your first order. _______________________  Having trouble trimming your dog's nails? Watch " CIA Case File: Tucker Nail Trim" by Canines in Action. It's a great example of why positive training works so much better than Cesar Millan's dominance nonsense. It shows a good approach to getting your dog to accept nail clipping, if that's been a problem for you. (We hope that Tucker's adopter will continue to use positive reinforcement for his other issues, too.)  Tucker is responding to a "clicker," used to mark the behavior that you want from your dog. The click is followed by a treat, and eventually just the click becomes the reward. Emphasis on ... eventually! Here's a good video on the basics of clicker training. (Look in the right hand column.) If the click is too loud for your sensitive Sheltie, make the noise with your tongue or keep the clicker in your pocket. Or just say "Yes!" in a distinctive tone. Be sure the treat follows immediately! We'll send you more information on training techniques, including clickers, in upcoming issues of the Sheltie Spin. |
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New Arrivals
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These beautiful Sheltie newcomers are on our website. Check there for updates about them and when they'll be available for adoption.
BluBell, F, 7 yo
Daisy, F, 4 yo
Laila, F, 4 yo
Rascal, M, 10 yo
 Sasha, F, 4 yo
 Spencer, M, 3 yo
Tiny, F, 2 yo
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Donate to NVSR through CFC or CVC
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NVSR is a listed charity with the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC). If you work for the Federal or Virginia government, please consider signing up to give to NVSR through payroll deduction. Our designation numbers are on the logos above. Many thanks!
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NVSR is on Facebook!
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Check out our NVSR page and "Like" us, so that you'll receive the postings and news automatically. Or, you can go to our page online and see what we're talking about. If you want to join Facebook, it's easy. Keep in touch!
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Learn More About Canines
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 One of the classics among dog books is Patricia McConnell's The Other End of the Leash - Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs. It's a very good read about canine behavior and body language and why we primates often don't understand our dogs. Here's what you need to learn to communicate with your Sheltie! Check it out!Patricia McConnell has a Ph.D. in animal behavior and is a gifted writer about this topic. She has written many books on "problems" dogs may have, like separation anxiety, living in a multi-dog household, on-leash aggression, and many more.
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| Quick Links | |
Check out The Whole Dog Journal for great tips on training, quality dog food, canine health and dog activities. No advertising, only solid, reliable information that really makes sense!
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| Donate to Help NVSR |
NVSR is a 501(c)(3) organization, and your donation is fully deductible. Donate through PayPal or send a check (address below). We appreciate every dollar we receive - and every dollar goes to help our Shelties!
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| Contact us ... | |
703-912-4002
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