by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Springtime and Dog Owner Amnesia

It’s springtime on Long Island, what a beautiful thing!  We can walk our dogs more often now and not worry about slipping and falling on the ice or climbing over huge snow piles.  This past week especially I have personally seen a lot more dogs being walked than I have throughout the winter.  But I have also noticed many dog owners seem to forget the basics of walking their dog or maybe their spring fever has given them dog owner amnesia.

Or maybe you just got a new puppy or adopted a dog and haven’t had a dog in what seems like 100 years, and laws and park rules may have changed.  Maybe this is your first dog ever and you are learning the ropes, here are a few dog walking tips to help you along the way (for both new and old dog owners alike!):

Proper leashes and collars – The best leash is a 6-foot cotton or leather leash; which come in different widths and styles for your type and size of dog. Retractable leashes do not give you any control of your dog or dogs and can cause injury to people and dogs alike.  Most county and state parks require your dog to be on a 6-foot leash by law.  Your dog should have a flat collar with ID and NYS dog license on it, and if you are using a training collar to walk your dog, be sure to get it fitted properly by a professional dog trainer.  Most big box pet stores selling choke, prong, harnesses and other training apparatus do not fit your dog (or know how to) and will sell you wrong size for your dog. Smaller mom & pop pet stores or dog training facilities will have a better idea what to sell you and help you fit your dog in the store.

Greeting another person with a dog – ASK! Can your dog say hello?  Is your dog friendly? Many dog owners inadvertently just walk up to another dog owner without asking if their dog is friendly or can say hello. While most dogs are friendly and social with other dogs, not all dogs are dog friendly.  Maybe their dog was attacked before and is now terrified of dogs (or the owner is terrified), or maybe the dog is dog aggressive – and now you’re wandering over to the dog without asking.  Maybe they are just working on training techniques or just beginning to socialize their dog.  Ask! And don’t be offended if their dog can’t say hello to yours.

Watching other people’s body language – Did a dog owner you were approaching just cross the street with their dog?  (Maybe to avoid you and your dog).  Are they pulling their dog closer into them, putting the dog into a “heel” position?  Walking closer to the side of the trail at the park to give you more room to pass by?  These could be very easy body language signals that you can look out for – for tell ‘tail’ signs that they don’t want to or cannot greet your dog with theirs.  Pay attention!  Pull you dog closer to you if you see this happening, and for dog’s sake don’t cross the street for your dog to say ‘hi’ after the person just crossed to get away from you and your dog! Again, not all dogs are dog friendly – but those dog owners have the right to enjoy a dog walk in the park just as much as you do.

Don’t over do it the first walk out there, if you have only been walking your dog 10 minutes for the past 5 months, gradually get your dog back into a walking routine. Increase your time and distance a little each day and before you know you and your dog could be walking a few miles a day.  A tired dog is a good dog!

Off Leash parks – are popping up across LI, so there is no need to let you’re dog run loose and out of control where you’re not supposed to because you think he should be free.  An easy rule of thumb to remember is if you can not verbally control your dog off leash, i.e. having the dog ‘come’ on command or recall your dog to you. Your dog should not be running off leash where they are not supposed to!  Go to an off-leash enclosed dog park.  You can find many listed here.

Walking in your town of village – If your dog is out 20-feet ahead of you on a retractable leash and you’re walking through a village of busy town – pull that dog in!  If you see another person coming towards you with a dog or children, retract your dog in to walk next to you – how do you know that person’s dog is dog friendly or if the person is dog savvy?  Some kids are really scared of dogs, so don’t let your dog jump up or run up to a child.

Kids – Parents please teach your children to ask to pet a dog, not to run up to a dog (a bunch of charging children can be very scary to a dog that is not used to it!), and monitor your children around all pets at all times.  If you are teaching your child how to walk the family dog – this is a great idea, just be sure to have control of the situation.  Many times I have seen a kid holding the leash and running with the dog – it may look cute and seem fun, but if that dog decides to run after something or up to an unfriendly dog, it won’t be so cute anymore.  So just make sure you are controlling the situation as the parent, aunt, uncle, guardian, etc.  You want to have fun while out with your kids and dog and educate them at the same time about dog safety.

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Paws for Japan

This St. Patrick’s Day, my favorite green holiday, instead of talking about “kissing the blarney stone” or drinking so much green beer you forgot you kissed the blarney stone –  I would ask anyone reading this to turn their attention to the disaster in Japan.  We have seen the most horrendous and unimaginable footage on CNN, GMA and other new sources and of course we think of how this has affected all the people of Japan.  But what about the pets and animals?  As many people are displaced and missing so are many beloved pets.  Pets that are injured, lost and in desperate need of medical attention, shelter, food and water – just like their human counterparts.

So this St. Patrick’s Day the pet blog community is uniting to bring attention to the wonderful organization of WorldVets who is currently organizing groups to deploy to Japan to help all the animals.  As of March 16th their first deployment is enroute to meet up with Animal Friends Niigata. They will be headed toward the disaster area for an overnight trip to help any animals they find.

Thank dog for this organization, and if you don’t want to spend your green on green beer or bagels why not chip in a few bucks towards WorldVets so they can help as many animals as possible.   You can also donate veterinary supplies and/or medicines that are being requested from are the following: De-worming medicines, vaccinations, fluid replacements, wound treatments, and cages. Donations of these items can be shipped to: World Vets headquarters, 802 1st Ave N, Fargo ND  58102.

Maybe you can play the “unicorn song” while your are making a contribution, spread the word and help the pets of Japan.  

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Adoption fees eliminated at Islip Animal Shelter

Yesterday the Town of Islip’s Supervisor Phil Nolan was proud to announce the elimination of adoption fees at the Islip Animal Shelter. At a press conference at the animal shelter Supervisor Phil Nolan, Commissioner Chris Andrade and Shelter Supervisor Joanne Daly were there to announce the news to Long Island. Mr. Nolan said, “Waiving the adoption fees for our shelter is a win-win for our Town,” said Supervisor Nolan. “Not only will we be able to find more great pets a loving family, but we will also be cutting back on our shelter expenses associated with medical care and animal food.”

The Town Board approved this with a vote of 4-1 to eliminate the $50 fee to adopt a pet from the Islip Animal Shelter. The elimination of the fees will make it easier to find homes for pets, as well as reuniting lost pets with their owners. In addition, this move will save money for the Town by reducing veterinary and maintenance costs.

Potential adopters should know however that although adoption fees have been eliminated, the Town still mandates a thorough screening process to make sure that the pets find good homes. Those wishing to adopt a pet from the Islip Animal Shelter will still have to meet several criteria before being allowed to take a pet home with them. They are not just giving out pets to anyone who comes along, which is a very good thing. Adopters will still have to pay a small fee for the New York State dog license which is required by NYS law and maintained by the town.

If you have never been to the Town of Islip Animal Shelter, and are looking for a pet to add as a member of your family – this is one of the best run municipal animal shelters around. Joanne Daly who is the shelter supervisor is a dedicated animal lover has a big heart and leads her staff to care for the animals with compassion and dedication. They also have a wonderful all volunteer group, called Shelter Link who work daily with the animals by giving them love and attention, daily walks and socialization.

The shelter also has many different purebred dogs waiting for homes. Just yesterday there were so many breeds it was amazing to see. Amongst the breeds there were: a huge all black Great Dane, a blued eyed Husky, a Belgian Malinois (what a sweetheart!), a small Poodle, an old Shar Pei, two Pekingese, a 6-month Chihuahua who just came in, a Cocker Spaniel, a Boxer, a Yorkie (just adopted!) and of course the happiest most gorgeous American Pit Bull Terriers and pit mixes. There are some really adorable cats there too.

If you are looking for a dog, cat, puppy or kitten, I would highly recommend going to the Town of Islip and seeing for yourself how well the animals are treated there and that need homes. The Town of Islip also offers a Free Responsible Dog Ownership Program that anyone can attend to learn about training, dog behavior, health and well being, dog park etiquette and much more and has been offering this successful program for 3-years now. No other town in the state offers this program and class attendees who were often at their wits end about relinquish their dog until they took this class.

If you are interested in adopting a pet please contact the shelter at 631-224-5660 or you can visit the Town of Islip Shelter website at www.islipcares.com.

Don’t shop, adopt locally.

Nikki - Belgian Malinois looking for a home

Pictured (left to right): Joanne Daly, Islip Town Shelter Supervisor along with members of her staff; Islip Town Supervisor Phil Nolan; Chris Andrade, Commissioner of Environmental Control; and Nancy Hassel, Founder of Long Island Pet Professionals.

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Top of the mornin’ to you – St. Patrick’s Day is upon on us – that means lots of wearin’ of the green, parades all across the Island and fun dog costumes. Wait, what? That’s right many dogs, cats and horses will be sporting the green in honor of the festive Irish season. This looks adorable and fun, but might not be so much fun for the pet. Make sure if you are heading out to Montauk on the 20th for the big St. Patty’s Day parade that: 1.) your pet doesn’t mind wearing clothing, bandana, sunglasses, etc. (some pets are not happy with clothing, don’t force it); 2.) that your pet has proper ID with both your home and mobile number on it and is attached to their collar; and 3.) that your pet is well behaved, and has been around large, very noisy crowds before; 4) and use a proper 6-foot leash (leather or cotton is best) to bring you dog with to the parade.

Parades are a lot of fun for us, but our four legged friends may not enjoy the experience at all. If you have never brought your dog before, maybe for safety’s sake, yours, your pets, and the crowd’s – leave that pup home. Dogs that are well adjusted, trained, and socialized may and can do just fine, but people tend to bring their dogs that aren’t or have never been exposed to what a parade can bring. Dogs can easily get frightened from bag pipes, fire truck sirens, drum core, people petting the dog without asking and could snap someone or some child, slip away and could get lost.  (I have personally seen dogs completely freaking out and squirming in their owner’s arms at parades.)

With a parade almost every weekend for St. Patty’s Day across Long Island, if you insist on bringing your pet, pay attention to them. If you dog seems terrified or is pulling away, stay back from the crowd, or better yet, bring him home. Dog’s ears are more sensitive than human ears, so a blaring fire truck could send him running for the hills, or make the dog just plain uncomfortable. So enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day and think about leaving Buddy at home.

I had a Doberman that I brought with me almost everywhere, and she was well behaved and didn’t mind, crowds or noise, kids petting her, etc. at a parade (and happened to love, love, love horses!). But I always watched her body language and paid attention to her behavior while there. If she seemed off or uneasy (which was very rare for her being a well adjusted dog and not to mention Doberman), we left. The dog I have now is way too much of a scardy cat, and I would never subject him to the noise, crowds and other people’s unruly dogs.  So I can enjoy the parade and festivities and he stays home and sleeps!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

The Long Island Pet Expo drew in large crowds from across LI on Saturday, March 5, 2011, and with rain in the forecast for Sunday, expects the same turnout.  There is something for every type of pet or animal lover, whether you like dogs, pot bellied pigs, turtles, snakes, parrots and other wild life – this is the best place to see everything under one roof!

If you are thinking of adding a new pet to be a member of your family – there are rescue groups from all areas of LI with pets that are available for adoption from adorable little Yorkie, cats and kittens, amazing American Pit Bull Terriers, wonderful mixed breeds, ferrets and more.  Stop by each booth and get to know your local rescues, you may just find you new best friend.

One of the sweetest, adorable Pit Bulls looking for a Furever home at the Expo.

There are also fantastic educational shows and demonstrations for kids and families alike, like the Rainforest Reptiles Shows and the Birds of Prey Program.  You will also be oohhh and ahhed watching the flyball, dancing dogs, agility dogs, and the famous poker playing dog “Jilli Dog” and her friends. The bleacher stands were packed full of families watching and cheering on the different shows.  If you love cats, there is a cat show going on at the same time – some cat breeds you may have not seen in person before.  Tons of vendors too – if you are looking to purchase pet products for your pets.

If you were not able to make it today, the Pet Expo is taking place on Sunday, March 6 as well from 10am to 6pm at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood, NY.  For more details, cost and directions click here.  Be sure to pick up your complimentary copy of the ‘Pet Press’ published by the Long Island Press.

Also see Sunday’s schedule below.

SUNDAY – March 6

Dog Ring

10:30 AM       Agility & Frisbee Demonstrations by Doggie U

and LI Road Rage

11:15 AM       Dog Pals Dog Trick Show

12:00 Noon    Classic K9’s

12:45 PM       Dancing with Your Dogs

1:00 PM         Jilli Dog

1:30 PM         Agility and Flyball Demonstrations by Doggie U

and LI Road Rage

2:15 PM         Classic K9

3:00 PM         Dog Pals Dog Trick Show

3:45 PM         Dancing with Dogs

4:15 PM         Classic K9 Dog Show

5:00 PM         Agility, Flyball & Frisbee Demonstrations by  Doggie U

and LI Road Rage

Stage

11:00 AM      Rainforest Reptile Show

12:00 Noon   Petland Discounts Traveling Pet Show

12:30 PM      Birds of Prey Program

1:00 PM        Rainforest Reptile Show

1:30 PM        Dog Pals- How to Use Feeding Time to Train your Dog

2:15 PM        Pet Safe Coalition – “Leave No Animal Behind”

3:00 PM        Rainforest Reptile Show

3:30 PM        Petland Discounts Traveling Pet Show

4:00 PM        Birds of Prey Program

5:00 PM        Rainforest Reptile Show

Cat Ring

TICA CAT SHOW 10:00 am will continue all day until conclusion