by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Show Me Your PITS!

This coming Monday, March 7, 2011 there is a national Facebook Campaign is taking place called, ‘Show Me Your Pits!’  This second annual campaign is a simple, fantastic and fun way to spread awareness to show your love of Pit Bulls, the other good dog.  If you are a Pit Bull owner, aficionado or rescuer all you have to do is change your Facebook profile picture to a picture of your beloved Pit Bull on March 7th.  The event last year had about 322 participants that took part and this year there are already over 2,000 people planning to part take in the event, you know my dog Max will be gracing my profile picture!

The event was created by Christy Boecker who also started the Facebook group ‘Pit Bulls – The Other Good Dog’ in 2009.  Christy is a pet behavior therapist for almost 25 years and a Pit Bull Advocate for 10 years.  One day while working at a local animal shelter as the of Director of Operations, the plight of the Pit Bull touched her very deeply with the surrender of a lovely 6 year old Bully mix named Buddy.  Buddy’s owner was a military man and he was being transferred to a base that had Breed Discriminatory Rules and he could not take Buddy with him.  He had raised Buddy since a pup and was a loved member of the family that included 3 small children.  Christy immediately felt she had to do something more, and because of Buddy’s story is the reason behind the Facebook group and this second annual campaign.  The Facebook page has over 16,000 fans and growing and just goes to show no matter how the media has ruined perception of this breed, the American Pit Bull Terrier is a very loved and loyal family dog, they work as therapy dogs and police dogs, are smart, fun, funny, active, adorable, and of course ‘The Other Good Dog.’

In order to keep the fan base growing and the Pit Bull community involved Christy decided to start the Facebook campaign of changing profile pictures to Bully breeds in hopes of seeing their lovely faces all over facebook.

Christy is also a national co-speaker for a day long workshop designed for shelter staff and employees to better understand the Pit Bulls in their care and to adopt them out responsibly. The workshop has been sponsored by Petco Foundation and Christy hopes to reach most major cities in the United States during 2011.  Christy also hosts the ‘Bully Ball in the Park’ annually in her home town of Waterman, Illinois.  On a Sunday afternoon in mid September Bully owners can gather in the park to mingle, join contests and just have a good time.

Christy’s Pet Perfection will be if she can get over 5,000 people to partake in Monday’s ‘Show Me Your Pits’ event, so come you know you want to!

Max, AMERICAN Pit Bull Terrier, and he votes for only dog friendly candidates!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Found a lost dog…Now what?

If you see a loose dog, for most pet lovers our first instinct is to stop and see if we can help get the dog back to its owner and back home.  Does the dog have a collar with ID tags and a number to call to reunite the pet with its family?  Many times a dog gets loose with no visible ID, and no way to immediately get it back home.

Very recently a there was a sad story about a lost dog on Fox Five found in Nassau County. When a good samaritan saw the dog loose in the road, he wanted to help the dog out of harms way and get the dog back to its owners.   So the man stopped and coaxed the dog to him and brought him home.  He and his fiancé decided to post the dog in the Pets section of Craigslist.com, and with in a few hours the “owner” contacted them claiming it was her dog.  They met the next day in a shopping center nearby so she could pick up ‘her’ dog.  A couple hours after the dog was reunited with the supposed owner, the real owner contacted them about the dog.  It turns out the real owner only lived five houses away from where the dog was picked up.  So unfortunately the dog was given to someone who is not the real owner.

What you can do if you do find a loose dog with no ID:

• If you find a dog in a neighborhood, first and foremost, knock on some doors, it could be the dog was only a house or so away. (Which was the case here, the dog was only 5 houses away). This also goes hand in hand in getting to know your neighbors, and their pets.
• If the dog has no collar or tags, call or go to your local town animal shelter – the dog may be microchipped and most shelters have scanners to see if the dog has a chip and can help relocating the dog.  If you are leaving the dog at the shelter as a stray, town animal shelters by law have to hold for a period of time (usually seven days) before the dog can be placed for adoption.  This will also give the owner a chance to look to see if there dog is in the local town shelter.

• If the animal shelter is closed, go to your nearest veterinarian office, many vet offices also have scanners.

• If you do post the dog to a community pet section of a website like craigslist or if you post to Facebook – make sure the person claiming the dog is theirs has proof i.e. clear photo’s of the dog, medical records, can identify markings on the dog, maybe a scar from a past injury, if the dog is spayed or neutered or other information that the person can just tell from a picture. (I would ask these questions over the phone before reuniting).

• Watch the dog’s body language during the reuniting – the dog on the video didn’t look overly excited to see its ‘owner’ it almost seemed like it didn’t really know her.  The majority of dogs are so happy, excited, and ecstatic to see their owners again, even after just 5 minutes apart – so watch for that.  Over excitement is not a tell “tail” sign that the dog is theirs, but could help the rescuers spotting a fraud if the dog is acting shy or scared of the person claiming it is their dog.

• Does the dog respond to the name?  The horrible person in the video stealing the dog called the dog “baby” and anyone can call a dog baby.

To prevent the above from happening, dog owners can follow these tips:

• Have a collar or harness with ID tags on your dog at all times, with updated contact information. (Do not use a training collar for this purpose – a flat buckle collar is best.)

• Have your dog licensed with the state (dog licenses are required by state law and can be acquired at your local town clerk’s office), this is another form of ID and easy for town shelters to identify the dog and its owner.

• Does your dog escape, climb over or under your fence?  Be sure you have a secure yard if you know your dog is an escape artist.  Always check to see if your gate is securely closed, and teach your kids this as well.

• If your dog is an escape artist and known for getting out, be sure to get the dog microchipped.

• Is your dog spayed or neutered?  Dogs that are not “fixed” tend to want to get out and mate – so another good reason for spaying and neutering your pets.

• Does your dog know where he or she lives?  This may sound really silly, but if you never walk your dog, and it’s only a house dog or dog that only goes in your yard, the neighborhood could be a whole new big world for your dog to explore, easily get lost, not recognize anything and if you never walk your dog – how does your dog know which house is theirs?  (People who walk their dogs on a regular basis know that their dog could lead them right back home!)

• Get to know your neighbors!  If you know your neighbor has a German Shepherd and you see a loose German Shepherd in your neighborhood, chances are it is their dog.

We are hoping that the woman in the video tape is found comes forward and the dog Lilly is reunited with its owner very soon.  If you know who the person who stole the dog is, call Crime Stoppers at 800-244-8477.

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Living on Long Island we are very fortunate that once a year the most prestigious and biggest dog show comes to New York City.  The Westminster Dog Show draws thousands of dog lovers from around the world and is practically in our back yard.  With approximately 90 dogs entered from Long Island owners – some of which are breeders, owners, handlers – this year was a first time showing at Westminster for many of those dogs.  On Tuesday, February 15, 2011 a lot of the big dogs, and I mean this in size – not their status, took part in the competition.  One of those beautiful big dogs was the very handsome, playful and young Bull Mastiff “Brutus” (Bandog’s Brutus the II of Raven). Owned by Mike and Marilyn Schamroth of Hewlett – they were more than excited to see their boy in the ring – his first time at Westminster.  Mike & Marilyn have owned Bull Mastiffs before and have shown them – but it has been about 15-years since they have had the breed.  When I asked them, what made you get a back into the breed Marilyn Schamroth said, “We were in Florida and we happened to go to a dog show and saw the most beautiful brindle puppy and that pup let us to the breeder who we got Brutus from – it was kismet.”  Brutus who is now only 18-months old is already a champion and seasoned pro – he won the ‘Best of Winners’ at the Bull Mastiff Association Nationals in Massachusetts in Septembers 2010.  Brutus was led to that championship by his handler, Rolissa Nash – a long time Bull Mastiff breeder, owner, and professional handler, accomplished dog trainer and co-owner of Doggie U K9 Academy in Bay Shore, NY.  Mr. Schamroth said, “I can’t sing Rolissa’s praises enough – because with her it’s all about the dog, and the dog comes first – she has been fantastic to work with.”

Rolissa and Brutus in benching area.

Rolissa Nash said, “Brutus is a fantastic, even tempered, wonderful dog, eager to learn – a pleasure working with him and his owners.  They are more concerned about their dog being content and happy and if they thought their dog was unhappy doing dog a show, they would pull him out of the show without even thinking about it.   They want Brutus to be a well rounded dog so we have started him also in obedience and agility.”

Another new comer and Long Islander to show this year was “George” (CH BlacNFlat Burns and Allen) a Flat Coated Retriever owned by David and Carole Kralstein of Canine Club Getaway.  George started his show dog career at a single cluster of shows in tough North east competition in July of 2010 and in just 5 days earned his Championship title. He also won ‘Best of Breed’ and G2 (2nd Place of the sporting group), at the October 2010 Westbury Kennel Club show on Long Island. He also won 3 more Best of Breed titles at the Talbot Kennel Club, the Salisbury Maryland Kennel Club in November 2010, and Worchester Kennel Club in Massachussetts in December 2010.

George a very sweet and handsome boy is a willing and happy worker, while remaining the typical Flat-Coat goofball. He is currently dabbling in agility, and will begin working on field training in the spring.  George is also an accomplished Therapy Dog and has his Canine Good Citizen, his owners said, “George loves working with children as a therapy dog – he participates in a reading dog program where kids who may have trouble reading, read to him.” George who will be 3 years old in April is a tall boy and has a stable, solid temperament with both humans and other dogs.

George’s owner David said, “He had a great time and he looked great in the ring.  He was glad to get home and slept almost a whole day. He is now his goofball self.”  George also had a pretty big fan club at the Westminster show Frank Bonomo of Best Friends Dog Training, George’s trainer, and Dr. Keith Niesenbaum of Crawford Dog and Cat Hospital George’s veterinarian and his wife, who were all also first time visitors to the show.  They said they loved it and thought George did fantastic.

George in the ring at Westminster!

In one of the rings, the Newfoundland’s were showing and watching ringside, you could not take your eyes off the black and white or ‘Landseer’ newfie that was in the ring.  One of the spectators, Marcie Mackolin who is a new newfie owner said, “That’s my puppy’s father” beaming with pride. Marcie’s 8-month old puppy, Polly (Let Polly do the Printing) is also of the black and white variety and according to Marcie, “just the sweetest dog.”  Last year Marcie came to Westminster and saw Lancelot’s uncle in the ring, and well fell in love with the breed – and that led her to her Polly.  I asked Marcie if she is going to show her dog, and she said she’s contemplating it – then Lancelot won the group – and I said, “You have to show her now!”  Marcie was at Westminster this year to show support for Lancelot – and it seems to have worked.  Marcie is from Pennsylvania and got Polly’s breeder is from upstate NY, Lancelot lives in California – so maybe not from LI, but just shows that dogs come from all over to Westminster.

Lancelot

Polly, Lancelot's daughter.

This year there were six new breeds entered into Westminster: the  Boykin Spaniel; the Bluetick Coonhound; the Cane Corso; the Icelandic Sheepdog; the Leonberger; and the Redbone Coonhound.

Many of the breeds are actually old breeds, but new to the dog show.  The Cane Corso an Italian Mastiff had an impressive entry of 18 dogs and one more gorgeous than the next.  This breed’s popularity has taken off in the past 10-15 years and especially in the North East.  One of the handlers showing Vodoo, (see slide show), who is from Florida, said she was really surprised how many Corso’s were in the NY area.  I remember going to Rare Breed dog shows about 10 years ago to see them, it was great to see them in the ring at Westminster this year.

Cane Corso's for the first time at Westminster

The Leonbergers also a new, old breed – just amazing in to see in person.  Gentle giants in my opinion and just so beautiful to watch.  They also had a good showing of 13 dogs in the ring, although they were so big, it seemed like more than that.  I would not want to be a judge as they were all very impressive.

Leonberger's in the ring!

If you have never been to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – this is a must do for anyone interested in dogs, mark your calendars for next year as this is the Best in Show of dog shows!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com with contribution from Dr. Keith Niesenbaum

Does your pet Floss?

Did you know that the month of February is National Pet Dental Month? Over the last few years every veterinarian that has spoken in the Town or Islip’s Free Dog Training & Education class has stressed the importance of brushing your dog’s teeth – daily. While most people giggle in the class about it, or look at the doctor in disbelief, “I have to do what?” Dental health in dogs and cats is very important. Smaller dogs often have worse dental disease due to the mere fact that their mouths are smaller, and teeth are closer together. But all dogs can suffer from periodontal disease as well as cats.

If you have a new puppy or kitten, the best time to start is while they are still young, getting them used to brushing their teeth. There are specially made pet tooth brushes and pet tooth paste, (do NOT ever use human tooth paste on a dog, it can be very dangerous to the dog), that you can purchase in any pet store. If you are not sure how to brush your dog’s teeth, consult your veterinarian on the proper tools and technique – this way you will not hurt your dog.

I asked local veterinarian Dr. Keith Niesenbaum his professional thoughts on pet dental health and this is what he had to say on the subject:

“Good oral health begins with regular examinations of the teeth and gums by your veterinarian.  If a disease is found it should be treated immediately as early intervention can prevent serious conditions such as pain, tooth loss, kidney disease, heart disease, and systemic infections.  Your veterinarian will probably recommend cleaning, both above and below the gum line and polishing, to remove micro etchings in the enamel, as well as treatments for any specific pathology that is found.  Clients always ask me what they can do to prevent serious dental disease that will spare their pets more invasive procedures.

Prevention is always preferred to treatment.  The obvious, and often off the cuff response to pet owners is to brush their pets’ teeth – just don’t use human tooth paste.  Pets will swallow this and may vomit or even develop fluoride toxicity if they eat too much. Use a veterinary specific paste, they work well, are better tolerated, and won’t cause the problems of the human products.  Besides, what pet can resist the allure of poultry flavored tooth paste?  If you can’t brush at least 3 – 4 times a week, and most of us can’t seem to get that done, then the next best thing is dental chews. You want to get a chew that is appropriately sized for your pets and impregnated with enzymes that inhibit the build up of plaque, the precursor to tarter.  The physical chewing activity is good, but the enzymatic activity is better.  Non-enzymatic chews and bones are my next recommendation, especially if paired with some sort of anti bacterial rinse or water additive.  Owners must be cautioned about chews though, if they are too hard, they can crack teeth, causing a more serious dental problem.  If they can be chewed down to a size small enough to swallow whole, they can become lodged in the GI tract, necessitating surgery to remove them.  Very aggressive chewers should be watched carefully and dogs especially should not be left alone with chews that they might get into trouble with.

Although none of these home programs will remove the tarter once it’s there.  Flip your dog or cat’s lip and try to scrape that brown, mineral encrustation off with your fingers.  There isn’t a brush or a bone in the world that will safely remove that concretion.  Once it’s there, it needs to be professionally removed, and no amount is normal for a healthy mouth.  Many veterinarians are offering some sort of incentive to promote dental health during the month of February.  You should contact your veterinarian to see what programs they have in place.  At Crawford Dog and Cat Hospital we are performing free oral health screening exams during Pet Dental Health Month and you can schedule an appointment on line 24/7 at http://petsmdbook.com/crawford/.”

Thanks to Dr. Niesenbaum for his sound dental advice for out pets and the next time you are flossing, or scheduling your own dental appointment, you may want to think about your dog and cat’s dental needs too!

Nancy Hassel: As a side note, I personally let my dog chew on marrow bones I get at a local health food store, specifically for dogs and made right here in the US.  I happen to know my dog won’t try to eat that actual bone but rather chew on it, and do monitor him while he has it.  Sometimes he chips away at it, but never swallows any piece-you have to know your dog, and know your breed.  Be careful with any type of bone, as a huge mistake I bought one from a big box pet store one day and because of the process the manufacturer put the bone through (some sort of basting/cooking process) my dog cracked it in half within minutes of having it and it was a sharp as a razor.  I immediately threw the bone in the garbage – since that scary instance I stick with the ones I have been buying for over 10 years.

by Pamela Fitzpatrick, of YourDogWalkers, shihtzu58@optonline.net

Pet Therapy

Have you resolved to do something for someone else in 2011?  Maybe you and your dog can team up – if your dog has the right temperament, he or she may be able to be a therapy dog!  Therapy dogs are specially trained to provide comfort and affection to anyone in need: people in hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, special needs schools and more can all benefit.

Dogs of any size or breed can be a therapy dog.  The single most important characteristic of a therapy dog is its temperament. A therapy dog must be patient, friendly, calm, confident, gentle, and comfortable in all situations. Therapy dogs are “people” dogs; happiest when they are in contact with people (familiar or unfamiliar), petted and handled, albeit sometimes clumsily.

Therapy dogs are trained to allow unfamiliar people to make physical contact with them, and most recipients enjoy the contact! Children in particular enjoy hugging animals; adults usually enjoy simply petting the dog. The dog might need to be lifted onto, or climb onto, an individual’s lap or bed when invited and should be able to sit or lie comfortably there upon command. Some therapy dogs contribute to the visiting experience by performing small tricks for their audience or by playing carefully structured games.

My friends Chris and Cynthia Buckley live in Colorado and have a gorgeous Goldendoodle named Custer who recently qualified as a therapy dog.  Custer went through a rigorous training program through Pet Partners, which is sponsored by the national Delta Society and now regularly visits residents of a local senior living center.  In addition to basic obedience, Custer learned not to react to loud noises, pulls on his tail or ears, or sudden movement.  Custer’s calm temperament made him an ideal candidate for the program. Chris, Cynthia, and Custer trained for several months, and Custer passed the test last spring, earning his official Pet Partner’s Delta Registration status.  As you can imagine, Cynthia and Chris are very proud of their dog, and happy that he brings joy into the lives of others.

If you think your dog might be a good candidate for a therapy dog or just want to learn more, Long Island Dog Directory (LIdogdirectory.com) is a good place to start.  Click on the therapy tab for more info.