Up and Coming

There is a lot of great dog stuff going on this summer. I wanted to let you know about a few.

Dog Boarding with Bad behavior/Good Dog I will be doing boarding for the summer! Your pooch can stay here with my family and enjoy 2 walks a day, lots of fresh air, play time, and sleeping with the family rather than in a kennel alone. If you want to board your pooch act now because space and times are limited. 208-340-2824 $18 a night

Bullys Bark in the Park- Sunday June 6th

Camels Back Park in Boise

1:00pm

There will be a family event to raise money for Boise Bully Breed Rescue. Face painting, a kissing booth, low cost vaccines available for your dog and MUCH more. Bad behavior/Good dog will be there with tips and information on dog handling and behavior. Bring the whole family and come have some fun for a good cause!

Black Dog walk- Sunday June 13

1:00pm

709 E park Blvd (Ram restaurant parking lot)

bring your dog and join in the fun in helping raise awareness for all the over looked black dogs in shelters. Any breed and color is welcome!

Does size matter?

When looking for a dog many people have a size in mind they want. I hear things like "Our yard is small so we need a small dog." Or, "Big dogs are too destructive." The truth is, size is relatively unimportant in finding a good match for your home and life style, and many people have been disappointed because they assumed smaller meant easier.

A small dog will need excises regularly just as a bigger dog. So if you are getting a Schnauzer to avoid having to walk it you are in for a big surprise! More than size, look for energy level. In every litter you will have the most energetic pup down to the least. Yes, some breeds are more high energy in general, but even among Border Collies you have high and lower energies in the pack.

Figure out what your family is. Do you have the time a commitment to spend 60 minutes before work taking the dog on a good long run? If not, that high energy playful puppy may not be the dog for you. Do you want a dog who can keep pace and hike with you on weekends? If so, than a 10 year old lab who enjoys a leisurely stroll is not the right fit. Before you decide on a size decide on an energy. Be completely honest with yourself. If you have never gotten up at 5am to go jogging before, don't assume that the moment the new dog arrives you'll be ready to do it everyday for 10 years.

Also, don't let your yard or house size fool you. A Grate Dane will often be a better apartment dog than a Jack Russell because of the different energy levels commonly associated with those breeds. And a small toy poodle can be every bit as destructive as a lab or more so!

Don't rush in. Take an "energy evaluation" of yourself and family. Research breeds, and be ready to ask for help when and if you need it. A dog is a lifetime commitment. So often I hear "We had a dog, but it didn't work out." When in reality what happened is someone didn't do their home work, and didn't have the commitment to making it work. Shelters are full of these dogs. Please don't add one more.

Understanding your dogs language

It is important to know what your dog is saying when he isn't saying anything! Many people say things like "the bite came out of no where" when really they just missed the signs. The signs can be subtle or very clear, you have to be on the look out for them to know how a dog is going to react to you or others.



This is relaxed submission. The dog is content in his place within the pack and is in a good mind set. He is saying "I'm happy and secure"





This is the play stance. Anyone who has been around a puppy knows this one. It says, "I'm about to be rough, but it's all in fun, I'm not serious."







This is fear. Notice the tail tucked way under and the back arched. This kind of fear settles after just a few minutes as long as the dog does not feel pressured. If a dog is ever making this move, give him some space, don't touch him or make eye contact. He needs a few minutes to let his brain relax. When he starts sniffing and the back and tail straighten he is beginning to relax, but still go slow.



This is fear aggression. The lips are very curled and this look says "I don't want a fight, but I'm scared" If you advance on this dog you will get bit! He needs to know you are not interested in him to feel safe. No touching this dog, talking, or even looking at. Pretend he does not exist and he will eventually calm down.






This is prey drive. Head low, paw up. This dog is ready to bounce on some kind of prey, either a cat, or ball or something that will give chase. If your dog is making this move to something you don't want chased your only shot is distraction. Make a loud, startling noise to get his attention. Saying his name or rushing at him will only speed up the inevitable.


This is dominance. Notice the head over top and the tail high and straight. As long as the dog is doing this to a playmate who responds with submission it is not a problem. But, never let a dog stand this way over your or a child!


*These are just a few of the hundreds of subtle things our dogs body will do to tell us what is going on in their mind. Learning your dogs body language is the best way to prevent unwanted behavior. I would suggest checking a book out at your local library and becoming an expert on your dogs unspoken language because you dog is talking ALL the time. Learn what he is saying and you'll have a deeper healthier connection with your friend, and also a mental safety net to protect your self from dogs you don't know!

The Joys of Fostering

{My kids teaching one of our fosters how to snuggle and show love...this is why we do it!}


Our home had an exciting weekend. One of our foster dogs was adopted to a nice family and another one came in. Fostering can be such a fun and wonderful experience. For one thing, you are helping save a dogs life! Shelters and rescues all over the country would be forced to put even more dogs down than they do now if not for the thousands of homes who step forward to foster. Obviously fostering is a benefit to the animal, but what are the benefits to you and your family?

*Fostering gives you a sense of purpose and excitement for helping.


*Fostering teaches children in the home about service and respect for all living things.


*Fostering is a great way to find a forever friend!


*Fostering is very good for your dog to stay social and well balanced, and also teach good house manners to the foster dog.


*Foster parents are often given lots of help/advice from the shelter or rescue they foster through that can be used for your dog as well!


*Fostering is FUN! You can be a home for many different breeds, shapes and sizes without having to make a life long commitment to them.



Our family has loved playing the foster roll, and while you may not want to foster as often as we do, I encourage you to consider it. Yes, you do get attached, and some times there are tears when your foster finds a home, but everyone in the house will know that they brought joy to a dog in need and were there to help when it mattered most.



How can you get started? Contact your local shelter, or a rescue near you. Most will train you and provide you with the things you'll need such as, leash, crate and food. The links on this page (see right) are a good place to get started looking for information.



*Remember, there is never enough space to go around in rescues and shelters. The more foster families there are the more lives will be saved. Please consider the benefits of fostering today.

Pet Shops

(This is where those pet shop puppies come from. It's legal, but that does not make it right. The mother will NEVER make it out alive.)

We have all been to the mall and fallen in love with the doggy in the window. What we don't see is that behind the sweet face is a mother dog who has no chance at happiness, home, or even comfort! The sad fact is that every time a dog leaves a pet store it condemns another dog to a life of torture and pain.

Pet stores will tell you they don't get their dogs from puppy mills. But they don't define puppy mills either. In this country puppy mills are legal as long as they meet certain standards, and I promise you, those standards are not high. You would NEVER allow your dog to be kept the way it is legal to keep these "producing" dogs.

Do not be fooled, that puppy in your arms was not born on someones hearth with a nice fire blazing behind it. It was born in a cage , to a mother who gets ZERO human interactions, it was taken from it's mother and litter mates before 8 weeks of age, manhandled, shipped and dropped into your local pet store. As cute as he is, he will suffer health issues, and or mental issues because of the conditions he came from. And, the mother will never get out. When she can no longer have pups she'll be killed and thrown in the dumpster. No one will grieve for her, she will have had dozens of litters, be in horrible shape, and die without ever having a name.

The best thing that could happen for theses dogs is that NO ONE buys that little puppy in the window. If tomorrow morning the sun came up and suddenly every person in America said No to getting a pet shop puppy there would be no market any longer and thousands of dogs would be spared a life of unbelievable suffering.

*Please remember, no pet store is going to tell you the conditions their dogs come from. Some will even lie and paint you a nice picture of a family farm somewhere with children and dogs running together in peace. IT IS A LIE. Any dog from a pet store came from a puppy mill. It may be a legal puppy mill, but it is still a place of suffering and pain. Please, don't buy that cute face. You aren't saving him, you are condemning hundreds more.