Letitia  Fox, author of Canine Colors: A Guide to Better Understanding the  Canine World, will be attending and exhibiting at the 2010 SuperZoo  in Las Vegas.  Fox will be highlighting her innovative book designed to  help potential dog owners choose the ideal breed of dog based on the  personalities of dog owner and dog breed.
Recently, a study was conducted  by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy that discovered  that “25% of dogs were surrendered to shelters because of an incompatibility  with the family.”  Fox hopes more families use Canine  Colors as a tool to determine the most appropriate breed(s) for  their family before bringing one home. “If people adopt breeds most  appropriate for their lifestyle, the chance of surrenders to shelters will  decrease.  That is our goal,” says Fox.
The mission of Canine  Colors is to assist potential dog owners in acquiring a dog that is  a match for their family based on both human and dog personality types.  Canine Colors is all about self-discovery of you and your dogs  true personality! This simple model of personality identification takes the  guesswork out of finding a compatible canine companion for you or your  family.

“Using four colors to differentiate canine personality  types, Canine Colors is a fun, easy way for pet owners to  learn more about themselves, their current canine companion and the type of  personality they may be looking for in a new dog,” says Fox.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, an estimated  8-10 million dogs and cats are surrendered annually to shelters across the  United States.  Of those, approximately 25% of those dogs are  purebreds.  “I strongly believe some potential dog owners can find the  breed that’s best for their family through an animal shelter or breed rescue  group.  For many families, a mixed breed is ideal because it combines  the best of various breeds to create an ideal dog.  I encourage  everyone to look at shelters and breed rescue groups to help save a life,”  says Fox.
For more information visit http://www.laundurmutt.com/canine-colors/

Having a well behaved, respectful dog makes life so much more enjoyable for everyone including the dog.  But, what about how people show basic respect towards a dog?  Especially a dog they do not know very well. Were you aware that the great majority of dog bites involving children are on the face?  This is often because kids are at eye level with many dogs. It is also because kids want to put their faces into a dog’s face and to a dog this is disrespectful. All this can be avoided with a little education on how to respect a dog’s space.  It is up to us as adult humans to learn and teach about being respectful of what dogs are trying to tell us.

Assess the situation. Is the dog under any sort of stress or showing any signs of being uncomfortable with what is going on?  If it is, take extra care to calm the situation down, and do not infringe on the dog’s “space” or push the dog’s limits.  Not everyone is an expert on dog’s body language but everyone can use a little common sense.

Here is a short NEVER do to a dog you do not know well list.  Dog bites can nearly always be avoided.

NEVER approach a dog you do not know well from the front, approach from an angle and do not stare, avert your eyes to the side and down.

NEVER put your face down over a dog’s head or face. This can be very threatening to a dog.

NEVER look a strange dog directly in their face or eyes.  This is considered very confrontational to most dogs. At the least it could make them uncomfortable. You could trigger a fear bite from a timid dog or an attack from a confident dog that isn’t having such disrespect shown to him/her.

Never bend down over a dog or hug a dog over their back; most will consider this a very dominate gesture and want no part of such forward behavior.  If possible squat or sit with your side to the dog and bring your hand up under the chin and neck before petting its head. Do not force the dog to turns it’s face to your face.  A dog that keeps turning its head away is trying to tell you, “I am not comfortable with this.  I need more space, please.”  If their ears are laid back, their eyes wide and/or their lips are tight use extra caution and either back up a step or turn your head to the side while averting your eyes down or to the side.

As much as we all want to pet, play and give affection to other dogs, it simply is not appropriate until we have made proper and respectful greetings to the dog and observed whether or not that dog is willing to receive further affections.

There are many benefits of Pet Massage for your pet and for you!  It requires us to SLOW DOWN and relax
and really connect with our pet.  There are many physical and mental benefits as well.  For your canine friends, changes in routines can be stressful.  Canine pet massage is very beneficial to newly adopted dogs that may have trust
issues, be nervous or not used to being touched.  Decreasing a pet’s stress can decrease your stress as well.  Separation anxiety, excessive chewing, barking and other negative behaviors can be solved with just a little one-on-one time on a weekly basis!   Pet Massage can be helpful in speeding up recovery from an illness or surgery too.  I love when pet owners touch their dogs regularly as this can also result in early detection of disease by finding lumps and bumps or areas where pets may be more sensitive than usual sometime indicating an underlying problem.  For our senior pets, canine massage can be the most beneficial.  Massage helps keep less mobile pets’ joints loose and moving decreasing their chances for injuries.  It also helps increase their circulation to help the lymphatic system get rid of toxins.
The muscles atrophy, (or start to break down) as we get older, massage can help keep those muscles working longer, giving our seniors a better quality of life.        Written and submitted by Dawn Olson

If you are interested in Pet Massage or would like to take our Beginning Canine Pet Massage for Pet Owners and/or Advanced Canine Pet Massage for Owners, please see our massage info page or call for
information at 720-981-PETS.  Our classes are taught by Shelley Sheets, a certified pet massage therapist.

TAKE YOUR TIME!  The cost of the actual purchase or adoption fee is the tip of the iceberg when purchasing any new pet.    There are ongoing costs of a high quality food, yearly health exams, dental care, and vaccinations for healthy pets. This doesn’t include the unforeseen costs of injuries and illnesses. ( MSN Money in Dec. 2010 stated in an article “Will Your Pet Bankrupt You?” that the average cost for a small-large dog is $1300-$1800 for the first year.

DO YOUR RESEARCH!  Talk to several breeders or a find a breed club.  Study the breed standard; learn about the genetic health issues and behaviors.   Go to www.akc.org, look under breeds and breed clubs.    Reputable breeders will ask as many questions of you as you are asking of them.  If they don’t, they are more concerned about selling puppies instead of placing puppies in positive environments.  They may be less concerned about breeding the good qualities into their line and keeping the genetic health issues out.    Always get a health guarantee and take your new pet for a health exam within a few days. 

GET AN OBJECTIVE OPINION!  Consider a consultation with a trainer/behaviorist who will come to your home and help you to be set up for success.  They will ask about your expectations are with your new pet.   Behaviorists will council you on which breeds will be a better choice for your lifestyle, time you plan to invest in a new pet and other circumstances. This could be the best $75 you ever spend in connection to the cost of your new animal companion including preventing frustration and making sure you get the perfect match for your household.  I am reminded of the quote “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

START TRAINING IMMEDIATELY!  The time to start training your new dog (puppy or adult) is the moment you pick it up.  Put the collar and leash on him, stuff your pocket with healthy, yummy treats and encourage him to FOLLOW you to the car, rewarding him along the way with tiny bites. Let him ride in the safety of a properly sized crate with washable bedding and IGNORE the howling (do not reward the howling with sweet words).  It is SO much easier to start off encouraging “right” behavior from start than try to undo poor behavior that has become habitual.  Set your new family member up for success by not giving it the opportunity to do something you do not want it to do. Do some puppy proofing of your home before it comes home.  The time to teach your pup to be on a schedule, walk on a loose lead, to stay off furniture, not chew on shoes or  jump on people is when it weighs 15 pounds not 50 to 100 pounds.

GET SUPPORT! Who is going to make sure the pup has a chance to relieve itself during the day? Can you come home mid-day? Can you hire someone? The general guideline is that a pup can stay crated for an hour per month of age.  (4 months old = 4 hours)  This guideline is as much for socializing as it is for  potty breaks. It is unreasonable to expect a puppy less than 4 months old to not need a potty break after 4 hours!   Many dogs will not become reliable to leave for 8 to 10 hours until they are close to a year old.  If they have been well exercised and allowed a good opportunity to go potty they are more likely to be successful at being left alone.  A tired dog is a good dog.  A walk around the block isn’t going to be enough for an energetic young dog of any breed much less a working, hunting or herding breed.  Hire a pet sitter that will continue to enforce any training you may be working on!

FIND AN EXPERT!  Understand that training won’t stop  after a few training classes.  Training must be reinforced for the lifetime of your pet and builds the bond between you and your pet.    It is a  fact that the possibility of a health risk to a dog from being in a class is far, far less than the risk of possibly having to give the dog up for adoption or having it euthanized because of behavior problems. Don’t wait until an issue becomes big to contact an expert.  Many times our solutions can make the issue worse!  There are many professionals that can help you, get a referral from a friend or your locally owned pet place.

Keep working with your pet, building the bond between you and finding things you enjoy to do together!  There are many MeetUp groups, obedience, therapy, agility and other interest groups that you and your pet would have a blast doing together!  Animals are always to be treated humanely but please, do not do them the disservice of treating them like they are human, they are not. Treating a dog, cat or bird like it is human leads to many behavior problems and often a very unbalanced and confused animal.  Find what they love and encourage them to do “dog things”!!

LAUND-UR-MUTT offers S.T.A.R. Puppy  and Canine Good Citizen Classes as well as private behavior training in your home.  Fran can do a consultation with you before you choose a new pet to give you tips and tricks on what to look for or to avoid.  We also offer a Puppy 101/Survival Guide to get you off to a great start and your puppy gets to play & get tired!!  We offer mid-day dog walking and puppy potty breaks.    If you are trying to incorporate an adult pet into your home that may be overwhelmed or shy, take our Canine Massage for Pet Owners class that will help teach you how to teach trust and relaxation for your new dog!

Written by Fran Menley, Mindful Mutt Academy Instructor

Shelter:
Dogs can survive quite frigid weather if they have protection from wind and being wet. The finer the coat and less body mass/fat the more insulating factors they will need supplied for them. The more your dog is inside, the less it will be able to adjust to outside temperature extremes. Obviously, if you have a Malamute type dog it will take much more frigid weather than a Whippet or Short Coated Chihuahua. If you have doubts about what is best for you to care for your dog in extreme weather, talk with your vet. There are some beautifully made Dog Coats on the market that give warmth and shed wetness. They are very good for some dogs, and some dogs loath them or are over heated by them.

Hydration: 
The cold dry air here in Colorado is very dehydrating. Make sure your pets have plenty of clean, fresh, room temperature or even lukewarm water (try to keep it above 60F). The heated bowls are wonderful for the dog that is outside a lot, be sure your dog can not get to or chew the electric cord.

Foot protection:  City dogs and pets that are inside most of the time have tender feet. Watch for signs of soreness or abrasions.  Ice, snow and de-icing chemicals can cause problems on the pad surface as well as in between the pads. If you dog has a sensitivity to de-icing chemicals be sure to rinse their feet off after a walk on areas that have had this spread.  Use a warm wet towel or simply dip each foot into a pan of warm water and towel dry.  Keeps floors clean too!   Some dogs may benefit from booties in extreme weather, most do not need them or like them.

As always provide a high quality diet and watch for signs of discomfort or health issues.

Article written by Fran Menley, Mindful Mutt Instructor

Make sure you (or the other person) can adequately afford a new puppy.  Beyond the obvious, like puppy vaccinations, a spay or neuter, and supplies, there are several other things to budget in.  Will you get Pet Insurance?  What about quality dog food or pet training?  What breed are you thinking about and do they tend to have health issues?  Does this particular breed need special exercise requirements or are you thinking of getting involved in fly ball, agility training or service and therapy work?

A peteducation.com article shows the average cost of a 50 pound dog in the mid-west is $1977 for the 1st year. (The range was from $511 to $6600.)  After the 1st year the average cost is $807, this is with no health problems.

How do you choose the right breed for you? There are many resources available for you.  You can do internet research, purchase books, or work with a professional that will help you narrow down your choices on best breed personalities for your lifestyle.  Once you have several breeds narrowed down, make sure you talk to your friends and family that know you best, for their realistic opinion on the breeds you are thinking about.  If you are not an active, outdoors type of person an active breed would not be a great fit for you.  Just because you like that breed or personality, it still may not be the right one for you.  Dogs live for many years so try to think five or ten years down the road also.

When we are talking about breeds, don’t forget mixed breeds, a great resource is petfinder.com where you can search for the breed you want but mixed with another breed that makes them just the best of both worlds!  You may also decide that an older dog is a better fit for you versus a 8-10 week old puppy.  You can get a younger dog that’s a few months old and already potty-trained.  If you have questions, many trainers and professionals are willing to help you.

When you go to look at puppies, BE PATIENT!  All puppies are dog-gone cute!  Just remember to do your homework and stay the course.  Keep your mind open to possibilities but remember that what fits you best, will be best for everyone!!

So, you’ve decided you can afford a new addition, and you’ve picked the right breed for you and your family.  You have even found that perfect bundle of joy, now what?  On your list of priorities should be your veterinarian exam and vaccinations, socializing your puppy, and potty training.  Remember that consistency is KEY!

How do you feel about crate training?  Crate training is an excellent way to give your puppy it’s own private bedroom area where he/she can be safe from getting into trouble and this is a proven great training aid for potty training.  Keep the door to the crate open and get your puppy just to go in and get toys or treats without confining them.  Train your puppy to the crate by starting with short times in the crate with a yummy, activity toy such as a peanut-butter stuffed toy.  Keep in mind, that it’s unreasonable to think you can leave a puppy for an extended time in the crate both for potty and socialization reasons.  Crate training is not for punishment but a safe-haven for your puppy.  If you have decided that Holiday break is a great time to get your puppy, remember that when kids go back to school and you go back to work or activities, you may need some assistance on a daily or weekly basis from a dog walker or pet sitter.  The guidelines for crate confinement are one hour for every month of age + one hour (depending on the breed and maturity level of your pup ~ it’s better to error on the shorter side of the time)  Also, try to tire your pup out before crating them for best results!

What are your goals with your new dog?  Do you want the ability to take them anywhere and everywhere?  The best mannered dogs have a much better chance to get to travel and see so much more than just their back yard.  This takes a lot of hard work on the pet parents part but is so worth it.  Make sure you socialize your puppy and work from the moment you get home on that outcome that will create a fulfilling relationship for both of you.  Find like-minded pet owners in a Training Classes in your area.  There are even great basic classes for adult adoptees!  Young or old, make sure you think through this decision carefully.  Consider the “3 C’s”- Compassion, Consistency and Confidence and you will provide a forever home for your new pet.

Article written by Dawn Olson and Fran Menley