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Animal Radio® Show #474 January 3, 2009
Puppy Mill Myths and Nonaggressive Way
to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior
Tamar Geller, The Loved Dog
Tamar Geller discusses puppy mills and explains
that while she was training Oprah Winfrey's dogs, she educated
Oprah in her kitchen about puppy mills. This was after Oprah purchased
three Golden Retrievers from a so-called breeder. Oprah thought
that since she was not going to a pet store, and went to a farm
environment instead, it was not a puppy mill. Unfortunately, Oprah
later learned that it was a puppy mill, which mass-produced all
of their puppies. One of the three puppies obtained by Oprah happened
to be very sick, and Oprah had to get up in the middle of the
night to nurse this puppy every couple of hours. When Oprah called
the breeder, she was told to bring the dog back and they would
give her another one, as if it were a piece of furniture.
It's a myth that you can't get a purebred dog at a shelter. You can get a purebred dog at a shelter, and in fact there is a 35% increase of dogs being turned into shelters during these times, with many being purebreds. However, some people think that there must be something wrong with shelter dogs, because they were "dumped." Tamar's response "Haven't you been dumped before?" You can also check online for breed rescues.
Tamar has a non-profit program where she teaches juvenile prisoners to train dogs with The Loved Dog Method that she developed, and she only uses shelter dogs. In fact, she even has a young Labradoodle she is working with from a shelter. She hopes that eventually the Obamas will adopt this dog!
Tamar Geller's mission in life is to teach her cruelty-free method of "life coaching" for dogs and their people. Her play training uses mutual understanding and respect -- and puts an end to outdated methods that rely on physical exhaustion, choke chains, prong collars, dominance rollovers, or stressful aggression of any kind.
Tamar has put together Celebrate Your Dog! a DVD
training series. Her revolutionary method, The Loved Dog, takes
you beyond just positive reinforcement. Tamar gives you the tools
to communicate effectively with your dog in a quick, easy, stress-free
and FUN way. Anyone can learn it even a two year-old. You'll
be amazed at how quickly your dog will respond and at how much
FUN you both will have!
The Loved Dog will take you step-by-step through basic behaviors such as: building a relationship through language, the stay game, the come game, using treats, the power of SIT, and many more tips and instruction that you will need to teach your dog good manners and build a respectful and loving relationship.
A former Israeli intelligence officer
who witnessed the horrors of military dog training methods, Tamar
went on to observe wolves in the wild. She discovered that wolves
educate and socialize their cubs with games, bonding, and body
language, not dominance or punishment. As a result, she developed
teaching systems that address a dog's authentic nature, part wolf
like and part toddler like. Learning can be a positive experience
that dogs enjoy and look forward to, and we can actually make
it fun for our dogs to listen to us and behave, as we want them
to.
http://www.tamargeller.com
The Most Popular (And Most Unusual) Pet
Names Of 2008!
By Kim, Shelter Outreach
For the second year in a row, Buddy
is the No. 1 name among Petfinder's 145,242 adoptable dogs, with
Max coming in again as No. 2.
As for unusual pet names, they certainly grab the attention of folks looking to adopt. In fact, they sometimes help get our furry friends into homes even faster. One Petfinder member, Forever Home Rescue New England in Walpole, MA, had trouble finding a home for a dog named Buck. After they changed his name to Joe the Plumber during election season, more people began viewing his picture and he was quickly adopted.
A "very sad-looking dog" named Woe Izmee and a family of cats dubbed Domino, Ditto, Etcetera, And-so-on and And-so-forth ranked highest in originality in our survey of more than 12,000 shelters and rescue groups in the Petfinder network.
Top 10 Most Popular Dog Names
1. Buddy
2. Max
3. Daisy
4. Jack
5. Lucy
6. Molly
7. Charlie
8. Sadie
9. Jake
10. Lucky
Top 10 Most Popular Cat Names
1. Lucy
2. Molly
3. Oreo
4. Kittens
5. Smokey
6. Princess
7. Shadow
8. Tigger
9. Angel
10. Missy
Top 10 Most Unusual Names
1. Woe Izmee
2. Gwyneth Poultry (a duck)
3. SoSueMe
4. 54cent Swee'T
5. Iamaredneckwoman
6. Angry Chef Soup
7. Ms. Cornflake Especially
8. Bon Jo Flea
9. McLovin
10. Joe the Plumber
Top 10 Most Unusual Group Names
1. Domino, Ditto, Etcetera, And-so-on and An-so-forth
2. Ebay, Google, Yahoo and Spam
3. Felony, Warrant and Trespass (in honor of the police department,
which supervises the shelter)
4. The Xerox puppies
5. Chiclit, TicTac, Extra, Wrigley and BigRed
6. Elbow-Toe and Neck Face
7. Sara, Andi and Patti ("Serendipity")
8. Footloose and Fancy Free
9. Noodle, Macaroni and Spaghetti
10. Barney Miller, Nicole Miller and Sienna Miller (all rescued
from puppy mills)
Vladae,
The "World Famous" Russian Dog Wizard
How To Introduce New Puppy
Ed has a 4-year-old female Rat Terrier and wants to get another
as a companion. Vladae suggests he get a puppy, but not a female.
If you have two females, they will fight worse than two males
will. Fighting among dogs always happens because of three reasons:
1. Common food; 2. Toys; 3. Human attention. When these situations
are not present, the dogs will not fight among themselves, and
you can leave them alone together.
What Kind Of New Dog Should I Get?
The family dog, a yellow lab, recently passed away and they want
a new dog and want to know what the best dog would be for a family
of three kids, ages 9, 5 and 3. In this situation, Vladae feels
the best dog for this family would be the American or England
Labrador Retriever. They are great pets for kids and will tolerate
kids jumping on them or pulling their ears, and the dog thinks
it's fun!
http://www.animalradio.com/vladae.html
Vinnie Penn, Animal Radio's Resident Party
Animal
Competitive Dog Death Stories
I want to dedicate this installment to my beloved dog, Cruiser.
Cruiser was a Mini-Schnauzer that was in our family for a dozen
years. I still can't even think about him without getting a little
bit sad. And I'll tell you, I have had human family members that
have passed away that I think about and don't feel really anything.
But, Cruiser still makes me sad.
The other day a friend of mine had to put his dog to sleep and it was very difficult for him. We were at the bar having a couple of drinks, with a bunch of people sitting around the bar, and I told him that I knew where he was coming from. I tried to emphasize and I told him how difficult it was when we lost Cruiser, and all of a sudden people started chiming in with their dog death stories.
And it got me to thinking, why are dog owners and cat owners, and pet owners in general, competitive with death stories? One complete stranger said, "You guys think you had it tough, I had to kill my dog myself, shoot him in the backyard!" Now this guy might be in the witness protection program for all I know, but that he would admit this is beyond me.
But, I notice that dog owners in particularly are competitive with death stories. Whenever people hear me talk about when Cruiser died, they'd tell me that it had to be sad and that it had to be difficult, and then they tell me that they ran over their dog in their driveway with their own car.
What? Why are you competing with my dog's death story? Why do people do that when it comes to their pet? You're not going to top it! Well, maybe the guy who ran his over in the driveway, maybe that tops it!
Happy 2009!
I'm still with you you can't get rid of me that easily!
This segment is probably going to be a little bit dated her, with
a couple of stories from over the holidays to catch up on.
One of them being, of course, a hit to my local Petco to buy our fish Betty her Christmas present I mean, why would you not? I had to pick her up something a little special, as she is part of the family.
I want to make sure you stick around next week, as this is a two-parter. We are kicking off 2009 on Animal Radio with a two-part Party Animal!
Part One
I'm
at Petco grabbing Betty just a little something for the aquarium,
a little accoutrement, a new little palm tree for her little bowl.
I notice up at the counter, I mean Petco is obviously your go-to-place,
but up at the counter that they are selling dog and cat mints.
They were in little tins like Altoid tins. There was noting farcical
about it, nothing tongue-and-check about it, it was dog and cat
mints. Now, maybe if it had a funny name like "Kiss Meow,"
something like that (I think that is clever!), but it was just
in a tin and it said dog and cat mints.
Now, I have said here before, I'm really
not into those owners who basically make out with their pet. They
think it means something to us when their cat leaps up onto the
table. That alone I don't think is acceptable, but when they proceed
to basically French kiss the cat, I'm disturbed by that. These
mints are only going to encourage it more. Do they need good breath?
I don't understand! What would we do without the saying, "Oh
that guy, he's got dog breath!" We can't eradicate that;
they're supposed to have bad breath. These are four-legged creatures
that are supposed to have bad breath! So, needless to say, I apologize
to all of you out there who bought dog or cat mints for your pet,
which leads us to to be continued next week on Party Animal!
Animal Radio® News with Bobbie Hill
Gothic Kittens
A Pennsylvania woman who ran a pet grooming business out of her
basement is facing possible charges after allegedly marketing
pierced kittens on the Internet. SPCA officers in Ross Township
got a tip that the unidentified homeowner was selling "gothic
kittens" complete with tail, neck and ear piercings. SPCA
workers removed three kittens and one adult cat from the home
last week.
Reno Woman Attacked By Mountain Lion
Trying To Save Dog
A Reno woman survived an attack by a mountain lion - only the
second on record in the state - when she went to help her dog
in her backyard. The attack took place in a rural residential
area just off the highway that connects Reno with Virginia City.
The woman and dog both suffered only minor injuries in the attack
by what trackers described as a 65-pound female yearling. Their
search was called off due to a winter storm and won't resume unless
another attack occurs.
BBC Won't Air Dog Show
There's a big "hub-bub" over the BBC not televising
Britain's biggest dog show for the first time in 40 years due
to an inbreeding controversy. {Insert your favorite royal family
joke here} It seems the Kennel Club and network have been on the
outs since the BBC ran a documentary last fall claiming decades
of inbreeding in pedigree dogs in the U.K. The program broadcast
in September claimed the inbreeding led to serious health problems
in some breeds. At the annual coverage of the 2009 Crufts show
the BBC suspended the broadcast "pending further investigations
into the health and well being of pedigree dogs in the U.K."
The show's organizer said the network was making "unreasonable
demands", even excluding some breeds from the show.
Riverside Fire Chief Beats 6 Month Old Puppy
The Riverside District Attorney's office filed felony animal cruelty
charges against an L.A. County Assistant Fire chief accused of
killing a neighbor's 6-month-old puppy in November. Assistant
Fire Chief Glynn Johnson who was arrested and charged with the
felony claims he acted in self defense when he beat the shepherd
mix with his fist before hitting her with a 12 pound rock when
the dog ran across his yard. Because of the severity of the injuries
the dog had to be euthanized. After the incident Johnson was placed
on administrative leave, he's facing four years in state prison
if convicted.
Cantonese People Eat Cat Soup
Guangdong province is home to the Cantonese people known for their
adventurous cuisine, one popular saying claims: "The Cantonese
will eat anything that flies, except airplanes and anything with
legs except a chair." Sadly a famous soup called "Dragon,
Tiger and Phoenix" consists of snake meat, chicken and cat.
There are currently no animal protection laws in China, but with
the country's growing affluence more people are urging change
in the age-old traditions. Under the Communist Party, owning a
pet was condemned as bourgeois and most people couldn't afford
a pet. Recently protesters unfurled banners in a tearful protest
in Beijing asking the provincial government to crack down on cat
traders and restaurants.
Recent Poll Shows 67% Understand Pets
A recent poll of pet owners by The Associated Press show's 67
% claim to understand their pet's purrs, barks, squawks and other
assorted sounds. 62% of owners believe when they speak to their
pets - they get the message. The results of the poll showed more
dog owners claim to be able to speak to their furry companion
while only half of cat owners could make the same claim. But more
cat owners claim to understand those meows vs. only 16 % of dog
owners who speak fluent "bark or woof."
NEWS UPDATE Brought To You By Simple
Solution Natural Line Of Products
NAPPS Annual Conference
NAPPS
has been around for a dozen years and is the largest non-profit
pet sitting organization in the United States. NAPPS offers certification,
educational programs and business advice to pet sitters. They
provide all the tools necessary to start up a business, including
everything from contracts to marketing and advertising.
For someone considering pet sitting as a career, NAPPS has an annual conference both in the business field as well as people in the pet care and behavior industries. This year's 2009 Annual Conference is scheduled for January 16-18, 2009 at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. From pet sitting business basics for the novice pet sitter to programs for the more seasoned pet sitter, you won't want to miss this conference!
Animal Radio will be broadcasting live
at this conference come out and say Hi!
http://www.petsitters.org
Animal Minute With Britt Savage
The "Joy Riding" Dog
In
Long Island, a dog named Bentley took his owner's car for a joy
ride and ended up crashing into a coffee shop. The 50-pound dog's
owner, musician Bryan Maher, said he just wanted to keep his best
friend warm, so he left his car running while he ran into the
Cool Bean's Coffee House to sign up for an open mic night. The
next thing he knew, he looked up to see his van coming at him
in the window with Bentley in the driver's seat grinning at me.
Luckily there were no injuries, although a window and some patio
furniture were damaged. Bentley seemed to enjoy the ride, wagging
his tail happily after he got out. The owner of the Coffee shop
took it all in stride, calling Bentley a really sweet dog.
Mother
& Son Snake Thieves Return To Crime Scene
A mother and son accused of stealing
a snake from a Cleveland pet shop were arrested when they returned
to the scene of the crime asking for books on how to care for
a snake. Surveillance video taken during the crime showed that
the mother and son snake sneakers worked as a team. The 15-year-old
took the 30-inch baby boa constrictor from it's cage, wrapped
it around his neck and then covered it with his jacket, while
his mom acted as a lookout. Police say the video showed the head
of the boa poking out of the kid's jacket. The snake, worth around
$300, was recovered from their home and returned to Petland. A
court date has been set.
Your Vet Questions Answered with Dr. Debbie
Great Dane Pees
In House
This dog has been potty trained to go to the back door where his
guardian lets him out to do his business. However, when he is
gone and the dog is left with his wife and children, the dog goes
to the front door and pees in the house. Dr. Debbie feels that
when the dog goes to the front door, he is being territorial and
guarding the house while the man is gone. The dog needs to go
back to the beginnings of potty training and not be allowed near
the front door when the man is gone.
Will Injured Pad Grow Back?
The toe pad of this dog was caught on a truck door and was left
hanging. It has been nine days, but only part of it has healed.
While a dog has an amazing ability to heal the toe pads, and the
toe pad can heal back together usually with no problems, the fact
that is has been so long concerns Dr. Debbie and she suggests
a visit to the vet.
3-Year-Old Yorkie Bites Husband When They Are
Sleeping
This Yorkie has bitten this lady's
husband twice on his foot while they are sleeping quite
a rude awakening! Dr. Debbie mentions that some dogs have problems
sharing beds, and when the "human pack members" move
around and wake the dog, they get irritated and snap, which is
territorial. Since this is not the case, perhaps the dog has a
sleep disorder. The dog should be checked out by a vet to make
sure he is in good health and is not in any pain.
4-Month-Old Puppy Is Losing Hair Around
One Eye
This short haired puppy all of a sudden started losing hair around
one eye. He is not itching and it doesn't seem to bother him.
This might be some type of a skin mite, as puppies are still developing
their immune system and are very susceptible to these types of
mites. The good thing is that they are not contagious to humans.
If there are no other problems with hair loss and it doesn't bother
the dog, the best thing to do is just to leave it alone and let
the dog grow out of it.
Mathilde DeCagney Marley & Me Trainer
Marley's trainer, Mathilde
DeCagney says that while there were a total of 22 yellow labs
used to play the character of Marley in the movie, she was personally
in charge of 5 of them from ages one to seven.
Mathilde said it was actually very easy to teach the dogs to be bad. She started by purchasing items from the Good Will, such as couches, pillows and leather goods, and taught the dogs to rip and shred the items into pieces. She also taught the dogs to dig and jump up and knock things over. She isn't sure who had more fun her or the dogs!
You would think that when these animals go home at night that they would be extremely rambunctious and destructive. But fortunately, while they would love to do these things all of the time, they are taught to only do them on command.
Mathilde is an animal trainer with Birds
and Animals in Los Angeles and has worked on many Disney films
including Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Harry Potter.
http://www.birdsandanimals.com
http://www.marleyandmemovie.com
Who's Your Daddy? Not a
Chihuahua!
Robin Ray & Sue De Nise,
Canine Heritage Breed Test
If you are a regular listener to Animal Radio®,
then you know about our studio "Chihuahua" Ladybug.
We weren't sure she was a full-blooded Chihuahua, as she has some
physical traits that are not Chihuahua-like, but what is she?
We got in touch with Robin Ray at Canine Heritage Breed Test back in November. Robin told us there are over 1,100 breeds of dogs, and they test the most popular 112 breeds of the United States, and are adding more breeds all of the time. She said a lot of the times what we think our mixed breed dogs are (usually from their physical appearance) isn't necessarily what they are.
So we received the Canine Heritage™ testing kit, got a cheek swab from Ladybug, sent it in and waited for the results.
We even had a pool going on in the studio (with Monopoly money not real money!) with everyone guessing what Ladybug's genetic makeup is. While everyone agreed that there was Chihuahua in the mix, other guesses were everything from Miniature Pinscher to Rat Terrier.
And then the results came back Ladybug is not a Chihuahua! In fact, they couldn't find any Chihuahua at all! So what is she? Well, we are still guessing. It turns out that the Fox Terrier and Rat Terrier are not tests currently available through the Canine Heritage Breed Test, which after seeing pictures and reading about their disposition, is pointing more and more to what Ladybug actually is. They will be adding those tests in the near future and we will have Ladybug retested. But, it turns out that somewhere back in her lineage; she has Dachshund and Papillion who would have guessed!
While we personally wanted to know what mixed breeds are involved with Ladybug, there are actual benefits to the test as well:
Benefits
· Helps You Understand Behavior and Personality
· Provides a Pathway to Infer Potential Health Risks
· Helps You and Your Vet customize Medical, Diet and Exercise
Programs
· Can Help You Improve the Health and Wellness Management
of Your Pet
So stay tuned over the next several months
to see what Ladybug truly is, and if you have any doubts about
what the make-up of your dog is, give this a try! With every test
result, you get a framable DNA analysis, which can include a picture
of your pet.
1-800 DNA DOGG
http://www.canineheritage.com
Talk With Your Animals with Joy Turner
Do Animals Attach Themselves
to One Person?
This guys has 5 dogs and one cat who all want to be with him all
of the time. It turns out that his wife spends more time with
the animals because he is a truck driver and is gone most of the
time. This makes the animals wants to be with him constantly while
he is home.
Do Dogs
Have ESP?
This is a deaf Australian Cattle
Dog who seems to understand his guardian's thoughts. For example,
when she thinks about a ball, the dog seems to know what the item
is. But, the husband doesn't believe her. Joy tells them both
that all animals have ESP and that the guy needs to give it a
try!
http://www.talkwithyouranimals.com
http://www.joyturner.com
Warning Dangerous
Toy!
Animal
Radio recently received an email from someone who wanted to pass
some information on about a dangerous toy.
Her poor dog swallowed a toy that she
bought to help clean his teeth. It's called the Fleecy Clean Ball.
Somehow their dog swallowed the ball and started throwing up,
only ridding himself of part of the ball, with the remainder in
his stomach and intestines. Emergency surgery was done at an animal
emergency clinic, but the dog continued to run a fever. A local
vet then saw him 5 days later because of the fever and because
he wouldn't eat. The dog then had a second surgery and had peritonitis
and pancreatitis. The dog had half of his pancreas removed and
all of his spleen along with his omentum. It has been almost two
weeks since his surgery and he is starting to act normal. They
are now seeking legal damages, as the surgeries ended up costing
around $6,200. They want us to please let everyone know about
this toy.
Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#474)
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