August 30, 2002 - Volume 26

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Please do not copy or use in any fashion without written permission

Dogs And Children
Please don't force a child to pat a dog. We dogs know when someone is afraid, especially a child, and believe me, we don't want to be put in that situation either. The truth of the matter is that all dogs can bite! A dog's teeth can cause serious injury; for your child's safety, teach him or her how to approach a dog, how to behave around a dog, and what to do if a dog becomes hostile.

Children who are afraid of dogs are a very sad sight when you think of how much joy a positive child/dog relationship can bring. A dog can be a true friend, someone to safely confide in even on days when the world seems against them. A child who helps care for a dog learns about responsibility, nurturing, and discipline. However, children need training to develop a happy and successful relationship with dogs.

Children often have no idea what a new dog will mean to their lives. Children think mostly of only playing. Of course play is one reason dog and children get on so well. But children should also understand the responsibilitywhich is the practical side of dog ownership. It's a good idea to discuss the situation with your child before the new pet arrives.

AGE 7-10: at that age, children can help care for and learn how to nurture and how to be considerate of another being. Constant supervision will be necessary as the child and dog both learn limits on behaviours. Young adults in their teens often focus increasingly on things away from home. This might not be the ideal time for a new pet, unless the young person is interested in a hobby or activities involving dogs such as Dog Sports, Flyball or Agility, etc.

In the next Woof ... training youngsters to meet dogs

Happy tails and lots of licks..........Woof ... Sweep

Classified

Wanted: Your 'articles', your 'For Sales', your 'Want Ads', your birthday wishes, your letters to Mam'selle.... your ????? By Wed. Sept.18th .... for the next Woof, please mtpeard@shaw.ca

Staff Holidays: Please note that the next edition of the Woof will be in three weeks time, not two. (Sept. 20)

Thank Yous:
My most sincere thank you to Dale and staff at atomic crayon for the new look for our Websites. They did a great job!
Candice and her "Boys" (Morley & Rabbit) for all the special needs dogs on the slippery slopes to success on the trails
Joan and "Jazz" who are always learning and working so hard with our training clients
Kathy and her "Boys" (Rommel and Lucius) for all the great Puppy trail walk adventures
Marg & "Trouble" for their editing on the websites and our "Woof Newsletter"

I never want to overlook anything or all that you all do - out front or behind the scenes. Once I told you all that we need to teach by example and you have lived up to that to the fullest. Together (yes, I count your dogs) we are a fabulous TEAM !

"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange dogs."
"Colonial American Proverb"

Wooooof .......Peni & the "furry ones"

Reminder! No Trail Walk this weekend ... it's a long weekend again! As well, because of our involvement with the fair, there will not be an Agility Club on Tues. Sept 3. See you on Tuesday the 10th.

ASK MAM'SELLE
woof@dogcompany.com

Dear Mam'selle,
Oh, please help before I die of heartbreak. I'm in love. She's wonderful - her fur is so soft, she has such gorgeous eyes, and her tail has the most delicious curl. Our people try to keep us apart - they say we're not suited. We've thought of running away together, but don't know where we could go that would accept us. Do you think there's any chance of a life together for Fluffy and me?
Heartsick Husky
P.S. Did I mention that Fluffy is feline?

Dear Heartbroken & Heartsick:
Believe me, you are not alone in this one! I have known a FEW others who have been bitten by the "Love Flea" of another species! Jack, a Dalmatian acquaintance of ours, has his own kitten! Actually, she is a grown up cat now. Max, a miniature bull dog, and his feline housemate have been seen with their arms around each other; the display of affection has been caught on camera. You might have seen it on the Internet last year! Your people don't think you're wrong for each other 'cause she is feline and you are canine. If you think it is a species thing, don't even go there! Look how many of them (People) have fallen for the soft eyes, the soft fur, a set of muscles and tight buns, or the smell of puppy breath - the list goes on and on. Yep, you know it. They are head over heals in love with us! They buy cars and trucks to suit us, houses, clothes, etc. However, I think that you're still in the "honeymoon stage," where you love to chase her around (and you know she loves it!) and that this is where the human species think you might hurt her; you might want to cool your jets on that one. You can do it when you're alone! You might want to play hard to get, Big Guy!
Woof ... Poutine

Phydeaux Phun

Dear God,
When we get to Heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it the same old story?
-Dog

Pepper's Perspective

Hi, everyone. This is Pepper checking in. I know Hamish gave you an update on what's happening with him and I've had good intentions, but I just didn't seem to get the time 'til now. As you all know by now, my mom, Avril, has gone to a better place and I have moved in with my pals, Sandy and Sadie. We knew each other from flyball and agility so it wasn't like going to live with strangers, although it has been quite a transition.

The first weekend that I went to live with them, their family was camping at a place called Lantzville. I'd never heard if it and had sure never been camping before, so that was a bit of a shock on top of everything else. Actually we were all in a trailer, so weren't really roughing it. We were right on the beach and when the tide was out, we all ran along the beach, splashing in the tidal pools and rolling in nice smelly stuff. By the time we got back, we were covered in sea water, sand and who knows what. For some reason humans have weird ideas about what smells good, so we all three got hosed off and dried before we were allowed back inside. We just camped for a couple of days and then came back to Victoria to my new home, which was another adjustment.

It took me a little while to get into the new routines and I missed my mom, so sometimes I'd just jump up on the sofa and be by myself. Sandy tried to make me feel at home by growling under her breath if I walked too near her dinner bowl ..... probably so I wouldn't miss Hamish too much. Actually we all get along pretty well. We live right near Horner Park so we go there and let Bev or Linda hit tennis balls for us. They seem to think it's fun and it gets them out. Sadie keeps bringing the ball right back to be hit again, but I sort of come back in the general direction and spit it out if I feel like it...or not! I sure love tennis balls and this is a lot easier than having to jump all those hurdles to get one. Sandy loses interest fast, especially if there are people with kids that she can visit. Oh well, it takes all kinds!

I've had to get used to walking on leash again as there's a lot of traffic in this neighbourhood and they make us all sit to get our leashes on and before we cross any street. Sheish! Some people are so picky. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? They're pretty good with giving out biscuits (my mom used to call it bait) so I can put up with a few quirks.

Well, I guess that's it for now. I don't want to take up all the space in this issue and we're getting ready to go back up to Lantzville for the long weekend. I can hardly wait to see what yukky stuff is on the beach this trip. Bye for now.
Pepper (aka Peppy or Peppercorn - can you believe it!)

Woofs of Wisdom

"Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful."
-Ann Landers

The Sporty Dog Beat

As I've told you before, I am ball and water crazy and I've recently re-found a new way to satisfy my obsession with being wet. That obsession started when I was a tiny baby. I used to like to play with hoses on the farm and Mom thought I'd out grown this game. Boy, was she wrong. The inclination was still there, just lurking around waiting for the opportunity to rise again.

It all started when Mom and I were playing ball at Iroquois Park. It was a hot day and I was getting warm from all the playing, when I noticed water shooting from the ground. The first time I just ran through the water spray with the ball and returned to Mom so she could throw the ball again. I thought that it was great fun. I was feeling a lot cooler now that I was damp. The next time Mom threw the ball out my friend, Sweep, went with me. Sweep must be a mind reader as Peni was hoping Sweep would not follow me. So, I raced to the ball and got it before Sweep. That was great!! Then I made a beeline straight for the water. I rolled around in the water - bit at the spray - let the water wash up and down my body as I wriggled with pleasure! The only bad thing about my shower was that I dropped the ball where Sweep could get it without getting wet. Sweep took the ball back to my Mom and she threw the ball out. We ran and again, I got the ball.

This time I was taking no chances. I took the ball into the shower with me. At one point, I dropped the ball but I was only teasing Sweep. When she went to get the ball, I pounced on it and brought it back into the water. Eventually, I let her have it and we ran back to our Moms. I was soaking wet and Sweep only had a wet head. I think that a dog should get wetter than that but I think Peni was very happy that only Sweep's head was wet. I had a great time! Then Mom threw the ball away from the sprinklers and it was fun running wet. I had so much more energy. After all, when you are as black as I am, you absorb the heat. I hope Mom remembers this for Flyball practice and brings me back again to play in the water. I had FUN. Mom says she'll bring a camera next time and take some pictures and a movie.

Well, I gotta go. It must be my turn.
Jazz "The Wet Black Locomotive"

Tips by Miss Trouble

On Living with a Cat(Part 2)
Cats make great companions and friends, as I've said before, but they do have their limitations. Playing ball with people is fine.... they do know how to throw the ball or try to take it away from us, but playing ball with a cat is just not the same. The rules seem to be a little different. Take playing catch, for example.

If I drop it on her so she can catch it, she lets out a squeak, and then Mom yells at me. If she's up in a chair and I drop the ball in it to her, she merely looks at it without doing anything. Either way, the end result is the same.... she sits, I sit, and wait, and wait, and wait. She never throws it back! Heck, I'd be happy if she even just pushed it with her paw and it rolled back to me. But no, she sits there, the ball sits there, and I wait. Well, of course, my patience wears out and I start telling her to give it to me, and then Mom tells me to be quiet! So finally, I decide to take it back... and then that furry little fiend tries to keep it! She puts a paw on the ball and lets those fingernails show. Of course, there's no way I'm going to tangle with them... they're sharp! So I have to sit back and look sad and maybe cry a little. Then Mom takes pity on me and gets my ball and throws it for me. Stupid cat... we could really have fun if she'd play properly. I'll keep trying.. maybe some day she'll catch on.

Another thing I've noticed about living with a cat is that they expect special treatment when it comes to food. She gets her food delivered to her... in a chair, on the island, on her table, where ever she happens to be. I have to come looking for mine. And it's always on the floor! I think that something needs to change here. I do get to lick out her whipped cream dish when she's finished, but I have to sit and wait while she eats her fill first.

Cats are nice, but as I've said, they have some quirks. Wonder if Mom and Dad would consider another pup instead?
HRH Trouble (athlete with attitude)

Pacific Animal Therapy Society

Besides being Flyball and Agility dogs, Whiskey and I are members of an organization called Pacific Animal Therapy Society (P.A.T.S.). We go around with the group visiting people (shut-ins) at various institutions. Mostly dogs are members but there are a few cats, rabbits, rats and even a llama. On our own (well, with Lynn that is), we regularly visit patients at the Eric Martin Pavillion which is part of the Royal Jubilee Hospital. When Lynn says to us, "Let's go visiting folks!" we know what she means and start running around getting excited. We even have our own I.D. with our photos, names, and occupation (pet therapy). The staff at EMP are fairly good about things and let me climb up on couches to sit with patients and get them to pat me endlessly. Whiskey usually licks people's faces if he gets the opportunity (I've warned them about his hideous breath but no one seems to mind so far) and then he flops on the floor to get a belly rub. The patients and even staff spoil us with lots of attention and affection and we do the same. Everyone seems to be enjoying it - dogs and humans. It's great fun, I find, and I meet lots of interesting people; on group outings one summer, we visited a hard of hearing children's camp held at one of the churches in town. We've been in a couple of parades and quite a few seniors' intermediate care homes. If you think you have a dog that has the right temperament to be a therapy dog, the best thing is to contact the coordinator, Sadie Guy, at 656-4283 and she'll give you all the information on the procedures you need to go though to start this.
Woof, woof ......Saffron

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