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November 29, 2002 - Volume 32 Materials in this newsletter are the sole possession of the authors and Dog Company. |
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How to Use the Indispensable Crate A crate is probably your pup or dog's best friend next to you, your dog trainer, and your vet! This probably is a strange thing to those who regard confinement as damaging to a dog's welfare, but even dogs in the wild live in some form of den and raise their young in closely-confined quarters. A crate is like your dog's den, and is a safe, quiet place just for them at home and away. Whether it is at home, in the car on vacation, at shows or dog sport trials and tournaments, or flying, it is there for them. In all the hotels, they are more likely to welcome crated dogs. (Never leave your dog alone in the hotel) Crated dogs survive car accidents that would have proven fatal had the dog been riding loose. It is against the law in many places to have a dog riding loose in the back of a pickup truck. Even with a canopy, it is a dangerous thing for the dog, but not illegal. Three kinds of crates are now available on the market. These are fibreglass, wire or canvas. We just got one of the new canvas ones this summer; we go to lots of Agility trails and Flyball, so when the waiting sometimes is hot and boring, we have a cool, shady, safe place to be with our mom ....Poutine and I like it ! It folds up to a flat square and is light for mom to carry, so she doesn't have to lug our crates with her up to the ring area we would run the course in. Fibreglass is the best for durability; there are basic and fancy models. Check that the crate is strong and well made and inspect the door closing systems carefully. I prefer the one that opens from either side, and has a flat bottom,and has easy snap closers on both sides and one at the back. How do I get the right size for my dog? When I first came home as a pup, I was put into a crate. Oh sure, I wanted to be anywhere but there........ I needed to check out my options and test to see who was in charge of what. Being a dog and of course being brilliant, I soon figured making a huge fuss was going nowhere, so I just settled in and I must say, I really like having my own space. I recommend that you have a crate ready in the car when you pick up your new pup. A crate large enough for your pup as an adult is too big for now, but to save you buying two crates, you can barricade part of it off with a clean cardboard box. The crate should be just big enough to allow the pup to stand up and turn around. Other wise your pup will go to the back, pee or poo, and come forward and curl up and go back to sleep...yuck! Making the crate a fun place to be works for me and my four other housemates! I had some of my toys and received a cookie while I was inside. I even got and sometimes still do, get my dinner and/or breakfast inside, so I can eat without being disturbed by other dogs (while we are away at different events with lots of other dogs) That way I learned not to have issues over food. I always got lots of praise and still do whenever I go in my "house". Now if your pup whines or cries, ignore him for awhile; he will settle down. Whenever your pup goes to the hospital, he will be put in a crate, so make sure they have one and use it at home. It makes the stay in a kennel or hospital not as stressful. Now once when I was in hospital having the "Operation," there was a dog that was totally freaking out over the crate. I really did feel awful for them that they would be so over stimulated and be crying, but one of the attendants came in and covered the crate with a clean white sheet, just like a bird, and in a few minutes the dog was quiet and finally fell asleep. Thank goodness.... having to hear that all day ...... geeesh! O.K. I know that when I was ready to go home and feeling better, I started to howl..." I want to go Hoooooome." After a couple of minutes, I was told "that was enough" and that my mom was on her way! Apparently they called my mom and let her hear me howl ....she told them what to say to make me stop. Now I never do that at home, just when I am ready to be checked out of the hospital. (I've been in twice.) I howled one other time with Hamish after his mom passed over and he sang his goodbye song for her. Ww were not told be quiet then... Peni knew why and what we were doing and allowed us to get it out! Crate training is great for house-breaking as well. When you first get up in the morning, you can take your pup out of the crate ...let them walk on their own ( don't carry them); don't stop and do go straight outside to go Pee and Poo. Don't put papers outside the crate door...you defeat the purpose by teaching them to go in the house on paper. Use lots of praise and perhaps head out on your morning walk or play fetch in the yard as a great reward. Being consistent and watching carefully for signs of the pup needing to go is the key to all this. Use the crate to keep your pup or dog safely out of the garbage, from running around the house going everywhere or chewing on the things that aren't his/ her, etc. This also can teach your dog "Down time;" if you're busy with a baby, having a quick shower or whatever, and you are not able to supervise your pup's whereabouts, he/she needs a safe place to be till you are able to be attentive to his /her needs. This all will pay off sooner than you think. Soon you have this awesome dog who puts himself in his crate when he has had enough of the kids or company; the rules must be for everyone, that when the pup or dog is in the crate, leave him/her alone! Everyone needs timeout and a place to do it in! All this is not hard to do! I think sometimes that Gandhi might have been a dog in another life. My mom says these are the words us dogs live by and she believes people should live by them too! "What would you attempt to do, if you knew you could not fail?" If you took these words and and lived them in your work or play, etc, I wonder what the changes in your life would be? Now, I've only scratched the surface about crates... if you want things in more detail, call Peni... 656-1659 or dogcompany@woof.com
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Classified For Sale: Full set of eight limited edition Field Puppies collector plates (with certificates). Series based on works of wildlife artist Lynn Kaatz. $160. Call Margo at 598-7704. Wanted: Looking for a cage type parition for my station wagon to keep my puppy Piper from chewing the front of the car to bits. Call Bob at 727-0310 Wanted: Grooming table suitable for large dog. Phone 721 0734 Wanted: Your 'articles', your 'For Sales', your 'Want Ads', your birthday wishes, your letters to
Mam'selle, your names, your ......... ?????
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ASK MAM'SELLE Dear Mam'selle, Dear Kayla, If you can get a copy of Fido Friendly magazine "Winter 2002," www.fidofriendly.com my Mom writes articles for them. She wrote one about our hiking trip last year up to the frozen north where we hiked (no roads ) just over 18 miles in to a cabin and stayed there for a week. Geesh, we all loved it. It was a lot of work to get in and out, but the stay was worth it. Pure Canine Power was needed on one 4 mile incline of 6 degrees. When we started to tire, Mom stopped and let us recoup for about 5 minutes and then we were totally ready to go again. It was a blast to help out! It is incredible how tough the going gets in the deep snow. Sweep got a chance to experience what I have known all my life - "unbelievable quiet." How does a born deaf dog know that, I know you ask? I'm not just another pretty face with a great body - I can read lips!
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Announcement Hi , all my furry friends!
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I also have an announcement about my mom's craft sale. She and my Dad are artists in their own right......I like to think they get a lot of tips and inspiration from me! I hope you will come to our Craft Show. You'll have a whole month to come and see what my family and I are working on....all, of course, are just beautiful. Oh yes, I have more paw prints! Hope to see you there at the Craft Fair. If not, I will see you in January, 2003 at Agility Club. Even if my eyesight has gone completely by then, I can still do those weave poles with my eyes closed.|
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Reminder It's Pet Portraits with Santa on Saturday, December 7th. Santa will be there to listen to Fido's wish list between 11:00 and 3:00, in Bosley's on Bevan in Sidney. Picture cost is by donation, with proceeds going to Island Dog Sports. Hope to see you there.
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The Doggie Sports Beat or How I Like to Drive Four Border Collies Crazy You all know me, I'm a tomboy Dog. There's nothing I like better than hanging out with my best friends and doing sports. You know....run after the ball, get the ball and bring it back. Just for fun, I like to tease Sweep, Poutine, Slick and Jiggs. I stop for a rest in the field. This starts a whole chain reaction. Jiggs and Slick circle me, both going in opposite directions. Sweep and Poutine take up their spots on either side of me. Slick and Jiggs used to distract me and then Sweep or Pouie would leap in and steal the ball but I got wise to that game. Now I either keep it in my mouth or lay on the ball. If the distraction method doesn't work, they take up their positions around me and stare. I just lay there almost oblivious to their actions. You would think they could move the ball or me with their minds. I AM NOT A SHEEP. It is a real power trip to watch the four border collies, and know they won't take the ball unless I let them. I think they think that when they get the ball, it's a mistake. I know better. I can go one step further too. I can stop in a Mud Puddle. I love a nice squishy mud puddle in the Winter when I get hot from all my fun. Being black and a lab cross, Mom says I just love to be wet. My favorite wet in the winter is MUD. I love the way it squishes between my toes and how it coats the hair on my butt when I lie down in the puddle or the way Sweep and Poutine's feet look black after they come in after me and their Mom gets disgusted. This swimming in mud puddles is a real art. I also get Sweep and Poutine in trouble when they follow me into the sprinklers on summer days. Mud puddles are a bit of an art. First you have to get nice and hot. Then you run up to the puddle and lie down. You always have to remember to drop the ball, so the border collies will leap for it, but you need to be fast so you can pick the ball up just as their feet get dirty. If the puddle is deep enough, just lie there and cool off. Then get up and bring the ball back in. Then play some more. When you get hot again, go back to the same puddle. Since it did not cool you down for long last time, you should lie down and roll. Remember to drop the ball. I don't roll over, but I do roll from side to side. When I get out, I look like a chocolate lab with a black stripe down my back. This is when you know you look your best. Nothing like a mud bath to help the skin and hair. Mom tells me some people pay lots of money for a Mud Bath. I get mine for free.....well almost free; I pay with a bath afterwards. But it is a small price to pay for a Mud Bath, playing with my friends' minds and a swim. Well, that's how you can drive four border collies crazy.
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Phydeau Phun When a dog wags his tail and barks at the same time, how do you know which end to believe?
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Slick's Flicks GRRR ... Wuff! Yep, it's time to pop the popcorn ( I like mine with a bit of butter) and a big bowl of water. Family Flicks........ Cats & Dogs (once again those feline have first billing...go figure) Adult Movies..............Anywhere but Here (Susan Sarandon & Natalie Portman) A funny, touching story. Geeesh.......... I can smell the popcorn now! REMEMBER TO LICK UP ALL THE CRUMBS OFF THE FLOOR
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Woofs of Wisdom If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went.
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Cleo's Craft Fair Calendar Meeee oooowww ... I'm still here! Those dogs haven't discovered how to stop me yet. The craft fair scene is starting to heat up; it's getting closer to that time of year again. As well as the one Emmy wrote about, I've found two more. That really well known one, A Touch of Saltspring, is back again. It runs Friday, Dec. 6 through to Sunday, Dec. 8, up at the Saanich Fair Grounds... admission is $3.00. Sidney's got one starting this afternoon, November 29. That one's called the Star of the Craft Fairs and it's on 'til December 1 at the Winspear Centre...admission $2.00. Have a purrrrfectly good time.
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Did You Know? The Mexican hairless dog's high body temperature was once considered helpful as a relief for rheumatism and kidney disorders.
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What's in a Name Jackhammer..... for the Jack Russell who's very loud
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