Issue 5: April 2003
Welcome to our fifth issue of the pets.ca newsletter. As with previous issues, we welcome your feedback and your suggestions. We want to know what interests you, and how you feel about all things pet related. Please send your comments and/or suggestions to newsletter@pets.ca
Thanks again for signing up,
Marko Kulik – Webmaster
Dave Kurzman – Webmaster
Inside This Issue
- Biting
- Pet of the Month
- Barking
- Breeder Listings
- Featured Products
- Classified Ads
- Ask the Expert
- Calendar of Events
- Pets411 Listings
- In The News
- The Fine Print
Biting
by David the Dogman
Often dogs lash out when reprimanded for doing something wrong. This is because the dog does not know what it is doing wrong. It only knows you are being aggressive. Remember a dog should not be punished for anything after three seconds of the act, it just does not understand. Any punishment after that time can result in the dog fearing you and can often cause aggression.
Smack a puppy which nips you and you will just teach it to nip and run. Shout ‘ouch’ and ignore it. Teach it that nipping is not rewarding by ignoring.
Biting by dogs is a serious problem as these statistics from the U.S. and Canada show.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, dog bites are responsible for 4.5 million injuries every year in the U.S.A., 750,000 people requiring medical attention and 334,000 ending in a hospital emergency room. The Insurance Information Institute reported that insurance companies paid an estimated $250 million in dog bite liability claims in 1996. More than half of all dog bites come from familiar dogs, those of friends, neighbors and even the owner’s own dog.
While some breeds may have more aggressive tendencies, all dogs are potential biters so don’t be misled by size.
However the Humane Society of the United States reports that period from 1979-1996, five breeds, the Pit Bull, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Husky and the Alaskan Malamute, were responsible for two-thirds of fatal dog attacks and, in two years from 1980 to 1996, 304 people died from dog attacks.
The American Veterinary Medical Association reports that dog attacks in the U.S. are the No. 1 public health problem for children, with more than half of all children bitten by age 12, most before the age of nine years. The leading reason for dog euthanasia is aggressive tendencies.
Commitment, Firmness, but kindness.
David is a Canine Behaviourist who works and lives in Marbella, Spain. Tel/Fax (00345) 2883388
David has devoted the past 10 years to studying behaviour and the very passive approach. He does not use choke chains, check chains, or any form of aggression.
Pet of the Month (April) Meet Mira
- Name: Mira
- City: Port colborne
- Province/State, Country: ON, Canada
- Type/Breed: shih-tzu mix
- Date Of Birth: nov. 2000
- Sex: Female
- Coat Colour: white, grey, black
- Eye Colour: brown
- Can bear children: No
Click here to view Mira’s Page
Would you like to have a Free webpage for your pet?
Maybe your pet will be displayed in Next Month’s Issue.
Barking
by David the Dogman
Barking at night
The simple answer is to ignore the dog. By barking, it is training you to respond. You might have a few noisy nights but you will be showing it that barking is not productive. Certainly do not respond by shouting or scolding. If you do so the dog will only know that its barking has been productive by making you bark as well.
Barking, excessive
The reason for excessive barking in one word is FEAR, and it is frightened because it has not been socialized. It is nervous of every sound it hears and barks in a futile attempt to send the perceived threat away. Sometimes a dog which constantly whines, cries, barks, or is destructive, suffers from skin problems brought about by scratching and licking themselves because of the stress of being left. Generally this is not a problem with dogs which have been socialized through training classes at an early age. The solution is socialization through obedience classes and home management.
Barking when the owner is out
This is a big problem caused by bad owners. The dog is a pack animal and if, as a member of the family pack, it is given the freedom of the home by being allowed to rest on the furniture and sleep in bedrooms, then it will suffer a form of stress when the pack goes off to work because it expects to go with the pack. When people leave home they should not look, touch or talk to the dog for about 10 minutes beforehand. The same applies when coming home: ignore, no talking, no patting, no looking, nothing. This way, the dog understands that its barking has not brought the owner back. If it has been barking while you were away and is rewarded by your attention when you come back, it then thinks it was its barking that brought you back to the house. A dog’s bark is said to be worse than its bite. It certainly is for the neighbors of a constantly barking dog left alone for too long, unsocialized and with uncaring owners. Hopefully no readers would permit their dogs to be such a community nuisance.
Barking at the postman
The postman or any kind of regular deliveryman is regarded by your dog as an intruder and so it barks and is immediately rewarded by the postman going away. It thinks it has frightened off the intruder and done its duty. Talk to your postman and try to get him to cooperate. Tell him you will leave a tit-bit outside the door and ask him to push it through the letter-box before the letters. The tit-bit will be a better reward for your dog than chasing the postman away.
Barking when the telephone rings
If you shout (bark) at your dog when it barks at the telephone ringing, you are encouraging it to bark more. It feels there is danger if you react. Get a friend to phone you at several agreed times. When the phone rings do not move and do not speak. After your friend has done this a few times your dog will no longer bark when the telephone rings.
Barking from balconies
When a dog barks from a balcony at someone passing by, it is simply asserting its dominance, firstly by looking down on humans and secondly by successfully telling them to shove off. As far as the dog is concerned, it is objecting to someone invading its territory. And even more pleasing, its barking is rewarded by the passerby walking away. Answer: ban the dog from the balcony.
Barking deterrent
Abistop is a French invention resulting from chemosensory research into the dog barking problem. It is attached to the dog´s collar and automatically emits a small spray of citronella whenever the dog barks. Brief exposure to citronella immediately distracts dogs but does not cause them distress and even smells pleasant to humans. It is effective but expensive at £90. A cheaper method might be a quick squirt of water from a plant spray bottle or putting a bit of food in front of the dog’s nose. It cannot eat and bark at the same time.
Commitment, Firmness, but kindness.
David is a Canine Behaviourist who works and lives in Marbella, Spain. Tel/Fax (00345) 2883388
David has devoted the past 10 years to studying behaviour and the very passive approach. He does not use choke chains, check chains, or any form of aggression.
Can’t decide what dog is best for your family?
The Breeder Listings will give you the information you need.
Pets.ca has profiles of over 150 different dog and cat breeds that include the names of breeders in Canada
Our newest breeders include
For just a small fee, you can have your breeder information listed here and on pets.ca.
CLICK HERE for more information.
April’s Featured Products
Heart ID tag
This exquisite steel and virtually indestructible ID Tag features a picture of a RED Heart in the middle of it.
Your pet will look sharp wearing one of these custom engraved unique tags.
Our price: $12.99 (Canadian)
Doggie frisbee
Slow-release vanilla flavour makes this disk easy to find by way of smell.
Veterinarian approved!!
Our price: 9.95 (Canadian)
Portable food and water bowl
The first convenient travel bowl to hold both food and water in one. Add food to the bottom and zip, then add the water to the top and tighten the drawstring. Now your dog is ready for food and water anywhere.
Our price: $13.95 (Canadian)
Our bowl is custom designed for dogs and is hand washable with sewn-in super strong bound seams.
Classified Ads
Dog Trainers wanted to teach Group Obedience Classes throughout Canada. Animal Behavior and Training Associates is a nationwide company with locations in 45 states and 5 Canadian provinces.
Please call 1-800-504-6105 for more information.
Kilokas pet aid products and services. Pet first aid courses/products. For more information,
Call Chantale 514-830-2387or email chantale@kilookas.com
Need a Speech Fast? Need To Say a Few Words?
For speeches and toasts that will spellbind your audience and leave them asking for more go to http://www.occasionalwords.com/speeches/business.php3
Pets.ca is looking for dog walkers in Montreal. Should have experience and be prepared to provide good references. Please email us for more information at dogwalkers@pets.ca
To include your classified ad here, simply send us a copy of your ad to newsletter@pets.ca. The cost for your ad is $16.95 for up to 20 words of text (additional words charged at .50/wd). Your ad will be sent out to our full membership registry as well as all future newsletter subscribers.
Pregnant Cat has Worms – Answered by Dr. Slome
Question:
Our 1 yr old cat is pregnant, and while we aren’t sure how long she has been gestating, we are guessing she will give birth in the next 1-2 weeks based on her behavior and physical changes (swollen nipples, restlessness, etc.) We noticed a white worm near her anus a few days ago. We wormed her about 3 months ago, and I have heard that worms may be activated by giving birth.
It is a bad sign that she has worms BEFORE birth? Can we give her a worming medication while she’s still pregnant?
Any info would be helpful! Thanks!
Answer:
Deworming is definitely something that should be done before giving birth. Worms could have some serious and sometimes life threatening effects on the mom and kittens. What you are describing could be either roundworm or tapeworms and you should really have a Veterinarian do a stool examination – including a microscopic exam – to determine which worms she has and give her the appropriate medication.
Store bought dewormers do not cover many of the worms and also if there is tapeworm, they are transmitted by fleas and you may want to have mom checked out to ensure she is properly protected against fleas.
Martin Slome DVM
Centre Street Animal Hospital
7700 Bathurst Street Units, 40-42
Thornhill
Ontario
L4J 7Y3
Tel. (905) 771-9855
Calendar of Events
National Capital Region Wildlife Week Festival – annual events, contests, ceremonies, sponsors, and related links of the National Capital Region (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) Wildlife Festival Committee.
for more information http://www.ncrwildlifefestival.org
If you have any pet related events (e.g., pets shows, pet craft shows, etc.), please forward them to us for inclusion in the next edition of our newsletter. There is no charge for this service.
Simply send us an e-mail to events@pets.ca
Pets411: National Pet Service Directory
Pets.ca offers free searching of over 10,000 CANADIAN listings broken down into 15 provider categories.
Our newest Top Links include:
British Columbia
- For the love of Dogs – Training, Walking
- K9 Biscuit company – Doggie Bakery
- It’s a dog’s life – Skunking, Self-Serve Bathing
- R.P.B Hotels – Pet Friendly Hotel
Ontario
To have your business listed in the National Pet Service Directory, click here.
In the News
COPY CATS: Cloned pet is scientific milestone, but not everyone’s happy
It just may come true that your cat has nine lives. Sort of. …Your beloved cat dies; do some pre-death cell work and get her cloned.
Cornwall pet owners bristle at draft bylaw
A proposal by Cornwall council that would limit the number of household pets to five has some dog owners snarling at the municipality’s politicians.
Give baby a pet, help beat the allergy problem
For years, doctors believed that the best way to prevent babies from developing allergies was to keep them away from cats and dogs. But according to a new study, having pets around a baby may reduce the risk of allergic sensitivity later life.
More articles from Canada and around the world are available here.
PetsLetter
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