Dog Bite Prevention: Being Proactive through Education and Communication
February 24th, 2010
With most dog bite victims being children, it seems the two main reasons for these bites are lack of adult supervision and lack of education. Because parents feel safe with the family dog or dog of another family member or friend, parents tend to not worry about dog bites. The cold hard truth is over 70 percent of dog bites are from a family dog or a well-known, trusted dog and are completely preventable.
Teach dog bite prevention to children
Children tend to play with dogs and other animals much the same as they would their own peer. While children love to hug and kiss, dogs don’t. They actually feel threatened when being squeezed. Children also tend to take toys and other belongings away in an attempt to play, but dogs see this as teasing and competition.
Children also tend to move quicker than adults, which makes dogs nervous. Dogs also recognize the social status of humans and realize a child is not an authority figure, so the respect level for children is different than for that of adult humans.
Another large factor in dog bite prevention is learning to read (and teaching your children to read) dog body language while also conditioning the dog to not react in certain ways, such as if a child drops a cookie. The dog should be trained to not reach for it. It comes down to teaching both children and dogs to be respectful and safe with each other.
Be a Tree Program uses stimulating interaction to teach children dog bite prevention
The Be a Tree Program teaches children how to become experts at reading dog body language, such as what panting through a closed mouth means, how to be safe around dogs and how to ‘be a tree’ if threatened. It is administered by Doggone Safe, a non-profit organization that focuses on dog bite prevention and dog bite victims. There is also a teacher kit version, available through Doggone Crazy! that includes photos and games to teach children in a fun, interactive manner.
Both Doggone Safe and Doggone Crazy! are created by Teresa Lewin, a dog bite prevention educator and animal behavior specialist and Joan Orr, a safety risk analyst.
When it comes to dog bite prevention, communication is vital!
One of the most important steps in preventing dog bit prevention is for parents to just communicate. Once your child has learned the proper dog bite prevention techniques, if you see him ignoring the signs of a possible bite, then communicate. Ask the child, for example, “Did you not just see that paw lift?” Also, when dropping a child elsewhere, say for a birthday party, it is very important to ask if there is a dog and where will the dog be during the party.
Regardless of the when or where, when children are playing with dogs, remind them of certain rules and what signs to watch for. In some cases, the dog may need to be placed elsewhere temporarily while the children play. Keep the communication lines open all the way around and you can truly enjoy your canine family member!
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This information was provided by Wendy Gould of Chester’s Pet Shoppe, LLC and lives in New Hampshire with Chester and Sammy. She is a member of International Positive Dog Training Association (IPDTA) and is a Be A Tree Presenter. Come the end of June 2010, she will be a certified pet safety instructor though Pet Tech. Wendy’s motto is to research before buying or rescuing a pet. Wendy speaks with various pet experts to help educate current and future pet owners through pod casting. Starting in February 2010, she will offer interviews with pet experts on blog radio. The Web site includes various pet products and information links. For more information, please visit Chesters Pet Shoppe.
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can.
Tags: Be a Tree, dog bite prevention, K9 Cuisine
Posted in K9 Care, K9 Expert Question, K9 Safety, K9 Training | 3 Comments »
Interview with Becky VandeKerkhof of Got Paws?
February 23rd, 2010
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into pet care?
Becky VandeKerkhof: I have always loved animals and growing up two of my closest friends’ parents who were dog lovers and breeders just rubbed off on me. Great Danes and Bull Mastiffs are the ones that made me a big dog person! Throughout my 20′s I travelled and moved around a lot and was never in a position to own a pet. When I settled in Traverse City, MI 5.5 years ago, I adopted a German Shepherd and that is when everything changed for me.
In his short 2 years, Bubba had experienced so much inconsistency and aggression. He was one scared, sensitive boy who needed every extra minute I had to dedicate to helping him heal and enjoy life. And this is what I did. We went everywhere together until he was confident enough to stay home alone. He fell in love with my car – this became his safe place – so as long as the weather was right he slept in the car while I worked and ran errands.
Our experiences together over the first few years dramatically increased my understanding of dogs and my passion for helping all animals who need a new home whether they have been mistreated, abandoned or surrendered by owners due to circumstance. I began to investigate different careers within the pet care industry and decided to start a pet sitting business – from that point it was just a question of waiting until this was financially feasible.
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with Got Paws? Pet Care Services – how have you gotten to where you are today?
Becky VandeKerkhof: I genuinely love what I do and believe that I am good at it. People and animals easily pick up on this passion and confidence. My primary focus is to ensure that clients and their pets are comfortable. It’s not easy to entrust your pet to a relative stranger, especially if they have special needs or some type of behavioral problem. Before a client hires me I go to their house for a initial consult, free of charge. By the end of the consult my goal is to feel that the client has complete confidence in me. Dependent on the situation the visit can take anything from 30 minutes to 2 hours but by the end the outcome is always the same – a level of understanding and trust has been gained and new friendships formed. Word of mouth is extremely important in this business and by behaving with integrity and setting clear and consistent standards GotPaws? has earned a great reputation in a relatively short time-frame.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Becky VandeKerkhof: In addition to providing pet sitting and dog walking services, I use my business as a tool to promote pet adoption and also to help owners find new homes for their pets when circumstance demands. I donate a percentage of my profits to the local Humane Society and I offer discounts to clients who have rescued their dogs or cats.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Becky VandeKerkhof: Wow, that could be the hardest question I’ve ever been asked…too many answers come to mind….there’s a quote that perhaps best describes it – “Dogs are not our whole life but they make our lives whole.”
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Becky VandeKerkhof: I can’t think of any other job where you are greeted with so much excitement everyday. From the moment I arrive at a client’s house, I am shown nothing but love and affection. The dogs wag their tails and smile and maybe talk to me a little and the cats curl up around my legs and meow hello. There is a reason why therapy dogs are used in hospitals, nursing homes and shelters. They truly make your day and all they ask for in return is food, water and a walk. Oh and a belly rub and treat is greatly appreciated too!
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the pet care industry going?
Becky VandeKerkhof: The only place for it to go is up! Take pet sitting for example, it has recently been documented to be one of the fastest growing home-based businesses in the world but it goes much further than general care - clients are demanding a wide range of services – basic pet care, dog walking, care of special needs pets, pet transportation services, overnight pet sitting, house sitting with no pet involved, errand services and pooper scooper services.
Approximately 60 percent of homes in the US have at least one pet and as a country the amount of money we have spent on anything pet related in the last 15 years has more than doubled. American’s have fallen in love with their pets and we suddenly want to treat them like children. Consider the products available these days, for example, organic dog food and dog clothing, the success of these human-like products is a clear indication of a significant shift in the role pets play in our society.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Becky VandeKerkhof: My business is relatively young – I just reached my six month anniversary – and I am already profitable. The fact that it was viable to start my business at such an unstable economic time is a testament to the industry’s immunity to the current economic crisis. I plan to keep doing what I have been, working hard on adding more clients and making a difference in as many pets and people’s lives as possible.
K9 Cuisine: Do you have any funny stories to share?
Becky VandeKerkhof: There are two dogs that I take care of on a regular basis and they are always so excited to see me that as soon as I open the front door they often pick up one of their beds (strong teeth) and start running around the room with them wagging their tales crazily. It is the cutest thing and makes me laugh out loud everytime.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and the your organization?
Becky VandeKerkhof: Visit my website – www.gotpawsintraversecity.com. Become a fan on Facebook and follow me on Twitter
K9 Cuisine: Tell us a little about you!
Becky VandeKerkhof: I think I gave you enough in the first answer above. But if you are looking for some more personal details ….I am 33 years old and live in Traverse City, MI with my husband Shane and our fur-child Bubba.
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This information was provided by Becky VandeKerkhol of Got Paws? offering a variety of pet services in the Traverse city area. For more information, please visit http://www.gotpawsintraversecity.com/.
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can.
Tags: K9 Cuisine, pet care Traverse, pet sitting Traverse
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Make your House Safe and Animal Proof
February 20th, 2010
Dog Proofing Your Home
A curious dog can get into every kind of danger a baby or toddler can — and even more sometimes. A dog’s sensitive nose can sniff out intriguing and potentially dangerous, off-limits items in hiding places that a two-year-old child would never find.
Puppies are especially vulnerable because of their natural curiosity, lack of training and experience, small size and still-developing bodies. Before you bring a puppy (or a full grown dog for that matter) home, look around your house and grounds with an eye for potential dangers: plants, pills and poisons are the most typical. Make sure they’re put away securely and well out of your dog’s reach.
Let’s look at a few tips for making your home safe and animal proof:
- If you want certain areas to be off guard for any reason, invest in some dog gates. You can find so many different types now on the Internet and most are not pricy at all.
- Make sure all electrical cords are wrapped and hidden as best as possible.
- Remember those plants that are toxic. Get rid of them or move them up off the ground.
- Doors to the big outside world always need to have a screen door on any opening that otherwise gives the pet freedom to run. You may also consider the larger doggie/childproof gates that have swing openings to get in and out.
- Make sure you have water bowls in various areas of the house so poochie always has water.
- Make sure to have beds/blankets that are non toxic so they know they have a safe place of their own.
- Do not have cleaning products or anything containing chemicals in your pets’ reach and stop using chemicals on the floors.
- Secure all openings until you are confident that your pup is well trained and trustworthy.
- Keep your eye out all the time for anything landing on the floor (like children’s toys) and pick them up immediately.
- When buying dog toys, make sure there is nothing hard like plastic eyes or noses that they could swallow.
- Never leave a bone for them unless you are going to supervise.
- I am sure you can think of more personal tips depending on your life style.
Remember: Home is where the heart is, the safe zone: that includes safety for your animals. Now let’s consider how to make your yard just as safe for your dog as your house.
Dog-Proofing Your Yard
Assuming your yard is landscaped with dog-safe greenery, plants, and flowers, there are a few more touches you need to make it a complete home for your dog: a strong fence with a gate that latches properly with easy access to shade, shelter, and fresh water. Let’s look at each:
Fences and Gates
Whatever type of fencing you choose, make sure it’s sturdy with no way for your dog to escape. He shouldn’t be able to jump over it, dig under it, or squeeze through a hole. If your pet is a confirmed digger, you may have to thwart him by lining the ground beneath the fence with concrete. Some homeowners like the open fields look and decide to put in an underground electronic invisible fence system. If you’re thinking of going that route remember, although this type of fence might effectively keep your dog in, it won’t keep other dogs or intruders out.
Also some dogs figure out, either through trial and error or just by accident, they can run through the shock or ultrasonic burst that these systems count on to keep the dog on your property, making nothing to stop them from heading into the next county. If you have the low-tech, but reliable old-fashioned kind of fence, it’s also not going to help much without a well-maintained gate. The gate should be hinged to close and latch automatically when you enter or leave the yard, with no way for Rover to nose it open.
Dog House Safety
Just as when you’re looking for a home for yourself, finding where to place Rover’s doghouse depends on three top things: location, location, and location. The ideal site is shaded during the summer and offers protection from the elements during the winter. If you live in a wet climate, place the doghouse in a high area with good drainage. Of course, a doghouse should have a floor so Rover doesn’t have to sleep on the cold, damp ground. Raising the doghouse off the ground provides extra insulation. Some doghouses are designed with raised floors. You might want to surround the elevated area with boards or place hay underneath it so the wind won’t whistle under the doghouse. For further protection from the wind, place the doghouse so the door faces south or east. As a general rule of thumb, most cold winds come from the north, northeast, or west.
If you plan on keeping your dog in a doghouse, don’t keep him there for longer than eight or nine hours at a time. Even so, this should only be done if you are at work or will be away for the day. Also, check with your vet to determine the most comfortable outside temperature for your dog. What’s adequate for one dog may be different for another, since a dog’s comfort level will likely depend on his breed, health, age and size.
There’s no doubt having a yard to let Rover out into is a marvelous convenience, especially on cold or rainy nights. However, you still need to make sure your dog has constant access to fresh water, and you still need to pick up after him every day. Things can pile up pretty quickly (no pun intended!), causing problems with odors, insects, parasites and unpleasant encounters with Rover’s paws, the lawnmower and even your own feet.
Doghouses used to be rickety wooden structures, usually with a mournful old hound dog chained to them. If the dog was lucky, he might have a ratty scrap of old carpeting to lie on. But dogs today have it made. Modern prefabricated doghouses are designed for canine comfort and easy human maintenance.
Even if your dog spends most of his time in your home, a doghouse gives him a place to hang out when he’s in the yard and offers shelter from the sun, rain and snow. Of course not just any old doghouse will do. Consider size, shape, design, and placement when you’re buying. You don’t have to give your dog a mansion complete with air-conditioning, but you do owe your dog a comfortable, safe, clean, and inviting place to hang out when he’s outdoors.
Your dog should be able to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably in his house. Don’t assume bigger is better. A cozy doghouse retains heat, helping your dog stay warm in winter, and appeals to his denning instinct. If you are buying a doghouse for a puppy that will grow to be the size of a pony, buy it for how large he’s going to be and provide plenty of bedding or block off part of the house until he grows into it.
Choose a house with a slanted or sloping roof so rain and snow won’t accumulate and weigh it down. A removable or hinged roof makes it easier to clean the inside of the house. If the house has to be put together, it should be easy to assemble and disassemble, with sturdy latches that are easy to fasten and unfasten.
The doorway should be protected by a baffle or canvas flap to prevent rain and wind from blowing inside. An off-center entrance allows your dog to curl up in a corner away from cold winds. Make sure the doorway is tall enough for Rover to walk in without having to stoop and the roof (ceiling) is tall enough inside for him to stand with his head erect.
If you buy or build a wooden doghouse be sure it’s finished with a nontoxic paint, especially if your dog is a chewer. Wooden exteriors should be smooth so your dog doesn’t get splinters in his paws or scrape his skin on the surface or on protruding nails. Sand down any rough or sharp edges. Like a wooden deck, a wooden doghouse should be treated with sealant to protect it from water damage.
Line the doghouse with a pad, a blanket, straw or hay. A plastic mat or pad is durable and easy to clean. A blanket is soft and can be thrown into the washing machine as needed. Straw or hay is inexpensive and easily replaced, but it can be prickly or harbor insects.
Bedding in the doghouse must be cleaned or changed regularly. Wipe down plastic mats, and wash blankets or bed covers weekly in hot water to remove odors and kill parasites such as fleas and their eggs. Replace straw or hay regularly so it is always clean and sweet-smelling. During flea season, treat the bedding and the interior of the doghouse weekly or as directed on the label with a pyrethrin-based premise spray or powder. Remember: once you acquire a shelter for your dog, keep it clean and well maintained for your dog’s comfort.
Now most importantly, never place chemicals on your grass, plants or patio area. Choose natural options instead. If you must use a chemical, make sure the animals are no where near the area for at least 24 hours. Make sure you check the directions or discuss with the bug man any problems that you should be aware of.
Remember: Make the yard a safe haven, for all of nature and its beauty.
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This information was provided by Susan Hartzler with AlphaDog PR, which is based in Los Angeles and a chosen resource for editors, producers, writers and reporters. Alpha Dog PR is dedicated to providing the media with the most up-to-the-minute information about the rapidly growing pet industry. For more information, please visit www.alphadogpr.comor www.alphadogshopper.com or call (818) 998-6299.
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can
Tags: dog proof home, dog proof house, dog proof yard, dog proofing home, dog proofing house, dog proofing yard, K9 Cuisine
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Interview with Patricia Fragen of Normal Moments
February 19th, 2010
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into pet care for these families?
Patricia: My daughter, Melissa, died 4/1/07 after battling cancer. Just over a month before she died, we were talking about some of the cool and amazing experiences we had during the course of her treatment, including the people who really stepped up to be there for us. One of these, was our friend David, who was phenomenal for many reasons but most importantly because he stepped in at a moment’s notice to take care of our three (rescue) dogs, whether for days or weeks. Melissa said “you know, everyone deserves a David,” so we made some calls to special people asking them to be on our Board of Directors and we filed incorporation papers for Normal Moments the next days. Pet care is one of many services we offer to help improve the lives of parents with critically ill and/or medically fragile children.
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with the your organization-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Patricia: Thankfully my “real” job is as a business consultant. My company, Strategic Office Solutions, helps small to mid-size business start, run, and grow, so I had all the knowledge I needed to get our 501(c)(3) paperwork through reasonably quickly. I knew where our liability exposure was so that I could get the right coverage and write the right contracts, etc. I brought great people into the organization with me and we have gotten somewhat lucky with publicity, including national exposure on the Martha Stewart Show and WGN-TV.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Patricia: There is no one in the world doing what we are doing. We have had inquiries from 18 U.S. states and as far away as Israel with people interested in getting services or volunteering. While we currently only serve the great Chicagoland area, we do hope to start national expansion this year if we can get funding, along with the people willing to head up chapters. Right now we have good potentials in the PA/NJ/DE tri-state area and in Minneapolis/St Paul.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Patricia: I’ve always loved dogs for their soft, cuddly, and playful natures. But since my daughter’s death, my dogs have become even more important to me. I have some really bad emotional days and my dogs are great at reading my moods and supporting me. I might be crying for no reason and they will all try to climb in my lap at once so that I end up cracking up. Other times, the tears are rolling down my face because I miss Melissa so much and they’ll rest their heads on my knees and look up at me as if to say they miss her too. They just seem to know what I need and they provide it. The unconditional love they give is also always a joy.
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Patricia: Some might think it would be the appreciation from the families we serve, but the reality is that the best moments are the conversations with and emails from our volunteers who are so deeply touched by the service they are providing. It changes them in very positive ways.
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the pet care industry going?
Patricia: I am far from an expert on the pet care industry, but I think that in-home services are going to continue to build, such as the dog-walkers, groomers who make house calls, etc. Having these services makes pet ownership available to those people who love animals enough to have said “I don’t have the time to be a good owner” in the past and can now have the joy of owning their pet, still maintain a busy schedule, and know that their pet is being treated well.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Patricia: As mentioned above, I hope to expand the services we offer through Normal Moments to families across the country, allowing families who have to give up so much in order to face the challenges of childhood illnesses to not give up their family pets when they may be needed most.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and the your organization?
Patricia: Visit our website at www.normalmoments.org.
K9 Cuisine: Tell us a little about you!
Patricia: My daughter and I were best friends as well as mother/daughter. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her terribly. I have written a book about our experiences that I hope to publish by the end of the year (so watch for it). She was amazing and it is a good story. While both my businesses are about serving others, I do one thing purely for my own pleasure, which is playing violin with the DuPage Symphony Orchestra. I also recently joined the Board of Directors for this organization.
This information was provided by Patricia Fragen of Normal Moments, helping parents of critically ill children share more normal moments everyday. For more information, please visit http://www.normalmoments.org/.
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can.
Tags: K9 Cuisine, Normal Moments, pet care, pet for those with critically ill children
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