Volunteer Handbook-March 2011

Transcription

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table of contents
Click on a list item to be taken directly to that page.
Welcome letter from Director of Human Resources ....1
Mission Statement........................................................................3
Directors and Coordinators......................................................4
Directors & Coordinators contact information .............5
Organization chart ...................................................................6
Officer Biographies ..................................................................7
Director Biographies ............................................................ 12
Coordinator Biographies .................................................... 17
Volunteer Opportunities ........................................................ 22
Volunteer Code of Ethics ................................................... 23
Contact list for volunteer opportunities....................... 24
Explanation of volunteer opportunities ...................... 25
BDHP “Needs” list ................................................................... 29
Forum .............................................................................................. 30
Fostering for BDHPI .................................................................. 33
Adopting from BDHPI .............................................................. 38
Dog Food Education Information ...................................... 40
Dog food fundraiser ............................................................. 41
Dog food cheat sheet .......................................................... 43
Dog food ingredients cheat sheet .................................. 44
General Recommendations for Giant Breeds ............... 45
Training/Animal Behavior ...................................................... 47
How to fit a Gentle Leader ................................................. 48
Crate training........................................................................... 50
Digging ...................................................................................... 51
Front door behavior.............................................................. 52
No pulling ................................................................................. 53
Potty outside ........................................................................... 54
The ‘come’ command ........................................................... 55
No prong or pinch collars................................................... 56
Bite inhibition .......................................................................... 58
Basic commands .................................................................... 59
Health Information.................................................................... 60
Bloat ............................................................................................ 61
Hip Dysplasia ........................................................................... 62
Cherry Eye................................................................................. 63
Cruciate Disease ..................................................................... 64
Diarrhea & vomiting ............................................................. 66
Dilated Cardiomyopathy .................................................... 67
Ear infections ........................................................................... 69
Elbow Dysplasia ..................................................................... 70
Entropion .................................................................................. 71
Happy Tail ................................................................................. 73
Kennel Cough.......................................................................... 73
Panosteitis ................................................................................ 74
Pneumonia ............................................................................... 75
Progressive Retinal Atrophy .............................................. 75
Skin Problems ......................................................................... 76
Snake Bites ............................................................................... 76
Spider Bites............................................................................... 77
Sub-Aortic Stenosis............................................................... 77
Toxic Foods ............................................................................... 78
Toxic Overdose ....................................................................... 79
Wound Care ............................................................................. 80
Von Willebrand’s Disease .................................................... 81
Breed Descriptions .................................................................... 82
Bullmastiff ................................................................................. 83
Dogue de Bordeaux.............................................................. 85
English Mastiff......................................................................... 87
Fila Brasileiro ............................................................................ 89
Great Dane ............................................................................... 91
Great Pyrenees........................................................................ 93
Irish Wolfhound ...................................................................... 95
Neapolitan Mastiff ................................................................. 97
Newfoundland ........................................................................ 99
Pyrenean Mastiff ..................................................................101
Scottish Deerhound ...........................................................103
Saint Bernard .........................................................................105
Tibetan Mastiff ......................................................................107
Charitable Partners ........................................................109
Daycare Recommendations ............................................110
Vet Recommendations ......................................................111
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welcome letter
Dear Volunteer,
Welcome to Big Dogs-Huge Paws! You are about to embark on a wonderful adventure!
Big Dogs Huge Paws is a 501c3, non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming giant breed dogs in need. We work with Great Danes, Great Pyrenees, Newfoundlands, Saint Bernards,
Mastiffs (All Types), Irish Wolfhounds, and Scottish Deerhounds and our core philosophy is that “Every BIG
dog deserves a chance!”
Thank you for your willingness to volunteer your efforts to our cause. Our Volunteers are the backbone of
this organization and vital to our success. Rescue is not always easy work and at times a thankless job, but I
can promise you a heartwarming journey with a tremendous amount of personal fulfillment.
There are numerous ways in which you can help BDHPI. No effort is too small in our eyes. It is my job to
work with you to find the best fit for your interests and skills within BDHPI.
There is a section within this Volunteer Handbook which lists the various ways you can help. There is a
corresponding org chart which will give you the contact information of the Director that is responsible for
each specific area. Please do not hesitate to personally reach out to the Directors to offer your help. They
are anxiously waiting to hear from you!
We have also included educational information about giant breeds, dog food, vets, daycares, etc, within
this handbook for your review. We strongly urge you to read and become familiar with each of the breed
descriptions. It is important to know and understand the differences and commonalities among the breeds
that we help here at BDHPI.
Lastly, please take careful note of our Code of Ethics. We feel very strongly that volunteers must adhere to
this as that you are the face of our organization.
All of the Directors have an open door policy, and welcome your ideas, questions or concerns. No idea is
too silly to mention, and I cannot urge you enough to make your voice heard.
As the Director of Human Resources, my main goal is to be your representative. Do not hesitate to contact
me at [email protected] or 303-620-6653. I look forward to working with you! Thank you in
advance for the wonderful service you are about to provide to our gentle giants!
Kindly,
Lisa Cecchini
Human Resource Director
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mission statement
MISSION STATEMENT
Big Dogs - Huge Paws Rescue is a 501c3, non-profit organization comprised of
volunteers dedicated to rescuing, rehoming, and rehabilitating unwanted giant breed
dogs that have been mistreated, neglected, abused and/or abandoned. We believe
giant breeds to be loyal and loving, yet very expensive and sometimes overwhelming
due to their massive size and need for constant human attention. Many families do
not do proper research and the result is an alarming number of giant breed dogs
in need of assistance. Our purpose is to provide a loving foster home and quality
food, medical attention, and behavioral training while they are in our care in order to
properly evaluate and attend to each dog’s special needs. Our ultimate goal is to place
each foster dog in a forever home with a family who has demonstrated their ability to
provide the necessary love, attention, and care that every gentle giant deserves. We
strive to educate owners, potential owners, and the community about each unique
giant breed’s lifestyle, temperament, nutrition, health, and behavioral needs in order
to support the breeds and find the perfect match for each rescue dog in our program.
Big Dogs Huge Paws, Inc.
P.O. Box 24230 • Denver, CO 80224
phone: 303.322.4336
fax: 303.474.5861
[email protected]
www.BigDogsHugePaws.com
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directors & coordinators
Directors
Director
Title
Phone
Email
Lindsay Condon
President/CEO
303.618.6647
[email protected]
Bree Dew
Vice President/COO
303.246.4478
[email protected]
Kristie Mendralla
Chief Financial Officer
303.888.1056
[email protected]
Dr. Rand Winton
Chief Medical Officer
303.918.7457
[email protected]
Lisa Cecchini
Chief Administrative Officer
303.620.6653
[email protected]
Craig Brooks
Operations Director
303.378.0371
[email protected]
James Lane
IT Director
970.227.1807
[email protected]
Open position
Foster Director
Sonya Aamodt
Retail Director
Open position
Fundraising Director
[email protected]
Open position
Creative Arts Director
[email protected]
Open position
Human Resource Director
[email protected]
Renee Laposa
Marketing Director
Open position
Accounting Director
Dawn Mackenzie
Medical Director
Open position
Media Director
[email protected]
303.579.8911
720.810.3639
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
307.761.0803
[email protected]
[email protected]
Coordinators
Coordinator
Title
Phone
Email
Regan Rising
Medical Coordinator
303.884.6946
[email protected]
Judy Mead
Medical Coordinator
720.530.7757
[email protected]
Tim Irwin
CO-Kansas Coordinator
316.871.2645
[email protected]
Crystal O’Neal
Texas State Coordinator &
Transport Coordinator
817.559.7709
[email protected]
Christina DePriest
Kansas State Coordinator
316.518.1553
[email protected]
Alana DeVries
CO-Nebraska State Coordinator 402.610.5760
[email protected]
Brittiny Vegas
CO-Nebraska Coordinator
[email protected]
402.525.4945
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team structure
Corporate Officers
Lindsay Condon
Bree Dew
Kristie Mendralla
Rand Winton
Lisa Cecchini
Chief Executive Officer /
President
Chief Operating Officer/
Vice President
CMO / Chief Medical
Officer
Chief Administrative
Officer
• Incoming Dog Management
• Shelter Relations
• Behavior Relations
• Matching/Placements
• Training
• Recruitment
• Adoption Management
• Volunteer Management
• Volunteer Screening
• Training
• Recruitment
• Vet Care
• Foster Education
• Incoming Medical Needs
• Medical Accounts
• Ordering and inventory
• Recruitment
• Applications Backup
• Applications Upload
• Database Entry
• Volunteer Screening
• Meeting Minutes
• Recruitment
• Quickbooks
• Reimbursements
• Pay Bills
• Vendor relations
• Taxes
• Recruitment
Senior Management
Open Position
Craig Brooks
Sonya Aamodt
James Lane
Open Position
Accounting Director
Operations Director
Retail Director
IT Director
• Bank account
• Online donations
• Online store attendance
• Quickbooks
• Stocks
• Taxes
• Recruitment
• Systems Overview
• Organizational Mapping
• Analyze Processes/
Procedures
• Identify Problems
• Generate Solutions
• Recruitment
• Daily vendor relations
• Online store
• Attendance – Sales
fulfillment
• Ordering and Inventory
• Recruitment
• Liaison to Technology matters
• Forum maintenance
• Backups
• Web Site Maintenance
• Technological security
• Tech Prospecting
• Tech R & D
• Recruitment
• Affiliate Programs
• All annual event
coordination
• Corporate Sponsors
• Grant coordination
• Recruitment
• Recycling Programs
Open Position
Renee Laposa
Open Position
Open Position
HR Director
Marketing Director
Foster Director
• Applications Management
• Homecheck Management
• Training
• Volunteer Appreciation
• Volunteer Coordination
• Recruitment
• Advertising
• Corporate Sponsorships
• Referral Program
• Constant Contact Newsletter
• Event Flyers / Brochures
• Promotional Items
• New event development
• Recruitment
• Foster Management
• Foster Counseling/Conflict Resolution
• Adoptable Dog/Successful Placement Website Updates
• Recruitment
• Therapy Program
• Foster Training Program
• Advanced Behavioral Training/Coordination
• Inventory Foster Supplies
• TV Show
• Video Production
• Photography
• Magazine
• Community Education
• Recruitment
Open position
Dawn Mackenzie
Regan Rising
Judy Mead
Crystal O’Neal
Media Director
Medical Director
Medical Coordinator
Medical Coordinator
Transport Coordinator/TX State Coord.
• Scheduling Vet Appts.
• Tracking Vetting Needs/
Completion Dates
• Building/Negotiating
New Vet Relationships
• Answering Medically
Related Foster Q’s
• Heartworm Prevention
monthly distribution
• Spay/Neuter Tracking
• Speciality Surgery
Research/Negotiations
• Microchipping
• Blood Draws/Drop Offs
• Shipping Medications
• Shipping Medications
• Filing Paperwork for
Bloodwork/Samples
• Drop off Bloodwork/
Samples
• Identify Rescue Transport Organizations
• Build Transport Relations
• Coordinate Transports
• Welcome new local volunteers
• Identify local vets & trainers
• Organize Volunteer Meetings
• Conflict Resolution/Sounding Board
• Communicate Local Action to Officers
• Recruitment
• Media Relations
• Press Releases
• TV Appearances
• News Articles
Christina DePriest & Tim Irwin
Alana DeVries & Brittiny Vegas
CO-Nebraska State Coordinators
• Recruitment
• Recruitment
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officer bios
Lindsay Condon
President, CEO
Lindsay Condon is currently a Vice President of
Sales for Caption Colorado, the largest provider of
realtime captioning in the nation. Her customers
include primarily local television stations, cable
networks, and event centers across the country.
Providing service and accessibility for the deaf and
hard-of-hearing community for the past seven
years, Lindsay is no stranger to public service
and has devoted her professional life to helping
others. She also has a background in advertising,
marketing, and public relations.
In 2004, Ms. Condon realized a lifelong dream of helping animals as well when she joined Rocky Mountain
Great Dane Rescue, Inc(a.k.a. RMGDRI), a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and rehoming Great
Danes primarily in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, and Wyoming. After only 6 months of volunteering and
fostering for the organization, she stood out as a born leader and was elected by the membership as Vice
President on the Board of Directors in 2005. Lindsay then served as President from February 2006 - May 2008.
During her time in office, she played a key role in building relationships and the rescue expanded from 1 vet
and 5 foster homes to 38 vets and over 60 foster homes spread out across the five state region. In addition
to her director responsibilities, she was very active in fundraising activities as well as grant writing and
community relations. The organization experienced tremendous growth and was successful in placing 210
Danes in 2006 and then 353 in 2007. RMGDRI also gained a national reputation within the rescue community
under Lindsay’s leadership and became a well respected organization, known for providing top quality
medical care and nutrition in addition to an extremely thorough applicant screening and matching process.
After 4.5 years of devoted volunteer service to Great Danes, Ms. Condon decided she had a greater mission.
After discovering a huge need of rescue assistance for all giant breeds, Lindsay left RMGDRI in order to start
another non-profit, 501c3 volunteer organization, Big Dogs Huge Paws, Inc. The organization was founded on
a core philosophy that every “big” dog deserves a chance!
Lindsay currently resides in Denver, Colorado with husband, Colin, and their Malamute mix, Hobie,
Great Dane, Duke, Newfoundland, Sully, and, French Bulldog, Tank. A firm believer in the importance of
obedience training, each of the Condon’s 4-legged children has been through Puppy, Basic Obedience 1,
Basic Obedience 2, Reliability and Agility classes, and they are all certified Therapy dogs. The Condon family
is also a regular at nearby Cherry Creek Dog Park.
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officer bios
Bree Dew
Vice President/COO
Bree Dew works for The Hartford, an
industry leading insurance carrier, as an
Implementation Customer Consultant. She
works as a project manager for employee
groups of 5000+ during the implementation
process of new business. Bree has been in the
corporate benefi t world for over 10 years,
where most of her experience has been in sales
and marketing.
Bree’s first experience with animal rescue began as an Adoption Counselor for the Denver Dumb Friends
League in 2002. There, she learned a tremendous amount about dog behavior, animal adoption and rescue.
In May 2005, Bree became a volunteer for Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue. She initially volunteered at
public events and by transporting Danes. In September 2005 she took in her first foster dog, and has since
had over 60 Danes pass through her doors. Not only does she consider fostering one of the most rewarding
experiences of her life, but she also considers it the most educational part of rescue. There is a no behavioral
problem that she has not encountered or worked through! In January 2006, Bree was elected to the Board
of Directors where she served as a Member Representative and as Vice President. She served on the Steering
Committee, Chaired the Howliday Craft and Photo Event (’06 &’07), and Co-Chaired the 7th Annual Adoption/
Silent Auction Picnic where they increased monetary donations by over 40% from the previous year.
Bree is a newlywed, marrying her husband Brian in August 2008. Bree considers herself very lucky in that
Brian is incredibly supportive of her love of fostering and rescue. They reside in Denver, and are owned by 4
unique and hilarious dogs: Sadie, a Cocker Spaniel; Bobbie, a Shepherd mix; Zach, a Great Dane: and Deacon,
an English Mastiff. In the little spare time that the Dews’ have, they enjoy spending time with family & friends
and are frequent visitors to the Cherry Creek Dog Park.
In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Bree’s primary focus will be on volunteer recruitment, the application
process and training, and community relations. Please do not hesitate to contact her with any questions
about becoming a volunteer or adopting from for BDHP! She is anxious to hear from you!
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officer bios
Kristie Mendralla
Chief Financial Officer
Kristie Mendralla graduated from the University of
Colorado at Denver in 2003 with a degree in Business
Administration, with a focus on International Business.
She parlayed that degree into a buyer/planner position
with the OCS division of Arrow Electronics, Inc managing
the global product pipeline for the server division of Dell
Computer.
Kristie has always been an active volunteer. She spent
five years volunteering at a nursing home in southern
Denver and deeply values the relationships she was able to build there. While she lost some of her dear
friends to age and disease, it taught her the value of making a difference in other’s lives. She also spent time
volunteering with special needs students at a local high school, as well as teaching an after school Spanish
course to elementary students.
She became involved in animal rescue four years ago after adopting her Great Dane Hudson from RMGDRI.
Inspired by the dedication of the volunteers that walked her through the adoption process, Kristie soon
began to volunteer for Big Dogs Huge Paws as well. Before finding her niche in the Accounting Department,
she drove transports, performed home checks and fostered. She enjoys being able to apply her skills to help
all of the gentle giants in need who pass through the rescue.
Kristie and her husband, Tony, currently reside in Littleton, CO with their two rescued Great Danes, Hudson
and Porter, a sneaky Siamese cat named Marco, and a little Basset Hound that rules the roost, named Lexi.
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officer bios
Rand Winton,
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Rand Winton graduated with honors from
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine
in 1996, having worked as a registered nurse
for 14 years before finding a way to follow her
true calling. During her nursing career she
served as the supervisor of the Emergency
Department of a small rural hospital in East
Tennessee where she learned to think and act
quickly, manage a staff, and interface with medical and administrative personnel, and gained valuable skills
which later transferred to veterinary medicine.
Following graduation, Dr. Winton did a 13 month rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery
at VCA South Shore hospital in Boston to further hone her skills prior to entering private practice. After
completing her internship, Dr. Winton relocated to Colorado and joined the staff at VCA Wingate animal
hospital where she has worked for 11 years. She handles a variety of cases on a daily basis, but especially
enjoys complex medical cases.
During a particularly difficult time in her life, Dr. Winton adopted her first Dane, Bentley, from Rocky Mountain
Great Dane rescue in 2006, and developed a great love for the breed. A second Dane, Manon, joined her
family about a year later, and she became interested in serving the rescue community to give something
back for the joy and love her Danes brought into her life. She has fostered many medical cases, and returned
them to good health, and adopted one of the sickest of her fosters, increasing her Dane pack to 3 with the
addition of Odgie.
Dr. Winton is excited to start moving in a new direction to help even more dogs by joining Big Dogs Huge
Paws, Inc. a rescue dedicated to giant breed dogs. She maintains accounts with a veterinary supply company
and a laboratory in order to obtain medications, vaccines and labwork at cost for the foster dogs. She also
makes herself available to examine rescue dogs at no charge.
Dr. Winton resides in Aurora with her three Danes and her most recent addition, an English Mastiff named
Sutter. She maintains an open door policy and is ready and eager to take in the fosters who need her care,
particularly the special medical cases. Aurora Animal Control has granted her a fancier’s permit so she can
keep up to 6 dogs, making it possible for her to foster and help more dogs if needed. Her love of dogs knows
no bounds and she is thrilled to be in a position to help the gentle giants in need get a second chance at the
life they deserve.
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officer bios
Lisa Cecchini
Chief Administrative Officer
Lisa Cecchini has worked for The Hartford
since 2007. She graduated from Arizona State
University in 2006. She is recently married and is
also fairly new to the Denver area. She is originally
from Arizona, but is loving her life in Colorado.
While in Arizona she volunteered for the American
Cancer Society’s Camp Sunrise Sidekicks as a
camp counselor. She also sat on many planning
committees and helped plan camp each year. She
is fortunate to work from home 3 days a week so
she is able to spend plenty of time with her own
dogs, who are her babies!
Lisa has been involved with BDHPI since 2009 doing transports, being a temporoary foster home, working
with the Application & Adoption Follow Up Committees and handling the monthly dog food orders. She is
passionate about getting involved and loves everything she does for the rescue.
Lisa resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband, Corey, their 4-year-old Boxer, Boris and their 1-year-old
Mix, Roxi (adopted from BDHPI). She is a regular at the Cherry Creek dog park, and also enjoys taking the
dogs to Wash Park.
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director bios
Craig Brook
Operations Director
Craig M. Brooks is the Vice President of Planning
and Analysis at Pulte Mortgage, a subsidiary
of Pulte Homes. He is responsible for process
reengineering and is leading Pulte Mortgage on
their Lean improvement journey. In addition to his
reengineering activities, he is responsible for Quality
Assurance, Training, Business Continuity and User
Acceptance Testing for all operational system and
process implementations. Craig has 13 years of
customer service and process control experience.
In 2006, Craig started his own company, CmB, inc. (Change Made Better, Inc.) and began consulting and
website work for local businesses. He, his wife Amy and son Connor recently rescued two Saint Bernards from
BDHPI. They, Molly Valentine and Hannah Banana, joined the family which already included their Golden
Retriever sister named Princess Leia. Craig was extremely impressed with his experience working with BDHPI.
Craig has always been an avid animal lover and is passionate about the rescue and placement of dogs in
need. His passion for helping animals, coupled with his wonderful experience with BDHPI, led him to seek a
leadership role with the organization.
The Brooks Family currently lives in Parker, Colorado. Their goal is to purchase a home on acreage to further
help with the fostering of dogs at BDHPI. In his spare time, Craig enjoys video gaming, writing, sculpting,
photography and attending the Denver Broncos home games.
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director bios
James Lane
IT Director
James Lane is a consultant focused on using and
implementing new software and technology to
make life easier for all. James began his technical
career at Colorado State University, where he
graduated with a degree in Computer Information
Systems from the Rockwell School of Business.
After graduation, James began work as a consultant
where he worked on implementation projects
around the world. James also owns a small web
development company geared towards helping
small businesses establish a web presence.
This is James’ first experience with a rescue organization. A long-time animal lover, he got involved with the
encouragement of his wife. James and Cristina were married in August of 2008 and currently live in Ft. Collins,
Colorado. They enjoy fostering dogs for BDHPI and have one of their own. Their full time dogs include Bella, a
lovable, bossy and somewhat chunky boxer, and a Great Dane puppy named Hazel. They are the best foster
dog hosts an owner could ask for!
In his role as Director of IT, James’ primary focus will be to align the goals of BDHPI with existing and future
technologies. He will help coordinate volunteer efforts to manage and maintain the existing user community
of BDHPI and IT related projects. His biggest goal is to help BDHPI streamline existing business processes to
encourage the future growth of the organization. Please do not hesitate to contact him with any technical
questions or concerns.
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director bios
Dawn Mackenzie
Medical Director
Dawn Mackenzie graduated from the University
of Wyoming College of Engineering with a
degree in Architectural Engineering in 2006.
After graduation, she and her family moved to
Colorado to allow her to pursue a career with a
small engineering firm. There she served a three
year internship gaining experience in full house
and light commercial design, as well as structural
modifications, forensic inspections of damaged
structures, and component design and repair.
Growing up in Wyoming, Dawn was always
surrounded by animals in the house and in
the barn, and managed her own small flock of
Hampshire sheep. After moving to Colorado, she discovered Big Dogs Huge Paws while looking to adopt
a dog for her family. Soon she was fostering for the organization and falling in love with the gentle giants.
Now she is excited to be helping even more dogs with the BDHP medical team.
Dawn currently lives in the Denver area with her husband Mike, their two children Adrienne and Hayden,
their two year old rescue kitties Onyx and Athena, and Sophie, a Saint Bernard mix puppy who permanently
joined the family during the summer of 2010. Sophie has already completed her first obedience class and
enjoys helping each new foster dog settle into the house. The family enjoys taking the dogs camping and
getting them out into the world, where they can be socialized and become ambassadors for our rescue.
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director bios
Sonya Aamodt
Retail Director
Sonya Aamodt is the Chief Financial Officer
and part owner of Lodestar Research
Corporation, which provides theoretical
research for fusion energy to the U.S.
Department of Energy. Earlier, she managed
a large accounting department for Terra Corp.
in Berkeley, California.
Prior to volunteering for the Rocky Mountain
Great Dane Rescue, she served for several
years as a CASA (Court Appointed Special
Advocate) for Voices for Children, an
organization which provides services to abused and neglected children in Boulder County. She also was
a foster parent for Boulder County Department of Social Services. Sonya has also volunteered for the
Longmont Humane Society by participating in fund raising events.
In August of 2005 Sonya adopted her Great Dane Bella from Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue and
immediately started fostering. Since that time she has fostered more than 70 Danes with the help of her
4-legged pack. In January, 2008 she was elected by the membership to serve on the Board of Directors for
RMGDRI. Six months later, she was introduced to Big Dogs Huge Paws rescue and immediately fell in love
with the “new” and “different” way of doing rescue and was quickly appointed as Retail Director. Ms. Aamodt
looks forward to helping to build vendor relations and growing BDHPI’s on-line store in order to help save lots
of BIG dogs in need!
Sonya resides in Longmont, Colorado with Bella (nicknamed Wilma), a Harlequin Great Dane adopted from
RMGDRI, Soccro, a Fawn Great Dane adopted from BDHPI, Jambo, an Alaskan Husky mix adopted from
the Longmont Humane Society, and Panda, a SiberianHusky adopted at 10 years old also from the LHS in
addition to her ever-revolving door of foster dogs. She is known at the Dog Park as the “Great Dane Lady”.
Having always been a horse lover, she competed for over 20 years in Hunter Jumper competitions both in
California and Colorado and continues to go on horseback riding expeditions around the world.
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director bios
Renee Laposa
Marketing Director
Renee Laposa is a rescue advocate with a strong
marketing & customer service background, and a
passion for community outreach. After spending
several years in the service industry, Renee started a
career in leasing and marketing in multi-family housing,
and in February 2009 got involved with rescue through
RMGDRI. In the fall of 2009 Renee was drawn to the
cause, the dogs and the people involved in Big Dogs
Huge Paws Rescue.
Renee is looking forward to helping make an impact
throughout the quickly growing region of BDHP. She
considers herself a creative visionary, and works with
officers, directors and volunteers to build and create
relationships within and beyond the animal rescue
community to benefit the Gentle Giants of Big Dogs
Huge Paws.
Renee lives just North of Denver with her boyfriend, Nick and Cooper, their goofy four-year-old Great Dane,
fostered and adopted through Big Dogs Huge Paws. Please feel free to contact Renee if you have ideas,
comments, questions or suggestions regarding marketing, events, promotions or community outreach
opportunities.
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coordinator bios
Regan Rising
Medical Coordinator
Regan is a certified veterinary technician – cardiac
nurse, for an emergency, specialty and referral practice
in Boulder. Her job can be sad at times, dealing
with many chronic heart failure patients, but can
be extremely exciting and rewarding. She has been
involved in pacemaker implantations in dogs and
cats, occlusions of congenital heart defects and other
surgical heart procedures.
She became involved in rescue two and a half years
ago after adopting her Great Dane “Jade” from RMGDRI.
Meeting Jade’s foster mom was such a positive
experience for her that she began fostering herself. She
transitioned to BDHPI and found that her medical skills
were well utilized within the rescue and she was able
to further contribute by fostering some special needs
and medical cases.
Regan enjoys the challenge of being on the medical team and is very excited that they are able to provide
such high quality of care to each and every dog that comes into the rescue.
At home Regan is supported by her ever patient husband Kirby, her Great Dane Jade, and kitties Blitzen
and Paris.
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coordinator bios
Crystal O’Neal
Texas State Coordinator &
Crystal, her English Mastiff Winston, and her Shih Tzu Dana
live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. Her volunteer
work began over 9 years ago, at a local haunted house that
benefits her community and she quickly learned out great it
felt to give back!
Crystal’s desire to find other ways to make a difference
combined with her love for English Mastiffs led her to start
volunteering for Great Plains Mastiff Rescue where she
learned how desperately help was needed for the breed
she was so passionate about. She quickly grew a love for all
of the giant breeds and saw an even great purpose as she
began volunteering for Big Dogs Huge Paws, Inc!
In 2009 she volunteered at the seizure site of a puppy mill bust and fell in love with a Shih Tzu. Several
months later she rescued Dana from a bad situation of her own. Her love for animals has no bounds. She is
very committed to BDHPI and believes strongly that “every big dog deserves a chance”!
Crystal hopes to build a closer friendship with all Texas volunteers and be there to support them all in any
way she can. She also hopes to recruit many new Texas volunteers for BDHPI and help grow the rescue’s
resources in the area!
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coordinator bios
Christina DePriest
Christina is from Wichita, KS where she currently resides with
her husband Steve and son Deacon (age 5). She has 4 dogs:
Cole, a 4 year old Great Dane, Bailey, a 10 year old Yorkie,
Cooper, a 1 year old Mini Aussie, and Rogue, a 7 month old
English Mastiff. She also has 2 horses (an Appendix QH and a
QH), 3 cats, 5 pygmy goats, and 1 duck.
Christina began college at K-State, where she studied
Animal Science with an emphasis on genetics, and after
2 years she studied abroad in France when she changed her focus and ultimately got a BS in International
Business with a minor in French. She completed her MBA at Friends University in 2008, and currently works in
program management on the 787 program at Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita.
Christina has always had a passion for animals, dogs and horses in particular. She began riding at an early
age and was always bringing home strays, nursing them to health, and finding them homes. She got her
first Great Dane in 2001, and fell in love. Sadly, she lost her due to a kidney tumor in December 2009. While
she has a soft spot for Great Danes, she loves all giant breeds and is very excited to serve as the Kansas State
Coordinator and continue to help expand BDHPI’s volunteer base and resources in the area!
Tim Irwin
CO-Kansas Coordinator
Tim Irwin began volunteering for Big Dogs Huge Paws,
Inc back in 2009. During his time with the rescue, he has
helped perform homechecks, attend events to help spread
the word, and has fostered everything from pregnant
mama dogs to special seniors and everything in between.
He quickly grew into a leadership role as the Kansas State
Coordinator and also started up the local Big Dogs Meetup
Group which gets together regularly at local dog parks in
the area and is an opportunity to meet and recruit other big dog lovers to join our cause.
On a professional level, Mr. Irwin currently works for the Urban League of Kansas as a Service Coordinator
for the Youth Empowerment Program after graduating from Wichita State University in 2001. He deals with
kids with behavioral problems on a daily basis and devotes his life to helping others, whether they are furry
4-legged friends or troubled teens!
Tim lives with his girlfriend Lauren Bartlett in Wichita, Kansas along with their four dogs, two German
Shepherds named Jack & Honey and two young Great Danes named Lollipop & Lady.
19
coordinator bios
Alana DeVries
CO-Nebraska State Coordinator
Alana DeVries is currently a forensic drug test analyst for the
state of Nebraska corrections. She has been a laboratory
technician for 9 years. She is also licensed as a limited x-ray
technician, EMT and fire fighter. She has done volunteer
work for 14 years in many different capacities. Alana and her
husband James design, build and ride custom motorcycles.
Alana and her family currently live in Lincoln, NE. That family
includes: Kutter, a retriever/spaniel mix, adopted from the
local humane society; Skamp, a mini dachshund, rescued
from euthanasia due to a deformed lower jaw; Jake, a bullmastiff/American bulldog mix, rescued from a
puppy mill; and Tinkerbelle, a tabby cat, rescued as a kitten that was abandoned under a porch. Each of her
babies is submissive and has been in obedience training.
Alana’s love of dogs started at age 6 when she talked her school bus driver into stopping the bus daily to
let her feed a stray dog her lunch. That dog eventually came home with her on the bus and this started her
lifelong journey of rescuing dogs and numerous other animals including: horses, cats, raccoons, birds, goats
and anything else abandoned, injured or neglected.
Alana was a foster home for greyhounds in the blood donor program for 2 years. She rescued an old english
bulldog from a puppy auction that was going up for euthanasia due to bad hips. That dog was found to be
missing 2 vertebrae and died at 18 months. After his passing, James wanted at mastiff. They met a BDHPI
volunteer at the local farmers market and they became a foster home for BDHPI shortly after meeting Champ
the blind bullmastiff. Alana has continued to bring donations and volunteers into the rescue program with
the hopes of finding more homes for gentle giants in need.
20
coordinator bios
Brittiny Vegas
CO-Nebraska State Coordinator
Alana DeVries is currently a forensic drug test analyst for the Brittiny
Vegas works for Broadmoor Management Company as a Leasing
Consultant at Highpointe Apartments. She spends her days finding
homes for people so it’s not surprising that in her free time she likes
to find homes for pets too! Brittiny is grateful that she works at a
dog-friendly community and is able to bring in foster dogs when
they need additional socialization and obedience training.
From the time she was able to walk she has been rehabilitating
abandoned animals of all kinds. After bringing home squirrels,
raccoons, dogs, cats, and baby birds, her parents weren’t shocked
to find a baby lamb in her bedroom. As class president of her high
school, she raised $1500 for the local Humane Society. In her hometown of Milford, NE, Brittiny has always
been the go-to person when anyone needed dog training or had an animal related question. In addition to
rescuing dogs that could pass as ponies, she has always had a passion for horses. Brittiny has an extensive
background in horse training and currently has a thoroughbred that competes in jumping and eventing.
Brittiny has rescued, fostered and rehabilitated over 100 dogs throughout the years. She thrives on being
able to turn a scared or sickly dog into a treasured family companion. When Brittiny learned about the Big
Dogs Huge Paws Organization she quickly became an active volunteer. She always helps in any way that she
can by processing applications, doing home checks, fostering, transporting, welcoming new volunteers and
planning events.
Brittiny currently lives in Lincoln, NE with her boyfriend, Garth, their 2 year old daughter, Ella, Luha the Great
Dane, Nova the thoroughbred, and countless foster “kids”. She is fortunate that her family is so flexible and
supportive of all the new dogs that come into their lives and that her daughter shares her passion for animals.
In her free time she is a frequent visitor of the Holmes Lake Dog Run and enjoys spending time with family
and friends.
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22
volunteer code of ethics
As a volunteer for Big Dog Huge Paws, Inc., I will agree to represent
and promote their mission and policies in full.
As a volunteer for Big Dog Huge Paws, Inc., I understand it is my
responsibility to be educated about the different breeds that this
organization represents.
As a volunteer for Big Dog Huge Paws, Inc., I will treat my fellow
volunteers with respect and compassion. I understand the Forum will
be our main mode of communication, and will be respectful in my
postings. BDHP reserves the right to remove any inappropriate posts
at their discretion.
As a volunteer for Big Dog Huge Paws, Inc., I will have my personal
pets up to date on all vaccinations (including Bordatella) and in
good health prior to attending any public event or fostering for
the organization.
As a volunteer for Big Dog Huge Paws, Inc., I declare that any of my
personal pets that I bring to public events are both human and dog
friendly. I will take full personal responsibility for their behavior
and actions.
As a volunteer for Big Dog Huge Paws, Inc., I will not use choke
chain, pinch collar or shock collars at any public event. The preferred
alternative is a Gentle Leader, Easy Walk Harness, or regular leash
and collar.
23
contact list for volunteer opportunities
Volunteer Opportunity
Director Contact
Contact Information
Application Committee
Volunteer Recruitment
Homechecks
Follow up with Adoption Families
Vice President/COO
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Corporate Sponsors
Grant Writing
Fundraising
Recycling Programs
Marketing Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Graphic Design
Advertising
Public Events
Marketing
Marketing Director
Marketing Director
Marketing Director
Marketing Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Behavioral Training
Therapy Program
Foster Director
Foster Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
Vet Relations
Shelter Relations
Community Outreach
Education Programs
Medical Director
CEO/President
Marketing Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
TV Show
Media Relations
Press Releases
Quarterly Newsletter
Media Director
Media Director
Marketing Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
BDHP Promotional Items
Vendor Relations
Sewing of tugs/dog coats
Online Store
Retail Director
Retail Director
Retail Director
Retail Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Accounting
Taxes
Donation Acknowledgement
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Transports
Shelter search/PetFinder
Owner surrenders/Craigslist
CEO/President
CEO/President
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Website Management
IT maintenance
Forum maintenance
Information’s Technology Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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explanation of volunteer opportunities
Adoption & Volunteer Management:
(Human Resource Director, Lisa Cecchini)
1. Application Committee: Committee Members will be responsible for processing all applications that
are submitted by prospective families. You will be required to call personal references and conduct a phone
interview with the adopting family all within a timely manner. This committee is critical to the success of
BDHP in many ways. Not only will you be screening potential homes for our dogs, but you will be the first
contact the public has with BDHP. Training will be provided and good people skills will be required.
2. Volunteer Recruitment: While this is a job to be shared by all members of BDHP, we are looking for people
who are willing to speak with others about the volunteer experience and opportunities. We are looking for
people who may have creative ideas about how to share our message and engage people to get involved.
3. Home check Committee: Not only is this an incredibly important job, but also a very fun one! If you like
to talk about dogs, are committed to representing the ideas and beliefs of BDHP, and enjoy showing
off your own gentle giant, this is the job for you. Volunteers who conduct Home checks are the last
line in the application process. Your analysis and review of a prospective adopting family will play an
important role in the officers and directors’ ability to properly match families with dogs. Training will
be provided to educate you about the different breeds, food recommendations, behavior and training
methods. You will also need to be prepared to discuss the adoption experience and expectations as well
as the resources available to families to help them through the adjustment period.
4. Adoption Follow Up: This job will entail active follow up with our adopting families at pre-determined
intervals. You will solicit their questions and concerns, and welcome what we hope will be positive
feedback. It is our goal to proactively help our adopting families with any possible issues that may arise
after adoption, to offer suggestions and to continue the positive interaction.
Fundraising:
(Fundraising Director, Position Currently Open)
1. Corporate Sponsorship: Are you an active networker in your professional career? We want to identify
corporate sponsors who believe in our mission, and who are generous enough to help. Do you attend
Business After Hours at the Chamber of Commerce, or other networking events on a regular basis?
If you do and like to talk about Giant Breeds, we would love your help to further develop corporate
relationships. Do you have pre-established relationships with companies you feel maybe open to our
cause? Are you willing to approach these companies to solicit their help? If so we want to hear from you.
Any ideas are welcomed!
2. Grant Writing: Do you have experience writing grants? Are you willing to take a course or be trained to do
so? If so, this is the place for you! Grants are a major source of funding for many non-profits, and an
integral part of BDHP’s business plan. While we do have some experienced volunteers already on our
team to help with grant opportunities, we can always use more help and training will be provided.
3. Recycling Programs: Are you willing to spearhead one of the recycling programs? For example, the
collection of old cell phones and ink cartridges. Are you willing to do research as to what opportunities
exist? If so, please let us know!
4. Do you have existing relationships with doggie boutiques, doggie daycares, etc that may be willing to
donate items or services for our cause?
25
Marketing:
(Marketing Director, Renee Laposa)
1. Graphic Design: Are you a graphic designer? Do you have a friend of family members that might be
willing to help and donate their time? Are you creative and would like to work on a team with our
Marketing Director? Let us know.
2. Advertising: Even though we are a new rescue, advertising will always play a key role to both our initial
and continued success. Do you have any creative advertising ideas we could put into place? Are you
familiar with Internet based advertising? Do you have any suggestions as to how to spread our name? Can
you create advertising promotional materials?
3. Public Events Committee: Do you like to plan parties? Do you like to entertain? If so, public events might
be for you. We are looking for people who are willing to Chair events (with a sub committee), which would
entail all aspects from the planning to execution of the event. We are looking for people who enjoy the
organization and subsequent rewards of planning events for our organization. Please bring any and all
ideas to the table!
Fostering:
(CEO/President, Lindsay Condon)
1. Dog Behavior: Are you interested in learning more about dog behavior from our accredited behavior
staff? Do you want to participate in/organize the required training sessions and quarterly meetings
for all new foster families? Do you have creative ideas as to how to educate the public about cruelty
free obedience? Can you work with our marketing team to create education literature? Do you have
connections with any companies that can help promote our behavior model of positive reinforcement?
2. Therapy Program Committee: Are you interested in going to schools or nursing homes with your Gentle
Giant to help educate, or provide comfort? One of BDHP’s goals is to create a therapy program. This is not
something that will happen overnight, and much research still needs to be conducted. Are you interested
in helping research the requirements, the programs that exist already, and helping to put a plan in place?
Community Relations:
1. Vet Relations: Charitable relationships with Veterinarians are a vital source of our ability to minimize
medical costs. While we do have some pre existing relationships with wonderful vets who believe in our
mission, we can never have enough. Are you interested in helping pursue new vet relationships?
(Medical Director, Dawn Mackenzie)
2. Shelter Relations: Having a responsible, positive, professional, and respectful relationship with area
shelters is imperative. Educating them about our mission, policies and showing them good will is key in
gaining their cooperation with releasing dogs to BDHP. Having good people skills is a must.
3. Community Outreach: Do you like speaking in public? Do you have connections within the community
to spread our word? (Marketing Director, Renee Laposa)
4. Education Program Committee: Are you interested in being part of the team that creates our educational
program? Do you have a teaching background? Do you enjoy speaking in front of others? So many of the
gentle giants are misunderstood due to their size, it is this committee’s goal to educate the public otherwise.
(Creative Arts Director, Open)
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5 . TV Show: It is the ultimate goal of BDHP to create a TV show that documents our success stories and serves
as a resource and example to the community. Do you have any experience or connections in this arena? This
will be a long term project, and we are looking for people to help create the original concepts and ideas as
well as iron out the production details. (Creative Arts Director, Samantha Lehr)
Media Relations:
(Media Relations Director - Position Currently Open)
1. Media Relations: TV, radio and print are going to be key components of our success. Do you enjoy being
on TV? Are you a good public speaker? If you don’t like public speaking, do you enjoy the behind-thescenes aspect of orchestrating the relationship?
2. Press Releases & Quarterly Newsletters: We are looking for volunteers with both writing and editing
skills to help produce announcements about the organization to the press as well as prepare articles for
our quarterly newsletter.
Retail:
(Retail Director, Sonya Aamodt)
1. BDHP Promotional Items: We need to create promotional items to sell to the public as well as internal
volunteers. Do you have any connections with companies who would be willing to extend discounted
rates for various promo products, including printing and design?
2. Vendor Relations/On Line Store: Do you have a purchasing background? Have you had inventory control
experience? Are you interested in order fulfillment? If you have retail experience and would like to use it
toward a good cause, we would like your help.
3. Sewing: Do you sew? If so, this is the place for you. We need individuals who are willing to sew tugs, dog
coats and any other creative ideas we can come up with!
Accounting:
(Chief Financial Officer, Kristie Mendralla)
1. Accounting /Taxes: Do you have experience in either of these areas? Are you open to giving advice? Are
you a CPA or do you know of one who may be willing to donate their time to help with our annual taxes?
Operations:
1. Transports: Are you willing to help transport gentle giants in need? Are you willing to pick dogs up from
shelters or owners and get them safely to the vet or foster homes? This is always a great need to be shared
by many. (Transport Coordinator, Crystal O’Neal)
2. Petfinder/Shelter/Craiglist/PetPortal: Are you able to watch these various websites for dogs in need?
3. Owner Surrenders: Are you willing to meet families who are surrendering their dogs? Are you able to
handle yourself appropriately in times of stress, anger and sadness? Very few owner surrenders are easy,
and you may see and hear things that break your heart. It is important that you are able to control your
emotions and focus on the task at hand, which is getting the dog safely into rescue.
27
IT:
(IT Director, James Lane)
1. Web Site Maintenance: Our web site often changes on a daily basis and we need people who enjoy
doing computer work to help us maintain it.
2. Forums: Have you always wanted to be a moderator for something you really care about? Our Forums will
be an ongoing and active source of information for both our volunteers and the public. We will need
people to help monitor the information flow and to help respond to the questions that come. If you have
good written communications skills and would like to put them to work, BDHP is the right spot for you.
3. Data Base: Do you know how to write or interact with relational databases? Maybe you enjoy data entry.
We always need people to help us stay on top of all the information we receive.
4. Technology development: Do you keep up on all the changes in the tech world and enjoy exploring
new technologies? We need people to help us identify and implement new technologies as they become
available to help us run more efficiently.
5. IT Support: Are you good at helping people through technical problems with computers? We are always
in need of people who can help identify and resolve any computer issues our volunteers may have. Maybe
your passion is computer security. This is also an area that needs constant attention.
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needs list
Items Needed
Many people have the desire to help but can’t contribute financially nor do they have the extra time to
volunteer. For those of you who fall into this category we have the perfect way for you to help!
There are many items that we are in constant need of for a variety of reasons. Because of the large area we
serve, all our volunteers rely heavily on computers and computer software to stay in close contact and to
efficiently communicate and keep track of the Giant Breeds we help. Many of our volunteers have outdated
computer hardware or software and could use your help!
If you or your workplaces regularly upgrade your PC’s or Laptops, why not donate them to a good cause?
A few examples of computer supplies we are in need of include:
• Laptop Computers - able to run Windows 7.
• Desktop PC’s – able to run Windows 7.
• MS Office – 2007 version
• Printers
• Scanners
We also have many items that our foster families are in need of, for example:
• Extra Large Crates 48” - 54”
• Toys - Kongs, Tugs, Nylabones, etc.
• Dog Beds
• Old Sleeping bags
• Comforters or Blankets
• Collars and Leashes
• And more - if you think you have something we could use please contact us.
Throughout the year we also host several events which include Raffles or Silent Auctions, such as our Golf
Tournament or our Black Tie Gala. If you or your company have NEW items that you would like to donate to
us, please send us an email and we can arrange for pickup of the items.
Some examples include:
• Sporting event tickets
• Cars
• Ski goods or apparel
• Jewelry
• Sporting Equipment
• Autographed Memorabilia
Please find it in your heart to help our Giant Furry Friends!!!
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forum information
Big Dogs Huge Paws Forum
The Big Dogs Huge Paws Forum is a great place for group communication and a resource for information to
benefit our volunteers and the public as well. The Forum has both a public side as well as a private side, which
is only accessible to registered BDHPI volunteers.
The public portion is for the community to get information, post topics, upload photos and see available
dogs as well as our successful placements. The private side of the forum is designed as resource for volunteer
specific information and a private way for us all to communicate. The forum is setup so that a person can
either look at topics in the forum itself or subscribe to a topic or forum and have it emailed to them. As a
volunteer you will need to register on the forum before you will be allowed access to the private/volunteer
portion of the forum. Below are instructions on how to register and a few common FAQ’s on how to use the
forum and to customize it to best suit your needs
TO REGISTER:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Go to www.bigdogshugepaws.com
In the Resources menu, on the right hand side of the web page, click on Login
Make sure you click on the Create New Account tab
The only required data on the registration page is user name, email address and
the CAPTCHA code. All other information is optional
5. Click Create New Account
6. If successful, you will see the following message in your browser:
7. Go to your email client and retrieve your user name and password
8. Return to the login page and enter the user name and password
you were sent. The password is case sensitive.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why do I need to register at all?
Registration will give you access to additional features not
available to guest users such as definable avatar images, private messaging, emailing fellow users,
usergroup subscription, etc. It only takes a few moments to register so it is recommended you do so.
How do I change my settings?
If you are a registered user, all your settings are stored in the board database. To alter them, login to
the forums. You will come to your account page. From here you can use the tabs and sub-tabs to edit
and update your settings.
How do I change my password?
In the upper right corner click on “User Control Panel”
Then on the left menu, click on “Profile”
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forum information
How do I change my password?
From the Edit tab (pictured above) make sure you are on the Account sub-tab. Just below your
Username and E-mail address are two spaces to type your new password. Once entered scroll to the
bottom of the page and click the Save button. Your new password is now active.
How do I post a topic in a forum?
To post a new topic in a forum, enter the forum you want to post to. Next, click on the New Topic
button at the top right of the page.
Simply enter a subject and a type up the body of the message. Use the toolbars above the body
section to format your message. Click Save and you are done.
How do I edit or delete a post?
Unless you are a board administrator or moderator, you can only edit or delete your own posts. You
can edit a post by clicking the edit button for the relevant post, sometimes for only a limited time
after the post was made. If someone has already replied to the post, you will find a small piece of text
output below the post when you return to the topic which lists the number of times you edited it
along with the date and time. This will only appear if someone has made a reply; it will not appear if
a moderator or administrator edited the post, though they may leave a note as to why they’ve edited
the post at their own discretion. Please note that normal users cannot delete a post once someone
has replied. If you find you need a post deleted for some reason please send an email to craig@
bigdogshugepaws.com with the topic the post is under and the name of the post.
How do I add a signature to my post?
To add a signature to a post you must first create one by going to My Account in the menu on the right
side of the webpage. Next click on the Edit tab and Account, then scroll down to the signature section.
Once created, you can check the Add Signature box on the posting form to add your signature. You
can also add a signature by default to all your posts by checking the appropriate radio button in your
profile. If you do so, you can still prevent a signature being added to individual posts by un-checking
the add signature box within the posting form.
What are announcements?
Announcements often contain important information for the forum
you are currently reading and you should read them whenever
possible. Announcements appear at the top of every page in the
forum to which they are posted. As with global announcements,
announcement permissions are granted by the board administrator.
What are sticky topics?
Sticky topics within the forum appear below announcements and
only on the first page. They are often quite important so you should
read them whenever possible. As with announcements and global
announcements, sticky topic permissions are granted by the board
administrator.
These are just a few of the
topic you may have questions
on, if you find you want more
information or help, or if you
experience any issues or have
questions please feel free to
email Craig Brooks:
[email protected]
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33
about fostering
About Fostering for Big Dogs Huge Paws, Inc
Thank you so much for your interest in fostering! We have a tremendous need for more foster homes and
would love your help. Foster families are the key to our ability to rescue and rehabilitate giant breed dogs
and there are always more dogs that need our help than we can accommodate.
The first step in getting approved to foster is to fill out an application. Once we receive your application, it
will be passed along to our application committee and the next step will be a phone interview, followed
by a homecheck where one of our volunteers will come to your home and bring a giant breed dog with
them so you can get a feel for what it is like to have such a large dog in your home. They will take a look
around your house and yard to make sure it is a safe and healthy environment, they will get to know
you and the rest of your family (or roommates) and your existing pets, and they will educate you about
the breeds(health risks, feeding, exercise, temperament, training, vet care, etc). Once the homecheck is
completed, you will be contacted by a board member and we’ll let you know if you have been approved.
If you are approved, you will be asked to attend an Introductory Foster Training class to prepare you for
any and all behavioral issues you may encounter as a foster home. You will also be required to attend
quarterly training sessions (behavioral and medical) to keep up your skills and provide you all the tools
you will need to be successful. Big Dogs Huge Paws officers, directors, and our behaviorist will also be oncall as needed for questions or concerns at anytime while you have a foster dog in your home.
Here is how fostering works...
When we are contacted about a giant breed dog that needs to come into rescue, we will line up a foster
home typically before they come in. We determine which foster home is most appropriate based on what
we know about the existing pets, family members, and any special circumstances. The Foster Director will
be in touch when we have a foster dog coming in that we’d like to place with you! She is also available if
you have any questions or concerns along the way.
All giant breed foster dogs in our program will be microchipped upon arrival and a foster tag must be
placed on their collar immediately due to the fact that many of these dogs are very scared coming into a
brand new environment.
Precise Canine Foundation dog food will be provided on a monthly basis for each foster dog locally in
Colorado at no cost to the foster family at our dog food storage location in Denver, CO. Pickup is the 2nd
Saturday of every month from 9-9:30AM.
As an out of state fosters, if Precise Canine Foundation dog food (http://www.precisepet.com/) is not
readily available in your area, we would ask that you feed one of the other approved formulas from the
list below:
WITH GRAIN • 4Health - from Tractor Supply Company (made by Diamond in Lathrop CA, Meta MO, and Gaston SC),
www.tractorsupply.com
• Addiction Foods – Wild Kangaroo & Apples ONLY (made by Taplow Ventures, Vancouver BC; Pied Piper,
Hamlin TX; and Texas Farm Products, Nacogdoches TX), www.addictionfoods.com
• American Natural Basic or Original (made by Fromm, Mequon WI), www.americannaturalpremium.com
• Artemis Pet Foods Fresh Mix and Natural 6 Mix (made by Diamond, Lathrop CA),
www.artemiscompany.com
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about fostering
• Bench & Field, Holistic Natural Canine (made by WellPet, Mishawaka IN), www.benchandfield.com.
• Blue Buffalo (made by Chenango Valley Pet Foods, Sherburne NY; CJ Foods, Bern KS; Dad’s Pet Foods,
Meadville PA; and Triple T Foods, Frontenac KS, www.bluebuff.com
• Blue Seal Foods, By Nature and By Nature Organics (made in their own plant, Arcade NY and Chenango
Valley Pet Foods, Sherburne NY), www.bynaturepetfoods.com
• Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods (made in their own plant, Irwindale CA), www.breeders-choice.com
• Burns Pet Health (made by CJ Foods, Bern KS), www.burnspethealth.com
• Canidae Corp. (made by Diamond Pet Foods, Lathrop CA, Meta MO and Gaston SC), www.canidae.com
• Canine Caviar Pet Foods (made by Ohio Pet Foods, Lisbon OH), www.caninecaviar.com
• Castor & Pollux Pet Works (made by CJ Foods, Bern KS and Crosswinds Petfoods Inc, Sabetha KS),
www.castorpolluxpet.com
• Champion Pet Foods, Acana (made in their own plant, Alberta Canada), www.championpetfoods.com
• Della Natura Commodities, Wenaewe (made by Erro S.A., Dolores Uruguay), www.dellanaturapet.com
• Diamond Pet Products, Chicken Soup Formulas and Diamond Naturals 60+ (made in their three
facilities in Lathrop CA, Meta MO and Gaston SC),www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com and
www.diamondpet.com
• Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance (made by CJ Foods, Bern KS), www.naturalbalance.net
• Dogswell LLC (made by Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Perham MN), www.dogswell.com
• Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company, Evanger’s (made either by Ohio Pet Foods, Lisbon OH or Fromm
Family Foods, Mequon WI), www.evangersdogfood.com
• Firstmate Pet Foods (made in their own plant, Chilliwack BC Canada), www.firstmate.com
• Fromm Family Foods (made in their facility, Mequon WI), www.frommfamily.com
• Grandma Mae’s Pet Foods (made by Chenango Valley Pet Foods, Sherberne NY), www.grandmamaes.com
• Laughing Dog, Inc. (made by Taplow Foods, Chilliwack BC Canada), www.laughingdoginc.com
• Life4K9 Pet Food Corp. (made by Bio Biscuit, Saint-Hyacinthe Quebec Canada and Hampshire Pet
Products, Joplin MO), www.life4k9.com
• Merrick Pet Care (made in their own plant, Hereford TX), www.merrickpetcare.com
• Mulligan Stew Pet Food (made by Mountain Country Foods, Okeene OK), www.mulliganstewpetfood.com
• Natura Pet Products (made in their own plants in Fremont NE and San Leandro CA), www.naturapet.com
• Nature’s Select (made by Mid America, Mount Pleasant TX), www.naturesselectpetproducts.com
• Nature’s Variety (made by Pied Piper Mills, Hamlin TX), www.naturesvariety.com
• Petcurean Pet Nutrition (made by Elmira Pet Products, Ontario Canada), www.petcurean.com
• Pet Valu, Peformatrin Ultra (made by Elmira Pet Products, Ontario Canada), www.performatrinultra.com
• SmartPak, LiveSmart (made by Chenango Valley Pet Foods, Sherburne NY), www.smartpakcanine.com
• Solid Gold Health Products (made by Diamond in Meta MO and Lathrop CA), www.solidgoldhealth.com
• Tuffy’s Pet Foods Inc, Natural Planet Organics and Pure Vita ONLY (made in their own plant, Perham
MN), www.nutrisourcedogfood.com
• VeRUS Pet Foods (made by Ohio Pet Foods, Lisbon OH), www.veruspetfoods.com
• Wellpet, Holistic Select and Wellness (made in their plant in Mishawaka IN; Hagen Pet Foods, Waverly
NY; CJ Foods, Bern KS; American Nutrition, Ogden UT; and Diamond Pet Foods, Gaston SC and Lathrop
CA), www.wellpet.com
• Whole Earth Farms (this is a Merrick brand and is made in their plant in Hereford TX),
www.merrickpetcare.com/store/whole_earth_farms_dry.php
• Wysong Corporation (made in their facility, Lake Mills WI), www.wysong.net
35
about fostering
GRAIN-FREE –
• Addiction Foods – Salmon Bleu and Viva La Venison ONLY (made by Taplow Ventures, Vancouver BC;
Pied Piper, Hamlin TX; and Texas Farm Products, Nacogdoches TX), www.addictionfoods.com
• Canidae Corp. (made by Diamond Pet Foods in Lathrop CA, Meta MO and Gaston SC), www.canidae.com
• Champion Pet Foods, Acana Grain Free and Orijen (made in their own plant, BC Canada),
www.championpetfoods.com/orijen
• Diamond Pet Products, Taste of the Wild (made in their three facilities in Lathrop CA, Meta MO and
Gaston SC), www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com
• Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance, Natural Balance Limited Ingredients Formulas (made by Diamond
Pet Foods, Meta MO), www.naturalbalanceinc.com
• Firstmate Pet Foods, Firstmate Grain Free (made in their own plant in Chilliwack BC Canada),
www.firstmate.com
• Fromm Family Foods, 4 Star Surf N Turf (made in their facility, Mequon WI), www.frommfamily.com
• Merrick Pet Care, Before Grain (made in their own plant, Hereford TX), www.merrickpetcare.com
• Natura Pet Products, EVO (made in their own plant, Fremont NE), www.naturapet.com
• Nature’s Variety, Instinct (made by Pied Piper Mills, Hamlin TX), www.naturesvariety.com
• Petcurean Pet Nutrition, Now! and Go!Natural Grain Free (made by Elmira Pet Products, Ontario
Canada), www.petcurean.com
• Solid Gold Health Products, Barking at the Moon (made by Diamond in Meta MO or Lathrop CA),
www.solidgoldhealth.com
• Wellpet, Wellness CORE (made in their own plant in Mishawaka IN; Hagen Pet Foods, Waverly NY; CJ
Foods, Bern KS; American Nutrition, Ogden UT; Diamond Pet Foods, Gaston SC and Lathrop CA),
www.wellpet.com
* USE CAUTION IN FEEDING GRAIN FREE FOODS TO GROWING DOGS! Many grain free foods (for
instance, EVO) have calcium and phosphorus levels that are too high for growing giant pups. Feeding
those foods can harm your puppy. So the general rule is steer clear of grain free until your dog’s growth
plates have closed (usually around 2 years of age).
As an out of state foster, you will be asked to fax in your receipts for dog food and you will be issued a
check for reimbursement. Our fax number is: 303-474-5861.
All giant breed dogs that come into our foster program will be spayed/neutered, gastropexied (when
possible), vaccinated for Rabies, Distemper/Parvo, and Bordetella, heartworm tested, fecal tested, and
any pre-existing medical conditions that they may come in with will be treated. We work with a variety
of vets that give us discounted rates, so we can talk about who would be most convenient for you based
on where you live and what procedures are required. We are also more than willing to negotiate a new
relationship with a vet in your area if we don’t already have a pre-existing relationship to make it as
convenient as possible for you to get your foster dog to all necessary appointments. All vet appointments
must be pre-approved and scheduled at one of our rescue vets by our Medical Director, Dawn Mackenzie,
or Lindsay Condon. In case of a foster emergency, please call anytime, day or night, for instructions! You can
reach Dawn at: 307-761-0803 or [email protected] or Lindsay at: 303-618-6647 or
[email protected].
36
about fostering
If a foster dog comes in requiring training, we ask that all foster families work with them as much as
possible at home on basic commands with the positive reinforcement techniques you will learn during
your training sessions. However, if we determine that your foster dog requires more extensive training or
socialization in a group class or through a private session, we will make arrangements accordingly.
It would be your responsibility as a foster to get them to their vet or trainer appointments, but once again,
the rescue pays all expenses.
Many of our foster dogs have been through so much before they get to rescue that they suffer from
separation anxiety. We also get a lot of puppies who are destructive, so we do encourage crate training in
those situations. If you do not have a crate to use for a foster, we sometimes have extras in rescue we can
loan you.
While a giant breed foster dog is with you, you will be responsible for keeping the officers and directors
informed regarding the dog’s true temperament, training needs, and any other special needs. You will
be required to fill out an evaluation form after sufficient time has passed and you have had a chance to
get to know the dog. We also may call upon you for feedback and advice when considering potential
families. Your cooperation and regular communication will be essential to empowering Big Dogs Huge
Paws to find the best possible match for each dog that comes into our program and ensuring their
long-term success.
Big Dogs Huge Paws will keep foster dogs in our program for as long as it takes to find them the perfect
forever home. Some dogs will only stay for a couple weeks, others may stay for months. There is no hard
and fast rule, and we ask and hope that our foster families will be patient and understand this part of
fostering. If you have any trips planned while a foster is with you, we ask that you make arrangements
for the foster as if they were your own dog. Please pass along contact info for pet sitters or the name and
number of where they will be staying to Lindsay or Bree in advance of your trip. We will do our best to
assist you in the case of any emergencies, but otherwise it is your responsibility to plan accordingly.
Once a match has been determined for your specific foster, we will coordinate with you to get the
dog to their forever home. As a foster family, if the placement is local, you are more than welcome to
come meet the new family so that you can share what you have learned about them to help with the
adjustment period.
If we place a giant breed foster dog with you and your family, you do have the option to permanently
adopt your foster dog if the officers and directors agree they are a good match for your family and you
notify us prior to us promising the dog elsewhere. You will have to fill out an adoption application and
sign an adoption agreement and you will be asked to make a donation just like everyone else.
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38
about adopting
About Our Adoption Program
Big Dogs Huge Paws is a 501c3, non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming
giant breeds in need. We work with Great Danes, Great Pyrenees, Newfoundlands, Saint Bernards, Mastiffs (All
Types), Irish Wolfhounds, and Scottish Deerhounds and our philosophy is “Every BIG dog deserves a chance!”
We currently adopt out dogs primarily in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and
Wyoming. If you live outside this region, please reply to this email and let us know where you live and what
experience you have with giant breed dogs in order to be considered for an exception.
All dogs in our program are housed in foster homes where they receive the best of care, food, and training.
All of our foster families undergo rigorous screening and training to be a part of our foster team.
All dogs are thoroughly evaluated medically and behaviorally while in our care. They’ll be microchipped,
spayed/neutered, gastropexied (when possible), vaccinated for Rabies, Distemper/Parvo, and Bordetella,
heartworm tested, fecal tested, and we treat any pre-existing medical conditions they might come in with. Our
foster families work with them on basic obedience and behavioral issues. Our goal is to rehabilitate them so
they’ll be successful when they’re adopted, and our success rate is extremely high. Big Dogs Huge Paws keeps
our foster dogs in our program as long as it takes to work with them and find them the perfect forever home.
All potential adopting families must fill out an application and we check references. The next step is a phone
interview, and then one of our volunteers will come to your home for an official homecheck. Our volunteer
will bring a giant breed along so you can get a feel for what it is like to have such a large dog in your home.
We take a look around the house and yard to ensure it’s a safe and healthy environment, get to know all
members of the household, evaluate existing pets, and go over everything you need to know about owning
and caring for a giant breed dog.
Once the homecheck is completed, our leadership team works closely with you to determine which
adoptable dog will be the best match. While we do our best to honor special requests, our goal is to ensure
long-term success, so we take a look at what we know about the dogs in our program and what we learned
about you throughout the process and advise you accordingly
We don’t have a set adoption fee, but our donation range is $350 - $600 to help cover our costs, which
include transport, medical care, food, supplies, etc. We spend on average $450 per dog. We are a non-profit
organization and survive strictly on adoption donations and sponsorships. We are all volunteers, none of us
are paid for the work we do - all donations go straight to the dogs in our care and are tax-deductible.
Before filling out our application, please go to our website at www.BigDogsHugePaws.com and review our
“Adoption Requirements and Guidelines” to ensure that you are eligible to apply. We do not discuss specific
dogs with applicants until you have been approved for adoption. It is best not to get your heart set on any
one particular dog upfront because there is no guarantee they will still be available once you are approved
or that they are even the right match for your family. Purebred puppies are only eligible for adoption to giant
breed experienced homes.
If you are interested in adopting a giant breed dog, please fill out the attached Adoption Application
and return to: [email protected] or fax it back to us at: 303-474-5861.
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40
dog food fundraiser
Big Dogs Huge Paws has partnered with PFX Pet Supply in order to supply volunteers, adopting families,
and the general public high quality, super premium dog and cat food as a Fundraiser for our organization!
Here is a list of the Brands we will be offering with links to their website for more information about
their products:
• Old Mother Hubbard
http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com
• Wellness
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com
• Natural Balance
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com
• Nature’s Variety
http://www.naturesvariety.com
• Merrick
http://www.merrickpetcare.com
• Fromm
http://www.frommfamily.com
• Eagle Pack Holistic
http://www.eaglepack.com
• Blue Buffalo
http://www.bluebuff.com
• Precise
http://www.precisepet.com
• Greenies
http://www.greenies.com/en_US/default.aspx
*ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE GENTLE GIANTS AT BIG DOGS HUGE PAWS RESCUE, A 501c3
CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION!!!
In order to show our appreciation to our wonderful volunteers, we will be offering special Volunteer Pricing to
all Active Volunteers. To qualify for this discount, volunteers can contribute their time in any of the following
categories:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fostering
Accounting
Database Management
Vendor Relations
Forum Moderators
Photography/Videography
Volunteer Training
Inventory Management
Volunteer/Foster Home Recruitment
HTML Web Maintenance
Working Public Events
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Home checks
• Transporting
Event Planning
• Health Committee
Online Store
• Sewing
Writing/Editing
• Behavior work
Incoming Dog Involvement
• Marketing
Tracking Shelters/Adoption Pet Sites/Craigslist
Corporate Sponsorship
• Fundraising
Media Involvement
• Processing Applications
Data Input
• Grant Writing
Medical Assistance
• Retail Fulfillment
Networking
• Other Skills or Interests
You DO NOT have to be a volunteer to participate in our Dog Food Program - Support Animal Rescue by
ordering food through our organization and your purchase will go directly to charity! Please pass this
special offer on to any and all animal lovers you may know - we will be happy to provide pricing and further
information to anyone interested.
You will have the option to order dog food through our website and pay by credit card or check.
Since there are a lot of brands available, we have enclosed some cheat sheets about the brands we offer
as well as ingredients and are available to help offer recommendations. You really can’t go wrong because
almost all of the brands listed above were selected for the Whole Dog Journal’s Approved Dry Dog
Foods List.
41
dog food fundraiser
Checks will need to be made out to “Big Dogs Huge Paws” and mailed to:
Big Dogs Huge Paws, Inc
P.O. Box 24230
Denver, CO 80224
Or you can pay online with a credit card through our website at: http://www.bigdogshugepaws.com/
donate (Please make sure to note that it is for dog food payment).
Order Deadline will be: Second Wednesday of Every Month at Noon. Pre-payment is requested since we
are a new rescue and cannot afford to float the cost up-front.
Pickup Date will be: Second Saturday of Every Month from 9:00AM - 9:30AM. If you are unable to make
it at the scheduled time, please make arrangements to have someone else pick up your food for you!
*We are also looking into a Volunteer-run Dog Food Delivery Program - please contact us if you are interested
in helping.
Pickup Location will be: 1565 S. Garfield Street Denver, CO 80210.
Thank you for helping us to help the many giant breed dogs in need by purchasing your personal dog or cat
food through Big Dogs Huge Paws!
**Special Note for Out-of-State Volunteers: We are currently looking into local distributors in our more
highly concentrated volunteer areas outside of Denver, starting with Wichita and Salt Lake City. We want all of
the Big Dogs Huge Paws furry friends to benefit from high quality nutrition and are working hard to finalize
solutions in your area, so stay tuned!
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dog food cheat sheet
Shelly Kelsey • (303) 507- 5989 • [email protected]
Ingredient
Benefit
Natural Balance
Very popular limited ingredient diets, single source protein, single source
carbohydrate- good for dogs with allergies. Buy 10 get 1 free.
Planet Organics
Reasonably priced organic kibble. All products made in house, family owned co.
Pure Vida
Holistic single source protein kibble, multiple source carbohydrate- good for dogs with
allergies. All products made in house, family owned co.
Merrick
Canned food one of the most popular on market- stew style. 2 different/lines: 5 Star
and Before Grain (grain free). 5 Star kibble makes a gravy when water is added. Before
Grain can line is 100% meat and water.
Fromm
Kibble is so perfectly PH balanced that dogs can switch from one flavor to another with
very little digestive upset. Family owned company in WI- put cheese in all of their
products. Buy 10 get 1 free.
Precise
Most reasonably priced product for quality. Best bang for the buck. I recommend the
Foundation product- comes in 44 lb bag, feeds well. Buy 10 and get 1 free.
Wellness
Great canned goods- Cupboard Creations are stew style and feed well. Second line 95%
meat sells well. Offers grain free product: Core- fish option is great for skin and coat.
Greenies
Pill pockets are a great add on to the menu being offered. Work very well when giving
meds to dogs and cats.
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ingredient cheat sheet
Shelly Kelsey • (303) 507- 5989 • [email protected]
Ingredient
Benefit
Explanation
Chicken Meal
Quality protein source
Dried form, no by-product, highly digestible.
Ground Brown Rice
Carbohydrate
Whole grain for balanced nutrition.
Chicken
Quality Protein source
Fresh form, no by-products, enhances palatability.
Barley
Excellent carbohydrate
Supplies quick energy, highly digestible.
Chicken Fat
Fat source
Excellent source of energy and essential fatty acid.
Mixed Tocopherols
Natural preservatives
& Ascorbyl Palmitate
Keep fat from rancidity and oxidation.
Beet Pulp
Fiber source
Moderate fermentable source of fiber.
Ground Oats
Carbohydrate source
Highly digestible source of energy.
Flaxseed
Source of mega-3
fatty acids
Helps moderate the immune system.
Dried Egg
Protein Source
Highest biological value of all proteins.
Fish Meal
Protein Source
Excellent source of protein, highly digestible.
Chicken Cartilage
& chondroitin
Source of glucosamine
Keeps 100% of value through heat process.
Alfalfa Meal
& fiber
Source of beta-carotene
Building blocks for vision and adequate growth.
Dried Carrots
Source of beta-carotene
Helps neutralize free radicals.
Dried Kelp
Seaweed
A source of trace minerals
Fish Oil
Source of linolenic
Helps moderate the immune system.
& arachidonic acids
Yucca Schidigera
Contains glycoproteins
Reduces stool and urine odor.
Dried Cranberries
Reduces UTI’s
Prevents E. coli from adhering to the bladder wall.
Chamomile
Contains bioflavonoids
Anti-inflammatory, digestive aid.
Dandelion
High amounts of vitamin A
Stimulates digestion, increases bile production.
Peppermint
Menthol constituent
Relaxes smooth muscle of the digestive tract.
Rosemary
Antioxidant activity
Has shown to inhibit cancer formation in animals.
Tumeric
Active constituent
is curcumin
Strong antioxidant activity.
Probiotics
Friendly bacteria
Increases digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Chelated Minerals
Increased mineral absorption
Stronger bones, healthier body
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45
general recommendations
Recommendations for Giant Breed Dogs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Crate (48-54”)
Cleaning supplies (Nature’s Miracle, Get Serious, steam cleaner, Dyson pet vaccuum, etc)
Gentle leader (size L or XL)
Bach’s rescue remedy (all natural stress reliever, can be found at any natural food stores)
Leash (6 foot nylon or leather – no retractable leashes)
Collar (16”-24” length)
Raised feeding dishes
Dog bed (XL)
• TOYS:
• KONG: http://www.bigbreeddog.com/product/PSU-KNG-T1MT
• Nylabone: http://www.nylabone.com/products/
• The Everlasting Treat Ball by Triple Crown Products:
http://www.amazon.com/StarMark-TCETBL-Everlasting-Treat-Large/dp/B0012V1G0Y
• The Bouncy Bone by Premier Pet Products: http://www.bigbreeddog.com/product/PPP-BB-BCYBN
• The Tricky Treat Ball: http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Tricky-Treat-Ball-Large/dp/B0002DK26M
• Tug-a-Jug by Premier Pet Products: http://www.bigbreeddog.com/product/PPP-BB-TAJ
• The Buster Food Cube: http://www.bigbreeddog.com/product/OP-TOY-BFC
• TREATS:
• Bully Sticks: http://www.bestbullysticks.com/
• Dried Liver Treats: http://www.nextag.com/dog-liver-treats-pro-treat/stores-html
• Red Barn Meat Rolls(cut up into small pieces): http://www.redbarninc.com/c-16-food-for-dogs.aspx
• Chicken Jerky: http://www.redbarninc.com/c-22-chicken-jerky.aspx
• Hot Dogs
• Carrots
• Deli Meat
• *NO rawhides or pig skins*
• GROCERIES:
• applesauce
• chicken flavored baby food
• boiled hamburger and rice
• boiled chicken and rice
•
•
•
•
•
pumpkin
white rice
chicken broth
plain yogurt
cottage cheese
*These are all things to keep on hand for a picky dog or an upset belly*
46
47
how to fit a gentle leader
The Gentle Leader Head Collar
The Gentle Leader was designed to work with a dog’s pack instincts, helping to communicate with your dog in a way
he immediately understands. The pressure applied to the nose is similar to the Alpha dog in a pack biting the muzzle
telling the animal to stop the behavior. Additionally, the pressure on the back of the neck is like the mother dog gently
mouthing a puppy telling him to stop the behavior. After your dog has become accustomed to the collar, he will
immediately understand what you want since you are communicating in his language. It is NOT a muzzle!
My Dog Hates It!
A lot of people have told me over the years that they have tried the Gentle Leader but their
dogs “hated it”. Well, of course they do, because they aren’t in control anymore-You are! The
more they hate it, the more they need it. Most dogs will fight it but 99 % of them will ‘give in’
within minutes because our dogs are looking for a leader, and by using the Gentle Leader, you
are telling them that you’re the boss.
The best thing about the Gentle Leader is that it doesn’t cause pain or fear like other training
tools can. If fit properly by a trained professional, it will allow you to create a happy, secure bond
with your dog and make walks more enjoyable. Additionally, if you have a dog with behavior
problems, it will assist in re-conditioning those behaviors without pain - making life better for
you as well as your dog.
The Gentle Leader® will resemble a “V” for “Victory”!, not an “L” for “Loser.”
The Neck Strap MUST 1-Be positioned as high on the neck as possible, directly behind the
ears and touching the base of the skull in back, and above the Adam’s apple in front. 2- Not be able to rotate around
neck. 3- Fit very snugly at top of neck so that you can barely squeeze only one finger underneath. This is the MOST
important part of the entire fitting process! It is different than other collars you may be used to, but does not cause
discomfort to your dog. Please resist the temptation to make the Neck Strap loose - if you loosen it, either your dog
will be able to paw the Nose Loop off, or you will wind up making the Nose Loop too tight or the Nose Loop will rotate
causing discomfort.
The Nose Loop should:
•
•
•
•
Be loose and comfortable so that your dog can freely open his mouth (even fetch a ball!).
Be able to move freely from just in front of eyes to beginning of the fleshy (wet) part of nose.
Rest behind the corners of mouth.
Not be so loose that it can be pulled off over the nose (after snap clamp is adjusted).
Fitting Step by Step:
Throughout the fitting process and during initial use of the Gentle Leader, motivate
and encourage your dog with praise and special tasty treats. If your dog is especially
wiggly, have someone help you by feeding treats while you fit and adjust.
1. Attach leash to Control Ring. (Fig. A)
2. Open Neck Strap and hold one end in each hand. Nose Loop and leash
should hang down, like the letter (T). (Fig. B)
3. Prefit Neck Strap high on the neck touching base of skull in back, with
Center Bar Ring in the niche just above the Adam’s apple in front. Center Bar
Ring should be parallel to neck, not the underside of jawbone. (Fig. C-1) Neck
Strap must be snug so that only one finger can squeeze under it. Gently grasp
skin at back of neck and pull downward toward shoulders, while at the same
time holding Neck Strap against base of skull. Tighten if needed. (Fig. C-2)
48
4. Take Neck Strap off your dog. Slide Adjustable Snap Clamp down to Control
Ring (as in Fig. A).
5. Pull Nose Loop up through Center Bar Ring. (Fig. D)
6. With dog at your side, in front of you, or between your legs, hold Nose Loop
open. Reach under dog’s head to slip Nose Loop onto base of muzzle (Fig. E-1),
and give a treat to keep him occupied. Snap Neck Strap high on neck at its
prefitted position. (Fig E-2) (Some people find that taking a few moments to
gently “massage” their dog’s muzzle and cheeks prior to putting on the Nose
Loop may help him more quickly accept the new sensation.)
7. Make final adjustment to Nose Loop. It should be behind
corners of mouth and loose enough to pull forward to fleshy
part of nose, but not so loose that it can be pulled entirely off muzzle. Slide
snap clamp up or down to adjust (Fig. F-1). With thumb and index finger, pinch
Nose Loop underneath snap clamp, temporarily holding it from moving. Test
size of Nose Loop by pulling it forward as far as it will go (Fig. F-2). When it
touches the beginning of the fleshy part of the nose, but is not so loose that
you can pull it off, close the snap clamp by pressing down on the tab - you’ll hear a snap as it locks. When your dog
has reached full growth, you can remove any excess length of Neck Strap. With the Gentle Leader® off your dog, cut
the end of the strap with scissors and use a match or lighter flame to seal the cut edge and prevent fraying.
Thin Nose Loop or Thick?
Several of the national and local pet store chains sell the Gentle Leader, but most of the staff do not know how to fit
it, or which kind is most appropriate for which dog. Plus, they only sell the ‘thin’ nose loop kind (5/8”). I prefer to fit the
‘thick’ nose loop (3/4”) on larger dogs, especially those with broad noses like labs and shepherds. If you are using a
Gentle Leader for your dog and it is wearing off the hair on his nose, or causing sores, try switching to a ¾” nose loop.
You may also try wrapping some moleskin or fleece around the nose loop to decrease friction.
Acclimating your dog to the Gentle Leader
It’s very important that you acclimate your dog slowly to the Gentle Leader. The neck strap is a pressure point that
reminds your dog of the pressure the mother dog puts on the back of the neck when she picks up the puppies in the
litter. The nose strap reminds your dog of the Alpha dog as it’s similar to the pressure a higher ranking dog may use as
a correction. Therefore, when your dog first experiences the Gentle Leader, he may think the mother dog and Alpha
dog are sitting on his head! As long as you associate really positive things with the Gentle Leader, and never take it
off when you’re dog is struggling, he or she will begin to enjoy having it on as it means walks and treats.
Always put the Gentle Leader on with a leash attached. If your dog fights it immediately when you put it on, GENTLY
lift up on the leash at a constant rate towards the sky until your dog settles down and stops struggling. As soon as
your dog relaxes, immediately loosen the gentle pressure on the leash so there is a ‘J’ in the leash, and praise and treat.
Please DO NOT tug, jerk, or pull on the leash like you would with a choke chain correction. When lifting up on the
leash, you only want to apply gentle pressure to the head collar so your dog will ‘give in’.
In the beginning, put the collar on your dog several times a day for 2-3 minutes, give him treats, throw a toy, feed him,
etc while he has it on. At the end of the 3 minutes, if he is not struggling, take the Gentle Leader off. Never take it off
if your dog is struggling, because that is a reward for struggling. Gradually increase the amount of time he wears it
in the house, and then begin putting it on at the end of your walks when he is tired. Increase the amount of time he
wears it towards the end of the walk until you are actually putting it on in the beginning. If your dog tries to rub his
nose on your leg, or sweep his head through the grass, don’t let him. Lift up on the leash as stated above, and then
loosen the leash and praise when he stops. Above all, make the time he has the Gentle Leader on FUN!
If your dog continues to fight it, make sure it is fit properly. If your dog’s nose begins to chafe, make sure it is fit
properly, change to a thick nose strap collar, or add some moleskin to the nose strap.
Kari Bastyr, MS, CDBC • www.wagandtrain.com • 720-312-5499
49
crate training
Crate Training
Crate Training is a process of desensitizing your dog to staying in his crate while you are gone. It can help a dog feel
more comfortable at home because it acts like a den and provides safety from the outside world. Most dogs actually
love their crate and can’t wait to go in it. Some dogs are terrified of it and don’t want to be confined. However, being
in a crate is the foremost training technique in counter-conditioning separation anxiety for dogs. The process can
take anywhere from 2 weeks up to 3 months. But it is well worth it and your dog will thank you for it.
The following list describes, in detail, the order of treatment techniques for crate training. Try not to get discouraged
if your dog seems too upset while in his crate. He is looking for your direction and if you are firm, yet fair, he will calm
down in no time.
• Leave the crate door open, and let him have access to it at all times. Put his food dish in front of it and let him eat
there. Once he becomes comfortable eating in front of it, put the dish inside the crate, directly inside the open
door. When he goes in to eat, praise him like crazy in a soft tone. Once he is comfortably eating with the dish in
the front of the crate, move the food dish back into the middle of the crate, and then later, to the back of the crate.
Eventually, once he becomes completely comfortable eating at the back of the crate, shut the door while he eats
(while he’s in it). Praise him the entire time, and throw a few small hot dog or cheese chunks in the crate, too, while
he eats.
• After your dog has no problems eating in the crate, leave him in it for 1-3 minutes at a time while you’re home, and
eventually work your way up in time. Cover the crate with a heavy blanket or rug (something he can’t pull through
and chew). Play ‘talk radio’ or out a ticking clock next to his crate. If he whines/cries/thrashes, ignore him. DO
NOT let him out if he is barking or whining. Once he calms down, open the door, let him out and praise/treat him.
Modify this as needed, depending on his behavior. Only let him out if he’s relaxed, and praise him if he’s relaxed
while in there. Also, use a command with it like “Kennel”, or “Naptime” so when he hears the word, he will associate
going in his crate. Lengthen the period of time that he’s in the crate while you’re home.
• About a week after you begin leaving him in the crate while you’re home, put him in the crate when you leave for
short periods of time (i.e. to go get the mail, to walk down to the end of the street and back, etc.) If you come back
inside and he’s relaxed, let him out of the crate and treat/praise him.
• Gradually lengthen the amount of time he’s in his crate (when you leave for short periods), and adjust as needed.
Then, leave him in it when you go to the store or to a movie. Enevtually, you’ll be able to leave him in there for
more than a few hours, or while you’re gone for the day.
• Give him a Kong smeared with peanut butter/honey/yogurt and kibble (or bacon bits and Cheerios, etc.) when you
leave him in the crate. Some people load the Kong and freeze it the night before. No other food, water, or blankets
should be left in the crate.
The most important thing is to be consistent and make the crate fun. Don’t use it for punishment and never yell at
your dog while you are putting him in the crate. Always give him a treat when he goes in it. Soon, your dog will enjoy
having his own little den.
50
digging
Tips to Prevent your Dog from Digging
Why do dogs dig? This is a common question many frustrated pet owners find themselves asking. Unfortunately,
there is not a “quick fix” to digging since the symptom goes much deeper, and most of the time it is instinctual. Some
dogs were bred to dig, some do it to cool off or out of boredom and frustration, while others simply enjoy the thrill of
digging. For most dogs, however, digging is in the genes.
Wild ancestors dug to hide their food and create dens to birth and raise pups. Throughout history humans have
encouraged digging by selecting this trait and breeding dogs to dig up rodents and other prey from earthen tunnels.
In fact, Terriers, the most popular breed for this job even take their name from the Latin word for earth —terra.
How to Discourage Digging
Digging is one of the most natural dog behaviors and is very hard to discourage, but it can be done if you are patience
and consistent with your training. The following tips have been proven to work for several of my clients.
1. Exercise
One easy way to offset digging is to ensure your dog is getting at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. This can be a
walk, jog or even playing fetch. By exercising your dog you are helping them burn energy that would otherwise be
pent up and used to dig when left in the backyard.
2. Dog Toys
Make sure your dog has plenty of activities in the backyard by keeping several toys and balls around. A yogurtsmeared frozen Kong with some cheerios and a Jolly Ball works beautifully.
3. Fill in the Hole
Many dogs will return to the scene of the crime even after you have filled in the hole and reseeded. By filling the
hole with your dogs solid waste as well as cayenne pepper your dog will be less interested in digging in this spot
again. Adding a 6X6 square of chicken wire underneath the topsoil can also act as an extra deterrent.
4. Encourage the Dig?
Filling in the hole, as outlined above sometimes causes dogs to simply create a new hole in another location. If this
is the case, you are more than likely fighting a never-ending battle so it is time to comprise by allowing your dog to
dig in a pre-designated area.
• Start by finding a 3ft.X3ft. area in a corner of your yard, or a spot in the shade behind a tree.
• Dig up a 3in.X3in. hole yourself until it is about 3-4in. deep then bury some bones, treats, Sam’s Yams, carrots,
etc. in the hole. (Do not do this while your dog is in the backyard with you.)
• When your hole is complete, take your dog to the hole and say “DIG!”.
• When they start sniffing it and/or digging, give them a treat and praise them. Your dog will think this is a fun
game and will get rewarded again when they find the buried treat. If you see them digging in one of the filled
holes, tell them ‘Uh-uh!’ and re-direct them to the proper digging spot.
Additional Tips to Prevent Digging
• Keep your dog’s nails trimmed so they do not feel the need to ‘file’ their nails with soil. Shorter nails make digging
more difficult since they will not be able to excavate as quickly.
• Most importantly, do not punish your dog after the fact by dragging the dog to a hole and yelling or spanking him.
Even though the dog cowers and acts like he knows he’s done wrong, he does not necessarily connect your anger
to the hole. What humans interpret as guilt is actually a dog’s way of acting subordinate and turning off a threat.
51
front door behavior
Please come in so I can jump all over you!
In my private practice I go to several homes a week for behavior sessions, and sometimes I wish I would have worn a
metal shark suit and steel-toed boots to avoid the bodily injury I get from over-exuberant dogs. (I know, I know….. it’s
my job and I don’t mind, but I’m sure a lot of other people might!). At times I leave with a bloody lip, deep scratches
down my back and legs, and bruises all over my body. It’s not like the owners don’t try, because they try really hard
to keep their dog off me. But, as I always point out, when the dog is jumping around and barking, and the owner is
pulling and pushing and yelling and pleading, their dog is getting the biggest thrill out of getting all the attention.
Would you believe that we inadvertently train our dogs to act like that when the doorbell rings? We try our best to
get them to settle down, without the benefit of a leash or treats, but in the end we open the door because someone is
waiting to come in.
What to do:
Since dogs learn that when the doorbell rings, and they run around barking, squealing, growling, and jumping off the
walls, they will be rewarded with visitors to jump on, it is important to teach your dog the behavior you want him to
do rather than what NOT to do. I highly recommend training a quiet sit stay when visitors ring the door bell, and the
door will not open until your dog is sitting peacefully waiting for his reward- attention from people coming through
the door.
First, train ‘sit’ and ‘sit stay’ without and then with distractions in every room of your house. Work your way up to a
2-minute ‘sit stay’ in the living room and backyard, and then start asking for a sit-stay at the door and the front gate
before you go outside for your evening walk. Do not open the door until your dog is sitting nicely in a sit stay. If
your dog gets up as you open the door, immediately shut the door and redirect your dog back into a sit stay. (The
best natural consequence there is for getting up as you open the door is you shutting the door so the dog cannot go
outside.) Say ‘stay’ and attempt to open the door again. Practice this every time you go out an entrance, and once
your dog stays as you open and then walk through the door, say ‘Free’ or ‘let’s go’ from the other side of the threshold.
ALWAYS give your dog a release word at the end of the stay.
Whenever you expect visitors, put your dog’s leash on ahead of time. Carry the leash with you so you can react
quickly when the doorbell rings. Have plenty of tasty treats by the front door or in your pocket. When the doorbell
rings, walk your dog to the door, and ask for a sit far enough away so that you can open the door without it touching
your dog. Do not attempt to open the door until your dog has stopped barking and is sitting somewhat calmly. If
your dog gets up when you start to open the door, shut the door! Ask your dog to sit and stay again and try to open
the door. Every time you start to open the door and your dog gets up, shut the door. This will teach your dog that he
must stay sitting in order for mom or dad to completely open the door, and for the really fun people to come through
and pay attention to him. It works fabulously! Your guests may have to wait a minute or two, but your dog will catch
on quickly. You can even leave some treats out on the front step so your guests can reward your dog once they
come through the door, but only if he is sitting quietly and not jumping or barking. Some of my clients have even
had ‘Teach Fido Front Door Manners’ parties, and including jumping behavior as well.
It may also help to start desensitizing your dog to the doorbell. Start by ringing the doorbell many times a day for
no reason. When you go out to get he mail, when you come home from work, when you come in from guardening,
when you come in from your evening walk, while your dog is eating, etc, so your dog will learn that the sound of the
doorbell ringing doesn’t necessarily mean someone new is coming through the door. You can even tape-record the
sound of the doorbell and play it a hundred times a day. Or better yet, get a remote doorbell from Home Depot and
ding it all the time! It won’t take long for your dog to learn the doorbell isn’t that exciting afterall.
52
no pulling
Teaching Your Dog Not to pull on the Leash is Easy!
Ok, so maybe it is not that easy. Loose-leash walking is one of the hardest things to teach a dog because their first
instinct is to pull against the pressure on their body. How many of your dogs sound like they are going to choke
themselves when they pull? That is because of their first instinct to pull against pressure. When your dog pulls on
the leash the pressure from their collar goes back towards their tail so they instinctively pull forward against it. This
is mentally rewarding for them to do since they are “working towards something” (similar to a sled dog pulling a
sled). If I am describing your dog, please be careful as they could injure themselves severely by doing this, including
collapsing a trachea which can lead to them never being able to bark again.
The best way to teach your dog not to pull is to STOP rewarding him for pulling! When your dog pulls, what are they
pulling towards? Do they pull your shoulder out of socket to get at the fire hydrant, or chase the squirrel up a tree?
When they get to the fire hydrant, because you have let them pull you there, they get rewarded. The same is true for
chasing a squirrel. From now on, every time you walk your dog, think of how he is being rewarded for pulling, and
stop the reward. Instead, reward him for NOT pulling.
Tips on Teaching Your Dog Not to Pull
Following are several techniques to teach your dog not to pull. You can use one or a combination, but be sure to
always be consistent so your dog is no longer rewarded for pulling, but rather for walking next to you.
1. ALWAYS bring highly motivating treats on your walks until your dog is heeling nicely next to you.
2. PLEASE DO NOT USE A RETRACTABLE LEASH…EVER!
3. Instead of a regular buckle collar, try a Gentle Leader head halter or an Easy-Walk Harness. Both tools can help
teach your dog to pull against the pressure (towards the tail instead of the nose), which almost always allows for an
instant heel.
4. Use leather leashes for big dogs, or dogs who pull in general. Leather does not cut into your hands like nylon does.
5. Teach the command ‘Watch Me’ or “Focus’ and reward your dog when he responds to it while walking.
6. If your dog pulls forward, say ‘uh-uh’, stop, and tell him to sit, which is the opposite of pulling. Reward when he
does. Take another step and if he pulls again, stop and ask him to sit. Repeat as many times as needed. It may take
thousands of ‘sits’ for the light bulb to go on so patience is a virtue.
7. Another technique to help with walking is a doggie backpack with saddlebags on either side. Fill each side with a
soup can, which will help your dog ’work’ during his walk.
Teach Your Dog to Heel
1. To teach heeling, begin with your dog in a sit on either side of you. The side does not matter, as long as you initially
pick a side and then always walk him on that side (be consistent). Fold the leash in the hand on the side opposite
your dog, so the leash crosses your body. Hold a treat in the hand closest to your dog, make a fist, and let your dog
smell and/or lick your hand.
2. Give a walking command like ‘Walk’ or ‘Heel’ and take your first step with the foot closest to your dog. Take five
or six steps and stop, lure your dog into a sit while letting him sniff or lick your hand the entire time. When he sits,
treat and praise. Repeat. If you do this sequence every time you go for a walk, your dog will be heeling in no time.
Eventually you will not need a treat because your dog will just watch your hand while he walks hoping to get one.
You can even lure with the treat, but then only praise once he has learned to heel. If your dog jumps or nips at
your hand, you are holding the treat too high above his nose. It may even help to hold your fist backwards (with
your closed fingers facing his face) directly on his mouth.
3. Another technique is to turn around and go the other way every time your dog pulls.
4. To help your dog focus on you and the treat, do not feed him dinner until after your evening walk so you can
practice the entire time.
5. It is also a good idea to not only teach a ‘walk’ command, but also a command so your dog learns when it is time to
go sniff and potty (a time when you are not working). I use ‘Go Play!’
53
potty outside
Potty Outside
Overview:
When your puppy relieves himself outside, he will earn free time in the house. The more consistent the training, the
faster your puppy will learn the desired potty response. You will alternate confinement and free time until your puppy
learns the appropriate time and place to go potty. Every time your puppy comes out of his crate, he will go outside.
Therefore, the following schedule will happen when training:
1) 2 minutes outside ’ Potty ’ 30 minutes free time ’ Back into crate for 30 minutes ’ 2 minutes outside
2) 2 minutes outside ’ No Potty ’ back into crate for 30 minutes ’ 2 minutes outside
The following guidelines will aid you in potty training your puppy:
• Adhere strictly to the suggested schedule. Accidents mean too much freedom!
• Allow only 2 minutes to potty outside. Reward urinating/defecating immediately (within 1 second) after the
desired behavior.
• Holding it all night is the first stage in successful housebreaking
Note: If your puppy whines and cries at night, ignore him and go back to sleep. (unless the puppy is hurting himself).
If you get up to reprimand him, or let him outside, you will be training him to get up in the middle of the night.
Occasionally, dogs must relieve themselves at night. Therefore, if ignoring the puppy leads to a mess in the morning,
respond to his warning by only allowing 2 minutes outside. Do not do this for more than 2 nights, and be sure to
check with your vet to determine if the puppy is sick.
Here is the suggested routine to quickly train your puppy to potty outside and avoid accidents in the house:
• In the morning, carry the puppy outside, place him on the ground (with leash attached), and give a command like
“Go Potty”. Allow 2 minutes for urination/defecation. Gently repeat the command and soon as the puppy
responds, treat and praise immediately. Always bring a treat outside with you.
• If the puppy fails to respond within 2 minutes, bring him inside and put him back in his crate for 20 to 30 minutes.
Try again.
• When your puppy goes potty outside, bring him in and give him 30 minutes of free time in a confined area. You
should be with him during this time.
Daytime Schedule:
Potty Outside = ½ -hour free time then 1 ½-hours confinement
This routine will continue until your puppy goes potty outside consistently and has learned the behavior. Then you
may give him more freedom and less confinement.
Potty Outside = 1-hour free time then 2-hours confinement
When your puppy becomes reliable with this amount of time, increase free time again.
Potty Outside = 2-hour free time then 2-hours confinement
Increase free time as your puppy gains your trust.
If your puppy has an accident, DO NOT scold him. This could lead to many behavior problems. If you catch him ‘in the act’,
use a startle sound to get him to stop, and then carry him outside to finish. Reward him, and then put him in his crate.
The entire process may take 2 to 6 weeks. Please don’t become discouraged. Follow these guidelines, and rememberthey are only puppies once!
54
the come command
How to Teach Your Dog to ‘Come!’
The command ‘come’ is arguably the only command that can save your dog’s life, so it is very important to teach a
reliable recall (come) in every situation, and the operative word is teach. Many dog owners think ‘come’ is an innate
behavior and expect their dog to come by request without teaching him. Recall behavior is anything but natural so it
is extremely important to begin training your dog to come to you at a young age. However, don’t worry because older
dogs can learn new tricks too. Here are some easy tips to teach your dog to come when you call him.
Tips to Teach Your Dog to Come
1. First and foremost, always have a high-value treat in your hand to reward your dog when he comes to you. This
treat must be something of value to him, not you, and only used when practicing ‘come’. Examples are hot dogs,
Braunschweiger liver sausage, cheese, lunchmeat, grilled chicken breast pieces, etc. Also, be sure to praise and pet
him. If your dog is not food motivated, use a squeaky toy or tennis ball.
2. When you call your dog, kneel down and use a happy voice. If you stand up and say ‘come’ in a monotone voice, I
would bet your dog will go on doing what he is doing. Make yourself fun and inviting! Never, EVER scold your dog
for coming to you, even if you have been searching for him for 20 minutes and you found him at the neighbor’s
house knee deep in their garbage cans. If you scold your dog, you will actually teach him NOT to come to you
when called.
3. Start in the house by saying your dogs name, such as ‘Murphy, Come!’ from a short distance away without any
distractions. When he runs up to you, walk backwards a few steps so he follows you, and then give him the treat
while you touch his collar. This is important so he learns to come all the way up to you, and not just stop and get the
treat and run away again. If your dog stops 2 feet in front of you, take a step or two backwards and lure your dog
closer. Don’t force him or he will resist. By touching his collar it reinforces the need for him to come close to you.
4. Start increasing the distance away from your dog when you call him. When he is coming from 20 feet away every
time, add the distractions of the backyard. But, every time you add a new distraction, go back to 2 feet and start
over. Remember, to always reward your dog with a treat, praise, and affection.
5. When you are in the house going about your daily routine, call your dog for no reason. Make this a game. If you are
upstairs and he is downstairs, yell “Jackson Come!!”, and then follow up with the rewards.
6. When you begin practicing ‘come’ outside in the yard or at the park, use a thin 20- to 30-foot rope or string
(depending on the size of your dog). Tie one end to him and keep the other end with you. Let him go about his
business and then when he gets 2-3 feet away, call him. If he comes, Great! Reward him as before. If not, reel him
in while walking backwards, and saying ‘Bailey Come!’. Gradually increase the distance as he gets better, and reel
him in every time he gets distracted and doesn’t come. If you do this over and over and over again, your dog will
learn to come on command even with squirrels and rollerbladers and bicycles.
7. It’s important that your dog learn ‘come’ doesn’t just mean he is going to get his nail’s clipped, or go to the vet, or
get a bath, or go in his crate. Come should also mean playtime, walk time, massage time, etc.
8. You can also teach the game ‘ Find Me’ in the house. Dog’s love this because it gives them a job and allows them to
problem solve. Start by putting your dog in a sit stay and go into another room, or behind a door, or in the
downstairs bathtub. Wait a few seconds and say ‘Find Me!’. Your dog will LOVE running from room to room to
find you and get a big hug at the end. This teaches your dog that coming to you can be really fun, even if it’s not
technically practicing the command ‘come’.
The key is practice, practice, practice and always use a million dollar treat. You can’t stop practicing ‘come’ during your
dog’s lifetime, or he may forget how wonderful you are compared to the neighbor’s cat. And, you MUST always back
it up when you say ‘Come!’. If your dog has something better to do, make sure you are able to lure him, while walking
backwards, back to the place where you said the command in the first place.
55
no prong or pinch collars
Reasons NOT to use a Prong or Pinch Collar
Stated quite simply, prong collars are an aversive device that will cause pain to your dog. Sure, they can be a quick fix,
but a) your dog is only walking nicely to avoid punishment b) your dog is not being taught WHAT to do, in that the
old behavior will return when the prong collar is removed and c) anything present in the environment when your dog
experiences pain can take on a negative association, including other dogs, children and strangers. Finally, d) in NO
WAY, does a prong collar emulate the correction of a mothers teeth to a puppy. This is a MYTH plain and simple, and
is unproven in any scientific study.
Regarding the quick fix, why not invest in a little time and extra effort in positive reinforcement training, so you
will not have to hurt your dog? Clicker training is remarkably effective and trainers look for and record quantifiable
results. Granted, some dogs come with pulliing behaviors already well installed, such as that adopted 3 year old
Chessie, but less aversive equipment is readily available, such as Premiere Easy Walk Harness (very effective) and
Gentle Leader Head Collar. These both work, they won`t hurt your dog, and coupled with positive reinforcement
training, your problem should be should be solved. Best of all they won`t damage your relationship with your dog,
because pain is being inflicted. According to Pat Miller on her list of 12 Pitfalls to Positive Punishment, damaging a
relationship is possible.
We owe it to our dogs to communicate clearly to them WHAT we would like them to do, instead of automatically
punishing undesired behaviors. In operant conditioning, it is a given that a behavior that is reinforced is a behavior
that will be repeated. If your dog is reinforced for a loose leash, they understand that. They don`t understand pain,
only that something hurt them. They quit offering any behaviors because they are afraid to. This is not much of a life
for a dog.
You can bet your last dollar that when the prong collar is removed, the pullng will return, so you are looking at a dog
wearing a prong collar for life. Reinforced behavior becomes automatic behavior to your dog, and when a behavior
is learned, requires only occasional reinforcement to remind your dog that he is doing what you want. When your
dog feels pain and sees children, other dogs, and strangers on a consistent basis, he could make a connection that
children, other dogs, and strangers might not be so great, because he feels pain when he sees them. The same thing
is true of electric fences: when a dog repeatedly runs at the fence and gets too close to passersby at the boundary, he
gets shocked and makes that negative association. Pat Miller writes of this in a Whole Dog Journal article.
Finally, bitches (mother dogs) DO NOT use their teeth to inflict pain on their youngsters. They may lift an unruly
youngster by the scruff, or nudge an overly enthusiastic feeder off a teat, but in no way does that replicate the myth
of a pinch collar being like the correction of a mothers teeth. The bitch does not apply pressure to the skin on both
sides of the neck with strong powerful pressure. Period. The former is how the pinch collar works. In the hands of
the uninitiated and the overly enthusiastic, (those who enjoy the power) the pinch collar is an aversive piece of dog
training equipment whose use is unnecessary. Be kind to your dogs and investigate positive reinforcement training
and equipment that is not aversive.
In doing some further research, I came up with useful statements from well-respected dog trainers and behaviorists
in support of positive reinforcement, statements also detailing the dangers and side effects of using prong collars. As
well, I think it no coincidence that some dogs I have trained, those with some of the most severe behavioral problems,
have had a history of aversive equipment and training methods being used.
From Pam Dennison, Certified Animal Behavior Consultant, author of many books, including: How to Right a Dog
Gone Wrong, comes the following statement. The Merck Veterinary Manual, in Behavioral Problems Associated with
Canine Aggression, states: “Almost without exception, physical punishment, including the use of prong collars and
56
no prong or pinch collars
electric shock collars, alpha rolls, and dominance downs can make an already aggressive dog worse. Owners should
be discouraged from using these techniques.” That sounds like a pretty powerful statement right there.
Famed Applied Behavior Analysts, Marion and Bob Bailey, in the APDT Dog Trainers Resource article, the ABC`s
of Behavior,make the following assertion: “Aversives in general, and punishment in particular, may have bad
consequences for the dog and trainer. They can produce uncontrollable fear, not only of the trainer, but the entire
training situation. Aversives can suppress virtually all behavior. They may also encourage aggressive responses. More
acceptable alternatives, such as reinforcement, should always be considered before using aversives.” Marion Bailey
was one of B.F. Skinners (Operant Conditioning) early undergraduate and graduate students. She and her husband
trained over 15,000 animals over 50 years. These wonderfully educated people were not just training dogs, they were
analyzing behavior as it applied to training methods.
Finally, Pat Miller, CPDT, CDBC, owner of Peaceable Paws, respected seminar speaker, author of multiple books
and Training Editor for Whole Dog Journal, gives the following perspective in her widely acclaimed book Positive
Perspectives:
“Choke chains, prong collars and shock collars utilize mild to severe punishment, called ‘corrections’ by trainers who
use them, to let the dog know when she has done something wrong. I don`t recommend their use. Punishment can
be difficult to administer effectively- timing and severity of the correction are critical to effective punishment trainingand even when done properly there is a high risk of unintended and undesirable side effects, including aggression.
...Make no mistake however, those prongs do cause pain-that`s why they work. If you doubt that, slip one over your
wrist and give it a solid yank. Then think about doing that to your neck.”
Leslie Fisher
Pat Miller Certified Trainer
Affiliate Peaceable Paws.
Do NOT use a pinch collar or any other pain-to-neck device (including especially a bark-corrector or remote
shock collar) on any dog with an aggression problem. Pain tends to increase aggression. For dog-aggressive
dogs, any pain in the neck can trigger the same fight response as would be triggered by being bitten in the neck by
the other dog. So use of neck pain to a dog who is dog aggressive is likely to cause the dog to start a fight as a preemptive strike under less and less provocation from the other dog. Additionally, if a pinch collar or chain collar is on a
dog who is grabbed by the neck by another dog, the grabbing dog may catch and break a tooth on it, which causes
great suffering to that dog and great expense to whoever has to pay for a root-canal procedure.
57
bite inhibition
How to Teach Bite Inhibition
Your puppy or adult dog can definitely learn not to nip things that are near his face and since this is when most
nipping occurs, reinforcing his correct choices is crucial. You should see immediate improvement in his bite inhibition
with this technique. With a puppy, you’ll need to repeat it over and over, especially when you have tempting smells
on your clothes and hands!
Management combined with consistent training is the best method to teach your puppy, or adult dog, not to use his
mouth to nip/bite.
Rules to abide by:
• Have a safe and comfortable spot where you can leave the puppy when you cannot play with him or watch him,
like a crate, or a small area fenced-off with baby gates (i.e. mud room or entryway). Nippy puppies go back to their
own space for a while for a 2-minute ‘time-out’.
• When the puppy grabs you or your clothing, stop moving. The movement seems like play to the dog. The fun is
gone if you are still.
• When the puppy starts nipping/biting, disengage him gently and provide a chew toy instead, like a Kong with
peanut butter. Keep a couple of chewable replacements for your clothes and hands handy in each room where
the puppy spends time. I have at least 6 frozen peanut butter or yogurt-smeared Kongs in my freezer at any given
time for my puppy.
Teach “Gentle” and “Off ”
Teaching the puppy to use his mouth gently is an important part of training. Doing it positively creates clear
communication without punishment. This technique is very simple, and powerful. You are simply rewarding the
puppy for choosing not to nip. When the puppy makes the right choice, he earns his praise and reward!
• If you enclose your fist, your puppy will have less area to bite. So, take your closed fist, with a treat in it, and put it
in front of the puppy’s face. Say “Gentle” or “Easy”. If he doesn’t nip, or if he licks your hand, roll the treat out of
your hand. Repeat this. If your puppy bumps his soft nose against your fist, that’s great. If he uses his teeth, say
“Uh-uh…Gentle” and try again.
• Dab some peanut butter on the back of your hand to encourage licking, while saying “no bite, good girl, no biting”,
or “Gentle…good job, gentle”.
• You may also teach ‘Off ’ or ’Leave it’ by putting your closed fist, with a treat in it, in front of the puppy’s face, and say
“Off ”. Don’t pull your hand away. When your puppy backs off or hesitates, immediately give him the treat.
• Raise the criteria for a reward by both lengthening the amount of time the puppy can have your hand/the treat in
front of his nose without nipping, and by altering the distance from his face.
• Repeat this exercise with a toy or chew bone. Praise and treat for calmness and staying ‘off ’ rather than grabbing
at the object. If at any time he tries to nip, stop, put your fist or other object out of sight and start again a little
further away. When you have clicked and treated him several times for staying calm, praise and treat and give him
the object and let him enjoy it. He is learning that you will give him nice things but only if he waits for permission.
• Do the same with your open hand. Do the same with your index finger. Try it with your shoes and your clothing.
Some puppies and dogs will get even more excited and nippy if you praise with a high-pitched voice or get too
excited. In this case, try saying “Good job” in a happy, but low voice.
Always make sure to give your puppy something permissible to chew on, while you scratch his back and belly. This
helps him to learn that some things are okay to chew on.
Also, don’t let the puppy play with your hands or clothes. Simply stop the fun, and leave. If biting always stops the fun,
biting at hands and clothes will likely occur less often.
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basic commands
Basic Commands
Luring:
With a treat in your hand, slowly move your hand back and forth in front of your dogs face. If your dog follows your
hand, give him the treat.
Watch Me:
Say ‘Watch me’ or ‘Focus’, bring the treat up behind your head, and wait for your dog to look at you. Praise as you bring
the treat down to your dog’s mouth. Timing of the reward is very important fro this behavior!
Off/Leave It:
With a treat in your fist, put your hand in front of your dog’s mouth. Let him get excited and lick your hand. Say the
word “off ” or “leave it” and wait for your dog to hesitate or back away. When your dog gets off your hand (and the
treat), treat and praise.
Sit:
Say ‘Sit’ while using your hand motion as a visual cue. When your dog’s back end touches the floor, treat and praise.
If he doesn’t do it right away, wait (patiently) for the behavior to occur and use your hand as a guide. Only say the
command once!
Stand:
With your dog in a sitting position, say ‘Stand’, while using your hand motion as a visual cue. When your dog’s back
end comes off the floor, treat and praise. Only say the command once!
Down:
With your dog in a sitting position, say ‘Down’ while using your hand motion as a visual cue. When he lays down,
treat and praise. Only say the command once! If your dog does not go down immediately, be patient, use your hand
motion, and wait for the behavior to occur, then treat and praise.
Sit Stay:
With your dog on your left side, ask for a ‘Sit’ while giving the hand motion. Once your dog is sitting, move your
empty palm in front of his face and say ‘Stay’. Take a step forward and pivot to your left so you are facing your dog,
and count to 5. Say ‘Free!’, take a step back, and when your dog comes toward you, treat, and praise. If your dog
wants to lay down, pull up on the leash so he can’t.
Come:
Attach a long, thin rope or lead to your dog’s collar. Let him wander away and right before he reaches the end of the
line, say “Come” in an excited voice. Be sure to kneel down and be enthusiastic. When your dog reaches you, touch his
collar, treat, and praise. Don’t be afraid to get really excited! If your dog does not dog come when called, reel him in
like a fish while saying “Come”. Treat and praise when he reaches you.
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60
bloat
Bloat
Bloat, also known as gastric dilation and volvulus (GDV) is a syndrome in dogs where the stomach dilates and twists
around its central axis which results on complex physiologic and pathologic changes both locally (involving the
stomach itself) and systemically.
Fluid or food accumulates in the stomach in conjunction with some kind of obstruction to the outflow tracts from the
stomach, and this causes dilation which further contributes to a functional obstruction. Twisting can occur without
dilation, but will, ultimately, lead to dilation as the stomach is unable to empty. As the stomach becomes distended
it presses on the main vein leading from the liver and the caudal vena cava, the large vein responsible for returning
most of the blood supply from the body to the heart. This causes decreased blood return to the heart and leads
to shock. Damage to the vessels of the stomach itself can cause tissue death within the stomach. Because of the
damage to numerous tissues, toxic substances are released into the bloodstream and can cause problems such as
cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heart beats) even days after corrective surgery.
The cause of bloat is unclear, and many theories have been advanced, but none proven. It is known that large, deepchested dogs are at higher risk, with great Danes probably topping out as the most commonly seen breed. However,
ANY dog can bloat. So, whether or not the breed profile fits, if your dog shows signs of bloat, seek help immediately.
Things that are thought to help prevent bloat include feeding small, frequent meals of a high quality food, elevating
food bowls for large dogs, limiting exercise before and after eating and avoiding stress. While stress is a common
thread with many cases, no one really knows why dogs bloat, and many dogs bloat at home where there is no stress
apparent at all.
The signs of bloat are fairly unique and progress rapidly. Initially, the dog may just seem restless, unable to settle
down or get comfortable. Drooling (more than usual for our slobbery breeds) may be seen during this time.
Heart rate usually begins to increase fairly early on. As things progress, unproductive retching (trying to vomit
but bringing nothing up) begins, and the dog becomes progressively more uncomfortable. As gas builds in the
stomach, abdominal distention occurs. A WORD OF CAUTION: because many of the breeds we deal with are very
deep chested, the stomach lies well under the ribs, and distention may not be obvious until it is quite advanced.
Don’t wait to see it! If your dog is showing all the other signs, get help. Mucus membranes may become very dark
red or very pale, depending on the time line. Know what your dog’s gums look like when it’s healthy so you can tell if
there is a change. As the condition progresses, weakness and depression lead rapidly to collapse and shock. TIME IS
OF THE ESSENCE! Dogs with GDV can die in a matter of minutes without medical intervention. Don’t stand around
wondering if your dog is bloating. If he/she is restless, trying to vomit but not bringing anything up (or just bringing
up clear liquid), has an increased heart rate or respiratory rate, assume it is bloat until proven otherwise, and seek help
immediately. In most of the giant breeds, it’s fairly easy to feel the heart beating on the left side of the chest. Make a
habit of doing this and know what your dog’s normal heart rate is. It can vary considerably among individuals within
the same breed, but you’ll be much better prepared to assess your dog when there is a problem if you’ve learned how
to monitor him/her in good health.
It is important to note that GDV can be prevented by a surgical procedure called gastropexy, whereby the stomach
is permanently attached to the body wall. This is always done when surgical intervention is required to correct
GDV, since there is an 80% chance that a dog that has bloated once will bloat again, but it can also be done as a
preventative measure when the dog is in good health, with much fewer risks. We strongly recommend prophylactic
gastropexy for all giant breed dogs.
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hip dysplasia
Canine Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is a common condition of large breed dogs and anyone owning a large breed dog or
considering a large breed dog as a pet should become familiar with this condition. The larger the dog, the
more likely the development of this problem becomes, particularly as the dog ages. The following is a review
of this disease.
So What is Hip Dysplasia?
The term dysplasia means abnormal growth, thus hip dysplasia means abnormal growth or development
of the hips. Hip dysplasia occurs during the growing phase of a puppy, usually a large breed puppy, and
essentially refers to a poor fit of the ball and socket nature of the hip. The normal hip consists of the femoral
head (which is round like a ball and connects the femur to the pelvis), the acetabulum (the socket of the
pelvis), and the fibrous joint capsule and lubricating fluid that make up the joint. The bones (femoral head
and acetabulum) are coated with smooth cartilage so that motion is nearly frictionless and the bones glide
smoothly across each other’s surface.
What Causes Hip Dysplasia?
The primary cause of hip dysplasia is genetic but inheritance of this trait is not as simple as a dominance/
recessive relationship like we study in high school biology. Normal dogs can breed and yield dysplastic
offspring as the condition may skip generations. Until a test based on the actual DNA can be developed, the
best we can do to prevent this disease is to breed only dogs with normal hips (a challenge since often dogs
are not apparently dysplastic until they have already started a breeding career.)
Nutritional factors are also important in the development of hip dysplasia. For example, it has been popular
to try to nutritionally “push” a large breed puppy to grow faster or larger by providing extra protein, more
calcium, or even just extra food. Practices such as these have been disastrous, leading to bones and muscle
growing at different rates and creating assorted joint diseases of which hip dysplasia is one.
Treatment Of Hip Dysplasia.
Hip dysplasia is a very progressive and painful disease. There continues to be medical and surgical means
to treat and manage hip dysplasia. Consult with you family veterinarian to discuss all surgical and
medical options.
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cherry eye
Cherry Eye
Prolapse of the Tear Gland of the Third Eyelid
The normal canine eye receives its tear film from two lacrimal
(tear-producing) glands. One gland is located above the eye, and
the other is found within the animal’s third eyelid. The gland of the
third eyelid contributes a significant portion of secretion to the
tear film.
In the smaller breeds -- especially Boston terriers, Cocker spaniels,
bulldogs and beagles -- the gland of the third eyelid is not strongly
held in place. The gland prolapses (slips out) to where the owner
notices it as a reddened mass. Out of its normal position, the gland
does not circulate blood properly and may swell.
Treatment - Removal of the Gland
Historically, the prolapsed gland was treated like a small tumor and was simply removed. That was before the
full significance of the gland was realized.
If the third eyelid’s tear gland is removed, it cannot be put back in place. If the other tear gland (the one
above the eye) cannot supply adequate tears, which is not an uncommon phenomenon in older small breed
dogs, then the eye becomes dry and uncomfortable. A thick yellow discharge results and the eye develops
a blinding pigment covering for protection. This condition is called simply dry eye, or more scientifically
keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and daily medical treatment is required to keep the eye both comfortable and
visual. Not only is dry eye uncomfortable for the pet, its treatment is often frustrating and time-consuming
and there is expense involved. We would like the dog to maintain the greatest amount of tear producing
tissue possible, thus removing the gland for cosmetic reasons is not an acceptable treatment method.
63
cruciate disease
Cruciate Disease in Large Breeds:
The knee is a fairly complicated joint. It consists of the femur above, the tibia below, the kneecap (or patella)
in front, and the bean-like fabellae behind. Chunks of cartilage called the medial and lateral menisci fit
between the femur and tibia like cushions. An assortment of ligaments hold everything together, allowing
the knee to bend the way it should and keep it from bending the way it shouldn’t.
There are two cruciate ligaments that cross inside the knee joint: the anterior (or, more correctly in animals,
cranial cruciate) and the posterior (or, more correctly in animals, the caudal cruciate). They are named for the
side of the knee (front or back) where their lower attachment is found. The anterior cruciate prevents the tibia
from slipping forward out from under the femur.
Finding the Rupture
The ruptured cruciate ligament is the most common knee injury of dogs. Chances are that any dog that
suddenly has rear leg lameness has a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. The history usually involves a rear
leg suddenly so sore that the dog can hardly bear weight on it. If left alone, it will appear to improve over the
course of weeks but the knee will be notably swollen and arthritis will set in quickly. Dogs are often brought
to the vet in either the acute stage (shortly after the injury) or in the chronic stage (weeks or months later).
The key to the diagnosis of the ruptured cruciate ligament is the demonstration of an abnormal knee motion
called a drawer sign. It is not possible for a normal knee to show this sign. You must consult with you family
veterinarian if your animal shows signs of hind limb lameness.
How this Happens
There are several clinical pictures seen with ruptured cruciates. One is a young athletic dog playing roughly
who takes a bad step and injures the knee while playing. This is usually a sudden lameness in a young large
breed dog.
A recent study identified the following breeds as being particularly at risk for this phenomenon: Neapolitan
Mastiff, Newfoundland, Akita, St. Bernard, Rottweiler, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and American Staffordshire
Terrier. On the other hand, an older large dog, especially if overweight, can have weakened ligaments and
slowly stretch or partially tear them. The partial rupture may be detected or the problem may not become
apparent until the ligament breaks completely. In this type of patient, stepping down off the bed or a small
jump can be all it takes to break the ligament. The lameness may be acute but have features of more chronic
joint disease or the lameness may simply be a more gradual/chronic problem.
Larger overweight dogs that rupture one cruciate ligament frequently rupture the other one within a year’s
time. An owner should be prepared for another surgery in this time frame.
Without an intact cruciate ligament, the knee is unstable. Wear between the bones and meniscal cartilage
becomes abnormal and the joint begins to develop degenerative changes. Bone spurs called osteophytes
develop and chronic pain and loss of joint motion result. This process can be arrested by surgery but cannot
be reversed.
Surgical Correction:
Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)
This procedure uses a fresh approach to the biomechanics of the knee joint and is meant to address the lack
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cruciate disease
of success seen with the above two techniques long term in larger dogs. With this surgery the tibia is cut and
rotated in such a way that the natural weight-bearing of the dog actually stabilizes the knee joint. As before,
the knee joint still must be opened and damaged meniscus removed. The cruciate remnants may or may not
be removed depending on the degree of damage.
The TPLO rotates (as indicated by the arrow) the sloped tibial plateau until it is perpendicular to the line
between the stifle and the hock joint centers
This surgery is complex and involves special training in this specific technique. Many radiographs are
necessary to calculate the angle of the osteotomy (the cut in the tibia). At this time, the TPLO is felt to be the
best way to repair a cruciate rupture regardless of the size of the dog and is probably the only procedure to
be considered for dogs over 50lbs.
General Rehabilitation after Surgery
Rehabilitation after TPLO is gentler. Icing as above and rest are the main modes of therapy. After 3 to 4 weeks,
an increase in light activity can be introduced. A water treadmill is helpful. No jumping, running or stairclimbing is allowed at first. Expect the osteotomy site to require a good 6 weeks to heal.
What if the Rupture Isn’t Discovered for Years and Joint Disease is Already Advanced?
A dog with arthritis pain from an old cruciate rupture may still benefit from a TPLO surgery. It may be worth
having a surgery specialist take a look at the knee. Most cases must make do with medical management.
Meniscal Injury
We mentioned the meniscus as part of the knee joint. The bones of all joints are capped with cartilage so
as provide a slippery surface where the bones contact each other (if the bones contact each other without
cartilage, they grind each other down). In addition to these cartilage caps, the stifle joint has two “blocks” of
cartilage in-between the bones. These blocks are called the menisci and serve to distribute approximately
65% of the compressive load delivered to the knee. The only other joint with a meniscus is the jaw (temperomandibular joint).
When the crucial ligament ruptures, the medial (on the inner side of the knee) meniscus frequently tears and
must either be removed, partly removed, or ideally repaired. This is generally done at the time of cruciate
ligament surgery and we would be remiss not to mention it.
Pets with meniscal damage may have an audible clicking sound when they walk or when the knee is
examined, but for a definitive diagnosis the menisci must actually be inspected during surgery. It is difficult
to access the menisci and thus repairing a tear in the meniscus is problematic; furthermore, poor blood
supply to the menisci also makes good healing less likely. For these reasons, removal of the damaged portion
of the meniscus is the most common surgical choice. This leaves some meniscus behind to distribute the
compression load on the knee but removes the painful, ineffective portion.
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diarrhea & vomiting
Diarrhea and Vomiting
Diarrhea and vomiting can be the presenting signs of almost anything from a bad case of nerves to
potentially fatal illnesses such as pancreatitis and kidney failure, so at no time should “home remedies” be
tried for more than a day, and if the dog is running a fever or acting sick, they shouldn’t be tried at all.
Vomiting tends to be a more serious sign than diarrhea, and a dog that vomits more than twice in a 12 hour
period without an obvious cause (like vomiting up the plastic squeaker from the favorite toy) should be seen
by a veterinarian. All you can do at home is withhold food for a meal, then start feeding small, bland meals
about 8 hours later. Bland diets for dogs can be made at home with plain white rice (cooked according to
package directions) combined with boiled chicken, boiled hamburger or low fat cottage cheese. Use 2 parts
rice to 1 part protein source, and start out feeding about a half cup at a time, every couple of hours. Make
sure the dog is drinking and keeping water down. Any dog that can’t keep down water needs veterinary care.
Diarrhea is far more common and somewhat less frightening. Dogs get into stuff and don’t tell us about
it. They get scared and nervous for reasons only they understand. All of this can result in diarrhea. As long
as the dog is active, alert, playful, eating and drinking, and does not have a fever, there are some things you
can try. The easiest fix for most cases of diarrhea of unknown cause is adding fiber to the diet. Pumpkin is a
good source of fiber, and adding 1/2 can to each meal for a big dog may do the trick. If not, you can try Pepto
Bismol at a dose of 1-2 milliliters per kilogram of body weight. That’s about 3 1/2 tablespoons for a 120 pound
dog. If things still aren’t getting better, it’s time to call for help. Other over-the-counter remedies have more
risks and side-effects, and should not be used without consulting a veterinarian. If diarrhea persists for more
than 2 days, in spite of your best efforts, seek veterinary care to avoid possible dehydration.
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dilated cardiomyopathy
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common acquired heart diseases in dogs. DCM is a disease of
the heart muscle (“cardio” – heart; “myo’ – muscle; “pathy” – disease) in which the muscle (myocardium) of the lower
pumping chambers (ventricles) loses its ability contract normally. DCM most commonly affects the left side of the
heart (the side that receives blood from the lungs and pumps it to the body) – specifically, the left ventricle. Since the
myocardium cannot pump blood out of the left heart effectively, blood begins to “back up” within the left side of the
heart and within the pulmonary veins that feed into the left heart. This leads to an enlargement of the heart in an
attempt to compensate for the ineffective pumping. As blood “backs up,” left-sided congestive heart failure (CHF) or
pulmonary edema (fluid within the lungs) develops. This is not a feature exclusive to DCM, but is a common feature of
many types of left-heart disease.
What Breeds get DCM?
There are several breeds that are genetically predisposed to DCM. These include Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes,
Boxers, Newfoundlands, Portuguese Water Dogs, Dalmatians and Cocker Spaniels. DCM is not just limited to specific
breeds. Large and giant breeds are most commonly affected, but it also occurs in smaller breed dogs and cats as well.
What Causes DCM?
Because of the strong breed association, DCM almost certainly is inherited. However, specific genetic defects
have not yet been identified and no genetic tests exist. When they are developed, these tests will likely be breedspecific. In some dogs, DCM is due to a nutritional deficiency. Taurine is an amino acid required for the development
and function of the myocardium. Consequently, pets may develop DCM on taurine deficient diets, such as vegetarian
diets, and may benefit from appropriate supplementation. Some breeds, such as Cocker Spaniels and Newfoundlands
may have a predisposition to Taurine-deficiency, possibly through defects in metabolizing taurine. Not all cases that
are supplemented with taurine will improve. If your pet is diagnosed with DCM, testing for a taurine deficiency may
be warranted. Breeds such as Doberman Pinschers and Great Danes do not have taurine-deficient cardiomyopathy.
Some cats may develop taurine deficient DCM, although this has become rare with taurine supplementation of
virtually all quality cat foods.
L-carnitine is another amino acid that has been implicated in the development of DCM in people. It is required for the
myocardial cells to produce energy and thus contract. There is some evidence that a deficiency in this molecule will
contribute to myocardial dysfunction in Boxers (one small study only). However, the role of carnitine in most DCM
cases seems limited but has not been fully explored in dogs.
Infectious causes of DCM are rare. Puppies infected with parvovirus at 2 to 4 weeks of age, can develop DCM.
These days, vaccination of the dam confers protection to puppies against parvovirus during this susceptible period,
so this cause of DCM is rarely seen. Chagas’ disease (Trypanosomiasis) can cause DCM in areas where it is found
(Texas, Mexico).
What are the Signs of DCM?
Signs of DCM vary depending on the breed of dog and stage of the disease. Loss of appetite, pale gums, increased
heart rate, coughing, difficulty breathing, periods of weakness, and fainting are signs commonly seen. Since blood
is “backed up” into the lungs, respiratory signs (CHF) are due to pulmonary edema. Blood returning to the right
side of the heart from the body may also back up leading to fluid accumulation in the abdomen (ascites) or in the
chest cavity (pleural effusion). Weakness or collapse may be caused by abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and
occasionally, decreased blood flow to the body (depressed cardiac output).
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dilated cardiomyopathy
In some breeds, sudden death or fainting can occur well before any signs of CHF.
How is DCM Treated?
Treatment is based on clinical presentation of each individual patient. Drugs commonly used are diuretics, ACE
inhibitors, and digoxin. Newer drugs, such as pimobendan, are also generally recommended for treatment of DCM,
but still require government approval for their use. In nutritional DCM, specific supplements will be prescribed.
Patients with right-sided heart failure will also have fluid physically removed from the abdomen and/or chest cavity
by the veterinarian to make the patient more comfortable. Novel therapies such as stem-cell therapies are currently
being investigated in animal models of disease, but are not available to the general public.
In humans, heart transplants are usually performed for patients with DCM, however, this option does not exist for
veterinary patients, as it would require the killing of another animal to obtain a suitable heart (human donors are
largely motor vehicle accident victims). No veterinarians are performing heart transplants. Other surgical procedures
have been evaluated, but currently none are being offered for patient care.
What is the Prognosis of a Pet Diagnosed with DCM?
Unfortunately, in many cases, DCM is a progressive, irreversible, and ultimately terminal disease. Survival depends
on the stage of diagnosis, the breed of the patient, the specific type of DCM that patient has, and patient/owner
treatment compliance. In taurine-deficient DCM, correction of the deficiency in cats results in complete cure. In dogs,
correction of the deficiency may result in prolonged survival; however some cases relapse after several years.
DCM is a slowly progressive disease. If it is diagnosed in the early stages, the patient may live several years before
developing clinical signs. In some breeds, such as Doberman Pinschers, sudden death accounts for 30% of the deaths
from DCM, well before these dogs ever develop CHF.
In other breeds with DCM, such as Doberman Pinschers and Great Danes, that are showing clinical signs of CHF,
medical therapy can help prolong survival. Historical average survival for Doberman Pinschers with clinical DCM
was 2 to 3 months. However, with pimobendan, recent studies have extended survival for this breed to 1 year. Less
is known about outcomes of other breeds with DCM. Once the diagnosis of DCM is made, ask your veterinarian to
discuss your pet’s prognosis on an individual basis.
Can I do Anything to Prevent DCM or Slow its Progression?
Currently, no therapies have been shown to alter the course of DCM, unless it has a nutritional basis (i.e., taurine
deficiency). Since the majority of cases are thought to be genetic, breeding from lines unaffected by the disease helps
reduce the chance of inheriting DCM. Genetic tests, when they become available, will be of value in determining
breeding strategies. Drug therapies in early stages of the disease do not appear to affect outcome, but there has been
little research into this.
What about Other Supplements?
Multivitamin supplements, nutritional supplements, Co-enzyme Q10, and non-western herbal supplements have all
been used for DCM, but none have been examined critically to determine if they hurt or help patients. Use of these
supplements is best discussed with your veterinarian.
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ear infections
Ear Infections
First and foremost, ear infections are seldom a distinct entity without an underlying cause. Once in a great
while a dog will have a single ear infection, have it treated and never have another, but that is the exception,
not the rule.
Probably the most common cause of ear infections in dogs is an allergy of some kind. It may be a food allergy
or and inhalant allergy, but most dogs with recurrent ear infections are allergic to something. Sometimes,
treating the underlying allergies and treating the ears will solve the problem. Other times, the ears have been
infected for so long that the tissue becomes abnormal and surgical intervention is the only hope we have for
providing comfort. There are different surgical options available for varying degrees of disease.
The simple part of treating ear infections is the ear infection itself. A swab of the material collecting in the
ear canal examined under a microscope will tell us what organisms are present, and we can use topical
medications to get rid of them. The hard part is figuring out why the ear infection is there in the first place.
If we find a foreign body in the ear, like a grass awn, we have a solution. If not, the hunt is on! To dispel a
few myths, floppy ears do not lead to ear infections, swimming does not cause ear infections, bathing does
not cause ear infections, plucking hair does not cause ear infections. Foreign bodies, metabolic diseases
like hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s Syndrome), and allergies can and do cause ear
infections.
Topical treatment may be able to control mild cases of chronic ear infections, but don’t go into this thinking it
will be an easy thing to fix. It is often the tip of an enormous iceberg.
Recognizing when your dog may have an ear infection is relatively simple. Often, the first sign is a bad
odor coming from one or both ears. The dog may shake his/her head a lot, and scratch at the affected
ear(s) constantly. Looking closely at the ear, you may notice redness around the opening to the ear canal or
discharge, either very dark brown waxy material or yellowish pus coming from the ear. All ear infections need
to be seen by a veterinarian.
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elbow dysplasia
Elbow Dysplasia
Elbow dysplasia is the most common cause of front limb lameness in the young dog, especially of the
larger breeds.
Dysplasia comes from the Greek dys, (abnormal) and plassein (to form). Thus, dysplasia refers to abnormal
development, in this case of the elbow joint.
The elbow is formed from the meeting of three bones: the humerus, which is the boney support of the upper
limb from the shoulder to the elbow; the ulna, which runs from the elbow to the paw along the back of the
limb; and the radius, which supports the major weight-bearing along the front of the lower limb. All three
of these bones need to grow and develop normally and at the same rate such that they fit perfectly at the
elbow. If there are any abnormalities along these lines or if the cartilage lining the elbow joint does not form
properly then “dysplasia” or abnormal formation is the result.
Elbow dysplasia can take several different forms. Specifically, ununited anconeal process (UAP), fragmented
medial coronoid process (FMCP), osteochondritis dessicans of the medial humeral condyle (OCD), ununited
medial epicondyle (UME), and elbow incongruity all qualify as types of elbow dysplasia that can be present
individually or in combination. While all of the variations are distinct and probably develop in different
ways, they have in common that they produce loose pieces of bone and/or cartilage within the joint that act
as irritants much as a pebble does in your shoe! All of these variations also have in common that they are
primary problems that invariably lead to the secondary development of arthritis within the elbow. The term
“arthritis” simply describes inflammation within a joint. The longer an elbow joint is ill-fitting or irregular, the
more arthritis forms.
While traumatic episodes may affect the development of the elbow joint, the vast majority of elbow dysplasia
cases are genetic in origin.
Symptoms
The first sign of a problem is a mild to moderate front limb lameness in a young dog between the ages of 4
to 10 months. If the problem is not diagnosed at this stage, more marked lameness may be noted as severe
arthritis sets in. Large breed dogs predominate.
Treatment
The use of an arthroscope provides the preferred means of diagnosis and treatment for many cases of
elbow dysplasia. Some cases may be managed with open joint surgery and still others may do well with
medications alone such as anti-inflammatories. Early surgical management of these problems provides
the best chance for minimizing arthritic changes in these elbows, but it must be conceded that virtually all
dysplastic elbows will develop some degree of arthritis. Older dogs, where arthritis is well established, may
still benefit to some degree from arthroscopic surgery but the benefits are less predictable. The newest
generation of canine anti-inflammatory drugs along with chondroprotectives such as glucosamine and diets
high in omega-3 fatty acids can also provide some relief. Elbow replacement is an exciting new treatment
that has been developed in the last couple of years and, although not widely available, holds great promise
for the future.
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entropion
Entropion
Entropion is an uncomfortable or painful condition in which the animal’s eyelids roll inward, allowing the
eyelashes (or other hair) to rub against the cornea and irritate it. The upper and/or lower eyelids can be
involved, and the condition can occur in either one eye or both.
Signs
An animal with entropion will squint and have an excessive amount of tears
coming from the affected eye. Some animals will be sensitive to light and will
rub at their eyes, particularly when they’re outside. Some animals will produce a
mucous-like discharge from the eyes. Flat-faced dog/cat breeds, with entropion
that involves the inside corner of the eyes, may not show any discomfort -simply because of their facial structure.
In some animals, entropion is never more than a minor annoyance, but in others it can cause painful ulcers
and erosions that cause scarring and affect vision. That level of entropion needs surgical correction.
Causes
While any dog can have entropion, there is often a genetic factor. When caused by genetics, entropion can
be seen well before a dog’s first birthday. Predisposed dog breeds include the Boxer, Bull Mastiff, Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Chow Chow, Cocker Spaniel, English bulldog, Golden
Retriever, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Irish Setter, Labrador Retriever, Poodle, Pug, Shar Pei, Springer Spaniel, and
St. Bernard. Selective breeding for specific traits (e.g., skull formation, skin folds on the face, and prominent
eyes) are thought to be contributing factors to genetic causes, but are most likely not the only genetic base.
Selective breeding may have simply exaggerated entropion in breeds that were already prone to it.
Entropion can also occur as a secondary condition resulting from scarring of the eyelid, infection, corneal
spasms and pain, trauma, or nerve damage. Sometimes it happens after the eyelids lose their normal
neurologic function.
Treatment
Medical treatment with antibiotic ointments can decrease damage to the cornea, but it can not resolve the
entropion itself. To fix the eyelid, surgery is needed.
If the entropion is significant enough to warrant treatment, the excess skin of the outer lids can be removed
in a simple surgery called blepharoplasty. (Essentially, this is plastic surgery, so you can tell everyone your pet
is having “his lids done.”). Excess skin that causes skin folds is also removed, and the eyelids are tightened.
Typically the entropion does not return after surgery, unless the case is quite severe. (Recurrence is more
common in Shar Peis, due to the breed’s excessive facial skin folds.) The sutures should be removed in
about 10 to 14 days. Some dogs will need to wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent them from rubbing at
their sutures. Young puppies generally only have a minor procedure called lid tacking, rather than the full
blepharoplasty. Permanent surgery like the blepharoplasty isn’t typically done in puppies who are less than
6 months old, because it’s not possible to predict what the (adult) head conformation will be, and the full
surgery may not be needed. In lid tacking, temporary sutures are used to roll out the eyelids, and keep the
puppies’ eyes healthy until these puppies mature and grow into their adult facial features. Entropion can
71
be seen in Shar Peis as young as two or three weeks old, and these Shar Pei puppies do very well with the
temporary eyelid tacking.
If the animal has corneal ulcers, those will need to be treated too. Untreated corneal ulcers may scar
excessively, impairing vision. Treatment will reduce the incidence of scarring. Treatment usually involves the
use of antibiotic ophthalmic ointment. (To administer ophthalmic ointment, place your thumb directly below
the eyelid and very gently push, which will cause the lower eyelid to pull away from the eye. Put the ointment
in the opened lower lid.)
The sutures should be removed in about 10 to 14 days. Some dogs need to wear an Elizabethan collar to
prevent them from rubbing at their sutures.
Dogs with the inherited form of entropion should not be used for breeding.
Prognosis
Prognosis is excellent, if surgery is performed before the cornea is damaged. If the cornea is damaged, then
the prognosis depends on the type and severity of damage.
72
happy tail/kennel cough
Happy Tail
The only happy thing about “happy tail” is usually the dog who creates it. This condition occurs when a
dog is confined in a small space such as a kennel or narrow hallway, and wags his/her tail so hard that the
tip becomes abraded or even lacerated from contact with the container. Sometimes it can be managed by
bandaging, and as with other types of bandages. The problem with maintaining bandages on dogs with
happy tail is that they are HAPPY (crazy) dogs who have little interest in holding still for such nonsense. It
can be done by one person, but having an extra pair of hands is definitely an advantage. Some dogs will
eventually stop beating their tails up as they get used to their kennel, or if they outgrow the need to be in
a kennel. Others, however, will continue to beat their tails bloody, eat their tail wraps and splatter blood on
floors, walls, ceilings and furniture.
For these dogs, tail amputation really is the most humane solution.
Kennel Cough
Kennel cough is a term loosely applied to a syndrome of canine infectious tracheobronchitis traceable to
a wide variety of causative agents. It is characterized by an acute onset of frequent dry, hacking, “honking”
cough, sometimes accompanied by discharge from the nose and/or eyes. Causes include a number of viruses
and bacteria, the majority of which are routinely included in vaccines. However, there are some causative
agents for which a vaccine does not exist, so it is possible for well-vaccinated togs to contract “kennel cough”.
Transmission is airborn or dog-to-dog, so areas of high concentration such as shelters, kennels, pet shops and
commercial breeding kennels are at higher risk.
The incubation period for most pathogens causing tracheobronchitis is 3-10 days, and MOST are no longer
contagious after 2 weeks, although Bordatella brochiseptica, the bacterial agent classically associated with
“kennel cough” can be shed for up to 3 months.
Most cases of infectious trachobronchitis are caused by multiple agents, and the main concern is to keep it
from progressing to pneumonia. Most dogs can weather a bout of “kennel cough” (essentially a doggie cold)
and recover without intervention, but medication can make them more comfortable and can prevent disease
progression. Cough suppressants may be useful if the cough is so severe that it disrupts sleep, and antibiotics
are often given to eliminate the bacterial component and to prevent progression to pneumonia.
If you think your dog has kennel cough, do your best to isolate him/her from other dogs, and know that other
dogs in your household will be exposed. Seek veterinary care if the dog has a fever over 103 degrees, has
trouble resting because of the cough, is lethargic or is not eating.
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panosteitis
Panosteitis
Panosteitis is not a primary bone disease but a disease of the fatty bone marrow with secondary effects involving
bone. It affects primarily long bones, but can affect any bone that has significant marrow tissue. The cause for this
condition remains unknown but there is degeneration and regeneration of fat cells within the marrow cavity which
result in clinical signs as well as radiographic signs. The condition is cyclic in nature, waxing and waning, under
conditions of stress.
Studies indicate a relationship between the incidence of panosteitis and the commercialization of various proteinrich, high-calorie dog foods. The theory is that an excessive accumulation of protein causes edema due to its osmotic
effects. Because bone is a rigid compartment, this leads to an increase in pressure and compression of blood vessels.
Diagnosis
Physical examination findings may include shifting leg lameness, fever, and pain. Frequently one limb is more
consistently affected. The first incidence of lameness may be associated historically with a suspected trauma, or
heavy activity such as running in the park. It can also be associated with the first heat cycle in the bitch. Generally the
lameness subsides over a 2-week period of time to reoccur about 3 to 4 weeks later.
Radiographic signs are not always present when lameness is first noticed as there is a lag period of 5-7 days
between the onset of clinical signs and the onset of radiographic signs. The clinical period lasts about 2-3 weeks. The
radiographic course lasts 3-4 weeks, so there is usually a period of time at the beginning of the clinical course where
there are clinical signs and not radiographic signs and at the end of the course there is a period where there are
radiographic signs and no clinical signs. Therefore severity of lesions does not correlate with severity of clinical signs.
Prognosis
The disease is self-limiting resolving itself in most dogs at the time of sexual maturity; however, some animals may
experience phases throughout their life.
Disease description in this species:
Panosteitis is a disease of the long bones of mostly young, growing large breed dogs, especially those from 5-18
months of age. But even younger dogs and dogs as old as seven years of age have been reported to be afflicted.
Panosteitis is frequently found in dogs with an abnormal factor VIII or von Willebrand’s disease and therefore dogs
with Panosteitis should be checked for von Willebrand’s disease.
Causes: Genetic, hereditary,Idiopathic, unknown, Stress, Von Willebrand’s disease
Breed predilection: Basset Hound, German Shepherd, Giant breed dogs, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever,
Large breed dogs, Saint Bernard
Sex predilection: Male
Age predilection: Juvenile
Treatment/ Management:
1) Symptomatic treatment with analgesics may relieve pain, but since the disease tends to wax and wane naturally,
the administration of any product might coincidentally be followed by a period of remission, and thus the product
might get the credit.
2) Short term use of NSAIDs can be used to control pain. Though in theory they should all be equally efficacious,
some patients appear to respond better to one over another; thus, failure to achieve an analgesic effect with one
drug does not imply lack of response to all NSAIDs.
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pneumonia/progressive retinal atrophy
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs and can be caused by a number of factors. As with most of the
respiratory diseases, there can be a number of causative agents which can overlap. Dogs with pneumonia
tend to exhibit a deep, moist cough rather than the dry, hacking cough seen with tracheobronchitis, have
heavy nasal discharge, and they are generally ill, with fever, lethargy and inappetence being common.
Pneumonia can affect a single lung lobe or can be generalized, involving all the lung fields.
Pneumonia can be a primary or secondary disease process, and the causes are far too many to address in
this setting. Poor husbandry and plain old neglect is perhaps the underlying cause we will see most often.
However, one primary problem that can lead to secondary pneumonia does deserve to be mentioned, as it is
more common in large breed dogs. Mega esophagus (which can also be primary or secondary) is a dilation
of the esophagus with ineffective esophageal motility which causes food to be regurgitated and can lead
to aspiration pneumonia if food particles are inhaled. In severe cases, it is quite obvious--food just falls out
every time the dog eats. There is no abdominal effort like you would see with vomiting. However, more
subtle cases might result in minor regurgitation which owners may not notice. In either case, the possibility
of stomach contents being aspirated exists and can lead to pneumonia.
Regardless of the cause, treatment of pneumonia requires aggressive supportive care, usually in an intensive
care unit setting, and administration of appropriate antibiotics. Cultures of fluids obtained from deep in the
respiratory tract may be required to help choose the right drugs. Intravenous fluids, oxygen, nebulization
and nutritional support are also part of the treatment.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Progressive retinal atrophy, or PRA, is an encompassing term used to describe a group of canine retinal
degenerative disorders that share similar clinical features, yet have a variety of different causes. The most
common early clinical sign of PRA is loss of dim light (night) vision followed by deterioration of bright light
(day) vision over a period of months to years. The age of onset and rate of progression of vision loss can be
quite variable, although within given breeds, there is some degree of uniformity. In general, it appears that
earlier onset vision loss is accompanied by a more rapid progression of vision loss.
What is the cause?
PRA is a genetic disorder. Several specific genetic defects have been described that account for the disorder
in various breeds. PRA is most commonly diagnosed in purebred dogs, but the condition can also be seen in
mixed breed animals.
Treatment/Management/Prevention:
Specific: None
Maintain a safe living environment for dogs with impaired vision. Quality of life can be enhanced by
environmental modification and modifying activities to those based upon sound and smell rather than vision.
Preventive Measures: Avoid breeding affected dogs or parents of affected dogs.
DNA testing for PRA is available for an ever expanding number of breeds and can distinguish between
affected, carrier and normal animals. This knowledge is of substantial benefit to breeding programs.
75
skin problems/snake bites
Skin Problems
Good nutrition can often make a world of difference in a dog that has been neglected and has poor coat and skin
quality. Fatty acid supplements such as DermCaps or 3V Caps often work wonders as well, but remember that
diet and supplements work from the inside out, so it will take a month or two to see any improvement. Regularly
grooming is also important for proper skin care, but you will need to make sure that you don’t over-bathe your dog
which can also cause problems. If the dog is itching profusely, has extensive balding, or skin lesions are present, it is
important to take your dog to a veterinarian for further testing.
Dermatology is a complex specialty because so many things look alike but act differently and respond uniquely to
various treatments. The type of workups typically involved in dealing with a dog with skin problems, is a thorough
physical examination, full blood work, skin scrapings, possible fungal cultures and skin cytology (looking at the
microorganisms living on the skin under the microscope). If no answers are forthcoming from those tests, there
are always more tests to do, including skin biopsies, and sometimes trial treatments. Skin problems are tough to
diagnose and treat in most cases and it often takes awhile to get to the answer, and the answer is seldom simple.
Some dogs experience chronic skin issues and owners simply have to work with their veterinarian to manage the
condition through medications and keep the dog as comfortable as possible.
Snake Bites
The majority of snake bites in the United States are attributable to pit vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads and water
moccasins). All have venoms that are hematoxic (toxic to the blood), but many have neurotoxic components to their
venom as well. Clinical signs may be delayed for up to eight hours, but treatment should not be postponed. If you
see the snake bite, or hear the rattle of the rattlesnake when your dog is injured, assume it was bitten. Signs that
your dog may have been bitten if you did not witness the event include: puncture wounds, local tissue swelling, pain
surrounding the bite site, bruising of tissues and petechiation (small red spots) of the mucus membranes (gums are
easiest to check), rapid heart rate, shallow respiration, rapid heart rate, bruising with possible tissue death at the bite
site, nausea, excessive salivation, lethargy, depressing and, eventually, shock.
Bites on the tongue and torso tend to be more serious. First aid measures should be limited to calming the patient
and transporting immediately to the nearest emergency animal hospital. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may be given
at a dose of 1 mg. per pound of body weight. This will not have any effect on envenomation, but may help calm the
patient and prevent reaction to the antivenin should it be needed. Be sure you tell the treating veterinarian if you
have given any medication.
There is a specific antivenin for pit viper bites, but it is in very short supply and can be hard to find. Even many
emergency hospitals are unable to obtain it at this time. It is still best to get your dog to the nearest ER and have
them start supportive care until the antivenin can be located if the treating veterinarian feels it is indicated. Offer to
serve as their courier and go get the antivenin if they are able to locate some at another hospital if the doctor feels
it is needed. Most dogs do just as well with good supportive care, pain management and close monitoring of their
platelet count and their blood’s ability to clot. Some require plasma transfusions, but usually the antivenin is not
necessary in large breed dogs. A recent study showed very little difference in recovery times in dogs treated with
and without antivenin in our area. Snakes in different parts of the country are armed with different venoms, and the
seriousness of the bite can often have a lot to do with what kind of snake, how many snakes and where on the body
the bite occurred.
If you live in or travel frequently to areas where there is a high risk of snake bites, there is a vaccine available to help
prevent the toxic effects of pit viper venom, and all dogs at high risk should be vaccinated. However, the vaccine does
not protect against all the variations in venoms produced by different snakes, so it should be discussed with your
veterinarian to determine its worth in each situation.
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spider bites/sub-aortic stenosis
Spider Bites
Many spider bites cause mild local reactions similar to what you would see with a bee sting. Often, we have
no idea what the offending agent was, and are forced to treat symptomatically. Cool compresses to the
affected area and diphenhydramine (Benadryl) at 1mg per pound of body weight may be helpful. Some
spider bites can cause local tissue death, and these need to be treated by a veterinarian. If there is a tiny
puncture one day, and a large area of dead and dying skin the next, it is time to seek professional help. The
brown recluse spider is the most notorious of the spiders that can cause widespread tissue necrosis (death).
Aside from the local effects, the brown recluse’s venom can cause systemic problems, including severe
anemia, which can be life threatening.
Black widow spiders can be found in every state except Alaska. One of the most important differences
between black widows and other spiders is that there is virtually NO local inflammation at the site of the
bite. Thus, there has to be a high incidence of suspicion to make the diagnosis. Only the female is poisonous.
The spider is 2-2 1/2 cm (about an inch) in length, shiny black with a red or orange hourglass mark on the
abdomen. Immature females are brown with orange or red stripes on the abdomen that eventually form the
hourglass as the spider matures and darkens. Their venom contains a potent neurotoxin which can cause
muscle twitching, severe pain, cramping of large muscle masses, abdominal rigidity without pain, and facial
swelling. Vomiting (and vomiting up the spider) is common. Without antivenin, the black widow spider bite
can be fatal. Fortunately these bites are fairly rare, and most emergency vets have yet to see one. Obviously,
if you have seen a black widow in your home and your dog exhibits any of the signs of toxicity, get to an
emergency hospital, and call an exterminator!
Antivenin is the only treatment for severe envenomation. Even with appropriate treatment, prognosis is
uncertain for several days, and complete recovery can take weeks.
Sub-Aortic Stenosis
Subvalvular aortic stenosis is one of the most important congenital malformations of the canine heart and
continues to frustrate breeders of many large breed dogs. The disease consists of a congenital defect within
the left side of the heart that leads to outflow obstruction, increased systolic pressures and subsequently
heart failure.
Clinically: Congenital SAS is most common in North America among larger breeds, including the
Newfoundland, Boxer, German Shepard, Golden Retriever and Bull terriers. Other large breeds, such as the
Rottweiler, Somoyed and Great Dane, also may be overrepresented. Affected dogs are asymptomatic and
have a soft murmur. Murmurs in dogs with mild cases of SAS are best detected after brief exercise. More
severely affected dogs may have hind limb weakness, syncope (passing out) or left sided congestive heart
failure. Sudden death without premonitory signs is very common.
Diagnosis: SAS is diagnosed based on a thorough physical exam, history, radiographs and
echocardiogram.
Treatment /Prognosis: Treatment consists of surgical intervention, medical management and
supportive care. The prognosis and management of dogs depends on severity of the disease.
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toxic foods
Toxic Foods
A number of foods that humans consume on a daily basis can be quite toxic to our canine companions. Any
“human” food can cause problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, which is why all of us who keep giant
breeds hide food on top of the refrigerator and in the microwave. Certain substances are far more dangerous
than others, however. If you see your dog get into one of the toxins listed below, and know exactly when it
happened, induce vomiting with hydrogen peroxide 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per kilogram body weight. If you have
no idea when the toxin was ingested, you may want to let the staff at the veterinary hospital induce vomiting
so the results don’t end up in your car. We do want them to vomit as soon after the toxin ingestion as possible,
though, so if you will be delayed in transporting, you may want to go ahead and empty the stomach. A call to
the ASPCA Animal Poison Control hotline at 888-426-4435 can be extremely helpful. There is a charge for the
information they offer of $60, but it is well worth the expense. They will assign a case number to you and your
veterinarian can call them at any time for further consultation. Be sure to have your dog’s weight, the substance
ingested and the maximum POSSIBLE amount ingested so they can calculate the toxicity.
Chocolate
Chocolate is known by most dog owners to be toxic. What most people don’t know is that the degree of
toxicity varies with the type of chocolate. Basically, the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is. Baker’s
chocolate is by far the worst, with milk chocolate being much less toxic. The toxic substance in chocolate is in
the category of methylxanthines and the content varies as follows:
Baking chocolate
Semi-sweet chocolate
Milk chocolate
Hot chocolate
White chocolate
450mg/ounce
260mg/ounce
60mg/ounce
12mg/ounce
1mg/ounce
The minimum lethal dose for dogs ranges form 100-200mg/kg body weight. Thus, 1/4 ounce of baking
chocolate or 2 ounces of milk chocolate per kilogram body weight is potentially a lethal dose. Fortunately,
working with giant breeds works in our favor. A 160 lb. mastiff would have to eat 10 lbs. of milk chocolate to
reach a lethal dose!
The signs of chocolate toxicity usually start with vomiting and diarrhea (often 2-4 hours after ingestion),
restlessness, hyperactivity, increased urination, stiffness, rapid or irregular heart rate and seizures. Dogs who
do get a potentially toxic dose of chocolate need to be hospitalized.
Grapes
Grapes have been shown to cause kidney failure in some dogs. Not all dogs are affected, but since we
have no way of knowing which dogs will have a negative outcome, it is best to consider grapes toxic in all
their forms, including raisins. If your dog does get into grapes, bloodwork should be done to monitor the
kidney values. Signs of toxicity include vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite lethargy and abdominal pain.
Decreased urine production is a poor prognostic sign.
continued...
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toxic overdose
Macadamia nuts
The toxic substance in macadamia nuts is unknown, but ingestion of 2.2 grams of nuts per kilogram of
body weight has been demonstrated to cause clinical signs. The signs associated with macadamia toxicity
are weakness, depression, vomiting, unsteady gait, muscle pain and joint swelling. Treatment consists of
supportive care, and the prognosis is excellent with most dogs recovering within 24-48 hours.
Xylitol
Xylitol is used as a sweetener in sugar-free products such as chewing gum, and can cause low blood sugar
in dogs. The signs of intoxication are the signs of low blood sugar: weakness, unsteady gait, collapse and
seizures. Signs can develop as quickly as 30-60 minutes after ingestion, so it is important to act quickly. Most
dogs recover completely with appropriate medical care within 12-24 hours. If there is a delay in getting the
dog to appropriate veterinary care, feeding sugar containing food can help delay the progression of signs.
Toxic Overdose
In order to increase the ease with which owners can medicate their pets, more and more medications are
being formulated in palatable forms so they can be given as “treats”. While this does indeed make chronically
medicating our dogs much easier, it also predisposes them to helping themselves to these yummy goodies.
This can lead to severe overdoses with a wide variety of consequences. If you know approximately when the
overdose occurred it is very helpful. Even if you don’t, inducing vomiting with hydrogen peroxide (1/2 to 1
tablespoon per kilogram of body weight) is worth doing, especially if you have multiple pets and don’t know
who got what. If the ingestion was recent, you may see pills in the vomitus, and know who the guilty party
is. If too much time has passed, or if you just don’t know when the incident occurred, seek veterinary care
immediately.
Different medications have differing degrees of toxicity, and with ANY toxic ingestion a call to the Animal Poison
Control hotline is money well-spent. The ASPCA operates this service, and for a fee of $60 will assign you a
case number and be available for follow-up consultations throughout the toxic event. The number is 888-4264435. You should have available your dog’s weight, the name of the medication and the maximum dose that
could have been ingested. The hotline is staffed by veterinarians and ancillary personnel well-versed in animal
poisoning and their input can be invaluable.
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wounds
Wound Care
Talking about wound care is kind of like talking about car accidents. You could have a little fender-bender or a
multiple care pile-up with fatalities. We are going to stick to the fender-benders here and try to help you be able
to determine when you need to call the tow truck (vet).
The most common wounds we all tend to see on a regular basis are the result of dog fights. Some of them
definitely need veterinary attention. Any time the full thickness of the skin is torn so that you see the muscle
underneath the skin, it’s probably best to have it attended to by a veterinarian. Some, however, are superficial,
and can be dealt with at home. Look at the wound on your dog and imagine it on your own body. Would
you go to the ER for stitches or would you put a Band-Aid on it? The same rules apply. The important thing to
remember with wound care in dogs is that they are dogs. You clean the wound thoroughly and they go lie in
the dirt. Thus, cleanliness becomes even more critical. If you have access to clippers, clip the fur away from the
wound so it can be cleaned effectively. Clean any open wound 2-3 times daily. Topical antibiotics may be useful
as well. Wounds that are a bit bloodier, but still don’t require suturing may need bandages. Pad abrasions are a
good example. They heal fairly quickly, they can’t be sutured, but they bleed and are painful, so they have to be
bandaged.
Wound care consists of cleaning the wound and watching for signs of infection. Redness, swelling, drainage
that is thick and yellowish rather than watery and clear to slightly red-tinged, foul odor--all these are reasons to
seek veterinary intervention.
As to what to clean the wound with, stick to soap and water or a diluted Betadine mixture. Hydrogen peroxide
can actually cause cell damage, and delay healing, so it’s best to avoid it. Antibacterial hand soap like Dial is fine.
Be sure to rinse thoroughly, as any soap will irritate if left in contact with the skin.
Puncture wounds, even if they are full-thickness, can sometimes be managed at home. To prevent infection,
hot pack the wounds several times a day with a warm, clean wash cloth to keep the punctures open and let
them heal from the inside out. Cleaning frequently is of utmost importance. These measures may be sufficient
to allow small puncture wounds to heal, but pay close attention to the warning signs, as these often need
antibiotics.
There are as many kinds of wounds as there are dogs, it seems, and there are many treatment modalities
available to help with healing. Basic first aid will work fine in many cases, but the risk of infection is always
present and your veterinarian is typically the best resource for determining the level of treatment required.
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von willebrand’s disease
Von Willebrand’s Disease
Most people are familiar with hemophilia A, an inherited blood clotting defect in human beings affecting only male
children. Most people, however, are not as familiar with von Willebrand’s disease and hear of it for the first time when
they ask questions about breeding their dog. Von Willebrand’s disease is also an inherited blood clotting defect and
breeds at high risk should be screened before being allowed to breed.
What is Von Willebrand’s Factor?
Von Willebrand’s factor is a protein complex produced both by platelets (the blood cells involved in clotting) and by the
cells lining blood vessels. It is made up of several smaller proteins bound together and von Willebrand’s disease results
when there is a defect in any one of these proteins. When a blood vessel tears and bleeding occurs, platelets are called
to the area to clump upon each other, thus plugging up the hole and staunching the bleeding. While the platelets are
in place, a cascade of blood clotting factors activates ultimately leading to production of fibrin, the material scars are
made of, to more permanently seal the vessel. Von Willebrand’s factor acts as glue holding the platelets together and
holds them onto the surface of the torn blood vessel. Von Willebrand’s factor also serves to stabilize clotting factor VIII,
one of the proteins involved in forming the fibrin clot.
When there is something wrong with one’s von Willebrand’s factor, platelets to do not stick together properly and
inappropriate prolonged wound bleeding occurs.
Types of Von Willebrand’s Disease
There are three types of von Willebrand’s disease.
TYPE I: In Type I, all the proteins making up von Willebrand’s factor are present but only in very small amounts.
TYPE II: In Type II, the larger proteins making up von Willebrand’s factor are completely absent, leaving only the smaller
proteins to do the job.
TYPE III: In Type III, there is simply no von Willebrand’s factor at all. This is the most severe form.
Forms of von Willebrand’s disease have been found in over 50 breeds and in cats and humans as well.
Unlike the genetics of hemophilia A in humans, which is reviewed in detail in virtually every high school biology class
as a sex-linked recessive trait, von Willebrand’s disease is not as simple. Males and females are equally affected and the
inheritance seems to be recessive but complicated.
Treatment of the Affected Dog
When hemorrhage is occurring or is anticipated (as with a planned surgical procedure), the best treatment is
administration of von Willebrand’s factor by transfusion. Pure von Willebrand’s factor cannot be purchased from a blood
bank but a blood product called cryoprecipitate, which is particularly rich in von Willebrand’s factor, can be. Complete
plasma is the next best choice and is much more available than cryoprecipitate. Administration of cryoprecipitate
improves bleeding time for approximately 4 hours after administration.
A hormone called DDAVP (or desmopressin acetate) can be helpful as its use seems to cause a sudden release of von
Willebrand’s factor into the bloodstream. After a 30 minute onset period, the use of DDAVP shortens the bleeding time
for approximately 2 hours after the after DDAVP injection.
Conclusion
There are two considerations with von Willebrand’s disease: screening breeding animals so that this genetic disorder
is not passed on, and identifying and treating affected animals. If you own a member of one of the “at risk” breeds,
consider having a screening test, especially if you are considering a major surgery. If you plan to breed your pet, von
Willebrand’s testing is a good idea regardless of the breed but is a special concern for the “at risk” breeds.
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82
bullmastiff
Bullmastiff
History:
As early as mid 17th century, paintings depicted dogs that
were described as part Bulldog and part Mastiff. But it was the
gamekeepers on large British estates that really developed the
breed in the mid 19th century. They had become fearful of
confrontations with poachers. They needed a dog that would
remain silent as poachers approached, and could be trained to
attack and hold down a man without savaging him. They began
breeding Bulldogs and Mastiffs. This first Bullmastiff was known as
the “Gamekeeper’s Night Dog.” And by the mid 1920s, the English
Kennel Club recognized them as a separate breed. Food shortages
during World War II forced owners to keep only the best dogs, which Britain bred to produce some of the finest
Bullmastiffs the breed had ever known. In 1930 the first Bullmastiff was officially imported from Britain to the
United States. Three years later the American Kennel Club granted recognition to the breed.
Character:
Bullmastiffs are high-spirited, alert and faithful. They are generally an independent dog, yet have a great desire
to please. Loyal, faithful and even-tempered, the Bullmastiff is usually thoroughly gentle and kind. They have
acute hearing, extremely good eyesight and impressive scenting capabilities. Bullmastiffs are a quiet breed,
generally only barking to “sound an alarm.” They are fearless and confident yet docile. Bullmastiffs combine
reliability, intelligence and willingness to please. They can best be described as a companion dog with a natural
guarding instinct.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group
Males are 25 – 27 inches at withers, 110 – 130 pounds
Females are 24 – 26 inches at withers, 100 – 120 pounds
Full height is reached around 15 – 18 months
Full body maturity is reached at 2 ½ - 3 years
Average litter = 6 – 8 puppies
Average life span is 8 –10 years
Short, dense coat
Colors = Red, Fawn, or Brindle
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Young Bullmastiffs should not be over-exercised, as this could harm their growth. After 18 months
of age, they will usually be happy to take as much or little exercise as you offer them, so daily walks or jaunts
in the park are essential to keep muscles toned.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Bullmastiff should never
be exercised one hour before feeding or for two hours afterwards. And they should never be allowed to gulp
water. Be careful not to overfeed, as Bullmastiffs have a tendency to put on weight.
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bullmastiff
• Grooming: If you brush your Bullmastiff weekly, they will only need baths very infrequently, such as at times
when they have rolled in something. Ears should be checked weekly and cleaned if needed. And nails
should be trimmed when you can hear them clicking as the dog walks across the floor.
• Attention: The Bullmastiff is a breed needs a lot of human attention in order to allow its intelligence to be
developed to its full potential. They should be allowed to live indoors as a family member, with owners that
can definitely establish themselves as the Alpha. Obedience training and socialization should be a consistent
part of any Bullmastiff ’s life.
Health Considerations:
•
•
•
•
•
Hip Dysplasia
Osteochondrosis
Cruciate Ligament Rupture
Gastric Torsion (Bloat)
Leukemia and Lymphoma
Am I Right for You?
•
•
•
•
•
•
I tend to drool and snore
I cannot tolerate extremes in temperature
An apartment and/or small yard are okay as long as you can provide me with daily exercise.
I’m not a suitable dog for someone who has a fragile body or is timid by nature.
Because I am large and powerful, I may not be a good match for families with very young children.
Because of my size, substance and strength, you will need to be the kind of person who can command my
respect and always be in control.
• You must be willing to be consistent with obedience training and socialization
• Do you have other dogs? Older male Bullmastiffs tend to be more aggressive toward other dogs.
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dogue de bordeaux
Dogue De Bordeaux
History:
Originally used for cattle-droving and guarding the vineyards in
Bordeaux, this pugnacious, French warrior has survived within a
hair of extinction through one national revolution, two World Wars
and Hollywood adventure Turner and Hooch. Since the 1400s,
the Dogue do Bordeaux has had many jobs: herding cattle, flock
guarding, hunting ferocious game, animal baiting, dog fighting and
movie star. The first recorded reference to this breed appeared in
1863 at an exhibition in Paris. Toward the end of the 19th century,
the Dogue traveled to England for fighting and show competitions.
The breed was eventually introduced to the US in the 1960s, and
has gained popularity ever since, though still considered a rare breed in this country.
Character:
The Dogue de Bordeaux is an extremely intelligent and fearless giant. Powerful and surprisingly athletic, they
are never intimidated and make excellent guardians of both person and property. They have strong nerves
and are not easily excited. Their personality is balanced, quiet and calm. They are a charming breed that is
warm and friendly to humans and small animals. They are wonderful with children, as they are very patient and
tolerant of a child’s typical behavior. The Dogue can be stubborn and arrogant, yet very trainable with positive
reinforcement. You will be surprised at how much your Dogue can learn and help with your everyday routine.
By nature they are docile and kind-hearted and absolutely love human affection.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group
Males are 23 – 27 inches at withers, minimum 110 pounds
Females are 22 – 26 inches at withers, minimum 99 pounds
Full body maturity is reached at 2 - 3 years
The coat is short, fine and silky
Colors = Red, Fawn, and Deep Mahogany
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Young Dogues should not be over-exercised, as this could harm their growth. As an adult, the
Dogue generally likes activity and needs a lot of exercise. Start off slowly and work your pace up to insure
that your Dogue doesn’t strain their large frame and muscle structure. They should be walked at least twice
a day and regular have extended run or play time.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Dogue should never
be exercised one hour before feeding or for two hours afterwards. And they should never be allowed to
gulp water.
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dogue de bordeaux
• Grooming: Dogue de Bordeaux should be brushed once a week and bathed as needed. Ears should be
checked weekly and cleaned if needed. And nails should be trimmed when you can hear them clicking as
the dog walks across the floor. .
• Attention: The Dogue de Bordeaux is highly intelligent and must be trained with praise, rather than
negativity. When necessary, the best reprimand is to shake the scruff of the neck.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hip Dysplasia
Heart Murmurs
Demodectic Mange
Growing Pains as a puppy
Very sensitive to anesthesia
Am I Right for You?
•
•
•
•
If you are not willing to walk me at least once a day, don’t pick me.
I cannot exist in an apartment or condo
Because of my size, substance and strength, you will need to be the kind of person who can command my
• Do you have other dogs? Male Dogues tend to be more dominant and will occasionally fight with other
males to determine dominance. If you must have two males, it is highly recommended that you keep the
age difference as great as possible.
• Both sexes tend to be dog-aggressive and will not back down from a fight, although they rarely
instigate one.
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english mastiff
English Mastiff
History:
Mastiffs derive from ancient dogs of the Old World. One of
the earliest references comes from the Roman poet Virgil
in 39 BC. Even the great Aristotle mentioned them in his
work. During the reign of England’s King Henry II, Mastiffs
were considered superior dogs for guarding the castle and
fighting other beasts. Later in history when dog fighting
was banned in England, their numbers began to dwindle.
World War I made matters worse for the Mastiff, and many
were put down due to food shortages. But some at that
time were exported to the US, where there was a growing interest in the breed. In fact, there are references
to Mastiffs arriving in the US on board the Mayflower in 1620. Settlers used the Mastiffs to defend themselves
against attacks by Native Americans. And by the end of the 19th century, the first Mastiffs were being
exhibited at shows. But World War II brought more disaster for the Mastiff both in the US and in England. Due
to the efforts of a very small few, the breed was preserved and today the United States is leading the world in
Mastiff breeding.
Character:
Beneath the Mastiff ’s impressive exterior is a tender, sensitive being who is serene and quiet. They are confident
dogs that understand their strength and power, and generally do not act without provocation or reason.
Mastiffs seem to assess a given situation before acting, carefully evaluating all the factors. They can seem
stubborn, taking their time to “decide” if they want to follow a command. But they are a great family dog, with
a particular liking toward children, of whom they are usually keenly protective. They do not, and SHOULD
NOT, be trained for guarding and defense in the traditional methods. A Mastiff instinctively guards, and any
training aimed at making them more aggressive is very destructive to their calm temperament. The Mastiff is as
powerful and deliberate as they are intuitive and profound.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group
Males are a minimum 30 inches at withers, 160 – 230 pounds
Females are a minimum 27 inches at withers, 120 – 170 pounds
Full body maturity is reached at 2 - 3 years
Average litter = 6 - 12 puppies
Average life span is 9 - 11 years
Short, mildly coarse outer coat with a dense, short undercoat
Colors = Apricot, Fawn, or Brindle
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Young Mastiffs should not be over-exercised, as this could harm their growth. Walks should not
last more than 5-10 minutes. One recommended exercise for Mastiffs is supervised swimming.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Mastiff should never
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english mastiff
water. Be sure not to overfeed, as obesity can be a problem with Mastiffs.
• Grooming: Brush your Mastiff twice weekly. Bathing is completely discouraged for this breed, as they are
prone to develop skin problems if their skin gets too dry. Ears should be checked weekly and cleaned if
needed. And nails should be trimmed when you can hear them clicking as the dog walks across the floor.
Mastiffs need to have their anal glands checked monthly and expressed when needed.
• Attention: It is vital that you make a Mastiff feel like an integral part of your family. They are not
independent, but instead prefer to be in the company of their family and spend most their time indoors.
Physical contact means a lot to a Mastiff, hence it is cruel to relegate them to lengthy isolation in a backyard.
• Because of their extreme growth rate, Mastiff puppies should she a vet every 15 days throughout their
first year.
• Acne
• Acral Lick Granuloma
• Gastric Torsion (Bloat)
Am I Right for You?
• I tend to drool and snore
• Do you own an SUV or larger vehicle? Because of my size and clumsiness, you will need a large vehicle and a
ramp to help me get in and out.
• An apartment and/or small yard are okay as long as you can provide me with daily exercise.
• Because of my size, substance and strength, you will need to be careful that I don’t succeed in ruling the
household.
• Every family member must adhere to the same way of training and instructing me, so that I understand my
place in the family.
• Harsh words, threats, shouts and punishment only make me lose interest and respect for you. My owner
must be patient enough to train me calmly and positively, in a gentle manner.
88
fila brasileiro
Fila Brasileiro
History:
The first Filas can be seen in historical documents as early as 1671. Most
people agree that they are a combination of three basic breeds – Ancient
Bulldogs, Mastiffs and Bloodhounds. This breed met the needs of the
people of Brazil as the early colonists needed a hard-working dog that
could perform many tasks including property and livestock guard dog,
herding dog, hunter and loyal companion. They were also used to guard
slaves, and hunt them down when they escaped. The Fila Brasileiro Club of
America was founded in 1984 and remains active today.
Character:
The Fila’s loyalty towards its family is unsurpassed, so is its dislike towards strangers. And this must be carefully
considered when choosing the Fila to be a part of your family. Outstanding courage, determination and bravery
are part of their characteristics. They are very tolerant of family children and are not reserved like most other
guardian breeds, but instead are very loving and affectionate with their families. The Fila does not require
special training to protect their family and property. This is a natural instinct that is very strong in the breed.
They usually get along well with other dogs and animals, and are surprisingly agile for their size.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group
Males are 25 – 30 inches at withers, minimum 110 pounds
Females are 23 – 28 inches at withers, minimum 90 pounds
Short, smooth, dense coat that is tight to the body
Colors = Fawn, Black, Brown or Brindled
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Young Filas should not be over-exercised, as this could harm their growth. The Adult Fila is a very
active breed and should enjoy a long walk or jog once a day and playtime in the yard on a regular basis. It is
an absolute requirement that you have a secured outdoor area for a Fila including a fence that is at least 6
foot high.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Fila should never be
exercised one hour before feeding or for two hours afterwards. And they should never be allowed to
gulp water.
• Grooming: A Fila should be brushed weekly and bathed only a few times per year. Ears should be checked
weekly and cleaned if needed. And nails should be trimmed when you can hear them clicking as the dog
walks across the floor.
• Attention: Owners must dedicate at least two hours per day to entertaining and exercising the Fila. Unlike
other breeds, the Fila is very durable and independent and can live as an outdoor dog as long as they receive
plenty of love and attention from their family.
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fila brasileiro
• Hip Dysplasia
Am I Right for You?
• I cannot be allowed to run free, and must always be under control
• An inexperienced owner will not have the knowledge or skill to deal with my intelligence, strong will or
stubbornness. You must have experience with giant breeds and alpha temperaments.
• I’m not a suitable dog for someone who has a fragile body or is timid by nature.
• Because of my size, substance and strength, you will need to be the kind of person who can command my
• If you have many different people coming in and out of your life, you want to consider a different breed.
• If you live in an apartment or small condo/townhome, I am not the breed for you.
• If you are a quiet homebody who doesn’t seek outdoor activities, I am definitely not the breed for you.
• The female Filas are often more aggressive towards strangers.
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great dane
Great Dane
History:
Reports, artwork and artifacts indicate that a dog resembling
the Great Dane might have existed over 2,000 years ago. It is
believed that they first belonged to one of the tribes of Asia
called the Assyrians and were used for hunting wild boar and
other large game. Although originally bred for hunting and
fighting, other tasks included carting, tracking and watchdog
duties. Later, they were mainly kept as a showpiece for
Europe’s ruling class. As with many giant breeds, the details
of the Great Dane’s origin are largely unknown. By 1889
Great Danes were being bred in America and an honest
attempt was being made to improve the dogs temperament, which had increasing become more aggressive
due to irresponsible breeding practices earlier on. World War I and II affected the breeding of the Great Danes
and nearly forced their extinction, but thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated breeders, they were able to gain a
foothold and are now a very popular breed in the US.
Character:
Trustworthy, loyal and dependable, the Great Dane is an awesome companion and friend. They are a marvelous
family dog that loves adults and children alike. It can’t be stressed enough how much of a family dog the Great
Dane is. And thus, they require a lot of love and attention. They are spirited, and dependable, being very
protective of their families. Generally, Great Danes are good with other dogs and family pets.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group
Males are at least 30 inches at withers, 130 – 180 pounds
Females are at least 28 inches at withers, 110 – 150 pounds
Full height is reached around 18 months
Coat is short, thick and glossy
Colors = Fawn, Brindle, Black, Blue, Harlequin, Merle and Mantle
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Young Danes should not be over-exercised, as this could harm their growth. After 18 months of
age, they will usually be happy to take as much or little exercise as you offer them, so daily walks or jaunts in
the park are essential to keep muscles toned.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Great Dane should never
gulp water.
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great dane
• Grooming: If you brush your Great Dane weekly, they will only need baths very infrequently, such as at
times when they have rolled in something. Ears should be checked weekly and cleaned if needed. And nails
• Attention: The Great Dane is a very sensitive dog who must be allowed to be an indoor dog. Leaving a
Dane outside or unattended for lengthy periods will result in an emotionally unstable dog and
behavioral problems.
•
•
•
•
•
Hip Dysplasia
Heart Problems
Wobbler Syndrome
Leukemia and Lymphoma
Am I Right for You?
• I tend to snore
• It is essential that I have regular socialization with other dogs as it is common for me to become either fearful
or overly dominant in temperament.
• An apartment and/or small yard are okay as long as you can provide me with daily exercise.
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great pyrenees
Great Pyrenees
History:
The Great Pyrenees derives its name from the Pyrenean mountain
range in the Basque country between Spain and France. It was
there, watching over flocks of sheep and goats, the breed began
its long history as a guardian dog. French writers tell us that as
early as 1407 they were used to guard the Chateau of Lourdes. In
1675 French King Louis XIV adopted the breed as the Royal Dog of
France, and in 1850 Britain’s Queen Victoria also owned one. The
first pair of Great Pyrenees was introduced to America in 1824, but
the breed didn’t really gain popularity in the States until 1931. In 1933 the Great Pyrenees was given official
recognition by the AKC.
Character:
The Great Pyrenees has a deep devotion to its family and home, but also an inborn instinct to guard and
protect. This is an intelligent breed that commands respect, but also makes wonderful pets. Although
boisterous up to the age of about two, once a Great Pyrenees has reached full maturity it will be placid by
nature and calm around the house. Though they are not easily trained to obedience. An unusual feature of this
breed is the strong double dewclaws on their hind legs, and occasionally on their front legs as well. In nature,
the Great Pyrenees is confident, gentle and affectionate. They are strong willed, independent and somewhat
reserved, yet attentive, fearless and loyal their charges both human and animal.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group
Males are 27 – 32 inches at withers, around 100 - 115 pounds
Females are 25 – 29 inches at withers, around 85 - 95 pounds
Full body maturity is reached at 2 – 2 ½ years
Average litter = 6 puppies
Profuse undercoat of fine hairs, outer coat long and medium coarse
Colors = White and can have patches of badger, gray, reddish brown or tan
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Young Great Pyrenees should not have much lead work on hard pavements, as this could lead
to problems later in life. In adulthood, a good walk each day, with plenty of opportunity for free run should
become routine. Great Pyrenees should never be chained up, unsupervised, outdoors.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Great Pyrenees should
never be exercised one hour before feeding or for two hours afterwards. And they should never be allowed
to gulp water. Be careful not to overfeed, as Great Pyrenees should not become overweight.
• Grooming: Great Pyrenees need a thorough brushing about three times each week, but should only have
baths at such times when they have rolled in something. Ears should be checked weekly and cleaned if
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great pyrenees
• Attention: The Great Pyrenees is a very independent breed, but still needs lots of love and attention. It likes
its life to be consistent and predictable, and will enjoy quiet periods in which it may rest comfortably and
sleep undisturbed.
•
•
•
•
Damp coats can cause skin problems and allergies, and also arthritis in older dogs
Distichiasis (mostly in puppies)
Hip Dysplasia
Patellar Luxation (rarely)
Am I Right for You?
• I need a large area for sufficient exercise
• If I’m going to protect a large area, my owner MUST be willing to put in the hours of training it will take to
teach me my boundaries.
• I will bark, especially at night. So I am best suited to country living, or at the least to a home with
understanding neighbors.
• Because of my independent nature, you will need to be the kind of person who doesn’t expect immediate
and perfect obedience.
• You must train me patiently and calmly.
• Do you have other dogs? Male Great Pyrenees are not usually tolerant of each other unless they have been
raised together.
94
irish wolfhound
Irish Wolfhound
History:
The history of the Irish Wolfhound in Ireland is well
documented. From the first century AD there are many tales
of these prized giant dogs, fearless and heroic, on deer hunts
and in battle. Around 391 AD, Roman Consul Quintus Aurelius
is said to have thanked his brother for a gift of Irish Hounds,
the first such dogs in the city of Rome. King John of England
presented one to the Prince of Wales in 1210. And decades
later, Henry VIII requested the breed, and a brace was sent to
Queen Elizabeth I. As you can see the Irish Wolfhound was
a much coveted gift of royalty. By 1879, The Kennel Club of England admitted the Irish Wolfhound into its
registry, while in America the first two were also registered. World War II saw a sad decline in the breed, but was
revitalized in Britain when a prestigious American breeder sent a gift of one of her finest stud Wolfhounds. Thus
the breed was able to make a come back and continues to be a treasured breed worldwide to this day.
Character:
A giant in size, with a heart to match, the Irish Wolfhound is by nature gentle and gentlemanly. Life with the
Irish Wolfhound requires commitment and companionship. This is a breed whose life’s desire is to be right by
your side, at home or in the field. They have an affinity for the young and an instinctive rapport with the old
and handicapped. Assured but not aggressive, the Irish Wolfhound is compatible with other dogs and enjoys
a canine friend. But don’t forget their origins as a hunter! Small dogs, cats, or other pets may lead them to
chase and catch, as well they may be tempted by sheep and goats. For this reason, the Irish Wolfhound requires
supervision around other animals and consistent socialization. Training brings out their best – affection,
courage and dignity.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hound Group
Males are 32 inches minimum at withers, 120 pounds minimum
Females are 30 inches minimum at withers, 105 pounds minimum
Full body maturity is reached at 2 years
Average life span is 7 – 9 years
Medium length, rough coat
Colors = Grey, Brindle, Red, Black, Fawn, White
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: The Irish Wolfhound will never reach their full physical and mental soundness without an
exuberant off-leash sprint or two at least once a day. Galloping is in their blood and it’s very important that
you have an area that will lend itself to this exercise safely.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. An Irish Wolfhound should
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irish wolfhound
to gulp water.
• Grooming: Daily brushing is required to stimulate the Wolfhound’s natural skin oils. Bathing is necessary
only a couple of times per year. But the Irish Wolfhound does require hand stripping from time to time.
Ears should be checked weekly and cleaned if needed. And nails should be trimmed when you can hear
them clicking as the dog walks across the floor.
• Attention: TA Wolfhound should be kept in a home with his family. This is definitely not an outdoorsonly or kennel dog. Because this is a bright, energetic breed, training and supervised play are crucial to the
development of your relationship with the. Positive reinforcement, not punishment, is the very best method
of training this quick-witted giant.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hip & Elbow Dysplasia
Osteochondrosis
Cardio Myopathy
Liver Shunt
Von Willebrand’s disease
Progressive Retinal Apathy
Bone Cancer & Lymphosarcoma
VERY SENSITIVE TO ANESTHETIC
Am I Right for You?
• My adolescent years can be particularly challenging, as I am very clumsy and have a lot of energy at this
stage in my life.
• I need to be with my family, and CANNOT be left alone for hours on end.
• I can live comfortably in an apartment, but require a large open space that will be safe for me to gallop in
once a day.
• I may chase and hurt other small pets or livestock.
• You must be willing to be consistent with obedience training and socialization.
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neapolitan mastiff
Neapolitan Mastiff
History:
The Neapolitan Mastiff, also known as the Italian Mastini, remained
hidden in the Italian countryside for centuries, its temperament and
uniqueness being preserved. They were virtually unknown to the rest of
the world until the 1940s. Italian immigrants brought some Neos over
to the US in the early 1900s, but any major exporting of the breed didn’t
happen until the 1970s. In 2004, they gained acceptance into the AKC
and as a breed, the Neapolitan Mastiff is becoming very popular in the
United States presently.
Character:
The Neapolitan Mastiff is a guard dog and defense dog par excellence, of great size, powerful and strongly
built, of tough yet majestic appearance, sturdy and courageous, of intelligent expression, endowed with correct
mental balance and docile character. They are a loyal, peaceful and steady dog. But it is not uncommon for
the Neo to be stubborn, headstrong, independent and strong willed. Most prefer to be homebodies and are
not advocates of change. They have a very high tolerance for pain, so you must be careful that injuries don’t go
unnoticed or untreated.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group
Males are 26 - 31 inches at withers, average 150 pounds
Females are 24 - 29 inches at withers, average 110 pounds
Full height is usually reached by 1 year of age
Full body maturity is reached at 3 – 3 ½ years
Short, dense and uniform. Hairs are straight and not more than 1 inch long
Colors = Gray, Blue, Black, Mahogany and Tawny with or without brindling in all colors.
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Young Neapolitans should not be over-exercised, as this could harm their growth. Neos fatigue
and overheat easily, so play time in the yard and short walks are all that are necessary as far as exercise goes.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Neapolitans should never
water. Be sure not to overfeed, as obesity can be a problem with this breed.
• Grooming: No extensive grooming is required for the Neo, except during the two shedding periods, fall and
spring. Because of the Mastinis abundant loose skin, they should get regular bathing. Ears should be
checked weekly and cleaned if needed. And nails should be trimmed when you can hear them clicking as
the dog walks across the floor. Mastiffs need to have their anal glands checked monthly and expressed
when needed.
• Attention: Neos seek the companionship of their masters more so than that of another dog or animal.
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neapolitan mastiff
They are definitely a dog who should live in the house with lots of attention from the family. And because
they overheat easily, should not be left outside in warm weather. They need discipline and extensive training
by someone who understands Alpha dogs and can always be in control.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Demodex Mite
Hip Dysplasia
Cherry Eye
Ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligaments
Panosteitis or “Growing Pains”
Entropion
Very low tolerance for anesthesia and tranquilizers
Am I Right for You?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
I am not a breed for obsessive house cleaners, as I am a very messy eater and drinker
I’m not the best breed for an apartment or house without a yard.
I am alpha by nature, and must be taught my place in the family by EVERY member of the family. If you are
not able to consistently be the boss of me, you should choose a different breed.
I am really a breed intended for adults and older children. Households with young children are not the best
place for me.
Social interaction is a MUST with me, as I can become overly protective of my humans and my space.
I’m not a good option for first-time dog owners or someone who has never owned a Neo or other large,
alpha temperament dog.
You must be willing to be consistent with obedience training and socialization
It is not advisable that I share a household with other dogs who have an alpha nature, and I should be
housed separately from other dogs when left alone.
I love to chase and I’m known to take chase after small animals and joggers or bicyclists.
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newfoundland
Newfoundland
History:
The origin of the Newfoundland is a subject of much debate. One
theory suggests that the Newfoundland evolved from the Tibetan
Mastiff that accompanied Asian warriors across the Asian continent and
entered North America at Newfoundland. A second theory suggests a
cross-breeding between Mastiffs, Pyrenean Sheepdogs and Portuguese
Water Dogs sometime during the 15th and 16th centuries. Another
accepted theory holds that the breed descended from “Bear Dogs” that
were brought to North America by the Vikings in 1000 AD. Whatever
their origins, the first documented record of a breed resembling the
Newfoundland can be found in records of that country dating back to the 1600s. A Newfie accompanied
Napoleon Bonaparte on board his ship from France, and is legend to have saved his life when he fell overboard
one night. A Newfoundland was also chosen to accompany Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition to the
Pacific Northwest Coast in 1803. In England, during the 1800s, every lifeguard station along the British coast
was required to employ two Newfoundlands to aid in rescue attempts. The hardships of WWII produced a
serious decline in the breed, although they served admirably during the war hauling supplies and ammunition.
Today their numbers thrive worldwide.
Character:
The Newfoundland is best known for their sweet and gentle disposition, and especially their great love of
children and protective feelings towards them. They are especially tolerant of toddler behavior and make great
nannies, helping Moms to watch over youngsters. The Newf is well constructed for life-saving heroics in the
water. Their coat repels water allowing them to swim for hours yet remain dry at their skin. Their massive build
and great endurance allow them to swim in cold, rough waters with ease. They have webbed feet, and unlike
other water-loving breeds, they swim with a breast-stroke instead of the dog paddle. Their natural instincts
help them to evaluate and handle a rescue according to the needs of the victim. The Newf will circle around
a conscious swimmer allowing the person to grab hold of them. But if the swimmer is unconscious, the Newf
instinctively grasps the swimmers upper arm causing the person to roll onto their back with their head out of
the water.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group
Males are average 28 inches at withers, 130 – 150 pounds
Females are average 26 inches at withers, 100 – 120 pounds
Full body maturity is reached at 3 years
Water resistant, double coat. Outer coat is course and moderately long, undercoat is soft and dense.
Colors = Black, Brown, Grey and Landseer
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newfoundland
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Newfoundlands need a brisk walk daily, beyond that they will usually be happy to take as much
or little exercise as you offer them. Swimming is also an excellent weekly exercise that every Newfie should
be afforded.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Newfoundland should
to gulp water. Be careful not to overfeed, as Newfoundlands have a tendency to put on weight.
• Grooming: The Newfoundland requires extensive grooming at least three times per week. Baths should be
given four times per year. Ears should be checked weekly and cleaned if needed. And nails should be
trimmed when you can hear them clicking as the dog walks across the floor.
• Attention: The Newfoundland is a breed that needs a lot of human attention in order to allow its
intelligence to be developed to its full potential. They should be allowed to live indoors as a family member.
•
•
•
•
Hip Dysplasia
Sub-valvular Aortic Stenosis
Cystinuria
Am I Right for You?
• I tend to drool and snore
• I cannot tolerate extreme heat
• An apartment and/or small yard are okay as long as you can provide me with daily exercise and
weekly swims.
• I will shed like crazy twice a year and I require intensive grooming and many supplies to get the job
done right.
• Because of my unswerving patience with children, you MUST be the kind of parent who will not allow the
children to victimize and mistreat me.
100
100
pyrenean mastiff
Pyrenean Mastiff
History:
The Pyrenean Mastiff has been around for thousands of years as a
guardian dog for shepherds in the Pyrenean Mountain range. But
by the middle of the 20th century, their usefulness had become
almost obsolete as the number of predators in the Pyrenean
region had fallen dramatically. Thus their population was confined
to very few bloodlines that were inbred in a highly abusive
manner, due either to lack of alternatives or ignorance. Thankfully,
inn the 1970s a group of dedicated breeders in Spain, led by Rafael
Malo, began the immensely difficult task of recovering the breed from just a few widely scattered dogs. In 1996
the first Pyrenean Mastiffs arrived in the US to the De La Tierra Alta kennels owned by Karin Graefe in Southern
California. She is solely responsible for all of the Pyrenean Mastiffs in the US. And to this day, there are only four
to six thousand Pyrenean Mastiffs worldwide.
Character:
The Pyrenean Mastiff is amiable, well balanced and intelligent, capable of discriminating and distinguishing
between situations with an innate sense of friend and foe and an unparalleled honor and loyalty. They are
tender, tame and noble, brave and aloof with strangers. In their relations with other dogs, they are goodnatured and of their superior and extraordinary strength. They rarely bark and are not destructive by nature.
They are utterly attentive and tender, especially to children and it is not uncommon to see them guarding
children and actually trying to herd them like a flock of sheep.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group
Males are a minimum 32 inches at withers, 150 – 170 pounds
Females are a minimum 29 inches at withers, 120 – 140 pounds
Coat is dense, thick and of moderate length. Should be bristly, not woolly in texture
Colors = Basic color of snow white with a well defined mask and medium gray, intensive golden yellow,
brown, black, silver, light beige, sandy or marbled patches
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Young Pyrenean Mastiffs should not be over-exercised, as this could harm their growth. Adult
Pyrenean Mastiffs should enjoy regular on-lead walks and daily play sessions in the yard.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Pyrenean Mastiff should
to gulp water.
• Grooming: Daily grooming is ideal, but baths are not advisable, as this can alter the natural pH of the skin,
which protects the Pyrenean Mastiff from cold and moisture. Ears should be checked weekly and cleaned if
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pyrenean mastiff
• Attention: The Pyrenean Mastiff is very attached to their families and require your love, devotion and
attention. Although independent by nature, they need plenty of respect, attention and socialization.
• Hip Dysplasia
• Conjunctivitis
Am I Right for You?
• It is crucial that I be allowed some degree of freedom, access to open spaces and as many varied experiences
as possible.
• Do you entertain in your home a lot? I am very mistrustful of strangers and won’t enjoy being subjected to
them on a regular basis.
• Females are usually more attached to the family, while males are generally more independent.
• Because of my size, substance and strength, you will need to be the kind of person who can command my
• You must be willing to be consistent with obedience training and socialization.
102
102
scottish deerhound
Scottish Deerhound
History:
As early as 1682, Scottish Deerhounds are depicted in drawings
and paintings. Their primary purpose in Scotland was to hunt deer
along side the Scottish Chieftains. At one point in history, no one
ranking below Earl was permitted to own one. And due to this
and the advent of gun hunting, the Scottish Deerhound became
nearly extinct. But Sir Walter Scott helped to revive interest in this
breed during the early 1800s when he immortalized memories of
his own deerhound in his writings. By 1861 Queen Victoria owned
the only Deerhound on record in Britain, and by 1892 British Deerhound Club was formed. The first Scottish
Deerhound was registered in the United States with the AKC in 1886. World War II again almost decimated
this breed due to the food shortages, but some dedicated Deerhound owners held out, enabling the breed to
continue to gain in numbers until present day.
Character:
The Scottish Deerhound has a quiet, gentle temperament, and makes an ideal pet. This is a breed that is
obedient, and is therefore easy to train because of its will to please. Deerhounds do not make good watchdogs,
as they are trusting and unsuspicious. They have a very fine sense of smell and their talents include hunting,
sighting, tracking, racing, agility and lure coursing. They are excellent with children, and devoted to their
families.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hound Group
Males are 30 – 32 inches at withers, 85 - 110 pounds
Females are 28 – 30 inches at withers, around 75 - 95 pounds
Coat is thick, ragged and very course
Colors = Dark or light blue-gray, brindle, yellow, sandy red or red fawn
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Young Deerhounds should never be over-exercised. In adulthood, however, they require a great
deal of exercise. They need to be taken on daily long walks or jogs and make excellent jogging companions.
Because of their instinct to chase and their incredible speed, Scottish Deerhounds should never be off leash
except in secured areas.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Scottish Deerhound
should never be exercised one hour before feeding or for two hours afterwards. And they should never be
allowed to gulp water.
• Grooming: Scottish Deerhounds need a thorough brushing about three times each week, but should only
have baths at such times when they have rolled in something. Ears should be checked weekly and cleaned if
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scottish deerhound
• Attention: Scottish Deerhounds should never be kept in kennels, and enjoy being included as a loyal
member of the family. When training, the Deerhound requires calm instruction, as they are a very
sensitive breed.
•
•
•
•
•
Sensitive to medication, especially anesthesia
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Liver Shunt
Bone Cancer
Am I Right for You?
•
•
•
•
I need a large yard for sufficient exercise, and a 6 foot fence, but I do best with some acreage.
I am not recommended for apartment life, and need an active family who enjoys my high exercise demands.
You must train me patiently and calmly.
Do you have other animals? Although Scottish Deerhounds are friendly with other dogs, they should not be
trusted with non-canine pets, as it is engrained behavior to chase and sometimes hurt other animals.
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104
saint bernard
Saint Bernard
History:
While the exact origin of the St. Bernard is unclear, the breed
is most commonly known as the breed used as rescue dogs
in the Swiss Alps. At the end of the 10th century, Archdeacon
Bernard de Menthon founded his famous hospice in this region.
According to breed historians, Bernard of Menthon was the first
individual to introduce the breed to the hospice in 1660. The
monks operating out of the local monasteries used the dogs for
protection and search and rescue missions. One of the reasons the
monks valued this breed so much was because of its unique ability to sense oncoming avalanches. In 1815, the
first St. Bernard to set foot on British soil was imported from the hospice. By the late 1870s the breed was well
established in England. And in 1888 English imports were used to start the St. Bernard Club of America.
Character:
The St. Bernard has a pleasant, outgoing temperament. They make excellent pets for children and are usually
very protective of their owners and home. Extremely intelligent dogs, they are eager to please train easily with
patience and calm assertion. They need to be socialized a lot and from an early age, as they can become overly
protective of their families without the proper socialization. Saints are very loyal and gentle, often not showing
much playfulness.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group
Males are 27 ½ minimum inches at withers, 150 – 200 pounds
Females are 25 ½ minimum inches at withers, 120 – 150 pounds
Very dense, rough feeling short hair. There is also a longhaired type with medium length, slightly wavy hair
Colors = White with Red, Red with White, Brindle Patched
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Young St. Bernards should not be over-exercised, as this could harm their growth. Adult St.
Bernards enjoy daily leisurely walks.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A St. Bernard should never
gulp water.
• Grooming: Brush your St. Bernard weekly, three times a week if you have the longhaired version. Teeth and
ears should be checked and cleaned when needed. And nails should be trimmed when you can hear them
clicking as the dog walks across the floor.
• Attention: The St. Bernard is a breed that needs a lot of human attention in order to allow its intelligence to
be developed to its full potential. They should be allowed to live indoors with their family members.
105
saint bernard
•
•
•
•
Hip Dysplasia
Entropion / Ectropion
Heart Disease
Am I Right for You?
•
•
•
•
I tend to drool a lot
I cannot tolerate hot temperatures, warm rooms or warm cars.
I will do all right in an apartment as long as I get my daily walks, but prefer a house with a decent sized yard.
You must be willing to be consistent with socialization, as I will become very protective of my home and
untrusting of humans if I am not properly socialized.
• I am prone to anxiety if I am left alone for long periods of time.
106
106
tibetan mastiff
Tibetan Mastiff
History:
Among the most ancient of breeds, the Tibetan Mastiff ’s origins
have long been lost. Archeological evidence of massive dogs dating
to 1100 B.C. can be found in China. Such dogs may have traveled
with Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan, and developed into camp
guardians of herdsmen. Their nomadic lifestyle furthered their
distribution, but high mountains created isolated populations. The
Tibetan Mastiff was also used to guard villages and monasteries,
usually being chained up by day and allowed free roam at night.
Except for some accounts documented by Marco Polo during his
journey in 1271, the breed was largely unknown outside its native Tibet until 1847, when the Viceroy of India
sent one to Queen Victoria. Then two dogs imported by the Prince of Wales gained yet more exposure at a dog
show in 1874. The breed’s future was threatened when China invaded Tibet in the 1950s, displacing the native
dogs. Survival depended on fleeing to neighboring countries or retreating to isolated mountain villages. The
Dalai Lama sent two dogs to President Eisenhower, mistakenly, as he had requested two Tibetan Terriers. They
were given to Senator Harry Darby, who bred them. But sadly, the fate of the breeding pair and their progeny
was not documented. New stock from Nepal and India arrived in America in the 1970s. These imports came
from a wide genetic base, accounting for the natural variations in size and style that we see today. In 2005 this
ancient breed was finally entered into the AKC.
Character:
The breed standard clearly states that the Tibetan Mastiff is aloof and protective. They are very independent
by nature, strong willed and extremely territorial. The Tibetan Mastiff makes an extremely loyal family dog,
showing both tolerance and patience, especially with children. But because of their fierce protectiveness, it is
advisable to introduce them to strangers carefully, keeping them on a lead for a while at first when new people
come into the home. The Tibetan Mastiff is a powerful, heavy and well-built dog that needs companionship
and must never be allowed to get bored. They are highly intelligent and reserved with people outside their
immediate family. They are generally good with other animals and are rarely dog aggressive.
Breed Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group (Miscellaneous)
Males are a minimum 26 inches at withers, 90-150 pounds
Females are a minimum 24 inches at withers, 80-110 pounds
Full height is reached during puppyhood
Full body maturity is reached at 2 - 3 years for females, and 4 – 4 ½ years for males
Double coated with outer coat consisting of long, straight, coarse hairs and undercoat ranging from cottony
to woolly in consistency.
• Colors = Black, brown and gray or blue, and various shades of gold, all with or without tan markings
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tibetan mastiff
Everyday Care:
• Exercise: Tibetan Mastiffs need daily walks and an outdoor yard. Constant training and socialization are
needed to insure good temperament.
• Feeding: It is best to feed two or three meals a day instead of only feeding once. A Tibetan Mastiff should
to gulp water.
• Grooming: Tibetan Mastiffs should be brushed three or four times weekly except in the spring when they
“blow coat” at which time they should be brushed daily more than once. They rarely need to be bathed, as
this can actually damage their coats. Ears should be checked weekly and cleaned if needed. And nails
• Attention: The Tibetan Mastiff is not suited to living outdoors, as they strongly need to be integrated into
family life. They are prone to boredom, and destructive behavior, so the more attention and training you can
give them, the better.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hip & Elbow Dysplasia
Entropion
Canine Inherited Demyelinative Neuropathy
Autoimmune Hypothyroidism
Osteochondritis Dissecans
Panosteitis
Am I Right for You?
• My guarding instincts are strong, so you must be willing to keep a close eye on me when strangers are
around, and you must be able to keep me under control.
• For centuries my duties have been nighttime sentinel for my villagers, so I am prone to bellowing at night.
• It is essential that I have a sturdy high fence that cannot be jumped, scaled or dug under.
• You must be willing to give me lots of attention and time, as I am easily bored and become very destructive
when finding ways to occupy myself.
108
108
109
charitable partnering - daycares
COLORADO___________________
Animal Lodge
720-975-2800
9870 E Alameda Ave • Denver, CO 80247
http://www.alamedaeast.com/animallodge/default.asp
Bark!
303-660-5691
780 Kinner St. • Castle Rock, CO 80109
http://www.barkdenver.com/
Boyd Lake Veterinary Center
3850 E. 15th Street • Loveland, CO 80538
970-593-1717
http://boydlakevet.com/
Camp Bow Wow Boulder
3631 Pearl St. • Boulder, Colorado 80301
303-442-2261
http://www.campbowwow.com/us/co/boulder/
Camp Bow Wow Castle Rock
303-814-8108
500 1st Street • Castle Rock , Colorado 80104
http://www.campbowwow.com/us/co/castlerock/
Camp Bow Wow Fort Collins
4103 S. Mason Street • Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-266-9247
http://www.campbowwow.com/us/co/ftcollins/
Camp Bow Wow Lodo
3645 Brighton Blvd. • Denver, Colorado 80216
303-577-0232
http://www.campbowwow.com/us/co/denver3/
Camp Bow Wow Northglenn
303-254-9247
11480 No Cherokee St. Unit P
Northglenn , Colorado 80234
http://www.campbowwow.com/us/co/northglenn/
Camp Bow Wow Parker
303-805-9739
10325 S. Progress Way • Parker , Colorado 80134
http://www.campbowwow.com/us/co/parker/
Canine Campus
3116 Karen Place • Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Phone: (719) 448-9600
http://www.caninecampus.us/csprings/
City Bark Parker
720-221-3267
9835 Mangano Lane • Parker, CO 80134
http://citybark.com/
Mile High Mutts
303-296-3998
3500 Chestnut Place • Denver, CO 80216
http://www.milehighmutts.com/
Tails Up
303-660-9934
401 S. Gilbert St • Castle Rock, CO 80104
http://www.tailsup.com/home.shtml
The Big Backyard
5310 East Pacific Place • Denver, CO 80222
(303) 757-7905
http://www.the-big-backyard.com
MISSSOURI________________
Dogs Fun Playce
(866) 697-2780
7833 Wornall Road • Kansas City, MO 64114
http://www.adogsfunplayce.com/
NEBRASKA_________________
Camp Bow Wow Lincoln
5620 South 49th Street • Lincoln, Nebraska 68516
402-474-WOOF (9663)
http://www.campbowwow.com/us/ne/lincoln/
Camp Bow Wow Omaha
11819 Stonegate Circle • Omaha, Nebraska 68164
402-991-PAWS (7297)
http://www.campbowwow.com/us/ne/omaha/
OKLAHOMA________________
Woodland West Pet Resort
9380 S. Union Ave • Tulsa, OK 74132
(918)299-1208
http://woodlandwestpetresort.com/
110
charitable partnering - vets
COLORADO____________
Animal Emergency & Speciality Center
720-842-5050
17701 Cottonwood Drive
Parker, CO 80134
http://www.aescparker.com/
Animal Health Care Specialists
303-288-6800
6701 Washington Street
Denver, CO 80229
Animal Hospital Center
303-740-9595
5640 County Line Place
Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
http://www.animalhospitalcenter.com/
Boyd Lake Veterinary Center
3850 E. 15th Street
Loveland, CO 80538
970-593-1717
http://www.boydlakevet.com/
Briargate Vet Clinic
(719) 599-3339
7530 Rangewood Dr
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Countryside Animal Hospital
3820 South Timberline Road
Fort Collins CO 80525
970-223-7789
http://www.countrysidevet.com/
Deer Creek Animal Hospital
303-973-4200
10148 W. Chatfield Avenue
Littleton, CO 80127
http://www.dcah.com/
Eye Specialists for Animals
Denver Office- 4175 E. Iliff Ave.
Denver, CO 80222
303-759-0862
C Springs Office- 3515 American Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80917
719-597-9393
www.eyespecialistsforanimals.com
Frisco Animal Hospital
700 Summit Blvd
Frisco, CO 80443
970-688-5499
www.friscoanimalhospital.com/
Gillett Veterinary Clinic P.C.
303-469-5540
2721 W. 120th Ave - Unit A-100
Westminster, CO 80234
http://gillettvet.net/
Longmont Humane
9595 Nelson Road
Longmont, CO 80501
(303) 772-1232 x280
http://www.longmonthumane.org/
Mountain Paws Veterinary
Practice
Dr. Josyvette Mercado
Office-303-816-2200
c-720-810-8076
h-303-838-0664
27122 Main st. Unit J-100
Conifer, CO 80433
http://www.mranh.com/
Mountain Ridge Animal Hospital
303-665-4852
545 W South Boulder Rd Ste 180
Lafayette, CO 80026
Nederland Veterinary Hospital
Dr. Joe Evans
646 Hwy 119
Nederland, CO 80466
(303) 258-7355
http://www.nedvet.com/
North Academy Vet. Hospital
719-599-4443
5875 N. Academy Blvd
Colo Springs, CO 80918
Parker Center Animal Clinic
303-841-8833
10702 S. Parker Rd
Parker, CO 80134
http://www.parker-vet.com/
Pine Creek Vet Hospital
4120 Royal Pine Drive
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80920
719-955-0966
http://www.pinecreekvet.com
South Mesa Veterinary Hospital
3801 S. Mason Street
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-226-6526
http://www.southmesa.com/
The Pet Wellness Clinic
970-282-9719
4848 S. College, Suite B
Fort Collins, CO 80525
www.thepetwellnessclinic.com/
VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital
303-366-2639
9870 E. Alameda Ave
Denver, CO 80247
http://www.alamedaeast.com/
VCA Douglas County Animal Hospital
303-688-2480
531 Jerry St
Castle Rock, CO 80104
www.vcadouglascounty.com/
VCA Wingate Animal Hospital
9464 E. Caley Ave
Englewood, CO 80111
303-771-8620
http://www.vcahospitals.com/wingate/
VRCC
3550 S. Jason Street
Englewood, CO 80110
303-874-7387
http:///www.vrcc.com/
continued...
111
KANSAS______________
KANSAS cont.______
NEBRASKA cont.______
Abilene Animal Hospital
320 NE 14th St
Abilene KS 67410
785-263-2301
http://www.aahpa.com
Stone House Animal Hospital
785-228-9411
1010 SW Fairlawn
Topeka, KS
http://www.stonehousevet.com/
Pitts Veterinary Hospital, P.C.
2225 Hwy 2
Lincoln, NE 68502
402-423-4120
Deer Creek Vet Hospital
Dr. Dane Jacobsen
1202 Lilac Ln
Wamego,KS 66547
785-456-3300
The Animal Health Center of Hays
(785) 628-8603
3340 E 27th
Hays, KS 67601
www.animalhealthcenterhays.com/
East Douglas Veterinary PC
8118 E Douglas, Ste 109
Wichita, Kansas 67206
(316)687-0136
www.eastdouglasveterinary.com/index.pml
Veterinary Emergency & Specialty
Hospital of Wichita
727 S. Washington Ave
Wichita, KS 67211
316-262-5321
http://www.vetwichita.com
Vondra Veterinary Clinic
2400 West Van Dorn
Lincoln, NE 68522
402-477-1113
http://www.vondravetclinic.com
OKLAHOMA________
Hillside Veterinary Clinic
5250 Vine St,
Hays, KS.
785-628-3800
Meadowbrook Veterinary Hospital
3400 S 143rd St E
Wichita, KS 67232-9534
(316) 733-6866
MISSOURI__________
Winding River Animal Clinic
(816) 942-6160
1101 E Blue Ridge Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64146
NEBRASKA_________
Mulvane Animal Clinic
316-777-4283
10231 S Rock Rd
Mulvane, KS 67110
Best Care Pet Hospital
3030 L Street
Omaha, Nebraska 68107
(402)734-1494
www.bestcarepethospitalomaha.com/
Northrock Hospital For Animals
316-636-1200
8583 E. 29th Street North
Wichita, KS
http://www.northrockvet.com/
Fort Street Veterinarian
402-884-3383
14345 Fort St Suite 500
Omaha, NE 68164
http://www.fortstreetvet.com/
Prarie Vista Veterinary Hospital &
Supply
620-669-1253
801 N. Main
Hutchinson, KS 67505
www.prairievistavet.com/veterinarians.php
Morgan Pet Clinic
402-895-1001
15665 Harrison Suite 1
Omaha, NE 68136
http://www.morganpetclinic.com/
Green’s Veterinary Clinic
29783 N Co RD 3260
Wynnewood OK 73098
405-665-9149
Harvest Hills Veterinary Hospital
8108 NW Expressway
Oklahoma City, OK 73162
(405)721-7090
http://www.harvesthillsvet.com/
Oklahoma Humane Place Spay
& Neuter Clinic
4522 NW 16th
405-947-SPAY(7729)
http://www.okhumaneplace.org/
Renegar Animal Hospital
1550 S Main St
McAlester, OK 74501
(918) 423-1960
www.renegaranimalhospital.com
Rock Knoll Animal Hospital
6715 S. Western Ave
OKC, OK 73139
405-634-5700
http://rockknollanimalhospital.com/
continued...
112
OKLAHOMA cont.______
TEXAS cont._____
UTAH cont._____
Warwick Animal Hospital
12001 N. Macarthur
405-505-5445
http://warwichanimalhospital.com/
Dayton Vet Clinic
600 Highway 146
Dayton, TX 77535
936-258-3232
Clearfield Veterinary Clinic
428 N. Main
Clearfield, UT
801-776-4372
http://www.clearfieldveterinaryclinic.com
TEXAS_____________
Aldine Animal Hospital
440 Aldine Bender Rd
Houston, TX. 77060
Ph: 281-448-3256
www.aldineanimalhospital.com/
Animal Alliance Spay & Neuter Clinic
608 Bayou Road
LaMarque, Texas 77568
409-933-1600
http://www.animalalliancetx.org/
Animal Medical Center of Forney
13799 FM 548
Forney, TX 75126
phone-972-552-2424
http://amc-forney.com/
Animal Trustees of Austin
5129 Cameron Rd
Austin TX 78723
512-450-0111
http://www.animaltrustees.org/
Booneville Animal Hospital
5665 FM 1179
Bryan, TX 77808
979-774-4818
Cannon Veterinary Clinic
12677 County Road 472
Lindale, TX 75771
903-882-4688
Capital Area Veterinary Specialists
7958 Shoal Creek Blvd
Austin, TX 78757
Phone: 512-388-0944
http://www.cavstvo.com
Killeen Veterinary Clinic
1321 Pershing Dr.
Killeen, TX 76549
254-634-0242
http://www.killeenvetclinic.com
Cottonwood Animal Clinic
6360 S Highland Dr
SLC, UT 84121
801.278.0505
Southwest Animal Clinic
2301 S. 27th St.
Abilene, TX 79605
325-695-5555
Spay & Neuter of SLC
160 E 4800 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84107
801-262-6414
VCA Fort Worth Animal Medical
Center
8331 W. Freeway
Fort Worth, TX 76116
817-560-8387
www.vcahospitals.com/fort-worth/
Timpanagos Veterinary
815 South Main Street
Pleasant Grove UT 84062
801.785.3583
http://www.timpanimalhospital.com/
Wedgewood Animal Hospital
5201 Wonder Dr Ste A
Fort Worth, TX 76133
817-292-3100
http://www.wedgwoodvet.vetsuite.
com/Templates/Clean.aspx
UTAH_______________
Animal Care Center & K-9 Rehab
Center
801-294-5960
698 West 500 South West
Bountiful, UT 84087
http://www.k-9rehab.com/
Utah Pet Center
801.506.7700
5000 South 360 West
Murray, UT 84123
WYOMING__________
Hones Veterinary Services, LLC
519 W Spruce St
Rawlins, WY 82301
307-324-9999
Camelot Pet Resort
801-292-8228
483 West 325 South
Bountiful, UT 84010
www.camelotpetresort.com/
113

Volunteer Handbook-March 2011

Transcription

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