to read tell tails summer 2013

TELL
TAILS
Summer 2013
INSIDE:
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Max-
Max
NY Times reprint–
reader’s comment
How are we doin’?
K9 Nose Work
Cloud
Zoey
Nickel
Dog Park Safety
Got Rawhides
Pavers for Paws
Sam
Mellow
It seems for every human act of cruel and inhumane behavior to the
wonderful creature called “DOG” there is an equally kind and generous
human to rectify that act. Here is the story of MAX...
My name is Max. I’m about 10 years old, blind
and almost deaf. I had ear infections that weren’t taken care of, so my ears are small. I also
have a scar around my nose. I think I barked
too much and my owner tied my mouth closed.
I was left alone in a dog park. I was cold and
scared. Luckily, someone brought me to the
Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter. This
is the story of my new life.
I’m
getting
adopted!
This is
the day I
meet my
new family.
Tara with Bella
I’m here at
my new
home. I’m
not sure my
sister is used
to me yet...
“Paws to Remember” pavers
are still available. Go to our
web site:
Www.theshelterconnection.org
And click on the paver on the
home page.
See more on page 7.
Maybe it’s because I’m not sure where I’m sitting.
Continued on page 3
The Shelter Connection is a volunteer organization at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter. Our mission, in partnership with the Town,
is to improve the quality of life for the dogs at the shelter and increase adoptions through training and socialization. A secondary mission is
public education to shift the public perception about shelters and dispel the myth that shelter dogs are “damaged goods”.
The shelter is located at 75 Marino Avenue, Port Washington, NY 11050
The Shelter Connection
Board of Directors
Robert Slifkin MD
President
Jeff Rosen
Treasurer
Marianne Sikora
Secretary
Rosanne Palumbo Wellmaker
Director of Training
Regina Lagrasta
Volunteer Coordinator
Denise Waters
Special Events Coordinator
Newsletter Editor
Paula Hornak Kellner
Education and Public
Awareness Coordinator
Advisory Board
Sue Hassett
Asst. Director, North
Hempstead Animal Shelter
Erik Tallbe, CPA
Accountant
Chantelle DiLorenzo
Attorney
Special Thanks to:
CastleRock Printing for their
Contribution towards printing
This newsletter
The Shelter Connection
P.O. Box 226
Greenvale, NY 11548
516-626-8948
[email protected]
Www.theshelterconnection.org
The Shelter Connection is an all
volunteer nonprofit charitable
organization. All contributions
are spent on programs and services to improve the quality of
life of dogs at the Town of North
Hempstead Animal Shelter. All
contributions are fully tax deductible.
The NY Times had a cover article “Bark if You’re Legal” exploring the
lengths to which pet owners must go to find suitable apartments. Below is
one of the reader’s comments that expresses so well what all dog lovers feel.
(reprinted from the NY Times 4/7/2013)
I’ve lived in New York for 45 years, and for those years have had no idea why
anyone in their right mind would have one of these slobbering, shedding,
barking wild beasts in their homes. And, oh God, why they bring these
beasts to the cafes and restaurants in the summer. How absurd!
However, my daughter wanted a dog from the time she was old enough to
walk. She spent 18 years begging us for a dog. We always said no. I said no
dog was putting its dirty paws on my white carpets and upholstery.
She finally got a dog the moment she found a good job and a stable living
situation. Last summer, while driving home from a Fourth of July bbq, she
was hit by a drunken driver and thrown from the car. She was killed immediately. When the emergency responders found her body, the dog lay next to
her uninjured. He would not leave her side from the moment they arrived.
He followed her into the ambulance and at the funeral, he sat next to her
coffin.
And now I find I’m one of those New Yorkers who bring this beast to Bergdorf’s, and has this shedding mongrel sleeping on our Frette bedding. My
daughter was right all those years; we are blessed to have a dog in our life.
And we must work hard to give dogs even half of what they give us. Jane,
New York,NY
HOW ARE WE DOIN’ ?
We love hearing from all of our adopters, and are especially interested in feedback for our Progressive
Pit Alumni. The Progressive Pit being a new program,
your input can help us “tweak” our program to address the dog and its behavior in the home… something
we can’t address in a shelter setting.
More importantly, we just love to hear how your dog
has become part of your family through words and
pictures!
Let us know–email to: [email protected]
Or snail mail to: The Shelter Connection, P.O. box 226,
Greenvale, NY 11548.
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Tell Tails Summer 2013
Max– continued
I’m waiting to go
outside in my
new raincoat.
I think my sister
Molly is getting
more comfortable
with me.
I love snuggling in
bed with my blanket.
It’s a good thing
that I don’t need
to see where I’m
going!
I have pajamas to
keep me warm if it’s
cold.
I feel safe and cozy in
my new home. My
new family loves me!
SWEET DREAMS !
3
The Shelter Connection
K9 Nose Work: The Scent of Happiness by Rosanne Palumbo Wellmaker, Director of Training
In March, many of our volunteers attended a K9 Nose Work
highly motivated to search the next time we present them the
Shelter Workshop, hosted by Debi Feliziani of Dog Works
opportunity.
Canine Form and Function in Holbrook, NY. Jill Marie O’Brien presented us with an exciting new way to give dogs a huge
amount of both physical exercise and mental stimulation, utilizing just a few minutes of our time. K9 Nose Work can reduce
stress and help the dogs learn self control and focus in a stimulating environment. It is a great confidence builder for shy dogs.
The program was implemented a week later and the results have
amazed us.
We are simply giving the dogs the opportunity to use their noses to solve the problem of finding food and eating it. K9 Nose
Work can become a much more complex exercise with the dogs
learning to search for specific odors. At the shelter we are focusing on the foundation of searching for food.
K9 Nose Work was initially developed from detection dog
training. It was developed to be accessible to virtually all dogs
and people.
To introduce dogs to the program they are brought out one at a
time from their kennels, to an area where we have spread out at
least 7 to 10 cardboard boxes of various sizes and shapes. Some
have the flaps out, others have them tucked in; some are lying
flat, some up on edge, etc…
We want the dog to eat the treat and immediately continue
searching in the other boxes; but we do not use a second search
command. During this whole session, other than possibly one
search command when the dog enters the space, the people involved are silent. No praise or commands should be given to the
dog. We let them work out the problem without our interruption.
K9 Nose Work can continue with boxes alone, or be expanded
gradually to include other items, such as containers and objects.
It can also increase in complexity by training the dog to search
for specific odors, birch, anise and clove are used, first by pairing
them with the food hides during searches and then gradually
phasing out the food so that they search for the odors alone and
then get rewarded with food after they indicate the location of
an odor hide.
Searching is a physically and mentally challenging activity for
dogs. We never search for more than a few minutes at a time.
Approximately 3-5 searches in a row are enough, and then we
stop for that session. That dog can be worked again a few hours
later after he has had sufficient rest. Even dogs in excellent physical condition must be built up slowly over time, in order to be
able to search for longer periods of time without over heating. If
you try this at home, please do not underestimate the strain it
has on their systems.
We strive always to leave the dog wanting more searches. If we
go too long, and the dog is exhausted when we say all done, he
will be less likely to want to continue searching next time.If we
end it with them really wanting to continue, they will be more
4
A human’s brain has 5 million olfactory receptor cells; the average dog has approximately 220 million. The percentage of the
dog’s brain that is devoted to analyzing smells is vastly larger
than humans. It’s been estimated that dogs can identify smells
somewhere between 1,000 to10,000 times better than humans
can. This is something rarely tapped into in a positive fashion.
Usually, if dogs follow their noses, they end up ’in trouble’. Finally, it is OK for them to be dogs! K9 Nose Work to the rescue!
There are K9 Nose Work competions available. For more information or classes in your area see: www.k9nosework.com.
The National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) is
the official sanctioning and organizing body for the sport of K9
Nose Work.
K9 Nose Work is a nationwide competitive sport in which titles, ribbons, and awards can be earned. In order to compete in a
NACSW sanctioned trial, dogs must successfully complete an
Odor Recognition Test (ORT). This test basically entails the
dog indicating, in some way to his owner, which box contains
the odor or odors he has been trained on, out of rows of cardboard boxes.
Tell Tails Summer 2013
Available dogs...waiting for you!
Cloud: He is a handsome exuberant fellow who was surrendered to the shelter because his family “had no time”
for him. He was quite jumpy when we started working
with him, not quite used to the long days in a shelter,
missing his home. He was introduced to basic training
and also “Nosework”, which helped him use his brain
and calm down a great deal. He still needs work on impulse control but in one session since being left at the
shelter, he shows the great promise of a wonderful dog
that got a raw deal. His training will continue but if
someone took a chance on this extremely handsome fellow, their work with him would be truly rewarding!
Zoey: Zoey is a reserved, quiet gal true to her breed. Jindos are calm and quiet and the typical Jindo is very affectionate with its loved ones and reserved with strangers. A
typical Jindo will not show affection toward people it just
met. At its most expressive, it is friendly in a gentle way.
So, as you can see, Zoey is not going to come out and
jump into your lap if you came to meet her, but if you are
willing to accept her on her terms and give her time to
love you, you will be able to earn that love and trust. If a
quiet companion is your desire, Zoey might just be the gal
for you.
Nickel: We don’t know why he is called Nickel…he is more
like a million bucks worth of wonderful dog! He looks like a
Pittie mixed with English Bulldog when he walks towards
you with that bow legged look of a bulldog! Left abandoned
for two weeks in a house when his people moved out, he
was emaciated when he finally made it to the shelter. As
you can see, he has filled out nicely with regular meals and
TLC. He has become quite a fan favorite of the volunteers
and is calm and neutral around other dogs. He has been
learning all of his basic commands with ease and is easy to
train. This good looking boy is a love and is sure to make a
good member of a new forever family someday!
5
The Shelter Connection
Dog Park Safety
On May 22nd, The Shelter Connection, continuing their public outreach with the Town
of North Hempstead Animal Shelter, hosted
another free movie night at the shelter. This
night’s informative movie was a seminar given by Sue Sternberg, renowned dog behaviorist and lecturer. She has spent years filming dog park activities across the country
and her video explains common behavior patterns displayed by groups of unfamiliar
dogs. These include: mobbing, bullying, targeting, hunting and group chase. Not unlike
unsupervised schoolyard kids, dogs can engage in mentally, emotionally and sometimes
physically abusive behaviors. Ms. Sternberg uses extensive video footage of dog park
observations, and examines why the healthiest play seems to occur between only two
dogs and familiar dogs. The information was a real eye opener!
For further information, Sue Sternberg’s DVD “Dog-Dog Engagements Between Unfamiliar Dogs– Why It’s So Risky” is available at Tawzerdog.com. She also has an App
available in ITunes called “Dog Park Assistant” (android App coming soon).
Visiting the Dog Park? Keep your dog safe, make sure he is having fun, and get tips to
train him to listen to you better, even around the distraction of other dogs. This App is
filled with video clips and photographs of dog behavior and will teach you how to understand dog play and dog-dog interactions better.
What we learned is that there’s a lot more to a dog park than opening a gate and releasing your dog. For the health and safety of you and your dog, it is worth a further look
into the dynamics of the dog park, either through the above suggested reading/viewing
or doing further research online. Dog Parks aren’t for every dog. Stay tuned for the fall
edition of “Tell Tails” for a complete and comprehensive look into safety at the Dog
Park. Suffice it to say for now, if your dog’s tail is tucked, he’s hiding or looking to you
for help, he’s not having fun. Likewise, relentless pursuit without breaks is over the
top and needs human intervention. Learn if your dog is REALLY having fun; if not, go
for a walk!
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Tell Tails Summer 2013
GOT Rawhides?
As always, many dogs, many needs. Continuing the GOT…? Series we again ask for your
help with rawhide bones for the dogs. We are always trying to keep our sheltered dogs busy
and to minimize their stress as best we can until they find their forever homes. What they
need the most right now is medium and large rawhides with the knots on the end. As always, we thank you on their behalf!
Pavers For Paws
Work has begun on our new memorial seating area!
Come see our peaceful garden area and rest awhile.
There is still space for you to purchase a paver to
remember or honor your favorite pet. In order to
beautify our town animal shelter, to make it a warm
and welcoming place to adopt a companion dog, the
Town of North Hempstead will be dedicating peaceful
outdoor
seating
areas
incorporating
“Remembrance” or “Honor” bricks. These bricks can
be engraved with a personal message honoring beloved pets or sharing simple inspirational thoughts
or messages for visitors.
The Shelter Connection is sponsoring this program
which enables the public to purchase a brick to help
fund the garden seating area, while giving an enduring way to pay tribute to a loved one.
Go to: www.theshelterconnection.org to purchase your remembrance or honor brick.
Please
Help us help the dogs
At our local shelter
Yes, I want to help improve the quality of life for the dogs at the Town of North Hempstead
Animal Shelter. Enclosed is my gift to support The Shelter Connection:
$100
$50
$25
$15
$10
Other $________
Please make checks payable to: The Shelter Connection and mail to: The Shelter Connection
Your donation is fully tax deductible and will be acknowledged with a receipt. P.O. Box 226
100% of your donation will be applied directly to program services.
Greenvale, NY 11548
7
The Shelter Connection
Tell Tails Summer 2013
SAM
MELLOW
Sam is an older Shiba Inu who was surrendered to
the shelter when his family
“downsized”. As a breed Shibas are quiet reserved dogs and well mannered in the house.
Sam would be an easy companion to take for a
stroll and watch TV. The most energy you
would have to expend would be brushing his
thick coat for 5 minutes a day. A small price to
pay for a loving companion! Our Sam is a handsome fellow who would like to be an only dog
and spend the rest of his life being your pal.
Mellow is more exuberant than his name implies
but with exercise and mental stimulation, he
does calm down to an acceptable level. He is
super smart and we have been doing Nosework
training with him to use his sniffing talents to
search for food scent hidden in boxes (see
Nosework article in this issue). He gets very excited around other dogs so we will continue to
reign in his exuberance with training. He’s a
smart, lovable guy who could use a dedicated
owner who could exercise his body and mind!
The Shelter Connection
P.O. Box 226
Greenvale, NY 11548
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Greenvale, NY
Permit No. 144
“Got” medium & large
Rawhide bones with knots?