It’s that time of year when everyone is thinking “back to school”. Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, training is important. The joys and benefits of training your dog are numerous and far outweigh the investment of time and resources. Training builds respect and trust and deepens your relationship with your dog. But how do you choose a good trainer and what are the types of classes available for you and your dog?
Dog training has greatly evolved over the last several decades. Choosing a good, qualified dog trainer can be confusing and challenging. There is no official licensing or certification for dog trainers, although there is one organization that has risen to the top for trainer certification – APDT – American Pet Dog Trainers. They are primarily an educational organization for trainers, with the goal of exposing all types of those enrolled to “humane, science-based training methods.” Additionally, they have a directory of trainers available on their website, www.apdt.com. The website would be a good place to start. There are so many companies and organizations claiming to certify dog trainers. Some are individual trainers offering certifications while others are companies offering franchises to individuals. When considering the hiring of a trainer, it is strongly advised that you check their reputation and their credentials – it can have a large impact on the quality of your relationship with your dog.
Here is a checklist:
• What is the trainer’s reputation with local pet stores, veterinarians, and groomers?
• What is the trainer’s experience and knowledge: how long have they been training? Where did they receive their education and continuing education? Have they earned titles on their dogs?
• How are the trainer’s communication skills – both human and dog?
• How would they describe their training methods? You want to hear terms like: positive, motivational, treats, toys, clicker. If they start trying to sell you an electronic collar for your 8 week old puppy – you may want to look elsewhere as that type of training can have detrimental results.
• You are looking for a training philosophy that is compatible with your personal philosophy, your training needs and your dog’s temperament.
• Training should enhance your relationship with your dog, not damage the trust. You don’t need to dominate a dog to train a dog.
Once you have done your homework and found a trainer you like, your next decision is whether to take private lessons or attend a group class. There are both positives and negatives to the different types of training situations. Private lessons will be more expensive but customized to your dog. Often a focused hour with a good trainer can be more productive than weeks of group classes. It will also depend on your dog. A timid, re-homed rescue may learn much more with a private lesson at home than having to cope with lots of other people and dogs in a strange setting. If you are working out serious behavioral problems, private lessons would be the best.
If you have a new puppy, a group “puppy” class may be your best choice. The class should have strict limits on how old a dog will be accepted into the class. The class should consist of all puppies! This is a great opportunity for your puppy to socialize with other puppies and their people. With all of the distractions of a group class, your puppy will learn to focus on your instructions in spite of all the sights and smells and sounds.
Helpful hints for training your dog:
• Be prepared with the correct style of collar and leash, specified by your trainer.
• Lots of training treats! Your dog defines what a “treat” is – just because the package says it’s a treat, does not mean your dog considers it a reward. It’s your job to find good things your dog loves.
• Make certain your dog has had the opportunity to eliminate before beginning the training class or session. It can be hard to concentrate if he has to go!
• You may want to feed a light meal before your training session.
• Practice, practice, practice. But. . . keep your practice session short and fun. It doesn’t matter if you’re teaching sit, down, come or high five. They are all dog tricks as far as the dog is concerned.
• Train with a smile on your face. You and your dog will enjoy the process more if you’re happy.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Hazards of Pesticides & Pets
“I think it’s a good idea to minimize pesticide exposure of any sort, not only because of what we know, but because of what we don’t know.”
Donald Weston, University of California-Berkley, February 2010
Contrary to what lawn care companies, veterinarians and chemical companies would have us believe, herbicides (weed killers) and pesticides (bug killers) can be harmful to our pets and to our family. So many products in the marketplace these days are broad spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than targeted species. This includes you and your family, neighbors, pets, and all other forms of life.
Despite the level of care you may be giving your pets, animal companions are at high risk of being poisoned by home, garden, and pet maintenance practices. Pesticides and herbicides are the culprits. The smaller bodies of our pets make them more susceptible to chemicals, and their behavior patterns make them more likely to be exposed to toxic chemicals. Chemicals that may seem harmless can be a real life and death matter for cats, dogs, birds, horses, rabbits and other pets. Pets are more vulnerable to pesticides and herbicides because they walk through chemically-treated areas, unknowingly and absorb pesticides through their mouth, nose, and eyes. Pets are also susceptible to secondary poisoning from catching, and eating, poisoned prey. Both dogs and cats eat rodents, mollusks, and bugs – all considered undesirable species often controlled through the use of pesticides.
Flea and tick products that are designed to kill are another known risk for pets. Most people assume the products applied to the back of the dog and cat’s neck stay on top of the animal’s coat and repel, and, therefore, are safe. Quite the contrary. The reality is, these products are absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream. The main active ingredient in most spot-on products is a pesticide known as permethrin. It kills insects by paralyzing their nervous system. The product, however, cannot distinguish between an insect’s nervous system, a dog’s nervous system, or a human’s nervous system. If the applied chemical can be absorbed through your pet’s skin, it can also be absorbed through you and your families’ skin when you pet the dog or cat.
“Of course, as bad as these products may be for pet owners and caregivers, they often are worse for the pets themselves. Based on the very limited data available, it appears that hundred and probably thousands of pets have been injured or killed through exposure to pet products containing pesticides. As with small children, pets cannot report when they’re being poisoned at low doses.”
Natural Resources Defense Council
Health Hazards from Flea and Tick Products
The good news. . . Pet Pantry Warehouse offers many natural products that will safely control and repel fleas and ticks. Come in and check out our selection of herbal/essential oil dips and sprays for repelling ticks and fleas. Ask our staff about “Tick Tubes” by Damminix. The tubes are self-contained and may be distributed around your yard to attract the mice that carry deer ticks. We have many healthy options for your pets.
Signs your dog or cat is having an adverse reaction to a flea/tick control product:
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Drooling
• Lack of coordination
• Labored breathing
• Increased excitability
• Elevated body temperature
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Seizures
If the symptoms continue, contact your vet immediately.
Donald Weston, University of California-Berkley, February 2010
Contrary to what lawn care companies, veterinarians and chemical companies would have us believe, herbicides (weed killers) and pesticides (bug killers) can be harmful to our pets and to our family. So many products in the marketplace these days are broad spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than targeted species. This includes you and your family, neighbors, pets, and all other forms of life.
Despite the level of care you may be giving your pets, animal companions are at high risk of being poisoned by home, garden, and pet maintenance practices. Pesticides and herbicides are the culprits. The smaller bodies of our pets make them more susceptible to chemicals, and their behavior patterns make them more likely to be exposed to toxic chemicals. Chemicals that may seem harmless can be a real life and death matter for cats, dogs, birds, horses, rabbits and other pets. Pets are more vulnerable to pesticides and herbicides because they walk through chemically-treated areas, unknowingly and absorb pesticides through their mouth, nose, and eyes. Pets are also susceptible to secondary poisoning from catching, and eating, poisoned prey. Both dogs and cats eat rodents, mollusks, and bugs – all considered undesirable species often controlled through the use of pesticides.
Flea and tick products that are designed to kill are another known risk for pets. Most people assume the products applied to the back of the dog and cat’s neck stay on top of the animal’s coat and repel, and, therefore, are safe. Quite the contrary. The reality is, these products are absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream. The main active ingredient in most spot-on products is a pesticide known as permethrin. It kills insects by paralyzing their nervous system. The product, however, cannot distinguish between an insect’s nervous system, a dog’s nervous system, or a human’s nervous system. If the applied chemical can be absorbed through your pet’s skin, it can also be absorbed through you and your families’ skin when you pet the dog or cat.
“Of course, as bad as these products may be for pet owners and caregivers, they often are worse for the pets themselves. Based on the very limited data available, it appears that hundred and probably thousands of pets have been injured or killed through exposure to pet products containing pesticides. As with small children, pets cannot report when they’re being poisoned at low doses.”
Natural Resources Defense Council
Health Hazards from Flea and Tick Products
The good news. . . Pet Pantry Warehouse offers many natural products that will safely control and repel fleas and ticks. Come in and check out our selection of herbal/essential oil dips and sprays for repelling ticks and fleas. Ask our staff about “Tick Tubes” by Damminix. The tubes are self-contained and may be distributed around your yard to attract the mice that carry deer ticks. We have many healthy options for your pets.
Signs your dog or cat is having an adverse reaction to a flea/tick control product:
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Drooling
• Lack of coordination
• Labored breathing
• Increased excitability
• Elevated body temperature
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Seizures
If the symptoms continue, contact your vet immediately.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Swimming with your Dog
When it is summertime, enjoying the water with your dog can be great fun. Swimming is as good for dogs as it is for people – a health promoting sport with great fitness benefits placing minimal wear and tear on joints. Just like people, most dogs can handle the physical demands of swimming. Some dogs are more proficient than others. They come hard-wired with more energy and efficiency in the water and better equipped with webbed feet! However, with the help of a quality life jacket, a pug can enjoy the water as much as a lab.
If you want swimming and water fun to be a part of your dog’s life, think carefully when first exposing your dog to water. Before starting a swimming program think about how your dog responds to water. Does she splash in every puddle; play in every water bowl and run to any large body of water? Even with a naturally water loving dog, never use compulsion to force your dog to enter a body of water. Just placing a puppy in a kiddy pool can create fear. Always let your dog choose to play in water.
The best way to create a water loving dog is to insure their safety with a quality life jacket. Even a dog with natural swimming ability can benefit from a good life jacket. The jacket promotes water confidence and will increase swimming time by reducing fatigue. When fitting a life jacket, buy the smallest jacket possible as long as the chest straps fit comfortably.
Choose your dog’s swim locations with care. If you wouldn’t swim in the water, don’t allow you dog in the water. Check for any swimming hazards; submerged junk, fishing hooks or equipment, broken glass, wildlife that may harm your dog. Remember, a pool with steps is always more difficult for a dog to negotiate than a body of water with a gradual entry.
To start your dog on a lifetime of fun in the water, pick a warm sunny day, a clean, safe body of water with a gradual entry, take lots of floating toys and treats for rewarding water confidence. Pet Pantry Warehouse is fully stocked with quality life jackets, fun water toys and healthy, natural treats. Come in and have our trained staff help you properly fit your dog’s life jacket.
If you want swimming and water fun to be a part of your dog’s life, think carefully when first exposing your dog to water. Before starting a swimming program think about how your dog responds to water. Does she splash in every puddle; play in every water bowl and run to any large body of water? Even with a naturally water loving dog, never use compulsion to force your dog to enter a body of water. Just placing a puppy in a kiddy pool can create fear. Always let your dog choose to play in water.
The best way to create a water loving dog is to insure their safety with a quality life jacket. Even a dog with natural swimming ability can benefit from a good life jacket. The jacket promotes water confidence and will increase swimming time by reducing fatigue. When fitting a life jacket, buy the smallest jacket possible as long as the chest straps fit comfortably.
Choose your dog’s swim locations with care. If you wouldn’t swim in the water, don’t allow you dog in the water. Check for any swimming hazards; submerged junk, fishing hooks or equipment, broken glass, wildlife that may harm your dog. Remember, a pool with steps is always more difficult for a dog to negotiate than a body of water with a gradual entry.
To start your dog on a lifetime of fun in the water, pick a warm sunny day, a clean, safe body of water with a gradual entry, take lots of floating toys and treats for rewarding water confidence. Pet Pantry Warehouse is fully stocked with quality life jackets, fun water toys and healthy, natural treats. Come in and have our trained staff help you properly fit your dog’s life jacket.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Good Dog Foundation and Pet Pantry Announce the June 2010 Therapy Dog Search!
The Good Dog Foundation will host a Therapy Dog Search at Pet Pantry in Greenwich, CT on Saturday, June 19th. After evaluation, the dog and handler may attend a training program and go on to join more than 800 other Good Dog volunteer teams who offer animal-assisted therapy to health care, social service, educational and community facilities in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
WHEN: Saturday, June 19th, 2:00-4:00 p.m. *
WHO: Any dog and handler pair who is interested in becoming a Good Dog volunteer team may attend. Dogs must be at least six months old. The handler needs only to have the desire and availability for volunteering with one or more facilities or programs.
WHERE:
Pet Pantry
290 Railroad Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830
INFO: For more information call 718-788-2988.
*First come, first serve. There may be a short wait depending on the numer of dogs in attendance.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Pet Therapy search this Saturday in Rye!
Saturday June 5th, at Pet Pantry in Rye, NY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Good Dog Foundation and Pet Pantry Warehouse announce the June 2010 therapy
Dog Search!
The
Good Dog Foundation will host a Therapy Dog Search at Pet Pantry
in Rye, NY on Saturday, June 5th. After evaluation,
the dog and handler may attend a training program and go on to join more than
800 other Good Dog volunteer teams who offer animal-assisted therapy to health
care, social service, educational and community facilities in New York, Connecticut,
New Jersey and Massachusetts.
WHEN:Saturday, June 5th, 2:00-4:00 p.m. *
WHO:Any dog and handler pair who is
interested in becoming a Good Dog volunteer team may attend. Dogs must be at
least six months old. The handler needs only to have the desire and
availability for volunteering with one or more facilities or programs.
WHERE:
Pet Pantry
259
Purchase St.
Rye, NY 10580
INFO:For more information call 718-788-2988.
*First come, first
served. There may be a short wait depending on the numer of dogs in attendance.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Spring Time and Canine Conditioning
Spring is here and we all want to get outside and have fun. It’s a great time to have our canine companions join us for a run, a walk in the woods or a swim at the lake. You may have been working out at the gym throughout the cold winter months, but has your dog been keeping fit? Or has he been home on the couch, with only the occasional trot around the backyard for exercise? Before you take a 3 mile jog with your dog, on a beautiful spring day, it is your responsibility to view and respect your dog as an athlete. Is your dog in good condition? What is your dog’s structure? Are you feeding a nutritionally balanced diet?
Before starting any exercise program with your dog, your dog should be given a thorough physical examination by a competent veterinarian. It is important to determine if there are any pre-existing conditions that may compromise your dog’s ability to exercise. Dogs with physical conditions such as hip and elbow dysplasia that can result in arthritis should be given only moderate exercise throughout their lives. The best exercise for these dogs is swimming, because it is a non-weight-bearing exercise. (See caninewatersports.com for great information on teaching any breed of dog to swim).
Any exercise program you start with your dog should begin gradually and should be worked on consistently. Exercise and conditioning is not just a weekend activity. Your dog’s exercise program should include general conditioning exercises, such as swimming, retrieving, walking or running. Retrieving is a wonderful method to exercise a dog, but it has a high potential for injury. The use of frisbees as a retrieving toy should be used cautiously and only thrown low to the ground to prevent the dog from twisting on landing. Pet Pantry recommends the Chuck-It for those handlers that have trouble throwing a ball. It can help the handler throw the ball further and avoid handler injury from the repetitive motion of pitching a ball.
Mental conditioning is also essential for your dog’s well-being. Play with your dog! Frequent play periods are the best way to mentally condition a dog. Play is an important part of a dog’s emotional make-up. Tug-of-war and hide-and-seek are great games to relieve your dog’s stress while increasing the focus on the owner and strengthening the human-canine bond. Pet Pantry carries many safe tug toys that will stimulate a dog’s play drive.
A healthy diet is crucial for your dog’s long term health and longevity. Come into one of our locations and speak with our nutritional experts. They will help you choose a great food for your canine athlete.
Take the time to appreciate your dog’s marvelous athletic ability and use common sense before beginning any exercise program. Remember – just like you, your dog needs one day off a week.
Before starting any exercise program with your dog, your dog should be given a thorough physical examination by a competent veterinarian. It is important to determine if there are any pre-existing conditions that may compromise your dog’s ability to exercise. Dogs with physical conditions such as hip and elbow dysplasia that can result in arthritis should be given only moderate exercise throughout their lives. The best exercise for these dogs is swimming, because it is a non-weight-bearing exercise. (See caninewatersports.com for great information on teaching any breed of dog to swim).
Any exercise program you start with your dog should begin gradually and should be worked on consistently. Exercise and conditioning is not just a weekend activity. Your dog’s exercise program should include general conditioning exercises, such as swimming, retrieving, walking or running. Retrieving is a wonderful method to exercise a dog, but it has a high potential for injury. The use of frisbees as a retrieving toy should be used cautiously and only thrown low to the ground to prevent the dog from twisting on landing. Pet Pantry recommends the Chuck-It for those handlers that have trouble throwing a ball. It can help the handler throw the ball further and avoid handler injury from the repetitive motion of pitching a ball.
Mental conditioning is also essential for your dog’s well-being. Play with your dog! Frequent play periods are the best way to mentally condition a dog. Play is an important part of a dog’s emotional make-up. Tug-of-war and hide-and-seek are great games to relieve your dog’s stress while increasing the focus on the owner and strengthening the human-canine bond. Pet Pantry carries many safe tug toys that will stimulate a dog’s play drive.
A healthy diet is crucial for your dog’s long term health and longevity. Come into one of our locations and speak with our nutritional experts. They will help you choose a great food for your canine athlete.
Take the time to appreciate your dog’s marvelous athletic ability and use common sense before beginning any exercise program. Remember – just like you, your dog needs one day off a week.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Grand Opening THIS SATURDAY!
The Pet Pantry Warehouse cordially invites you to join us this Saturday April 10th for the Grand Opening celebration of our newest location at 2444 Boston Post Rd. in Larchmont, N.Y.! We are extremely excited to have an opportunity to serve Larchmont and the local surrounding community Healthy, Holistic and Natural selections of products for your pets.
Stop by Saturday where we will be offering a raffle for a free one year supply of Pet food, a gift certificate raffle, free T-shirts to the first 500 customers, FREE face painting for the kids from 12-3, a meet and greet with local dog trainer Ken Berenson from 11-1, as well as tons of other free giveaways....
In addition to the free products and fun stuff, we have 2 wonderful groups that will be joining us Saturday: Adopt-A-dog (http://www.adopt-a-dog.org/) is a local non-profit pet adoption organization that will be by with some wonderful pets that will be available to good homes. Additionally, the Good Dog foundation (http://www.thegooddogfoundation.org/) will be on hand to recruit and educate about their program that is dedicated to all aspects of animal assisted therapy.
Coffee and donuts will be served.
We hope to see you there!
Stop by Saturday where we will be offering a raffle for a free one year supply of Pet food, a gift certificate raffle, free T-shirts to the first 500 customers, FREE face painting for the kids from 12-3, a meet and greet with local dog trainer Ken Berenson from 11-1, as well as tons of other free giveaways....
In addition to the free products and fun stuff, we have 2 wonderful groups that will be joining us Saturday: Adopt-A-dog (http://www.adopt-a-dog.org/) is a local non-profit pet adoption organization that will be by with some wonderful pets that will be available to good homes. Additionally, the Good Dog foundation (http://www.thegooddogfoundation.org/) will be on hand to recruit and educate about their program that is dedicated to all aspects of animal assisted therapy.
Coffee and donuts will be served.
We hope to see you there!
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