I recently dispatched one of my humans to interview Ellen Cox, the Georgia Area Coordinator for the Southeastern Guide Dogs for the blind.

Mom has known Ms. Cox for a few years now and has had the privilege to have a few of the dogs attend her classes.

You may have seen one of these dogs as they visit malls and grocery stores as part of their training.  They are the guys with the blue and white vests that read “Puppy in Training”.  This means that you should not pet the dog; he or she is learning to work!

And work they do!

Southeastern Guide Dogs began in 1982, is accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation in Reading, England and is also a member of the Council of U.S. Dog Guide Schools.  The school has been providing dogs to the visually impaired for over 27 years.  Currently, there are more than 800 active guide dog partnerships, with more than 2500 since the inception of the program.  The school estimates that 70 new graduates will be added during this fiscal year.

Located on 23 acres in Palmetto, Florida, Southeastern operates their own breeding colony, with more than 100 dogs.  Among the breeds used are Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Goldadors (Lab/Golden mix) and Smooth-Coat Collies.

Ms. Cox is training a Vizsla named Cheyenne.

While the dogs are very important, enough cannot be said about the “puppy raisers”.  These people are volunteers and they give up many days, hours, vacations and money to prepare these animals for future service.

A quote from Ellen Cox says it all.  “To devote 18 months of your life to raising a puppy so that someone you have never met can walk freely about their everyday life is sacrificing for your fellow man.”

The puppy is placed with his foster family at 9 weeks of age. The new family is responsible for socializing the pup, teaching obedience and building confidence.  Puppy raisers are often asked to promote their organization by participating in fund raisers, visiting schools and public meetings.

Raising a puppy is a project for the whole family.

Southeastern is attempting to expand its operation in many Florida communities. Contact them if you think that you and your family have all that it takes to sacrifice for your fellow man.

The organization meets bi-weekly in various places conducive to training a future guide dog.v There are currently 11 dogs in the Georgia program.  The dogs are taught all the common commands such as, sit, stay, come, down and “take a break”, which  means to cease working.  Go busy is the potty command for Southeastern dogs.

Speaking of go busy, blind people are taught to feel the dogs back in order to know what is going on.  If the back is flat, the dog is urinating.  If the back is round, get out the bags.

Ms. Cox estimates that puppy raisers spend around $1000.00 a year raising a puppy.  This may or may not include mileage.  However, it costs about $60,000.00 for the full raising, training and post-graduation support of the dog.  One may assume that it must cost a lot of money to acquire a guide dog from Southeastern.  Not so.  In fact, it costs nothing to obtain the dog.  The dogs are paired with new owners and the new pairs then spend 26 days of on-site training in the Florida facility before they are released to face the world and their new jobs!  The average working life of the dog is 8 years.

During this interview, we followed Ms. Cox and Cheyenne through a local mall.  At one time, Ms. Cox instructed Cheyenne to find the elevator and shortly we were standing in front of the elevator.  Mom can’t locate an elevator that fast and she can see and read!

At around 14 months of age, the pups are returned to Florida to begin their specialized training.  A certified trainer is assigned 8 to 10 dogs to work with.  The trainers spend 8 hours a day for 6 months with the dogs.  Approximately 60% of the dogs will make the final cut.

So, what happens to those that do not make it?  These dogs are placed in the Gifted Canine program of Southeastern Guide Dogs.  There are four programs.

Therapy dog program is designed to enrich the lives of those in their communities while educating people on the mission of Southeastern Guide Dogs.

The K-9 Law Enforcement program places dogs with law enforcement agencies for further training in narcotic or arson detection.

Companion Dog Program places dogs with people with developmental disabilities such as Down’s Syndrome, Autism, hearing problems and anxiety disorders.

Public Adoption Program places dogs with loving homes.

Southeastern also has a Veterinarian Partner program. This program recognizes vets throughout the southeast who donate time and services to Southeastern dogs.  Veterinarians interested in participating in the program should contact Michelle Dumas at 941-729-5665 x 136 for more information.

Southeastern also features a program called “Paws For Patriots”, training service dogs for veterans.

A very busy organization, right?

I am a great dog and have earned my PTD (pretty terrific dog) title, but I’m not sure I was cut out to work that hard!

David Beers of Frederick, Maryland was sentenced to $1,000, 300 hours of community service and a restitution of $318 for the killing of Timothy and Caisha Wantz’s chihuahua.  Beers plead guilty to felony animal cruelty.  His sentence was previously a three year prison term.  Read more here.

Seattle animal control responded to reports of meat left in Lincoln Park with the intent to poison the dogs.  So far, nothing has been turned up.  Read more here.

Yeah, I’m talking about my nose and the noses on all the rest of us dogs in the world. We are all pretty proud of the things that we can do with our noses. I have written articles before about my fantastic ability to sniff out good things, but this is kind of a different approach.

While I have praised canines for being able to sniff out drugs, termites and even cancer, I recently learned about another use for canine noses.  Some are trained to sniff out “zebra mussels” and “quagga mussels”.

Zebra mussels were detected in 1988 in Lake St. Claire one of the smaller lakes of the Great Lakes. It is believed that the zebra mussels came in as stowaways in ships from Russia and the Ukraine. While the zebra mussels are striped, earning their name of zebra mussels, the quagga mussels are slightly larger, with less-defined markings.

Either one of these is bad news.

First they reproduce very fast. Both species attach to anything hard such as, ships’ hulls, propellers, irrigation pipes and in Lake St. Claire, they attached to the shells of the native mussels and have nearly made them extinct!

In Russia and the Ukraine natural predators are able to control the mollusks.  However in North America it seems that there are no natural predators to control them. The bottom line is that they are causing a lot of problems in the Great Lakes and now in California. Why should we care? Because their infestations are costing power industries billions of dollars and they are causing problems with the ecosystem.

Once again, canines will save the day!

While it takes many man hours for humans to inspect and detect the little trouble makers, dogs can speed up this process considerably. It is estimated that dogs can save approximately 800 personnel hours a year!

Commonly used dogs are Labs, German Shepherds,  and Belgian Malinois as they are extremely friendly with people.

Many states already have canine detection units. They are paired with wildlife personnel and live with the families of their handlers just like police dogs do. The dogs are trained to respond to five commands and only from their handler.

Just like with any program, it costs money to get this under control. It costs $5316.00 to train a dog for this type of work in California. But if you do not already have an animal the cost can increase to $9,500.00!

You may be able to help. Contact Dr. Robert F. Sahara at rsahara@pacbell.net .

I first heard about this problem in a previous interview. When I did my search, I located a great article by James A. Swan, Ph.D. His article was entitled, California going to the dogs—it’s a good thing. Check out his article for more information and tips for what to look for on your boat.

www.jamesswan.com

Mom and I want to wish you a happy Valentine’s Day.  Remember, the holiday is about LOVE.

It can be very scary when a dog acts differently toward one person or a group of people over others, especially when that dog acts aggressively.  Have you encountered something like this?

A three year old spayed German Shepherd acts aggressively toward a particular man. She acts perfectly fine with everyone else but she does not like or trust him.  His erratic actions hinder their relationship, as sometimes he is calm with her and others “he yells and swats.”  If he is laying on the bed, she will lay by him and ask for attention, but as soon as he gets up, she tenses.  She is a “one person dog,” though she tolerates petting from others.  She has never snapped at or bitten anyone, other than this man.  Her body language when she shows aggression include a wagging tail, low rear and upright ears.  The biggest problem is that the man described is also the owner’s husband.

First, let’s address the body language she displays.  Contrary to popular belief, a wagging tail is not always a friendly sign.  Her lowered rear end, probably a crouching position, is an indication of her fear.  The erect ears shows that she is “on alert.”  When you couple that with the barking, charging, and crouching, you have a dog that is trying to figure out a human, the husband.  What happens?  Is it a snarling, vicious bark?  I doubt that he needs to defend himself from an attacking dog, since they are both still in the house.  To me, this sounds like an attention bark, since it probably gets her attention.  Even though it may be corrective or negative, she gets attention.

The real problem here is the human factor.  If you want this man to be safe, then HE better be ready to make some changes.  The husband is not PART of the problem, he IS the problem.  When she is lying next to him and they both are calm, the dog feels safe.  However, when he gets up, the dog responds by tensing up, as if she expects him to strike her.  She certainly shows signs of fear around him.  What I worry about here is how fast that fear can turn into aggression.  Unfortunately, in a situation like this, when she does bite, she will be likely be put to sleep, when there are things HE can do to rectify the situation.

Dogs do not like to be yelled at anymore than humans do.  They certainly do not like to be “swatted” either.  The unpredictability of her relationship with the husband ruins it.  Some dogs may take this for their whole life, while some dogs may snap one day inflicting a bite that may cost them their life.

Remember, adult dogs have 42 teeth in our mouths.  These teeth serve a purpose, biting down hard, holding the meat and pulling it away from the bone.  Why would a human think they can take that on?  The average German Shepherd bite unleashes a force of 238 pounds of pressure.  They make great police dogs, because not many people can withstand or overcome that bite to get away.  Only an idiot would try to intimidate that!

For this situation to continue incident-free, the husband needs to learn some canine communication skills.  First, it is never acceptable to strike a dog.  If you do, you deserve to be bitten!  As for the yelling, most dogs have a very keen sense of hearing.  Sometimes, my Mom will whisper commands to me.  I think she is just testing my hearing.  This dog is confused.  She wants to understand what she does that causes the yelling and swatting.  Since most of of do not use reason or logic, it is the person that must make the change.

He needs to know that the dog does not understand his actions and barks and charges out of frustration, as if she is asking him, “Why do you yell and swat at me?  It frightens me and I really just want to be loved.”  He MUST change his ways if you want him to be safe around her.  Once she knows to expect a calm demeanor from him, you can work on building a stronger relationship between the two of them.

Not long after publishing this article about how to combat a fear of thunderstorms and loud noises, Mom and I were contacted about trying a product specifically designed by Ceva Animal Health to combat this issue.  This Dog Appeasing Pheromone (D.A.P.) is synthetically produced in an effort to mimic a natural pheromone released by a mother dog to calm her pups to naturally control and manage erratic behavior associated with anxiety, fear and stress.

While I am not personally affected by anxiety that accompanies storms, I have a nephew, Harley, who is.  When a storm approaches his home, he hides, digs, climbs, runs, howls, and is generally a wreck until the storm passes completely.  To fully experience the effects of the D.A.P., we were sent:

1. An electric plug-in D.A.P.® Diffuser that comes with a 48 mL bottle of D.A.P.
2. A 75 mL D.A.P.® Spray bottle  that comes in a 75 ml spray bottle and can be applied directly on comfort surfaces for dogs (e.g. crate, bedding, etc.) in conjunction with the diffuser.
3. And a D.A.P.® Collar that stays with your dog, providing pheromone therapy during loud events that can cause fear and stress.

Having witnessed his behavior prior to and during storms, I had high hopes for the D.A.P. in keeping Harley calm as the spring storms rolled through.  Mom and I happened to be visiting his house the first time a thunderstorm tested Harley and his family’s new tools.  When it was apparent that the storm was imminent (and the point that he usually started to flip out), he remained completely calm, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.  The storm came, and at its peak, Harley left his normal spot and began to pace, but that was it.  There was no hiding, digging, climbing, running, or howling.

With the subsequent storms the next three weeks, Harley’s reaction was the same.  It was like he became a totally different dog when facing any stressful situation.  In addition to the tips included, as well as those discussed in the aforementioned article, this product really worked to keep him calm, but I would not recommend it without a veterinarian or behaviorist’s suggestion.  D.A.P. is available only through a veterinarian.

While I am happy to say that it works as described, the suggested retail prices of a complete package, like the one we received to try, would be pretty steep to maintain every month when you compare it to other ways to help control your dog’s behavior during the stress of thunderstorms and other loud noise events.

Mom and I have become friends with the folks over at the National Canine Cancer Foundation, and we will be posting an article today and each Monday for the next three Mondays covering facts about canine cancer, courtesy of NCCF.  Today, we will be posting about melanoma. Last Monday, we posted about lymphoma.

Melanoma occurs commonly in dogs with pigmented (dark) skin. Melanomas arise from pigment producing cells called melanocytes, which are responsible for coloring the skin. Any dog can be affected, but Gordon Setters, Standard and Miniature Schnauzers, Doberman Pinschers, and Scottish terriers, among others, are at increased risk to develop melanoma, suggesting that this disease may have a hereditary component. Melanomas can occur in areas of haired skin, where they usually form small, dark (brown to black) lumps, but can also appear as large, flat, wrinkled masses. Melanoma of the haired skin in dogs is usually a benign tumor, although it can cause severe discomfort. In contrast, malignant melanoma, which develops in the mouth or in the distal limbs (usually the toenail beds), is an incurable disease. These tumors have very often spread to distant parts of the body (metastasized) by the time they are first noticed, making complete surgical removal impossible.

Radiation therapy can help extend the lives of affected dogs, but also is ineffective against tumor cells that have metastasized. Chemotherapy is also not considered capable of adequately controlling canine malignant melanoma.

Melanoma seems to be uniquely responsive to immune-based therapies, and various novel approaches are under development to treat this disease.

Did you know that you can create your own fundraising page to help raise money for this very deserving organization?

Relatively near our office in metro Atlanta, there is a fence company that does not actually build a fences.  They install Invisible Fence.  Are you skeptical too?  At first, I thought that Mom was playing a joke on me, because even I know that you should not buy a fence you cannot see.  I told her that I thought it was fake.  After all, what good is a “fence” going to do if there is nothing to stop me from running in places I am not wanted.  She explained that they install stuff  and attach something to a dog’s collar that keeps them from going outside the yard.  I still had my doubts, so I asked Mom if she would ask them a few questions for me.  I doubt that they know how smart I am, and there is no way they have someone in their offices that speaks dog as well as Mom does.

Since this was my first encounter with an “Invisible Fence,” my initial questions were pretty basic informational ones.  I found out that an invisible fence is actually a system where a wire outlines the areas that are meant to contain a dog, and that wire sends a radio frequency to a receiver on the dog’s collar.  That collar can emit a beep, vibration, or static pulse (similar to touching a doorknob after walking across carpet) when it receives the radio signal that the collar, and the dog it is attached to, come too close to the pre-determined boundary.  They use a “patented, vet & behaviorist approved training program” during and after the installation to teach pets to stay within the prescribed boundaries.

Since there are different correction methods, I was curious to know how it is determined which to use.  The fence company has animal trainers that come to train the pets about the boundaries set for them in the yard.  Apparently, this even works for cats or indoors.  The trainers that follow the installation team set an appropriate correction level, depending on the pet, often starting with a beep, working up to the static correction, if necessary.

Since I am such a smart dog, I figured out that once a dog got past the wire, the collar would just stop its beep, vibration, or static correction.  They must have thought about that too, because the correction is sustained for several seconds upon breaking the plane of the boundary, but it does not continue indefinitely.  Maybe they do speak dog after all, because I am sure a human did not figure that out.  They probably have a resident dog on staff to help them figure things like this out.

There is an animal trainer involved shortly after installation to work with the dog, as well as the family, to define the boundary and how to use their tools for containment.  Teaching the family and the pet is the most important part of safe containment, so the office has at least one full-time trainer on staff to make sure that everyone understands how to use the system, pets included.  Mom said they would not provide me with a wiring diagram or full details on how to dismantle the system, so my four-legged readers will have to try getting their parents to get that for them.  I think she may have some plans for Tax, Molly, and I and this “fence” thing.

I wanted to see if I could fool the system by running really fast past the boundary, but the receiver continues correcting for a number of seconds outside of the boundary, making the “break-out dash” completely useless.  The training program for the pets teaches them to return to home upon triggering the correction method.

They were really friendly to Mom and even talked to me for a few minutes.  They said that Web-savvy pups can find out more information at their website, but they assured Mom that the shut-off switch information was not included.

After discussing it with Mom, we agreed that we could recommend it for dogs that are generally well-behaved, especially if signage is utilized to inform passersby of the containment system.  However, if your dog is fearful or shows any signs of aggression, a more traditional fence will probably be a better option.

The following is an essay included in a book titled, “Pieces of My Heart” by Jim Willis.  I requested his permission to republish this essay, so that I can dedicate it to anyone who has ever known the love of a good dog, especially to those of you who have rescued a good dog and who know what a fantastic friend a “second-hand” dog can be.

When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was “bad,” you’d shake your finger at me and ask “How could you?” – but then you’d relent and roll me over for a bellyrub.

My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because “ice cream is bad for dogs,” you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a “dog person” – still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a “prisoner of love.”

As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch – because your touch was now so infrequent – and I would have defended them with my life if need be.

I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered “yes” and changed the subject. I had gone from being “your dog” to “just a dog,” and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You’ve made the right decision for your “family,” but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said “I know you will find a good home for her.” They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat, even one with “papers.” You had to pry your son’s fingers loose from my collar as he screamed “No, Daddy! Please don’t let them take my dog!” And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.

After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked “How could you?”

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you – that you had changed your mind – that this was all a bad dream…or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.

I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.

She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured “How could you?”

Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said “I’m so sorry.” She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn’t be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself – a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my “How could you?” was not meant for her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever.

May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

Please take a moment to share this with anyone you know who needs to read it.  If you would like to print a copy, Mr. Willis has graciously provided a .pdf to share in that way.

The next time you have a couple dollars left over after keeping your house in order, please consider donating it to one of the “Good Guys” on the right sidebar or here here and here, one of the shelters or rescues over on Spike’s Shelter Dogs, or your local shelter or rescue.

After the fun I had guest-posting over at Lola’s blog, I asked her to guest-post here as well.  Having other dogs write certainly takes the pressure off.

Guest-post by: Lola The Eco-Dog

We can all relate to sitting in a room with friends when, all of a sudden, an unbearable smell fills the air. Yes, an odor that will make any dog or human roll on the floor and play dead.  Leaving you saying “Oh my goodness, what’s that smell” as everyone sniffs around for the culprit, all the while peering at each other with intense looks trying to figure out who dealt it. Unfortunately, if your pup is like me that not-so-good poker face gives him or her away, only to draw pointed fingers from all the humans in the room. Continue Reading